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Neptune Offline OP
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DM

The three long time friends that had all come from the Neverwinter area decided to forego the luxury and comfort of the Pearl-handled Pipe for a different place to spend the night. They exited into the street and made their way to the market square. Now came the challenge of finding such a place in a strange city on a chilly night. That didn't bother any of them but where would they start? They are not alone in the street. It is still early evening, barely after sunset.

Last edited by Neptune; Tue 17/11/20 15:38 UTC. Reason: renamed the thread

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Davroar

Looking around if there is no building that stands out as a inn he will ask Bern and Jaliera, "Guess just ask someone?"

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Jaliera

"Good idea,"

She smiles at him and notes a likely passerby.

"Excuse me, is there a tavern nearby?"

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<Bern>

He nodded his agreement to the plan, then he joined the search.


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DM

Jaliera stops a man and he says "The Wink and Kiss is over there. It's a festhall," he says pointing to a nondescript building at the far end of market square. "Then there's the Coin Toss in the north of town. Head past the Wink and turn right."


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<Bern>

"Shall we check 'em both out first ... or just pick the closest one", he asked.


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Davroar

His stomach is grumbling, so he says, "Wink and Kiss sounds good enough for me."

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Jaliera

She thanks the man and then grins at Davroar's stomach rumble.

"Let's check out the Wink & Kiss and if it seems OK, at least for food, then maybe we eat there? I think Davroar is hungry."

She chuckles.

"By the way, Zhu somehow sent a mental message to me, asking that we mark the outside of the place we stay in so they can find us. Clever idea. No idea how she does that but she's a real mage and so knows what she is about. Shall we go? I'll mark the building once we have decided and secured rooms."

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<Bern>

He smiled at the rumbling stomach next to him and nods, "sounds fine to me."


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Davroar

Picking up his pace now that they have made a decision, he knows that some festhalls allow patrons to simply sleep in the common area. Whatever is allowed, he asks Jaliera, "How do you mark a building? I doubt the owner will like us carving our initials in his door."


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Jaliera

"Zhu suggested a small mark, a hollow circle with a solid dot in the middle. It will hardly be visible but she thinks she will find it. And then once we have rooms, we just leave a message with the barman as to where we have gone."

She grins.

"I could just leave Whisper on the roof I suppose but we might want to take her with us."

She heads towards the Wink & Kiss.

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<Bern>

"Could you leave some sort of a 'magical mark' that only a magic user would be able to see? Then we just 'dispel' it after we hook up."


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Jaliera

"That might be possible for a mage. I don't know. But it's not something I can do."

She smiles, not considering herself much of a magic user really.

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Davroar

As they approach the building he asks, "Big place. Does it matter where you put the symbol?"

If it is going to have to be anywhere near the entrace, Davorar figures they can probably just stand to either side of Jaliera to hide the fact that she is carving the mark.

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Jaliera

"No idea. Near the door I would guess, that's where I'd look first."

She should have asked. But maybe Zhu has a way of telling?

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(OOC - The location of where to put it was in the PM.)

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ooc: Assumption made that there was a level of coordination between Zhu and Jaliera. We don't have to stress about specifics wink

DM
Jaliera digs into her pack and takes out a piece of chalk to make the mark that Zhu suggested near the entrance to the Wink and a Kiss. This way, if they happen to not like the place, the mark could be erased. Then she led her two friends into the festhall.

The Wink and the Kiss was not the Pearl-handled Pipe. The two places could never be compared. Where the Pipe was civilized elegance, the Wink was not. The door opened into a entered into a dark foyer. Sitting on stools at the far end of the foyer were two big men. Along the walls, to either side, were storage lockers. There were well over one hundred lockers. Some had a key in the lock but many didn't.

"Pick lockers, the ones with keys, to store your weapons in," one of them said. The other man lifted the top of a crate that was next to his seat. Inside the crate were masks.


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<Bern>

He could only smile as they entered and he 'took in' the ambiance.

He nodded at the 'door man' and placed his weapons in a locker and placed the key in his pocked.

He waited for his friends to do the same.


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Jaliera

She had no idea what to expect but shrugs. They need to take a look and ideally eat a hot meal. She follows Bern's example. Of course she is not entirely defenceless, she has spells but little intention to use any.

