Hollis was simply awash in activity. People hawked goods in the town square. Along the King's Road that bisected the town wagons and carts moved to and fro. Hammers clanged from the south end of town as smiths plied their trade. Taps opened filling mugs with rich beer at the Drunk Unicorn Inn (yes, that's right D.U.I.) in the north of town. Along the backs of the shops where all the extra wagons, carts, and horses were kept benches were full of bored children playing with dolls, wooden swords, and dice.

Horse races entertained a crowd as breeders sold horses, sheep, goats, and cows. Money changed hands, weekly fortunes were made and lost in the sight of priests counseling moderation and peace. Even so, there were spats were fists were thrown and daggers flashed. The town of nearly a thousand was the largest for a hundred miles in any direction and drew trouble like sugar drew ants.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:47, Wed 07 Oct 2020.

The gravel crunched gently under Siloqui's fine leather boots as she made her way along the row of smiths to pick up her recent commission. The dagger was a celebration of the latest success on her tastalende, incorporating some spidersilk and a fang removed from a giant spider she had slain. The thing been harassing the farmers as they left their fields at nightfall. The men were quite poor but insisted on a reward so she had suggested the weapon as something to remember them by.

"Gaioden!" she calls out to the weaponsmith, "It is done? I am quite excited to test it out and feel the balance of it."

The half elven brunette leaned on her forearms and grinned widely at the young smith over the counter, observing the sheen of sweat covering his bare bemuscled arms while he strikes at some piece of steel on his anvil.

"You know, you seem strong enough, if you feel like swinging a sword as well as making them be sure to look for the Cerulean Company, they are always looking for fine craftsmen and would look after you well."

It had been a week or so since she had come into the town through that small farming village just to the south, and now she had that itch to once again set out in search of adventure.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:57, Sun 18 Oct 2020.

Mirth rolled his wagon close to the smithy, pushing through the crowd with Sut, the heavyset draft horse pulling the wagon.

"Sil, leave the lad alone. Not everyone you meet wants to join the Cerulean company. I swear..."

He pulled Sut to a stop and swept his lanky hair back from his brow, sweat glistening on his forehead despite being atop the wagon. He scanned the street as he spoke, eeping his eyes moving.

The woman laughs warmly and turns side on so that she can see Mirth off to her left, "I still think you could stand to learn a thing or two from Master Evelious. Maybe you could teach him something as well."

She turns her head back to the smith says, "Mirth and I are looking for adventure today, have you heard anything juicy?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:50, Tue 20 Oct 2020.

"If you were to step back and look to your left, m'lady, you will see a tall wooden building down the way. That is the best tavern in the area and a good place to look for work that could suit you." The smith said with a smile. He enjoyed her attention but knew he had to get her away from his forge before his wife came around. "Inquire after a dwarf by the name of Isgood Grimcleaver. Old Issy is the barkeep and part owner, he keeps a board for jobs and contracts locally."

With that he turned abruptly and hastily began working a piece of too-cool iron with a hammer busily. A moment later tall, quite beautiful redheaded woman strode in humming and caring a basket.

"So, who's that one, then?" As she spoke the blacksmith cringed and missed with the hammer, knocking a dent in the horn of the anvil.

Siloqui snaffles the dagger and calls over her shoulder "Thanks for your help Gaioden, I will be sure to mention your hammering skills to any who might need them!"


She approaches Mirth and leans against the cart lazily, looking over the craftsmanship of her new blade, "What are the odds that Corvis forgot we were meeting this morning and will still manage to have beat us to this Grimcleaver fellow?"

She re-sheathes the dagger and affixes it to her belt then moves over to give Sut a gentle pat on the neck. She looks up to meet Mirth's gaze with an expression that suggests they should go looking for their friend.

"About as good chances as they always are. If he wasn't a step ahead of us we would worry about him. I would, anyways. But then worry is what I do second best."
Mirth scooted over on the bench seat and motioned for Sil to jump up. The cart was slow going through the crowd, but at least you could see over most of it to know where you were going.
"As long as he didn't agree to another hunting trip. I hate shivering out in the cold waiting for something that's hunting me to figure out I'm hunting it."
He shivered involuntarily - whether by memories of the cold or the beast couldn't be told.

Thunder rolled in the clouds to the west. Still distant, but the wind told them that it would be a wet night. Heading down the lane tents, shops, and wagons made them think of the refugees to be found in lands were war ravaged the lives of common folk. A troop of Centaur cavalry past by in the other direction with their weapons stowed away in the town.

Passers-by seemed to be from every corner of the land; Human and Half Elf, Elf and Dwarf, Centaur and Tortle, even Orcs and Half Orcs walked the lane from trade wagon to stall, from shop to merchant's table. The lane was busy as people traded for food, wine, cloth, tools, and coal; the common needs of common lives.

While there were many buildings, mostly shops and homes, the largest structure by far was the tavern they had been directed to. The weathered sign over the door read 'Welcome to the Drunken Unicorn Inn' and it was shaped like a big tankard. Music filtered out, the sounds of singing and laughing and feet stomping in time to a lute accompany it. The smells of wood smoke and searing pork escaped the slotted shutters. All in all it seemed like a thriving place.

His fingers flew across the strings as he played his tempo picking up faster and faster, he threw his head back clearing thwbsweat drenched hair from his face as he gave a young maid a wink. He spun away already lost back in the music and the moment. As the song came to end he bowed, his breathing heavy, his hair drenched in sweat and spilling wildly about him. He straightened and moved over to his pack at the back of the stage. He downed a pint of ale and raised the glass trying to get the barmaid's attention. "Hey honey, another ale for myself, and I should have some friends showing up soon, a round on me and I will join them after a few more songs."

