The inn was not very big, but it was clean, well-lit, and actually had a nice flowery smell.

The innkeeper, a medium sized creature vaguely resembling a monkey, greeted Levithian as he came in. "Welcome... To the Carp's Nest." She looked slightly surprised to see him. "We have warm beds, hot food, and cool drinks. What will your pleasure be?"

Are you going to chat with Tessa or just have dinner and go to bed? You have enough money to pay for a good meal and a good room. and are assumed to have picked up a few trinkets (bits and pieces from animals and plants that you can use in your Profession checks) on your way to Carp that you will be able to sell to the local trader for a little extra money.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:56, Wed 22 Mar 2017.

Lev smiled like he was hopeful as to not be hit by a saucepan. "Water and meat if it is not inconvenient." He wanted a seat so he moved if so allowed and sat with his hands in view on the table top.

"Ummm, do you know if the people around here need help with monster prevention? Things like how to keep krenshar out of fields. Anklegs from tunneling under the area, or other things."

"I don't hunt monsters normally, a pound of prevention kind of deal."


chat a bit to buy in.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Wed 22 Mar 2017.

Tessa blinked: "I... Think you may want to speak with Master Zhorr. I shall send him a message and make sure he sees you in the morning, if that is convenient." Reading a Vanara's expression was rather difficult for somebody not used to them, but Tessa seemed slightly perplexed, more than anything else.

Not especially afraid, however. She offered Lev a table and served him a carafe of cold water (almost freezing, in fact) and a clean mug. "How would you like your meat?" She asked.

He nodded in agreement that it would be alright, he really did not have any other plans.

Lev gave her a thin lipped smile that turned into one of delight when the water showed up. Deliciously cold water was like the smell of cookies to him. The ocean has a number of thermocline that massively drops the temperature in a matter of feet. It was like remembering a good part of home. Swimming along happy as can be when he was first able to.

"Medium rare? Like lamb, kisses the pan and not much else? I very rarely get to cook a sit-down meal so... Rare, lil searing?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:53, Thu 23 Mar 2017.

Tessa pondered for a moment: "Would you like it Dragon Breath?"

"Dragon Breath" meat is a blue steak "up to 11": it takes its name from the way fire dragons eat the animals they kill - the skin gets charred by their breath, but underneath the meat is still raw. Even people with a predilection for blue steaks tend to find it *a bit* too extreme, but it's a favored dish of several outsiders - and dragons, of course.

Lev gave a big smile filled to the brim with expectant glee and enjoyment. With eyes that had been cautious and hesitant gone full on puppy dog looking at a treat, "Yes please."

A good hard crust locked in the juices and all the delightful texture, oh gods the texture!

Food was to be experienced!
This message was last edited by the player at 23:48, Thu 23 Mar 2017.

Tessa smiled at her guest: "I will be right back."

While Tessa cooked, Levithian had some time to look at the inn and notice that it was very clean and surprisingly well-lit, more so than most inns in large cities.

Tessa came back shortly with Levithian's steak, which was very much like she'd promised. There were also some leaves of some kind on the side that, as he sampled them, turned out to be surprisingly tasty.

Halfway through the meal, Levithian realized what had been nagging him: a small inn in an out-of-the-way hamlet wasn't very likely to have fresh meat. Even less likely to have high-quality fresh meat.

That steak should not have been possible.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:55, Sat 25 Mar 2017.

In reply to Mysterious Ancient Wizard (msg # 9): check made. Rolled 14

True to form he use his knife to shave the crust off its top like an odd lid. If you eat a steak the 'right' way you had class. As he did not... Currently... You start from the middle and work your way outward.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Sat 25 Mar 2017.

By the time he was finished with the steak, Levithian felt well-sated, quite content... And slightly drunk, despite only having had water.

Lev may look like an adult, but there was no telling how old he really was. Being a fabricated thing he could be a year old at best! Either way he was a super lightweight when it comes to getting smashed.

He blinked a few times and looked around from his seat. Something told him to be himself but that was a bad idea. Still, sleeping as himself would be nice for once. So, not changing as that is a far better ideal, he smiled and took note. "If I had to guess I would say you did a bit of adventure in the past."

Tessa chuckled: "Oh, I had some adventures, but not because I was adventuring... It's just how life works in Cheliash for non-humans. Master Zhorr and... Lia, they are former adventurers. They have plenty of stories to tell. Me, I don't have a lot of stories, other than a few old legends, and it suits me fine."

She eyed him knowingly: "You, on the other hand... But I'm being rude. Would you like me to show you your bedroom? You must be tired."

Tired and slightly fuzzy would have been a fair assessment, but Levithian was not especially impaired. Mostly, he was feeling like he'd had a much bigger meal than he actually had, and had consumed a fair amount of alcohol that he actually hadn't.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:35, Tue 28 Mar 2017.

Lev shrugged, "Only a few. Only worth telling when I find the happy ending." bad stories only ruined the mood.

He nodded when she mentioned a room. Standing he was a bit wobbly, proving four legs better than two, but he walked alright. He was in a happy mindset as he thought of a nice fluffy bed. Second best kind of bed too!

