In reply to Morgrim Ironhammer (msg # 154):

Dalgura chuckled at Morgrims hand throwing and grinned.  "While I won't question the dictates of my faith I also wish it had been a little warmer.  We will get to adventure in warmer climates eventually.  We are Dwarves afterall.  We can take it AND we won't look as silly as some of the humans do picking up their gangly legs in the snow.....Oh...."

Dalgura looked over at who was at the table and put her hand to her mouth.  "Oops.  I didn't mean those at this table of course.  But speaking of those at this table, why don't you just take your scarf off Ellie?  It would make eating so much easier wouldn't it?"

If Dal had jumped from one fire and landed into another with her unfiltered thoughts, she wasn't aware of it.  She was pretty much an open book and if she thought to ask a question she usually asked it or perhaps it would have been more accurate to say the questions popped out of her mouth in whatever order they assembled.  Her Priest always said she would outgrow that which usually made Dal burst out in laughter since she KNEW she had already gone through all her growth spurts.

Ellie freezes for a moment like a deer in the headlights. She chews slowly a few times and swallows what she had in her mouth before responding.

"People... tend to look at me funny when the see me without my coverings. Besides that... I came from a religious family myself. And I see that you follow your god quite closely. You might... take some exception, to my condition. My mother did too."

In reply to Ellie Dovehand (msg # 157):

"Your condition?  Is it something that I can help with?  My goodness Grim and I have had some "looks" thrown our way a time or two ourselves so I wouldn't let it bother you."

Ellie smiles, though the action cannot be seen beneath the scarf. "Thank you, but no sweetie I don't believe it is something you can help with. Still, though..."

Ellie takes a look around the tavern carefully. She judged how many were looking her way, and considered that many of the patrons were members of Hugglesward's caravan, among who she had fought and defended. Deeming it was safe, she turned back to Dalgura.

Ellie brought her hands unfurling her scarf and pulling it off before pushing the shawl off her head as well. She also pulled her leather gloves off, revealing her hands as well as her face and head.

Beneath it all, the sight is hauntingly beautiful, yet disturbing. She has no horns or any other indication of a tiefling or one with any devil lineage, and the natural, graceful beauty instead implies celestial heritage. However, there is something terribly wrong there.

Her hair is black; strangely black, too black, like a raven's wings in the darkest depths of the deepest caverns; it doesn't seem to reflect any light as hair normally would. Her skin is an ashy gray in color, as if all the blood beneath is absent, and her lips are dark crimson, though they seem to have no makeup applied. Her eyes, which could only be nominally seen before are now revealed in full; they still have the same shining icy blue with deepest blackest depths in the middle, and the eyes themselves seem to be lined in the deepest shadows, with 'wings' that trail off the far corners. The 'wings' trail downward then end in sharp points like strange shadow-tattoo tears.

Her hands are the same ashy skin color, but her nails are pitch black like her hair, and though she seems to keep them filed down short, they seem to come to natural, yet unnatural, points.

Laid bare, Ellie does her best to give off a disarming smile, though the look may still be unsettling.

In reply to Ellie Dovehand (msg # 159):

Dalgura looked at Ellie and then thought about what had transpired recently.  Ellie had been an asset in the fight and her brother hadn't given Dal any indication that she should be careful around her.  She once again closed her eyes and concentrated for a little bit, giving a brief internal prayer up to her Goddess to say that Dal was going to trust Ellie for now.  A minute later Dal opened her eyes and looked at Ellie again with a smile and pushed a sandwich toward her.

"You are right.  I can understand people staring at you.  They stare at beautiful women all the time.  Your hair is fantastic! Of course they could be staring at you because you're too skinny.  Hardly any meat on you.  Have a sandwich."

Dalgura might be considered plump or curvaceous by other races but a dwarf she was on the borderline of being skinny.  Once again the Priest said she would outgrow that as she aged and grew up.  That was another speech that caused Dalgura to chuckle at and be put on kitchen duty for a week.  It probably would have been longer but the other priests were tired of casting purify food and water in order to eat her cooking.

