Seeing the barkeep, and moving in his direction, Ereth turns to Cass and asks, "What can I get you?"

In reply to Eteth’s offer, Cass replied:  “A glass of milk.  Cold.  If they have any.  Thanks!”
This message was last edited by the player at 20:43, Thu 12 May 2022.

Cassandra's request caused Ereth to stop in his tracks. For a moment he looked like he had swallowed a bug. Then he managed a smile, reminding himself how young the priestess was. "Milk it is," he replied.

Approaching the bar, Ereth ordered a glass of gin for himself, "And milk for the lady," wondering whether this establishment would have either.

While awaiting a response, he took a closer look at the label on the barkeep's pin.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:39, Thu 12 May 2022.

OOC:  It seems like Trevion doesn't want to play ball, which is fine.  Post #38 if you missed it Trevion.

As Lotti hands her coin over she asks Chester. "Why do you come up from under the reception area?  It seems like a strange place to be at this hour of the night or morning, whatever it is."

Once that is answered, and assuming it doesn't lead to something else that is unusual her next question is.

"What's it like to be outside in the village/hamlet in the evening?  Is it safe for a lady, or anyone else for that matter to walk around?"

and once that is asked she will continue.

"Does the fog come in every evening, has it always been like that?"

and finally "What would be your biggest concern if you were out at night around here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:16, Fri 13 May 2022.

OOC: Good stuff Lotti.

Trevion lingers at the counter, watching Chester as he addresses Lotti’s questions.

OOC: Trevion will continue to Detect Evil, focusing specifically on the recently arrived concierge.

In reply to Cassandra (msg # 38):

Ornwin rather reluctantly hands over two gold pieces (of his remaining six), muttering to himself, "We'd best find treasure soon, or I'll be sleeping on the floor --or in the street." He then lingers reluctantly near the counter in the lobby, since he wants to hear the answers to Lotti's questions, and so far she is the closest thing he has to a friend in the party.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:56, Fri 13 May 2022.

With his back and belly cruelly creased between table and counter and elbow nearly embedded within counter sludge, Ereth makes his desires known to the barkeep.

Not wavering in his wiping, the man says, "You must be wanting our specialty and something to wash it down?"

Lest Ereth repeat his request, he avers that he serves but one dish and but one drink at the Emperor of Curd.  Would he have the specialty or no?

He raises his eyes to yours. When risen, they still hang.

The pin on his red vest reads: "I'm not Chester!"


"That's the employee break room," Chester brightly answers.


Genuinely baffled, the concierge explains that he would never go outside -- with the Emperor of Curd being a full-service establishment, why would he?


For the first time, a troubled thought wrinkles Chester's brow, "Yes, it does. No, no, it has not always quite been like that. But it has been for as long as I can remember as curious as that sounds."


"That I would never be able to find my way back to the Emperor of Curd."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:35, Sat 14 May 2022.

Frowning at some of his answers Lotti carries on, "Some of your answers sound very strange to my ears.  How old are you Chester and do you remember being a little boy?"

Trevion leans down to whisper in Lotti’s ear.

Lotti's face looks a little crestfallen when the paladin whispers into her ear.    She quickly focuses her attention back on Chester and her as yet unanswered question mumbling to him as she waits on his reply.  "It seems like I won't be sharing a door with Trevion Chester, perhaps you can put me in a room that shares a door with Cassandra, as apparently I could benefit from some spiritual guidance." She quickly pokes her tongue out at Trevion, in a manner that he wouldn't actually see, but it would convey a message of distaste to anyone else that saw.

Otis unfreezes, no longer in that strange condition whereby his brain had seemingly gone on holiday. Parsing things, both actions and words, somewhat belatedly he seeks Ornwin. After returning the bow Otis grinds out, "Thanks for seeing me rather than my heritage." Seeing the unexpectedly likable fellow seems to be sporting a slight wound he adds, "Let me fix that."

The half-orc eyes the paladin, Trevion, and nods, sure that time will reveal the flavour of paladin. He's ralaxed that he will not register the faintest hint of evil, being a best that he can be as a priest of Mielikki.

Before she tootles off to sleep Otis catches up with Lotti, "We did the best we could on the horses and coach. We work well together." He nods to himself then, indicating her wound, continues, "Anyway, please let me try and fix that."


======
OOC: 22:32, Today: Otis rolled 8 using 1d8.  CLW on Ornwin.
Mielikki is NG
22:50, Today: Otis rolled 5 using 1d8.  CLW on Lotti.

Chester, ever obliging, closes his eyes and drums his fingers on the countertop, his purplish fingertips disturbing the dust upon it.

"I do not remember my childhood, but it must have been a happy one," he says serenely.

As for the other question, he looks at his card, "24 or 51? I couldn't say. Both? Neither?"


"Rooms 5 and 6, then, for you and Cassandra."

She nods to the room, "24 sounds nice"  On a whim, and really suspicious of their host now that she has benefited from Trevion's skills she asks, "Chester are you actually alive and needing to breath air and drink liquid to survive?"

Fishing out some money Oris asks, "Chester, what do you mean 'We're a full-service hotel'? What services and where exactly? And please give map a map of this hotel; I get lost far too often and easily. And do you have some complimentary silk rope that we may have?"

He pushes across a couple of coins as requested. "I want a room adjacent to either of these two ladies," adds Otis, indicating Cassandra and Lotti.

***
Catching up with the others slightly later ater Otis asks, "What exactly are in 'the specials'?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:59, Mon 16 May 2022.