Mirth made an ordeal out of parking the wagon, unhitching Sut, and seeing that she got proper care before heading into the Unicorn.

He took a seat near where Corvis was playing and, in his own dour-faced way, enjoyed the music and ale as much as any there. When the bard was finished Mirth motioned for him to come over.
"Have you found and Isgood yet? We hear he has work."

He wiped the sweat from his face a look of confusion there. "Isgood? Was i suppose to? I thought I was handling lodgings and amenities considering the last place you found us was as exciting as a nun's Bachelorette party."

He began putting his instruments away taking great care with them. "I could ask a few questions, if that would lift your dour expression my dear Mirth, otherwise we have use of a room upstairs, 2 bed I figured we would flip for who had the floor tonight, meals are cheap and the ale plentiful."

Cheers went up from the other side of the tavern.

A fight had broken out and people had gathered to watch the outcome. Someone began playing a fiddle and others began stomping and clapping as the fight picked up momentum. But, nearly as soon as it had started the fight was winding down to cheers and laughter.

After a moment a dwarf with a long graying beard and hair came barreling through the crowd. His nose was bloodied, there was a cut under one of his eyes, and his tunic was ripped at the neck. Behind him he drug three people. All were unconscious. All beaten, broken, and bloodied. He had the ankle of large, powerfully built half-orc in his right hand, the foot of a tall, lean elf was trapped in the crook of his left elbow, and he drug a stocky human by the collar of his tunic letting his legs drag limply to the side where the dwarf kicked them out of his way with every step.

He drug them to the wall and set each of them upright, more less, and turned to a younger dwarf who bore an unmistakable family resemblance. Reaching into a pocket of his breeches he tossed a coin to the younger dwarf.

"Boy, go get a physician. Alric is he is home. Tell him 'Isgood said to come running'." The old dwarf said.

The crowd laughed and cheered more.

Mirth lifted his hands in a disarming gesture, "But, Corvis, remember the nun's bachelorette party I managed to got us invited to? Anyway, I think I see the good Isgood."
He glanced toward the dwarf near the wall, "Am I still not allowed to do the talking?"

Siloqui gives the pair a bemused smile then simply stands from their table and walks over to the dwarf and his three unconscious trophies.

She squats down on her haunches to inspect each one then lays her hand on them, first the elf, then the human and lastly the half-orc. As she does so their breathing becomes more regular but they do not awaken.

"They will live, but there will be a few breaks to remind them of their folly."

At this point she looks up at the dwarf and smiles, gesturing to his nose, "It looks like one of them socked you good there, anything you want me to take a look at? I am Siloqui of House Galenodel by the way, " she says as she finally stands and reaches out her hand in greeting. Reasonably tall at 5' 7", the young woman practically towers over the dwarf but her body language is friendly, jovial even, as though she might laugh at the drop of a hat.

---

Will spend 1 point of lay on hands on each to stabilize them so they don't have to make death saves.

The Dwarf eyed Siloqui critically from head to toe. She had the feeling of being weighed and measured. She hoped the Dwarf didn't find her wanting. She was about to grow weary, if not impatient, with his prolonged appraisal when he suddenly gave her a beaming smile and chuckled loudly.

"Just putting you on Lady Siloqui. Thank you for the assistance. These three broke the rules." he said with a nod to the trio. "Caught 'em, cheating, stealing, and lying. They broke all three of my rules here. So, I broke their heads."

Without looking where he was pointing, the Dwarf pointed to a large board on the wall at the back of the common room near the untapped kegs. It had notices posted, some in multiple languages, with a crude sign above that read 'honest work, honest wages' in several languages.

"My guess is that you would be looking for that. If you need more details than is listed there about a job just come and ask me." He said to her, drawing his thumb into to point into his chest. "Me and my brother own this establishment, so for your help let me pour you a pitcher of stout and offer you a plate of roast hen with some potatoes. The missess is a good cook. oh, my name is Isgood, Isgood Grimcleaver. "

"Excellent, nice to meet you Isgood," her smile widens to a grin, "though Siloqui is just fine. I am not a Lady, at least not yet. I am here with the sweaty musician and the lanky fellow looking for that sort of work, is there anything particularly troubling on that board that needs to be dealt with?"

She looks over to the notice board then over to her companions, gesturing with a finger at it with a look of mock exasperation that they had not spotted it as soon as they walked in.

Mirth followed Sil's finger with a look and squinted as if trying to read the board from that distance. He muttered under his breath, "Lanky? as he unfolded himself from his seat and headed for the job board.
Mirth was tall, over six feet, but stick thin and the way he stooped while he walked belied his height. He rarely stood tall.

"Stolen sheep, a murdered mage, a missing girl, body guards needed, hunters needed, a debt collected, a valley cleared of Orcs, mysterious singing in the night, and ruins to be mapped and searched." He rattled of as he walked over to the board. Even got two jobs for the local magistrate to bring in fugitives, a traveling person of self-proclaimed royalty seeking a missing box, and a request for assistance by members of the church of Hilsan. Take your pic."

Looking over his shoulder at Corvis and Sil, Mirth smiled, "What do you think? All of them?

Siloqui smiles and wanders over, taking in the notices attached to the board.

"I would help everyone if I could but unfortunately for you lot, there is only one of me..."

