"To long journeys and new friends." The wizard says, raising his mug.

Zert nods and raises his cup.

"Should the need arise do not hesitate to ask for my help. It would be my honor to fight at your side." Korkas remarks as he rises from the table and makes his leave. Turning to see where is new companions were at. The ranger sat alone alone, the wizard found another to speak to, and the other dwarf had wandered off again. Korkas shrugged walked over and took a seat next to the junior ranger "Don't know you, how long you been with the company?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Sun 19 May 2019.

"What sort of business brings this far west?  Was it the funeral?"  The young wizard inquired, curious what would have taken the man so far from home.

"Did you sail upon the Azure?"  He added as an afterthought.  Growing up as he did with his nose buried in musty tomes, the unworldly Tesh had never even seen the sea.

Zert says. "Hesuel Ilshar to Krp Terlep to Scant, up through the sea of Gearnat, past Barren Point to Hardby. From there I met up with a caravan that was traveling across the Wild Plains to Narwell. Then through the Gnarley Forest, that is when I arrived in Hommlet. The caravan I was with continued along, its leader said she was going to Ostverk, and that she would be back in a few days. That was over a week ago." he says.

"Ah, I see.  And you wait for her now?"  Tesh replied.  "I too came via ship, but along the Nyr Dyv, then south through Dyvers."

"How was your experience in the Gnarley?  It's something of an interest of mine."

Zert says. "Our caravan ran into a few ogres that ended up destroying three of the wagons. We managed to fight them off, until they retreated, but they took two of the horses. I believe that may have been their goal to begin with. Ogres enjoy horseflesh from what I hear." he says. "I don't like the forest, give me plains and a road where I can see an ambush." he says as he shakes his head.

"Mm, yes."  Virius nods.  "Though they are mostly loutish savages, the ogres of the Gnarley inherently seem to know to leave survivors.  If they became too murderous, I suppose, then the good folk that live around here would cry for retribution ... and blood would needs be answered in blood."

"" 'Tis a fine balance, to be bothersome ... yet not quite bothersome enough to root out.  I wonder if there is some unseen hand — a shaman or chieftain perhaps — that guides them to such restraint, or perhaps these brutes are possessed of cunning not yet given credit for."

His analysis was dry.  Academic.  It was obvious that his opinion was formed from tables and figures and journal entries of horrible fights ... and not form first hand experience.

Zert seems frustrated for some reason, not to the conversation at hand, but to something else. "I just worry that the caravan should have returned by now. I just hope nothing has befallen them along the road south." he says.

"Have you told the Gnarleymen?"  Tesh inquired.  "They patrol these woods and trade roads, they might have good words for you ... or perhaps be willing to set out to the south and rule out calamity?"

"Just tonight, I have met some adventurers and tomorrow we ride north toward the Deklo grove with the sun."

"Perhaps if that goes well we have occasion to range south and see if there is any news of your friend to be found?"

"I hadn't thought about asking the Ranger's Maybe the Caravan just got postponed in town. The leader of the caravan did mention having business to attend to there." he says. "If they are not here by tomorrow, I will go south myself." he says.

The doors of the tavern swings wide and reveals the same figure that was recently travelling down the streets.  She quickly caresses the room with her eyes while muttering something about "Good omens". Cautiously taking note of whats around her.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:32, Mon 20 May 2019.

When the door to the Inn opens. Everyone looks to the entrance. Ostler Gundigoot his wife and daughter both look to the door and stare for a moment. Not having seen someone like this before, the headdress, the clothing. The Olman people normally did not travel this far north, not from the depths of the Jungles. So seeing an Olman was quite shocking for some. Father Calmert lets out an audible gasp, as he turns and looks at the newcomer. Kobort & Turuko are the two that don't seem to care. They glance up, but then return to their conversation. Spugnoir seems very interested, like he just spotted a shiny gemstone. Furnok looks up from his solo game of Knights ladder, and ends up dropping the deck of cards in his hand.

Vesta smiles and stands up, she moves over to the newcomer and says. "Do you need a drink?" she asks. She spaces her words out, but tries to be polite about it, clearly not many of the people have seen or for that matter spoken to an Olman.

Althiöf stepped into the Inn and stopped, because it was slightly crowded at the entrance.  "Hello, Vesta.  I have something for you."

The dwarf untethered something on his belt and offered an empty flagon to Vesta.  "Sorry about that, I keep walking off with one."