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Davroar

He does as instructed putting his staff and knives into the locker, pocketing his key, and once all that is done says to his friends, "Now, Let's get some food!"

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DM

With your weapons away, the men hold out the three masks for you to take. Refusal is greeted with a stern look and until you don them, they do not let you pass. After giving up your weapons, taking a mask seems relatively harmless so you accept them, even if reluctantly, and the men part the curtain to invite you into the festhall.

Once you enter, you realize that the Wink and a Kiss is set up in a rather uncommon manner. It is not so much of a singular place rather it is a labyrinthine collection of small rooms, hanging curtains, secluded galleries, private nooks and so on. It was mostly dim, lit only by scattered candles and and lanterns. There were people, many people inside but they were scattered and huddled in smaller, private groups and engaged in various activities, some of which were exotic and salacious. Everyone was masked. As you moved deeper into the establishment you finally reached a bar area of some sort, the sounds of music, voices and laughter drew you there. A juggler and a minstrel wandered about the area. There were booths and nooks with tables, some open and available. Attendents, male and female, wandered about, looking to please.


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<Bern>

It was one thing to surrender your weapons. He understood that. But the mask thin was making him think that they had picked the wrong place.

He looked to his friends to see if they might have similar feelings.


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Davroar

He tentatively takes one of the offered masks while muttering, "This town is just full of surprises." No matter, his hunger gets the better of his judgement as he steps through the doors and follows the the music to the bar all the while looking rather wided-eyed at the patrons. Reaching the bar he will ask the closest attendent, "You got food?"

If there is nothing but drink and raunchiness served here, he is going to walk straight back out.

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DM

"Of course we do," the attendant, a man said. "Why don't you grab a table and I'll be right with you."


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Jaliera

She dons her mask, not too worried by that but wondering why they need them. Once inside she gets an idea and is grateful to the mask to hide her blushes. Were it not for her recent experiences with Davroar as their relationship progressed, she probably wouldn't have set foot in here.

She is relieved when they find the bar and are assured food is available, though she wonders how difficult it will be to eat with the masks on. She studies the staff & customers with some interest, averting her gaze when things are more than a little exposed.

[OOC: How big are these masks? Full face?]

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[ooc: We'll call them 'eye masks', nothing too drastic.]

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Reluctant and a bit taken aback by the strangeness of the establishment, they find a seat at a nearby table. Like most tables, it is a booth and tucked between dividers and curtains. In short order, another attendant, this one a woman with long, raven black hair, comes by the table. She, like all others, wears a mask. Hers is rather ornate, encrusted with a glittery material that shimmers in the dim light shed by the lantern that sits in the center of the table. Her arms and legs and neck also glisten with that material. She looked more festive than alluring, her clothing modest enough.

"Well met!" she said. "How are you all doing this evening?"


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<Bern>

He wasn't 'encouraged' by the need for 'a mask', but followed the 'custom' and put his on and took his seat at the table ... looking to the others for some indication of what was next.


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Jaliera

"Fine, thank you."

She smiles.

"Just briefly popped into the Pearl Handled Pipe and.. well.. it was a bit too rich for our taste. Looking for a good meal and maybe a bed for the night?"

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Davroar


He keeps having to adjust his mask, but stops when their server arrives, and gives a warm smile, "Hello! Good, but hungry Miss. What do you have to eat?"

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DM

The waitress smiles and says "We are not an inn but I will send someone over to talk to you about some choices. Yartar is famous for fish and seafood but we also have roast lamb, chicken and ham. What would you like to drink?"


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Davroar

He is too hungry to be choosey and simply says, "Fish and an ale for me please!"

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<Bern>

"I'll have the same", he said with a smile.


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[OOC See PM for query wink ]

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Jaliera

She smiles back at the waitress. Having been born in Manshaka on the coast, south of Calimshan's central plain, fish is a taste very reminiscent of her childhood and brings those memories and that of the loss of her parents much closer. She sighs softly.

"Fish would be lovely please but just water with it, thanks!"

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"Sure, right away - the fish is great today!" she said before adding "And welcome to the Wink and the Kiss! I can see that you're new here and maybe a bit put off. Don't be! This is a fun place but we try to keep things on the tame side."

