Greed is Good (IC)

[Gullara]

While a few chased on horseback the rest tried to mend
By the grace of Tharius our Glaffin did tend
By the end of the fight one of our number lay dead
But we laid him to rest with the earth 'neath his head

The bard's voice shifts with the tone of the song, from the excitement of the raging battle to something more solemn in respect for the dead.

And now my fair listeners my song is complete
I have told you the story of the bandits' defeat
So as you all go to sleep don't feel any fright
For with our sword arms to guard you you'll be safe tonight

As the song comes to an end, Cecily quiets. She breathes out and waits for the townspeople's response.

[Destro_Yersul]

Alec

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Unfortunately, it looked like the Mayor was smart about his safe; the dial had been spun to zero after the last time it was used. Heading for the study instead, the pirate had a good look at Martin's books. The mayor didn't seem in the habit of stuffing notes in them, by a quick scan and, unlike the kitchen, these were all well-used enough to have not gathered dust. Looking over the titles, Alec was able to get a fairly good idea of the mayor's interests. There were plenty of books on clockwork, history and culture, identifying species of birds, maps... the list went on, but it was a fairly focused list. Martin liked knowing things about the world, it seemed. There was no fiction to be found anywhere.

The study did have a desk, tucked into one corner by the window, with a little oil lamp for use at night. Checking the drawers, Alec found them unlocked. The first one contained a set of stationary and writing implements, little pots of ink aside a long feather quill, blobs of sealing wax, and narrow bands of metal for holding scrolls in shape. The second drawer contained personal correspondance. Letters from the mayor's brother, and others. Leafing through them, Alec found a few from some artisan or other in Stormgate. It was hard to tell, with only one half of the conversation, but it looked like he and Martin were having a lively discussion about spring-driven watches. The mayor was probably trying to make one of his own.

The response came, once they were sure she was done singing, and it was a good one. Everyone applauded, and more than a couple shouted at Grimfist to bring the bard a drink. Indrys' illusory accompaniment seemed to have payed off, some of the more astute townsfolk calling for drinks for him, too. Danvers sat in the back, clapping politely and sharing a drink with the smith, Axel. The mayor, Martin, was waving for Cecily to come join him. Nobody was throwing money, but then, they probably figured a few drinks was enough.

[Gullara]

Cecily couldn't be grinning wider after that response. It felt good to be appreciated for her talents, especially after all the work she put into it. She spins around, steps over to Indrys, and tries to give him a hug. "You did great." She then tries to give him a kiss on the cheek before extracting herself and heading over to the mayor's table.

[Blarghy]

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"Damn," he says with a frown. He'd hoped for more to work with. Even aside from the safe, there's no one he can impersonate via the pen who's sufficiently far away. If he tricks Martin into traveling to Stormgate, he'll just turn around and hurry back when he finds out what happened, more suspicious than ever. Maybe a letter from the artisan containing another letter from across the sea, passed on at the request of the great clockwork engineer who wrote it, but Martin would still stop and talk to his friend before setting sail. This matter is looking problematic.

Even so, he isn't finished yet. There's more to search. Putting the study aside for now, Alec hurries to the bedroom and sees what he can find.

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Search: (1d20+7)[8]

[The Orange Zergling]

Thorus rumbled with laughter at his mention in the song. He couldn't help but swell with pride despite himself, reflecting on the accomplishment. But then he remembers where he is, and how this town holds nothing for him. The wanderlust returned, his bones itching for excitement and adventure. All the soldier can do for now is hope they leave this pit-stop for greener pastures soon. He applauds when Cecily finishes her song, adding a boisterous cheer to the cacophony for good measure.

[Destro_Yersul]

Cecily

Mayor Martin offered Cecily a chair, the first of the drinks people had bought for her making its way over. Grimfist worked fast, but the grumpy old dwarf probably had a lot of practice. The Captain and the blacksmith had moved on, heading towards the others of the party that were left in the tavern. Danvers was a big man, and Axel was no slouch either, both of them making slow but steady progress towards Laelaer and Thorus.

"Nicely done, miss.. ah, what was your name again... Cecily? Yes. That sounds right." The Mayor raised his own mug to the bard, with a smile. "You're the best singer we've had through here in some time, I can tell you. I do regret not having much opportunity to talk with you earlier. Indrys, as well, if he'd care to join us, though I'd wager he doesn't have quite the singing voice you do."

