The
Sprite's RefugeThe party rest briefly for lunch, Milo visibly fidgeting in his impatience to catch up the halfling, before continuing on. By mid afternoon, the sun finally disappears behind gathering rain clouds, and the weather turns slightly. As evening approaches, the rain has started as a light drizzle. Up ahead, an 18 foot tall wooden palisade can be seen, behind which the roofs of three buildings can be seen. From the look of it, this must be the Sprite's Refuge. Movement can be seen in a small wooden tower by the gate, and as the traveller's approach, a couple of figures appear next to a couple of large mounted crossbows.
"Hail travellers. You looking to stay at the Sprite's Refuge?" calls out one of the men in a friendly voice. The two seem fairly relaxed, probably because the party do not appear threatening.
<Yvandel wrote>:
> "Greetings to you, friends," Yvandel answers the two
> men. "A stay at your Sprite's Refuge is exactly what
> we are hoping for. We've had a couple of rough days of
> travelling behind us. If you would be so kind as to let
> us enter your refuge, we'd be much obliged."
The guard who had spoken smiles down at the party. "Inside you will find warmth, food and hospitality. You will also find people eager to hear news of the road south, and tell news of the road north. Welcome to the Sprite's Refuge." His colleague, who had ducked out of sight a moment earlier, suddenly appears at the gate, opening it wide.
The party enter into the compound, and at the gesture of the guard, head towards the stables, where a couple of young boys run out to take their horses.
<Balnor Wrote>:
> Balnor quickly looks at Milo not with anger but for
> the first time sense he lost the stones with a friendly
> look. "Milo, if the Halfling is here and sees you he
> will take off at the first sign of you. I suggest that
> you hide until we locate him and let me take care of
> him; who better to catch a thief then a thief??" He
> smiles to him. "And you know what? You are the perfect
> target for any thief, you are nice and trusting. If I
> didn't know you, you would be the second person in this
> party I would look to pickpocket, of course Yvandel
> would be the first." Looking toward Yvandel Balnor has
> a smirk on his face. "I dont mean to offend you my
> great performer!! So Milo, let us all go in first with
> anyone else the halfling saw and let the rest of us
> find him and ill do what I can and will ask for help
> if I need it."
Milo goes red as Balnor mentions his nice and trusting nature. "I'll help these lads stable our horses..." he says, still feeling guilty.
<Yvandel wrote>:
> "First, eh?" Yvandel laughs at Balnor's comment.
> "You'd be surprised at how nimble my fingers will curl
> around yours when they enter any of my belongings. And
> even more surprised to find yourself in anguish,
> because these fingers have gained quite some strength
> over the years. Beware the fingers of doom!"
> Yvandel accompanies his words with a smirk, showing
> Balnor that it is all in good fun. Yet the look in his
> eyes reveal a serious side to his statement.
> "And yes, Milo, it'd be wise for you to stay hidden
> while we all look for the halfling. Maybe you just
> want to put on some different clothes and cover your
> face, so you can identify the halfling when you see
> him. I've seen the halfling perform myself and would
> surely recognise him, but four eyes are still better
> than two."
The others enter the inn.
Inside, the inn is cosy, warm and dry, a nice contrast from the cold and damp outside. A crackling fire burns in a large central hearth, and on the far side a long bar stretches almost the entire length of the room. There are several people already sitting at the various tables and alcoves around the room, and the atmosphere is cheerful and pleasant. As the party stream in through the door, a man gets up from where he had been sitting talking to a couple of customers, and rushes up, followed by a waitress from behind the bar.
"Welcome, Welcome!" he greets the party. "Come on in and let the troubles of the road be eased by good food and the comfort of a dry roof over your head!"
As the party enter, conversation around the inn pauses for a moment, before slowly resuming. As the newcomers look around, they can see three distinct groups of people. The largest by far is a group of 10 men, all dressed in a dark green uniform with the emblem of a saddle on it. They all have beers in front of them but look to have only been seated for a short while, as they too are still wet from the rain outside.
At a separate table nearby, the man and a woman with whom the inn-keeper had been talking sit drinking from smaller goblets. One of them wears a similar uniform to the soldiers, though he is probably an officer of some kind. The woman wears a long cloak and what might be a robe, but actually in similar colours to the soldiers. They are talking quietly, but have paused to observe the party as they enter.
As Soggrin enters the bar, her head proudly erect, her heritage plain for all to see, the woman grabs the arm of the officer type, and the two whisper together staring at Soggrin. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the inn to the soldiers, sitting in an alcove alone, a single man grips his drink with both hands, and warily watches the party enter.
There is no halfling visible in the bar.
The inn-keeper fusses over the party as they shake the rain from their furs and armour, and leads them to a couple of tables on the opposite side of the fire from the soldiers, With help from the waitress he pushes them together, then waits for the party to settle themselves before asking their intentions.
"I take you young folk will be staying the night here?" he asks, before continuing onwards in an almost babble of words. "The Longriders have already taken the Dorm, but I have several other smaller rooms spare tonight. If you ladies want to share", he says, looking at Ceely, Cleo, Serena and Soggrin - he pauses at the last, his jaw slightly ajar for a moment before he recovers himself - "then there are two other rooms which also sleep four. Unfortunately I don't have enough rooms to offer you all single rooms!" He laughs for a moment before continuing on. "Of course, I am sure from the look of you that sharing would not be a problem. After all, once you've shared a camp fire, sharing a room should be no problem! - and I tell you, I've shared my quota of camp fires over the years!"
