Looking thru the spell book, Delta's eyes light up at the basics of ventriloquism. She runs her fingers over the page, and her lips move, just a little, as she reads.

"I think I can learn this one, given time."

She thrills over the cooking gear, and dips the tip of her pinky into the spices, one at a time, for a sample, keeping a glass of apple cider, at hand, to cleanse the palate.

"Can anyone think of a good use for the dog-paw brand, I sure can't, but it seems a shame to waste it."

She admires the necklaces, but doesn't want one. They are pretty though. She loves the tents, which are quite roomy on the inside for her. Unless told otherwise, she will take the best of the new short swords to keep at home, as a back up.

Not wanting to be rude to their hosts, she asks Tanyl when they aren't about, "Who pays us? There is two hundred gold on top of this stuff we found, minus Thar's ten percent."

As things wind down, she heats up the venison stew for a late dinner, but holds the new spices back until she has a chance to experiment with them. There should be enough for everyone, even the Branchs should they want some. While she doesn't impose, she does rather hope for some apple tarts or some such for dessert.

Tanyl takes a quiver with twenty arrows, plus enough to replace those he fired during the fight.

He responds to Delta

"Our wages?  I assumed the barkeeper but it could be that Thar's just the broker, the go-between, and it's Branch who's to pay the agreed fee.  We should tactfully find out before we leave.

The remaining spells I already have, so I say sell them to the Mage's guild.  And as for him,"

Tanyl nods his head at the living captor,

"Well, leave that to me.  Let's not take him into Stormhaven proper immediately; give me time to make contact with those who'd pay us for our . . . discoveries."

Tanyl smiles.  "As it is, we've made a decent profit -- 42 platinum to share."

Delta nods, trusting Tanyl's judgement on these things.

"Still, might as well get the gold, too."

Glancing over at Matthias, she dropped her voice.

"As to the spell caster, I  don't think anything done to him is too much, but the priest seems a bit soft-hearted, we should probably tread carefully around him."

Mathias bristles at Delta's characterization. "This has nothing to do with the nature of my heart..."

"If the sorcerer has committed crimes, he should stand trial. We should take him to the Storm Watch, so that justice may be done," Matthias says, trying to win others to his way of thinking.

The temple had not given him very specific instructions on this matter so he falls back on that which is lawful and in accordance with good order.

Deltas blushes at being caught, she had thought the conversation just between her and Tanyl.

Janek pipes in, "let me take him to the barn.  I have ways of getting someone to talk that would make all of you blush.  There are certain nerves in the body that, when properly tweaked, can make you want to die, but there is on death to be had."

Tanyl (who also thought Mattias to be out of earshot) is not embarrassed or apologetic.

"Justice can be doled out in many ways.  We just delivered justice to two thieves; I am sure that my . . . compatriots, will see that the mage is treated justly.  They can also get information out of him quite effectively.  And I would rather have the gold."

Delta buries herself in cleaning the pots and pans, ears still burning.

After an excellent meal, and some good Cider, everyone sleeps well and contented knowing they have solved the mystery and help the Branch family evade either a financial or life changing threat!

The next morning, the party returns to Stormhaven, Tanyl makes his contacts with the Guild who gladly take the captured man off your hands, in exchange for a pouch full of gold.

Branch sends word to Thar, who is quick to pay each of you the designated fees, and even includes an equal additional share for Matthias' help at the direction of Mr. Branch.

It takes a little time to sell all the additional items (the ones you've claimed, please add to your character sheets).   Even so, the adventurers tally up over a thousand gold pieces in the end.  Money enough to get a room at a nice inn, with hot baths, and comfortable beds, and a fine tavern!

ooc:  I have updated the "characters" tab to include both treasure and experience points.  Please add 214 gp's to your individual wealth.  You are welcome to rp any actions you want to take over the next few days (spend some of your money, hang around the tavern and recount your tales to the regulars, study, whatever).  Once the dust settles, I'll be opening the next thread.

Pleased to be back in town, though she had found the adventure invigorating, Delta makes her first order of business the disposal of the Ko She.

Heading to the guild she finds out if they would rather have to  corpse as is, for dissection, or if they do not want it, who they think might. Failing that, she will take it to a taxidermist.

Being flush for the moment, she thanks her land lady for her hospitality, and looks to find a room wherever Vala might be staying, if the valiant barbarian does not mind.

She will then head to the poor side of town and spend ten gold on a twilight feast in the name of her goddess Sehanine Moonbow for some of the poor children of the Narrows.

Whenever the party meets again, she will put forward the idea of pooling their cash and purchasing a small house, if such a thing is within their reach.

If she gets a chance to speak with Mattias alone, she will apologize. "I was only trying to protect your feelings Padre, honest, it was not meant with any slander in mind." She stammers thru her apology, probably treading close to accidental insults from time to time, but her earnest intent is clear.

Tanyl largely disappears once the loot is split, although he is seen occasionally at the Hogs Head Tavern.

Janek will spend time at the tavern, especially at dinner, but he will spend his days in the bazaar, seeing what might be gotten with a five finger discount.  Any coin purse left unattended, jewelry, fine clothing, etc.  He is, however, looking to go shopping at a weapons shop.  There, he is actually willing to part with some coin for a magical dagger.  He will approach the shop-keeper and ask, "Sir, do you have any daggers that would be better than these?" and he shows what he currently has.

"Here is what I got for the Ko She," Delta tells the others, when she sees them next. She pours one hundred and seventy four gold out on to the table. With quick and nimble fingers she divides it into five neat piles of thirty four gold each, then gives each of her comrades one more.

