DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3I - Yartar days 3-5

DM

Arrangements having been made to meet up in the morning, the groups separate.

Bern, Davroar, Jaliera, and Zindra
Jaliera, Bern and Zindra escort Davroar to the river's edge. It's not far from the dock where the gambling ship is moored. At this hour of the night the docks are nearly empty of people. A Shields of Yartar dock patrol passes through the area frequently. Typically it's two to four of them leading their horses down the boardwalk.

Zindra turns to Jaliera and says, "I understand you wanting to stay with Davroar but you will not get any rest. The Shields chase drunks and those without a place to stay away. Vagabonds are an unseemly nuisance and you will be chased away. Dockworkers are the first ones to work as fishermen flock to the shores before dawn and even if you manage to find somewhere to rest, The logical thin might be to stay with him on the other shore, but because of raids by barbarians and monsters, which often come at night, the Shields cleared the ground to remove much of any cover. There's a standing order to kill those and ask questions later. You still have a room at Beldabar’s Rest but you decide what you will do."

"Bern, I'm heading back there now. Would you walk me?"

Arus, Kriv, Sindar and Zhu (along with Bronwyn and Kolbaz)
The Shields separate from the group after everyone has emerged from the sewers. Bern, Davroar, Jaliera and Zhu head towards the river leaving Arus, Kriv and Sindar to help Bronwyn and Kolbaz bring Zhu and the two young nobles to the The Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance. It's built like a fortress of grim, forbidding stone, its arched windows look down on the town from the temple's own small hillock.

"I'll take care of Zhu from this point on. You may visit any time but we have an unexpected surge in lodgers tonight," Bronwyn says while glancing back at Zhu and the two other afflicted. From the look she gives Zhu, she is looking for her to support that.

Kolbaz adds, "I understand that you have rooms at the The Pearl-Handled Pipe. Tomorrow you will meet with the Waterbaron. I think you might want to rid yourself of that stench."

He hands Sindar a rolled up scroll, "Give this to the attendant at the entrance. He'll take you in the back way. It says that you were in service to me and the Waterbaron. They would not let you in through their doors looking and smelling like you do otherwise."

<Bern>

He listened to Zindra's ... 'assessment' of 'how the place works', nodding occasionally to show that he =is= listening.

When Zindra finishes her 'explanation' and asks him to be her escort, he smiles and offers her his arm. "Of course", he said, "ready when you are are."

Kriv

"Quite. We are hardly fit for proximity to anyone at present, we'll see if we can be discreet with our ingress."

Davroar

After listening to Zindra's explanation of the area, he turns to Jaliera and says, "Look, I'll be fine on my own here. Got to keep to my human form for a while yet, before I can change to a fish every so often. No one will notice me, and I promise not to eat any worms on a hook by morning."

Silently he hopes he will be healed sooner than later, but he is used to being out in the elements for extended periods of time.

Flashing a crooked smile he adds, "You stink anyways. Clean up. Get a good rest and I'll meet you here in the morning. Ok?"

Jaliera

She doesn't like the idea of leaving Davroar but the thought of cleaning up does appeal.

She smiles at him.

"Avoid those hooks. I'll be back in the morning."

Then she turns to Zindra.

"Thanks. Make sense."

DM

Bern, Jaliera and Zindra
Jaliera leaves Davroar reluctantly at the river's edge but she knows he can take care of himself. Beldabar's Rest is a short trek from there. As she walks the streets with Zindra and Bern Jaliera instinctively keeps her eyes peeled. While it's very late (or very early by some folks perspective) the streets of Yartar are not empty. The Shield patrols are frequent enough to make foul play a risky proposition.

When the trio enter Beldebar's Rest they are not surprised to see that while activity has slowed, it has not stopped. The place seems even seedier at this hour as half naked men and women of various races are interacting with the few patrons still looking for adult entertainment.

Beldebar himself is not working at this hour but a large, burly half orc nods them in.

Zindra says, "I'm heading to bed. It's past my bedtime and I need my beauty sleep."

<Bern>

He sighs inwardly as they walk through the town.

The 'spectacle' on the streets was not particularly unexpected ... although maybe a bit more than he normally saw ... and one of the reasons why he didn't like to spend a lot of time in the larger towns. Seemed that the bigger the town, the more of this that went on.

He nodded to Zindra. "I am thinking the same", he said with a smile.