He smiles again at the party. "You folk look young enough to perhaps still enjoy the thrill of camping under the stars, but as you get older, you soon learn that comfort is hard come by in the North, and best take it when you get the chance. At this time of year especially. Well at least the rain has melted the last of the snow!" he jokes.
He finally pauses again, to take breath. "Cost for the stay is a crown per head, but that does include a healthy serving of our famous hot-pot, and breakfast as well. Of course, if you want something else to eat, we can prepare you something suitable I am sure. Lily here will take your orders for food and drink, and I'll come back when you've finished to exchange news." He smiles broadly, holding his hands out wide. "Relax, enjoy. You are safe here." With a wink at Cleo, he adds. "I'll throw in a saucer of milk for the cat for free!" before turning to head back to finish his conversation with the Longrider Officer and the woman.
<Cleo wrote>:
> "So, lets get everything out in the open so it doesn't
> come out at the wrong time." While she waits for replies,
> she looks down at Nu and watches him go to the center of
> the table to sleep.
Lucretia stretches himself and leans back in his chair, "What do you mean Cleo? Get what out into the open?"
Herod shrugs. "Do you mean our search for this halfling thief? The inn-keeper seems a decent fellow, and I have heard of these Longriders before - they are the peace keepers of Longsaddle - they are unlikely to be sympathetic to a thief. Rather than skulking around searching for the halfling", he glances meaningfully at Balnor, "I suggest we just ask to see if he is here."
The waitress brings the first of the drinks and promises that they will not have to wait too long for their food. As she passes Von Fedel, she shies away, her nose wrinkling. "What the he..." she starts to swear, before recovering herself, and smiling sweetly, quickly disappears back towards the bar. Von Fedel rises from his seat, glaring at anyone staring at him. "I'm going out to wash at the well" he says in a stilted voice, and clutching his satchel, disappears outside.
Blondung shakes his head as he watches the dark priest leave. "I have known Von Fedel for several years now. He has always been a bit eccentric, but I think our captivity with Xred has definitely pushed him over the edge. I don't think I would be too sad to see him disappear."
"Me neither!", says Soggrin. She smiles at Blondung. "I think that has to be the first time I have ever agreed with you Blondung!" As he smiles back, her smile vanishes and she glares at the Zhent mage. "Of course, I'd be just as happy if you disappeared as well!"
"Rest assured Soggrin" Blondung replies in a low voice, "I will be happy to see you returned to your tribe and out of my life. After my experiences with Xred, being one of Manshoon's underlings has proved to be more trouble than it's worth! All I want to do now is get to a city and disappear. Silverymoon is the biggest city around, so hence I am tagging along with these folks."
A few moments later, Milo enters the inn. "Von Fedel said that the halfling was not here?" he explains as he approaches the table. He looks downcast as his hopes of retrieving the stones dies.
"We haven't even asked the innkeeper yet!" exclaims Herod. He shakes his head and mutters something angrily about Von Fedel. He looks up at Milo. "Well, you're here now. Any volunteers to go ask our host about the halfling?"
<Larz wrote>:
> "Dark rituals? I felt something odd about that one I did.
> Why is he with you IF he uses Dark Arts?" Larz asks over
> a mug of strong ale.
Milo shrugs, lost in his own thoughts for the moment. Herod frowns, glancing towards Blondung for a moment and then at Soggrin. "Despite his strange, sometimes arrogant attitude," Herod starts, "you could say that in some respects we owe our lives to Von Fedel."
Soggrin slumps in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest and a deep sulk etched on her face. She ignores Herod, her hate for Von Fedel obvious.
"Whilst we were held as slaves by the Ogre Mage Xred," Herod continues, "the Banshee Agatha came storming into the orc camp, screaming her head off. If it had not been for Von Fedel's conjuration of balls of beeswax to stuff in our ears and block out her lethal scream, we would have all died like Xred and all his orcs!" He glances at Lucretia, who is rubbing some small scars on his forehead. "Lucretia very nearly did when he tried to block out the sound with just his hands..." Lucretia nods mutely, remembering the madness that overcame him, and how the others had had to hold him down to prevent him bashing his own brains out on the floor.
Herod resumes. "Since we made our way out of Neverwinter woods, Von Fedel, Blondung and I guess Soggrin have, I guess, simply tagged along. I know Blondung has expressed a desire to go to Silverymoon..." Blondung nods. "...and since we are, or perhaps I should say *were*..." he glances at Milo who simply buries his head in his hands, his elbows leaning on the table. "... on a job to take some special stones there, I guess no one had complained as there is more safety-in-numbers so to speak." He shrugs for a moment. "Soggrin wants to return to her tribe, who she hopes to find in the wilderness to the north of Longsaddle. The Gods only know what Von Fedel want's to do!"
He wrinkles his nose for a moment. "Whatever he does, I hope that he starts to smell better. When he comes close, I swear he stinks of what smells like rotten meat!"
Herod stops talking as the waitress brings out the food that the party have ordered. (OOC: Since no one has said anything different, I assume that you are all going for their "famous hot-pot")
<Cleo wrote>:
> Listens to the discourse following what she said.
> She hear Herods swipe at Milo and frowns. As he
> orders his food, she speaks "What I meant was the
> feeling we have right now. like what Herod just said
> about Milo. Goddess! Don't you think he feels bad
> enough already. How are we suppose to work as a team
> when some of us are being hurtful to another member.
> Right now we aren't acting like a team. Yes, I
> understand why you are angry, but how is that going
> to solve anything." She gets up, moves behind Milo
> and puts her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sure he
> didn't mean for this to happen..." She turns and sits
> back down, looking at everyone for some reaction.