Ellie smiles, and obediently takes a bite from her plate. She was fairly certain Dalgura was being overly kind and perhaps harbored reservations she didn't speak of, but Ellie was happy simply not to be met with open hostility. Part of her warned that perhaps the dwarf was being dishonest, and would take the first opportunity to betray her or at least abandon her. But Ellie pushed those thoughts away, attempting to shut them out.

In between bites, she reached up and took a strand of her hair, looking at it in her hand. "I hate it. It used to be white-blonde, like snow on a field of wheat. Same as my mom's..."

"Have a sandwich. Have a sandwich. That's your answer to everything, Dalgura! Have a sandwich!" Morgrim muttered around his sandwich.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:35, Wed 18 Jan 2017.

Arnan found Ellie's uncovered appearance to be striking, and for about a five-count, he simply stared at her. His expression held no hostility, but did hint at his surprise.

Dalgura and Ellie continued their conversation, and Arnan turned a hard stare on the others at the table -- and at nearby tables, for that matter -- as if daring them to make any derogatory comments.

This could mean trouble, he thought to himself. Lots of these people have never beeen outside the walls of Bryn Shander in their entire life, and as a result they are small-minded and ignorant, and unaccepting of those who are different from them. Howsomever, I already know that Morgrim can sell snow in Ten Towns in the dead of winter, and mayhaps Dalgura and some of the others have the same skills.

Worst comes to worst, I'll wager that Thane and I can bust a few heads, maybe knock some sense into them . . .

Dalgura rolled her eyes at Morgrim's statement.  "You're starting to sound like a broken wheel Morgrim.  That is not ALL I say."  Dal paused for a bit and then finished her sentence.  "Sometimes I tell you to have a drink instead!"  Dal giggled and winked at Ellie.

"Snow on a field of wheat.  Nice turn of a phrase.  No offense to your mother but I think that the dark hair looks better.  Gives you more character and talk about goes with that shade of blue eyes!"

Dal took another bite of her sandwich and urged everybody to eat and drink.  After she was satisfied that they were, she gave each of them an expectant look.  "Well.  What's the verdict.  What do the rest of you want to do?  We worked pretty good together and that was without planning or anything.  Want to stick together and go for one of the jobs?  Just wondering so I know how much time I will have to go visit one of the shrines.  Speaking of which.  I heard there is a new shrine to Armaunator around.  Anybody have any idea about that?  I know it is an ancient sun God but that is about all."

Regarding Dalgura's Response to His Dwarf-Speak Thane cocked his head to the side and shook it as if not hearing Dalgura properly.  "I said what?" he asked incredulously.  His brows furrowed so narrowly they looked like a unibrow and Thane appeared both consternated and embarrassed.  "Why...Rurik and Oskar must have been playing me for a fool!  Them's the ones that taught me, by mainsail!"  Thane put a palm to forehead and looked down at the table, muttering under his breath.  After a deep draught from his freshly-filled cider mug, he bravely looked Dalgura in the eyes.  "I'll have a few things to say to them after the winter is over!  In the meantime, maybe you and your brother, here, can help me learn the right ways of saying what I meant to tell you?"


Regarding Ellie's Unveiling Very shortly after his response to Dalgura, the one calling herself Ellie unwrapped her head coverings and took off her gloves.  Poor Thane dropped his latest sandwich onto his platter and stared for a moment too long before coughing into a closed fist and averting his eyes.  Knowing full well he was likely caught staring, he again summoned the courage to look up and into Ellie's eyes directly once some of the others had commented on her appearance.  "Well, you certainly look different from most ladyfolk I've ever seen.  Not in a bad way, though," he added quickly.  "Exotic and pretty at the same time, makes me wonder what country or Kingdom you are from?" he asked innocently, a sure indicator that he has likely never seen an Outsider before.

Regarding Hengar the Barbarian and the Question of What to do Next "So the man chained to the post in the market was innocent?" he asked in a rhetorical tone.  "Being froze to death is a cruel way to die, but not the cruelest I have seen.  Luskan can be downright cruel in their punishments, too.  Especially when a Ship's Captain gets to say what the punishment's gonna be," he informed his fellows.  His tone indicated he didn't like it very much but had accepted it as the way things were.  "Lucky day for him that you all intervened.  Certainly a good deed you should be proud of.  Maybe the justice here isn't much better than it was back in Luskan," he added, dropping his voice low enough so that his words wouldn't carry very far.

