Outside Snake Skull Manor and through out Titan's Gate the sky clear as the massive magical storm moves further inland. People are existing their homes and shops to assess any damage and generally clean up after such a deluge of rain and heavy winds.  Popping up along the cobble stone streets are wild flowers and weeds.  The existing flora seems to have grown taller and wilder.  Plants that shouldn't be flowering are blossoming, fruit trees look ready to harvest, and so on.

In the alley, you both can hear Fala Lefaliir singing in elvish.  [Private to Marik: You recognize the song as one often sung by druids to thank nature spirits.]  While others who run shops step out to see what has happened and to make sure everything is okay.
This message was last updated by the GM at 17:45, Thu 30 Sept 2021.

Filimena steps out onto the street before the manor, somewhat in a daze. Bending over, she plucks one of the flowers growing up out of the cobble stone, and examines it quizzically as she straightens. Dropping her hands to her side, she turns her attention to the manor, stepping back, further away from it, to see the state of the place, still absentmindedly holding the flower between her fingers.

OOC: Not sure if a perception check is really called for here, but I rolled one anyway. Filimena is just going to give the manor a good look up and down to see whether everything is ok, before turning her attention back to the plants and the rest of the Alley.

10:19, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 13 using 1d20+3, rerolling ones with rolls of 10.  Perception.

Marik gets out with Filimena, watching in stunned silence. As he hears Fala song, he gets somewhat reddish on the cheeks. Well, this is embarrassing. All this stress and hurry thinking of protecting himself, Rani and Filimena from stormclouds that looked almost apocalyptic in size... which turned out to be a boon from nature spirits. He was expecting something like a storm dragon on a rampage, an elemental of gigantic size or arcane work on the scale of the destructive sorcerers of yore. He should have thought better when seeing Fala so unbothered by the storm.

Following Fala example, he closes his eyes and also speak a few words of thanks to the nature spirits.

[Language unknown: "Anylat'artastwheprodereauerabutveressbut, artrma ad wildayrom, pratsi rutas anli itpr teiv a Erswhestiintous p miei ameencameeve-aveeaulinterastandsta. Tous, sifiti ons concomhis ti thiat reainesom eiurll poivto a not sonev no omerar eve estticdayoutlar."]

A thought passes his mind, could Fala herself have petitioned the spirits for this stormy gift? Maybe....

He turns to Ironclad

"So...Satisfied with... new lodgings?"


He turns to Filimena and starts to speak, mostly to try to make of this himself.

[Language unknown: "Ni.... enro whewheortome.. Setanyast hiofce ic korkorons ine n int? N naove, la in chbepl all herme bleoutort tha tho....Icamanstrtin ughichure mi ilnti, mansonome u nguttr andoervor ssha ingresame. Sa anstwh hatounard ekwe hated iv stiomeour e an, thufi intbe mencpl iv a po onsne. Oswa mees astproersven traoventi arus undhisbut undconant m pronna romle ica isdihein stdin ur derallave fo ch isle werle bestev. Ofte iond ospo ainncetra iou k ev neisck n ho retoal, o om o waatet neinur e a no...Stceha ho almise pr ilect tedantica? Ri p a e timietek ce k is it diles? .]

The mechanical person nods slightly, "Lodging appears to require substantial repairs, Ironclad will to assist in performing these repairs." Pausing they look towards the basement then back amd Marik and Filimena  , "The trio of young ones previously huddled on the covered exterior and now in the subterranean level, will they be aiding in the work? "

Marik's words shake Filimena from her thoughts. She looks down at the flower, still held in her hands, before letting go of it, allowing it to fall to the cobblestone beside her feet.

"I don't know," she says, staring absently back at the manor. "I don't think he's being pursued. It seems to calculated, this leaving a note in a book. It could be a game... I was thinking we could ask around. Somebody in the vicinity of the shop might have seen him leave it, be able to tell us where he went."

She looks up at Marik and shrugs. "That's all I can think of doing right now. That, and trying to look in the book again for some clues. Maybe there's something I missed the first time. But let's go back inside first. We need to fix this place up, and if the children can help that would be good too."

Solemnly, she re-enters the manor and heads back down into the basement.

Marik is amused

"Fix this place up? With what?" he thinks. Last he saw, there wasn't a reserve of timber or planks to repair the walls or make furniture. He wouldn't mind working with his hands, would welcome it even, but they need something to work with. Maybe he could check with "Tally" Fellbranch to get some in exchange for service due. Maybe he could be open to taking him and Rani as hired help? It tooks some years, but he and Rani were still able to build their home together with their own hands. Would certainly be nice to work with a real carpenter for a change and maybe learn new things.

Marik signals Rani and they start to stroll down Snake Skull Alley. He wants to check in with Fala,  Tally and the rest of the neighbours anyway to see how they are doing with this aftermath. He guides Rani towards the direction of Fala singing. He picks an orange fruit from one of the new trees as he passes by and salutes the druid.


[Language unknown: "Pllael. Ecetev day whe ceard p ticrataveill! Eve shestikor oulbutlar taetonut ure, oulne o ulut on trli ar oul latrus. Ble ss evee i elca sonoercom waver stimo outwiltho?" ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:36, Mon 11 Oct 2021.

I love that you split the party !

Location : Snakeskull Manor Basement

Filimena finds the trio of youths playing a dice game. They pause as she comes down the steps, all looking up the stair at her. Agot nods, "Care to for a toss?", Sakka slaps the half-orc boy on the shoulder and makes a few gestures to which Agot frowns then says, "Eh ... what can we do for you?"

