"Well met, Boneclaw."

Kiara said when Santio had spoken his part.

"Ah, a Deathpriest. Good. I am Kiara, named Golden Tongued by my Mistress."

She added, and her good mood seemed only improved by the sight of the totem of the God of Judgement.

"I will seek out Governor Smith then, and tell him we are ready to be on our way."

She rose to go find the man, and tell him the news.

”You must be Sovok then?”

"I am Sovok.  Small, pale one." He replies to her.  "What do you know of these Cultists?". He asks her, seeming uncertain of the word.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:16, Sat 18 Feb 2023.

Santio smiled up at the big man, as Kiara rose to go find Smith.
"Nothing, yet.  But hopefully Smith will give us as much information as he can before we leave".

"So, um, I have no doubts that you can handle yourself in a fight," he said to Sovok, "are you a priest also?"

Smith greets Kiara with a smile, "Ah! Miss Goldentongue! Eager to head out and see more of what the Rimewood has to offer?"

"Indeed."

She answered with a warm and genuine smile.

"We'd like to bolster relations with the White Wargs, and clear out the ruins to the West of the Burning Stag."

Smith replies, "Ah very good! Gruznak seemed very concerned about the chanting heard from the ruins. He has the details, and he'll be providing the reward. How you get to Burning Stag is up to you. Its a four day walk from Fierce Hearts, or five days from here. Perhaps you can get a crystal or two from Hexia. They're pricey, but one would save you a lot of time. Maybe you can sweet talk her into a discount, or letting you have one in exchange for a task. Ruins are a major interest of hers, and she doesn't have time to study them, anymore."

OOC: Note that either way, you will have the option of bypassing random encounters in all but the last hex before Burning Stag, and the Hex Burning Stag is in. You will still get half xp for bypassed encounters, but no loot. Also, Smith's estimates ignore the speed bonus Santio provides due to his knowledge of forests.

I'm all for Santio leading the way, and accepting any encounters that we come across as we travel.
But, if Kiara (Santio considers her the team leader) chooses another option, he'll happily accept that:   I am pretty flexible and casual.

Kiara smiled.

"I am already in Hexia's debt, I do not wish to deepen that burden. Santio has proven himself a fine guide, my vote is that we walk."

She looked to the others, to see if any disagreed.

He laughs at Sanitos' question.  "No small man!  I am a warrior following the path of the Bear!"

Looking down at Kiera, he replies.
"It is a good time to walk small one!  Are you ready to go!?". He says, his deep voice loud, filling the building.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:38, Sun 19 Feb 2023.

"I travel light, Sovok."

She'd answered the hulking barbarian, grinning fiercely at him as she'd shouldered her pack.

"Let's go."

Leaving for: Cultists? Spirits? Cultist Spirits?
This message was last edited by the player at 07:29, Sun 19 Feb 2023.

Santio nodded, at the big man's answer.

Then, Kiara was leading the way out the door, and he hurried to catch up.
Outside the door, his pack awaited;  he scooped it up as they left Smith's Gambit --> Cultists? Spirits? Cultist Spirits?

Izayah walked back in to the town hall, looking...alright, maybe a little worse for wear. He looked content though. He'd done some good and made a...well. Killing was an accurate term really.

Out of habit he stepped up to the job board almost right away and glanced it over. Then he turned and looked around with a smile on his face.

Smith looked up from his desk and noticed the familiar sight of Izayah. "Izayah! Yer back sooner than I expected! Oh! You musta' used Carmen's crystal. Lookin' at yer face, I take it things went well? Discover anything interestin' among the Sahuagin?" he asked as he picked up a quill from an inkwell to take notes. Its strange, but surrounded as he always is by employees, he still always seems to take his own notes.

Izayah looked over at Smith and smiled widely as he walked over. "Howdy, sir." He gave a small nod, "Yessir, Carmen used her crystal."

He then made himself more comfortable and began to regale Smith with the not-very-embellished tale of the thrilling underwater heroics that had taken place, though he was no storyteller so it wasn't an exciting-to-hear tale necessarily. He didn't leave much out either.

"A captive sea-troll and a revenant? Ha! Those Sahuagin know how to choose a prisoner! And you say the fortress was connected to more underground Dwarven ruins? Amazing! I'd say that discovery is worth an extra 100 gold for each of you and, obviously, more if you go back to explore more thoroughly. I'll be putting that up on the job board, of course."

He hands Izayah several pre-counted sacks of gold, to distribute amongst his party.

Verbannt arrived twenty minutes later, having needed to tend to his animals.

"You fight well."

He huffed at Izayah, offering to buy the man a drink.

"Yeah. We were concerned 'bout goin' further with the explorin' with the rescued prisoners just...left waitin' an' the potential for more Sahuagin showin' up, y'know? But yeah...reminded me o'the ruins in the middle o'the Rimewood where things weren't all cold."

Izayah gave a gracious half-nod to Smith. "Ah. Well. Okay, thanks then."

He handed off some of the coin share to Verbannt. "Hey. Here y'go." At the offer of a drink, he didn't really hesitate but shrugged and nodded. "I could drink."

At some point, next to the job board, a new message is pinned up:

Attunement slots got you down?
Magic item not all you hoped it would be?
Need something different in your pack?

Look no further (possibly)! See Izayah Hamadrell if you are interested in purchasing, or possibly trading* for, the following:

1) Bracers of Archery
2) Slippers of Spider Climbing

 *any items to be bartered to Izayah must have not require attunement
This message was lightly edited by the player at 05:05, Mon 18 Sept 2023.

"Do you wish to go back then, Izayah of Hamardrell?"

He asked the man, curious where next he would end up. He could still hardly believe that he had traveled to the depths of the ocean, seen the wonders of the open sea. It had been beautiful, and now he possessed the Lore to do so whenever he wished.

"Ambassador Peryn spoke of pirates. We would be well equipped now to find them and claim their loot spoils as our own."

Carmen makes an entrance to the town hall. "I think I've found my peace at last. For now, my adventuring days are over." she says, and she hands over the greater crystal to Erret. "For now, I think you'll benefit from this greatly. Until I return for it..."

Smith accepted the crystal and asked Carmen, "Thank you, Carmen. Much appreciated. You sellin' the Dragon's Den?"

"I'm retiring to the dragons den. My army of cohorts can easily hunt the area to provide enough food for my lifestyle." replies Carmen. She nods towards the multiple bags of tricks at her side.

Smith replies, "I see. Surely the tavern earns more than enough without needing to do that... but, to each her own. The town is still safer for the presence of the famed Carmen Diaz, tournament champion, feared bounty hunter, and master of disguise! You've earned your rest, and then some."

Izayah frowned. "Too bad, Carmen. I liked advent'rin' with ya." He gave her a nod. "Fun while it lasted." He smiled then though. "But at least y'ain't leavin' town. I can always swing by your waterin' hole t'visit ya I guess."

He looked at Verbannt. "I think we should go see Hexia 'bout prices on a few things while we wait for others t'be available for more adventures."

He nodded to Smith and then walked out.

”Retiring.

Verbannt said the word slowly, as if sounding it out for the first time.

”Matriarch of the Den of Dragons is an honored position.”

He nodded at her wisdom.

”Should you require anything that can be found in a ranging or a raid, Matriarch Carmen Diaz, you have only to ask it of me.”

Then he rose, giving any others who wished to speak time to do so, and departing with Izayah for Hexia’s.

Leaving to Hexia’s after anyone else talks.