She reaches out and taps two notices, "I would like to start with these two, if the local law has not been able to find a missing girl or a murderer and we can, that would make a major difference."

Mirth sighed, "It's obvious that they're all the same task. The girl was kidnapped by the orcs, kept in the ruins for sacrifice to their god along with the stolen sheep. They hired a local who owes a heavy debt to kill the mage to cover the tracks of their monster that sings in the night. The other jobs are similarly connected, as I'm sure you can see. We do one we do them all!"

He smiled ashe moved to the job board, perhaps he had seen it. Perhaps not. He gave Sil a wry grin as he looked back to his instruments. "Perhaps they might be connected, though truth be told the singing in the night sounds more interesting to me by far. I will follow as I might where you go, but I do plan on learning a haunted tune along the way. You two have greater ambitions than myself, I just plan to sing your tale in every tavern along the way." he said with a wink as he deftly grabbed an ale as the maid walked by. "I'm not sure about some of these jobs, taking on and capturing a murderer seems like an awful lot of trouble,  Sil you choose, I'll  follow."

Isgood roared with laughter. He stomped his foot twice as he slapped his thigh. Tears rolled down from his eyes. He limped away, hunched over as he was, laughing so hard he knocked tables askew in his path.

A little put off by Isgood's sudden uproarious outburst, Siloqui has the slightest hesitation before she reaches out and plucks the notice for the missing girl from the board.

She scans the details of the task, "I doubt it is a vast conspiracy coverup Mirth, but if it is at least we will be paid well for our time. And before you start, yes I remember, you were right about the Asterton conspiracy but that was a one off."

She looks over to Corvis, "Let us start with the missing girl, then perhaps we can see about the phantom singer before we tackle a murderer. We can work our way up to it."

"Go down to Gridron's Way, then turn right, the second house on the right. It has blue shutters on the windows." Isgood said from the crowd near them. "Ask for a halfling name of Esme Heartbun. Her daughter Luella is missing. Disappeared three days ago while harvesting some wild mushrooms just north of town."

"Heartbun, Gridron's Way, blue shutters, got it."

She looks to her companions, "A quick lunch to sustain us then on our way to make the most of the day's light, yes?"

Grumbling to himself about conspiracies and mistrust, Mirth slumped into the closest seat, "Lunch is good with me. We'll just have to remember to pull the other notices off the board as we get each one added to our list."
He half-turned in the direction the dwarf wandered off and shouted, "Isgood! Boar!?"

"Yes, it is good. But we don't have any on the menu today." Isgood materialized from the crowd again and pointed at a dark patch on the wall near the door where the day's menu was scrawled with chalk. "Today I'm serving roasted venison. There is a big pot of chicken soup with noodles and carrots. I have potatoes fried with onion and sage or lintels seasoned with bits of fried sausage. The ale is stout, the whiskey burns like molten iron, and the wine is watered down to go around. A full mug and dish will cost you two silver."

Mirth scratched his chin, thinking intensely. Finally he spoke in a considered, measured voice, "I suppose venison would do as well as boar. But I'll take the ale instead of the wine. Two silver? Perhaps a third to add a bowl of the soup?"
He started fishing for his coin purse where it was tucked into the front of his tunic to avoid pickpockets, "Do you two want some as well? I'll buy."

Siloqui smiles and says, "That is very generous of you Mirth but my meal is already on the house. I am certain Corvis will take you up on your kind offer though."

She winks at the man then selects a table a likely table and takes a seat.

Mirth grumbled back, "Why do you think I offered?"

The only open place to sit in the tavern was along to two long tables in the center of the main room. At the corner of the one nearest the fireplace offered room for the trio to sit together. It was warm, but not overly so, and the company was equally interested in the three as they sat and equally loudly involved in their own conversations. A normal day in a typical tavern all in all.

They had no sooner sat down than when a tall, attractive woman appeared from the crowd and place mugs down along with a pitcher.

She smiled at the bard and sheepishly said, "The pitcher is on us bar girls. It's more wine than water. we hope you like us, er, um, the wine."

Morning came as expected; the sun came up, people began to stir, and Corvis was hung-over. Not as bad as he had expected, however, though his feet where not to be trusted for a little while.


After a quick wash is a basin of cool water and getting dressed they made their way downstairs. Issgood was nowhere to be seen. But, the last time they had seen him he was well on his way to a serious drunk. A barmaid stopped and took their request for soothing tea, water, and porridge with honey and milk.

Soon enough, as the town came to life around them, they were on there way to track down their first employer.

"Gridron's Way... left or right... right," Siloqui mumbles as they make there way to this Esme Heartbun's home.

"This is the one," she says confidently, standing in front of the house with the blue shutters.

She looks up at Mirth, "Try to keep the conspiracy talk to a minimum, eh? The woman's little girl is missing after all."

She nods to  Corvis, "Will you knock or should I?"

Mirth grumbled to himself, his clothes crooked from dressing in a hurry, "I'll keep quiet and let you do the talking. Unless I think of something important, ya know? You forget the important questions sometimes."

He stood a little behind Sil and hunched down as if trying to seem smaller than he was.

A squeaky voice came from inside the house, "hello there, can I help you with something? If you are looking for Marvin Olmes, he lives on Gridiron boulevard."

Siloqui looks in the direction of the voice, "Hello, we want to speak with Esme Heartbun about helping to find her missing daughter, have we come to the wrong place?" she replies, standing on tiptoe and craning her neck a little to try and see inside through the window with a slight frown indicating she thinks she may have led them to the wrong house.

