FR: Quest for the Forgotten Key IC (Sequoia)

[dgray]

"Well i don't know how to track anybody and unless any of you do i say we just head out. I do think we should keep our guard up and ear and eyes open as we go. I don't want our mysterious observer suprising us." Svanna said to the group as she rose from the foot print

[Ozzy_G]

Ark nods nervously. He returns to his belongings and packs up. Let's leave soon, he says, taking a bite from the hard bread in his backpack.

[mauslin]

Fatha takes a quick look at the tracks to see if she can easily follow them, and to determine how old they are.

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb
Teb growls impatiently as Fatha continues to poke around in the dirt.
"Hey...We're goin' now. You can look for the tracks later. Like when we stop t'night."
Teb shoulders his axe and turns on his heel, marching along towards the road again.

[knewsom]

Fatha finds some more tracks, and they look like they were made late last night. They lead out from the camp for about a hundred feet and then to the side, where they become too difficult to follow.

[Ozzy_G]

Ark waves at Fatha as she follows the tracks away. Don't get too far away from us! When you're alone, that's when they pick you off, he says nervously.

[mauslin]

"Don't worry, I'm not going any further." says Fatha, turning around and returning to the group. "The tracks are not clear enough for me to follow I'm afraid. I can confirm that they were made last night however."

Bending down, Fatha examines the original footprint more closely.

[mauslin]

Fatha speaks distractedly, like she's thinking aloud.
"Hmm, the footprint looks like it belongs to a human. Definitely something resembling a human anyway.
The footprint is also pretty deep considering how hard the soil is. There's no tracks leading up to it, only going away. The person jumped down from somewhere. I'd guess this tree here." Fatha points to a nearby tree.

Looking up at the tree, Fatha continues,
"Huh, the branches are pretty high, the person must of fallen pretty far. But they landed on one foot. Most people couldn't do that; whoever it was, they're fairly light on their feet."

Fatha blinks, snapping back to reality. She stands up, and self-consciously brushes off her skirt.
"Umm, I don't think I can learn anything else from what's here. Unless someone else wants to look further, I'd actually like to get moving."
With that, Fatha moves to her mule, fussing unnecessarily with the pack saddle.

[Ozzy_G]

So, someone fairly acrobatic? Not, you know, a soldier or a wizard? Ark pauses, and then quickly says Or a fat innkeeper?

[mauslin]

"No, probably not." is heard from beneath the mule. The voice then musingly adds, "Though, there are spells that can make one more graceful for a time, so I guess it could have been a wizard. Or a soldier who had a wizard cast the approapriate spell on them."

[Ozzy_G]

Ark's eyes widen. We're leaving now. Come on Teb! He starts to head off.

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb
Teb listens in confusion to Fatha's speech about the tracks.
How do you get from one thing to another in all that? It was a mystery. Teb could see pretty plainly what it was; a dip in the dirt what looked like a foot. Sometimes, if you follow those things long enough, you find a creature, but sometimes not. Huh.
Teb shakes his head, dislodging the troubling puzzle from his thoughts as he bounds off ater Ark, overtaking him quickly.

[knewsom]

You all gladly leave the previous night's campsite, keeping an eye out throughout the day for whoever it was made the noise and footprints the night before, but dont' see or hear anything - if they're still following, they're keeping a good distance. You pass numerous carts and wagons on your way, many of whom are carrying wounded members of their party, and others who are carrying less than half of the goods you would expect them to be.

After a long day of walking in warm sunshine, the fireflies start to come out, and the sun begins to set - it's about 9:00 now, and you've made it to the edge of a small town called Immersea.

[Ozzy_G]

Now, says Ark exuberantly, time to find the most luxurious inn in the town. Only the best for Ark Noble, the most dashing adventurer in all of Cormyr! He waves his hand vaguely at you all. And you lot of course.

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb Hokk
Teb looks crestfallen at the smaller Ark's declaration. If the innkeepers weren't hostile, then the beds were too small and the rooms were too stuffy and the food was too meager. Teb disliked staying in inns.

[Ozzy_G]

Ark grins reassuringly at Teb. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to find you a bed big enough this time! Innkeepers aren't stupid, they know adventurers are loaded, as well as having odd shapes and sizes.