Laelaer and Thorus

Captain Danvers helped himself to a chair at the same table as the elf and the soldier, Axel the smith not far behind him. "Martin wanted to talk to your friend the bard," Danvers explained. "I like music well enough, but I don't know how to talk about it. Thought I'd come join the warrior's table, instead."

Alec

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The Mayor's bedroom had a lot of hiding places, or at least potential ones. The pirate's first pass didn't locate much of anything - Martin wasn't hiding letters in his dresser, or his bedside table, and the necessity of not ruffling anything made the search slow. There was something else, that had caught Alec's eye, as well. A little Tharian shrine sat in an alcove, the hinged panels folded slightly open. From what he could see it looked like it was devoted to the water aspect, which made sense for a place like this. Carved wooden eyes stared out at him from within the triptych. Alec got the feeling that it knew he wasn't supposed to be there.

[Blarghy]

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Philosophical differences shouldn't get in the way of basic courtesy, so Alec bows his head to the statue before leaving the room. He's come to doubt his current approach; the odds of him finding that combination written down somewhere are very slim given Martin's cleverness, and the letters he's uncovered so far aren't all that useful. Unless he can open the safe, he'll probably have to offer Grimfist a temporary solution or none at all.

He goes back to the kitchen and looks for a glass cup (a wine glass will work if he can't find a regular one). Failing that, he opens a jar from the basement and dumps the contents on top of the nearby barrel for now. This isn't his preferred method of safe-cracking, as it takes time, but he's running out of alternatives. Hopefully Cecily has either one very long song or many shorter ones to keep the mayor occupied.

Placing the opening of the cup or jar firmly against the safe's door, and then his ear against the bottom side, Alec slowly turns the dial. He adjusts his glass depending on the sounds, searching for the best spot from which to listen. Once he decides on a position, he listens for the internal clicks as he rotates the lock. It's a process of time, luck, and good ears; if the pirate doesn't have all three, he'll probably walk away with nothing to show for his efforts but a wasted night.

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I'm not sure how you want to handle this; I'm just rolling a Listen check for now, although if you'll allow it, I'd rather take a 20 instead. Maybe the Listen check could determine how much time I lose while taking a 20 on an Open Lock check?

Either way, it's a straight roll with no bonuses, so my odds aren't that great.

Listen: (1d20)[9]

[Destro_Yersul]

OOC:

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Two day rule, chaps. Wraith gets a post, and the rest of you get a poke. 'Cept Zergling and Slii, cause I have reasons for them.

Alec:

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This was an old trick, and it was hard to pull off. Listening carefully as he turned the dials, Alec heard one of the tumblers click into place. Two to go. These things only had so many possible combinations. He could have done it by trial and error, but it would have taken ages. Time he didn't have. Another of the tumblers clicked, and it was down to the last dial. Turning it slowly, carefully, and trying the handle on each number, Alec at last felt the handle give, and the safe swung open.

Inside, there was... a lot of things. There was a stack of papers shoved onto a shelf at the top, and a few bags of coin stowed in the bottom. A gold pocketwatch that looked like it may well have been made by dwarves, and another small bag filled with pearls. Martin hadn't been idle since his return from Altyria all those years ago. He had enough money stashed away to buy the whole town. Focusing on the papers instead, ALec leafed through them. Some of them explained where the money was coming from. Martin owned bits and pieces of a few different mines and sawmills, most of them near Stormgate. There were some old letters here, too, probably ones the mayor couldn't bear to throw away. Aged and yellowing, most of them were of no interest. Correspondance with his family, letters from a few people who had probably died by now. Near the bottom of the stack, Alec found something else, though.

Outwardly, it was nothing special. He had almost missed it. But it had the seal of the Imperial Aksen Craftsman's Society, faded from age. Seemed the mayor had applied for membership, some years ago, and his application had been turned down with the promise of 're-review at a later date.' It was an empty promise, of course, meant to politely deter repeat enquiries. But Aksen was a long way off.

[Artemis97]

"Then you've come to the right place." Laelaer agrees with a smile. "I am guessing you want to hear the details of the battle, rather than something dressed up in verse?"

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin's Dream

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It was no secret that where Glaffin came from, there were only two aspects of Tharius to consider. Wind and Stone. Certainly, many a smith prayed over a well tended forge to Fire, and one could not deny the awesome power of a blizzard or avalanche, but Wind and Stone were those they had been brought to respect rather than fear. As a clan of healers, smiths, and warriors those were the two that most fitted their rigid dogmas and held to their practical natures. Wind to hide your tracks and stir the snow to cover your approach as you patrolled the mountainside. Wind, as much as Water, to breath life into an ailing body. Stone to yield the secrets of the metals in the earth and whisper their properties in your ear between the ringing strikes of hammer and anvil. Stone to tell you through rumblings when danger approached, and from what direction.