As for what course to take next, Thane seemed ambivalent.  "I'm not sure I have a preference.  Honestly, I'm used to being told what to do next by my ship boss, being a soldier and all.  I've heard many tales about the barbarian tribes, some good and some frightening, so there is a bit of curiosity about them.  But then again I've always been curious about Kelvin's Cairn, too.  I guess I'm okay with either path, really.  I'll be here all winter at any rate!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:25, Thu 19 Jan 2017.

Ellie noticed Arnan's rather protective demeanor since her unveiling, and that brought a genuine smile back to the strange girl's face. Then Dalgura and Morgrim started going off on one another again and Ellie just shook her head and laughed.

When Thane asked about her origin though, Ellie perked up a bit. "Oh, I'm from the Snowflake Mountains. Carradoon? Not sure if you've ever heard of it, it's far to the south, and mostly landlocked. But it's not about where I'm from, but who I'm from; I'm an Aasimar, same as my mother; humans born with the blood of celestials. My mother told me that our bloodline started long ago, with my five-times great grandmother. She was an adventurer you see, and left home when she was young. She came back decades later, because she was with child. She swore to her family that the father was an angel, a real angel, and had died protecting her from a great fiend. None of them believed her and thought she was just making excuses for traveling around and being a harlot... well, then her son had wings. It's all history after that, really" she said, smiling fondling while telling the tall tale of her family's history.

Her smile faded a moment later however, before she finished. "My mother thinks that I'll be the last of our line, though."

She trailed off after that, and hearing something about Helda made her perk back up again; "I still wonder if we can't do both. I bet I could convince Helda to leave first thing in the morn."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:32, Thu 19 Jan 2017.

Helda mingles throughout the room during the evening, though she primarily spends her time trading good-natures jabs with the proprietor. At some point during the evening, she relates that she intends to leave no later than five days' time.

While Dalgura and Morgrim are engaged in the sort of banter common only in siblings or couples who have spent many years in each others' company, and the others try to get a word in edgewise, Arnan turns his attention to the other patrons.

Master Hugglesward's company comprise the vast majority of revellers, though he spots more than a few obvious locals in the tavern as well. Most of those present Arnan would characterize as hard-working folk: laborers, shopkeeps, and the like. Added to these numbers are a few trappers and hunters, in from the cold like all the rest.

Then Arnan notices a group of locals nearby casting suspicious glances at the adventurers' table every now and again, their glances always seeming to linger anytime Thane speaks. Arnan overhears one of them say to his companion, "Another damn Luskan thug. We more of them like we need another hole in our head!" This was meant to be shared only with those at his table, but it was loud enough for Arnan to hear it over the din of numerous loud voices competing for audio space.

A second man at the nearby table responds, "Keep your voice down, lest we end up on the wrong side of Slim's new recruits. Caravan guards my eye!"

A third puts in, "Yeah. I heard those folks hired on in Luskan, so you're probably right. Aint good enough to screw their own city up, they now exporting that up here!"

The first says, "The Speaker's gotta do something about this! Those bastards are bleeding me dry..."

Elsewhere in the tavern, a roar of cheers erupts as an inebriated man stumbles up onto a small stage with a fiddle in hand. The man wears brightly colored clothing that is at odds with the neutral colors common to the tavern. In short order, the man is fiddling intensely, singing raucous crowd-pleasing songs. The tone in the tavern becomes even more festive as he tears into a bawdy ballad.

Morgrim ignores the rumour mongering patrons for the time being and pushes back his chair. From his pack he produces a battered penny whistle and joins the fiddler on the floor. For a few moments he merely listens, tapping his foot to the rhythm and learning the melody. Then he places his instrument to his lips and begins to play, boots tapping along in time.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:07, Thu 19 Jan 2017.

Arnan smiled thinly as he overheard the comments from the nearby tables, but there was no humor in his expression. He used the noise generated by the fiddler, who was soon joined my Morgrim -- and the tavern-goers who noisily voiced their approval of the music -- to drown out his own comments, except for those at his table.

