Ernst heads to the door.

Rictavio leans in toward Elma, "I would like that too. I have a room here, the bed is more than capable, but if you really are only interested in talking I would feel more privacy if you were to meet me at my carnival wagon, it is parked at the Arasek Stockyard, you can't miss it. I go now to valiantly go where no mortal man dares go, to leave two beautiful women to go talk to two other beautiful women. Pray to your gods I do not die from any or all of them." He smirked and tipped his imaginary hat, standing...

Urwin's piercing eyes widened a bit. He had been told the witch was dead, but seeing the two who did it brought more affection than mere words.

Danika scoffed, "I haven't heard anything about the 'Guests of Honor' but old Vargas probably glued rocks to his wife's socks and will be putting on a puppet show. Trust me, if there truly were any new arrivals in Vallaki, we would know it."

Urwin clears his throat, again, "Ah, actually, it's the two old men that worked with you. We saw them riding in to town then entering the Burgomaster's Mansion. At this moment they are at the Coffin Maker Shop." He gives a look to Jun Jia and Ceila saying "I have eyes everywhere."

"Ah," said Ceila.  "I wonder-- is this part of their attempt to find a great healer?  It seems a strange way to do it, but perhaps there's no choice.  Tell me, do you know why they are in the coffin shop?"

Urvin shrugged, scratching his beard.

"Oh right, now that I think of it... They were at Saint Andras' Church shortly before that, didn't stay for too long. Maybe old Father Lucian sent them on an errand or something."

“Should we visit the Coffin maker, then?” Jun Jia asked Ceila. “Do you feel rested enough?” That time she asked with ample concern for her friend’s wellbeing. Chokhar & Vyktor weren’t the only members of their party maimed by Baba Lysaga.

"I do, yes," said Ceila.  "We should get underway."

She still wondered about a coffin maker in this place.  Perhaps they should invest in iron bonds to keep the dead inside their coffins...

“Thank you both for your hospitality and your help,” Jia said, as she stood with Ceila. She reached into a simple traveler’s bag and pulled out two Gold coins, which she laid upon the table. “Yes, Ceila. We should make haste and find our companions.”

Quietly, she muttered in what sounded like grunts…

Ceila nodded.  She made a point of keeping an eye on that table full of undead as they departed.

Elma stands up once Riktavio has gone, "Come, Minty. We'll go talk to him at his wagon. I want to know what he thinks is the better course of action." She looks around, wanting to talk to Dannika before they leave the inn for the moment.

CEILA AND JUN JIA TO COFFIN MAKER

Danika approaches Minty and Elma at their empty table, "First off, thank you so much for your performance. It was truly moving. I haven't had good reason to be cheerful lately, and it actually brought a smile to my lips.

Now that I've blown the appropriate smoke up your rear let me explain, I make it my business to know people's business in my Inn. I'm not asking for your dirty dark secrets but your initial story doesn't quite hold up after a performance like that, and you've got the ears of both Ernst and Rictavio."

The bard smiles at the praise, "I do so appreciate an enthusiastic audience! I'm glad I was able to bring a bit of joy in these dark moments."

Elma looks at Dannika, gesturing for her to sit with them. She speaks softly, "We did get in today, not too long ago. Ernst was showing us around a bit after we were allowed through the gates. I do not know how he heard of us, but he was eager to explain the situation in this area and the thought of a festival every week - with all the same decorations and everything - is an affront to my sensibilities, as you can well imagine!" She takes a little breath to calm and center herself once more. "We agreed to check it out, he wants us to see what the current leadership is doing and whether the situation is sustainable." Her brow furrows for a moment, "I'm not sure why it's so important that we understand, but he was quite interested in having us on his side."

She leans back a bit, "Rictavio, I don't know. When you saw him approach us after my performance you saw the first time we ever met him. We haven't talked much, but along the line of looking at the entertainment deficit in this place I wanted to talk to him about opportunities, difficulties, and possibilities." Elma shrugs and glances over at Minty. "I haven't had a chance to discuss any of this with my companion here, so I don't know what's going to happen next."

She suddenly remembers, "Oh! Right! I was going to talk with you about honey. I know that inns have many uses for honey, and I have access to a great deal of it. I was wondering if we could trade for a room." Elma smiles brightly, "I can show you where it comes from, but I don't want to bring it out here in the midst of all these people."

-----

Today: Elma Keensong rolled 25 using 1d20+10.  Persuasion (if needed).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Tue 12 Apr 2022.

Danika seems taken aback by the mention of honey.

"Honey? Why that is practically worth it's weight in gold. We havent served mead in..."

