The Wrong Guys IC II

[Strawberries]

"That would be because I was not meeting anyone" Audric replies to Llaars, following the woman inside.

He is still walking so as to partially shield Rana and Antal, and he sits next to Sandry when she chooses the table. motioning with his eyes to Llaars to take her other side. "We come from Attalin, and are just passing through. My name is Audric. My friends are Llaars, Antal and Rana." he says, motioning to each of them in turn. He intentionally glosses over Shadow, avoiding to divert attention on him, least Sandry notices he is not a dog but a wolf.

The paladin's tone is still tense and cautious, but as he assesses Sandry, there is a flash of concern in his eyes "This man that's looking for you, is he threatening you, by any chance?"

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((Sense motive vs Sandry sense motive - (1d20+9)[14]
Yup, I think it’s not too meta-gamey at this point to try a detect magic on Jess. Audric is operating under the assumption she’s an adept, but he wants to be sure: after all, he is very worried about Rana and Antal. Besides, it’s what I’d do if she were an NPC ))

[Jallorn]

I hate to interupt clearly important conversation, but, um, you said you were paying, right? Without waiting for confirmation, Antal rushes over to a waiter and immediately begins ordering an immense amount of food for one his size. Upon returning to the table, he says, Haven't eaten right properly since I hooked up with these guys.

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Sense Motive: (1d20+6)[16]

Antal's silliness is one part obfuscation, and one part genuine.

[Cardea]

Tayet

Tayet walks into the tavern, Cape ducking along with him to fit through the doorway. He keeps note of the group of people as he sits down at a stool at the bar, far enough way he thinks is inconspicuous and nonchalant, but close enough to overhear. He sets Cape down on the counter, and takes out a sheet of paper along with a piece of charcoal. He begins writing down numbers of today's sales, and how much stock he has. He takes out a few coins, setting them down on the paper, waiting for anyone to come and serve him, as he tries to overhear the conversation of that group. Inbetween scratches on the paper, and the pauses of that group, he speaks to Cape in Garrett's tongue, his voice hushed.

"Tá mé tar éis ach iad a fheiceáil mar gheall ar an madra. Garrett dúirt go bhfuil daoine eile ainmhithe ach is mian leat - a fhios agat, níos mó. Níos mó. Uimh Nach bhfuil an bhean. An madra. Nó, mac tíre? A níos mó ná mar ba chóir dó a bheith. An bhfaca tú rud ar bith liom é? Toisc nach bhfuil mé cinnte, agus ifreann, a d'fhéadfadh a fhios aige rud éigin a d'fhéadfadh cabhrú liom amach. Níl sé cosúil go bhfuil tú in ann a mhúineadh dom aon rud nua. Is é an rud amháin Tá mé buartha faoi a cara naofa. Agus a cara nua. Chara? Aitheantas. I mo thuairimse. Yeah, glaoch orm paranoid."

Sylvan

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"I'm just following them to see about the dog. Garrett said that other people have animals just like you - you know, bigger. Larger. No. Not the woman. The dog. Or, wolf? Its larger than it should be. Have you seen anything like it? Because I sure haven't, and hell, he might know something that could help me out. It isn't like you're able to teach me anything new. The only thing I'm worried about is her holy friend. And their new friend. Friend? Acquaintance. I think. Yeah, call me paranoid."

So this is just Galic from Google-Translate. If there's a different language you'd want me to associate with Sylvan, I'm all ears. *ba-dum-psh*

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Listen: (1d20+9)[20]

[Savannah]

Rana slips into the free seat next to Audric, looking uncomfortable with the position in the middle of the bustle. She directs Shadow under the table at her feet, and sits, hunched and staring at the table, barely nodding when Audric introduces her.