"Looks like the locals have you pegged as just another tough up from Luskan, Thane. Well, actually, they think that we all are new recruits of some sod named 'Slim' -- apparently Slim and his bully-boys have been strong-arming the locals for 'protection money'."

"No wonder the powers-that-be were so quick to make an example of Hengar. They can't -- or won't -- deal with the real problem, and were eager to use a throw-away barbarian to try and convince the locals that they really are stand-up law-and-order men, after all."

Arnan turned to Ellie. "A moment ago I heard you suggest that we travel with Mistress Silverstream to Kelvin's Cairn, and then travel onward to the Tribe of the Elk's winter camp, which apparently lies only some 20 miles to the north. That's a very reasonable suggestion if you don't know the lay of the land hereabouts."

"I do, and I'm afraid that I have to speak up strongly against doing that. You see, there is a big mountain that lies between Kelvin's Cairn and the area where the barbarians' camp is located. That trek would be difficult even in mid-summer, and will be impossible -- or very nearly so -- this time of year. The mountains hereabouts are littered with the bones of those who took the dangers posed by the mountains themselves and the weather too lightly. I do not plan to join them -- at least, not yet."

"I can think of several feasible ways to reach the barbarians' camp, but I won't go into those sorts of details unless someone is especially interested in them -- it probably wouldn't mean much to anyone any way, if they don't know the areas that I am talking about. And it doesn't really matter, because Hengar stands ready to guide us to his camp. He will be in town until early tomorrow morning, and I know how to contact him -- or where to meet him, if we want to just show up, trail-ready, early in the morning."

"So, then . . . I think that we have to chose between going to Kelvin's Cairn and aiding Hengar and his people. And as much as I would like to visit the Hold that is home to the famed Battlehammer Clan in the company of Mistress Silverstream . . ." here Arnan nodded politely to Helda Silverstream, then continued " . . . I judge the threat posed by this Ice Witch who threatens Hengar's people to be much more important."

"I judge her to be a potential threat to the entire North, if she is able to overcome those opposed to her, one tribe or settlement at a time. Surely all of you have heard the locals' comments about the dirty, thieving barbarians. We are the only ones in this town who would even consider going to the aid of the Tribe of the Elk."

Arnan glanced around the tavern. "Is Kira here? She glimpsed a person whom I believe to have been the Ice Witch urging the Yetis forward to attack the caravan. I would prefer that she tell what she saw, if she is here."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:33, Thu 19 Jan 2017.

Ellie blushes a bit when Arnan suggested that she didn't know what she was talking about, dipping her head down towards her plate for a while as he continued on. It was a fair enough of an accusation, she supposed, since she obviously didn't know where the Elk Tribe was. There was only a single mountain in all the Dales; of course it would be opposite of that.

Once Arnan was finished, Ellie shrugged. "It sounds like the barbarian's tribe is far and that will likely be a long trip. His plight does indeed seem to be the most urgent, but with so many problems so much closer I wonder if we shouldn't look into them first. The 'Slim' for example; perhaps we should look into that problem. It would certainly ingratiate us with the locals better."

Thane was thoroughly engrossed in the conversation at his own table and was ignorant of the goings-on elsewhere in the Tavern.  "Well, Ellie, I, ah, don't think I've ever met anyone with Celestial blood in them.  That makes you a first!  I haven't ever been very far from home, either, unless you count being on board a ship once for training for about three weeks.  Have no clue where we really went, all I know is that was a miserable three weeks," he conversed. "Your family and lineage sounds really interesting, though," he added in friendly tones.

Then Arnan got his attention and whispered things about a Slim and some locals not being happy about Luskan's being in the town.  Thane frowned.  "What the hell did I ever do to these folks?" he retorted with innocent indignation.  At least he had the wisdom to not look accusingly at the table of locals in question.  "And Slim..I'm not sure I even know a Luskan who goes by that name."

Thane sat there and stared at his plate, trying to remember anything connected to a Luskan thug named Slim.

18:34, Today: Thane Harkensen rolled 18 using 1d20-1.  Intelligence Check:  Who the devil is Slim?
This message was last edited by the player at 00:21, Fri 20 Jan 2017.

