Sorin followed quietly along, not offering much more than the occasional grunt or gesture to the conversation as he flipped through his things, secured the straps on his armor, and more importantly, scoured his spellbook, preparing for the journey ahead.

When they had all entered the stable, he looked up at his horse and climbed up slowly, with the air of someone who's never really rode much before. "Lead the way," he said to Marcia as he attempted to stir his horse into movement by copying her.

Greb tries one of the cookies. He takes a few bites and says "not bad. Could use a little nutmeg to offset the sugar, though." He climbs back up to his rafter perch to avoid being stepped on. Sometimes not being noticed was dangerous.

 The oceanfront trading city of Kingsport is a sprawling metropolis rivaled only by the Capital in size. Near the docks rests the Elder Beerman, a popular tavern arranged to be the meeting place for the group during the briefing. It was difficult not to noticed the many scarecrows surrounding the town, almost in formation and often armed. They look almost like a resting army awaiting orders.

Qarley was busy barking orders at the waiters and waitresses, telling them how to have better posture when carrying large platters of drinks or food.

“You should be able to balance it all on two fingers and a thumb, keeping your ring and pinky finger available in case you need to poke someone’s eye out. Got it?”

When she sees the rest of you she waves, “oh hiya gang! How did the super secret disguises go???”

“oh hiya gang! How did the super secret disguises go???”

Reign snickered, drinking his watered down mead like a suckling babe. He needed his senses sharp, but there was no way he would completely abstain from alcohol. It'd been too long.

"They were...super secret." Having rode out with the first group, Reign had long been settled in. They'd already gotten their rooms and freshened up by the time Reign heard Qarley's voice below. She was certainly, and unfortunately, hard to miss. Still, it was supposed to be a meeting spot, so he had picked a table right beside Qarley's own. If she was going to be so vociferous anyway, he'd save his ears.

"But...friendly advice..." Reign took another swig, gently waving away another waitress. No need for a refill, "You may want to get a room...before they run out..."

Though Reign would not be surprised if they slept in the rafters.

He would wait for the second group to file in, then the first group to come out of their rooms before they started their meeting. Not that he was the leader or anything. It had just been part of the plan. He'd stick too it as best he could. It was the most sure way he could get his pops out.

Before they go to the tavern Marcia asks each of the chosen group to meet her somewhere innocuous, like one of the outdoor squares. Whenever whomever was going to arrive had arrived, she cleared her throat. "Those fools will be stupid, crazy. Maybe hurt someone. Should only one of us go to the meeting? I trust you to decide on my behalf." She pauses, and gestures to herself. "I think I would be a liability."

“Why’s that Reign??? You ain’t sharing yours?”

She considered for a moment to do that thing where she would show you that she was thinking of that last thing the last person said but she wasn’t stupid: she would never reveal her thoughts to you.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:49, Sat 01 May 2021.

The goblin rides up upon his goat steed and looking all proud outside. He gets off his goat and walks over to Marcia to met her in secret. He pushes on the reigns and finds a nice spot for it with a tree he tries it around and sits down and sees Qarley following Reign into the tavern some time before but he stays outside for some time."Kholt thinks Qarley likes Reign. And Hil. Bad idea." He looks at Marcia "You go, I go. Yup yup. Don't like them, nope. I got a secret." He motions for Marcia to get closer to him.

As Glitterdale moves to sit, a fast-moving shadow slithers atop his chair and a small green arm holds a knife to his throat. In a menacing voice he hears "baker man played nasty trick on Greb. 'Greb stay in stables, wait for others.' " He spits to the side and continues "baker man thinks Greb stays away, Banner not see him, and blows Greb up? One less goblin, no one will care? Greb knows better than to trust smooth-talking elf. Greb followed, saw you meeting others here. But Greb not cut your throat, not yet. Only if Banner says you too much trouble to stay alive. Goblins have another reason to not trust elfs. You live.....for now." The knife is pulled away and Greb climbs up into the rafters, hanging by his tail as he listens.