<Yvandel wrote>:
> "Well, I guess I agree. There's no use in fighting
> amongst ourselves. Although I think that Herod didn't
> quite mean to hurt Milo. I bet the nimble fingers of
> that halfling would've been able to undo any of us of
> those stones, so Milo really doesn't need to feel
> guilty at all. Right now, we just need to find that
> halfling. We don't really need to find our hearts
> though, so I say we delay the 'emotion' discussion
> until a more appropriate time... for example after we
> finish our first job and settle down for a nice night
> in the best inn in Silverymoon."
"You are both right of course" says Herod. "Milo, I am sorry, it really wasn't your fault that you had your pocket picked."
<Yvandel continued>:
> Yvandel takes a moment to take a breath.
> "Let's just all agree on what we are going to do next.
> Von Fedel tells us that the halfling isn't here, but
> that really doesn't help us all that much. For one, I
> don't know how accurate his 'truth' is, and second, it
> might just mean that we just missed him by minutes. I
> say we stay close on his tracks and start
> investigating right away. Let's start with some that
> are sitting right in front of our eyes..."
> Yvandel points to the group of Longsaddle soldiers.
Herod turns to Yvandel. "I guess that Von Fedel is just saying what his eyes see. Not visible in this room, so therefore not here! I don't expect he is the most logical of thinkers! You volunteering to ask those Longriders about the halfling then?"
<Balnor wrote>:
> Balnor rises from the table. "I don't know what we are to
> do yet but I am going to see what is up with Von Fedel,
> I don't trust that Bastard farther then I can throw him.
> Ill be back in a minute." He turns and walks after Von
> Fedel quietly hoping he wont see him coming after him.
"Don't be long or your food will get cold!" calls Lucretia after Balnor's departing back. Balnor grins back, then slips out of the inn door.
<Yvandel Wrote>:
> "Well, yes, I guess I'll volunteer." Yvandel quickly
> makes sure that his puppet is tied firmly around his
> neck, then swings it in one swift movement to his
> back. He took one more look around in the room, took a
> deep breath, and started walking towards what appeared
> to be the leader of the group of peacekeepers.
> Arriving at the table, Yvandel gave a polite nod to
> first the woman, then the man.
> "Greetings, my name is Yvandel. I hope I'm not
> disturbing, but I'm wondering if I might borrow a few
> moments of your time."
As Yvandel approaches, the man and woman fall silent and look up at the puppet master expectantly. The innkeeper, who had been chatting with them earlier, also casts an interested glance in their direction. Some of the Longriders sitting on the larger table glance over, but quickly return to their beers at a glance from their leader.
"How can we help you good sir?" responds the man, leaning forward and gesturing for Yvandel to pull up a chair. The woman sits back in her chair, deferring to her companion.
<Larz wrote>:
> "Forgive me if I speak out of turn here but I was
> wondering what is so special about these stones you
> all are so concerned about? Seeing as I am new to
> the group and unaware of them till AFTER they
> disappear I would like to something about them."
Milo explains, both for Merrell and Larz's benefit, the real reason for their trip to Silverymoon.
"We," he says, gesturing to the group of original friends who left Neverwinter (OOC: Balnor, Ceely, Cleo, Milo, Herod, Lucretia, Serena and Yvandel), "formed a group to look for a job to pay for us to travel beyond the safety and boredom of Neverwinter. After several days searching for a job or commission, we were asked by a local mage named Gaard to take a pouch of unusual blue stones to Lady Alustriel in Silverymoon. Apparently the dwarves who had discovered them were afraid that they might have some special properties that they couldn't detect, and they brought them to Gaard to analyse. He also could not detect anything unusual about them, but the more powerful mages in Silverymoon want to investigate them further, and Lady Alustriel has made more than enough money available to finance their transportation eastwards."
He pauses for a moment to take a sip of his ale. "Gaard had stated that there were 2 other groups that had been commissioned to take some of the stones, to increase the odds of them getting through all right Apparently, the group that get their first will get a bonus. I somehow think that with our enforced stop by Xred and his orcs, and the fact that the stones have now been stolen that we are unlikely to get our bonus!"
<Yvandel wrote>:
> "Well," Yvandel begins, somewhat uncomfortable, "we
> uhm... we're a group of travelers on our way to
> Silverymoon. We've been having a hard enough time as
> it is, fighting off attackers along the way, and just
> the other day, one of our members was robbed of an
> emotionally precious item." Yvandel takes a moment to
> glance at Milo, who still appears a little distrought.
> "We've been unable to catch the thief so far, but
> we're hot on his trail. The suspect is a halfling."
> Yvandel takes a few moments to describe the halfling's
> appearance as good as he can. "We're hoping to catch
> the culprit before he can get away. As peacekeepers of
> Longsaddle you seem to be a beacon of hope in our dire
> straights. Have you by any chance seen a halfling like
> the one I described?"
The man frowns intently as he listens to Yvandel's story. At the end, he glances for a moment at the woman, who does the barest hint of a nod. He looks again at Yvandel. "I wish I could help you. Our patrol arrived here from Longsaddle about an hour ago, and we saw no sign of a halfling on the road north of here." He turns to look at the inn-keeper. "Hey Shornik" he calls. "You haven't got any halfling visitors staying at the moment have you? - not counting Paskar of course!"
