My man? Angel thought to herself, puzzled. Ah yes. That curious human idiosyncrasy where intimacy implies possession. Humans are so weird!

"Oh he's just mad I pushed him through a portal and left him alone to wander through a swamp by himself," Angel replied with a dismissive wave. "Unless you count all the alligators and snakes," she added thoughtfully. "But the way he tells it they weren't very good conversationalists," she continued with a shrug. "Oh, and I think I ruined him throwing someone out a window too. Which I guess is now something on his list of things to do. So yeah, I suppose he's a bit put out with me," she conceded, looking back to where Tseran had disappeared inside the temple proper.

Turning back to the wizard, Angel's face brightened when he mentioned being able to cast a Mending for her. but then fell again when she heard that she'd have to wait until tomorrow. "Well if I have to, then I have to," she replied with reluctant acceptance. "I don't suppose it'd be too much to hope that you have a Prestidigitation handy to at least get the blood out?"

On their way out, they saw some of the Selûnite ceremony, now in full swing. The faithful danced in great circles around the altar, with the lay worshippers swaying and stepping while the priests and priestesses leaped with more vigour and wild abandon. At the moonstone-studded, silver-inscribed altar, the Moon Mistress chanted prayers that echoed around the domed chamber, buoying the spirits of all who heard.

The origin of the strange sour-milk smell inside the temple also became apparent, as she poured a libation of holy milk over the altar.

'May Selûne guide your steps in the night, and bring them to the new dawn.' one of the worshippers offered them on the way out.

The companions reunited at the entrance to discuss their future plans. It was evening but they still had some time in which to finish up their investigations, but Calaunt was not so much the city that never sleep, but rather the one in which smart folk hurried home before it got too dark, lest they not make it home at all. With a map and some idea of where the young adventurers had headed, it might be wise to leave in the morning before they lost too much time.

They still had some things to do, however:
* Examine the copy of the forged map.
* Find the dwarves of Clan Hammerhand who might shed some light on Dorn's purpose.
* Slove could see the Selûnites for a proper examination.
* Identify the items they'd found, which might be useful.
* Or pursue any personal interests while they still had the time.

May the hunt go well with you this night.  May you find what you are seek.  May what you find bring you joy and happiness.  Slove answers worshippers.


Slove would be happy to see the Selûnites for a proper examination.
However he would only do this if he is not needed to help anybody else with any of the other tasks.  So leave it in parties hands what slove would do.

I happy to do this and fit Slove view of his roll in the group.
He lived with his face many years so he like see if it can be fixed but then again he not in real hurry over it.  He can always wait a few more years.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:28, Tue 05 June 2018.

Aerin gave the worshippers a forced smile and a nod, wondering what Bahamut thought about all of this. She was almost happy to reach the open again, until the smell of spoilt milk was replaced by the unnatural smells of the city.

"I see you got yourself acquainted." the dragon woman said to Angel. "How about proper introductions?" she added, crossing her massive arms before her chest.

 "If you cannot be righteous, you can at least be hole-y." is Tseran's natural counterpoint as he sweeps out of sight - and fortunately sparing everyone from an extended monologue upon what one does when one is ass-deep in alligators. Inside the temple he watches matters progress with the fine air of incomprehension that's to be expected of someone who approaches their religion in a quiet, largely internal fashion before approaching their nominal sponsor "At this juncture, it seems as though conversation with these Dwarven gentlemen is the logical next step, following the thread of the map... What I am uncertain of however, is how we shall depart the city in the morning, given its... regressive tendencies towards magical items. Can we hope that you have a solution for this?"

Nice one! And you wonder why the swamp critters didn't enjoy your company more! Came Angel's retort to Tseran's quip, pushing through the barrier of his mind to echo softly in his thoughts...




Angel turned at the sound of the dragon-kin woman's voice and smiled sweetly, clasping her hands before her in a gesture of demure passivity. "That would be lovely, your grace," she replied with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, dipping a small curtsey to the larger woman. "But really you don't need to ask permission, you can just tell me your name... I promise not to laugh," she added, the last part spoken behind her hand in a conspiratorial whisper.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:32, Wed 06 June 2018.

Slove still with his hood back for once position himself so he can look Angel up and down.  He does this in plan sight of her so he can draw her attention.
He smiles which as normal not best of things to look at.
"Ah forget proper introductions.  Once all this is over their only one thing that really maters.  So girl do you like dwarven beer or is there something else similar that your personal poison to drink?"

He then smirks at Aerin of Damar.  He quite sure that not going to go down well with her.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:26, Wed 06 June 2018.

