Yana sighed but made no move to follow her sister.   She knew that her temperamental twin just needed space.  She remained in the back room, in case there were more details about the job.

The loud crack of the knife slamming into the table echoes in the suddenly quiet room causing me to jerk back involuntarily, my eyes scanning for the source of the noise. It takes a moment to sort out what happened, the presumably illusionary horns on the one twin and the furious reaction of the other. It seems I will need to watch both the Yuan-Ti and the Tiefling.

"It seems we have all learned something. Miss Scalesong, while not socially appropriate, I must commend you on an excellent illusion. My name is Osmon Mambetov and it will be interesting travelling with you all. As we have just demonstrated, beginnings are fragile things; I suggest that we be careful with each other."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Sun 04 July 2021.

An illusion... of course... I'm so stupid, I should have known!

With the crisis adverted and Allura revealing more of her personality in the aftermath while stomping out of the room, it was surprising to see Yana still seated.

Those two are not quite joined at the hip then.

Amalia picked up her fish dish and brought it in front of Yulin, before sitting down. Taking a bite, she made a face, the fish and rice having had time to cool down with all the events and discussions. Remembering how the huge man reacted to the spellcasting on Yana, she preferred to warn both men in the room.

Osmon, mister Solgran, it seems that we spellcasters will need to be careful not to offend. I give you a warning that I use a lot of magic in my everyday tasks.

Flashing a smile, she casted a simple spell she had learned with the help of her wizard brother, and the food on her plate started steaming, warmed up. Now that most of her accumulated fears were passed, she realized that she was really hungry and attacked the dish with appetite. Taking a sip of the bard's wine,  her eyebrows raised.

This is really good, Yulin, thank you. I need to remember that taste.

Taking another sip, she asked the Yuan-ti.

Please forgive my ignorance if I am wrong, but during my anthropology lectures at the temple, I was told that Yuan-ti are an emotionless race... yet, you seem to like having fun, which is quite the opposite.

Cast Prestidigitation to warm up her plate

Rather than looking concerned at the departure of the devil Yulin actually seemed quite pleased with herself. It was only an idle bit of magical trickery but yet she had learned so much, they had all learned so much, and she felt it was much better in the open. She turned her head to Yana with a whisper.  It was a curious thing, the implications of what Allura had just mentioned and Yulin looked towards the door that the devil departed from.

Taking another sip of her wine she leaned back in her chair and looked around the table, "Any other sensitive subjects we should all be aware of? Anyone likely to lose their head on our travelsss?" She looked around the table, "I will admit I am likely to react... unkindly... should anyone harm a serpent while in my company." She looked to Solgran, "How about you wild human, you look like a creature with a short fuse for such a big sword."

As the purple haired hatchling sat across from her and cast her spell Yulin nodded slowly, more than just a couple of those present seemed to appreciate magic. As the young human ate and asked her question Yulin smiled kindly, "Perhapsss we are just hard to understand by your kind but the vrael olo have our passions, they just do not usually align with the lesser racesss. I share many of the passions of my kin, subtlety and guile, seeking knowledge, mating and loyalty to onesss nest." Her mouth curled into a wry smile, "Though I respect them greatly I never had the passions for violence or the ruthless ambition of my kin; I much preferred having fun through story and song." Her smile grew sad, "Thus the reason I left the den, I was a danger to the nest and my mate."

Yulin reached out and ran her fingers through Amalia's purple fringe, she tilted her head and let out an inquisitve hmm. "Exquisite. Tell me hatchling, the color is natural? It is adorable." She was studying the young human as one would a puppy or kitten.

Yana raised a bemused eyebrow,  but nodded to the bard after her whispered words.

Snoric watched his companions withour comment.  He wasn't the most social when amongst people he knew, these people he most certainly did not.

His hand reflexively went inside his cloak for a weapon when he heard the booming shout but quickly recovered when the target was just a reckless use of magic.  He shrugges and went back to his tinkering.

One important thought came to him and he turned his attention to his employers.  "Are we expected to have our own supplies, rations, mounts and the like for this trip or will you be supplying us with such things?"  Having exhausted most of his supplies on his trip to Neverwinter he would need to go shopping if he was expected to supply his own meals.  Still at least his purse was ten gold heavier if the need eventuated.

The dwarf started leaving when snoric asked his question. “Ye will get two oxen and th’ wagon…..it won’t be fast, but most will keep up. As fer rations, ye will be supplied enough fer 3 days fer all of ye. Fresh meat fer the first day, some vegetables and herbs, as well as bread and some oats fer th’ oxen. Enough fer th’ trip.”

Solgran watched Allura leave the room, and considered following. When he saw that she simply relocated to finish her meal in peace, he let her be. Some people could cool their anger with time and solitude, while others needed to release it into the world so that it not consume them. She seemed more the prior. ~In this case, at least.~

Solgran knew very little about the details of magic, but he was familiar with the casting of them. Hearing talk of the horns being an illusion was interesting. They looked real enough to him, so Solgran nodded his agreement Osman's comment, "I've never seen an illusion before. It did look quite good."