A tiny part of him was telling him he had been drugged. But the need to trust someone, no matter how small the event, was something he wanted. To sleep soundly, as himself, without worrying about anything.

Rest...
This message was last edited by the player at 17:55, Tue 28 Mar 2017.

The bed was warm and comfortable, and Levithian spent a good night in deep sleep. By the morning, he could remember he'd had pleasant dreams, but he wasn't really sure what they had been.

The mild buzz from the previous evening was gone, and he felt perfectly fine - no hangover, no headache, no residual effects. It was enough to make one wonder if he'd just imagined it.

Now that he wasn't falling asleep on his feet, Levithian finally got to take a good look at the room.

It was larger than he would have expected; right next to the window, shuttered, sat a sizable water basin with two large jugs to the sides, one filled with water, the other presumably to drain the water into when done, and a conveniently placed brazier underneath to warm it to taste.

On the nightstand, Tessa had left a mug for him, and another carafe of water, still cold despite having been out the entire night - at a guess, it probably had some ice in it originally.

This was entirely not the type of accommodation Levithian would have expected to find in a village this size. Not by a long shot.

When he returned to the inn's main room, he found a man waiting for him. Wearing an expensive-looking chain mail shirt.

As Levithian approached, the man stood up from his seat at the table.

Levithian was used to being taller than most people, and this person was no exception - if anything, he was probably shorter than most.

Even so, as those grey eyes peered at him, Levithian felt especially disinclined to get on his bad side.

The man nodded at Levithian and said: "I am Zhorr van Lyre, of House van Lyre, Master of Carp on the Wall. We welcome in peace those who come in peace."

Levithian couldn't help but notice that, as he said that, his off hand was resting comfortably on the scabbard of the rapier at his side.

The pull of a comfy bed said to curl up and sleep forever, yet that doesn't keep a purse fat enough to feed and shelter oneself. Still he did take his time and used each of the jugs more than he needed to but it was hard to get a warm bath and a head dousing was always welcome. Normally he would just lie at the bottom of a river and terrorize the local fish population. While it was nice to get to swim, an ice cold bath is never a happy bath.

One of the benefits of having all your clothing able to be burst out of and not destroyed is that you just need to reattach the little clips.

There was no telling how long the man had been waiting but something about him said slayer... and that he could turn Lev's spine into coasters for his tea parties. "I am Leviathan, pleased to meet you, I promise I am not here to cause trouble. Just trying to make my way in hopes of food and shelter." He needed to get a fancy name and title... he didn't have a name beyond that. It always gave the wrong idea.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:43, Wed 29 Mar 2017.

Zhorr looked mildly surprised: "Well, if that is the case... You may very well be in the right place. But just so that there is no misunderstanding: you are not the first Outsider to visit Carp on the Wall."

Holding out what looked like a holy symbol, he intoned: "We would have you provide the following guarantees, to Carp on the Wall and its inhabitants: that you come bearing them no ill will, that you mean them no harm, that you shall initiate no hostile actions against them during your stay, and that, if forced to defend yourself against them, you shall do so by using the minimum force required to protect yourself. Swear on your True Name and Power, and be welcome. Or leave us in peace."

"Native" outsiders aren't quite as bound by their True Name and Power as other Outsiders, but that medallion Zhorr is holding out is pretty much guaranteed to be a magic item of some kind.

The vow itself seems rather harmless - it's essentially swearing to be civil.

Devils may have some trouble with the "bearing no ill will" clause, which is interesting, considering this is devil country.

The moment the holy symbol came out a look of absolute terror came over Leviathan as the weight of the 'preparations' cultists had preformed on him came crashing down. Holy symbols meant negative energy to burn or spells to cut away the will. Gods hate the true Leviathan, no succor was expected even in the most loving of divines.

He took three steps back as he braced on a chair to stay standing as his other arm come up in a purely sacrificial gesture, better to have a arm burned off than to have eyes burned out. "I'm not a devil, I swear. I'm a outer dragon... A construct made from the flesh of an old as dirt slumbering monster."

"I am the Leviathan, I have no other name. Unto that name, and my power as you ask I do so swear. Further I will only apply the law of escalation, applying minimum force to any task to finish it as efficiently as need be. If you can help me find my true name I will swear to it but I don't know it."

He feared the holy symbol far more than the blade at the mans hip. Cutting flesh was one thing, but a holy symbol represents cutting the mind and soul, and there are far deeper sufferings in that than of wounding or death. "Please, don't use the symbol. I swear I am only trying to find my place." He closed his eyes and turned his head. Even if it was in his head, the weight that holy symbol had was heavy on him.

Looking rather confused, Zhorr hid the symbol away in his pocket. "That was... Not what I was expecting." Then he brightened: "But! Helping people find their way in life is... Well, it's what we do here in Carp on the Wall, really. Ain't that so, Tessa?"

At which point the innkeeper came through the kitchen door, carying more cold water for Levithian, along with some black bread, and a steaming cup of tea for Zhorr: "Oh yes. Like turning monkeys into innkeepers and lumberjacks."

She chuckled at the look of reproach on Zhorr's face: "Oh, don't look at me like that, Vanaras are allowed to use the m word."