Shornik the inn-keeper shakes his head, his face serious. "The last halfling that visited here was one of Paskar's distant cousins, and that was 3 months ago in the depths of winter!" Paskar, having heard his name mentioned a few times suddenly appears next to Shornik behind the bar. Paskar is a halfling, dressed all in white with a few grease stains down his shirt, and a crumpled white had perched on his head. Holding a steaming ladle, he hops up on a hidden step behind the bar, so that his head and shoulders project above the level of the bar. "What's up?" he asks in a high pitched voice.
As Shornik explains to the halfling chef what is going on, the leader of the Longriders turns back to Yvandel. "Looks like he left the road somewhere else. You say he was travelling alone? Dangerous lands to travel alone. Looks like the chance of getting your precious item back is pretty remote!". He pauses for a moment. "Your group looks like a reasonably safe size... if a bit unusual in it's make up", he glances meaningfully at Soggrin.
<Merrell wrote>:
> Merrell rubbed his hands together excitedly, the thought
> of posessing a powerful magical artifact quite visibly
> intrigued him. The thought of magic reminded him of his
> promise to Blondung. Walking over to the other mage,
> Merrell addressed him in a conspiratorial tone. "Perhaps
> we should make time tonight to 'compare notes'. It has
> become clear that travelling with this party will put our
> magical prowess to the test."
Blondung smiles at Merrell. "I would be happy to. Maybe later once we have all eaten and are a little more rested from our journey - perhaps we can retire early to a private room to study alone... unless anyone else wants to join us to learn more about magic?" he smiles at the party, amused at his little joke.
<Yvandel wrote>:> Yvandel let's the man's last comment pass. Instead, he
> continues the discussion about the halfling. "If one
> were to travel to Silverymoon and <not> pass through
> here and follow the road north, are there any other
> small roads or trails that a traveller might use?"
The Longrider officer shakes his head slowly. "There are no proper trails that I would know about that specifically avoid passing the road here..." he says thoughtfully...
"Hey Shornik, Teth still shows up here every now and then doesn't he?" he continues, leaning around again to speak to the inn-keeper. Paskar shrugs and hops off his step to hurry back to his cooking in the kitchen. Shornik frowns as the officer mentions the name Teth. "He does stop by, but he hasn't been around for several days now."
"Shame" says the Longrider officer. "He knows this area well."
<Merrell wrote>:
> Merrell casually walks over to Milo and whispers to him,
> "Keep an eye on me while I talk to the loner over there.
> He knows something." Merrell then walks over to the fire
> and stares in it for a few moments before making his way
> to the stranger's table. With a smile on his face, he
> nods his head in greeting, "From the way you're eyeing
> that mug I'm guessing you could use another ale. Can I
> get you one?"
"Errr. N-n-no thanks." splutters the man, spilling some of his ale. "I'm just, er, tired from the road. I think I'll go to bed in a minute..." He smiles nervously, and quaffs the rest of his ale, spilling some of it down his chin in his hurry.
<Larz wrote>:
> Seeing Merrill move to the stranger Larz sits and waits
> to hear some about the stone. But at the same time starts
> to watch the room t see if anyway has an odd reaction to
> Merrill talking with the lone stranger.
Looking around the inn, no one seems to pay any attention to Merrell or the stranger.
Suddenly, the front door of the inn opens, and Von Fedel enters, his hands held out in front of him. Right behind him is Balnor, holding a dagger to his throat. Von Fedel raises his eyebrows and half-shrugs before wincing as Balnor increases his pressure with the dagger momentarily.
The whole inn goes silent at this strange entrance.
<Milo wrote>:
> Milo's eyes widen at the scene, but he says nothing..
> instead looking around the inn to see everyone else's
> reaction. His eyes eventually return to Merrell and
> the stranger as he wonders what effect these events
> might have on getting information...
The stranger looks at the Balnor's entrance somewhat in relief, as it seems to have diverted Merrell's attention away from him for a moment. After a moment, he starts to rise, as if to leave the table...
<Yvandel wrote>:
> Meanwhile, Yvandel excuses himself from the
> conversation with the leader of the Longsaddle
> peacekeepers and walks back to the table where the
> rest of his group is sitting.
The Longrider officer nods curtly to Yvandel, but keeps his eyes focused on Balnor and Von Fedel. He puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his female companions puts her hands in her pockets. The soldiers all stare, and some shift their positions slightly so they can stand quickly if needed.
<Yvandel continued>:
> "Balnor, what's going on?"
<Larz wwrote>:
> Larz looks at Banlor with the knife at Von Fedel's throat
> and at the stranger, wondering why Banlor is acting the
> way he is. Not really sure what to do, Larz moves out his
> chair grumbling under his breath about his meal growing
> cold and his mead losing what little edge it did have.
> "Banlor, I am wondering, and just a little bit I might
> add, why it is you bring a friend and or travelling
> campaign in here at knife point?" he says as he walks
> slowly towards him then smiles slightly. "Now granted
> he favours some....let us say UNFAVORABLE forms of the
> mystical arts, but surly this does not mean that he
> warrants this treatment for that alone." Larz finishes
> while he still looks at the stranger out the corner of
> his eye.
"Balnor is giving him nothing more than he deserves!" spits Soggrin
Lucretia puts a hand on Soggrin's shoulder. "I am sure Balnor has a good reason for his actions. For all his strange ways, Von Fedel did save our lives with his balls of beeswax when the banshee wailed - despite my reluctance then. He was a significant asset first thing this morning as well against the bandits!"
Herod simply looks at Balnor, waiting for the explanation that is sure to be forthcoming.