As there was some discussion about it now, Solgran commented, "I know from past discussions that it is not easy to notice the different tones in my voice. I was not offended in the casting. It is a bit like throwing knives near someone's head, however; harmless at the end of the day, but not always well received by the one on the receiving end if unexpected. By all means, if it does not harm, restrain, or violate my control over my own thoughts or actions, you have my consent. For that matter, if there is danger and your magic will harm me but kill the enemy, you'll likely be forgiven for that as well. I know there is some resemblance, but I assure you I am no Uthgardt."

When Yulin spoke, he took on a look of contemplation for a moment before he replied, "Harming innocents who cannot defend themselves, or a serious threat to do so. Not a problem I expect to run into with this group, Mistress Scalesong. I do have a protective nature, so you may see a short fuse if we do come under attack, but have no fear of it being directed at you."

Yulin seemed very opened about talking on her race's views and Amalia found the details fascinating. There was something in this story that disturbed her though.

You had to leave your nest and mate because you were different? That doesn't make sense to me, differences are to be cultured and cherished, they bring a different, and as valid, point of view. Take Selune, She goes through different stages every cycle, She promotes and protects changes and difference.

The teenager had a visible shiver when the Yuan-ti touched her hairs and asked about them. Breaking eye contact, she lowered her head. The question hit very close to her grieving heart, the memory of using her hands to bury her parents too fresh in her memory. And did the bard call her an hatchling?

I... don't want to talk about it... maybe one day... but not now, please.

The conversation turned to be more personal, about what would annoy or anger the others of this eclectic group. But Amalia was not listening anymore and closed up, nursing her glass of wine, fighting to keep her eyes dry. She had already told that story today, and would need to tell Osmon... the others could wait.

Eating more pleasantly without the din of chatter or annoyances of old acquaintances meeting anew, or people wearing out their warning so very early on in first meetings. Allura took the time to look around the main in to see what people were there, what people were looking where and if a half elven bard was looking to hire a silencer.

Noting her meal was growing a bit cool she stabbed her palm with her knife slightly and bluish flames leapt under her plate from the blade to warm things up. She started in on her freshly heated meal again.


-1 hp sacrifice

Yana sat, making plans in her head, while observing her new Traveling Companions.
She nodded to Snoric.
"I look forward to talking with you about your clockwork devices,  Master Tinker, if you're amenable.  It's long been a subject that's always fascinated me "

Yulin smiled, there were many peculiar creatures in this fellowship; take the devil and its sister, she had her own interests about the relationship between the pair and what powers were involved there. Her people were no strangers to doing deals with creatures from the abyss, and Yulin was very familiar with the power and price of such deals. As she listened to the young human speak slowly and hesitantly of something so simple as the color of her hair she felt the creatures sadness. Her smile turned to sympathy and she looked softly to the young human, "I'm sorry hatchling, do not dwell on it now. I will be here if you ever want to talk."

She changed the subject back to herself and her kin, something she was ever eager to educate others in. "Differences are dangerousss." She said with certainty, "The vrael olo are the pinnacle of civilisation and knowledge, our power, culture and history are rivaled by no other race. It is for this purpose that different is dangerousss, being different is not required. Everything in the life of a vrael olo is determined from birth, from their position and purpose to their prospective mates. To go outside of onesss position brings danger to the heirarchy of the nest." It was her turn to speak hesitantly, "I went above my station. Took a mate I shouldn't and he took me in return... and so I had to leave. For the safety of the nest and my mate." She shook her head, "No, different is dangerousss. Definitely not to be celebrated."

She looked to the taller human male who the hatchling seemed familiar with before leaning in closer to Amalia, "You know thisss one? Is he your mate?" It was delivered seriously but there was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

Looking Scalesong squarely in the eye, my right eyebrow slightly raised at her obvious attempt to cause embarrassment. "No. While it has been my privilege to know Miss Firnam for much of our lives it has never been in such an intimate manner."

Yulin's sympathetic overture was acknowledged by a small nod of the head, and the bard explained more of her society and why she was exiled, for going outside the social norms of her people. While very interesting, Amalia filing that information in a corner of her mind to revisit it later, she glanced towards Osmon and that provoked, apparently, the comment about him being her mate. She blushed and wanted to forcibly reject that proposal when the wizard intervened and shut that silly idea down, saving her from doing it.

She looked at Osmon for about ten seconds, her face hardening, then seemed to take a decision. Suddenly, she drained the reminder of her wine in one gulp to get some courage, then raised.

Osmon, please come with me.

Bringing the mage to a far corner of the room, as far away from the others as possible, she talked to him in a low tone, head dropped.

With the curt reply from the tall human and a mere blush from the hatchling Yulin lost interest in their conversation. Though she was curious about why they would both so immediately depart to a corner of the room for quiet conversation.