---

Location : Snakeskull Alley

Fala waves to Marik, [Language unknown: "Ro manont ofng menthuwhi lasi eirut esdiec, hatvirmen t ntipa evethithi pewil on."] The druid moves another barrel full of rain water into their shop.  [Language unknown: "Ce ul ereyinsom llni itac Ssacst she reun medind k be k andoneore a sssi."]

 "Well, it looks like the storm did a bit of damage. Not sure how much we can really fix now, but we could get started cleaning up," Filimena begins. "Actually, the more pertinent question might be, what can we do for you? I assume it was the storm that brought you to the manor. Storm seems to be over. What now?" She braces herself casually against a wall and tilts her head curiously, trying not to come across as aggressive or unwelcoming.

[Language unknown: "M ast ad cesi atipo laare ineantcom chus whefordin pe ek, na ulno thoreawhi pro? E whi...pa ilcesi lless trit riev waulen osti antmo red m pr ametedave ultr latiasesdi, undbe hat tretma...laosic " ] ask Marik, while taking a full bite into the Zimmer fruit, whatever that is.


OOC: This is light for setup, but I have a much bigger post in mind next.

OOC: Splitting is efficient! :D
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:40, Wed 13 Oct 2021.

Location : Snakeskull Manor Basement

The three sign between themselves for a moment.  Filimena notices that the Sakka and Agot sometimes mouth words as they sign.

"Yeah, we were just lookin' for shelter from the storm." Sakka, the tiefling, says with a bit of a shrug.  "Figured we'd clear out an' let you get back to whatever it is you do here."

---

Location : Snakeskull Alley near Iris Crown

The Zimmer fruit has the taste of a kiwi with the form of an orange.

Thinking for a moment, Fala smirks, [Language unknown: "Pahas herandeen dies forol n eserca, icavirthe, nti, ro ieropl, nc Ni un it ndle t rope, U ac chonni ure Ti hat vor ol midiio ee verwi venredugh ouse evnilo.  Astce pasi ss blelinrut larortthe nte ri?"]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:42, Fri 15 Oct 2021.

Filimena nods thoughtfully. She looks up the stairs, then down again at the children. She doesn't think she can rightly speak for Marik, but... they did seem to get along ok. "I see. Well. Don't feel like you need to hurry to leave. We don't really have any immediate plans for this place, to be honest. To be clear, I'm not offering you a place to stay permanently, but... If you need a bit of time to sort things out, I don't see any harm in you staying a couple of days longer. And I mean, we do kind'a need help cleaning up a bit after the storm." She shrugs to show she's fine either way.

An idea hits her. "Say, uh... Actually. I was wondering if you might have seen somebody about town." She looks around for Ironclad.

" No..Not bother...not exactly...it' just..." Marik pause, looking at the floor, trying to find the right words

" [Language unknown: Ic itres wer hatis... ngmomelaar allantyin heei ar thooutrom? Comtinout p rutes Welihe Inprnd ng e llse wilse illhattrasanenc e ainounkorthi arddinave hat Thaeenica. Teom ineyinere adeve any encrediou wh encsa enttinnte. Ted ast ithredion adec wasan iouhisoreeen lerat artichcom an lofilari trol sta waurit p his loeell. A ersredilltra one mihiic ad ameersshever alnte stiwheter arenai pamail usil ei ad isder encformen stiateone ol ha, rathe enta send ulashoai. Ortdinest ouneau'linsan n erai te io. Tape Ut annitoei io nthi es pomewh reabe illicasom seur ai Llulunwi.]"

He pauses, looking at the grey skies moving away

"[Language unknown: Fo nc... As seofbe M reman a remen whas ro eaulinnte. Hiom et ninone ngil i, rilo und lone sa. Nc elwiet prtaun O chectr po m, Con, us no ostin li... o tioessers liunpo vorive-whitintin thepreessica...evill rutverratcom...iemamipo rontas evof ortbuteen plhi settinill p eranus ne towi...]"

" [Language unknown: Teom ss....A ich a somourave... Ilaind enten allsoming wi outatires se it rifi foove hou osngan, celi To pletar Trbeoumi k terentcom. Whndei ar dinticicsi of tedmanman ckand. P la outos llalie nc el mi houthudin...ss iniswe Astistwa...fo tihaicpe sistto inginewil reasanbut are osio...u werainame Derainundundcom andomeess...ad com ck mantio ndeingrea...er trpa t it ncntneol be preee ac in u yinsonpre fo hiio. Osiond ilfo proro ho diomhi e ortma? O ivus ate sient ai dinwasera waplai it om loilth, wisom utilactr omeioudin men winomo pe hiinll der u it intallome ameherast, ndesetthe antsetoul evbut leeen si urewiteen?]"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Sun 17 Oct 2021.

Location : Snakeskull Manor Basement
Filimena can hear the heavy steps of Ironclad upstairs. It sounds as though the mechanical marvel is doing some carpentry or perhaps general repair as there is some hammering going on.


The trio confer with each other for a few moments before each nods in turn and waits

---

Location : Snakeskull Alley near Iris Crown

The druid ponders Marik's points for a moment or two, their hands gently pulls a small twig from the tree beside their shop. Marik recognizes it as a Alin tree from the forest of their home.  [Language unknown: "O ie thiti u hourno et ma stantimen prevoriou ssesec stek ioec'ecanai elta utio."]

Fala gestures with the twig, [Language unknown: "Hoove casa whme di aneve m witoutsomdin allatipre nt we thneec evat? Ulei, whcanc, weelst, al ourestard om evtrmo pobe ie atiori... loare o ee ni dinle he siusos o ti, ou eau rom uredertin aiter ersch eauvenlesome o heund."]