Evidently she was a good at reading people and had some insight - always a good trait for waitstaff.

She left to fulfill your order.


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Davroar

He sits back in his seat, feeling a little more relaxed now that he knows food is on the way, and that their server seems friendly enough.

"Guess we'll have to find a place to sleep after dinner, since this isn't an inn. I'm ok with just camping back out by the caravan grounds if we can't find a place. We should ask our waitress when she gets back."

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Jaliera

"Good idea. I'm happy with either."

She smiles at Davroar and Bern.

"And I hope the fish is as good as she says. Feeling hungry now. I grew up by the sea you know."

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<Bern>

"While I was thinking it might be a nice treat to sleep in a bed, I don't mind saving some coin and returning to the cavern", he said with a grin.


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DM

As the trio sits and waits for their orders to arrive they have an opportunity to observe the venue. There does seem to be a relaxed attitude here. People are allowed to do whatever they want, but only up to a limit. A group of barbarians were sitting several tables away on the far side of dark room and they were getting very loud and rowdy. While there was a constant hum of voices that mixed with the minstrel's music, that table was getting out of control. One really drunk barbarian, a hulking redheaded man, grabbed a young serving girl by her skirt and pulled her, very much against her will, towards him. Within a few seconds two much larger bald men, both over 7 feet tall and built like oak trees were there. Order was restored quickly as the man was quickly restrained and bound. One of the bald giant men tucked the bound barbarian under his arm and carried him out, kicking and screaming as the other bald giant stood between them and the other barbarians. What was most surprising is that, for whatever reason, the other barbarians decided to behave as their friend was removed.

Things calmed down but stayed lively. A juggler wandered into view from a different area of the place and then an nearly naked and oiled male dancer started to perform. The dancer moved gracefully and sensually from table to table gyrating suggestively in front of the patrons. He seemed to linger longer near the women. When he performed the barbarian table, a wild looking barbarian woman flashed a silver piece at him, holding it between her thumb and forefinger in front of her filthy face. He approached and she rand the coin from his adam's apple down the middle of his chest towards his loin and then tucked it into his loincloth. He lingered for an extra moment or two and performed an acrobatic handstand which revealed too much. The barbarians all cheered and applauded as he danced his way around.

Eventually he reached the trio and as before, he stopped to perform and he stopped, of course, in front of Jaliera and began to perform for her.

OOC: There are no caverns anywhere nearby. This is a walled city on a river. Also, your character's are likely to already know that the city gates are locked and heavily guarded at night.

Last edited by Neptune; Tue 24/11/20 18:12 UTC.

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Jaliera

She watches the almost incident with the barbarians. It does seem as though the place is well run. Then a juggler appears. Plenty going on here. A dancer performs for the barbarians and she is OK watching from a distance.

Then it is the turn of their table where, as the other female, she seems to be the focus. She had been worried that the masks might impede their eating. Now she wishes it was longer to spare her blushes.

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<Bern>

He watched the 'altercation' and was just about to 'step in' when the two 'bouncers' showed up and set things straight pretty quickly. As the 'stupid one' was taken out, he smiled at his partner and gave him a 'thumbs up'.

He watched the 'dancer' while he waited for their food. Then the 'entertainment' arrived ... clearly drawn to Jaliera ... and started performing. He would have preferred more peace and quiet, but apparently not tonight.


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Davroar

He lets out a big laugh too at the sudden and revealing acrobatic display by the dancer. When the dancer ends up at their table he turns to look at Jaliera and notices her blushes and with a friendly nudge mischievously says, "Better pay quick Jaliera!"

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Jaliera

She smiles at the dancer and pushes a silver coin towards him.

"Thank you."

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The dancer, sweat glistening off of his chest down to his belly, came close enough to Jaliera so that she could feel the heat and smell him as he fingered the silver coin and put into the folds of his loin cloth. Without asking, he seated himself and said, "So, your waitress told me that you were looking for a place to stay in Yartar." His dark, black eyes gleamed through the half mask that he wore.


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Jaliera

She jumps in quickly before the others could say anything.

"Yes we are."

She will have some explaining to do after this but for now hopes that Davroar and Bern will let her lead on the conversation.