Glaffin, despite his nature as both healer and smith, had always been a dwarf deeply rooted in the Stone. When a blessed fever overtook him and got him into some mad idea, guiding his hand on what to make, Stone was always what he heard and followed. Wind, he thought privately, was for the warriors who went out to protect their mountainhome from beasts and men. The ice they wielded may shatter like stone, but it was wind and water in truth.

Which was why his recent actions puzzled him deeply and troubled his thoughts. Preparing that spell to conjure the beast of ice seemed logical after the attack they suffered, but only to a follower of Wind which he had been almost entirely disconnected from. And again in the forge, he was overtaken by a mad lust to create but what he'd made, while of pure metal, was an instrument of light, airy notes and swift, unexpected stabs.

These were the thoughts that so powerfully disrupted his sleep this night, clutching at the steel flute he'd crafted in his tumultuous sleep. Why now would Tharius send him such a confusing doctrine? What purpose could it serve to shake the foundations of his worship?

After a long period of half-sleeping thought, Glaffin finally descended into the dream he so sought. A vision, or perhaps just a figment pulled from the corner of his sleep-deprived mind.

---

1

He stood atop the peak of his mountain. A peak so high and frigid that he knew if he were to reach it in reality he would be frozen to his core in moments without Tharius' protection. He'd come here, before the dream began, though he did not climb.

For a moment he was confused as to how he could reach this point without climbing, but all was revealed as he looked up. A cloud, detached from the rest that sat below him like a thick field of lamb's wool, was harnessed and tied to his hand obediently. It waited for him patiently, asking his direction to where it should go even though he knew it longed to follow the winds, wild and free. The cloud was not a simple phenomena, he realized, it was an avatar of Air and Water, bound to follow wind wherever it may be taken.

And Tharius, in his infinite wisdom, has given it to him should he prove worthy.

Glaffin bunched the muscles in his legs and leapt from the peak, trusting his cloud to carry him and his burden. The burden of Stone, often spoken of from smiths of clan Pickthrower to their younger kin, was to build ever higher as Tharius commanded, never settling for the rocks they stood upon to be good enough. It was not alleviated even by death as they passed on wishes that their deeds be great and monuments mighty in the land beyond passing.

But now, Glaffin had no stone beneath his feet and he could go no higher as the cloud carried him westward. Over mountain and forest, desert and sea. Over the water he had feared to cross in his first journey to the other continent. Water that seemed a silly fear, now that he was safely suspended above it by the will of his God.

It carried him to Seabreak, directly to the wagon where he slept, now peaceful in his slumber. He could feel the winds changing now, moving northward to Stormgate, but the cloud did not follow. The harness which had held him fast throughout the journey slipped free, and he plummeted to the sleepy town below.

Glaffin awoke with a start the next morning, a fully deployed hidden dagger sticking out of the steel flute he clutched as he bolted upright and willed his heart to stop racing.

[Blarghy]

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After permitting himself a soft cheer of success, the pirate next whistles lowly at the modest funds inside. They're tempting, as they should be; greed is good.

He still directs his attention to the letters, finally reading the rejection from across the sea. Well, this is what he wanted. Why, then, does his plan still trouble him?

Sacrificing a few for the good of the whole is basically a founding principle of Alec's religion. The status quo in Seabreak seems to already fulfill that requirement thanks to Grimfist, and if the only loss happened directly during the dwarf and his friends' piracy, Alec would congratulate them with a smile. However...he just can't shake the sense that this tiny town should aspire to more. At the very least, it shouldn't have a key influence holding it back. Grimfist will fight all risks to the trap he's carefully cultivated. With him in power even as a puppeteer, vital change, whatever form it takes, has a major obstacle. Martin's disappearance would leave him essentially unopposed.

Alec just can't let that happen.

A good disciple of the laughing god turns challenges into assets. Martin is smart and dangerous in his own way, so Alec will use him. Seabreak is the old man's town, after all; surely he has an interest in tending it like a garden. He merely needs a push to plant some new flowers. Seeds come in the form of ink and paper as Alec finds a flat surface on which to write. His first letter is more of a note than anything, composed in a plain script that only matters by not being like Alec's natural handwriting.