[Language unknown: "K veneveica lotha ol anoun Astconallbut e p undsheear.  A tiola virbleset u n, n illandear ichateore ro om, Il prne cengin ti. Manicaonsugh el the taan olwiek poard avestaest mierna riur str houorehat."]


[Private to GM: Alin==Phandar trees had numerous curving branches sprouting from a knobby trunk. The branches faced away from the wind, meaning that a group of phandars almost always pointed the same direction. Phandar leaves were triangular and mottled green. Because of its strength, phandar wood was an excellent building material. It was also used in the crafting of bows, tools, and weapon handles. Its multicolored grains made it prized in jewelry making]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:28, Tue 19 Oct 2021.

Filimena gesture to the children to follow and heads upstairs. "I'm sort of looking for someone," she begins. "It's actually the main reason I came into the city in the first place. He's a halfling, and looks a lot like me, apparently. Last known location was Windsalt's Trinket Emporium in the Arcanist's Ward. I figured, if you've been around the city enough, it's possible you might have bumped into him at some point."

Arriving at the ground floor, Filimena calls out to Ironclad. "Hey, uh, I don't suppose you'd mind showing us that image you had of my brother again, from the trinket shop?"

Location : Snakeskull Manor Main Floor

Filimena see's metal marvel putting the finishing touches on installing a new front door.  No far away she can see a series of other repair tasks ready to be done with each having its tools and such lines up waiting for use.  Once that task is complete, Ironclad turns to her saying,  "Of course name is Filimena, Ironclad is able to do so."

Marik looks at the Alin tree [Language unknown: "An ingthusta k eikor M ri onelil foli trard...Il, Oun wil ck we...P conromres pe int tifi T el dayhe. Sa redproand ai alatul o rom nti an ivulpa. Il ous itut ivwama, iouounromiou elol enwill sti in, ndnitrlo ithiveman, witwitthi whchlo it icni siprio witlesest el Powise, lepe essousoultioion on ce icheauill ngpeis, mestie se Inedinanyera, entanystr ionthaion nc es ti ha venandoul'terrom e tic acacfo entsi. Ereectwhesti, estoutich asou ainnceure state prestaee."] he pauses [Language unknown: "Nd toson, p pr ourrutlin u tino, T her, wh, wipeng est iouughugh heca k wit is unpr e er aieepr ntiromlar ad k whitrasetine. O anyreaoun reess un riicel k ie. Caday illyinrom t atlaac, ut..."]

He shakes his head.

[Language unknown: "Sttasi, setiveand ateundverenc undardure. Ereeauhat k meerne. Hofoss We plseut behall u tiwehi ateeaumen ivebuting ome thaonsshe e ad aiin hat o inhidi it haleusalet linainthi. O ivhaas orehaseau k our er n om is ncll. Sailou ca heenc ceseuswi, Hou. Intca arte outproall. :)"]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:57, Thu 21 Oct 2021.

Filimena whistles, impressed at the progress the construct has already made, then motions appreciatively at him to proceed. "Please, if you could, uh, conjure up that image again, so the children can see?"

OOC: Haha

Location : Snakeskull Manor Main Floor

"Of course," Ironclad replies in their hollow voice then extends a hand and the image of Filimena's brother moving thru the shop appears.

The trio watch in earnest, taking in every bit of what they are shown. They sign to each other as they watch. As the image repeats for a third time, Agot speaks up, "We saw him over near church of St Gili a few days back.  He was talking to one of the priests.  Didn't think much of it at the time, he seemed like another passerby."

---

Location : Snakeskull Alley near Iris Crown

Fala smiles taking in Marik's story, [Language unknown: "Ons erehe oussonund ev ndll, ulha ine ich ulhe casinc.  Ndeerawit ul te rihiul and toosadou onsessnde fi taomacat lo ect ast isugh restedwer onul pro atnaom set derhouwit asthha."]  They offer Marik the twig,  [Language unknown: "O loloneur re herveriou evhopr?"]

[Language unknown: "Ileime icll pr we osers sttang"] chuckle Marik, reminding himself of a close encounter with a angry ettercap or that time his sister and Rani saved him from roaming bandits  as a youngster. [Language unknown: "Tont mo u t ontoensa in hat ulou en P was tedameder n."]

Marik pick the twig, which he note has some small leaves. Having a idea, he pick up his flask and empties the old water in it as the feet of the Alin. He gives Fala a look of "If I may" and after a pause, fills the flask with some storm water collected by Fala.

Focusing his thoughts on Anhrenvoth, which he called back in the sewers, Marik hand fills with leaves and transfer some energy from the spirit of eternal regrowth into the twig.

OOC: Yes, Marik cast Cure wounds level 1 on the twig. If those leaves can patch up a bloodied elf, surely they could help a twig regrow some small roots? ^^


Satisfied, Marik set the flask on Rani's Back, letting the small leaves to absorb the sunlight.

[Language unknown: "Thaardeve acar etalhi, Whart. Ha t e al moera ncehe nteionderand, Us ol and t ee ne" ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:02, Tue 26 Oct 2021.

Filimena's eyes narrow as she takes in young Agot's reply. It doesn't tell her anything drastically new, but it does further crystallise in her mind the notion that her brother, for whatever reason, had been looking for her, and now knows where she is. Why hasn't he come to see her, though? Why resort to that cryptic message in a book? She has a feeling the only way she'll find out is if she actually manages to find him. Well, at least she has one more place to ask around now: the Church of St. Gili.

"That's Finneas, my brother," she says, sighing. "I haven't seen him in years. I ran away from home, you see, when I was just a teenager. I left him behind. Maybe I shouldn't have. But he was just a little kid. I couldn't have looked after him. I kept going back, secretly, to see that he was ok. Then a few years ago he disappeared. He must have run away too. I've been looking for him ever since..." She looks to the ground, surprised to be telling this story again. She's only told it twice, and the first time was to Marik, it feels like only a couple of weeks ago.

