It seems that an immediate start is not on the cards, since some members of the group have decided that a certain amount of shopping is required before they set out ogre hunting.  While the innkeeper at The Full Moons seems happy to provide victuals for the trip, it seems that there are other supplies which are required.

Fortunately the market square, and the nearby shops, are directly outside the inn, which should make the gathering of said supplies that little bit easier for all concerned.

Colwyn, for example, decides to spend a little money on a quiver and a couple of dozen arrows, replacing those he has lost between Reme and Bard's Gate.  If there is an ogre to be put down, he doesn't want to risk running out of arrows...

Sir Galdean, meanwhile, heads for home to gather up his own armour, weapons, and supplies...

OOC: Last chance to buy stuff before the Grand Ogre Hunt...

With her new healing kit ready, Eilieen isn't concerned.  She has the necessary weapons, her (lack of) armor, and her provisions.  "If there's anything anyone believes I need," she notes to the others, "please feel free to speak up.  I am prepared to take criticism."

To a point.

"No, sir," Erista replies.  "Er, miss.  Ma'am?"  She looks up at Eilieen, and settles back on, "Miss.  Um, right.  You look great.  So, Ozzy, how much have we got, exactly?"

Arkan stood near the others, waiting or them as they made last minute preparation and also awaited Sir Galdean's return from his abode.

He had his hood up and stood with his arms folded in front of his chest, making him appear to be an imposing, and slightly sinister figure. The hilt of Crescent Fall poked up over a shoulder, while his many pouched belt with it's odds and ends was wrapped around his waist, it's pouches within easy reach.

"I see you wear no armor lady Eileen, much like myself. Perhaps you might consider a coat of chain; Ogres are known for their large reach." He said to Eileen helpfully. "I can count on my sword skills and other...arts to defend me. I do not know for sure what type of protection you can call upon, aside from your skill with the spear."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:33, Mon 13 Apr 2015.

Eilieen brightens.  "Thank you, Erista!"  But her expression grows more sombre as Arkan speaks.  "A coat...of chain?"  With some distress, she plucks at her gown.  "I...armor?"

The priestess paces in a circle.  "I...that is...armor?" she repeats, halfway between incredulity and dismay.  Wearing oiled metal?  Wearing thick, cumbersome, smelly leather?

"I...er.  Isn't there something else?" she finishes, somewhat plaintively.

OOC - are there armored longcoats in this game?  :)  Arcanis has them, but I doubt this is the same sort of world.

In reply to Erista (msg # 3):

...So, Ozzy, how much have we got, exactly?"

Ozzy sets the heavy bag of coin on the floor, doing a little mental math to account for what has already been paid out for the baths, meals and rooms. " Two thousand two hundred and fifty... and twenny' one silvers." he says in a confidential whisper and a big smile. He didn't want to reveal this to the shopkeeper just yet, so he kept his voice low and used Aarnr as a visual shield.

Aarnr views mathematics as an arcane art, only marginally less dubious than actual magic, besides which, as far as he is concerned, counting goes: one, two, some, a handful, lots of exercise, and kill the big guy first.

But the innate senses of the reaver in his blood tell him Ozzie plans some trickery, so the priest helpfully eyeballs¹ the evil shopkeep to be sure he's not peeking.

Oh wait.  Froggin ...

Aarnr smiles¹ at the shopkeep.

¹ albeit the expression he adopts is well within point blank range of his normal fearsome visage

The market square is a bustling hive of activity, even so soon after breakfast.  Stalls are being set up, and early shoppers are already looking for elusive bargains, hoping to pick up goods before the stall-holders realise the popularity of certain items and bump the prices up.

Then there are the items that it's best to get early - groceries, fresh bread, fruit...

In the middle of the market square a group of entertainers provide music, song and jokes, while a tame bear, small and scrawny, dances for thrown coins.

At one end of the square, the town hall seems to observe the proceedings.  Leaded windows watch the crowd as it starts to build towards its peak, and high up, on a small balcony, a main in gleaming steel plate stands, with folded arms, a brass goblet perched on the rail alongside him.

