DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3J - Leaving Yartar

<Bern>

The merchant =seemed= casual enough, but that didn't actually =mean= he was being honest. He looked for 'the little tells', but he wasn't sure if he could actually see them well enough at this distance to be sure.

Aelan

The merchant doesn't give any obvious tells that he's lying, at least that Zindra or Bern can perceive.

Although he does give off the impression he's not exactly volunteering information either.

Sindar

He had been in a somber mood all morning and remained mostly silent in his preparations on his roan bay riding horse. The animal's soft brown eyes seemed to know his rider was unhappy about leaving the lush accommodations of the Pearl Handed Pipe. This was by far the best place he had stayed in years. He enjoyed the good life, and his overflowing breakfast remind him of that with a few different sweet rolls and a couple of delectable pastries stuffed with savory treats.

Yet his heart skipped a beat here and there, he was excited about getting closer to his goal of reaching Evermore and the elves. He was chasing a dream to find his father, who probably didn't know he existed. The thought that his father knew about his half-breed son, and ignored him was too irksome to even consider.

Riding on the road his mood lightened, as did his pockets as he sampled his treats before they had a chance to spoil. There would be plenty of time to eat hunted game, or rations as required. He wanted to continue to live the high life as long as he was able.

He remained with the back group of his companions as they talked with the merchant. He didn't seem to want to elicit too much information from a travel, especially one who didn't seem to what to share very much. That alone told him he was in a sour mood. He decided then and there that he needed to change his attitude just as he had changed his stars when he was younger. The world was his oyster, and he would be the pearl at its center.

[OOC: Thank you for all the well wishing. Glad to be back! Glad to be free of my most recent arrangement of maladies. Looking forward to my next covid booster... um not! ]

Kriv

"A fair bit further than Calling Horns, I'll tell you that for free," reciprocated the Dragonborn. "Anything you had in mind past there? The usual problems, or something new?"

Aelan

"Oh, yeah, something new," Aelan agrees. "This side? The usual stuff. Past it? Trouble. Couple of groups...."

His words trail off as he glances in Bern's direction, brow furrowing.

"You got a twin brother?" he asks Bern directly, the previous sentence left unfinished.

Davroar

Finding himself fidgeting within his new clothes and armour while hanging back, he stops still when the merchant mentions Bern's 'twin'. This doppleganger seems to precede trouble wherever they go, and Davroar waits to hear more.

Zindra

"Twin?"

She glanced over to Bern with a bit of a grimace. She knew that Bern really didn't like this doppelgänger that has decided to take on his visage.

"Do you mind telling us where did you saw this 'Twin' and under what circumstance?" she asked the traveler.

<Bern>

He was lost in conflicting thoughts and emotions at the mention of his 'twin'. Thankfully Zindra was there to ask what needed to be asked while he worked to get his head clear.

Aelan

"Do you mind telling me if you're supporting this... twin... or not?" the merchant replies carefully, avoiding the question. "I don't want any trouble, and if you're with him or there's family ties, that's fine with me. I'll be on my way... no worries."

Kriv

"It's a doppelganger. For obvious reasons there is enmity between us and it. Was there a dwarf with it?" commented Kriv, keeping an eye out for any sign this merchant might be the facechanger itself.

<Bern>

He would not have 'announced' that particular fact ... especially to a stranger. But he had to admit that ... maybe ... he wasn't the best judge of what should be shared on this particular subject.

Zindra
"He is trouble, that double. We are most interested to hear where you may have sighted him and who he was dealing with at the time. And I hope he did not cause you any harm, sir."

Aelan

"No, not directly," Aelan replies, finally returning his attention to Zindra. He relaxes somewhat but still seems cautious.

"It's all rumors," he continues. "And since I make my living moving goods I get to hear a lot of 'em. So yeah, can't put the finger on it, but this guy who looks like you" ... a tilt of his head in Bern's direction ... "and a dwarf" ... a pause and nod toward Kriv ... "and their friends... are somewhat new to the area and things started to happen about when they arrived."

"Coincidence?" Aelan shrugs. "Maybe. All I know is it's no longer a good place for me to do my business. More danger, less product."

He pauses for a moment, then adds, "Uh, one of you asked about where... all the trouble is around the Evermoors. Mostly just on the other side of Calling Horns."

Zindra
"Thank you my good man. It is much appreciated. What sort of problems were there? We intend to spend the night at Calling Horns. Is it safe there?"

