She would've liked to have cleaned herself up before meeting any significant personage of the town.   Yet this was the chance to hear firsthand what this priestess could tell them, before she became busy with her ministering.

And so she too went to the temple.

Though its aesthetics were pleasant, temples were not comfortable places for Lenelle. She would never forget the duress, the enforced isolation, and other things.  She waited for Sundos and Joshua to enter first, then trailed them inside.

Simon follows along to the temple, magically cleaning himself and his gear off as he goes.

OOC:
Prestidigitation is a wonderful cantrip.

Joshua led Sundos, Lenelle, & Simon into the temple. The courtyard led to a sanctuary with a convex entrance. Holding the door open, Joshua invited the trio inside, his manner noticeably changed from earlier boisterousness to reverential. When they were all inside, he closed the door. Like the exterior, the sanctuary was a pale white and laid in a circular design so as to surround the altar. A circular stained glass window allowed light to pour onto the altar.

As they approached the altar, Joshua knelt and bowed his head. With his right hand, he drew a circle over his heart in a clockwise motion. The threesome heard his whispered prayer: “I am merciful, just as the Sun of Mercy shines on me.”

Ahead of them, a slim figure in a yellow and white robe knelt at the altar. She knelt at the opposite side, head bowed. All they could see were wavy blonde locks spilling from her hood, partially obscuring her face. Until she heard Joshua, and stood from her own prayers. The woman was young, probably in her mid to late twenties. She was pretty in an unassuming way, her face made prettier when she smiled upon seeing Joshua and new visitors. “In the Sun Father’s Hand,” she said to Joshua.

“In the Sun Father’s Hand,” he said in practiced reply, the blush that Lenelle saw earlier flushing his cheeks again.

“Welcome to the House of Light,” she said to her visitors with a smile as warm as the sun she worshipped. “I am Sister Mercion. How may I help you?”

Meanwhile...

Laredon introduced Azatch to the local butchers, Harry & Cloteel. They shouted at the sight of the conquered crocodile, Azatch couldn't decide whether they shouted from joy or anxiety over the pending amount of work.

OOC: What do you say, Azatch?

Cela entered The Sulphur’s Spit, assailed in the best way by the smell of fried shrimp and crawdads! She saw a barmaid wending through a thick crowd with frothy mugs of ale. A Bard played a mediocre rendition of “Vajra’s Deed” to the jeers of the tables nearby. At the left side of the sprawling tavern were gambling tables, where players cheered (or groaned) at the outcomes of various games of chance. Seventy five ahead was a bar, where a tall, lanky middle-aged man with short brown curls tended his customers. The authority with which he barked orders at the barmaid implied that he might be Benny.

Grog meandered to the Inn, making a leisurely-but-well-paced sweep between the gate and the inn. He noticed that the city watch seemed to operate on a volunteer basis. He overheard talk of “The Baron” needing to hire a proper watch so they didn’t need to pull those dangerous night watches. “We’re only fishers and hunters, we’re not trained to fend off the undead...!”

Along the way, he saw a frail little girl with long dark hair in an eggshell colored dress. She played with a slightly taller girl her age, with gorgeous red hair. The two sang a nursery rhyme as they danced in a circle, but Grog couldn’t make it out because of either the surrounding noise in the street or lack of interest. A woman with dark hair and a pinched, careworn face hollered at the dark-haired girl from a nearby shack, shooing her inside.

Soon, Grog caught up with Cela, who was still assessing the tavern when he arrived.



OOC:  Skye, let me know what you did and I’ll work you in.

Cela looks around the tavern, mostly smelling the food and checking out the townsfolk.
 Were they all human?  Joshua had seemed like he'd never seen tabaxi o even a half-life before.

Azatch walks in just as Cela finishes scoping things out and heads to the bar to talk to 'Benny.'  "Hey."  She says to try to get his attention.  "Are you Benny?

My group needs a place to stay tonight.  How much for room & board?"

“Yes, I’m Benny. This is my inn and tavern.” He smiled at Cela, appearing curious, but unbothered by seeing a Tabaxi. “A Tabaxi traveler. I haven’t seen one of your people since I left Waterdeep oh, nearly forty years ago!” Cela noticed there was indeed a lack of Tabaxi presence. She saw mostly humans, almost  a dozen halflings, three half-orcs, and one of the barmaids was a Tiefling woman.

“Rooms are 5 silver a day.” His smile deepened into a sales pitch. “Unless you planned staying longer. You could board here for 7 gold per week, one meal a day included.”

Back at the temple, Sundos entered and removed his helmet.

Sundos briefly knelt at the alter and made his reverences.