After a few minutes he is joined by a woman in an elaborate red dress, and the two of them study the market square from their high perch.

OOC: The nearest thing to one of these armoured long coats would be a coat of padded cloth, leather or studded leather.  Or a chainmail bikini.  :p
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:22, Wed 15 Apr 2015.

In reply to Eilieen (msg # 5):

"I...er.  Isn't there something else?" she finishes, somewhat plaintively.

" Sure, sure, there's lotsa' other options! If you can afford 'em." he answers, " Bracers can be quite fashionable and almost as good as a chain shirt! There's dainty little rings too, enchanted to make the blades bounce right off! Problem is, looks like all we'll find here is bread and fruit. We need to find a proper magic shop, hopefully one near an armorer." He stands on his tip-toes, as if a half inch would make any difference in his perspective, scanning in all directions for a wooden sign that didn't advertise foodstuffs.

"It was but a suggestion." Arkan said to Eileen quickly after seeing her getting a bit distressed. "Whatever works best for you, one can move swiftly about without armor after all." He added.

The armor clad man and the lady in red over at the town hall caught Arkan's eye and he gazed at them a moment, wondering if they were a high ranking lord and lady of Bard's Gate.

While he'd gleefully fight a full-grown bear till it's death or his, Aarnr does not like at all the sight of the young cub being forced to entertain these city scum, and briefly considers freeing it, loosing it upon the city, and forcing the man who would enslave any wild creature to dance on pain of having metal thrown at him ... but it seems such pleasures are currently denied him on his grandmother's instructions.

The priest's eye noticed the presence of the man and woman on the balcony above, but save for a brief calculation of distances and wind factors, they interested him not and he gave them no more thought.

Ozzie's description of what marvels may be found here do intrigue himm however. "They leave these things lying around in these shops of theirs ?" he asks incredulously (and with suspicious politeness, or at least the language is uncolourful).  "How are they not robbed ?  Do not adventurers bold try them in droves, seeking to bear these treasures away ?"

"Oh please, Sir Arkan, do not be offended," Eilieen returns.  "It's just that...I am...ill-accustomed..."  She trails off, but fortunately Oswald has suggestions.  "Rings, Oswald?  Bracers?"  Bracers.  Hm.  Somewhat masculine, but if they were filigreed....and the rings do sound appealing.  "Perhaps I shall keep my eye open for those," she muses.

"Though I sadly doubt we have sufficient coin at present, despite your largesse."

"I's been 'earin' of them places what's sellin' them sorts of thing." Colwyn confirms, sagely.  "There's not bein' many if them, mind, an' they's chargin' a arm an' a leg, or maybe two legs, fer what they's sellin'.  It's workin' out cheaper, an' easier, ter get a gang of yers together an' be robbin' the stuff from some dragon 'oard."

He looks about, being taller than Ozzy, "Even in a town like what this is, or even a real big place, like Tsar or Reme, yer'll be lucky ter find one shop what's sellin' them there magic gew-gaws.  An' they'll be costin' whatever the bugger what's runnin' the shop's askin' fer them.  There's always some cove what'll pay whatever 'e's askin', an' enough magic ter stop 'venturers as might want ter take the things without payin'."

He nods towards Fergus, "If'n yer's bein' lucky yer'll maybe be findin' some temple what'll sell yer a 'ealin' 'lixir or a charm ter ward off curses, but if'n yer's lookin' fer somethin' like the sword what Fergus were gettin' from the priestess in Fair'ill, or the pig-sticker what Aramil were findin' in that ol' farm 'ouse... well no bugger sells things like them, far as I's knowin'.  Folk as 'as them things is 'angin' on ter them."

The rogue doesn't look at the balcony at all.  In fact, he is very careful to look everywhere except the balcony.  "We might be 'avin' more luck on another road.  Away from the crowd, an' all the pryin' eyes." he suggests.

Fergus nods, and explains to Aarnr, "As I heard it, the folk who make these things can look after themselves, with spells or blades.  And they're rich enough to hire a lot of guards to help them.  So you try to rob one of these places, and the wizard that owns it turns you into a small frog, then the guards stamp on you."