Blondung merely shakes his head slightly, looking at Von Fedel and Balnor in almost disbelief.
Ceely leans back in her chair, keen to see what the outcome is.
The inn-keeper Shornik raises his voice angrily. "I'll tolerate no violence in my Inn. Let the man go and use words instead of blades!"
From the kitchens, Paskar the halfling chef and the waitress appear to see what is going on. They remain silent and watch, though Paskar is now holding a wicked looking kitchen knife.
<Cleo wrote>:
<SNIP>
> Cleo quickly stands up and pulls out her sword, not
> hearing what anyone else is saying. She looks over
> to the mage "Why?" she asks "Why? Anyone could
figure
> out how much Stormy meant to me? Why didn't you let me
> bury him?"
(OOC: Just a minor point - Von Fedel is a priest not a mage :-)
Lucretia stands at almost the same time as Cleo, as Balnor tells his tale. "You bastard!" he says, looking at Von Fedel. As Cleo draws her sword, the Longrider officer scrapes back his chair, and stands. Several of the Longriders tense, but otherwise stay seated at a glance from the woman. Shornik says "They'll be no spilling of blood here!" There is a cracking sound as Lucretia grips the back of Cleo's chair, his knuckles going white.
As Balnor starts to describe what he had seen, Von Fedel laughs. "Have you been chewing on some of Milo's herbs again?!" he scoffs. "I haven't heard such a preposterous story! I was simply taking a leak in the outhouse, when he tried to pick my pocket. When I noticed what he was doing, he suddenly assaulted me! I know you've never liked me Balnor, but I thought you would have kept your thieving fingers out of your travelling companions pockets! And using a dead cat as a puppet! Pah!" He glances at Yvandel in contempt. "I don't play with toys like some of you. If you were to come up with some lie about me to try and cover your criminal actions, you could have at least come up with one you could prove!"
Herod looks first at Von Fedel, as Balnor relates his story, and then at Balnor, as Von Fedel tells his side of the story. His seems not to be able to believe what he is hearing, and simply sits with mouth open looking at them both.
The man who Merrell had been talking to, pauses in his attempt to leave, fascinated by the turn of events.
<Balnor wrote>:
> Laughing Balnor looks at Von Fedel from where he is
> sitting. "I will not charge you anymore I have told
> my story and like I said I will leave the rest up to
> the group." He grabs the closes mug with something in
> it and downs it. "I figured you would lie about this.
> And I'm sure Stormy's body is long gone by now but I
> have already judged you and I will let the rest of
> the party decide what to do with you." He stairs at
> the evil priest with hate but understanding of what
> Von Fedel is saying. If Balnor had been caught doing
> what Von Fedel was doing he would have lied also.
Von Fedel simply shakes his head at Balnor's words.
<Yvandel wrote>:
> "Alright, Von Fedel. If your words speak true, then
> you might be able to convince me by one simple act.
> Empty your little bag that you always keep with you.
> On the table here, right now."
> Yvandel points down at a table near Von Fedel.
Von Fedel turns around, so Yvandel can see that he is not wearing his satchel after all. "It is still in the outhouse, I didn't have a chance to pick it up when Balnor accosted me! Would you like me to go fetch it so you can look inside?"
Those of the party who have known Von Fedel over the last week or so notice something about the way in which he is speaking. Suddenly, he is a lot more eloquent, the madness about him seems to have disappeared, and he seems rational and coherent. It is almost as if it is a different person standing there!
Soggrin doesn't think him any different however, and spits again, this time the spittle actually hitting Von Fedel. "You're just a sick lying Zhent!" she exclaims.
At the mention of the word Zhent, the Longrider officer steps forward. "Did you claim this man was a member of the Zhentariam?"
To answer to the officer's question, Soggrin surges to her feet. "I know he is!" she blurts. "He and Blondung work for Manshoon. Manshoon kidnapped me six months ago when he read some prophesy. He wanted to mate with me next year! They were guarding me when Xred kidnapped all of us and made us into slaves! These people..." she waves her hand to encompass most of the party "...were kidnapped as well and forced to grind grain but we all escaped when Agatha screamed and blasted Xred and his orcs to cinders!"
As her stream of words finishes, there is a moment's silence. Everyone looks at Soggrin somewhat startled at her outburst. The officer looks at her incredulously. "Er... right then. OK. Look, I can see you have some problems here, but accusing someone of being a member of the Zhentariam is a serious accusation, and I'm not going to start arresting people on the word of a barbarian!" Soggrin looks daggers at him, then turns her chair and sits with her back to the officer.
Blondung stands. "I'll go fetch his satchel" he says, looking at Yvandel before starting to head for the door. "Stuff that!" says Von Fedel. "You stay here Blondung. It is obvious from your lies that despite my saving your lives, you lot don't want me around! I'll get out of your lives once and for all." With obvious disdain and anger, he turns and walks towards the door. Blondung pauses, then shrugs and starts back to his seat.
The officer looks at both Von Fedel and Blondung at their interchange, then glances at the party to see their reaction.
Ceely comforts Cleo, bringing Nu over to her from the table.
***
OOC: Meanwhile...
<Merrell wrote>:
<SNIP various subtle threats :->
> Merrell turned to look straight into the others eyes,
> widening his eyes mysteriously. "By the by, before you
> head off, you wouldn't happen to know anything about
> this halfling we're looking for? We'd find the information...
> most helpful."