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<Bern>

He grinned as the dancer sat down beside Juliera and how quickly she 'took control' of the conversation for them. He was OK with letting her do the 'heavy lifting'.


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Davroar

He is a little bit startled at first as the dancer sat uninvited at their table, and was about to say to the man to piss off, but Jaliera spoke up first. Any interjection now would seem overly rude, so he will sit back and let Jaliera talk.

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Dancer
He seems to study the three of you and does focus a bit more on Jaliera but after a moment he lets out a sigh, "Well, I suppose that you are decent enough folk. Beldabar's Rest isn't the type of place that advertises. They will expect you. It is far less expensive than the Pipe but it's a much more discrete place, safe from public scrutiny and as long as you don't step over certain lines, folks look the other way. Brawls and bloodshed are kept to a minimum there. When you find the place, seek out Beldabar, he's a friend."

The last was said directly to Jaliera.


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<Bern>

He knew of places like this. They were usually pretty safe.

"Who should we credit with the 'recommendation'", he asked with a grateful smile.


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Jaliera

She waits to see if Bern gets an answer, unconcerned as she already knows his name.

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Boolgin Syzpaq

The dancer glances at Bern and looks him up and down, sizing him up. Then he rested his elbows on the table and cupped his face in his hands and looked Bern in the eyes with an discomforting gaze and replied, "Boolgin Syzpaq, and who might you be? You look ... strong."


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<Bern>

He sighed at the dancer's attention. He had a pretty good idea where that was headed.

"And you look like someone that likes men. I like women. Sorry", he said trying not to sound offended. In fact he was not, but he wasn't interested either.


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Davroar

He is momentarily at a loss of words when Bern makes his comment to realize the dancer is a fancy. Given his barbarian heritage and his youth, it is his first time to actually meet someone like Boolgin up close. Feeling like he is staring too much at the man, be forcefully breaks out of his stunned condition and looks for their server and wonders out loud to no one in particular, "Where's our drinks?"

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Jaliera

She smiles, understanding the discomfort but just glad it is not her.

"Thanks Boolgin, your help is appreciated. If we seek more information, can we speak to someone at the address you gave us or do you stay there?"

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Boolgin Syzpaq

"Verbal thanks. How quaint! You do realize that I am here for your pleasure, do you not. There are expectations of me from management, to, umm, be friendly. "

At about that moment, the waitress with the long black hair returns with the drink orders and as she approaches, Boolgin lets out a hearty laugh and consciously puts his hand on Jaliera's leg while laughing. The waitress puts down the drinks and there are four of them, one for Boolgin. His reaction is one that hints it was expected. She puts down two mugs of ale, a glass of water and a glass of wine, which is for Boolgin.

"I'll be right back with the fish stew," she says smiling and leaves.

Once she is out of sight he says, "Slarina is sweet but she has too many friends."

He then changes subject and returns to talk about Beldabar's Rest. "I didn't give you an address. It's not difficult to find, once you know what you are looking for. You would go back into the town square and look through the windows of the gatehouses until you see one which is lit inside by a large ornate lamp that holds seven thick candles. The candles are arranged in a circle. There is only one such gatehouse and it is very close to here. It's a crumbly sort of building that stands by itself. Really, it's only there to provided guests with the opportunity to shed wet outer clothes when it is raining or snowing. Aside from the lamp, the only thing in the gatehouse is a staircase down."

Then Slarina returns with a large tray on which she carries a pot of steaming stew from which the savory aroma of seafood rises. On the tray there are also bowls and utensils and a loaf of bread. She the tray down on the table and spreads out three bowls and utensils. Then, using the laddle that was in the pot, she fills the three bowls. She puts the now half-filled pot in the center of table along with the loaf of bread, which is sliced. She straightens up and says, "That will be fifteen silver."


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Jaliera

"It smells delicious thank you."

And she takes out the coin and pays the required amount plus a small tip. She waits for Slarina to go and then nods to Boolgin, before engaging Davroar's attention.

"See, you should trust me to find a good place."

At the words - trust me - she looks Davroar right in the eye, hoping he notices and hoping he knows her well enough by now.

"Maybe we can spend some time together in a more private setting.. but only once we have eaten?"

She smiles at Boolgin as she says this to him.

"I assume you have somewhere.. appropriate?"