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Sense motive on Sandry (1d20+4)[19]
Listen on Tayet's conversation with his eagle (she speaks sylvan) (1d20+11)[22]
Sense motive on Tayet (1d20+4)[9]
Sense motive on EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM!! (1d20+4)[24] (Why, no, Rana's not feeling paranoid, why do you ask? )

[DeafnotDumb]

"No need to get all chivelrous on me." Jess smirks at Audric, mangling the word a little. "I'm good at handling myself, if by 'handling' y'mean running away very fast. Much appricated though."

Sandry chuckles, and then shakes her head at Antal's antics. "Y'need to listen harder. Afeared I said I'd be paying for the drinks. But I'll spot you some, in light of the protection you're providing me."

"It's a nice dog you have there," She says, suddenly changing the subject, "An' a pretty beast, but I don't meet most who want to take them into bars wi' them. He mean something to you?"

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Listen: [roll]1d20+6[roll] (hear Tayet)

[Ajadea]

Rana and Jess both hear Tayet speaking.

A tall potbellied man comes over with large tankards of ale. He hands one to each of you. They are all sized for humans, including the one Antal gets, and full almost to the brim. "There you go."

Audric

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Sandry's magic is nowhere near that of the clergy. It is faint, but reminiscent of shadows and watching eyes and there is that hint of sharpness and wrongness that only arcane magic can have. She's no Iil'ssaran, but the magic is there.

[Strawberries]

You can see Audric assess the strange woman for a moment. Suddenly, his expression changes again, showing a mixture of surprise and mistrust. He is clearly not very good at hiding his feelings. “I would very much like to know” he says, in a very low voice “What exactly do you want from us, and why are you wearing that symbol around your neck, when you clearly can’t be a worshipper of Aldaran.” He is sitting very rigidly, but his hands are nowhere near his weapons. If the woman really is a sorcerer, she should know better than to offer drinks to random paladins, which makes Audric think that there must be some ulterior motive in her approach.

[DeafnotDumb]

"If you've got a reason I can't publicly show my respects to Aldaran, then please say it loudly in a bar full of my friends." Neither Jess's smile or her tone changes. "You're new here, so I'll forgive."

[Strawberries]

"You are a sorcerer." Audric replies, bluntly, but still without raising his voice above the whisper-like tone he is adopting. "I very much doubt you want me to say it out loud in a bar full of people. I have never been to this city, but I know there is a branch of the Order here. So my question stands: what do you want from me and my friends?"

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((Just because Audric is paranoid (you would be too, in his situation), he'll do a general detect magic on the customers. Jess' comment about her friends is probably worrying him a little.))

[DeafnotDumb]

"I want to be sitting next to a paladin that a corrupt church offical has no power over." Jess hisses back, dropping her smile for just a moment. It returns just as bright. "There are things that frighten me a lot more than you, and I'm using you to protect me from them."

Her eyes watch Audric's reaction very, very carefully.

[Strawberries]

For a moment, Audric stands very still, looking Jess in the eyes. Then, carefully, he puts his hands on the table and clears his throat.“You are aware that I am- should be obliged to draw my sword and kill you where you stand, I hope.” He draws a breath and squeezes his eyes shut for a second, then launches a look at Rana, Llaars and Antal to see how they’re taking it. “I... I do not want to do that, if you aren’t a threat to people. But you can’t just sit beside me and throw around accusations like that. Maybe you should give us a little more detail than that”.

It’s clear by Audric's stance and tone that he is deeply distressed by the woman’s accusations, and choosing his own words very carefully, but when he turned to look at his allies, it looked for a moment like he had some other unrelated, very pressing reason for concern.

[Ajadea]

Audric

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Sandry and the man with the eagle, who somehow has his eagle with him even now, are the only ones (beside certain members of the party) who have anywhere near inborn magic. A burly sort of man in the corner has incredibly faint smears of divine light running down his arm - probably traces of a recent healing. That's it for the magic in this place.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars
Taking his seat on the opposite flank of their new acquaintence, Llaars sits quietly and enjoys his drink, sneaking bits from Antals plate when opportunity presents itself. He quietly listens to the conversation, his expression quickly changing from pleasant surprise to alarmed and finally settling on a simmering anger. He cups his hands around his mug and leans forward slightly at the mention of her "friends", looking about for anyone paying closer attention to their table than they should. "Don't think buyin' us some drinks means we owe you anythin' just yet. Why don't you try startin' the conversation over an' talk to us like a group of people who ain't afraid to fight our way through all of your 'friends'."