The man sits again, intimidated by Merrell's words. "I m-m-met a halfling this morning" he stutters. "H-h-he and I travelled together with another man for a short while. T-t-this afternoon, I h-h-had just gone into the bushes to, er, you know, when several H-H-hobgoblins c-c-came out of the woods and took h-h-him and the other man way into the woods." He seems somewhat ashamed of his cowardice. "I-I-I waited till it went quiet, then r-r-ran the rest of the way here." He lapses into silence, glancing nervously at the Longriders.
<Milo wrote>:
> Overhearing the man's words, Milo momentarily
> forgets the scene surrounding Von Fedel, and
> pays exclusive attention to Merrell and the
> stranger. Barely resisting the urge to leap
> out of his chair and run over to strangle the
> information out of the stranger.. he gets up,
> and saunters causually over to the pair.
>
> He glances over at Merrell to ensure that he
> has not intruded, and then looks back to the
> stranger... "Merrell, perhaps your friend here
> would be willing to show us the location of his
> little adventure?" Almost giddy with the thought
> of recovering the stones, Milo waits expectantly
> for a reply...
<Merrell wrote>:
> As Merrell again offers the stranger a drink, he
> winces slightly upon Milo's approach and query.
> Hoping that Milo does not scare the stranger out
> of his wits, Merrell quickly cuts off the warrior.
> In an exaggerated, soothing tone, as if calming a
> beast, he adds, "Well, Milo, this gentleman has been
> MOST cooperative. Very helpful indeed. I'm sure for
> a drink and perhaps a gold for his troubles he would
> be glad to help us further. Is that not right?"
> Merrell turns back to the stranger.
The man glances again at the party, guaging it's size and strength. Speaking a little more confidently, he replies. "Y-You lot look like you could beat the Hobgoblins, so I-I-I guess I <could> come with you and show you where it happened..." Seeing the eagerness in Milo's eyes, he quickly adds "...in the morning when it's light!" Glancing again past Milo towards the rest of the party, he continues "But don't expect me to track them through the woods for you!! He wasn't my friend!"
He nervously smiles at Merrell. "Alright, I'll have that drink after all..."
****
OOC: Meanwhile, nearer the door:
"Yvandel wrote>:
> "Von Fedel, wait just a moment..." Yvandel runs to
the
> door as fast as he can, attempting to stop Von Fedel
> before he leaves.
Von Fedel pauses with his hand on the door handle as Yvandel reaches him.
"Yvandel continues>:
> "Von Fedel, tell us now, truthfully, did you or did
> you not have the remains of the cat with you all this
> time? Before you answer, I want you to know that I and
> probably others in our group <do> realize that you
> have saved us more than once with your skills and
> powers. And I also realize that the time you spent in
> captivity with the Orcs might have made you act in
> ways that you would have never thought possible. Maybe
> you needed something to keep your mind intact,
> something to keep close to you... maybe you found the
> cat, laying dead on the floor and decided to keep it
> as a pet, no matter it's condition...
> You can tell us now. This is your chance to spill the
> secret."
Von Fedel looks at everyone in the inn for a moment before looking back to Yvandel right next to him. Shaking his head, as Yvandel asks his questions, he leans forward and whispers something to Yvandel, then opens the door and goes out, leaving Yvandel standing in the doorway...
<Merrell wrote>:
> Merrell smiles at both Milo and the stranger. "Glad
> that we all get along, and we're mighty appreciative
> for your help good man. If you need any help at some
> point, you know where to find me." Merrell turns to
> leave, and claps Milo on the shoulder. Addressing Milo,
> "He seems honest enough, and we could certainly use his
> guidance. Be nice to the fellow and buy him a drink."
>
> Merrell walks back to his table, and has a seat. Pulling
> out one of his tomes, he takes a moment to find his placemark
> and then begins to read intently
The man looks at Merrell in almost surprise as he delegates the buying of the
drink, then looks back at Milo. "I'll show you where it happened in the
morning" he repeats. "Maybe you can track them from there..."
he says doubtfully.
Ceely, listening in from where she is still comforting Cleo, looks up. "I can have a go. Unless they have a lot of woodcraft, I am sure they will leave signs I might be able to follow."
***
OOC: Meanwhile:
<Yvandel wrote>:
> Yvandel turns around and looks at the group, before
> turning around once more and follow Von Fedel outside,
> using his right hand to wave the rest of the group to
> stay inside, gesturing that everything will be ok.
Yvandel follows Von Fedel out of the inn. The officer makes some hand motions, and a couple of the Longriders also rise from their table, and head to the door, opening it and stepping outside. A few minutes later, a loud crack of thunder is heard, making almost everyone in the inn jump. The storm that has been brewing has finally broken, and a few moments later, the two Longriders re-enter the inn. They obviously went no further than the porch as they are only slightly splashed by the heavy rain that can be seen pelting down outside behind them. One of them sits back down, the other approaches closer to the officer. "It appears the first has left the palisade completely, the other looks like he is coming back", he says before sitting again.
Yvandel re-enters the inn moments later, drenched to the skin by the heavy rainfall.
<Milo wrote>:
> The look on Milo's face echos the surprise on the
> stranger's face as the drink task is delegated.
> He looks around to locate a server, and gestures
> for her approach.
After a few moments, the waitress arrives and takes the order for a drink from the man.
>> Ceely, listening in from where she is still comforting Cleo, looks
up.
>> "I can have a go. Unless they have a lot of woodcraft,
I am sure they
>> will leave signs I might be able to follow."
>>
>
> Milo nods in response to Ceely's comment, and looks back to the
> stranger. "We haven't been formally introduced.. "
he sticks
> his hand out in greeting.. "Well met, I am Milo, Priest
of
> Illmater.." He cringes slightly as he realises that his
> introduction seemed a little too formal and waits for a reply...