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<Bern>

While there was a lot he might have said, Jaliera was doing just fine and ... perhaps ... her 'demeanor' would get more useful information from the man than he would have.

He smiled when the stew arrived. It =did= smell good. He was looking forward to seeing if the taste was as good.

He looked up from his bowl when Jaliera seemed to be planning 'something'.


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Davroar

He catches Jaliera's look and returns her gaze with some heat of his own. Silently he understands and trusts her, but he definitely does not like the idea of Jaliera being alone with him. If Boolgin gets out of hand, Davroar will not hesitate to track the man down in his five hundred pound grizzly form and scare the living crap out of him.

Quickly he says to Jaliera, "Long as it's warm and dry I'm fine wherever to rest for the night. Thanks."

The drinks and stew arrive which takes his mind off of all salacious thoughts of Boolgin spending time alone with Jaliera. Paying his portion for the meal, he says to Slarina as he grabs a bowl and drink, "Smells good."





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Boolgin Syzpaq
"Of course," he says, answering Jaliera. "Enjoy your food."

A new minstrel wanders into the area, filling the room with a new tune. Boolgin stands back up and starts to gyrate and dance to the tune suggestively and parades himself around the table before leaning in to Bern and says, "I am jealous but, of course..."

He then dances away from the table and makes his way over to other tables. The trio are left to enjoy their dinner.



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<Bern>

He frowned for a moment as he tried to 'make sense' of the dancer's comment. Then shrugged. He had decided the dancer was probably jealous ... perhaps thinking that he and Jaliera were an item. It probably wouldn't occur to the man that she could be interested in someone else. He returned his focus to the stew in front of him and gave it a taste to see if it tasted as good as it smelled.


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Jaliera

As she had been warned that conversations here were not private, she saves her explanations for later, hoping the others will understand.

She sniffs appreciatively.

"This looks and smells good."

Dipping in a spoon she samples it.

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Davroar

He is hungry enough that if it was yesterdays stew he would not complain. As it is he wholeheartedly agrees with Jaliera as he finishes his stew in record time then leans back to nurse his ale, with his stomach feeling quite content.
Looking around he wonders out loud, "I wonder how our other half of the group are managing?"

Even though this place was strange to begin with, he is feeling good that they did not stay the Pearl Handed Pipe.

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<Bern>

He was still 'nursing' his stew, somewhat amazed at how quickly Davroar went through his. He did take a moment away from his bowl to say "I am sure they are getting by."


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A half hour passes before Boolgin returns. While the trio had a chance to sit, eat and relax, it did not seem that he had relaxed at all. When he returned, he was accompanied by a pair of beautiful half elfs that followed behind him. One was playing a flute and the other a lute and Boolglin danced to their tune. Both maidens wore identical dresses made from an ultra-sheer material that hid little. They also wore simple lace masks that covered enough to conceal an identity around the eyes. The dancer and his musicians made their way through the room, passing by other tables. At each they would pause, to flirt with the patrons. Eventually they made their way over to Bern, Davroar and Jalira. They women continued to play and Boolgin continued to dance. By the way the sweat glistened off of his body, one could assume that he had been dancing for the entire time that he had been away. Pausing, as they did at other tables Boolgin perform and flirt, Boolgin stationed himself in front of Jaliera, the flutist chose Davroar and the lute player chose Bern. While Boolgin twirled and gyrate seductively inches in front of Jaliera, the flutist and lute player made sure that Davroar and Bern's eyes were focused elsewhere while he danced.

ooc: Assume some BCD stuff we'll just side-step. And for all that follows we could roll dice or just roll with it smile

As the melody that Boolgin was dancing wound down, he snatched the cup of water that was in front of Jaliera and gulped it down. The musicians plopped themselves into the laps of the two men and after Boolgin takes the final gulp he says, "Shall we?" to Jaliera as he puts down the empty cup and extends his hand to Jaliera.


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Jaliera

She is glad that she has had time to prepare herself for this for it would have been much worse otherwise. She manages a smile, only a slight blush and places her hand in his as she stands. Now the moment has come she feels nervous but she needs to trust Urlam and maybe get more used to the subterfuge necessary to obtain the information that they need.

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<Bern>

He nods his 'approval' of the new 'entertainment' that Booglin has brought with him.