Lev was slow to move once the holy symbol was put away. He moved like a kicked dog for a moment before his higher mind kicked back in, he sat back down spinning the chair backwards to put its back up like a shield. "Sorry, religion and I never had a good day out. Faith by"

He gave Tessa all smiles when she brought him cold water like cookies on a warm plate. "I deal more with pest control via prevention. If you can use that let me know. Being a monster I tend to want to talk with them rather than seek blood and pain."

Zhorr's friendly and not at all predatory smile absolutely did not at all make Levithian feel like he'd suddenly volunteered for something unpleasant - and I don't know why you would even bring that up, really. "Well... If your expertise is dealing with monsters in non-lethal ways, I have something to ask of you. Rest assured, you will be properly compensated."

The mission, as Zhorr explained it to Levithian, was half pest control and half scientific research. Zhorr needed somebody to clear up a small gremlin infestation in a nearby hunting cabin. The location itself was out of the way, and hadn't seen any real use in decades, and at some point in recent years a group of gremlins apparently decided to move in.

A recent surge in gremlin sightings had prompted Zhorr to look for somebody to take care of the pestiferous creatures, but, as he told Levithian, there were potential gains in capturing a few of the fey alive. "And, since i am unable to offer you proper assistance, I will provide you with some additional equipment to help in the task. Would you be interested?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:16, Thu 06 Apr 2017.

Lev rubbed the back of his head. "Gremlins, normally to ward them off you have to spend about a month and you need to use oil as a repellent. They absolutely hate a well oiled object. Barring that the best trap is a widget, a small device with springs, gears, buttons, toggles, and switches. With one they will sit down and try to figure it out, best to put it in a box, even then you will be lucky if you can get them back without pulling the nails out of the box."

"If you want, I'll go have a talk to them. If you can offer doodads to one that may be a good bid for one to come in peacefully. Otherwise stunning it is. Ill see to it one way or another."

Zhorr looked thoughtful for a moment: "I can probably craft some purposeless mechanical contraption, yes. Something with plenty of gears, and literal bells and whistles, making lots of noise and possibly throwing sparks around. It will only last for a few days before breaking, but it should be more than enough time to serve its purpose. I have to admit, it would not have occurred to me to try and convince gremlins to be nice to people. Good luck."

"And since you are now working for master Zhorr, you are free to stay at the inn at no charge. If you need any goods, talk to Mandala. If you need spiritual counseling, talk to Evelyss. If you need weapons and armor, talk to Eldamere. If you need food, water, or some conversation, you know whom to talk to." Tessa winked at Levithian.

He shrugged at Zhorr, "I am a monster, I do not want to die. Other monsters likely feel the same. Some wont but you never know if you don't try. Having a grimlin on your side could be a huge benefit. The house ring of your enemy gets a undetected curse for minor misfortunes, trash items you need to break down for components is disassembled with the skill of a master... So on."

"Much love to you and yours Tessa... But I think I'll give the spiritual person their space. Nothing but love for the people but I can't even physically set foot on holy ground without permission... Gods don't like Leviathan's."

Zhorr spent most of the following day with Levithian, trying to find the best equipment he could provide him. In the end, he loaned him a Page of Spell Knowledge and a rod, and his best wishes of good luck, along with a mechanical contraption that didn't do anything useful but would probably keep the gremlins' interest for a while.

Traveling to the hunting cabin on foot took Levithian almost an entire day, and, since it was deep in the forest, by the time he got there it was dark.

Once Leviathan was near the cabin he took his time to set his things down. The process of changing was not as fast for him as it was for others. If he had his way he would some day take on the full potency of his blood, but he would do what he could as he could.

The main reason for him going full dragon, dragon ish... monster, was so that he could get past the first barrier that any being of uncommon blood had either a hate or innate fear of beings from the common mans world. The best part was getting a chance to stretch once he was fully his real self. Which he did like a big o dog. Three sets of useless wings proved for a cramped feeling when he couldn't walk about.


Even Lev knew the story of the good knight showing up and committing the horror that was looting a dragons. By not being a normal human he was avoiding that barrier to some minor degree.

He did pick up a small bundle before leaving, a offering. He set a small wooden bowl within view of the door and window of the cabin. Within it was nuts and berries, a food offering. He normally reserved this for good fea he liked, dryads and nymphs and such. Faries he feared but there are so many fea.

To this point he sat there, not looking for a fight but ready if they didn't go for the easy option. It was a long shot but one must honor their own code of conduct.

A few hours later, in the middle of the night, something that looked like an award-winning chihuahua, if the award were for the ugliest critter in the world, poked out its big deformed head from behind a tree, eyeing the offering with mistrust.

Hadn't he been able to see in the dark, Levithian would have completely missed the small shape as it quietly approached the food and took a careful bite.

Then, as if expecting something to jump out of the cabin, it grabbed a handful of the contents of the bowl and quickly scampered back to the tree it had come from. It didn't run away, however, but kept slowly munching on the food and looking at the door.

It then emitted a string of barks, followed by what sounded like an insult to somebody's mother.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:44, Fri 14 Apr 2017.