Gods Among Men: Ilum's Prison

[Frog Dragon]

"You can just call me Ilaca. Pleased to meet you too." She turns, waiting for you to follow. Making her way through the underbrush, she sets upon an old game trail and starts following it southwest. Soon, she turns left, trudging a short distance through denser wood before reaching a clearing. The village of Karnhan can be seen in the distance, a few hundred meters of grass and fields away. However, Ilica makes her way to a house only some dozens of meters away. It is reasonably large for a peasant dwelling, and has two floors. She walks up to the terrace and opens a door.

"Come on inside and rest," she says.

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Assuming you follow her, though Nanoblack didn't post.

Also, friendly DM suggestion: Knowledge checks are your friends.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Jase nods and falls in with their new companion. He tried to recall what he knew of the surrounding area, though in truth he had not been there very long, and that time had been spent within the prison.

Smiling at the promise of a real bed and proper rest, rather than camping in a forest or a cave, Jase happily followed her.

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Knowledge local: (1d20+7)[27]

Sense Motive (1d20)[5]

[boldfont]

Your house, is very large Ilaca. Very nice. You is lucky I thinks to have such a house in beautiful forest. But why for you not live in yon village? I was raised on boat for to make business as merchant's son. Is similar reason?

Bo is kind, not naive. He listens with a scrutinizing ear, trying to sense her motive.

[Frog Dragon]

"I moved with the mine," Ilaca says, sitting down in a chair in front of a table and a shelf full of urns and jars. She pushes some aside and picks up a plate from the shelf. "I'm Kzarian by birth. Truth be told, I don't think we'll stay here much longer." She takes a few plant seeds from an urn and crushes them on the plate with a small wooden implement. "There are some spare mattresses there if you need to lie down," she says, pointing offhandedly at the opposite corner in the room, across the large table in the centre.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"Why would you want to leave here? Your house is lovely?" Jase asked, making small talk since he thought it would be a bit rude to just take a mattress and lie down, when they had only just met their host.

[boldfont]

Bo has no such qualms. He sleeps when and where he can get it. He thanks his hostess and rests his eyes.

[Frog Dragon]

"A great many things happened last night," Ilaca says. "It's rumors, but I heard, the administrator, Ataca died." She breaks some sort of leaf into her mix of herbs. "Maybe they're still fighting up there, but much of the guard deserted. Some of them took the road in the night. Without that mine, there isn't much here for a lot of us." She turns from her plate and smiles wearily. "It's been a hectic night."

[boldfont]

Bo was asleep. Indeed, it seemed like he was asleep for a very long time. It was almost as if the little man in his head had gone off and lived a whole other life of his own in some other land. Perhaps where dreams came from, but that was unlikely. In any case, Bo now was roused by Ilaca's news.

Is dead? I... am no from this country. Clearly. Tell me more. This will mean war, no?

[Frog Dragon]

"War? Nothing more than is already going on," Ilaca says. "Strongerlanders attack our mines given half a chance. River barges carrying iron are burned mid-trip. That's why Ilum Ralapi hires so many guards. But Strongerlanders fight like common bandits, only they have a coat of arms. You don't war against bandits."

There is a knock on her door, and she walks up to open it. A man a fair bit taller than Ilaca, and with a head of black hair stands in the doorway, coated in a hunter's leathers. He looks younger as well, perhaps in his thirties. He steps inside, staring quizzically at the two strangers. "Morning, mother." He says. "They were in the forest, Ralon," Ilaca says. The man takes a seat on the opposite side of the room to you. "This is my son," Ilaca continues, sitting down in front of her table of herbs again. "He's... or was mayor here." She turns to her son. "Did you find anyone?" she asks. "No. Most of the guards left in the night, merchants don't want us in their caravans..." He lets the sentence hang. "Say. You're leaving this place, right?" He says, looking at Jase and Bo.