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Mayor Chensky,

A leader should aspire to more than prevention. Do you believe you have done your duty to your town by keeping it from catastrophe? We do not. We remind you of your proper task: watch over Seabreak as though it were your child. Would you look on your malnourished son or daughter, lacking higher education, limited in future prospects, and say, "Your life is good enough."?

Consider your missing personal funds as the price of complacency (and your still-present land and business deeds as a sign of our charity) as well as insurance that you will not abandon Seabreak in favor of Altyria. We know of your mechanical leanings. If you will permit a suggestion, however, we might say that if you cannot go to clockwork wonders, perhaps the clockwork wonders can come to you. Seabreak's prosperity and your own joy are not mutually exclusive.

Rule wisely, Mayor Chensky. We are watching.

There is no signature.

Now comes a more lengthy job; Alec hopes he still has time. Keeping a model of the seal on-hand will help with the hardest part, yet even so, he writes hurriedly, this time in bold dwarven runes. Surely Martin learned the language, if only to read the best and latest writings on clockwork from across the sea.

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To Our Brothers and Sisters in Foreign Lands,

Concerns of a widespread and troubled nature have come to us and must be brought to the attention of all kin. It has long been known that the men of Mercadia covet our skill, knowledge, and methods of artifice. We have shared with them what we deemed safe for such a short-lived and indiscriminately-warlike people to know, often to our benefit. Such arrangements may continue so long as we are not challenged for our autonomy and control of our greater techniques. We fear that such challenges may come soon if care is not taken in Mercadia. The leaders of men have begun campaigns to draw artisans of high standing to their cities and their service. The temptation of patronage would convince only weak-willed persons to betray our secrets, but as all know, humans, when refused their desires, are quick to turn to violence.

To the end of preventing harm both personal and across all clans, in Mercadia and Altyria, we thus advise that loyal engineers of noteworthy skill not establish themselves in major human cities. In addition to the threat of human interference, settlements such as we describe are sites of distraction, corruption, and other obstacles to work and study. For these reasons, we emphatically recommend small towns instead. Villages of low population are traditionally not centers of human political power and thus bear less risk of human control.

We understand that not all small sites will sufficiently serve a master's needs. Search for those which possess:

I) A smith. It is preferred to be experienced in this craft as well, but if self-sufficiency is not possible, all engineers will need a nearby smith, human if necessary.

II) An alchemist. As above, experienced chemists are often needed for our work, either for essential aspects of construction or for rare or specially-prepared materials.

III) A nearby city of significant size. While we strongly council against settling in a major human city, they still provide supplies, information, and clients which may be difficult to find elsewhere. For this reason, we recommend villages between one to three days of travel away from their larger counterparts.

Take to heart what you have read and pass this notice to other kin of good standing and trustworthiness. May the blessings of Tharius Terra protect you and guide your hands as you perform your labors.

Finally, at the bottom Alec reproduces the Imperial Society's seal as best he can.

Once finished, the forger looks skeptically at his work. Maybe he went a bit far, given his small-scope goal here. The aftermath might spiral out of control even with the inconvenient nature of the demands (not that it'd be the first time a mother-nation gave unwanted orders to its colonists). His letter probably won't circulate through more than a handful of dwarves, if it's that successful at all (and, of course, if Martin uses it), but still...

Does it matter, Alec asks himself? If, by sheer luck, his piece of paper makes its way over the whole continent, the change it'd bring about can only be for the better. Who knows how many villages might be raised up with a core of talented engineers bringing in money, aspiring apprentices, and rich buyers? New guilds might form, then turn into universities, and eventually birthing giant cities from a humble seed. The Loktarian scriptures have a term for this kind of unintentional consequence: bloody hilarious.

Somebody's bound to laugh if this works in any fashion, Alec expects. Martin's just as likely to burn the forgery and come headhunting for its writer. Even if he doesn't cause trouble for Alec, Grimfist probably will. He's made not one but two enemies tonight. Good work, too, as far as his philosophy cares.

He goes back to the safe and empties the valuables, putting his two letters in their place. Then, after some debate, he puts the golden pocket watch back. Even the laughing ones shouldn't be cruel. With bags of coins and pearls, then, he closes the safe, puts the dial back on zero, replaces the glass or jar he used to listen, and locks the backdoor behind him on his way out. He hurries to the northern road instead of the wagons, though; if Martin makes his discovery before the caravan leaves, he'll surely want Tallhelm to help him perform a search. Better to stash his valuables and grab them on the way out of town. The pirate looks for a distinctive spot that's a little out of sight, perhaps on the other side of a hill, and digs a hole with his hands just deep enough to cover up the small bags. He'll slip away from the wagons tomorrow, quickly retrieve them, and come back before anyone's had time to get suspicious.