You see her reminisce, but if you think she is thinking of happier times you are wrong. She has never gone a day without fear and trembling.

"Lanark took care of your bill this evening, but I am happy to work out a long term arrangement with you. Was there anything else?"

Elma smiles, "I don't think there's anything else. I'll be happy to work out some kind of arrangement. We're going to talk with Rictavio, but after that we'll be heading to our room for the night - I don't know how long that will be, but we can talk in the morning, yes?"

As if emerging from a concealing haze Minty emerges from behind Elma and curtsies, "Nothing from me, thank you, ma'am."

"A pleasure." Danika nods her head and smiles. Now you have a business to run, a steady stream of income in this economy. Smart thinking.

You head to the stockyard to see what Rictavio is really up to.

Minty smiles at her companion and curtsies to Danika.

As she accompanies Elma to the stockyard she says, "That was smart. But then, you always were! Umm and still are."

-----

She watched Rictavio being walked down the street- She didn't know how to feel about her two-faced tattling there, but he didn't seem safe to be around, tiger or not. What kind of person could think of something like that? A group of people attacked randomly by an ill-treated and aggressive animal. Long teeth, longer claws, and probably hungry enough to eat one or two whole people. She relaxed into a soft smile. He would get what he deserved.

He was obviously mad, and his anti-Strahd sentiments made her uneasy.

As Elma enters the inn she is grateful for the fire. The cold didn't bother her too much, but after a while the chill starts to seep in. She was always fascinated by things like this - she didn't realize she was cold until she started to get hot.

Elma looks over at Minty. "We should find the proprietors and tell them about Rictavio, I've got to make a deal with Dannika anyway." She starts looking around the inn and when she spots Dannika she will head toward her with a smile and a confident walk. Once Dannika has a moment where she's not busy, Elma gets close enough to speak quietly without whispering. "If you would take me to your kitchen? We can work out a deal in a quieter place or we can wait till the morning, though I'd rather not do because this unending festival is something I'm interested in observing and hopefully adding to."

Minty orbits slowly in the background; a wallflower but still looking out for her freind's safety.

Danika did not yet bring you into the kitchen. "Sorry lass, I thought we made the deal, didn't realize you wanted contracts drawn up. All right then, let's get this over with."

She then leads you into the back where her husband Urvin was frying up bacon. "GAAAAH! Fuckin' shit shit shit. Grease right in mah eye!!!!" He yelled right as you crossed the threshold. He looked up at you with only one eye opened. "Excuse the profanities, ladies. What's this?"

Danika explained that you have a procurement of honey and Urvin's eyes lit up. "Well now, let's have a taste! It's been forever since I'd something sweet. Other than you, babe." He winked with his good eye at his wife.

Minty gently moves around, back nearest a wall, watching the ways in.

Elma smiles, "No contracts, but I need to show you something, and explain."

She brings out the Jug once they are in the kitchen, says the activation word as just a whisper so the pair could not hear, and feels the magic course through the jug as it fills with honey. "As you can see, I couldn't do that in the full room out there." She places the jug carefully on the nearest tabletop, never moving more than an arms' reach away. "I can pay you in honey every third day, and I would ask just for room and board for myself and my companion, and possibly information from time to time. I have no idea how long we are going to be trapped here, but we..." Elma looks at the floor, clears her throat, and smiles again as she looks up. "We're looking into improving the situation for everyone here." With a bit of a shrug she adds, "I will know more of what we need after tomorrow's festivities" she says the word with a bit of a sneer, "which we have heard some things about."

The half-elf looks at the Jug and gently strokes the ring around the top opening, "You will need some kind of container for this..."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:46, Thu 26 May 2022.

Danika grabs a pot roughly the same size for your to deliver the goods into.

"Do I dare ask WHO you got this from??? I'm sure I don't want to know."

Urwin makes a face, trying to insight you, but shrugs. "You say you're here to help, and so far you're helping. I'll trust you. Tomorrow will be like every festival, a huge failure, but I would like you to tell me what you have learned. We need new perspective. The people here, this is how things have always been, since before we were born. We do not know HOPE. Vargas (the burgomaster) keeps pushing HOPE. What is it?"

Hope is just a four letter word.

Minty ventures, "Numerically true, but meaningfully? It depends what one hopes for. What might you hope for, Danika?"

She takes a moment, carefully choosing her words. "I want my family to be safe, I want to die of old age. Urvin too. I want my boys to die of old age. Yes." She smiles.

"Nothing's certain but maybe we can help with that," proffers Minty and gestures to the more eloquent Elma to continue..