"Listen, if you see him, do you think you could come and tell me? If I'm still here anyway. I don't know if..." she closes her eyes, shaking her head. This is so stupid. She's so stupid. How did she even end up in this situation, baring her soul to a bunch of kids she's known for hardly more than an hour. "Or tell him that I'm looking for him, and I don't understand why he won't just come and see me if he knows where I am."

Location : Snakeskull Manor Main Floor

"Of course we can," Agot replies as all three nod. Findelye signs to the other two and Sakka smiles saying, "She says that family is important, be it blood or found. We'll keep an eye out."

Ironclad watches on quietly.

---

Location : Snakeskull Alley near Iris Crown
The twig doesn't react to the magic which Marik uses, it remains just a twig.  [Language unknown: "Foadmi heanmi ingousers loma et atpaal i urhing."]  They gesture and a small leaf blossoms on the twig (hello druidcraft)

Marik smiles [Language unknown: "Pa ore m wios llhean antthawhi ut ck anwhivun. Ourwassom ofand linorther tros u riurme k fi."] He then salutes Fala and makes his way toward Tali shop.

OOC: Oopsie!
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:10, Wed 27 Oct 2021.

Location : Snakeskull Alley

The alley is in decent order all things considered. There is no obvious damage to any of the shops or homes. Mostly the trees lost a lot of leaves and a few limbs. The sewer grate at the end of the alley is where the bulk of debris has ended up, and where Marik finds Tally. The half-elf is sifting through and inspecting fallen tree branches and other scrap pieces.

The half-elf pauses and turns, "Hello there Marik!" He uses the branch he's holding like a walking stick and meets Marik at the open doors of the Bent Nail. "Glad to see you and your friend survived the storm unscathed. So what brings you to my door?"

[Language unknown: Veroveere!...Refo li tho lat ro forll na.]. "I'll be short. I was wondering if you were looking for help, hands or muscle? We'd like to do some work on the manor, for which we'll need skill and materials and I'd like to exchange work as trade. Between Rani and me, we have quite some dexterity and strength. If you were willing to show us some techniques, we could help you with your craft if you wish"].]
This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:55, Fri 29 Oct 2021.

Filimena nods. "Thanks," she says, clearing her throat. She looks around the manor, at Ironclad, around the manor again, back at Ironclad, and then back at the children. "Well, like I said, you're welcome to stay a while, if you a place with a roof over your head. But don't feel any pressure."

She shrugs, feeling slightly awkward, and motions about the place. She looks at them a little while, gives a little smile, then turns to Ironclad once more. "Back to work, I suppose." She looks around, finding things she can fix with a Mending cantrip, picking up fallen furniture, and clearing away any debris that might have blown in with the wind, every so often glancing around to see what the children might be doing. If they do decide to leave, she wants to at least see them off.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:35, Mon 01 Nov 2021.

Location : The Bent Nail

"Of course!  We can work something out I'm sure. I'll talk with the Carpenters’, Roofers’ and Plasterer’s Guild and see if we can get a few more hands in to get things done quickly. Oh it will be good to have the manor open again, the alley has been worse ever since it got boarded up." Talli says with a smile.

"Say, have you talked with Ferard Tunnell? He's head of the Fellowship of Innkeepers. I've seen him around the Manor in the past, if you're looking to open the place back up you would be wise to speak with him, he has connections with Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild as well as the Guild of Butchers, and the Bakers' Guild. I'm sure he'd love to put you in touch with all the right folks as wel as get you up to speed on the Fellowship of Innkeepers "

In reply to Filimena the Gentle (msg # 25):

Filimena : would you give me a persuasion roll please?

OOC: Blah, that's quite terrible. Rolled an 8.

10:20, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 8 using 1d20+5, rerolling ones with rolls of {1}3.  Persuasion!

[Language unknown: "Wi hioflo...ev..."] says Marik hesitantly, starting to realize the extend of the rabbit hole he is getting into. All of these guilds and management are far from his comfort zone. [Language unknown: " E le onse m us ilei ureser, undproast unioho mo on eauic ho e u ven fo nglapl ouesadndma icawheeve, ardes...." ].

Then an idea strikes him. As far as he can tell, compared to what he's used to, socialisation and affairs in Titan's Gate seem to revolve heavily around drinking and meeting in taverns. That's where he met Filimena and the others, that's where his contact was supposed to meet him and that's where Disanz met them to talk about the manor. And it seems to be a major point of connection for all the folks of Snake Skull Alley. Maybe...Yes! Maybe that could be the right way to obtain all they seek. By rebuilding the tavern, they could attract all sorts of folks and adventurers that could possibly share information about the ruins he seeks, about Filimena's brother, about strange sightings that could be related to the Dark ones or the illithids. The perfect bait for a hunter!


Marik snap back to reality, now with a smile on his face.

[Language unknown: "Si...eenartwas. A adres pa p enthet. Oul, somar neic cackut. Ur astnc andingich se Prriur. Virvervor entndeess U der wit?"]

OOC: Oh my, it's happening! XD
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:59, Fri 05 Nov 2021.

The trio nod to Filimena but say nothing in return. Their eyes dancing about the manor main floor then signing to each other.

Location : The Bent Nail

Talli thinks for a moment, "I'm not sure, he doesn't come round my way save to occasionally bring by other Innkeepers who might purchase items from me. He could be at any of the inns in the city."

"Right..." thinks Marik. "Anything I could recognize him by? Unless you have something he had recently?....For the scent?"