The man glances again at the silently reading figure of Merrell, and then back at Milo, trying to rationalise Merrell's description of Milo as a desperate violent man with the mild mannered priest of Illmater - well known for being pacifists and peace makers - standing in front of him.
He blinks, then grips the offered hand firmly. "I hadn't realised", he says, to cover his momentary silence. "My name is Hurle. I am..." he hesitates, "...not a priest of anything." He smiles. "Of course, I have great respect for members of your faith." He leans back in his chair a little as the waitress brings his drink and departs. "So what do you know about this halfling Hael?"
After a few minutes, it becomes apparent that Von Fedel is not coming back, and has basically walked out into the storm. The Longriders settle back down, and start to relax, talking and joking with each other. Their officer, after giving Blondung a careful look, which Blondung doesn't seem to notice, nods respectfully to the other members of the party, and sits again to talk with his female colleague.
<Larz wrote>:
> "Good day to you Master Halfing. You are the man responsible
> for this wonderful meal are you not? Of course you are I can
> see a born chef when I see one. I was just about to ask to see
> you to let you know just wonderful the meal was. Perhaps you
> and I could have a chat later and you can let me know where
> you learn to cook so well over some nice Mead I happen to have
> with me? What do you think?" He says as he walks up closer to him.
The halfling cook named Paskar is about to return to the kitchens as he realises that Larz is approaching. As Larz complements him for the meal, he puffs up his chest with pride. "Why thank you!" he replies, his high halfling voice contrasting with Larz's deep dwarven tones. "I have some more work to do in the kitchens for now, but I will share a glass with you later if you wish!" He smiles. "As for where I learnt to cook, that is a tale in itself. I'll tell you when I've finished work.
The inn-keeper Shornik glances at Larz and Paskar, before chuckling to himself and continuing to polishing some glasses behind the bar.
***
<Milo wrote>:
<SNIP>
> "I'm afraid I don't know much about the halfling... You
say
> Hael is his name? Unfortunately for me, he has helped himself
> to a trinket that has special meaning to me. It was one of
> the few things given to me by my poor mother before she passed
> on to the next life..." Milo dutifully puts on a sorrowful
> expression, intending to following the "emotional attachment"
> theme started by Yvandel earlier.
Hurle quaffs his drink as Milo speaks. "Well!" he says, "Hael is what he called himself... I had suspicions about him you know! He looked the dodgy type!". He has another long pull at his drink. "Tomorrow morning, when hopefully this damn storm has passed, I'll show you the spot where those damn hobgoblins snatched him. I hope you can find him and make him give your trinket back!" Hurle slugs back the dregs of his drink and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks for the drink. I hope you'll forgive me, but I'm knackered, and I'm gonna go to bed!"
With that, the man rises and starts to head towards the stairs.
***
Nu the kitten, starts to play with a cork on the table, making Soggrin laugh.
The mood at the table lightens considerably and everyone starts to
relax just a bit more.
<Milo wrote>:
> A worried expression crosses his face as he continues...
> looking around to his companions...
>
> "I hope our only lead doesn't disappear before we awake,
> perhaps a watch is in order?"
Lucretia grins. "I'll take the first watch from here!" he says, patting the mug of ale in front of him.
Blondung looks towards the rain lashed window. "I can't see anyone wanting to go out in this weather. Anyone sane that is." he says quietly. "If you like, I can set a spell on his doorway before I go to bed, so that if he wakes early in the morning, and tries to leave without us, we will be alerted. As long as there is one of us up early, before the spell expires, we should be alright."
As Balnor slams his dagger into the table, Nu jumps and the Longrider officer looks sharply over. Sharnik the inn-keeper jerks his head up too. "Hey! That's my table-top! I'll have no violence in here I said!!"
As Balnor storms out of the inn, followed by Cleo, Ceely picks up Nu and comforts the kitten, reminding it of it's saucer of milk. Sharnik frowns at their departing backs and mutters "I should bolt the bloody door!" more to himself than anyone else. Walking up to the table, he examines the gouge made by Balnor's dagger, comparing it with the various nicks and gouges made by other visitors over the years. "Apologies for our friend Balnor. I think he was rather frustrated at us" says Herod, sliding a silver coin across the table to the inn-keeper. "Hrumph!" Sharnik snorts before picking up the coin.
Herod smiles wanly at the inn-keeper. "The man who left earlier, Von Fedel," he says as if to explain somewhat. "He may have been undesirable company by many civilised standards, but he also saved all our lives. Because of that debt, some of us find it harder to condemn him entirely." He shrugs. "I guess what Balnor witnessed outside was more unforgivable in his eyes."
Sharnik pockets the coin, then leans towards Herod, speaking softly so only those close can hear. "Pray that he does not consider himself judge and executioner then, as these Longriders don't like other people to do their job for them." He pauses for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "That ludicrous story that the barbarian girl came out with earlier, that's actually true isn't it?"
The two Longriders who had followed Balnor and Von Fedel before again rise to their feet at a gesture from their officer, and grabbing their coats, they disappear to the porch outside.
(OOC: From Cleo and Balnor's viewpoint:)
The Inn door opens behind the arguing couple standing in the rain in the middle
of the yard, and two Longriders come out to huddle under the porch. They watch
the exchange between Cleo and Balnor in silence, making room for her to re-enter
the inn as she returns, her hair plastered to her head and her tears lost in
the rain on her cheeks. She is soaked from the heavy rain and appears to be
very upset.