He turns around and waves the others forward.

ooc: Much as I'm playing, I think it best if the rest of the group do the talking for the party.

Sindar

He nudges his horse forward. He still stops a bit back watching the proceedings. To him, watching people was half the reason to meet someone new. How a person moved when they said something, how they said it, all offered clues to anything else that might be unsaid.

Davroar

He will walk up to where the three of them are talking to the trader and will casually look at the furs and hides he has in his cart to see if there is any good pieces to supplement his own armour to make it less chaffing over his arms. Overhearing the last part, his full attention turns to the trader waiting to hear what he says about the area around Calling Horns.

Aelan

"Safe?" Aelan chuckles. "Yeah, Calling Horns is about the safest you're gonna get anywhere east of here, but safe isn't free."

He eyes the party. "You all can probably earn your keep with your weapons. People like me have to pay our share to people like you if we want to stay inside the wall. As for outside the wall? The usual threats, but more of them. Ogres and trolls mostly, the occasional other random beast... it's like they're being driven out of the Evermoors..."

Jaliera

She continues to watch through Whisper's eyes.

Kriv

“Being driven out, you say? Intriguing. Migration forced by something nastier, or collaboration? Are they driven away, or driven to?” pondered the Dragonborn.

<Bern>

He had been hoping for more info on the doppelganger, but it seemed that there wasn't much more on that from this guy.

He took a moment to review what he had heard in the 'discussion' that he had been ... mostly ignoring when he was distracted by mention of his foe.

He thought what their 'informant' was saying about their destination. While he chaffed at the delay, it might be worth spending some time being 'sell swords' to get some coin and ... hopefully ... some useful information.

"Maybe we should go and find out", he said in answer to Kriv's pondering.

Zindra
The scout shared Kriv's concerns.

"I do wonder, what could drive trolls and ogres out of the Evermoors?"

She knew (and was sure her companions knew) that the answer was 'giants'.

"You say that Calling Horns was safe, but not free? What did you mean by that, specifically? We are headed there are want to be prepared for what we shall encounter there. Also, you mentioned his twin," she added as she shot a glance pointing towards Bern. "What did you mean by 'supporting' his twin? Did you encounter him? Did he provide a name? What was he up to? As you can see, we are quite interested in the behavior of this doppelganger and the dwarf with him. Anything you share with us is said in confidence sir."

Aelan

The merchant chuckles as the questions keep coming, but rather than answer he shakes his head and raises his hand, palm forward, as if to indicate 'stop with all the questions!'

"Hey, I'm no expert here," he says, hand returning to his lap and a loose hold on the reins. "I buy and sell, mostly from and to hunters, so most of what I know is secondhand. I've seen 'im..." a head tilt toward Bern "... enough to know what he looks like, and heard enough to know he's probably trouble. Rumors say he's buying weapons from the town's blacksmith and selling... well, not to the hunters, you can guess who's buying. That's really about all I know... enough to know it's too risky for me to keep doing business there."

After a moment's pause, he directly answers Zindra's question. "As for the town... Tamalin -- she's the innkeeper -- and her deputies keep the place pretty safe, but for merchants and farmers they pay for that safety. Travelers pay for a good night's sleep at the inn. And she'll often hire swords like yourself to... look into things. So if you're as inquisitive as you seem to be, maybe she'll pay you to answer your own questions."

He grins, seeming to be chuckling quietly at his own joke.

"Now, if you want to know who to buy and sell from, that I can give you expert advice."

Davroar

"I would also suspect that the local bandits are probably coming into Calling Horns to spend their coin. Being the closest town. Is there more than one tavern there?"

Davroar figures it would just be a matter of waiting to identify one or two of the bandits and then follow them out to wherever they have thier camp.

Zindra

She waves the others forward to hear what she's heard already. As they approach, she says, "These are my companions, good folk one and all. And friends, this here is Aelan, a merchant that has just been where we are headed. It seems Bern, that your twin has been tarnishing your reputation further. It appears he's dealing arms and is working with some dwarf."

Having been through Calling Horns several time already, she answered Daroar's question. "Calling Horns started as a simple road-side inn but it's grown into a small settlement. Aelan says that the innkeeper, Tamalin, has deputies and inferred that she runs a tight ship and has deputies. I don't know many inn keepers that have deputies. Aelan also says that it is costly to stay there. I'm guessing that the inn is the only place in town."

<Bern>

He approaches with the others at Zindra's 'invitation'. He grimaces a bit at the mention of his 'twin', but remains silent ... waiting to hear what the other want to do.