Chapter 8: Siren Song
Bryon: Hand in hand with Ulthol, you are having a wonderful time already! There are so many shops about with sweets and clothes and jewelry and shoes and books and just about everything else you could wish to look at. You do find a few sources of magic when you try to detect it. One, is a weaponsmith who seems to have quite a collection but the prices are staggering. The other, is a woman selling random items from a dingy looking cart. She is rather dirty and worn looking and the things she's selling don't look in particularly good condition either, but you can tell there's strong magic coming from something on her cart. Should you investigate you find it is a rusty little hand bell of all things.
Tanzy: You have always felt most at home within a city, and now, finally back into the world of the living, it's all the more relieving to be in such a place. It's also nice to finally have a bit of solitude. You rarely get it these days, though Perkins accompanies you if you'll have him. Somehow, he doesn't count. He's a frog.
You look all about, very enticed by several shops though the prices give you pause. Of course, there's the five fingered discount you're so fond of, if you think you can get away with it. Meanwhile, you are able to gather some general information. It is a very good year for crops. Twice the number of babies are being born lately, and then, your blood freezes as you hear something else. In the neighboring kingdom of Yvayne, Lord Greystone is finally taking a bride. Lady Tala Vistar. Your mother. You don't know what grates you more, that she's actually marrying him or that she's gone back to her maiden name, doffing your father's surname. All the folk are quite excited as there is supposed to be many a festival for the lord's nuptials. It's only a day and a half ride to the land so many speak of going there for holiday.
Raknesh:
The bardic school impresses you. It's clearly very expensive and something tells you only the wealthiest students can afford the place but then with such an impressive education they are like to do well in the world. You can already hear music as you enter, a young woman's beautiful and clear lilt coming from down a hallway, though it's often interrupted with the bellows of a man yelling at her to do better. Halek accompanies you if you'll have him, and he looks irritable at such a lovely voice being constantly scolded. You can tell it irks him.
When you ask for news, a scrawny stick of a young man eagerly tells you he'll tell you all, for a price of one silver piece. Should you indulge him he spouts some awful rhyme about how many more babies are being born as of late that you're pretty sure borders enough on a dirty limerick that you interrupt him for the last part. After all, whatever rhymed with keenness couldn't be good for the boy's innocent ears. Fortunately, another student, a young man of about fifteen, shoves the other aside and sends him scurrying away with a boot to the rear. Sorry about him. He's a bit of a per-uh... seeing Halek he stops himself. He's not a very good bard. Now, if you want news I'll give it to you for free. This town is awful. It's expensive and dull. Thankfully there's to be a noble wedding in the next kingdom, and if you're smart you'll head over there like the rest of us! Lord Greystone is giving a holiday for his people and the celebrations are no doubt unmissable! he grins eagerly.
Meanwhile Rocky, still out and about, tells you the town looks safe enough, but that he has noticed a little girl of about five, wandering about by herself and he's a touch concerned.
Prizzard: You are able to find a diviner, though it takes a few tries. You find a blind old man, eyes wrapped in a blindfold, sitting in a small apartment on the north end of town. Should you knock he'll tell you simply to enter, gesturing to an empty chair at the table in front of him. Want your fortune do you? Whey else would you be here? It's twenty silvers and not a copper less. I can feel the ridges too, so don't think you're going to fool me. Besides, my granddaughter is upstairs, so don't try anything. He sounds surprisingly crotchety, not like you'd expect a diviner at all.