Location : Snakeskull Manor Main Floor

There is a knock on the tavern door and a moment later in walks Renaer Buchanan - the young man that the Finders of Jzadirune found in that Hawks warehouse.  He's dressed for travel with a tabard dyed various shades of blue over leather armor and a rapier at his hip. "Hello friend, came to see how things were going here after that storm... seems as well as could be expected for a place left without care for so long."

Location : The Bent Nail

A chuckle escapes Talli before he realizes that Marik is serious, "Umm ... well no, but there's no need to literally track the man down as he'll come see you when he hears you're wanting to open the manor back up."

[Language unknown: "M, esdipl..."] says Marik with a forced chuckle. [Language unknown: "Atme oreoulome tinwa ndnc"]. [Language unknown: "Enclarund outer onsredati, ore is Ieiochos teulne ous. Relat mo rat hatli oveun larpl loonai."]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:36, Tue 23 Nov 2021.

After taking his leave, Marik makes his way back to the manor and finds Filimena, as well as Ranear.


"Ah, Moein Ranear. We...held well. As for place... Just talked to Talli...about rebuilding Manor.." He insists on these last words and gives a glance to Filimena with a smile, like he has an idea in mind. "How was storm...on your side?"

Filimena shrugs at Ranaer, not disagreeing. The manor looks surprisingly good for what it's been through. Dare she say it, it might even look a little bit better! Credit where credit is due, though. She looks over to Ironclad, hoping to catch their eye and give them a nod of acknowledgement.

"And where are you off to?" she says, turning back to the young man. "I assume you're going somewhere." She gestures vaguely at his clothes.

OOC: I genuinely missed Ranaer's appearance and spent a good five minutes looking through the thread thinking, wait, Ranaer's been here the whole time???? Haha.

Renaer nods to Marik as he comes in and replies, "The tavern I was at seemed to manage alright. They suffered no real damage save for the rapid overgrowth of some bushes out front, strangest thing."

He turns to Filimena, "I was coming to see you two actually, as I was a bit concerned about the shape of this place, and I also wanted to offer you a bit of financial assistance, if you would be willing to accept it, for saving my life.  My father was the mayor of Titan's Gate at one time so I know how much money it can take to pay trades persons, the various guilds, as well as city inspectors to get a place up and running."

Filimena's eyebrows perk up. "That's... certainly very generous of you," she says, glancing over at Marik to gauge his reaction. "It's not only funding we're lacking, though, but the skills and the experience need to operate a tavern in the first place."

Resting one arm on her hip and the other propping up her chin, she looks to the ground, pondering. "I don't suppose with your connections, you know anybody with the opposite problem, keen on running a tavern, able, honest, but lacking a tavern of their own to run? We could provide the tavern, they could provide the skills and the labour, and you could... provide an initial investment. I think there's something for each of us to gain here." She smiles, simultaneously surprised and annoyed and pleased at herself.

"Just talked..Tali...the carpenter...He said...happy to help rebuild the manor. Rani and me...can help with woordworking and hands." He looks around the vast interior space. "I have ideas..." he says with a grin. "Ah yes. Tali...talked about a Ferard...that visits taverns...Master of Innkeepers was his title... I think. Might know someone that..could help with...running. We can consult...with Lif. Surely, they...have plenty experience".

Filimena nods, impressed. "Sounds good!"

At mention of Lif, Filimena smacks herself in the head. "Of course!" She turns to the counter, where she expects to not-see the ethereal being at work wiping down some glasses, or perhaps re-arranging them. "I'm sure Lif would love to help out as well. Wouldn't you, Lif" She chuckles, looking over to Renaer to hear his take.

A piece of chalk floats from the rough bar top and writes Of course! on a nearby wall.

Renaer, with a startled voice, cries, "By the Fire of Tuur! What is that?!" He draws his rapier and levels it on the piece of chalk.

Marik smile and raise a hand to make a "slow down gesture"

"Calm...No need scare...Lif is house...hum...manor spirit. Very amiable...knowledgeable...Been there a long time. Never seen house spirit before? Surely must be some where you live? "  ask Marik, very matter-of-factly
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:14, Thu 09 Dec 2021.

"No! we don't have house spirits!"  Renaer says with a flabbergasted tone.  "Typically we call such things ghosts, and they are often try kill people who enter where they haunt."  The man looks nervously at the floating chalk then to Marik and Filimena, his sword at the ready.

Filimena chuckles some more and shakes her head. "Don't worry, Lif won't hurt us," she says. "Or at least, he hasn't so far. I'm not sure if Lif has ever killed anyone. Have you ever killed anyone, Lif?"

The chalk floats back over to the wall and writes That was hag spirit

Filimena throws her hands up, satisfied. "See? Lif isn't haunting this house? That was the hag spirit! Lif is just... hanging out! So. We provide the tavern, Tali helps to fix the place up, you come in as our main investor, and... this Ferard person than Marik has learnt about, could provide us with contacts to run the tavern, if he isn't interested in running the place, or, perhaps Lif could do it! What do you say? That sounds like a plan, doesn't it?"

Persuasion roll, with advantage please

Hey! That's a 22.

10:08, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 15,22 using d20+5,d20+5, rerolling ones with rolls of 10,17.  Persuasion w/ Advantage!

The man nods at Life and Filimena's explanation of things and puts away his sword.  Renaer ponders Filimena's suggestion for a moment, "Of course, I would love to help you get this place going.  I also know a few people who could help repair and others who can manage the day to day."

"Let's do that, then!" FIlimena says, lips pursed in satisfaction, nodding first at Renaer, then at Marik, pausing a while to see if there's anything the elf wishes to add. "I suppose you'll arrange the necessary introductions?"

