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."