Balnor stands alone for a moment in the centre of the yard, the rain running off him in rivers. The two Longriders continue to watch him as they shelter in the porch. Next to the entrance tower, one of the gate guards appears for a moment, holding a canvas above his head. "You're not thinking about going out as well are you?" he shouts over the rain. "If you do, you'll not be coming back in this night!"
<Balnor wrote (with great timing!)>
> Balnor walks over to the wall and sits down and leans
> against it, letting the rain pour down on him.
Meanwhile inside, Ceely rises to comfort Cleo. A few minutes later, the Longriders return inside. One says "He is just sitting in the rain" and shrugs. The two of them remove their damp coats, and sit again, resuming their drinks.
As the evening wears on, various members of the party rise and head for bed. Yvandel accompanies Blondung to cast an Alarm spell on Hurle's door as well as compare notes on spells, and Paskar the halfling chef comes out to talk to Larz.
As Paskar starts to relate a few tales in his characteristic high pitched voice, it soon becomes clear that he is either got a good imagination, or he himself is a seasoned adventurer. The stories he tells include Sharnik and a female half-elf by the name of Tanil. The three of them are the sole surviving now retired members of a group of adventurers who called themselves the "Prophets of Chance" when they had been adventuring 20 years earlier. Tanil apparently now lives in or near the High Forest to the east, where as Sharnik and Paskar run this inn together, providing a refuge in this dangerous land and occasionally helping out visitors where they can.
One of the stories relates to when Paskar had been caught by a coven of hags. They had kept him prisoner for months, trying to fatten him up. They had made him cook for them, and he jokes that is where his first interest in cookery had come about, as he had promised the hags that he could develop the perfect blend of spices with which to cook himself, so that they could maximise their enjoyment of eating him. When asked how he finally escaped, he shivers for a moment before relating how he managed to overhear the command words "Kcits Ylf" and then steal one of their broomsticks and fly out of there. Of course, he now has a complete fear of heights that he has never managed to get rid of, but at least he still has his flesh intact!
<Balnor continued>:
> After 2 hours he walks back into the inn, soaked to the bone.
> "Cleo I'm sorry. I am just getting very frustrated. I
> didn't mean to hurt you. Really I'm.... I'm sorry.....
> just let me know if there is anything I can do....
> actually I should go to bed....." He walks up to the
> bar tender pays him for a room and heads to bed....... sad
As Balnor re-enters the inn, Paskar is just finishing off a story. He smiles at everyone who has been listening, which includes a number of the Longriders, and then yawns. "Well, I'm off to bed, and from what I heard earlier, it sounds like you will need your sleep too!"
The party breaks up and everyone heads for bed. Luckily, because Von Fedel has gone, the numbers now fit the rooms, and Cleo, Ceely, Serena and Soggrin head off to one room, Yvandel, and Milo join Merrell and Blondung in another, leaving Balnor, Lucretia, Herod and Larz for the last.
***
Just before dawn, the party slowly assemble in the main bar, where the smell of bacon drifts from the kitchens making their mouths water. Milo, is the earliest riser, keen to make sure that his only lead to recover the stones does not leave without him.
As the party are eating, Paskar comes out of the kitchens, holding a couple of flasks, his face serious. "I understand you are heading into the woods to track some hob-goblins, according to our other guest Hurle. I wasn't aware that there were any hob-goblins in the Broken Fang woods. Teth, a ranger who lives in the woods and often pops in here would normally tell us if he knew of any, but unfortunately, we haven't seen or heard from him for almost a ride now. We would appreciate it if you can let us know what you find. We thought these might help you. They are a couple of healing potions, brewed by a forest gnome who also lives nearby. We keep a few here to help out in emergencies. Keep them safe, as each one could well help save a couple of lives." (OOC: i.e. 2 doses per potion).
Paskar offers one of them to Herod and one to Milo, considering the priests in the party to be the safest place for them.
Eventually, when the entire party have finished eating and are ready to go, a good hour after sunrise, Hurle makes an appearance. He rubs his unshaven chin ruefully and picks up a hunk of bread from the table, before slinging his coat on. Looking out the window, he says "at least it's stopped raining", before heading straight to the door. With his hand on the door handle, he turns to look at the party. "Come on then, I don't want to waste the whole day showing you this place" he says abruptly, before trying to open the door and go out. Unfortunately for him, the door is still bolted, so he ends up pulling himself into the door, banging his nose and making others laugh. Covering his embarrassment, he wrenches open the bolts and heads out into the yard, quickly followed by the rest of the party.
Outside, the day is calm, quiet and dry, although there is still heavy cloud cover. The storm had passed quickly in the night, and all traces of snow have now been washed away by the heavy rain. Ceely starts to worry about her tracking abilities, and becomes quiet and slightly withdrawn.
Roughly an hour later, when Hurle (whose mood had improved considerably once
on the road), stops and surprisingly identifies the spot with little
difficulty, Ceely throws herself into the task with energy. After
only a few minutes of searching around, she picks up a trail. "I
don't think wood craft is their forte!" she jokes, relieved to
have been able to find something. Hurle, who had been fidgeting nervously,
disliking his memory of the place, clapped his hands together at her
discovery! "Excellent!" he says briskly. "I did say
I would take you back to the right place, and here we are. I'll let
you folk follow the trail from here on. As for me, I'm off back to
the inn, and if I'm really lucky, I'll hitch a lift to Longsaddle
with a passing caravan before the day is out!"