Jaliera

"I need to clean up first."

She goes to try an arrange a bath and some scented soap, something that smells nice!

DM
Bern, Davroar, Jaliera, and Zindra
Bern and Zindra head off to their rooms, walking together.
Jaliera seeks out someone to draw her a bath.

fade to PMs for these four

Arus

It was dawn's early light by the time Arus emerged from the river.

A few fishermen were already setting up on the bank upstream of town, fussing over their lines or coracles.

One angler was surprised to feel a tug on his line, then an armoured triton emerged from the water carrying the tench he'd hooked.

"Good morning." said Arus, "Catch." He tossed the live fish to the gobsmacked angler and strode dripping into town.

He soon rendezvous with Kriv and Sindar on the street outside The Pearl-Handled Pipe.

After a quick sitrep, they presumably enter the establishment as discreetly as possible.

Sindar

"Thank you," he accepts the scroll from the wizard. Though he has no intention of seeing the Waterbaron close to the shape he is in. He also doesn't know how many baths it will take to clear up the smell.

Walking to the Pearlhandled Pipe he considers their options and once there, he seeks a late night attendant. "Is it possible to get a bite of fare and a late night bath? I seem to have entangled myself in a bit of ugliness," he offers as his simple explanation. It is a high end place so should have options most of the day, but he doesn't know. Oh how he wished he had been there for tonight's buffet. His stomach agreed with that thought.

Kriv

The Dragonborn gave Sindar a slight, surreptitious nudge near where he had the scroll.

Sindar

When they were farther away from the wizard, Sindar explains.

"The wizard gave me a way to get into to see the Waterbaron without using the public entrance. I am going to still try and get some of the slime off before we if possible." Assuming Kriv didn't hear.

DM

Kriv and Sindar at the Pearl Handled Pipe

The reception that the two sludge-drenched heroes received as they approached the late night doorman was suspicious until the scroll was handed off.

"Ah. Friends of Kolbaz. Yes, this way please."

The doorman took a torch out of it's sconce and proceeded to lead the two into the hotel through a service entrance around the side. It was dark in the passageway, the sounds of their footsteps interrupted the cacophony of snores which echoed through the hall. It was too early for most of the help to be awake. He opened a door into a locker room.

"I'm afraid that you must avail yourselves of a bucket of water and a bar of soap for now in the staff ready room." We will have hot baths drawn and ready for you once you wake in the morning. You will find a bell pull in the corner of your room to alert us when you've awakened from your well-deserved slumber."

He handed a large towel to both and said, "There are robes hanging from hooks over there which you can wear." The doorman turned to light a torch in the chamber as he continued. "After you have rinsed off, walk down to the end of the hall where you will find stairs which take you to the lobby. I trust that you will find your way. As for a bite, the last door before the steps is a pantry. I'm afraid that hot food will need to wait until the kitchen reopens in a few hours but I'm sure that the breads, cheeses and cured meats you will find there will hold you until then."

With that he turned and left.

DM
Arus by the river

The section of the sewers that the party had been in was not far from the outflow to the Surbrin River. Arus emerged in less than fifteen minutes as he traveled with the current and learned that the sewers let out under the footbridge which separated the Shield Tower from the city proper. This was downriver from the docks. Arus was already familiar with this river but rarely swam this far downstream when he worked for the Lionshield Coster.

Fishermen are the first to rise. The heat from the midday sun forces fish to swim deeper and fish often eat at the crack of dawn. So Arus expected them to be there upstream, preparing to head out for the early catch.

The startled fisherman shrank back as the fish flew towards him. "Oy there! What's this?" he called out, jaw dropped as Arus strode past him. His cohorts snorted laughter at their friend who then put his hands on his hips and flashed a sneer at the departing triton.

Kriv and Sindar were not where he had hoped when he got to the Pipe, but unlike his friends, he was clean and was greeted politely by the doorman who had already swung the front door open for the hotel guest.

The lobby was quiet. A humble worker was mopping in a corner and a young female clerk barely kept her head propped on her elbows at the front desk. She straightened as Arus entered.

Kriv

He was about to correct his colleague on where the scroll would grant admittance, but the doorman saved him the trouble. Pragmatism was long the Dragonborn's ally, but even so, there was almost an unseemly haste in his ablution, eager to cleanse the sewer filth and sewer-stench. He was practically noseblind currently, which was a small mercy.