Noting the third person at the entrance, he offered, "Good evening."

The ebony skinned woman starts at the notion, obviously unaware that she was blocking the doorway and lost in thought. "Yes I need drink, many drink for me and whoever here is of the gambling." Yaotl says with a softly slurred accent with drawn out vowels. "That man may do", she says while pointing at Furnok.  She then turns to the man who just greeted her.  "Forgive me, there is much to see here and I got lost in the readings. I am Yaotl and you are?"

"Althiöf."

"A gambler, huh?"  Then he got real quiet and whispered to her under his beard, "Be careful, I'm pretty sure he cheats."

The dwarf then moved the take Korkas was at and took a seat (U25).  "Evening."

Yaotl nods curtly "That is something that I hope" and proceeds to go sit down with Furnok not saying anything until the drinks arrive but quietly judging him in the meantime.

Furnok looks across the table at the newcomer, and gathers up the cards getting them back in shuffling order. Vesta brings over a few drinks and sets them on the table. "Free of charge." she says. Furnok smiles. "Would you like to play cards?" he asks.

She curtly nods towards Vesta with a faint smile at the edge of her lips and curiously sniffs at her drink before hefting the liquid into her mouth. After a long drought she sighs with great relief and answers the man. "Lets make a trade, I'll give you sport for these cards and you tell me whats been happening around here.  Preferably whats been happening around this.... hearth recently."
After her fairly clearly rehearsed terse speech she attempts to be friendly with the man and smiles, though the smile looks as if a rock truly tasted a lemon and found the experience wanting.

Furnok finds the women curious, so he plays along for now. He shuffles the cards and starts dealing them out. "Three-Dragon Ante is the name of the game, as for what's been happening around here, Ranger Lord passed away, burial for him is next week on the eleventh. The Church of St. Cuthbert is keeping his body preserved until the funeral. Its suppose to happen here in Hommlet, well the Cemetery on the outskirts of town, over near the Tower. Rufus and Burne are suppose to be there too. They were friends with the Ranger. Oh, his name was Elkiar Rusman, pretty well known Ranger Lord in the area, he was the leader of the Rangers of the Gnarley Forest." Furnok points to the two Ranger's sitting over at the far table (P25, Q25.) and then to another Ranger sitting at (T25.) "So, the village is gonna get busy over the next few days. Couple other folks are here for the funeral also, some of these people though are just here drinking free booze." He motions over to the man sitting with one of the Rangers. (U24.) "As for me, I'm just taking in the sights, making a few coins gambling, and have a few drinks, I lost to a Dwarf earlier." He looks around and points at Krokas (T24.) "It still has me a little broken up inside. I should have won!." he says. "But the Dwarf got his, ended up getting in a fist fight with that Half-Orc over there." (P21.) "And ate the ground when he got knocked out, it was pretty funny." He says with a laugh. "Ostler and his family, the ones that own and run this place have been great, offering free ale and other drinks to anyone here tonight, You can't beat that." he adds.

Yaotl mutters to lost herself "Hmm no that can't be it...", she then looks up at him sharply. "No divine callings or lost artifacts uncovered?"  She says earnestly without a hint of sarcasm in her eye. After a deep breath to recenter herself she picks up her cards and does her best to follow the game as they converse.

Furnok shakes his head. "Not that I know about, but I'm also not the one that knows much around here. Rufus and Burne pretty much run this village, they live over in the Tower, you can't miss it. They are retired adventurers from what I gathered so far. Suppose to be building a keep of some sort, I know they've had people out digging, maybe they unearthed something." he says. "Why, whatcha looking for?" he asks. The Halfling was quick with his words and talked a mile a minute.

"I seek the tree that bends but does not break. The bowl that drops but does not shatter. I seek the inevitable and yet the unlikely. He who throws fate to the wind has sent me but yet I do not hear his voice in this place."
She says this with intense earnestness at a normal conversational tone.
"Perhaps you are right they might show the way. These cards are interesting, where did you pick up this game?"

Virius took notice of the exotic woman as she entered.  He knew very little of her people, other than they hailed from the Amedio jungle far to the south, and that they were a tribal folk.  He had never even seen an Olman until this very moment.

He spent a few more moments in idle chitchat with Zert before taking his leave of the Suel traveler and rejoining the adventurers he had met earlier.

"Gentlemen."  He said, pulling up a chair.