He smiled at the woman. "May the Blessings Shine upon you. I am Sundos Brightblood, and these is my friends, Lenelle and Simon. Please excuse our dirty appearance. We just arrived to town. Our ship was ship wrecked in the last storm. Some members of our crew and we were coming to Deadwater from some supplies. We can gotten a little ..confused.. of where Deadwater is. Brother Joshua found us and brought us here. He told us about you and the beautiful temple. I have never seen a Temple of Light that was so big. I have usually just seen small shrines and alters in my travels.

"I had wanted to come and meet you to offer my respect to the Lord of Light and Life. After a get cleaned up at the inn, may I return and spend some time enjoying the peace here?"

In reply to Sundos Brightblood (msg # 37):

Simon looks down at his freshly cleaned and pressed clothing and shrugs.

Mercion’s smile brightened when she saw the symbol of Pelor that Sundos wore. “May the Light shine upon you, Brother!” She clasped his hands in greeting, not the least bit concerned about dirt. “I am pleased to see another Servant of The Light!” His compliments for the temple got a soft chuckle. “I claim no credit for the size of the temple. The people here hunger for a god who understands their needs. They helped me build a temple that would allow best to celebrate Him here, even though many like Brother Joshua know that they can commune with Him anywhere.”

After she greeted Sundos, everyone was able to better get a sense of the woman. Mercion stood 5 feet and nine inches tall, slender like one who toiled earnestly every day in the community for her faith, and likely fasted frequently for it. Like Sundos, a sun with a face in the center adorned her robe. She considered his tale, then greeted Lenelle & Simon. “Welcome to the House Of Light. May the favor of Pelor shine upon you, as well!”

Afterward, Mercion beckoned the group to walk with her. “Brother Sundos, you and yours are welcome to return here during your visit.” She led them out back through an arched door. The door led back outside to a smaller courtyard, one more intimate. Underfoot was a mosaic lovingly depicting an older man with flowing golden hair and bead. Sundos immediately recognized the artistic representation of Pelor, the Sun Father.

A small garden of jasmine and gardenias accentuated a marbled path that led to a wide well. Mercion led them to the well’s edge. “If any in your party suffered injury, bring them here and I will minister to their healing.” She lowered a bucket into the well and cranked it back up. She dipped a ladle into the bucket and offered it to her visitors. “Please, drink. Let the waters blessed by the Sister-Goddess of Pelor quench your thirst and bring you peace.”

"Almost that long since I've seen another Tabaxi myself."  Cela says.

The budget for food and 'bribes' was only four gold.  They could easily spend twice that at the inn tonight if they weren't careful.

"A week is too long, we'll be on our way tomorrow 'less our cleric has more business with the temple.

There's seven from my ship.  I think two rooms should do.  Me, those two," she points to Azatch and Grog. "and four others that are paying their respects at the temple.  A halfling, elf, and two humans."  Lenelle was closer to an elf than most of these people had seen, simpler to tell it this way.

"How much for dinner for us?  Or should I tell them we're eating croc?"

With a hefty thump, Grog took up a seat near Georg, looking in the general direction of the closest menu.  Without altering his gaze, he speaks out a bit, but not particularly loud.  "Leave when supplied.  Could make faster."

Should Grog feel the eyes of a particular (unnamed) complainer linger upon him, he'd tilt his head a couple times in Cela's direction.

((OOC: Random!?!))

“Three silver for a decent meal. You’ll get a bowl of stew, bread, cheese, and a mug of ale. For four, I’ll add your choice of shrimp or crawdads. Five silver gets you the ‘Seafood Medley’.” While Cela & Grog pondered their options, Benny wiped the counter with his cleaning rag. “What brings your party to Deadwater, Miss? I saw no ship in our dock. Surely you didn’t march all the way here from the beach?”
This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

Lenelle too had knelt before the altar.   She had spent so much of her life performing such gestures that it was almost reflexive.   Her initial impulse had been to copy what Joshua had done.   But it would be dishonesty; of a sort she had practiced far too often.

"May the light be clear and revealing, and send hence the darkness," she whispered instead - a quotation from a favorite fable.   She'd inclined her head respectfully, once Mercion had offered Pelor's blessing.

She was quiet while Sundos did the speaking, one cleric to another, and then walked the marble path with the others.   After the foulness of the swamp, the scent of the blossoms was most welcome.   In what was now almost like someone else's life, she'd owned perfumes scented with both jasmine and gardenia...

Once the water was offered, Lenelle did not move to take it.   Instead, she inquired softly but clearly:

"And what of this man?  The one who gave his life to end the demon-plant.  Whose blade was said to have been tossed into the well. Is that true?"   
This message was last edited by the player at 23:47, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

“Then you’ve heard the tale of this well.” Mercion nodded solemnly. “Yes. Tiriel Yorelin bravely sacrificed his life that his friends and their families might live. Sweet Eldrath felt moved to honor his sacrifice by blessing this very well, which offers water ever pure and often curative.