Finally, wondering if he made the right decisions, Alec heads back to the tavern. He approaches carefully; if his plan went as he hopes, then by this time the bulk of the crowd will be too drunk and excited by Cecily's performance to notice, much less care, that he's only just returned.

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Ok, I covered more with this than I planned, but I got the impression that you wanted to move this night along. If something would happen to Alec before the end, I guess we can pick up at that point.

Note that unless Ghar changed his mind, Cecily was going to keep singing throughout the evening; I assume Alec would come back near the end, not during the current scene. I'll hold off on rejoining everyone until they've caught up or been moved ahead by you.

Finally, neither of the two sets of handwriting are meant to mimic anyone specifically, not even the second one (although its seal is being copied). The first is just supposed to not look like Alec's and the second is supposed to look dwarvish (although being written in dwarvish probably does a good job of that). Going by the traditional forgery rules, I haven't made those rolls yet.

[Gullara]

Cecily laughs at the mayor's joke. "Oh probably not, but her certainly has other talents." The bard glances back toward where she left him briefly, but her full attention is soon back on Martin. "I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my song, though. I've never actually prepared something like that on such short notice. The reaction more than made up for any difficulty."

[Destro_Yersul]

Laelaer and Thorus
"Would be nice," Danvers agreed. "There's a lot to be said for a straight account with no embellishment."

Cecily
"Well done, then, especially for a first effort. We don't get a lot of entertainment here, which probably contributed a bit to the reception. We're not used to having someone around we can support, artistically." Looking around at the gathering in the tavern, the mayor shrugged. "That's not what I'm interested in, though. I'd like ot hear about the places you've been. Travelling bard must surely have some interesting stories."

Alec

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The work took a little while, but it was faster without trying to make it look like anyone's in particular. Leaving the safe behind, Alec left the house as silent as when he'd entered. There was no telling when Martin would go open his safe again, but the seeds were planted, at any rate. It wasn't hard to find somewhere just out of town to bury the money, though it took extra time, and by the time he headed back to the Dead Man's chest it was getting quite late indeed...

OOC:

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Wraith has finished his bit, now. We'll wrap up these conversations and then unless anyone has anything else to say, I'll put this show on the road.

[Gullara]

"Well, I'd love to share them. Just try not to keep me too long. I bet they'll want another few songs before the night is through." Cecily settles back in her seat with one of the drinks she's been offered. "Maybe I'll tell you about my trip to Bravar a while back. It's about as far as I've traveled, and an interesting trip. It's where I first met Glaffin, actually."

OoC:

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I don't really have anything in mind as far as an actual story goes. I'd be fine just assuming they talk for a bit more off screen unless Martin wanted to ask something more specific. I'll leave that up to you, Destro.

[The Orange Zergling]

Thorus grins at Captain Danvers as he joins them. "Gotta warn you though, sometimes the truth is more outlandish than tales." He would have quite liked to begin elaborating upon all of his deeds that day, but he figured it would be too self-serving and hurt his credibility. He'll chime in to help Laelaer's account.

[Artemis97]

"Unfortunately, I was unable to engage in the initial attack by those thieves." Laelaer begins. "I had been a part of the rear guard of the caravan. By the time I got to the fighting, it had all been taken care of. However, we had the one boy who had escaped them, and a surviving bandit from the battle. We were soon able to get him to tell us where the rest of his comrades were hiding, and off into the hills we went to hunt them down. We went quickly, hoping to find the poor lad's family still alive. We got close, but a lookout spotted us and sounded the alarm. It didn't help them one bit, though. In a single volley, we had them all!"The drowess declares, slamming her hand on the table for emphasis. She was smiling, her eyes taking on a slight glow behind the lenses she wore, as she recalled the thrill of her well executed shot. "I took one out, at one hundred yards easily, clean shot to the torso." She thought to elaborate more, but knew surfacers got squeemish about such talk.

[Sophistemon]

Cecily couldn't be grinning wider after that response. It felt good to be appreciated for her talents, especially after all the work she put into it. She spins around, steps over to Indrys, and tries to give him a hug. "You did great." She then tries to give him a kiss on the cheek before extracting herself and heading over to the mayor's table.