He grins as Booglin 'drags' Jaliera to the dance floor. Then his grin turns into a look of surprise when one of the women, uninvited, settles onto his lap. He did not have any idea what she expected or wanted. But as 'alluring' as she was, he is not looking for anything 'sexual'. He isn't sure that he wants to dance either.


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Davroar

He can not help but stare at the women as they play in front of their table, and then his whole attention is to the flutist that is suddenly in his lap. His mask manages to hide his flush and perspiration across his brow. Fumbling for his drink to calm his nerves and to try and cool his head down, all he manages to say to the pretty maiden is, "I'm Davroar."

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Bern and Davroar see Jaliera and Boolgin weaved through the taproom and then leave it completely. They did not go off to dance. With them out of sight, the two half-elf women lay down their instruments and begin to talk to the men. Their intent is clear, and their hands work in conjunction with their words. They are hoping to lure the two to more private settings.


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<Bern>

He smiled when Booglin convinced Jaliera to go somewhere more 'private'. And it seemed that their two ladies wanted to do the same. But he was not interested. Casual sex was not something he engaged in very often. He decided to play along for a bit ... until Davroar had made his choice. He didn't want to prejudice his friend's choice.


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Davroar

He really loves the attention he is receiving from the woman in his lap, and like Bern he allows things to progress up to a point. He even sneaks a grab or an inappropriate touch, but just at the point where the woman seductively whispers in his ear to leave elsewhere, he has to quietly tell her, "I'm trusting another to uphold her virtue for me, so I must do the same, even though I really, really don't want to right now."

He gently grabs her by the hips and applies slight pressure to signal for her to get off his lap, and then bangs his tankard, "I need a cold ale!"

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<Bern>

With Davroar having made his choice, he pats he the wonderful behind in his lap and then encourages her to leave as well. He does deposit a couple of coins on the table and with an appreciative smile slides one towards each of the ladies.


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The girls names, Bern and Davroar have learned, are Ivy and Rose.

Instead of hopping off of Davroar's lap right away, Ivy twists herself around to straddle and be face to face with him now and he feels her warm breath on the nape of his neck as she leans and whispers softly into his ear, "Are you rejecting me?" She draws in a deep breath through her nose and adds, "But you smell of springtime in the forest!"

Rose reacts similarly, turning around on him too, but she cradles his face with one of her hands and leans in to him and says, "Am I not pleasing to you?"

OOC: I'll say both men are distracted. Please give me a perception rolls at disadvantage (meaning, Bern roll 1d20+5 twice and Davroar rolls 1d20+4 twice. I'll take the lesser of each.


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[[ MikeD rolled d20+5,d20+5 and got 20, 17. Clearly he is immune to the 'charms' of wanton women <weg> ]]


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[ooc: Davroar Perception Dugan rolled 1d20+4,1d20+4 and got 19, 11 ]

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While Davroar and Bern busily worked at trying to get Ivy and Rose off their lap, Bern feels Rose's hand reaching for the very same pouch from which he had just placed a few coins on the table from.


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<Bern>

He sighed as he grabbed the hand and stood, dumping her to the floor.

"Mind your coin purse", he called to his friend. Then he looked down at Rose and shook his head in disappointment. "You should leave now", he said simply.


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DM


At just about that time, Jaliera returns with Boolgin following, dancing all the way. Jaliera clearly sees the women draped over her friends.

Bern's warning to Davroar has him reaching for his coin purse which is not where it needs to be.


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Jaliera

She makes her way back to the table seeing both Davroar amd Bern are still there which is a bit of a relief to be honest.


"Time to go boys. Sorry ladies we have other business tonight. But thanks for your attention."

Coming over as a strong character probably will go down well with a female guild and she smiles at both girls.

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Davroar

His mood sours immediately when he finds his pockets much lighter after Bern's warning. "You know a finders fee is acceptable to me Ivy", then using his shapeshifting ability to slightly turn his eyes wolf yellow, looks Ivy directly into her own eyes and continues, "If you could return mine." He immediately backs off on his shape shift, his blue eyes returning and adds, "Please."

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With Jaliera back along with Booglin and their hands caught in the cookie jar, the ladies release their hold on the purses and seem pretty angry about having to do it. The few coins that the men had put on the table were not up to the standards they had hoped for.