Marik nods in silence, already thinking of the improvement he would bring to the place


[Private to GM: Hey DM, here's a few ideas of what Marik would like to work on and add to the manor. Tell me if that seems possible and I'll write my next post accordingly.


Taproom: I gather this is quite a large and high room right? I'd like to arrange the place as a sort of oversized cat's cafe, with large catwalks hovering meters above table. The idea would be to give space to Rani to move freely in what would probably be a crowded space and help serving drinks by lowering them in a basket tied to a rope on the table. Oh and also fill the space with plants and vines reminiscent of Tal'Onarafel forest to give patrons the feeling they drink in a forest with a large cat as a waiter. Marik just think it would look nice and practical for him and Rani, but as a player, I'm thinking it could give definitely unique flavor to the tavern. Would that be possible? :D


Wine cellar: Being an amateur beermaker, Marik would definitely like to make use of the installations to brew his own creations in larger quantities and re-create a brewing setup adapted to him and Rani. I'll do some research as to what it could look like.


Bedroom: Marik would leave the Master's bedroom to Filimena and take the Bedroom giving on the tower. Probably get rid of the bed for a comfy hammock more reminiscent of what he had back home and recycle all sorts of blankets, cushions and soft material to create a sleeping nest for Rani on the floor. He would create little shrines to some Ageless in the tower space. The shrine to Ahrenvoth would be covered in plant growth and vines in a matter of days and would be created from intertwining branches gathered from the magic trees that grown outside. The sapling Fala gave him would be planted nearby, in a sunny spot. The shrine to Cihnehal would be fashioned from small spheres of silver hanging from ropes at various heights as if they were little stars. A cunning observer would recognize a constellation looking somewhat like a Displacer beast. At night, when touched by starlight, the sphere would shift slightly, as if the constellation was alive and moving. Marik would put a weapon rack to hang his weapons just next to this shrine.


That's it for my ideas at the moment, and I gotta run to greet my girlfriend at the airport but I'll be probably be back with more :)
]

OOC: Marik -- no real need for a PM and no issues with any of those ideas - feel free to post on!

--Timeskip--


It is a lovely and lively night when Rixton and his friends enter Snake Skull Manor, having heard talk about this weird place where the bartender is a ghost and the waiter, a large cat. As they open the large wooden door, their eyes widen in surprise. Looking something like an overgrown jungle, the bar is filled to the brim with vining plants that climb up to the ceiling, some even emanating some blue luminescent light in the interior lit by lantern. A little crowd is already sitting and chatting loudly. As they move into the bar, Rixton and friends make their way following clearings in the overgrown vegetation, which forms sort of natural walls partitioning the spaces between tables. As they walk, Rixton catches a glance of a young couple making out in a corner, seemingly enjoying the additional privacy granted by this odd tavern.

They make it to the bar, where various patrons are seen ordering drinks. A friend of Rixton taps him on the shoulder, excitedly pointing one side of the bar. A large jug of wine starts flying to refill the cups of some patrons, while a piece of chalk move to cross an item on the chalkboard menu. A tingling feeling pass along Rixton spine and he becomes uneasy, before shrugging it off. He smiles and taps his friend on the shoulder

"Ah, come on. That's no ghost for sure."

"What? Have you seen this shit. Look the cup is flying!"

"Yeah. I don't know how they do it, but that's no ghost. Ghosts don't exist. Probably just some thin strings or magic bullshit."

"How come they can't exist but magic bullshit does? I heard that...Oh shit look up!"

Rixton turns and back up immediately in fear as a large cat appears from the ceiling, crossing on a large beam of wood covered in moss and vines. The creature stops and something shadowy looking like a human moves on it, depositing three large bottles in a little basket tied to a rope. The figure then lowers the basket on the table next to them where a group of drunken half-orcs and dwarves enthusiastically takes the bottle and throws silver coins in the basket before it goes up again. A bell chime is heard somewhere else behind the foliage. The large cat raises its head and then makes its way toward the sound following another beam.

Rixton then notices these beams go from wall to wall, crossing each other in various directions and heights to form a complicated set of catwalks


"The fuck is this place!" exclaimed his friend Gorush "Have you seen the size of that cat! It's as big as a horse"

"Yeah, that's....wow" respond Rixton, not quite sure what to say.

As they go toward an empty table near the bar, Rixton, still looking up for signs of the cat, almost crashes into what he first thinks is a child. Wondering how a child got into this establishment, he turns and then sees a young pale halfling woman, clad in black robes and holding a book making her way between him and his friends. She looks quite cute. He wants to say something but the girl disappears as quickly as she appeared behind a curtain of vines and intertwined plants. Rixton shrugs off his missed chance and then follows his friends to an empty table near the bar. They see two beer pints flying then fly to the bar to another table.

***

Filimena gazes across the cavern, rolling her eyes at the merrymaking happening around her. Happy people: one of the unavoidable downsides of entering the taverning business, she supposes. She slinks her way gingerly across the floor, careful to sidestep sticky patches of spilt ale and bits of food. Where in the world did Marik go? She gets on her tiptoes, trying to peer of the heads of the small crowd of people stood around the room.

OOC: Marik passive perception is 16 so I'll assume he eventually catch a glimpse of Filimena looking over the crowd.


As he deposit a bottle of whisky in another basket, Marik catch a glimpse of Filimena below. She appears to be looking for someone intently. Thinking she might be looking for a client, Marik doesn't think much of it and focus on the next order. By the Ageless, he never imagine humans could drink that much and so fast without dropping!

A few minutes later, he again catch sight of Filimena in a more quiet side of the bar, apparently still searching. Maybe she would need some help. He does have a great vantage position here and might be able to help her look over the crowd.