So surprised is the elf by the bard's sudden display of affection that he is completely unable to resist it when her arms wrap around him and her lips brush against his cheek. Of course, he wouldn't have resisted had he been properly prepared, but he likely wouldn't have stood completely still in a position of stunned motionlessness. A light, bruise-purple blush suffuses his skin from the base of his neck to the pointed tips of his ears, and he stutters out a reply. "Y-yes," he responds. "You did a fantastic job, Cecily. They'll remember you for years to come, at least." He smiles at her, then, and when she turns to mingle with the crowd - the mayor in particular - he finds a seat to sit himself down in.

[Destro_Yersul]

The rest of the night passed in relative uneventfulness. Grimfist did a lot of business, between the townsfolk buying drinks for Cecily, drinks for her friends, and drinks for themselves. The bard was able to fit in a good number of other songs, and as the evening wore on a few requests came in for popular tunes that most of the people in the Chest seemed to know by heart, and were happy to sing along with. By the end of things nearly everyone left in the place was happily drunk, and nobody noticed Alec letting himself quietly back in. Captain Danvers was no longer there by the time the pirate returned, having left after carried on a lively conversation about the finer aspects of battle with Laelaer and Thorus for the better part of the show. Axel the smith had stuck around too, putting in his thoughts here and there when it came to armour and weaponry. He may not have had call to make much, but he at least knew what he was doing when it came to it.

Mayor Martin had left as well, bowing out once Cecily was no longer interested in taking to the stage. Between songs he chatted politely with the bard, exchanging her stories of travel for his own. Seemed Martin had quite the case of wanderlust when he was younger, and curiosity to go with it; the man had a lot of tales. Indrys hadn't been able to secure a conversation partner of his own, for the most part - the mayor had a few words with him, and he was able to field a handful of questions about his role in the song, but that was about it. The night finally came to a close when Grimfist told everyone he was shutting down the bar, shooing a couple dozen sleepy, inebriated people back to their own homes.

Consequently, there were very few people around when the Caravan was making ready to leave the next morning. Tallhelm was his usual blustery self, his enthusiasm undampened by the quiet atmosphere. The rain had at least stopped, and the sun had dried out the ground from the previous day. The only thing to show for the storm was a lone figure, distantly visible on the ocean, slowly rowing a small boat back towards the docks. Adrian helped with getting the horses hooked up, talking to the animals and calling them by name as he worked. He'd picked up a few things, and seemed to be a fast learner. It was a solid point in his favour, for a young man without that many of them.

Eventually, they were on their way again. The caravan left Seabreak behind, the people travelling with it somewhat more wealthy than they had been when they entered. If not in coin, then in goods that could be traded once they'd reached Stormgate. With the town receding in their wake, the much larger city seemed a lot closer...

[Blarghy]

Maybe he's glad to be moving forward, or maybe he's happy for Cecily, but whatever the reason, Alec is in an uncommonly good mood today. At times he even seems a little jittery. That diminishes to more manageable levels as the caravan rolls out of Seabreak, and by the time they're on the road, the pirate is merely cheerful. His blue eyes shine extra-bright when he slowly drops back through the wagon chain, chatting and joking with the guards, merchants, and laborers along the way until he reaches the last cart in the line. Someone might note that he's strangely absent for a short while afterward, but soon enough Alec is back asking Cecily to perform her new song again so he can learn the words.

The journey's been to his liking so far. Very much so. Something in that friendly, bearded grin, however, says that Alec's just getting started.

[Gullara]

Cecily rather wished she could sleep in with the rest of the town. By the end of the night, she'd drank a few too many of the drinks that had been offered to her. As a result she has an unpleasant hangover the next day. Despite how she feels, she still carries herself with her usual grace.

The bard will gladly sing her song once again for Alec when they're on the road again. Otherwise she's fairly sluggish and content to rest for the start of their trip.

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin, still only just barely recovering from his exhaustive last two days, isn't a terrible amount of help loading and fitting the caravans for departure. He'd stopped by the forge to thank his fellow smith and collect his gold as soon as he woke, of course. When he sees that Cecily is feeling about the same, he decides to just focus on his duties and do them to the best of his ability rather than bothering her. Once they're on the road though, he gladly listens in on the second rendition of the song since he'd missed the first one, traveling alongside the wagons on his swaybacked old mule once again.

The song's close brought a smile to his face that reached his eyes, and he nudged the animal closer to where Cecily sat on the wagon, "That reminds me of one of the things I was up to while I missed your show. Alec's already seen it, but I thought it best you have it since it fits your talents most keenly of all of us." The dwarf reaches into his bag and withdraws the steel flute, finely polished and gleaming in the midmorning sun.

