In reply to Amaryllis (msg # 73):

Sigismund turned toward Chess and pointed off handedly, "She thought you were in danger and that we should come to make sure everything was on the up and up. I was in a conversation with a good wizard to join up with him in his adventures. People don't seem to realize there is safety in numbers, friends to cover your back."

The man was surprised by Mordecai. "Oh, sorry, was thinking out loud, but you know. Why would someone ask for permission to enter when this is a public space and the gates aren't locked?"

"Well, who do you think it is? Someone who needs permission to enter a room? What, do you think she is a vampire?" Mordecai all but laughed in the man's face. "Surely you jest!" he continued, getting up to look out the door into the night to see who was there.

With no answer from the innkeeper Lal shrugged and stepped to one side as Mordecai headed for the door. In answer to the man's speculation about vampires he instead suggested, "Personally I was guessing one of two things. Someone whose hands are full and therefore cannot open the doors or possibly local guard of some description. Many tend to request access rather than enter, since if they see anything that might force them to actually work it can be a terrible disruption to their day. One avoidable by announcing their entrance first." While whatever distraction might await them could be safely stored out of sight. Not that Lal was familiar with such matters of course.

Keeping half an eye to the innkeeper who still had not clarified her reasons for wanting the priest to linger, of which there were in fact many good and non-sinister reasons to do so, Lal waited for Mordecai to let in whoever was outside.

The hooded figure looked at the woman as she is now showing her full face. "May I ask you why did you take the offer of coming up here and expecting the room to be free without any sort of payment? she asked "The innkeeper was being a bit aloof and it seemed that she was putting you in some sort of danger.

Did you know the agreement she placed upon you?  That you was to say in the room for three hours.

In reply to Chess ala'riina (msg # 78):

Sigismund listened to Chess tell the whole tale. He furled his brows when she was done trying to figure out why she wants the priestess out of the way for three hours.

"She wants her secluded upstairs for three hours? Why, is something going on that she doesn't want her to witness? I'm sorry, I'm too thick to understand this one with what we have got so far."

Turning to Sig "I don't know why. I just find it a bit odd to send her up here for three hours alone. she said "One never knows what can happen to someone once they enter into a inn alone.  I didn't wish anything ill to befallen upon her.

In reply to Chess ala'riina (msg # 80):

"I find it a bit odd too. Whether you want it or not Amaryllis, you are our friend and we worry about you!" He looked around between them all, "what do you want to do?" he asks each of them.

Speaking to Amaryllis
"Additionally the innkeeper's whole demeanour changed when you came up to this room. She appeared to snap out of some form of trance or other influence, as if she was returning to her normal self. So there is something about the whole of this especially as she was charging 5 silver to anyone else, and yet for you, you get the room free on a condition."

In reply to Li Ome (msg # 82):

"Hmm, as I was talking to the wizard, I didn't notice. I suggest we stick together in case something actually is amiss. Let's go back downstairs."

The voice from behind the gates resounded again. This time even louder than before.

"I request permission to enter this establishment"

The innkeeper remained frozen in place, unable to decide what to do.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:47, Thu 29 Dec 2022.

Mordecai opens the gates to look outside to see who is requesting entrance. If the innkeeper was too afraid to do it, he would take it upon himself to do it for her.

On the other side, a woman in her mid-twenties smiled. Her head was covered by a thin white veil that allowed her face and particularly her deep-green eyes to be visible while still protecting her from the sun. Her long platinum-blonde hair was kept in a non-extravagant but still colorful hairstyle. She was wearing a black choker with a gem in the center. A silver medallion with strange runes hanged freely from her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said with a sweeter and less loud voice "I was beginning to get tired under the sun". She took a step inside the inn and spoke to a still paralyzed innkeeper. "Hello Rummy, I've come for a performance. I hope it's ok."

Mordecai moves to let the blonde woman inside, and he watched as she approached the innkeeper. "Why are you all acting so strangely?" he asked the two women. "What is going on here?"

Amaryllis's green eyes widened as the three of them voiced their worries, but soon she was chuckling. "My friends, I believe there may have been a misunderstanding," she held each of their gazes for a brief moment, warm and sincere, her appreciation obvious. "But I'm very grateful that you would extend your concern to me, a stranger to most of you. Truly. It's not often I see this kind of compassion. Though you are right, Sigismund, we are all safer together, we all have our own purpose we must fulfill." She folded her hands in front of her and bowed, then straightened up and leaned forward, voice softening so as to not be heard from below.

"While I admit I'm not sure why she would specify three hours, I had intended to wait as long as she needed, just as I had fully intended to pay the standard fare for my room." She made a sweeping gesture towards her door as she said this. "I often come across people who are so distraught that they act oddly, desperately, even. Often a loved one is suffering, or something has happened to the temple in town. Sometimes it turns out to be nothing more than the worry that it has been too long between their prayers." Her voice was close to a whisper, almost conspiratorial, as if this was a secret that she shouldn't be sharing outside the sister and brotherhood of the faith. "I'm sure this woman means me no harm. I sense a need from her, a need for my services, not ill will."