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb
Teb shakes his head.
"It ain't just that; sleeping in one of them wooden buildings...It's like yer in a big coffin! You can't see the sky and you can't smell the trees, an' then you're sleepin' in an even smaller box.
Them bed things with the frames? It's even worse!" Teb gestures wildly with his huge arms as he speaks, "Cramped in an' boxed, and then you get wrapped in them shrouds, an' those just hold you closer to the box!"
He shudders, exaggeratedly.

[Ozzy_G]

For just a moment, Ark's face seems to ripple with some dark emotion, his eyes pools of painful memories. Then his confident demeanour snaps back, as if nothing had happened. Don't be silly Teb. There are windows, you can see the sky fine. They're nothing like a coffin.

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb Hokk
Teb curls his lip. "Yeah? They're both made outta wood, ain't they? They both got nails holdin' them together, and they both're s'posed to keep you from gettin ' out easy once yer in. I don't like 'em; How do you know you ain't gonna wake up and find the wood box is closed up on you? The ceilin's real close to yer face, an' it's all black 'n white, an' you can't move your arms, an' the air's getting stuffier and stuffier an'..." Teb trails off.
"'M sleepin' on the roof," he mumbles.

[Ozzy_G]

Ark seems quite uncomfortable as Teb speaks. I suppose I'll have to join you then, can't be having you all on your own now can we?

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb
Teb rubs his nose with his hand, nodding.
"Wouldn't mind some good food, though. Hey Ark; the little elf gave us coins, right? We don't gotta save 'em, do we?"

[knewsom]

The temperature here is a bit cooler, the wyvern water off to the east keeps it that way. THe sound of ropes and timbers creaking in the docks mix with the sound of evening crickets and midges as you walk through town, many of the various shops closing up as you pass, it is afterall, nightfall. Eventually, you come to the Five Fine Fish Inn, famed for their robust Ale.

[dgray]

"This place looks like it will suit our needs." Svanna says pointing to the sign.

[knewsom]

As you walk into the inn, the sound of bawdy laughter and people eating and drinkin fills your ears. The aroma of sheppard's pie and stale beer fill your noses. The sight of a crowded dining area lies before you, and as you approach, a stunningly beautiful halfling standing on a stool behind the bar leans forward.

"What'll it be, kids?"

[The Great Skenardo]

Teb
Teb looks a little confused as Svanna leads the group into the wooden building.
Now how did she know this was an inn? It's a wood box, just like one of them houses. He ducks under the doorframe out of habit and looks around at the assembled crowd. Teb grins. Now these kindsa places he knew how to handle. It was like when you'd got time between hunts, and there weren't nothin' to do 'cept sit and boast and tell stories.
These kindsa places, they were a little different; people here didn't actually get to dancing or comparing...uh, wedding weapons...but the feel was the same.

Puffing out his chest, Teb strides over to the bar, but then stops. There was some way to tell between little kids and the halflings, but Teb could never figure it out. The burly half-orc looks questioningly at Ark.

[Ozzy_G]

Halfling, whispers Ark to Teb. He turns to the short bartender. I'll just have a... Ark's eyes narrow, and a wicked grin spreads across his face. I'll have your strongest ale!

[GryffonDurime]

Chanda

Chanda looks a bit lost in thought for a moment, then turns to the halfling lady.

"Water, please."

[dgray]

"I'll Have some of your ale as well." Svanna says to the barkeep

[Ozzy_G]

Ark glancess at Chanda. Yeah, you women better stick to the lighter stuff. He slaps his chest. But us manly folk will be boozing it up! He grins wickedly at Svanna. Think you can keep up with me and Teb?

[knewsom]

The halfling rolls her eyes at Ark's remarks, then grabs two large wooden mugs, and fills them with a pump-style tap nearby on the bar. The ale it pours forth froths into the mugs with each pull, sudsing and filling the air with the aroma of something between a triple bock ale and barleywine. She then produces a small clay cup and fills it with water from a cistern behind the bar using a ladle and puts all three on the bar.

"That'll be 5 silver per ale please, water's on the house. If you all plan on staying her tonight, you'd best make your arrangements soon, our rooms are filling up. All we've got left is a master suite and three bunks in the men's dorm. And the kitchen closes at ten, that's only an hour from now."