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Posted from my phone so roll any necessary checks for me.

[DeafnotDumb]

There's a soft thump as Jess's chair rests back on its legs, and she looks less like an animal preparing for flight and more like a person again. She waggles her fingers at Llaars, probably not a move entirely conductive to continued survival. "Nice to meet you too. Will you still be taking the drink?"

"I could tell you all of what went on, but that's a fairly nasty story. And a piece of knowledge that lands you in danger." She shrugs, as if to indicate that whether people get in danger is their own choice and not her concern. "To cut it short, this offical has - had - a kid in his power. I found out about it, and that's not a knowlegde he's happy with other people having while they're breathing. Still want to hear more?"

"A charming tale. You'll 'cuse me if I want to get a bit drunker before I delve deeper into it." She smirks. "Girl has her needs."

[Strawberries]

“Llaars.” The paladin says quietly, motioning with his eyes towards the man with the eagle, to bring his friend’s attention on him. He watches Sandry very carefully, looking for signs of deceit “A member of the Order abducted a child, and you have proof of that?” He looks a bit skeptical, but still, willing to listen. “Why haven’t you denounced…oh.” She is a sorcerer. Of course she wouldn’t be willing to expose herself like that, especially in front of the church “Why are you telling us now, then? And...is the child dead?” The past tense Sandry used makes him suppose so. Maybe the kid was a sorcerer, too, he thinks, looking uncomfortable for a moment. That would be…not a justification, not in Audric’s eyes, but at least something that makes a bit more sense than what Sandry is implying.

((sense motive - (1d20+9)[12] - sorry again, Deafnotdumb!))

[DeafnotDumb]

"Oh indeed." Jess says, pointing her finger at Audric like a crossbow. "He may be trying to kill me for it, but this knowledge is the only reason I'm allowed out alive. He doesn't want anyone else killing me 'afore he knows where I'm hiding the proof."

"The child indeed died, likely a mercy for them." She says lightly, flicking some hair out of her eyes. "As fer why I'm telling you, you're not from here and so don't feel a pressing need to see me hang because a corrupt bastard told you I should. That right, I hope?" She flashes a smile full of white teeth.

[Savannah]

Rana shakes her head sharply. "No. Audric, no. We're not getting involved in this. We have...far too much on our own plate now."

Ajadea

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Based on my earlier Sense Motive on the crowd, does anyone seem to be paying too much attention to us? Or anything else suspicious? (Aside from the crazy man with the eagle )

[Strawberries]

The paladin bites his lips, hesitating a bit before replying , looking Jess in the eyes. “You…you have taken an enormous risk in talking to me. You couldn’t have possibly hoped to hide that you use arcane magic from me – and almost every other one of us wouldn’t have let you out of this room alive, orders or not. You must be really desperate to see this person pay for what he did.” He draws a breath, considering his options “So you want me to…do what? Expose him in front of the Order? You would lose your protection this way, you realize. You would be forced to leave this town-maybe even this region.”

He turns to Rana when she speaks, looking a bit uncomfortable, but also quite determined “I know. But… he is a member of my Order, Rana. And he killed a child. Not a sorcerer, I take it, otherwise he wouldn’t have felt the need to hide it. You expect me to just let him be so he can do it again whenever he feels like it?” He shakes his head “I am afraid I can’t.”

OOC

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((Savannah: I know, I know. He is a stupid idiot. Someone remind him about Il’ssaran, please.))