"No, she is listening. She doesn't talk much." A high-pitched, but gruff, male voice replied. "If you are looking for Mistra go down to the well of Zandhi. It's that carved rock everybody here-abouts prays to when they leave town southways. She was last there, found her cloak and knapsack. She had been gathering roseleaf petals for Esme in the hills southwest of the well."

Siloqui frowns further, "Oh... I thought we were looking for a girl called Luella, not Mistra... And she went missing to the north... Are you her brother or something? What does she look like?"

She looks to the others, her expression shifting to display her doubt.

Leaning in, she whispers, "Am I misremembering things? This is the right place..."

Mirth rolled his eyes and mouthed I told you so at Sil.

And elder halfling walked out of the house and looked up at them, weighing their worth as it were, before speaking, "Good. Most your type comes out here thinking it will as simple as walking out of town and calling her name. You are right. My granddaughter was out with another maiden collecting herbs. We found where she had gone missing. The other maiden, Olsa, came back alone. They were separated you see, and Olsa thought she had taken too long. So, she came back thinking my granddaughter would be here waiting for her. We founds tracks, wolf tracks the size of a mule's hoof."

He looked at each of the three adventurers in turn, taking their faces, looking for something particular.

"Stop rolling your eyes, I'll smack them loose in their sockets for your insolence." He began again. The edge in his voice sounded serious, real. Eyes rolled again at that, too. "I can't go out there any more. After the last time, when I.., ah well, I am trapped here on this street for another two years. Punishment for doing the right thing. But you three can find her. Bring her back here, even its just her remains. When you come back with her remains I'll pay you all thirty gold each."

He seemed on the verge of saying more, but only shook his old head and walked into the house.

"Alright," Siloqui says just as the man turns to head indoors once more, "before we go looking, what does she look like and do you know what clothes she was wearing? How long ago were the tracks found? If it has been a while it might pay to ask around for wolf sign if this is recent enough we might have some luck following the tracks directly."

"Here, take this." He replied as he pulled a small rolled up bit of paper from his pocket and handed it to Siloqui.

She unrolled the paper as he spoke again, it was an incredibly accurate picture of the younger halfling. She was not a child, maybe in her late teens, but not a child. That was hopeful, maybe she had some skill at preserving her own life.

"She was wearing a light blue cloak, a green and brown dress of wool, and she wears a broach that looks like a scarab, we just call her roach broach." He said. It was obvious most of the would be searchers had just been charlatans looking for a few coins up front to cover costs of a search they never conducted. "Call her Ikashi. It's her name in the Family. She is an aspirant to the temple of Mytra."

The paladin takes the proffered portrait, committing the image to memory and showing it to the others, Mirth in particular.

"Ikashi, roach brooch green and brown wool dress, light blue cloak. That is helpful. What about the time frame? Knowing whether to ask around first or go straight to following those tracks will be very helpful."

Mirth raised his hand as Sil sowed him the parchment, motioning her to wait for a moment. He took a long look as if trying to memorize the details. FInally he lowered his hand.

"Ikashi. What does it mean? Or is it just a name?"

"Father's wish." He said. "From a parable we teac hthe children about wanting the proper things in life."

Siloqui chews the corner of her lower lip slightly for a moment then says, "I do not think it has rained in the last five days, we should go search the area first then if we cannot find any tracks we can ask the local hunters if they have seen any wolf activity."

Barring any protest from the others she leads the way north to the location described.

To Siloqui's surprise it was easy to find the area in question. For there was wold tracks there. Wolf tracks the size of a cow's hoof! The first thought to come to her mind was dire wolf. But there wasn't any signs of violence; no blood, blood stained clothing, or pieces of flesh. She looked around more, occasionally moving Mirth aside to do so.

She found several sets of tracks. None of them moving to or from the same direction as the wolf tracks. Something was wrong with the scene, she just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Mirth grumbled in the way he always did when Sil moved him out of the way. He frowned and looked at the tracks, trying to imagine the movements.
"That's a lot of tracks. Big ones, too. Can you tell what happened?"

Siloqui shakes her head and mumbles as she inspects the tracks, "Either coming or going but not both... makes no sense... nothing here so has to have been leaving..."

She looks up to Mirth from where she is crouching by the tracks, "No signs of violence that I can see, and there is only one set of the big wolf tracks leaving. Do you know of any birds big enough to haul a dire wolf into the sky? I do not."

She starts inspecting the tracks intently again, "It was late when she sent missing but I do not remember there being a full moon so I doubt it is that..." she mumbles to herself before standing up and gesticulating, "Ah ha, I have got it! She befriended and rode off on the dire wolf so if we follow the tracks maybe we can find her."

OOC: 08:05, Today: Siloqui Galenodel rolled 22 using 1d20+3.  Nature: Tracks.
Does Mirth know if there has been a full moon recently 4 or 5 nights ago? Seems the sort of thing he would notice, being all observant and all.

"Full moon? Let me see... Anyway, it's much more likely to be some kind of shapeshifting demon or vampire. I hear they prefer the form of a wolf. And more likely to be in league with the orcs that kidnapped her..."
His voice trailed off into the background as he rehashed his conspiracy theory about their quest.

It was a puzzle. The last full moon had been eight days ago.


Mirth was following the tracks. Moving roughly in a northwest to southeast direction. Silogui did the same on tracks moving from a bit south to a a bit northwest. The two trackers met and were about to step around each other when it hit them.