“Oh, thank you, Otis!” yells Cassandra from the lounge to her protector, Otis - Otis speaking loud enough to be heard all the way from the lobby check-in counter.

If a buttock-ugly half-orc can ever to said to metaphorically glow, Otis does so.

Ereth hesitates, uncertain how to answer the question. He was tempted to decline the offer, but he didn't want to be rude.

"Lovely!" he proclaimed, trying to sound sincere. "Yes, we'll take two specials."

He doubted the food would be edible. He could only hope that the beverage would be quaffable.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Sun 15 May 2022.

Given Ornwin's thin purse, he says, "I will just have the special, please.'

As Lotti had suggested, Trevion ventured into the lounge.

For an instant, the sight of the bar made him forget the unsettling atmosphere of the inn, his memory drifting back to seeing his father and oldest brother raising tankards in celebration of hard won victories, their moods bright and jovial. Now, it seemed that strong drink was something he had to refuse, to abstain from. He let out a soft sigh. He felt less like a divine servant and more like a simple outcast. He wondered if such as he ever found a sense of belonging among others, or if it was only duty that offered some measure of solace.

Waiting until the barkeep had moved to fill the orders he had been given, Trevion quietly told his fellow travelers, ”Chester radiates an aura of evil. But I do not believe him a threat. He is, perhaps, a servant of something greater. Possibly whatever force is behind the strange conditions that pervade this place.”

"Of course, I eat," Chester claims. "Not as often as I might like what with all of guests and the services they require."

Chester nearly glows as he responds to Otis's request for a delineation of services.

"Yes, we are a full-service inn, and those services, naturally, extend to our rooms.  Room, chamber pot, magic finger, ice bucket, and alarm ..."

He lists another three dozen or so items that either make no sense or that are forgotten about immediately. Who would want (or even risk) complementary mole removal?

"Stay for a day or a lifetime!  The Emperor of Curd will cater to all of your needs," Chester concludes, effulgent with pride.

But no they don't offer no-cost silk ropes to guests, he informs Otis, without a trace of irony.

~~~

With a practiced hand, the barkeep snatches a pitcher and fills three mugs with frothy yet possibly lumpy white liquid.  Smells like milk.  But milk that lives in that treacherous land between potable and turned.  With his other hand, he retrieves three colossal bowls and places them on the grimy counter.  Little whitish curds and nubs heaped high with a slick white grease coating it all.  This can only be a super-sized bowl of cottage cheese--more than any man could eat -- as if a man could eat any amount.

"Thank you, Chester. And my key? To the room adjacent to the ladies?"

Lotti falls quiet satisfied with Chester's reply and when Otis receives his key she nods her head more or less to say, Lets join the others in the other room.  I've used green italic to indicate she hasn't actually spoken, it's just what she would hope Otis would infer from her head movement and actions, so it's open to interpretation.
______________________________

When in the other room and when the barkeep has moved away from their group a little (if he doesn't move Lotti will ask him to please give them some privacy.)

In a sotte voce (I had to use it Ereth, I'd never heard it prior to you using it and had to look up what it meant.  (Kudos to you for giving me a new phrase.) she speaks only so the small group can hear her, "I don't believe Chester is alive.  I asked him directly, but I think he purposefully misdirected with his reply, and hopefully by now Trevion has informed you of his general demeanour.  I still believe inside is safer than outside, so I'm not going to discuss that again" she says as she cocks her head towards the door outside, "but potentially we're in the spiders web.  To be safe, because we all need some shut eye, I think we should all share the same room tonight, if we are able.  We can drag the bedding from other rooms to a room with an adjoining door, and then barricade the outside doors and call on our gods blessings until the morning."

Seeing the slop and swill placed on the bar, Ereth turns to Cass and says, "Good news! They have milk!" while handing a mug to her and turning his nose at the rest.

Leaning into the rest of the group he whispers, "I agree with Lotti. We need to be vigilant. How about using the two adjoining rooms, three to a room, keeping the adjoining door open?"

If circumstances allow, he will elaborate on that proposal here in the lounge. If not he will explain further when they reach the rooms.

Either way, here is the full proposal:

Everyone checks into their own rooms as originally planned. And everyone traps their hallway door with a piece of paper, or string, or whatever, to indicate if the door is opened during the night. Cass can handle these duties if others don't have the requisite skill.

Then we all convene in the adjoining rooms, taking whatever bedding is needed from our own rooms, and keeping all of our belongings with us.

We can lock and barricade the hallway doors, and the same thing with exterior windows, if necessary.

We will also check for secret doors in the walls or trap doors in the floor/ceiling of each room.

We can then set a single watch, stationed in the threshold of the adjoining doorway, 90 minutes each? ( 90x6 = 540 = 9 total hours or 7.5 hours of sleep per person factoring in the watch.)

Cassandra was looking forward to some real milk, but she sniffs the mug and decides it was a bad choice to ask and even more concerning that milk was all they had.  She politely but resolutely declines to drink any.  Oh well, she thinks to herself.  The iron rations and water will have to do.

Cassandra yawns (with some exaggeration, but also with true fatigue), makes eye contact with both Lotti and Ereth.  And nods agreement with each of their proposals.  Sounds like we at least have a plan for this night, she thinks to herself.

“I need some sleep.  Otis, will you escort me to my room?”

“Oh, Chester, a thought just occurred to me.  Are there any other travelers or long time residents staying in any of the other rooms in the inn tonight?”

Time to check out the accommodations.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Tue 17 May 2022.