It seemed that all at the table had now been introduced and she had some knowledge about them all. Yana, of course, the locksmith in training and her sister, the devil Allura. The small burrow creature Yana was in discussion with, the tinkerer and apparent cook Snoric, the oddly serious and well-spoken wild man Solgran with the sword taller than her. Then there was the devout hatchling Amalia and her not-mate human friend Osmon, who had an appreciation for magic. Not even to mention the Gundren mountain creature and his human-slave Sildar. A very diverse cast of faces with some very interesting skills which Yulin believed gave a small hint as to what Gundren was expecting once the supplies were delivered to Phandevin.

She picked up the bottle of wine and frowned at how little was left as she drained what was remaining into her glass. Traveling on the morrow was not expected and she had much to do to prepare. She drank what was left of the wine from her glass and stood, the black snake slithering back under the sashes at her chest. "I have much to prepare if I am to accompany you tomorrow." She announced to the room, "Shopping, foremost, however I invite anyone interested to join me at the Last Respite Bath House in the River District later this evening." She waggled a finger around those gathered, "Thisss may be the last chance for a hot bath for a while."

With a curtsy and a flourish of green and grey Yulin was back out the door. On her way through the common room she stopped by the half breed bard and dropped her earlier gifted coins which weren't of gold into his cap without comment. She also stopped by Allura on the way out, approaching her clearly and bending down next to the devil's ear with a hand on her shoulder.

Allura looked up from her meal. A bit of blood still dripped from her hand. He cool blue eyes met the serpentine ones of Yulin. Though Allura didn't say anything she did acknowledge the other woman and with the slightest of nods indicate that she did hear what Yulin had said.

Pride for the moment was stowed for the practicality of possible help for her sister.

Snoric bowed his head.  "Hardly a Master tinkerer, more of an apprentice.  I do this for fun and interest.  I'm a cook by trade.  I'd be happy to show you the things I'm making on our journey."

In reply to Snoric (msg # 85):

For perhaps the first time since the dinner started, Yana smiled a genuine smile.
"I look forward to that. Mechanical things are a passion of mine as well."

In reply to Yana Whitlock (msg # 86):

Snoric looked up, showing more interest in Yana, then he had paid to most of the meeting.  "Really?  What kind of devices do you have interest in?  Any work I can see?"

Yana nodded to the gnome,  bringing up a pouch.
"My skills with clockwork gears are mostly self taught,  so all i have made so far are a couple of locks I've been working on. "
She brought out a couple of locks, one a padlock and the other a lock that looked like it could be installed on a chest.  They were somewhat complicated,  but not too complex.

Amalia led Osmon back into the main room and towards a table in the back corner, furthest from the rest of the patrons. Taking a seat they sat, heads bowed in quiet conversation, Amalia's shoulders shaking slightly and light glittering off moisture in her eyes. When Amalia finished Osmon closed his eyes for a moment before reaching out and softly resting his hand on her right shoulder. Speaking to her softly he maintained eye contact with her until she nodded her head, and tried to subtly dry her eyes. Giving her a final nod and gently squeezing her shoulder he stood up and exited the tavern.

After walking out of sight of the tavern, he paused casting his eyes towards the dim stars he could barely see though the cities flickering torch light. A shadow spiraled down from the nearby building and settled on his left shoulder and a small barred owl alighted on his shoulder, its beak fussing the hair by his right ear. Reaching up to gently stroke the bird's feathers he continued on his way; he had affairs to put in order before tomorrow.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:55, Tue 06 July 2021.

Amalia looked at Osmon leave her, and wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, still feeling his touch on her shoulder. It had not been easy, but it was necessary to have told him about her family's fate, if they were to embark on this journey together. After a few minutes of listening to Yana and Snoric talking of locks and mechanism, while she was collecting her strength, the cleric left the room after bidding a good night to the two remaining members of the ad hoc party.

She was emotionally drained and after almost leaving the inn, she remembered her first conversation and discovered that Gundren had been true to his word and arranged for her to have a room in the tavern. It was not much, a straw filled mattress on a rickety wooden bed frame, a thin blanket, a chair and a chamber pot, but it seemed luxurious to the girl that had been basically homeless for the last month. But like her goddess, Amalia was a night person, and she found an access to the roof, climbing there to bathe in the rays of the crescent moon in the sky, praying to Selune to give her strength and wisdom in the days to come. Her prayers completed, she whistled a high note and the white figure of a snow owl came to perch itself on her shoulder. The teenager caressed the owl for a moment, before taking her horn flute from her belt bag and started to play, a mournful melody too full of emotional excesses to be called beautiful. But she didn't care what others could be thinking, as it was for her ears only.

21:02, Today: Amalia Firnam rolled 5 using 1d20+3.  performance.

Snoric was intrigued.  "A clockwork gear lock?  Fascinating.  How does it work?  Are they more difficult to tamper with?"

In reply to Snoric (msg # 91):

Yana shrugged, smiling sheepishly
"In theory.   So farx though,  i haven't been able to get it to work properly yet.  I'm hoping that someday,  when it's perfected, that it'll revolutionize locksmith work.  So far, though,  it's more of a work in progress ",

This message was deleted by the player at 00:39, Sat 07 Aug 2021.