Backing up to the beginning of the tracks in the damp soil, at the base of a rocky outcrop, they followed the tracks, careful to match the steps appropriately. Three! It was three animals bounding from the rocks, converging on where the Halfling had been standing.

The tracks moved on to a patch of rough ground, rocky and covered in scrub brush, and put the image together in their minds. Three dire wolves, serving as mounts, had came bolting across the little glen. The two largest, in the lead had passed to so close together that tall person would not have fit between them.

But, a diminutive Halfling would have. That is, right up to the moment when they would have been snatched off the ground by on of the riders. The young Halfling maiden hadn't been attacked and eaten by dire wolves. She had been abducted very skillfully.

Now the question was who had done this. A further, expanded search of the area was called for.

Siloqui's eyes go wide and she points at Mirth almost accusatorily, "She was kidnapped! Possibly by orcs, we should look further outwards. Do orcs usually ride dire wolves? I have heard of goblins and worgs before so maybe it is not so strange, but goblins are a lot smaller in relative size," she is practically rambling at this point, perhaps in her excitement that the child may not in fact be dead.

"Yes, five days is a long head start, we should get going. But which way..." she trails off as she looks around and tries to put herself in the place of a dire-wolf riding, possibly orcish, halfling snatcher and determine which way she might go if she were they.

Mirth broke off from his muttering, "Really? You think so?"
He sounded genuinely shocked that Sil was agreeing with anything he said.

Mirth strolled to the rough patch of ground where the tracks vanished and lifted his eyes to peer around, "I doubt I can track them, can you? We may have to take a stab blindly... Maybe we can get a better view of the area, though."

With a murmured incantation and a few gestures, Mirth rose into the air. He flew upward above the treetops and high enough to get a view of the surrounding area. Any clearings, gaps, tracks, or whatever might break up the trees.

Mirth gained altitude, slowly gaining a larger and larger view of the area. Along a steep embankment, not far from where the tracks became confusing, was a cave. It was out of sight, hard to reach, and generally a good hide out. Signs that were always foreboding under such circumstances.

Swooping in low, Mirth came to stop above the cave. The tracks were obvious. And there were a lot of them. He sighed. Why couldn't these places ever be more convenient to get to?

Siloqui watches as Mirth alights and swoops off in one direction.

She whistles a tune for about a minute but when it becomes clear that he isn't immediately coming back she sighs and starts trudging off towards where she last saw him heading.

"Flying must be pretty nice, maybe I should have studied harder like Master Evelious said," she says aloud to herself as she trudges along. She looks up periodically in case Mirth floats on past her and she needs to call out to him to get his attention.

Mirth took a hard look at the cave, then swooped back toward where he left Sil, looking for her below him. He landed close and fell into step.
"Cave up ahead. Lots of tracks. Looks like the place. Lots of tracks. Lots."

It took a little snooping, and more climbing than she would have liked, but Siloqui found the trail used by the big wolves. And she was sure that is what they were, very large and very strong wolves. But, not dire wolves. The tracks were just somehow different. And that bothered her too. How did such an animal wind up being bred, and why? Much less, who was riding them?

Sharing her thoughts on the tracks with Mirth she crosses her arms and puffs her cheeks, blowing air out slowly between her lips.

"I think there is nothing for it but to investigate inside the cave. We will want to be pretty quiet, a pack of regular sized wolves would already be pretty dangerous. What do you think?"

Mirth wrinkled his nose and peered into the cave, "I don't like it but I think you're right. Want to lead the way?"

The entrance to the cave was nearing six feet in height, but was only half as wide with the top half being slightly offset to the lower half. Squarish in shape, the whole opening had the appeared and a squared off, offset, keyhole. The tracks pooled at the entrance and turned into a muddied lane where in the pack formed a single file. There was a pale, yellowish light from deeper within cave. There was also a prominent smell. The scent of animals; primal and raw, filtered out of the cave.

That this was some sort of layer was obvious. But who they would encounter inside was uncertain.

"Alright then, we should try to stay as quiet as we can for now," she replies as she busies herself readying her shield and loosening her rapier in it's scabbard.

Once prepared she looks up to Mirth, "I can see reasonably well in the dark but if you need some sort of light you should have one handy."

Tracing a symbol with her right hand on his forearm and muttering "gresta," she then draws her weapon and heads silently into the cave's entrance.

OOC: Cast Guidance on Mirth, +1d4 to ability check made in the next minute.
14:22, Today: Siloqui Galenodel rolled 16 using 1d20+7.  Stealth.

The scent grew stronger in the cave mouth, which quickly drew tight. It occurred to Silogui that there wasn't room to properly use a sword, even a short sword. A space this tight would mean a face to face fight with knives, fists, and teeth.

Noting the closing in of the walls she stows the rapier and instead withdraws the fine dagger she had picked up from Gaioden the day before.

Mirth picked up a pebble and made a face at it. The stone lit, shedding light. He cupped his hand to shield it partially and followed Sil into the cave muttering quietly to himself.

OOC: Casting light and sneaking stumbling in.
11:34, Today: Mirth rolled 9 using 1d20+1d4+1.  Stealth.

The path wound on and on, working slowly downhill. After a while they cam across a large cavern, the size of a cathedral easily, and holding plenty a dark and foreboding places. There were many, many side tunnels coming from this massive cavern. It seemed as those every twenty or thirty paces along they lost sight of old tunnels and came across a new one. It was like the hub of a giant wheel with tunnel radiating out like uncountable spokes.

