"Let's speak in private." Korkas remarks and heads towards the private room

It must be catching on, he thought.  Finally, someone else wants privacy and went to a back room.

Making his way to the back room, Althiöf took a seat where he back was facing a wall and he had eyes towards the door.  "Sure is an interesting village."

Ostler will direct any of the other party members to the private room if they come into the Inn seeking their companions.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 464):

Ali asks Ostler, Good sir once some stew is ready, can you deliver it to our private room?  I'd like some for each of us currently here now plus one in a more portable wooden bowl that I will need to take with me.= and of course refile of ale fir us.  smiles thanks (OOC not sure costs for food but Ali will pay what it costs plus a silver).

Once in the private room Go ahead Korkas let them know what we found out about the Elf.

"So word is out goblin prisoner and his friends from the cave we found the crown in had ambushed the Princess and her Guardian. They took them to the Moathouse and gave them to the human, Lareth Goldenhair the gobo called him, who is the one organizing everything. He's trying to get the temple up and running again." Korkas quietly speaks to Althiof, so even if someone was near he would have a hard time listening.

In reply to Korkas Stonedelver (msg # 466):

Leaning in a bit too Ali agrees  Yup, good intel,  I scared the dickens off of em so I think it is true

Korkas and I go back in a bit, Korkas promised him some food too," with some surprised emotion and it speaks common

Replying quietly, "Sounds like we need to pay this moathouse a visit."

"It'd probably be a good idea to find out who this Lareth has with him.  Hobgoblins, maybe?"

Kossoth finally walked into the in and brushed off dirt from his legs again before trailing it into the the establishment.  When Ostler motions to him that the others are back in the private room he thanks the man and lets him know that when they are done he would love to enjoy some of the wonderful cooking and drink again.

Opening the door he catches the end of Alhiof's commentary, "What's this about hobgoblins my friends?  Apologies for being late I was looking into Black Jay's problems and ran into Druid problems.  Definitely appears that there are people manufacturing issues to draw the ire of people towards them...still don't like how they do things but..." he sighed and found a seat after hanging up his once again wet cloak.

"Who is Black Jay?"

"What kind of druid problems?"

In reply to Althiof Morad (msg # 470):

Kossoth, a wee bit of lower the voice nix ay - we have intel.  sighs, Druid and a black jay problem?

Smiles, scootch closer, this is what me and Korkas have and you can then tell about druids and black jays.

Whispering a bit, Gob sang, bigger boys at moathouse running the show for them.  Sounds like they are behind our problems plus they are working the evil temple back up.  We need to figure out who and how many are usually at the moat house.  At least I, and I hope Kokars will go back to the Gob with food and see what we can find about the moathouse numbers.

Looks to Korkas for confirmation.

Tell us what you found about Druids and Black Jays'  hhmm never heard of such a bird.

"No offense friend Ali but everyone knows we're knee deep in issues here solving them.  All of them.  The townsfolk do.  Whoever is causing problems knows.  We know and if someone is going to spy on us it'll be through magic, not listening at the door with a glass pressed up against it." remarked Kossoth with a tired look.

"Black Jay has been having his sheep die unexplainably.  I went there to ask him about the elvish princess since he'd talked to her before they left.  Said she and her companion were going to investigate whatever this Temple thing is people keep on talking about...but that is besides the point. He even had Calmert come by and all the priest could tell him was that there was an evil aura.  By chance when I saw the sheep's mouth I could tell it was the same sort of poisoning done to humans when they accidentally eat hemlock.  Someone had put a bunch of it in their own and it was that killing the sheep." Kossoth gave the short story.

"First thing came to mind was a herbalist, closest I could think of were the Druids so I went to the Grove to ask about it.  Instead it looked like they may have been controlling the weather to unleash an eye for an eye on the one that killed his companion.  After seeing the bears death the previous night, add in hemlock and like Jaroo said...looks like someone or thing is trying to put the two religions against each other and draw the entire town into the mess.  It was too easy to see the hemlock for the Druids to do when Jay had left the Old Faith because he lost his wife and if it was Calmert formenting more trouble he would have jumped on finding the hemlock to accuse the Druids."

He shook his head in sadness, "I came here to honor a good man's passing who knew my parents only to find a town ready to fall apart my friends.  Why couldn't it have been a quiet funeral to give the man a proper rest?"

"Yes, yes, someone is pitting the religions against each other, but also causing trouble without a religious overtone as well."

"So, you saw Jaroo controlling the weather.  Don't tell the church that.  A lightning bolt came down through the roof and killed Jayden, one of the ones who killed the bear.  Calmert almost came flying out of the church to hunt Jaroo down.  I calmed him down for now, but it won't last forever.  He's got a short fuse."

The dwarf took another drink of his ale.  It was always about this time that everyone ran out, and he almost never seemed to finish his first drink.

"If this Temple thing is as dangerous as it keeps on sounding we don't need a religious war going on at the same time.  At least Jaroo seemed to be concerned that he might be being used by someone or something.  I don't think he will be trying to escalate things anymore but he seemed to be really clear...the Old Faith is an eye for an eye.  If someone goes and burns down his grove and house it would not be a hard thing to guess that the Church will take more than just a lightning bolt." agreed Kossoth.