For a heartbeat, that seems to drag into a small eternity, Aerin stayed quiet, her eyes focused on Angel and it seemed she was debating with herself on how to liberate the woman's soul from her body, steel - fire - magic? But then the storm on her features lifted and the woman began to laugh. Loud and hearty, Aerin laughed as if she had heard the best joke in a decade or longer. "Hahaha... we found ourselves a jester! - Hahaha... What a funny girl she is. Hahaha..." she held her chest, a little out of breath. "Say, do you know how to juggle? Or how to make dolls speak even though they cannot? Oh oh oh, wait: Can you do acrobatics?" she seemed extatic, "This is going to be great, you'll address me as 'your pompous grace' or some other mock insult. I'm looking forward to it." the dragonkin added with a wide smile, showing razor-sharp teeth.

She looked at the mocking bird girl appraisingly "But something's missing... Yes, a jester's cap, all with bells et cetera. Come on, let's find a shop now!" Aerin said enthusiastically.

Angel took in the ugly elf's features without the mere hint of a reaction, indicating that perhaps she'd seen as bad or worse before. She listened to what he said, but made no move to answer him... at least out loud.

[Private to Slove: Dwarven beer?! Angel's voice echoed in Slove's thoughts. Ha! You could get better swill from a beardless gnome! If it's real dwarven drink you want, then it's dwarven spirits you need. I hear the Hammerhand clan has a nice selection...   ]

But Angel's grin deepened as the other woman began to laugh...

...

"But of course," Angel replied, her hands suddenly holding a pair of gold pieces which she effortlessly rolled through her fingers while she answered the dragon-lady's questions as quickly as they were asked. "What jester doesn't know how to juggle, among other things"...



"Not really my forte, but I'll see what I can do" ...



"Some days better than others" ...



"The most insulting I can think of"...



"I shall astound you and defy your expectations," Angel affirmed dramatically, making the pair of coins vanish with a flourish as she bowed in theater-fashion to the warrior-woman.



"And let us hope it has one for you as well," Angel agreed, matching the other woman's enthusiasm. "A conical one with a drape at the end like all the other princesses wear -- perhaps in yellow to match your oh so lovely scales."

Aerin laughed at Angel's replies, this girl was funny, "Of course, of course but I'll insist it'd be golden. - You think my scales are lovely? Awww... how sweet." the dragonkin asked, putting her _very_ hand on Angel's shoulder. She probably was no real princess. "Let's go!"

Using the hand on her shoulder as an invitation Angel stepped up beside the larger woman and slipped her own arm around Aerin's waist. An amicable move, two friends with their arms around each other, heading off to an unknown location as one...

With her arm now around the other woman's waist, Angel was in prime position to lift a few items from Aerin's person, but she could tell by the feel of Aerin's body that the warrior was still tense and wary... her attempt to use the move as a distraction had likely not worked nearly as much as she'd hoped it would...

22:23, Today: Secret Roll: Angel rolled 16 using 1d20+15.  Bluff check.

Her fingers brushed several tempting targets, but she couldn't quite manage to to get the right angle to actually lift them from Aerin's person. Knowing her attempt had likely been detected, she played the cards fate had dealt her...

22:24, Today: Secret Roll: Angel rolled 18 using 1d20+11.  SoH check.
(DC to pickpocket is 20 base, so that's a fail, but the roll is opposed by a Spot check to determine whether it was actually detected or not)

"If we're going shopping, your high and mighty scaliness," Angel purred, jingling one or two likely candidates for a coin purse on Aerin's person. "You'd better hope you have enough coin. I," she continued, her tone now becoming faux-haughty. "Am most certainly not cheap."

22:47, Today: Secret Roll: Angel rolled 30 using 1d20+15.  Bluff check.

As Angel was hinting she was an expensive fool, but a fool nonetheless, Aerin reached for her coin pouch, surprisedly touching the elf's fingers, which were already rather close to it. "Looks like you're doubting my resourcefulness, Jester." the dragonkin rumbled and closed her gauntleted hand over Angel's and the coin pouch as if she hadn't noticed the nimble fingers were there. Jerking the pouch and consequently Angel, around as if to show it to the elf, dragging her around her broad back with something that could be safely called a dragon's strength. Noticing Angel 'dangling' from the pouch, she laughed "Looks like you're already quite attached to my gold." yet, there was a certain twinkle in her eyes, that seemed to warn the jester she might not be amused if particularely these antics would continue.

Kaijn shook his head in disbelief at the newcomers actions.

"What are our next course of action?"

Angel went along with the dragon-lady's forceful jerk -- what else could she do against such strength?! -- but halfway through the maneuver, the elf's hand seemed to...disappear... from Aerin's grasp!

When the warrior woman could turn and look at what had happened to her jester, a old man with only one arm greeted her with a toothy grin. An instant later the man's form...shimmered... and Angel stood there again. "That's quite a grip you have there, your Grace," the copper-haired she-elf said, flexing a newly-reformed hand. "I'll have to remember that the next time I think about fetching something for you which you're quite capable of getting yourself," she added smoothly with a disarming smile.