As they crossed the great dark expanse in the mountain the scent became stronger until it occurred to them that they where at its source.

"If this is the lair of whatever we're looking for, where is it?", Mirth muttered under his breath. He let a little more light out of his palm from the stone and turned slowly, taking in the tunnel-spokes of the cavern-wheel.

"Maybe it is not a lair, just a network of tunnels for getting from one place to another? See if you can spot any recent tracks, that might help us find where they went."

"That just sounds like part of a lair to me", Mirth grumbled. But he did what he could to check the area for tracks, finding little to nothing.

17:38, Today: Mirth rolled 6 using 1d20+1.  Survival (Wis).

Wondering about watching the floor Mirth was taken aback when he stood upright to speak to Siloqui and saw a yellow points of light in the shadows about thirty yards away. He had no doubt the the points of light, in pairs close together about four feet off the floor of the cavern, were in fact eyes staring right him.

Mirth jerked his thumb in the direction of the eyes and muttered to Sil, "Told ya."

Looking in the direction Mirth indicates, Siloqui's eyes widen a little and she moves to place herself between her companion and the points of light.

"Hello? We are looking for the girl, Luella, is she here? Her mother and grandfather worry that she is dead." she calls out into the shadows.

In reply to Mirth (msg # 71):

OOC: classic!

There is a skittering of paws on rocky soil as the eyes separate into ghostly forms moving through the shadows.

Add deep, guttural voice calls out, "Leave now. This is not your domain."

From well of to Siloqui's right a primal snarl is followed by, "Pretty, pretty meat. Such a tasty morsel, where to start?"

Mirth faded into the shadows, disappearing from sight as he spoke, "We know it's not our domain. Don't want it to be. Just trying to find the girl - and we think she was brought here."



OOC: Using the invocation One With Shadows to become invisible in darkness until I take an action or reaction.

In reply to Mirth (msg # 75):

OOC: nice, i will give siloqui a chance to post.

"What happened to the girl?" Siloqui asks, sinking slightly in her stance as she gauges their numbers, locations and distances from herself in preparation for an incoming attack.

"Be more specific." A woman's voice said. A heartbeat later as pale, slim human woman stepped from the deeper shadows. She was tall and slim, with long shaggy hair, and seemed lighter than the shadows, "There are many of us, so be more specific. Maybe you'll live."

"Luella Heartbun, daughter of Esme. A halfling girl, her grandfather calls her Ikashi. She was wearing a blue cloak with a green and brown dress when she went missing four days ago," Siloqui replies, somewhat taken aback at the outline of the woman emerging from the deeper shadows.

"No, you cannot have her. She is to wed Norris at the next full moon." The woman said.

"Go back to where you came from, little morsel." Warned the growling voice. "Go back, or maybe I'll ravish you before I devour you."

There was wolfing, laughing, and several catcalls. One voice even called to them saying, "Who knows, maybe she'll want to marry old Rifkin afterwards."

"Yes! Yes! Maybe save his old teeth the anguish of cracking her bones the marrow." Another voice called out in bestial tones. Laughter ensued.

"Bah, lung worms take you Tremic." The one who was obviously Old Rifkin answered in sour tones.

"Is she here? Can she speak for herself? Or is Norris so unpleasant they can not find a willing wife?" she calls out in response.

"Norris is in Eastwitch, Ikashi is down at Riverton buying flowers." A voice grumbled form the shadows. "Care to be served at the wedding?"

"Silence Kurt!" The woman barked suddenly. "Leave. Now!"

Mirth, invisible in the darkness, muttered more to Sil than to the others, "Seems like this crew isn't too friendly. But I don't like the sound of marriage for the lass. Not after those tracks. Doesn't seem like she was asked about the idea."

Siloqui frowns, "Fine, we will leave for now."

She begins backing towards the entrance they had come through until confident she can turn and leave without being attacked.

"Be sure to come ans visit again, sweet morsel." A deep voice said the shadows.

"Bring salt, you skinny git. Bring salt." Another voice called after them. Laughter followed the words.

Once outside Siloqui waits for Mirth to appear, apparently troubled by the interaction inside the cavern.

{OOC: you can use appropriate skills here to take a little time to piece together some of the clues in that scene and discern what might be going on. History for myths or legends, arcane lore, beast lore, etc. just what you feel is appropriate and why.)

The walk back towards town was one of agitation and consternation. When there path led them to the road it occurred to Silogui that Riverton was just a few miles away.

As Mirth stepped out of the shadows of the cave mouth he reappeared, blinking in the light.
"Well. That could have gone better. What do you suppose it means? Did you get a good look at any of them? I just saw eyes."

"I didn't get a good look at them but from what I could pick up they seemed bestial, like a pack of animals rather than a gang of thieves. That they said she and her 'betrothed' are in different places leads me to think that they've either blackmailed or charmed her into the marriage somehow or she actually wants to go through with it. I think we should try to find her and ask her about it. At the very least she isn't dead."

Siloqui seems quite put out at the idea, not as sure of herself as she usually is.

OOC: I think Siloqui may have read about something like this some time:
14:09, Today: Siloqui Galenodel rolled 20 using 1d20.  History: Werewolves, beastmen and shapechangers etc.

Siloqui thought for a moment and it came to her, a regional legend that was mentioned in a book read years ago. A rare pack, a tribe in actuality, of were-jackals had migrated to the region some three centuries ago. Living like roving gypsies and feeding like a pack of feral predators, they were known as the Vanvar. The legend was unclear as to their number, but it seemed to Siloqui they were very few indeed.