He and Rani make their way to a beam juste above her. She still doesn't seem to see them. Marik has a thought and smile. Oh, this is too tempting.

When they get just above her, he dismount of Rani, pass his head throught the foliage and vines, and lower himself holding on to straps of Rani's saddle, reverse spiderman style until his head and shoulders peek through the ceiling vegetation  (with Rani carefully holding him by the belt to make sure he doesn't fall) .

OOC: With Rani help, Marik would roll a 18 in Acrobatics to pull this trick.

Sadly, in his precipitation, he wasn't as stealthy as he had hoped and Filimena looks over her head before he can try to surprise her. Discovered, he smiles akwardly.

"Heyyyy....Can help you?" :D

OOC: Sadly, Marik rolled a 7 for Stealth which is surely lower than Filimena Passive perception.

"Oh, there you are!" Filimena says, sounding surprised, but clearly not surprised at all. "Things seem to be settling down quite nicely in the tavern. I might head over to St Gili, ask them whether they remember anything about my brother. Do you think you can manage here alone? Or you want to come with?" She looks around again, nodding a greeting at elderly half-orc seated in a corner who is becoming something of a regular.

OOC: It seems implausible to me that this entire time, Filimena has not been searching for her brother at all. So my head canon is going to be that she has actually been asking around, but only randomly on the streets, and she hasn't been very lucky. Now is when she intends to starts searching seriously again.

Marik takes a moment to ponder, before responding in elvish.

"A walk would be great but Lif is alone and these people drink like bottomless holes. Should stay to help. I'll keep an ear, see if anyone talks about your brother. Lots of people here, would you want to ask around? You're better in conversation than I am."

Filimena looks around and pouts slightly. She has been asking around, and nobody has been able to tell her anything useful. That's why she's decided today is the day she's going to St Gili.

"I suppose there's no harm asking around again before I leave," she says, turning back to Marik. "Thanks"

Heading over to the nearest table, she waves her hand, casting Guidance on herself, putting on a pleasant smile as she says hello, "Hey! Hope you're enjoying yourself with us today."

OOC: Not sure exactly what roll to make, but I rolled a straight CHA check to gather information, not only from this table but from the ones around. Only got a 12, which isn't great, but ok.

08:05, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 10,2 using 1d20+5,1d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 5,2.  Charisma with Guidance.

Again, it seems implausible to me that this entire time Filimena has not thought to ask around the tavern, so I'm going to propose that she has, with no luck. Let me know if there are any issues with this. I can find some other way to square it

A bit sad his surprise failed, Marik returns to his duties. So there is a table asking for whisky, a table asking for three mugs of his homemade Flower Season (he is quite proud of that brew) and one mug of his Rosemary Red (He'll have to fetch another cask of this one below). He makes his way to the cellar, keeping a eye out for what happens below.

OOC: Marik makes a general Perception check to see what is going on below and what the different patrons are up to.


OOC: Quick post between two tasks. I'll ty to write again one on Sunday

Over the past several week there have been lots of folks coming and going - carpenters, roofers, plasters, plumbers, glaziers and many others.  Each sent by Renaer with instructions to do as Marik and Filimena ask, within reason.  Ironclad seems eager to help all the crafts person or at the very least watch them work as many seem put off by the large animated suit of armour.  Various suppliers come by to get your opinions on their goods -- Hammond Kraddoc from the Vintners’, Distillers’, & Brewers; Justyn Rassk from Guild of Butchers; Ukral Nulbaraz from the Bakers' Guild.

The trio of youths (Agot, Findelye and Sakka) disappear for a while but come back before the Tavern reopens, and they are happy to do some work if you'll have them.  They mention they've been keeping an eye out for Filimena's brother but haven't seen him again.

As for staff, Renaer sends an array of people to speak with you. For the bar he sends Efrix Cotte a human woman in her mid 30s with a modest command of liqueurs, but her real fortay is teas which Fala vouches for and is willing to help supply the various teas and additives for Efrix to use.  Then there is the green dragonborn named Daadashma who enjoys using their magics to craft drinks for the patrons the drinks tend to have some illusion magics to trick the senses by appearing or tasting more fantastical than the ingredients might suggest.

For cooks, Cily a king young halfling woman who enjoys making hearty meals, Bryne Pethey a human female who's cooking is more adventurous but easily tasty, and Amagnen a halforc male who's food is as spicy as Cily's is hearty and reminds Raszire of Zir.


Then the servers and wait staff who arrive you have Gloinain Strongbrew a young male dwarf who wishes to work his way up to brewmaster some day but for now is willing to do most anything,  Kriemha a tiefling woman with dark red skin who wears a tailsman of St Legali a saint of lost souls,  and Athan a human man in his early twenties who seems to be at lost in the big city but is willing to work -Renaer sent him with a note saying "Athan is my brother-in-laws cousin from Keys please be nice to the lad" .

With all the help you're tavern is able to run from breakfast to dinner with little need for you to lift a finger.   The whole of Snake Skull Alley turns out for the opening and most of the shop owners come back for a last one or two meals over the course of the first few weeks.

Marik welcome the hired help with pleasure, lacking himself experience as a waiter and having some trouble picking up subtle social cues typical of taverns interaction. He still assists often in the evening, in part because Rani appears to be a popular attraction among patrons, and also because he finds it a great hunting ground for information. Beyond the first few nights (roleplayed up here), he would like to set up an information collection scheme with Filimena, using his vantage point and good ears to listen in on adventurers' conversation for hints of suspect activity (indicative of Illithid activities) or stories of Filimena's brother. He set up a series of visual cues and gestures to inform Filimena when he hears something interesting and points her to various tables where she can more easily follow up on conversations.