[Cardea]

Tayet

"Ar mhaith leat breathnú ar seo? Aon duine a cheannaigh aon Rosemary. I swear, is é gnó sa bhaile seo níos measa ná in aice leis an bhforaois. Ná tabhair dom go bhfuil cuma. Tá a fhios agam a nach bhfuil ann in aice leis an bhforaois, ach tá sé seo mar sin níos measa i bhfad. Wish Garrett mhúin dom le beagán níos mó faoi chaomhnú féin-. Fola fear draíochta nádúr d'aois. Fós ní mór a dhéanamh amach ar bhealach chun cur chuige a bhean, cé. Fuair ​​tú aon smaointe? Níl, ar ndóigh, ní dhéanann tú. Tá tú a iolair fuilteach. Ní dóigh liom go bhfaca sí liom iad a rianú, agus mar sin tá súil againn go mbainfidh sé ach chomhtharlú di."

Tayet continues on, looking down at his charcoal-ridden paper.

Sylvan

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"Would you look at this? No one bought any rosemary. I swear, business in this town is worse than near the forest. Don't give me that look. I know its non-existent near the forest, but this is so much worse. Wish Garrett taught me a bit more about self-preservation. Bloody nature magic old man. Still need to figure out a way to approach that woman, though. You got any ideas? No, of course you don't. You're a bloody eagle. I don't think she saw me tracking them, so hopefully it'll just be a coincidence to her."

[Savannah]

"Audric," Rana says, softly but intently, "there's someone else who's been killing people, remember? The reason we left the city? We can't let her get farther ahead of us!" She pauses, and glances at Jess before continuing in a slightly calmer tone, "Look, the child is dead. It won't mind if you--we--come back to take care of this later." She looks towards Tayet distractedly, then turns back to Audric, "Please, Audric. What we're doing is more important than one child."

[DeafnotDumb]

"'An enormous risk' is how you could sum up most of my plans. How'd y'think I got in this mess?"

"But if you end up investigating him - with me helping quiet-like, where I can't be that noticed - then maybe nothing would backfire on me, and I'd be able to stay." She twirls her finger in her necklace, playing with it and causing the sun of Aldaran to spin. "It's a gamble, but a mite better chance than I stand with him in power and revenging on me."

"Oh, choirboy-" She adds, in the tone of an afterthought. "-the kid's down on the paperwork as a sorcerer. That won't get him done. It's what he did before the kid died that he wants kept quiet."

The roguish smile stays on her face as she says this. "You do sound yourselves like people who get into a little trouble." She says. "So what's a little more? And mayhap, a trade - you help with my troubles and I help, for quarter pay, with yours?"

[Jallorn]

I don't know. I mean, isn't this kind of what we do now? Wander around, get involved in things way bigger than ourselves, and yet somehow survive? Antal shovels another handful of food into his mouth, and then quietly mutters through it, When did I become okay with that?

[Strawberries]

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((I apologize for what Audric is going to say. But conflicting priorities are a pain: this is the best option the poor guy (and myself) could come up with))

Audric grimaces at Sandry’s explanation. What he did before. Aldaran have mercy. He glances helplessly towards Rana, obviously conflicted. “I…can’t” he says finally, after a pause. It’s very evident from his expression that it pains him to admit it. “I can’t afford to conduct a quiet, long investigation like you want me to. Rana is right: we don’t have time. There is a very real danger threatening all of Tavetiir, and we are trying to stop it.” He has a very serious expression as he adds “But neither can he be allowed to continue being in power. That would be unconscionable.”

Another pause, longer this time, then Audric says, slowly "What I can do is presenting the proof you have already collected. It would avoid you to appear in front of the church, and possibly save your life, but it would mean you’d have to flee". He looks at Sandry as if to say: It’s your choice.

[Cardea]

Tayet

Tayet does a double-take, glancing over at the woman. He stares for a moment, before seeing something off about her. It takes him a moment, before... something clicks in realization. He takes out a new sheet of paper, this time taking time to write out a simple sentence. He rises up from his stool, folding the paper in half, before walking towards the woman's table. He raises his hands in a sort of... surrender, before putting the piece of paper in front of the woman, pointing to his ears, then hers, and returning to his seat.

