He looks at Haildas and at Krwyn,well..I suppose   i could by a pitcher of ale  for us  3?....

 He  waves  a waitress over  as he sits,Damn guards  though, they didn't  give   as much coin fer the Kids and women folk's heads, as they do for  the warriors... not fair? them Kids woulda been warriors some day?  Right?

Although the Arrows are also known for their sometimes cruel attacks on humanoid communities, Kr'wyn has some difficulties with the ease the old warrior speaks about killing kids and women.
He keeps his mouth shut about it, because they can't afford to estrange even more people.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Mon 26 Sept 2016.

Seeing the look of distaste wash across Krwyn, Haildas turns to back to the warrior...

"I understand how war can be at times but do you not find discomfort in slaying women and children?  They may become the next generation, tis true, but do we not spare the women and children of humans that we war against?  Would they not also bring about the next generation?"

  The Warrior  seemed not to catch the distaste Krwyn felt,as he  sipped from his ale. The waitress put the pitcher down and  smiled at thgw warrior as he paid her and  slipped an extra copper in her apron.

  That may be, Friend. But Humans aren't gonna rule the land as long as we let the likes of Gobs, orcs, gnomes...all them sorts..just..walk around at will..better to clean them off the map..eh?

"Perhaps, but I have found many 'humanoids' that were rather friendly and peaceful.  In fact, I believe I have seen more evil birthed from men than, say, gnomes."

He pauses to swallow a mouthful of water, using the momentary lapse in conversation to gauge the man before him.

  The  Fellow  shrugged again,Don't matter much, when they'er payin' fer heads... you can't  fake it... ears? is a bit  easier..find a pack of what ya need  and chop them off. not much call for human ears though, and some of these bounty folks what heads, because they are looking fer someone special

 he   topped off his mug again and sipped,now?  some folks send you for bandits, raiders and slavers, they always  what heads, unless there is somethin' ta  prove  you did yer  job..but?... goin' against Slavers and such?...ain't a good way to live long.

Haildas ponders the mans words for a moment...

"Is the price not higher, than, for the humans?  Is the added danger not compensated fairly?  Again, goblins are goblins and rather often we are forced to wipe them out, but you speak of danger being the deterrent alone."

He was goading the man with that last statement...he knew it.  He could simply not understand those obsessed over gold.  There were far greater riches in this world to be had than mere shiny coins.

  The fellow  chuckled,well, fella? don't know  how you make coin...and if ya don't have  coin, you can't get food, drink or women..I ain't good enough, nor dumb enough to  fight in the arena fer coin....So?  i take it the best way i know how.

At least the man had an honest answer...

"Well stated, good sir. My skills are in rather high demand so coin is never difficult to obtain when I need

  The Fellow's eyebrow  rose,what skills  do ye have..you a Magling...Holy folk?

"Indeed, I follow a path of divine nature.  My ability to heal others is of great value I find."

  The  Fellow laughed,More ways then one!... you gop to villages? ye can trun some coin helpin' injured folks...Catch some  troops  comign home froma fight?.. ye can make  coin too....Some of them....darker folks? will even give you some coin to keep people alive a wee bit longer, so's they can make the poor  bastards  wish they were dead!!

It takes Kr'wyn a lot to keep his distate for the old warriors' opinions from his face, as they could not afford yet to estrange more people. He turns to Haildas:
"As bard go, they know a lot of gossip and news around. I'll ask him if he knows something useful for us."

He walks over to the bard who uses his break to take a drink. "Could I offer you a second drink and ask you some questions? We heard there were people missing in this town, missing without a trace. Have you heard more about these missings?"

When the waitress bring the next drink, Kr'wyn asks another question: "Your second song was rather positive about the Arrows. It is rare to hear such a song in public. Do you know more about the Arrows?"

"And what of mages, good sir? You mentioned 'dark folk'...do you mean those that conjure forth the dead?", he asked with a wry smile.

 Necromancers were a rare lot but usually kept rather powerful trinkets.  It also helped that most people didn't mind when they met an untimely demise.