Once no longer malodorous and suitably attired, the Dragonborn ate in moderation of the cold cuts and bread available at the pantry, before ascending.

Arus

After nodding to the doorman and flicking him a silver piece, Arus lopes across the lobby to the front desk.

"Hello." he says to the girl with a charming smile, "You look about ready for bed."

Sindar

"Thank you," he said to the doorman for all of his help.

Sindar cleared his body of the bulk of the foul smelling offal, though his clothing would have to be cleaned more thoroughly. He might have to purchase a scroll of a cantrip for cleaning and put it into his spell book. Certainly it would be useful in situations like this.

He availed himself of the pantry and took care of the grumbling stomach, at least enough so that he could sleep.

Then he went to his room and did just that.

DM

Morning came late to most of the crew that had been hunting in the sewers beneath the city of Yartar. Late to bed meant late to rise. They missed the morning breakfast rushes.

Zhu and Davroar were stuck where they are until they are healed of the illness brought upon by the aboleth but the others had meetings planned.

ooc: time for you to state what you are doing in-character.

<Bern>

Daylight pulled him from his sleep sooner than a part of him he wanted. He was still a bit groggy and tired ... hungry as well. He splash some water on his face, got dressed and headed down stairs to see what he could do to relieve the last.

Sindar

His stomach growled loudly enough to rouse him, though it might have been the daylight too. Either way, he rang his room's attendant. When they showed up, he requested a warm bath, and also some suitable clothing to be delivered to the hotel for when he finished.

He would ignore his stomach till his body didn't stink, and his new clothing had arrived.

Getting dressed he went down to see what he could acquire from the morning buffet. He was famished from his activities the day and night before. Food was next on his priority list.

Once that need was satisfied he would seek his associates to take care of arranging a meeting with the Water Baron as they had discussed. Though his plans could be changed, depending upon what his companions needed, or chose to do.

DM

The morning buffets at the Pearl Handled Pipe were quite different than what was served at Beldabar's Rest was quite different. Kriv, Arus and Sindar found each other easily at the breakfast buffet which, like before, was a feast meant for kings. The attendant at the bakery stop alone boasted that she served no less than a dozen different types of breads. That count did not include muffins, cookies, cakes, biscuits and rolls. The trio were able to find a table where they could talk and plan out their day.

Over at Beldabar's Rest, Zindra was already sitting at a table in the common room sipping on a cup of hot tea when Bern came down to fill his stomach. Zindra waved him over. At this point Jaliera is still in the room she shared with Davroar.

Davroar was by the river. He had found an embankment where river currents washed over him periodically, during the night. It was an uncomfortable night because the skin on his face that did not get wet would start to burn. He would toss water onto it half asleep. While his skin needed water, his lungs needed air. It would not be a good situation until he had enough rest to transform into a water breathing creature. After a restless night the thought of accepting help from the priestess that took Zhu in was becoming tempting.

Same could not be said for Zhu. She also needed to breath but her translucent skin needed to be wet throughout the night. Unlike Davroar, she was cared for by acolytes of the Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance. Several attended to her care throughout the night. Zhu was in a tub onto which the clerics of the temple had affixed a headrest that allowed her to be nearly completely submerged, with only her face exposed. The attendants spent the night dabbing wet sponges on her face and placing wet towelettes on her scalp as the rest of her body was submerged in the tub of water.

<Bern>

He noticed Zindra and her invitation. He smiled and headed over, signaling for the waiter to come over for his order.

He took a seat across from Zindra and asked, "How did you sleep? Feeling better, I hope."

Kriv

Well-rested and having selected a substantial morning repast, the Dragonborn Noble looked to the half-elf and Triton impassively. He spake softly, mindful of being overheard.

"We have two matters to conclude. As the Waterbaron requested, we have resolved the matter of the missing lordlings. Sindar and I were present at the initial commission as was Zhu, but with our colleague in convalescence there shouldn't be too much of an issue presenting a slight change in our lineup when we attend. Subsequent to that in order of precedence, we should go to see Lady Dezhia to resolve the two matters she entrusted to our group."

Sindar

"I agree we have the two matters to attend to. We might make an appointment with the Waterbaron for the afternoon, if that fits your idea of the schedule better. I am sure she is busy and won't mind us making her second." The comment seemed innocent enough, but it was clear that he thought the meeting with the Waterbaron should come before their meeting with the noble, even though they were paid a comission.