Marcia obligingly bent down to hear Kholt's secret. She smelled of soap and little bit of dread horses, as usual.

PM

Sorin had kept quiet for the most part on the trip, though he had taken the time to stop and do a quick magical test on the scarecrows.

He joined the others in the square before meeting the others, and he shrugged at Marcia's question. "No point in that, really. We have to work with them until they die or do something stupid to get their heads blown to bits like that moron, so avoiding them forever isn't possible. Just don't sleep where they can reach you and always keep them in sight and you'll be fine. Probably be smart to cozy up to the priest though, healing's not something to turn your nose up at in our new line of work."

OOC: My prepared spells are thus; Detect Magic, Flare, and Light for cantrips. Shield and Chill Touch for first level.

Casting detect magic and rolling K. Arcana on the scarecrows outside town assuming nobody stops me. If Spellcraft is more appropriate, the modifier is the same. Result of 11.

Marcia looks Kholt solemnly in the eyes, "I promise." She says softly, the words sound like an invocation that locks the secret away in Marcia's heart. She almost reverently puts the potion in her pocket.

She whispers to Kholt, and the quieter the words the less they seem to hurt her throat.

Marcia gets to her feet and acknowledges the truth of Sorin's words with a sigh. "The priest seems alright, but the rest are drunk on the fear and pain of others. It's like working with rabid creatures." She tugs at her short pony tail. "I trust your reading of their caprice, but not mine. Play threat and actual threat looks the same to me. I don't want to cause more trouble -- will you say the word if you think I ought to act?  I'll be ready to step between you or Kholt so you can get your spells and bombs fired."

Sorin shook his head before answering. "Don't trust the priest further than you can throw him, he had to have done something worth an execution to get put in this deal. As for the other one, problem is she's crazy. No way to know what she'll do next, but none of them strike me as the type to make idle threats," he said as he began to make his way toward the tavern. "Speaking of crazy, let's get moving. I don't like having it unsupervised for too long, you never know what it'll do when you aren't paying attention."

"Not good but want to live. Kholt wants to leave. Check scarecrows." A shiver runs down his spine and he crosses his arms "All crazy! Kholt's not. Sorin's not. Well don't think so. You'd tell me right? Marcia's isn't. Well hope she isn't. I like her." He puffs his chest out and grabs his gear, and slowly heads towards his goat "This is my goat!" Well everyone knows this "Where's the gun guy and baker?" He glances around.

"Aye." Marcia agreed grimly, walking beside Fox and Kholt. She felt better knowing the team's thoughts on this situation, even if it was as grim as hers. Fox was more worldly than her, and she valued his opinion.

She was not someone who saw the point in bluster herself. It was not the confident hound or wolf that barked or threatened. But an insecure or careless person could turn a safe situation bad and kill good people nonetheless.

"Stay by me, if you can." Her soft words were almost a gruff benediction to be careful and a promise that she would guard you the best she could.

She sighed, "Not bad idea to have Kholt and Glitterdale keep checking the scarecrows. Though Glitterdale's soft words have a way of keeping heads on shoulders...mostly. I don't know where Glitterdale is. He wanted baking supplies, tea." Being protective of Kholt (not that he needed it) she was happier with him farther from the maniacs.

She smiles faintly, and assures Kholt "not crazy."

"Kholt will defend you with my life! Or well whats left of it. I think." A wry grin forms on his face. He holds his hand up to salute and gets onto his goat "Thought so!" He pets the goat, holding the reigns with one hand and his bombchucker with the other.

Glitterdale packs his items.  He lets Sorin Vulca cast his spells on scarecrows but makes it clear he should do so with little show.  He makes a mental note where they are but does not say much.

When he gets to the tavern he gets himself a room.  Then talks to the inn keeper and goes of to finding a few items from the food shops.

He goes to meet up with Marica.  Turning to Marcia Winterwood.  Keeping the others from getting us all killed is going to be our biggest quest.  I would like us to work on the scarecrows but we must not look like we taking to much interest in them.  I have a plan but we need to survive this evening and then we will see.  I suggest our group meet up early in morning to discuss our next move on adventuring trail.
Then adding.
Oh and I will leave Reign to deal with the other group.  I have something I wish to do this evening.