It is a generous goddess who would share sacred space with another deity. For what she’s done, we bless her name here, too.”

Again, Mercion held out the ladle. “Would any of you care to drink? Let the waters of this holy well heal any wounds and wash away any sorrows of your day.”

Lenelle nodded at the answer, then hesitated.   If another(s) was more immediately inclined to accept (Sundos?) she waited while they drank.   But she'd made up her mind, and she too excepted the ladle, and drank of the well's waters...

Azatch explains that he would like the croc butchered and as much as the meat as possible dried for field rations, and for the rest to be prepared as fresh packed meat to be distributed to the needy families and whoever takes care of orphans.

And to separate out any valuable/salable, and to bleach/boil the fangs etc.

Azatch would prefer to pay in kind, meaning a portion of the meat that the butchers can sell to cover the cost. If that is not possible, or only partially possible, to bill him.

He is willing to do some heavy chopping for awhile to help out with a lot of the grunt work. (He has a battle axe, or whatever large cleaver they have).

“Whew. We’ll be busy cleaning this carcass.” Harry looked the crocodile’s body over. Then, his wife, Cloteel, interjected. “Azatch lived with Adele Redfern...and you’re still here because of her herbalist skill. She’s not. Maybe helping this young man would be a proper way to honor Adele?”

Harry rubbed his chin, then nodded slowly. “A good point, Clo. We could do a lot of good for some families, and if Azatch let us take a cut of any sales...well, I think we could work out a deal.”

Clo clapped her hands together. “It’s settled, then! Harry will clean the Croc. We can give you 70% of the beast’s hide, or 100 gold now. I’ll give you the pick of the fiercest fangs and claws. Let us keep the rest. There’s a tanner who will work wonders with what we sell!

I’ll make sure you have enough rations to tide you for a short season. We'll sell the rest to The Sulphur’s Spit or donate to a few hungry folks. Does that sound fair to you, lad?”

<OOC: seems I was lost in the throng of people.>

The small hunter halfling followed into the inn behind grog and Celia, her dark green cloak around her and went to Benny, reaching into her pouch and pulled out 4 silver for a meal. “When your ready, give me a meal with the shrimp. I’ll sit with them.” Indicating Cena.

She then goes to the table with grog and sits, making no indication of hiding the fact of looking at him. “You fought well. That croc was the biggest I’ve seen, even in these parts.”

"We were caught in the storm and had to put in for repairs. The walk was awful through the swamp.  Maybe Grog liked it, but I doubt anyone else did.

I'm going to the room to get cleaned up and wait for the others before I eat."

((OOC: Possibly Grog as well.  His antics are easy to overlook with lengthy posts.))

Grog will sit up straight in the chair, shifting his focus (and body) to the new conversation.  "Lizards new.  Undead soon."

Cela was given a key, but not before Benny pointed out her table. “We’ll hold your plate at that table.” He pointed at a large table near the fireplace and the Bard of Mediocrity. To Grog, he said, “And what about you, friend? Would you care for a pitcher of ale and some of the best seafood outside the Sword Coast?”



Benny happily accepted Skye’s gold. “Certainly, little lady!” He yelled back to the Tiefling. “Bathsheba! One shrimp dinner for the little lady at the Tabaxi’s table!”



Before Skye could pull out her chair, though...

“HEY! Hey, Hey, HEY! Whattaya think ya doin’?! That’s MY chair!” A Halfling male with light brown hair and a jewel-toned shirt over leather armor protested, ready to settle his complaint with fists. Then, he saw Skye from the front. “Oh.”

“Beggin’ ya pardon, Lady.” His manner softened, and he gave a chivalrous bow.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:43, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

The halfling looked at him with a neutral look. Trail was still somewhat dirty from the road, and didn’t care. She looked at him, and just sat down. “I’m no lady.” She muttered, sitting down

“Beggin’ ya pardon again, but I know a lady when I see one. Whether you came from a palace or the woodlands, yer too pretty not to be respected and treated as such.” With a wink, he gave another bow. “If ya like, could I join you and ya friend, and buy ya drinks to make up fer my bad manners?”

Trail looked at the man and shrugged. “You can sit here if you like...if the others don’t mind. As for mistreated, I’ve had worse. No offence was taken....I don’t know you. If you want to buy a round, my large friend here could use a drink.” Indicating grog

To the butchers:

Azatch nods and says, "Whatever you think is the right thing. The Redfern boy said this croc has been terrorizing the area, time for it to give back."

OOC: I just remembered that Grog took the head, so let's make sure everything is according to what he prefers as far as fangs, but claws, hide, etc I can speak for.