OOC: Marik roll a Investigation check of 11, assisted by Filimena, to try to garner information about suspect activities

Over this time, Marik also compares hints and interesting tidbits he heard with the information gathered in Disanz voluminous book about Illithids, which he knows almost by heart by then (he read it over and over previous to the tavern opening). More and more convinced this is an enemy infinity dangerous and worth exterminating from the material place, Marik builds himself a Sanctuary dedicated to Cihnehal, the Sorcerer Stalker and Eater of the Eldritch. He spends moments each night meditating in front of the shrine, building his connection with the Beast in the Stars and slowly attuning his senses to a very specific type of prey, that of the horrors from beyond on which Cihnehal feeds...

OOC: Marik choose Aberrations as his greater Favored Enemy

Keeping notes of what he heard, Marik is a bit disappointed at the slow pace at which it advances. Some Adventurers and patrons seem to encounter troubling signs but seem sometimes reluctant to talk about it to Filimena or other patrons, unless they are very drunk. With this in mind, he eventually catches Gloinan Strongbrew, one of the new arrival, in the cellar, as they go to replenish for orders.


"Moien Gloinan! How is going... everything? Hum...maybe strange... question... Your name is ...Strongbrew, right? Is it a family name or do you really brew..strong?" ask the elf, trying his best.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:47, Sat 05 Feb 2022.

OOC: Blah. Could we establish what time it is? I only just realised it's actually nighttime based on Marik's earlier reply. In which case, I'm not sure Filimena would actually want to head out. Even if not for safety's sake, she might not want to disturb the priests. Maybe if it's early evening? Sorry, really want to get a bit of action going but just need to get over this tiny narrative bump. I'm also happy to reverse Filimena's earlier decision and have her stay in the tavern one more evening before heading out the next morning.

How bout the current time being 1600 (4pm)? early enough for folks to wander in but no so such that the place is crowded?

Gloinain looks up as he gets a beer barrel under one arm, "Oh hello Master Marik!  Things are going well, just getting another barrel of Iron Ale for the bar as folks seem to like the stuff."  The young dwarf puffs up his chest as he says, " Sir, my family name is Strongbrew; my clan were the royal brewers in Kalazanbaar before the fall."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:49, Thu 10 Feb 2022.

Filimena frowns. No luck. To be fair, she wasn't really expecting to learn anything. Welp, to St Gili's it is, then, she thinks to herself.

She turns to head out the door, but finds herself hesitating. She looks back into the tavern and spots Marik speaking to their new server Gloinain. She narrows her eyes in suspicion, wondering what curious ideas the elf has up his mind this time. it doesn't matter. He'd said before he wasn't keen on heading out anyway. What about Ironclad? It doesn't take her long to spot the construct, who, at the moment, is standing at the bar, carefully lifting and inspecting each mug before handing them off to Daadashma to fill, much to the latter's annoyance. Shrugging, she walks over to the poor fellow.

"Er, hmmm.. Ironclad," She says. "I was about to head out, to St Gili's, to ask them if they might remember anything about my brother. The children said they'd seen him there. Want to come with? You might conceivably learn something interesting about the church while you're there." She smiles earnestly.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:35, Sat 12 Feb 2022.

Ironclad has been mostly observing the goings on in the tavern for the entire time it has been open.  After hours they have been helping clean up and move heavy items as needed.  Currently Ironclad is standing near the door, like a bouncer, they turn to Filimena and nod, "Of course Ironclad will accompany name is Filimena."

so -- are we splitting the party?

"Great! Let's get going then, before it turns dark!" Filimena says, clenching her fists in anticipation. "We should probably let Marik know we're going, though. Wait here while I go tell him." Spinning around, she heads across the room towards Marik.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you should know, Ironclad and I are heading out, to St. Gili's, to ask about my brother. It just seems about time that I got around to that," she frowns, guiltily. "Are you sure you don't want to come with? If anything, the fresh air might do you some good"

OOC: I promise I was already going to do this before you asked, to give Marik a chance to change his mind. Haha. Obviously, I'd prefer not to split the party, but I also think at this point Filimena feels useless sticking around, and would want to do something. Plus, Filimena doesn't know she's in an RPG, and as far as she's concerned, she's just popping by the church for a while, and will be back safe and sound for supper.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Wed 16 Feb 2022.

Marik turns to Filimena, respond in his mother tongue.

"Ah, yes. A walk might be nice! I'm coming, just a instant"


He turns back to Gloinan, but still looks at Filimena, as if he was searching for approval


"Oh, excellent..." respond the elf, mentally making a note to ask him later about the old ale barrel they found in the cellar. "I've been...thinking...we could have a...celebrat...no...signature drink...we could offer...gift to good patrons...something powerful, to put them in good mood.Something... hotter than mustard and milder than cream, maybe. Something to quiet the stallions... make them companions...If see what I mean. Think we could make something like that?"

It reminds him for a second of a old elvish song about a drink called poteen, and he sings some lyrics in his head.

"Come guess me this riddle, what beats pipes and fiddle
What's hotter than mustard and milder than cream
What best wets your whistle, what's clearer than crystal
What's sweeter than honey and stronger than steam"

Gloinain nods to Marik, "Sure thing, I'll talk with Daadashma and Efrix about it.  He starts to head back behind the bar but stops then asks, "Oh, wait do you want that to be a liquor or beer based drink?"

Marik ponders

"Humm....liquor...might work better. We'll...experiment....See you soon"   he says, before turning back to Filimena. "[Language unknown: Ckpr, unerev n. Inemi nessck but reet n oer.  ]

And follow her outside with Rani.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:25, Thu 17 Feb 2022.

moving to here : link to a message in this game