[Private to Aerin of Damar: 23:11, Today: Secret Roll: Angel rolled 31 using 1d20+15.  Bluff check.]

Surprised by the sudden change, the Rashemi stood with her mouth agape for a second, before catching up with the present again. Aerin may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, especially with the brilliant minds assembled, but she recognized a scoundrel when she met one. Still the dragonkin didn't want to pursue the issue in earnest, she liked the light-hearted ways of the girl too much. Using a different - physical - shape to escape her grip showed the resourcefulness that this group would likely need if they wanted to succeed in finding the missing youths. If the elf could focus long enough on the task, she might be the perfect scout - particularly if the orc tribes were involved like Aerin suspected.

"Indeed, jester, it would be a pity if the old man lost the other arm as well, wouldn't it?" she said with a playful smirk on her face. She wasn't really serious, well... at least not yet.

"I'd suggest, after procuring some appropriate headgear for our new joker and me, we should find the dwarves that keep being mentioned, for some questioning. - What do you say?" she asked her companions.

Slove listen to what was going on.
The elf decide things are going nowhere at moment.
I am going back to the temple to talk to priestess.
Once you talked to dwarves come and find me.  If I have not finish at temple.
Once you decide to leave this place I will be joining you.

Slove then goes back and seeks out Selûnites if she not busy.

 Tseran meanwhile, remains caught in conversation limbo, waiting for a reply from the groups sometime sponsor...

Angel only smiled sweetly at Aerin's attempt at a playful jest, but the she-elf's ears perked up at the cryptic mention of dwarves that "kept being mentioned." She'd run across similar rumors herself while in this stinking city, and of course her special talents had provided a name and a lead as well...

"Dwarves? You wouldn't be talking about Clan Hammerhand now would you?" she asked.

Gazing at the temple and distracted by her musings on the eternal nature of divine and the more immediate matter of making money off of it, Lady Maelarra didn't answer at first, instead looking to her effective employers to explain it all. They didn't, so at last she began 'Yes, indeed. We are looking for a member of the Clan Hammerhand mercenary company, and were hoping to find a representative in this city who could assist us with our enquiries. Unfortunately, the dwarves keep their activities underground, as it were. Do you happen to know where we can find them?'

*

Slove made his way back into the temple and the sanatorium. Orophear had been given a strong sleeping draught to help him rest and recover. He found Glarin cleaning up after her treatment. 'Welcome back.'

"You've been paying attention," Aerin said, sounding somewhat impressed that the jester knew about this and gave the elf a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Ow!" Angel yelped in pain, cringing away from the solid hit that the dragonkin no doubt thought was a "playful" one. She glared murderously at the bigger female behind Aerin's back and then quickly assumed a more neutral look before Aerin could turn to look her way. The she-elf stepped away from Aerin, and hopefully out of reach of any more "playful" physical gestures of appreciation, before replying.

"Not exactly," Angel answered, still rubbing her arm. "But I know someone who does, and it just so happens he owes me a favor," she added with a knowing smile.

 One of said employees was waiting with implacable elven patience for Lady Hlartrym to answer his question but as she finally stirs herself to speak with Angel and the others it becomes obvious that she completely missed it - resulting in a slow, emphatic sigh and a repetition of the key point "Can we hope that you have some notion on how we shall effect our departure once we have the information we need, given the nature of the search and seizures the local guards perform on behalf of their masters? Were they less... Diligent... in their work, I would have left this regrettable settlement myself some time since."

'Of course.' Maelarra replied petulantly, producing an offical-looking gilt-edged scroll her from her purse, bearing seals and ribbons. She waved it triumphantly. 'Diplomatic immunity! I'm an envoy of Procampur, on official business for Duke Haldyn Stormkin, and you are my entourage. The guards shall not bother us while we have this.'

Then a pickpocket ran past and pinched it.

'Bother.'

Aerin rolled her eyes "Really?" she asked in an annoyed voice, then sighed heavily. Pulling a wand from her belt she tapped it against Angel's - unpunched - shoulder lightly muttering "Levi-O-sa!"

The nimble elf next to her suddenly felt rather light, lighter than a feather it seemed. "Go! - Go get him, fly like an angel, Angel!" Aerin said, making a shoo-ing gesture, indicating the girl should go after the pickpocket. It appeared the dragonkin was of the opinion it took a thief to catch a thief and what better way to prove herself to those of the group who were still skeptical.

ooc: Cast 'Fly' from wand on Angel.

 "An excellent example of advanced planning, it will be good to finally leave this..." Tseran begins to state, only for some ragamuffin to leap between them both and snag the paperwork, prompting the Elf to stare for all of half a second before swearing viciously in Elvish and snapping "I can't just burn him down, does anyone here run well?"