Amaryllis was confident in her observations and experience. "Maybe her serving girl or man comes in three hours, and she simply wished to be sure that I would still be here when she is able to leave her work. I'm sure the change you saw was just her tension draining a bit, nothing to worry about." She was giving them another reassuring smile, but just as she said it, a woman's voice rose from below, demanding entrance. Amaryllis frowned. She had seen no lock on the door as she went up, and the inn was bustling with travelers this day, clearly open for business. For the first time, unease seemed to seep into her demeanor. The timing of it all, combined with Rummia's sense of urgency... It could also be that the reason she wished for Amaryllis to stay out of sight and in her room was that there was someone from whom Rummia wished to hide her presence. The cleric had been asked this before when tensions had grown between the people and the temple in a town, or when a lord's abusive grip on a population was so fierce that any outside help had to be hidden lest brutal punishment be meted out. She looked at the group again, trying to smile but clearly a bit subdued compared to her earlier confidence.

"I will return to my quarters. I assure you they were perfectly safe. But—," she glanced at the nearby staircase, pale eyes betraying her rising concern, "—should you have need of me, don't hesitate to come find me." She gave them another bow, then turned around and carefully started heading back toward her room. Despite her attempt to move quietly, she seemed to find all of the creaky floorboards as she moved. She winced, hoping the noise of the room below and the so far calm situation would prevent alerting anyone to her before she could make it back.

13:43, Today: Amaryllis rolled 6 using 1d20-1. Move Silently.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:00, Fri 30 Dec 2022.

The commotion downstairs was such that nobody noticed nor paid attention to the noises upstairs.

The just-arrived woman was perplexed to say the least. "Oh, you must be new to town. I'm not acting strange at all. Though I'm worried about Rummy." She answered to the wizard before moving on to the innkeeper. "Is everything ok? Did I come at an awkward time? I can come back later if you want"

Offering the same polite smile to the newcomer as he had to everyone else Lal glanced between her and the innkeeper as the latter remained silent before eventually shrugging, "I think possibly there's a few more guests that the good host was anticipating today and she's trying to work out how to deal with us all."

"As for performance unless she covers that too I've not seen any entertainment in the building. Were you expecting other people to be here for that?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:31, Fri 30 Dec 2022.

In reply to Lei (msg # 89):

"Yes, very new," Mordecai nodded, returning to his seat where he could look over the entirety of the bar again. Things were still feeling a bit odd, and he wanted the safety of having the corner behind him should something happen.

"One thing before you go..
You're a follower of Mother if I'm not mistaken in my assessment of the markings on your robes.
So why would an inn keeper want such a follower to hide in an upstairs room for 3 hours? Unless she was expecting somebody who holds views which are the antithesis of your own.
In such a case are you not doing your Goddess a disservice by hiding like a scared child. Do you not strive to uphold your beliefs no matter what the consequences?"

Sigismund goes back down the stairs. He sees the woman and the hairs on his neck stand up at her mere presence. He sees the wizard again, but goes back to his beer, no longer wishing to engage anyone. He had failed to interest a single soul. He would travel to a larger town on the morrow and look for good companions. He'd thought he found a few here, but not so.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Sun 01 Jan 2023.

It seemed that the young human woman was alright and there was no need to make any more of a fuss over something till she had the facet of it all.  Giving her a nod as she turned herself and looked to Sig as he was making his way back downstairs and it was just the two in the hall way.

Listening to Li give such a sweet chastise to the priestess about disfavoring her Goddess.  Its sort of brought a smirk to her face for she cared very little of the human gods for they surely didn't aid the Elven Gods in any way.

Amaryllis turned back to the three in time to see Sigismund head back downstairs, facing Li as she stopped her retreat. It was a fair question and not an uncommon assumption, even if it had been phrased in a way that showed disdain for her perceived cowardice. Amaryllis gave Li a bow of her head, her face now tinted by sadness. Still striving to keep her voice low, she replied, "There is such a thing as too grave a consequence... I am a vessel for the Mother. My purpose is to shield the people from harm and give them the sustenance and refuge they need. I can do neither of those things if my very presence would be what brings them that harm. But the Mother is wise and patient, and she will bring light to all when the moment is right. I promise I shall see things to the end."

She bowed once more, and her apologetic smile was softer this time. "I am sorry if this method disappoints you. Should danger arise despite my attempt to prevent it, I will make haste to join you." And she would. There was a conviction to everything she had said, even as she apologized to the other woman. As she turned back to her door and opened it, she considered if she should perhaps change into normal traveling clothes and see what was happening below... But then the innkeeper had never stated directly why she needed her up in a room, it was all just guesswork on Amaryllis and the others' behalf. Until she spoke to Rummia directly, her sudden change in behavior would remain a mystery.

She sighed as she once again shut the door to her room, wondering what kind of trouble she had brought to the town this time.

With nothin further to be gained Li returns downstairs to the table she vacated earlier.

Sigismund, when he empties his beer, orders another. He keeps his eye on the woman. He also keeps his eye on the room. There might still be a chance to get together with a small group for safety. At least while traveling.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:02, Tue 10 Jan 2023.

The woman smiled back, then continued to show confusion. "Odd, the place doesn't look as packed." Her expression changed to concern. "What is going on? What are you hiding Rummy?"

Meanwhile, upstairs Amaryllis noticed a very strong smell of garlic to the point it was getting nauseating.