Thane vaguely recalling heard stories about a fellow member of Ship Rethnor who goes by the name of "Slim", but the two do not run in the same circles and Thane does not know him personally. But soldiers occasionally talk and Thane has heard other soldiers gripe about being swindled by a Slim back in Luskan. Coincidence? How many Ship Rethnor Slim's (if that's even his real name) could there possibly be?

Arnan grunted in amusement at Thane's complaint that he had done nothing wrong to deserve the ire of the locals. "Well, you are an outsider, and your accent marks you as being from Luskan. Guilty! To the post with you!"

The scout turned to Ellie and regarded her thoughtfully before he replied to her comments. "Aye, I daresay that the trip to the winter camp of the Tribe of the Elk will not be a summer's walk in the park, especially if the Ice Witch has eyes and ears out, and she becomes aware of our effort to aid Hengar's people."

"And I daresay that the locals here in this town -- and especially Sheriff Markhamm --  would be appreciative of our doing the sheriff's job for him. But if we dither about here, dealing with local toughs, we run the risk of the Tribe of the Elk losing its battle before we can reach them. And if that happens, they will then no longer be available as allies, and the Ice Witch will be free to disappear into the wilds  -- whereas now, we know her general whereabouts, and can strike at her whilst she is engaged with the Elks."

Arnan stared down at the table and shook his head. "The Elks are a proud people. They must be in dire straits, indeed, for Hengar to lower himself to come to this place to beg for aid from those who treat his people like dirt. Were I in his boots, I would rather eat hot coals than undertake what he did on behalf of his tribe."

The scout raised his eyes to glance at those around the table. "Aiding the Elks is plainly the most difficult of the tasks that have been presented to us, and it probably will reward us least in terms of coin for our services. But I believe that it is the task that, if ignored, presents the most danger to the most people. Hence, it seems clear to me that 'tis the task that we should undertake."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:37, Fri 20 Jan 2017.

After dealing with the sheriff, Kira had gone silent and mostly lurked in the shadows while Morgrim played the old woman so well.  She wanted to slit the woman's throat for going along with some scheme to frame an innocent man, knowing the irony of her desires.  There were many times in life Kira wasn't innocent but she'd done what she had to survive and when she'd gotten enough to stand on her own, she'd decided to use her less than lawful skills for good.

Hengar was free and she'd given him five of her gold pieces, asking him to stay the night and make sure he was warm and had plenty of food.  She'd also told him she wasn't much, but even if the others decided not to help that she would.  There was something that drew her to the man of Elk, something mystical though she didn't know what it could be as she fingered the ivory pendant about her neck.

In the tavern she'd gotten a mug of ale and bowl full of hot stew with bread, then sat near the others but sort of out of sight of them and everyone.  She wasn't sulking per se but she wasn't happy with what she'd witnessed and then was overhearing.  Calling Thane a Luskan thug made her want to laugh and punch the fools for their stupidity.  She knew some real thugs and still had a few scars as a result.

Arnan brougth her out of her reverie, asking if she were about and they would hear the front legs of her chair thunk down on the floor as she leaned back into the more lighted section.  "I'm here and don't have much to report on the woman.  I could just tell it was a woman in white robes with antlers on her head before she disappeared into the snow toward the south.  Could have been a druid, an ice witch, or Auril herself," she stated baldly.

Ellie's appearance didn't seem to bother her, but then the rogue had seen a lot in her young life.  "As for what to do next, I've decided to go to the Elk Tribe to help.  Whether the foo---folks here think it a good thing or not, I agree with Dalgura that it would benefit the tribe as well as the town and Lady Silverstream's endeavors."  Then they might also be able to help the town rid themselves of the true trouble makers, if they decided to go ahead and truly step on the sheriff's toes.

Dal nudged Morgrim with her food.  "Eat and drink quickly brother.  I still have the priestess to see.  As for which way I vote, I vote for helping The Tribe of Elk first and if we make it back then look up Helda and see how she fares.  Who knows.  Perhaps by that time she might actually have a sample of black ice.  That would be something to see.  I would be ready to set out first thing in the morning.  It would be foolish to start out before then.  The Barbarian should, if he thinks so or not, rest tonight also.  It might not be a bad idea for some "friends" of his to stay in that room too.  Just in case some of the villagers decide to come and visit."