"And they laugh while they do it."

"Fergus is bein' right." Colwyn confirms, "It's takin' a lot of magic ter make these things, an' if'n yer's 'avin' that much magic, then yer's 'avin' enough ter spare so's yer can be turnin' a thief's brains ter puddin' an' makin' 'is legs fall off, an' all."

Aarnr nods, as if he'd known this all the time, while silently vowing to raze Bard's Gate to the ground after all.  Any place that suffers wizards to turn people into ... he can barely think the word without leaping the counter and putting the shopkeep to the sword ... frogs ... deserves swift and fiery retribution.

Adding that small task to his list of 'things to do after pillaging Rappan Athuck, slaughtering his comrades and winning leadership of his tribe', the priest turns his attention to the matter of outfitting the expedition.

"We should buy swords and armour for all of us," he suggests to Ozzie, sagely.

" Great idea!" Ozzy says to his blood brother, " Magic, armor weapons, ....I still don't see anything but cabbages and carrots!" he stands on his toes, leaning left and right but unable to see much through the crowd of morning shoppers. He did his best to stay close to Aarnr, the gold burning a hole in his pocket. He was anxious to convert the coin into something less cumbersome.

"Maybes over there." Colwyn suggests, pointing to the far side of the square.  "The costly stuff's bein', like as not, in the real shops, not on the marketplace."

The rogue starts to move in the same direction, and suddenly cries out excitedly, "There!  See?  A sword on that there sign.  I'll be wagerin' as that's bein' a cove what's makin' swords an' stuff."

To save time, please send me a PM with what your character would like to buy.  I'll go through it, let you know what's available in the town, and let you all know what you can get before the Bank of Ozzy closes.  If you don't want anything, let me know that too.

Under Colwyn's urging, the shopping expedition moves across the market square, towards a shop which does, in fact, turn out to be owned by a merchant who buys weapons from smiths and sells them at not unreasonable prices.

From there the adventurers move on, buying supplies and gear at other establishments in the nearby streets, before locating a purveyor of potions, scrolls and assorted minor magical items.

And a couple of hours later, laden with the spoils of their campaign to liberate Ozzy of his wealth, they return to The Full Moons, where they find Sir Galdean already waiting for them...

Colwyn smiles at the ageing knight, then takes a bite from a honey-dipped apple on a stick, "This 'ere's bein' right good." he declares, "You ever been 'avin' one?"

"Not since I was a child, no." Galdean replies, stepping back as the rogue waves the stickily dripping piece of fruit in his direction.  He uses a gloved hand to wipe at a spot on his mail that he believes may have been spattered with a few stray drips of honey.  "I find them a trifle messy, what with having a beard and all,"

"Quarrel."  Bilfro nods empathically.

"Nay, quarrels!"  Revelation strikes him.  Yes, he can see it now.

"Thirty-seven of them."  A good number, or at least adequately good.  Ish.

"No armour, I need mobility."  He nearly trips on his own robe, no doubt underlining that in armour he would have fallen flat on his face.

Arkan waited by the others as they completed their shopping. He did not need to purchase anything of note, having already restocked essentials during his time in Bard's Gate, before meeting up with the group.

When it was done he was unsurprised to find Sir Galdean already awaiting their arrival. "Do you not have any family to bid goodbye to Sir Galdean, or whom to return any precious heirlooms after the deed with the ogre is done?" Arkan could not help asking curiously.

Aarnr was bored with shopping barely a few paces from the tavern, and after a terrible afternoon watching avaricious shopkeeps steal the coin he and his companions bled for, is considering getting a head start on burning down Bard's Gate.

But the eagerness of Sir Galdean to rush off and die gloriously does make up for all that and helps the priest ignore his mistake in thinking Colwyn had purchased an admittedly rather small and insignificant ichor covered mace ...

Bilfro is in fine form and seems keen to pick a fight, though if there's as many of the beasts to quarrel with as he supposes ... well even Aarnr might need a bit of a hand with them.

All in all, it should be a rather substantial bloodletting, now that the shopping trip has been officially declared over and out.