In reply to Kossoth Zan (msg # 474):

Sighs then smiling, Trues friend Kossoth but I live in a world were you take precautions.  looks about the air above and around him then back down  Magic takes many forms and uses OK, my short take of it all is the evil forces trying to bring back the evil temple are causing these problems, clerically with bad omens or curses, magically by any means and down right infiltration (assume we now about the extra feet print at the bear hanging - if not edit this out) since you saw more then one foot print at the bear hanging.

pauses and takes a drink

Hemlock is powerful when enough is eaten, I would love to get a hold of some freshly dried, a little bit can cause some major discomforts at low dose,  he shakes his head, I diereses, Yes, anyone can know the uses of Hemlock and plant it.  Whomever is doing this must know about Black Jay's change in religion and trying to use it to add fuel to the fire.   It would not surprise me about the huge spiders being a plant too.

Finishing his drink

We need to feed the gob to learn if other humans working for them have come to the village, how many, numbers, are there usually at the moathouse and what are the next plans.   Chuckles, we could offer him silver for his intel if he hesitates as I may have used up my one shot fear attempt.

Once the stew is delivered and Ali has eaten his portion I would like to take the extra bowl I requested to the Gob and find out more.  Korkas coming? smiles He is constable Korkas your responsibility and learning all you about the threat to your town can is what Constable do  and grins.

If no more discussion is needed at the moment Ali will take the extra bowl of stew and go back to the Goblin.

"I ain't no constable. That's Althiof" Korkas mutters "We ain't even kin. So don't go getting us confused." Korkas finsihes some his stew that he had been working on while the others added their information and then downed his ale I'll be coming back with ye, but confuse me again and we may have more the words."

The day's long scribing session having concluded, Virius made his way down from his private room.  He found the others and sat down, working his tired and weary fingers through a few stretches to keep them from stiffening up.

"Speaking of brotherhood,"  He said, a wink toward Korkas.  "I think it's high time our little alliance had a name."

"Adventuring together as we have done, and hopefully will continue to do, one way or another an appellation or cognomen of some sort will be laid upon us.  Word of our deeds will undoubtably travel and for the folks that hear it referring to us as 'those seven fellows from Hommlet' will get quite old."

"It would be best if we steered that conversation into territory of our own design lest the sobriquet prove unpalatable."

Here he looked about the room, pausing to give each of the party a moment's regard.

"What are we anyway?  An company?  A coalition?  A league?  I'm partial to the term, Circle, but within my field that name has mystical connotations all its own."

"Thoughts?"

In reply to Virius Tesh (msg # 477):

Ali blinks his eyes, and sets back err sorry about that mix up, I am still getting names and faces, Althiof it is you looking at Althiof Dang man, mighty Constable you want to tag along?

Grins, Virius, a name for our group hhm could be good, though there are by my count 8 of us.  shirks unless I do not count.  Then it would be 7.

Well, I'll let the those with better learned words decide a name, I am off to feed a Gob and get more info.


Ali will head to the Home land defense building holding the Gob carrying the bowl of soup though he will stop at the bar OStler, may I have a cup of water too, please. then head off.

A name?  This was getting more formal quite rapidly.

And, apparently word had spread to the group about being a constable.  "That whole constable thing is not supposed to get around, although I see you've heard.  When they told me, it sounded more like an investigative position, rather than the sheriff or something.  As for interrogating, I'm not one for torture or anything like that.  Not sure exactly what you're proposing."

He took another drink of his ale.  "As for a name, what about something with the word 'shield' in it?  Like we're protecting, which we sort of have been.  If you don't like that one, I bet half of us might be using daggers."

Korkas shrugs at Virius as he stands up to follow Ali "Eh, I'm not to fond of the shield thing. Dagger Company does have a nice ring to it though." Korkas reaches down to grab up his drink and finish it off. "Now let's see if this gobbo has any idea what's going down at the moathouse."

Althiöf opened his pack and took out a selection of various tools and ingredients and continued on his current pet project.  He slowly worked on his dinner as well, but his main attention was his side activity.  So much was going on in town, that he rarely had a chance to get anything done, and this felt like free time.

He would not mind keeping up any conversation, if folk remained in the private room, though.

Kossoth got up and murmured he was going to be right back after grabbing some dinner from Ostler.  The man left the room and went to the bar to both ask Ostler for some dinner and wait there while having a light drink.  Upon returning he sat down and finally spoke up again, "We could always go with Parasol or perhaps Aegis Alliance my friends."  He dug into his food with enjoyment considering how long the day had been.

Ostler continues doing his thing out over at the bar. Unable to hear what is happening in the private room. Vesta comes in and talks with her Father for a few moments and then leaves towards the back. A few others start filtering into the Inn now that the weather is not as bad, and the sounds gossip start to be heard. Most are talking about the Church and the Old Faith, and word has already spread that Jaroo and his Druids are responsible for the lightning strike at the church. Most of the people in the common room have concerned tones, none of them seem to be up in arms about what happened. You can hear a few spouting off, an eye for an eye, and others just saying that violence never should have gotten that bad.

Storm enters the inn and asks for his friends and some food. Having been out running the entire day. He is famished. He greets his friends and looks for the injured friend.

OOC: who has less than maximum hp?

In reply to Stormrider Truesight (msg # 484):

Ali returns to the Inn, see some of his group at the bar and proceeds to the bar.

Ostler, may I also have something light to eat, and a lighter not so powerful mead drink if there is one available? 

Ali turns to Storm, Busy today? I have been too so later I'll catch you up on what we found out.  OOC Storm was not with us when we told about our findings on the moathouse.

Ostler nods and heads back to the kitchen, he gets together the rest of the stew and brings it over, setting it on the table in the private room. Vesta is behind him with a stack of bowls and spoons, and what smells like a few loaves of fresh bread. "Here ya go folks." he says. "Make sure to scrap the bottom of the pot, that's where all the good flavor settles." he says as he and Vesta make their way back to the bar. Vesta returns a few moments later with drinks for everyone.