Morgrim wrapped up his playing after a couple of songs and joined Dalura as she was preparing to finish her dinner. "Ready when you are, Gura," he replied.

Ellie finished her food as well, and then carefully began to wrap her face back up. "If you don't mind too much, could I come along with you? Father Bonaduce always said that the key to an enlightened mind was understanding the faith of others" she asked Dalgura.

OOC: Thane is keeping his voice low throughout since he is talking about sensitive things.

"Maybe so, maybe so," Thane grudgingly agreed with Arnan's assessment of why he as a Luskan would be viewed poorly by the Shanderites.  "I'm of a mind to go talk to them about it, change their minds about me, but maybe that's not a good idea."

After pondering the question of Slim a little more, Thane hmmphed to himself and looked up from his contemplations.  "Maybe I do know who them locals are talking about," he said cautiously.  "Not personnally, but I recall some upset talk from some of my ship-mates about one of our own called Slim.  Not kind words, either, apparently he's a swindler back home, too.  There can't be too many thugs from Luskan going by that name."

Thane shook his head and seemed frustrated.  "This is gonna make it harder on me to winter here, 'specially if Slim figures out where I'm and who I am.  He'd likely take me for an ally, but there I'd have to disappoint him."  Thane sighed and looked over at his newfound companions.  "Makes me think getting clear of this place - soon - is in my best interests.  Locals don't seem to like me none, and I got townies of my own stinkin' the place up to boot.  Why can't these Shanderites deal with an outsider thug on their own?  Seems to me just about everybody knows what a lout this Slim fellow is that he couldn't be hard to find or confront."

Thane pressed his lips together in a show of dismay and then swallowed a generous gulp of cider.  "Heading off with this barbarian fellow to see about helping his tribe seems a mighty fine thing to do about now.  Maybe I should go meet him when we're done here.  If he had been exposed too long to the cold, he might be hurt in ways that he doesn't even know about yet.  Lucky for him, my pa paid for me to be taught the ways of medicine, and that's been my soldier's role ever since.  Sergeant Harkensen, Combat Medic.  Heh."  Thane took another draught of cider and then pushed his plate and cup aside, clearly having had enough to eat and drink.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Sat 21 Jan 2017.

"Very good," Arnan said with a nod. "It sounds like we are all of a mind to go and offer our aid to the Tribe of the Elks. I'm certain that Hengar will be very happy to hear the news, especially since he would have been going home with nothing to show for his efforts, otherwise."

Turning to Thane, he remarked "It sounds like this Slim is a real troublemaker, seeing as how he had that kind of a reputation in Luskan, too. It doesn't sound as if the locals have the stones to deal with him and his bully-boys. I suspect that we may well have an opportunity to confront him and to clean things up here in Bryn Shander, if and when we decide that we want to do something about the situation."

Glancing around at all of the companions whom he had gotten to know whilst traveling with the caravan, Arnan smiled. "As was the case with Kira, I most likely would have aided Hengar regardless of everyone else's decision. But I believe that all of you deciding to aid the Elks shows that you have hearts of warriors, whether or not you realize it, and I also believe that the fact that we are all working together on this task will increase our odds of success. I look forward to further adventuring with you all."

After a short pause, Arnan added, "I am going to speak to Hengar, and tell him the good news. Thane, I believe that you mentioned looking him over to make certain that he suffered no ill effects from his exposure to the elements. I would welcome your company, as well as that of any others who would like to come along."

OOC: As is the case with  Thane, Arnan has been keeping his voice low throughout this conversation.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:11, Sat 21 Jan 2017.

Kira asked for a skin full of hot stew and a chunk of bread to take with her, intent to make sure Hengar had some hot food in his stomach.  She fished out coin to pay for it along with a little extra to make sure they didn't scrimp on the portions.  Even if he had eaten, he would likely be hungry again later and this way she knew he had some sustenance for the trip back at the very least.

"I gave him a few coins and asked him to stay at least the night to be sure he warmed up and had enough to eat before leaving in the morning, figuring some might need a little more time than others to decide whether or not to help him," she stated.  Like the others, she'd been keeping her voice down for just their group.  "I had also planned to stick close and make sure no one tried to hurt him again," she added.