Letter

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The Letter reads: Ní féidir liom a chiallaíonn a bheith drochbhéasach, agus ciallóidh mé aon dochar, ach d'fhéadfadh go mbeadh nóiméad de do chuid ama agam, a chailleann?

Sylvan

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I do not mean to be rude, and I mean no harm, but may I have a moment of your time, miss?

[Ajadea]

Rana

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Most people are too distracted by food and drink and the large masses of other people in the tavern to pay attention to your little group. But there are two humans in the corner near the bar. One is a small, beardless, young man in a baggy orange-brownish shirt sitting in a rather hunched over manner. His shoulder-length hair is trailing in his food, but he either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. The other man is taller than Llaars with broad shoulders. He is bald, but his thick beard could rival that of a dwarf, if a dwarf would ever be so undignified as to let his beard turn into dreadlocks. They don't look like they are watching you, but you can tell that they are at least sneaking glances at your group.

[DeafnotDumb]

Jess takes a pause long enough to hide any emotional response from her reply. "What's this 'very real danger', then?" She asks, using her manner to make it evident that her decision rests on the nature of this reply.

[Strawberries]

“Iil’ssaran. A sorcerer. A long-dead sorcerer.” He draws a breath, and starts to explain “There was a woman, in Attalin, named Irena Wainwright. She was a healer, as far as we know. Probably helped sorcerers and the like. But she stumbled upon something. I do not know if it was deliberate or not, but she awoke…awoke something. The spirit of a sorceress from the times of Kallean, that possessed her. She uses the name of Iil’ssaran, now. When we found her – the first time we found her, she was abducting and torturing magic users, stealing their powers, probably using them to keep herself alive. But that is not the worst. She has…had friends too, whose spirits have stayed bound to this world after death the way Iil’ssaran had. She is trying to bring them back, too. I do not know what she plans to do after that, but I do not think that everyone of us would be safe, magic user or not.” Despite the unlikeliness of this story, the paladin sounds very serious. “We are chasing after her to stop her before that happens.”

Audric stops talking abruptly when the man with the eagle gets near Rana, tensing in preparation of an attack, then relaxes again a bit when he merely passes her a piece of paper. He arches an eyebrow towards the druid, questioningly.

[Savannah]

Rana opens the letter and glances in it, then tenses up. She crumples the paper and toys with her mug for a few seconds before seeming to make up her mind. "I need a breath of fresh air," she says to no one in particular.

Standing up from the table, she steps hard on Audric's foot and briefly nods towards a corner of the bar, then turns, snaps her fingers to Shadow, who obligingly comes out from under the table, and heads towards the exit, catching Tayet's eye along the way.

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Bluff check (DC 15) to give a secret message to Audric with the stomp and nod (1d20+2)[22]. (Anyone who cares can make a sense motive check to get the information as well -- Audric doesn't need to.)

Edit:
Audric + anyone who beats DC 22 Sense motive

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Rana is pointing out two human men,

One is a small, beardless, young man in a baggy orange-brownish shirt sitting in a rather hunched over manner. His shoulder-length hair is trailing in his food, but he either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. The other man is taller than Llaars with broad shoulders. He is bald, but his thick beard could rival that of a dwarf, if a dwarf would ever be so undignified as to let his beard turn into dreadlocks.

who she finds suspicious.

[Cardea]

Tayet

Tayet puts his money and his paper away, pulling cape back onto his shoulders. He leaves two silvers behind, and follows after the young woman.

[DeafnotDumb]

"A quite noble quest," Jess remarks, "An' also one that I don't see affects me much. Powerful people come and go: them down in the underbelly remain in the underbelly. Y'asking me to leave my home here for purpose of guilting this man when I didn't do anything myself. All my contacts, my reputation, my allies, are here. I ain't leaving 'less I have to, choirboy."