Sharing her recollection with Mirth she says, "Perhaps when we speak with her in Riverton she can tell us all about these Vanvar."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:06, Wed 03 Feb 2021.

"Seems like a good place to start. If nothing else, we want to be sure she's safe. And that's much easier if we can lay eyes on her. Were jackals or not."

"Let us go there directly then, I do not want to miss her."

Riverton was small town, and like its name suggested it built on the bank of the Kevig River. Rows of houses spread out from the central road that led to the jetty where the ferry was tethered. A small bazaar grew up to either side of the road near the jetty that was filled to bursting with three things; flowers, vegetables, and Halflings.

Mirth looked to Sil, "How do we want to do this? Keep it quiet or make a big splash?"

Siloqui chews her lip in thought for a moment as she considers things before responding, "I think we make it clear that we are looking for her on her mother's behalf. We will find her more quickly if she wants to be found. "

Looking about, she searches for the girl amongst the crowd just in case she is in plain sight.

"Maybe leave out the wedding and werejackal conspiracy topics until we can talk to her directly, it might cause folks to keep quiet. "
This message was last edited by the player at 23:13, Fri 05 Feb 2021.

Mirth rolled his eyes, "I know when to be subtle. Here."

He gestured upward and glowing, eight-foot-tall letters appeared fifteen feet over their heads in golden script: "We're looking for Luella" and an arrow pointing down to Mirth.

"So, no subtlety then," Siloqui groans quietly as Mirth creates this gigantic sign above them.

Thinking that there is nothing else for it, she puts her hands up to her mouth in a cone-like fashion and calls out over noise of the bazaar "Esme Heartbun is worried for her missing daughter Luella, sometimes called Ikashi. She was last seen in a green and brown wool dress with a blue cloak and a scarab brooch. Please help us reunite them."

Her voice booms supernaturally loud, cutting through the busy sounds of the street. Coupled with Mirth's signage there was no doubt that they would draw attention.
Casting Thaumaturgy for the volume boost.

After several minutes a Halfling stepped out of the milling and growing crowd. She was tall and lean by Halfling standards, and very attractive. She smiled but seemed to have a confused look on her face. Approaching Siloqui and Mirth she seemed to get a flash of realization and stepped close to them to speak.

"I am afraid that have been misled." Ikashi said. "I am not missing. I just can't go back to that way of life now. Tell my grandfather to stop paying for foolhardy adventuring types to try to steal me back to him."

Siloqui takes in her words and nods, "Yes we spoke to some of the Vanvar and they said you were to be married to Norris, things your grandfather said were not adding up. Just to be clear; you are safe and choosing to do this, correct? You are not being compelled?"

She leans in slightly, "If you need help we can do something but if you want us to leave you be just give us some token or message that your grandfather will not be able to mistake as coming from anyone but you."

---

I imagine Siloqui has no idea how to read this girl
13:43, Today: Siloqui Galenodel rolled 5 using 1d20+4.  Insight.

While her manner made her hard to read, Siloqui has not trouble in understanding hte young Halfling maiden's reply whispered through a tight smile, "Norris tricked me. I love him, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life as part of their tribe. Bad enough I'll spend my days as a lycanthrope."

Siloqui furrows her brown and frowns momentarily before leaning closer and whispering back, "Let us go talk somewhere less public, Mirth here is very clever so he might be able to think of a way to get you out of this."

"I can't." She whispered back quickly. "There are others here. Clan members. If they see us leave they will follow us. I don't know what they would do. Please meet me later tonight at the tavern across the river, it's called the Squire's Hope. We are staying the for the night, I will come down for dinner at sunset."

With she smiled, loudly thanks Siloqui for commenting on how lovely her dress was, and then headed back to a table full of flowers. An older woman, a Half-Elf who worked hard to down play her beauty, immediately approached the Halfling. There conversation was hushed but seemed very intense.

While Sil and the halfling spoke, Mirth made a point to loudly shout out that they were looking for someone. He started with one description then changed partway through from red hair to brown. Finally, as the halfling girl stepped away, he dismissed the words above their heads with a wave of his hand and muttered to Sil.
"Well? What's going on?"

Siloqui sighs and leads Mirth aside from any nearby prying eyes or ears.

"She has some of those people here with her, watching her. She asked to meet us at sunset in the Squire's Hope across the river so that we can talk."

Looking a little dejected, she shakes her head, "We could do some shopping and ask about work around Riverton in order to look like we have given up. What do you think?"

OOC: How long until sunset?

Mirth looked westward and judged the time. Sunset was close. Maybe a couple of hours at best. Looking around the bazaar people were lighting lamps and torches in anticipation of the last trades of the evening.

"I'll try and look dejected while we shop. So they think we gave up on the whole deal. Fair?"
Mirth started drifting toward the shops and stalls of the bazaar, craning his head to look around at all the goods for offer.

Siloqui likewise looks around the stalls of the market, seeing what is available. She seems to linger most where jewellery and apparel are displayed.

"My dear, you look like a woman who can appreciate an appropriately shiny bauble." A jovial man, older and plumper than his voice would have suggested, said emerging from the throng as Siloqui passed. "Here, try this emerald ring on for size. The stone is twenty carat weight and the band is of the purest white gold."

The man thrust a ring into her palm as easily as shaking a hand. His smile was pleasant and his bushy beard had threads of gray among its black. The man was tall, broad shouldered, and had piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore into her.