As for what Grab does Glitterdale says nothing and does not move.  Taking no action or making no reaction.

Marcia looks slightly relieved to see Glitterdale unmurdered. She wasn't particularly emotive, so this was a pretty thrilled for on her limited range of self-expression. A very stoic mother hen. "Need backup?" She rasps at the news that Glitterdale has another errand.

"No."

Reign cocks an eyebrow, looking at Qarley. Looking into Qarley.

Then he looks away, saying as he brings his drink to his lips, "I'm not in a sharing mood."

Reign stayed quiet for a little while, at first resuming his flipping through the pages of his father's memoirs. Some stray thought caught him only a page in, and he returned his journal to his belt-bound bookstrap. "Qarley...humor me." His voice rang low as he removed a cigar along with a splice of thin-cut cedar from the inside of his jacket.

"Our task, to find a prince...to see some...scarecrows." Reign lights his cedar piece from the candle on his table, using the flame to spark his stogie. "Our lives, forfeit. Our bargains...well...to each their own." He spoke around puffing his cigar to red embers, then took a full draw of smoke. "What is your motivation? Do you...want...to use discretion? Is this a challenge of personal fulfillment?" His rosegold halo flickered overhead for a breath. "This truly seems like a game to you...

"But I've been wrong before. Albeit rarely."

He looks to Greb, the only other goblin he's had the experience off making an acquaintance with. "And you...are you one who is...driven by the need for freedom or an insatiable curiosity? Also, I'm sorry...don't believe I've caught your name..."

Greb bows from his perch. "Greb Gutslicer is my name. But I'm not formal about it. Greb is fine. What motivates me? Freedom and revenge. I was captured and sold as a alave at a very young age. When I was old enough, I escaped my bonds and thought I was free at last. When I was trying to sail to a new port and a new life, my ship was taken by pirates and I was offered a choice. I chose life, but it meant another form of servitude. Now, having tasted freedom I yearn for it again. And if I can avenge myself along the way, that's a plus in my ledger." The goblin is speaking fluent Common, not the broken form he had been using before.

She motioned for Reign to either share or give her a cigar as well, then sat back and relaxed with her boys! “I’d ask you what’s at stake for you but I think I know.”

Ever since she met these fine folks she had the feeling that she could read their thoughts. Which meant they could read hers, probably. So she would have to compensate by thinking non-thoughts.

“So discretion? No. But we better use protection.” Reign. Hil. Fox. Definitely not Cael, that guy would not be fun at all. She’d take either of the goblins before that would happen. “They don’t let me have conjugal visitors.”

She would give a false impression and it would steer everyone from the truth. Hopefully they didn’t know what she was, she didn’t glow when she puffed on a cig.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:22, Tue 04 May 2021.

"Gunny gone? Not good. Not good at all." The goblin stops riding and looks worried "You left him alone against all of them?" He climbs off his goat, pulls out his bombchucker and stares at Winter "Kholt says we don't leave anyone behind! Got that?" He's got guts which could probably get himself killed. But still he has them. His eyes narrow and he seems distraught "We got a mission even if I don't like it. Kholt thinks how can we get through it if fighting amongst ourselves? Bloody good for nothing Bannar..." Grumble grumble "Scarecrows or Gunny...." Kholt bites his lip. Is he becoming the morale compass? Oh for crying out louds!

Hil made his way in, fashionably late, having completed his invocations and pipe practice outside.

After all, he was a polite cultist.

As well he'd made a quick careful magical check of his runes. It hadn't taken him very long to realize he didn't have a hope in hell of removing the marks, even with the mark of Azatoth.

He sat down with nearly completely cooled breakfast. It was still wonderful after the prison food.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had some religious duties. At least I can heal one of you now if you get hurt. So, anyone else die since last night?

[dropping post in new thread]