"Sturdy enough to use as a club and hopefully tuned enough to be sweet to the ears. And in case anyone gets a bit unfriendly during a performance?" Glaffin presses the same button he did while demonstrating the flute to Alec, deploying the short flat blade from the end of the flute.

[Gullara]

"Oh wow. That's amazing, Glaffin. You never fail to impress me." Cecily gives the dwarf a warm smile and takes the flute. She examines it carefully and pulls the blade back in. She plays a quick scale, grinning when the notes come out perfectly. "Don't tell me you worked yourself to exhaustion for my sake."

[Destro_Yersul]

It was a long three days from Seabreak to Stormgate, and the need to stay moving made it difficult to get things done along the way. Much of the work was done when the caravan stopped to rest, and what couldn't be done then was done in the wagons along the road. The wagons made for a bumpy workstation, but it was a lot better than nothing. Alec was able to get Tallhelm to talk, but the merchant was prone to tangents and the pirate didn't learn a whole lot that he didn't already know or guess. Much more interesting to him was Adrian's progress. The boy was learning, slowly, and most of the trip for him was spent listening to Dayne. The guard had recovered well after his injury in battle, helped along a little by Seabreak's local cleric, and true to his promise he was happy to show the boy a little about how to use a bow.

Glaffin and Laelaer spent much of their time together, working on making a dress out of the red silk they'd captured from the bandit's camp. Neither of them was trained in the art, but the dwarf had a natural talent for working with his hands, and the guidance of Tharius to back it up. Over the days on the road the dress took shape, with Laelaer acting as model for the measurements. They finished the last few stitches on the day they were to reach Stormgate. Glaffin had found time somewhere to make a handful of scrolls for use or sale as well, shoring up their stock a little. They didn't have a whole lot, and most of the more varied items had gone in Seabreak. It was just as well, though. Stormgate probably had a more ready source of such things.

They reached the city on the evening of the third day. There was no fanfare here, no welcoming crowd of locals. The city was too big for such things. The farms and livestock along the outskirts looked the same as those they'd seen for much of the journey, but the city looming ahead of them was something else. High walls guarded it from attack, the dark shape of Stormwatch Keep dominating the city's skyline. The masts of great ships were visible out closer to the ocean, too numerous for them all to fit in the harbour. Then, there were the people. Men and women of all sorts came here, for one reason or another. Most of them were Ranns, citizens of the northern kingdom, but elves and dwarves lived here too, from Ferrum, or Altyria. Stormgate was a military power, but much of its economy was based on trade, and as the caravan rolled through the massive gates and into the markets, that fact was abundantly clear. With the day rapidly vanishing, it wasn't as crowded as it might have been, but driving the wagons through the crowds still proved to be a challenge. Tallhelm stopped them in a free corner of the market, ordering the wagons be held here. Adrian went with the group that took the carthorses to stable, leaving the rest of the merchants to find their own lodgings for the night. In the morning, it would be all business.

Willam was quick to remind them of this, making his rounds with his usual bluster. "Bit more competition, here." He said, when he stopped at the group's wagon. "I recommend you all get a good sleep. You can stay with the wagons, if you like, but there's plenty of good taverns about if you feel like spending the coin. We'll post a few guards on the wagons, but the city watch keeps a pretty strong presence. There's naught to worry about here, I should think! Even so, you can never be too careful, that's what I always say, and it's never led me astray yet."

Moving off, he left them alone with their goods once more.

OOC:

Spoiler

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Currently, it's about 10 o'clock in the evening. If you want to explore a bit before going to sleep, feel free. Sleeping in the wagons, obviously, is free. ANywhere else, you'll need to pay.

Speaking of pay, you all get paid for those three days on the road, too! Glaffin gets 6gp, but I forget what the wages per day were for the rest of you. If someone could remind me, I'll make a note of it somewhere so I don't forget again.

[Blarghy]

No more keen to sleep in the wagon than when they stopped in Seabreak--less now, even, with the wider range of hotels to choose from--Alec sets off to find somewhere nice. Anyone who wants to join him is welcome. He focuses his search on the upscale side of the river, not looking for the most elaborate inn but still hoping for a place of comfort. In addition to just wanting a good place to lay his head, Alec suspects much of his business will take place on the other side of Stormgate; best to keep his work separate from his recuperation. No one wants thugs coming through their window while they try to sleep.

