Saliq had called the others together in a quiet private room at the tavern. Well as quiet as one could get in this city in a seaside tavern, with the smell of ale crawling in beneath the door. Still at least it was moderately private.

"It looks like the gods have smiled on us my friends," Saliq told the others, before smiling and adding. "Not without a lot of help from Eagle of course and those brave adventurers he found. Eagle you are the first amongst us and we are all in your debt. A toast gentleman, to our druid!"

After everyone had drunk Saliq continued, his expression turning sad. "We drink also to departed friends."

It seemed to painful to casually mention Norion so after a moment of silence he pressed on. "I have been listening to gossip in the taverns and our exploits are beginning to become known. Which might mean either the Thyrandas Family or the Talas Family will take an interest in us."

He let that statement hang in the air to hear what the others thought.

Rath sits heavily, leaned back on an old wooden chair, that wicked trident Devilsbane leaned up against the wall within easy reach. He's realizing at the smell of food that he's eaten only lightly since the raising, and drank naught but water. He's got a tankard of good, dark stuff at his right hand, and a plate of bread, and his stomach growls while waiting for the serving girl to bring whatever passes for a meal in this place.

He drinks, first to Eagle, muttering an agreement with Saliq Musfara. "A debt I won't forget," Rath says, and he closes his eyes. Savoring the beer, perhaps, or remembering.

Gnawing hunger. Twisting vines about his own cold, hard limbs. Flash of lightning, searing light and heat, a stench. It's not even a memory. But he remembers a moment when he could remember, and that's close enough to bring a shudder to his spine.

Rath takes a deep breath, lets it out. And he drinks deeply to Norion Ironaxe.



Rath's eyes narrow. "Is that good or bad?"

Inas sat quietly in the private room, glad to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There were too many people, too much noise. He preferred the quiet of the woods. Then animals there were simple creatures. True, some wanted to kill you but that was mainly as you were food. It wasn't personal, just the way life was.

Here in the city people schemed, plotted and played at politics, none of which interested the Ranger. It had concerned him that morning when in the market he had heard some housewives gossiping about some adventurers who had slayed a mighty demon, and only after a while did he realised they were talking about himself and his companions. They had most of the actual facts wrong, but the core of the story was correct. He had walked away, wondering who else was talking about him.

He took a pull on his honeyed mead and listened to the discussion. He raided his mug at the appropriate time. "To absent friends." He missed Norion, he had been a decent, honest fellow with courage in his heart. He only hoped that he was now feasting in the halls of his ancestors as he deserved.

When Saliq mentioned the families he looked quizzical. The names meant little to him, but he was concerned that they might now be interested in him...

Back to the wall (as well as possible) Ben sat hunched low over the table, staring down into a half full tankard of ale.

"Aye, to Norion, of course." he took a swallow, and glanced around the room before returning to him ruminations.

Life in general was a tough lot, Ben did his best to not get attached to those not family, and the dwarf was not an easy man to get close too. Haunted he was, or so he seemed, but he had been a stalwart companion, and more then just another meat-shield whose purpose extended only to keeping Ben alive.

He glanced at Rath and Inas with a wry grin, but kept his thoughts to himself.

His grey matter was focused elsewhere however, the future always mattered more than the past to one like Ben who had always lived on the edge of that sharp blade known as Stormhaven. Much of his mind was focused on his change of allegiance, how would serving the Raven Queen also service his own ends?

At least Avandra could do him no greater harm than she already had. The only possible change was that his luck would improve. At worst, it would stay the same. No loss there.

The rest of his mind rolled the puzzle of Lord Myron around in his head. While they had been out slaying demons and such, the man had somehow, it appeared, greatly improved his status within his family.

From near outcast, given a demesne on the outskirts of everything and everywhere, Myron had been treated with less respect then several bastard brothers, (or so word on the street told). Yet he had managed to get brought into the city itself.

He would have to learn more of how this had happened, had their been deaths in the family? or was it something else.

Glancing about to make sure they had some small measure of privacy, he attempted to bring the issue to the table.

"So, have you heard about how the lord-of-the-swamp is in the city, and now speaking for his families interests? I find this awfully suspicious myself."

Rath drinks again. "Lord of the Swamp? You mean Myron?" His question and the expression on his face make it clear Rath has not heard the rumors. "You really hate him, don't you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:53, Sat 21 Feb 2015.

Saliq glanced at Ben in some concern. He knew his friend had not been the same since he had come back from...

The illusionist shivered and suppressed the thought. In his home city of Al Alayai Herat (and how many years now since he had set foot in those streets?) Saliq had been trained to keep his mind disciplined to practice his gifts for illusion. Those simple mental tricks were of great aid now in chasing off the flickers of what he had bec- Enough it was in the past.

"My friend if Myron is in Stormhaven now with the Talas Family having gained the support of the mercenaries then I think you have a right to be suspicious."

In reply to Saliq Musfara (msg # 7):

Eagle had enjoyed his time with his bretheren in the park, and was finding the stuffy atmosphere of the inn less to his liking. Ordering just some boiling water, he crumbles some arrowroot into it, and sips at the concoction, regarding his companions coolly - he can only imagine what they have been through.

Acknowledging saliq's words to him with a nod, a shadow passes his face at mention of Norion - the old dwarf was missed. The gossip of politics concerns him not.

Sipping his tisane again he listens to what more saliq has to say.

OOC: did eagle pick up anything useful from the druids? Presumably he's now starting to get pretty powerful in the order?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:19, Sun 22 Feb 2015.