During her free time she has been pricing homes in the lower-middle class section of town, perhaps overlooking the graveyard, where she has taken to wandering in her spare time.
She would like two stories, with a cellar or basement, and a nice kitchen if possible.
It is probably out of their price range just now, but knowledge is a good thing, her Da always said.

It is typical of the young Gnome that she is rushing things, and trying to form her new comrades into a surrogate family, despite the fact that to date on Vala had shown even a sign of wanting to be her friend. The recent events, even with their bumps and occasional disappointments, had done nothing to crush her optimistic spirit. No doubt that was in the future...

OOC You might want to set up a side thread for Delta's random roleplays, so not everyone is pestered by them.

An hour before dusk Delta was found wandering in and around the Narrows, along the edge of the Bazaar.

She had been in town long enough to be known to the local orphans and urchins, and was in the process of gathering a small crowd.

The city guard watched her closely, but unlike her previous visits to the area, she had her own money and had no interesting in 'convincing' local men of means, who might be dipping into the local establishments for excitement, into paying for meals for the children.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon she had found a decrepit local park with some faded and forgotten monument in the middle and laid out cloths for everyone to sit on.

She had also found some of the poorer food vendors to gather round, trying to stretch her goodwill as wide as possible without it actually costing anything more. If she is going to spend ten gold, it might as well feed the children and go into the pockets of those most in need.

" Enjoy, children, in the name of Sehanine Moonbow." She was not the type to demand prayer, or even thanks: that served sufficient benediction for her heart, and she hoped it would make her goddess smile.

The food lasted but an hour, and as the sun finished setting, she licked the last bit of grease from a delicious rat-on-a-stick off her fingers, and pulled out her lute.

Strumming contentedly she sang a pleasant silly tune of visit to some magical, mythical country, where the water tasted like wine, and it was against the law to be sad... as the children wandered away into the night, pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders and headed back to her tavern, sipping at the last of the fine apple cider she had saved from her time at the Branch house.

Janek finds a weapon smith who nods to him, and drops back into his shop.

"What sort of dagger do you seek, I, well have many, but they are steep in price, tell me what you seek, and if I have it, I'll name the price."

In reply to DM Bard (msg # 305):

"I am looking for something that will do the damage of a sword, but be as easily hidden as a dirk.  Something that will be able to penetrate even the toughest hide.  Of course, I have limits on how much I can spend, but if I know what I am needing, I can work towards it."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:37, Thu 13 Aug 2020.

"I have a wide bladed dagger, will do the damage of a smallish sword, and is engraved with silver etchings, and forged in enchantment, allowing better aim and damage. Tis heavy so not much use for throwing.  I am asking 2500 for it".

He retrieves the weapon and shows it to Janek, and it is quite the blade.

Over the course of a few drinks at the tavern one night, the group pieces together the adventure they have just had.

The con was set with fear and magic.  The dog was key to the fear, being big and strange and well trained (or even charmed itself).   The two grugach's had druid abilities, able to speak with the Coshee, befriend it, train it.  The valley elf was a mage, and clearly charmed Gloria Branch.  Using the dog as his go between, he used his ventriloquism spells to make the dog talk.  Then, they used the dog brand and sulfur and some straw to "set the house on fire", never meaning to burn it down, just create some and the eerie burned paw prints.  With Ms. Gloria fanning the flames of her fear as she was asked to do, Branch was pushed to make the con pay off!  And it nearly did.

During one of Delta's visits to Ravenskeep, she notices a new sign on the entry gate, "Help needed, inquire within".  There is a small gate house.

Janek admires the blade, "Tis a nice blade indeed, but I am currently short of that amount by too much to even haggle.  At least, I know where I stand and what I will need to save up.  Thank you for your time."

Intrigued, Delta wanders in. If things seem worthwhile, she will seek out any of her comrades she can find, and bring them back.

The guard looks at Delta,

"I've seen you here lately, wondering around.  I'm sure you've noticed how nice we keep things.  You've probably also noticed there are parts of Ravenskeep with locked gates. Beyond which, maybe things aren't so nicely tended.  It isn't disrespect mind you, just some areas of the yard are very, very old.  When no one comes to visit anymore, we spend our limited funds on keeping up where people do visit.  West Lychen's Gate hadn't been opened in ages.  Last week, we heard noises in there, and checked it out the next morning.  Two crypt's had been broken into.  Grave robbers, despicable people.  Not sure how they got in, but we added an extra lock and chain to the gate, couple nights ago, it happened again, this time three more crypts.  We need some brave souls to try and catch them.  Turns out, one of the violated crypt's belonged to some high-dee-high up in Storm Heights, some great gone lost ancestor, not like they ever visited mind you, but they are none to happy about its disturbance and have offered 500 gold to any who catch the robbers.  And another 500 if they can retrieve an amulet taken from the crypt".

Janek makes his way back to the inn, sad that he is only a 10th of the way to that dagger.  He is incentivized to find a pocket to pick, but not in the daylight, and not near the inn.  Maybe they can find another job and he can "earn" some funds?

"Wow, scary stuff," the little Gnome responded, peering around. She wondered if they should dicker for more, but knew she wasn't the person to do it. "I think me and my friends would be interested in helping, but I need to ask them. Should we come back to you, or should we address someone else?"

She is pretty sure that whatever is going on, the crypts were probably busted open from the inside, which was a bit scary. She will definitely start hunting down her comrades and letting them know about the opportunity.

OOC Any info on my housing search?

ooc: There are very few houses for sale in Stormhaven, and even the smallest of them is outrageous in cost.  Stormhaven itself owns most all the buildings.  You can get a lease on a place, but it isn't as easy as having the money, there is the matter of who you know, you knows you, and how many palms get greased.  Boarding homes and inns are fairly common.  You will need more than 20K to even dip your toes in the water.