The pirate also starts marking down places of interest on his mental map: the guilds, high-class residential districts, the best financial streets, and so on. In the coming days he'll work his way through the darker parts of town, but tonight he basks in the best this large city has to offer.

[The Orange Zergling]

Thorus spent the wagon ride bored and restless, but glad to finally be on the road and going to a new place - one that actually had things to do in it. He spent most of his time keeping his morningstar sharp, doing exercises and sparring, if anybody wanted to.

When they finally arrived at Stormgate, Thorus was excited, but decided to wait until daylight to do anything of importance. He wanders the streets, confident in his ability to repel any possible muggers, and looks for an inn to spend the night in. Not an expensive inn, but one that shouldn't have any lice in the mattresses. While he's at it, he tries to look around for some kind of map or directory he can use, or at least come back to later.

[Sophistemon]

Upon arriving in the city of Stormgate after a long and tumultuous ride in the wagon, Indrys sets off with Alec to explore the nicer half of the city. He does so partly because he enjoys the pirate's company, but mostly because the elf, with his thin build and expensive attire, would be prime mugging material on his own. It is better to be safe than sorry, and the bearded human was serving most aptly as his ounce of prevention. "It is good to be once more among the civilized, don't you agree?" he asks. "Stormgate is an old city, rich in both culture and coin. We should be quite comfortable here, I think." He elbows the pirate in the side with obvious jocularity. "So, tell me. How went your conversations with our esteemed leader, the great master Tallhelm? Did he allow you to get a word in edgewise, or were you vocally vivisected?"

[Blarghy]

"Few people can speak for so long without saying anything." Alec supposes it's for the best; he should explore the city firsthand without relying on someone else's experiences. By the same reasoning, he's glad he didn't grab Adrian and bring him hotel-hunting. Better for the boy to work through that initial overwhelmed reaction of his first major city. At least, Alec assumes this is his first trip. He should remember to ask.

Coming back to the matter at hand, he continues, "But he has his uses. I may question him about the local guilds when I have the time and patience."

[Slii Arhem]

Previously

Glaffin shakes his head, "No, I was going to be too exhausted to enjoy your concert anyway after finishing those tools for the smith, so I decided to make it up to you with this. Hardly took me any time at all once I had the concept worked out in my head. I hope you can eventually get it to sound as sweetly as your voice." With that last cheeky comment, Glaffin pulls at his mule's reins and wheels off to go inspect another section of the caravan, wanting to make sure the wheels on all the wagons are moving freely and not in danger of coming loose.

---

1

Glaffin, as has been his usual habit honed by previously having little money to go around while he was on the road, has decided to bed down among their goods for the night. His bedroll is as good a surface as he remembers it being to sleep on, and so long as he doesn't waste money pampering himself he doubts he'll ever look on it with scorn.

Besides, he'd feel more comfortable staying with the wagons for the night. City guard or not, defending his goods with his own wit and skill should it come to that has always appealed to him more.

With that in mind, he lays out his bedroll along the rear entrance of the wagon and tries to sleep.

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For sake of simplicity, I'll say Glaffin has Obscuring Mist and Conjure Ice Beast prepared in addition to his domain spell and whatever non-important 0 level spells he has, just in case Destro feels like attacking the wagons.

[Artemis97]

Laelaer decided to tag along with Indrys and Alec in their search for lodgings, mostly because she knew the elf would insist upon a rather nice inn, which would seem like heaven after all that time spent on the road. The floorboards of the wagon, or the somewhat softer ground beneath, served well enough for passing out upon at the end of a hard day, but the drowess wanted comfort and a truly restful night's sleep. And food! Something more than salted meat or fish and hard biscuits or whatever frybread could be cooked up quickly over a campfire. She dreamed of succulent meats, delicately seasoned and dripping with juices, and of decadent desserts of sweet fruits and berries piled high with fresh cream.

Once she got the pearl in her pocket appraised, she would have plenty of coin to spend on luxuries in the city. For now, the Drowess trailed along behind the two men, half listening to their conversation, dreaming of how she would spend her money, and keeping an eye out for a jeweler she might check in on in the morning. She did smirk a bit at Indrys' alliteration. He did so love to show off his vocabulary.

[Gullara]

Rather than head immediately to find an inn, Cecily decides to seek out Adrian. It looks like he's been doing well, but she felt the need to talk to him a bit. Besides, she's sure she saw Alec leave without him, and no doubt the boy is more than a little overwhelmed if he's lived out in the country all his life.