Without putting the ring on she holds it up in better light, "It is lovely, just my style too, but I am actually looking for something specific," she passes the ring back to the man.
"I am looking to buy some platinum rings, two or maybe three of them, at around fifty gold apiece. I do like emeralds but unadorned is fine as well. Do you happen to have anything like that?"

"But of course, please step into my shop and I will show all eleven of my platinum rings." He smiled broadly and gently hooked her arm to guide her towards a shop he pointed out less than twenty yards away with his other arm. "I'll have my wife prepared some elegant rose hip tea with honey or marmalade. I do have emeralds, and some sapphires as well, set in platinum bands. Even a diamond ring that once belonged to the Lady Hannara herself."

He was very ingratiating, and forceful without being stern. Siloqui had no doubt that this man could see water to someone standing in a lake.

"Ah, that is very kind but please do not have your wife trouble herself, I have never liked hot drinks. Let us see these rings then."

As they move towards the shop Siloqui turns slightly to catch Mirth's gaze and subtly rolls her eyes.

As the man leads Siloqui to his shop Mirth politely kept his amusement in check. He was inclined to through up a banner proclaiming 'MY FRIEND WAS HIJACKED BY A CHARMING ROGUE' when he noticed a man break out of the crowd and move along with man, but several feet away and out Sil's line of sight.

The man's move struck him as odd. It was too well timed. He was in just the right spot to be out of her line of sight. It was no coincidence.

Mirth rolled his eyes. Amateurs. He waved his hand and a glowing exclamation point appeared above the second man's head and moved along with him as Mirth followed a few paces behind. He strolled casually, but kept up.
As he walked, he pointed at Sil's back and muttered in a voice carried to her ear by magic, "Second one behind you. Keep on your toes, Sil"

Starting slightly at Mirth's unexpected voice, she unhooks her arm and turns to see the very obvious glowing punctuation over the second man's head.

"Oh, here is your wife now," she says very drily to her would be escort as she stops in place.

Her hand moves to rest gently on the hilt of the dagger on her waist, "I think you should explain yourselves, and it had best be good if I am not to turn you in to the law."

07:53, Today: Siloqui Galenodel rolled 13 using 1d20+7.  Persuasion. If needed.

"Lannich, step forward." The man said over her shoulder. "My name is Triggo. My wife is Barla. We are members of the clan, you see, protecting our own. We know you are following the Halfling. We understand she wishes to avoid becoming like us. But, our voice in the clan is small, our vote smaller still, and we wouldn't want to see anyone else killed. Especially if it could lead to more of the clan getting embroiled in a fight we can't win in the end."

Mirth kept an eye out for more of them, but moved close to Sil. He took up a position on her right side, slightly back and slightly turned to limit the area behind the two of them.
"How could you possibly know we were looking for the halfling?", he asked drily.

"You believe that she should have a choice then?," Siloqui asks Triggo.

"Are you alone in this or are there others that are just too frightened to speak up?"

The man jewel merchant pointed to the non-discrepant man who had followed from the crowd and smiled, "That is her husband to be. She wants to marry him, but not be one of the tribe. He wants to be one of the tribe, but does not wish to marry the Halfling. He, um, prefers woman of his own race, but.."

"But, I do not wish to be a husband at this time." The man said. "My father is behind this. It's his feud with her grandfather. They are rivals of a sort, once belonging to the same guild of wizards. Now, he sees a chance to strike back as the old Halfling by marrying me to his daughter and turning her into one of us."

"A complicated situation as you can see." The jewel merchant said. He didn't hide his amusement with the situation.

"It's cruel. She doesn't deserve this." The younger man said.

"You are right, it is cruel. Why do you not stand up to your father, tell him you do not want this? If he has a problem with this older halfling let him resolve it with him directly. It would be stupid for the two of you to be miserable for the rest of your lives just so an old man can settle a petty grudge, if it were even to end there."

She looks to Mirth, "Do you how these sorts of rivalries among wizards usually go? I have to imagine there is some sort of honourable wizard duel similar to the regular sort but with magic..."

"In my vast, limitless experience on the topic of wizards they are anything but honorable. Their power gives them this idea that they're allowed to dabble in anything they want - including peoples' lives. Their grudge may well exist because they both tried to mess with the same poor, unfortunate soul.
But you're right, it is stupid. And it just teaches the old geezers that they're allowed to do whatever they please."

"No offense, but your words are confusing." The man replied. "Are you saying you want to back the Halfling in his feud or feel such lifelong grudges are stupid affairs?"

"I think it is not right for a lifelong feud, justified or not, to extend to making others miserable, particularly family members. I intend to see that Ikashi is not forced to do what should rather not do, and I think that you," Siloqui motions to Lannich, "need to refuse the marriage if you do not love her back. Find someone else to marry instead."

Is it Lannich or Norris that Luella/Ikashi is supposed to be marrying? I feel like names are not being used consistently and I'm super confused. Is Norris the name of Lannich's father who is having a feud with the elder halfing?

(OCC: that was a nasty GM trick. but, you figured it out before I could hath my dastardly plan. I was going to ask for a Int save to figure it out, but since you asked....)

Siloqui had a sinking feeling in her gut. This man was lying through his teeth. His words seemed to allude to a situation that really didn't exist in an effort to confuse her and Mirth. The hair of the nape of er neck stood up. This was begging to feel like a trap.

Mirth shook his head, "No, I do not support this feud. I think that both of them are ignorant and dangerous, if wizards they are indeed."