"Or do you simply mean individuals inclined toward torture and suffering?"

  the  warrior  looks about  as if he though some one listened,..i got  hired on by this  group, see? They was ta  steal some kinda  book by some  old fella who lived  an the Far side of the black timber, Closer to the  southwest edge, of  Karth Swamp?..any ways... we  go out there.. 3 guys left, cause they were afraid of them Black Timber Elves . But   we kept going, had a few run ins  with goblins and orcs..and some swap creatures, and swamp folks.. but  we found his cottage, Turns out, his cottage was his home,  ok, but this  lab was inside this Cave under  some Hillocks  that  rose up to the edge of the Black Timber....

 He takes another  drink,Anyways.. we  slip up  , check out his cottage and  take some stuff, mostly coin and Books..don't know  why our Captain wanted them>,,, and then we  went into the Tunnel...The Fellow that lived there had  some   animals guardin' that we had to kill... and finally we reach his  main chamber. He has  an Orc , a human and a catfolk strapped down on tables... there was  some  she-elf  there with a collar on her  neck, and he was makin her  ehal them, then he'd  go back to cutting stuff off and putting them in  bowls   and   pouring stuff on them, or sprinklin' stuff on them? we  wanted  to kill the guy, but all our  archers were dead, we used   bows, those of us that had  them, but  couldn't  bring the bastard  down, he ran through a  smaller  door  and we couldn't  find him...our  captain took the elf gril for hsi own, we left the other ones there, because  we hoped the guy would be back..never  did find the right book,  we only got  half pay for what we brought back, and..we, the CAptain had his elf  woman...

Haildas rubs his chin, contemplating the story.

"Could this, in fact, be a necromancer?", he thought to himself.

"Who was it that hired you?"

  The Older  Guy  shrugged  once more,Don't know his name  fer sure... do know he has   his own tower and estate in Ironmound?... there's a witch close  by him two... only two  folks like that, that have tha tmuch land...Boss  did all the paperwork.

"Might I enquire, then, how I may find the individual you were working for?  Perhaps another drink, on me, will ease the decision?"

   A slight  smile appears..aye?  another  Pitcher then. Now?  The  fella i was  working for, like i said , he paid off us..'extra' guys..course..there weren't many extra  after  we came back....Anyway.. i heard him tell one of his  main boys that he was gonna check with the guard...something about a Bounty on a  Runner.

Haildas lets out a raucous laugh at the mans final words.

"I believe I've heard something about that myself...but I need a name, good man.", sliding a few gold coins forward towards the warrior.

  Looking from Haildas to the coins and back, his voice lowers  once more,His  name  is Nabbin, him and his main boys are from 'The Grasping Claw'  out of Engar...he Tell he always tries to pick up some   spare  sell swords, when he's away from home.... Tall  fella...kinda  skinny fer a warrior..but he ain't no one to mess with!

Kr'wyn still stands near the bard, offer him a drink and hopes for some answers.

  The   Bared looks  at  Krywn, and gestures  with his   chin to the  chair on the left of him.

  As Krywn sits, the  Bard   looks at the Keeper who brings   the elf a  drink, then walks away.

 Well, the Missing  folks?..happens  all the  time, close to the River like this.... Goblins... bandits, slavers, even Serpents  if ye  deciede to swin or bathe at the wrong time....Then...of  course, there are those  who run off with a traveling  man or woman?


 ..As for the Arrows?...  They are one of ..what?  the 10 best known companies  in thse lands... so it always pays  to tell a good tale...

"I thank you greatly for this information."

Haildas ponders and postulates for a time, taking in what the gentleman has told him and sifting through it with a fine tooth comb.  He ways the options, pros and cons, awaiting Kr'wyn to return.

"Perhaps he has picked something up from the bard.", he thinks to himself.

Riku had wondered in the direction that the courier had noted they would be in.  Fluttering above everything helped, but if they were in hiding she would have to come down to shoulder level to see them.  It was a risk, but sometimes you have to take it.

Haildas and Krywn would hear a fluttering above their heads as she would get closer.