They rose to their feet. Ivy, the one that was on Davroar's lap came nose to nose with Jaliera and said, "He's all yours girly. A waste of time, if you ask me!" she sneered.


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Jaliera

This time Jaliera uses Thieves Cant to indicate she is a friend. It could be a risk as she is not a guild member and that might be expected here.

"I appreciate your time ladies."

She smiles at both and slips each of them a gold coin.

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Gypsy, please provide a persuasion skill check. That's 1d20+1 for you.


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<Bern>

He could only shake his head when Jaliera 'rewarded' the 'thieves'. He got up, quite ready to leave at this point.


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Jaliera Persuasion
Gypsy rolled 1d20+1 and got 20


It's Christmas!

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"Oh, we didn't realize ..." Rose says as she moves away from the ranger.

As the pair walk away with their coin, she can be overheard saying to Ivy, "He was much more agreeable last week!" before the pair leave.


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Davroar

Puzzlement is all over his face as Jaliera pays the two women as well as the turn of attitude from both of them. He looks to Jaliera and asks, "So, what just happened?"

His question is rather open-ended as he is also curious how things went with her and Booglin.

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Jaliera

"Explain all in a minute!"

Then she turns and hurries after the two women.

"You just said you had met my friend last week, can you tell me any more about that? Someone is impersonating my friend and we'd like to discuss that with him."

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<Bern>

With a sigh he sat back down. It didn't sound like they were going to be leaving any time soon.


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OOC: Gypsy, see PM.


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When Jaliera chases after the two dancers, Boolgin then bows towards the men as he starts to dance again and moments later he is gone, dancing away into the crowd which has swelled. Bern and Davroar cannot help but feel confused or puzzled. They don't know what transpired between Boolgin and Jaliera and Rose's comment as she walked away, about Bern being more agreeable last week was certainly curious and hinted at an encounter with his doppleganger.

Jaliera is only gone a short while before she returns, eager to leave. While she was away, Davroar and Bern talk amongst themselves and recalled that Jaliera had said "Time to go boys" before she went running off. They decided to settle up with the waitress so that by the time Jaliera returns, they are ready to leave.

They were now looking for Beldabar's Rest, the place that Boolgin had recommended to Jaliera. Whatever it was unclear was going on between the two, the relationship did produce results. They collect their weapons as they exit the Wink and a Kiss and told that they may keep their masks. One thing that the men had learned from the pretty lap dancers was that while it was mandatory to wear the mask in the Wink, wearing one elsewhere was becoming a common sight. It was now more common to see folks wear them in the seedier Yartar establishments. The masks offered a measure of discretion for those who wanted to keep their sorrid fantasies unnoticed.

Jaliera remembered that she had left a mark for Zhu to find. The first thing they did as they stepped out was to erase the mark. Then the trio went in search of Beldabar's Rest. The temperature had dropped by the time they stepped out of into the street. A cold wind howled through the buildings biting sharply into their faces, urging them to pull the hoods of their cloaks over their heads. There could be some slick ice spots on the ground, so they walked carefully but with purpose to find Beldabar's Rest. Boolgin's instructions were helpful and needed. They peered into the windows of the gatehouses they passed, following his direction, until they found one that looked like it matched the description. Through one window they saw the large candelabra that Booglin described. It stood about the height of a man and had seven branches arranged in a circle that held seven thick candles that burned. Jaliera, took care of marking the entrance but was slightly worried that without better information, Zhu would not know where exactly to go. The building stood alone, old and looked in disrepair.

They went in and started down the torch-lit steps. At the bottom of the stairs they come to the innkeeper's desk. Beyond it they see a large circular room with a bar, dining tables and chairs. From this room there are several passages that radiate out from here like spokes on a wheel. The whole underground area is softly lit by pale mauve and brown driftglobe lamps. The burly but handsome man sitting behind the desk greets you, "Welcome to Beldebar's Rest. I am Beldebar, how can I help you?"


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<Bern>

He hardly notices Jaliera's departure as he considers the 'update'.

It was clear to him from Boolgin's comments that 'it' had been here recently ... apparently only a week ago. He =REALLY= wanted to 'catch up' so he could 'sort him out', as it were.

His 'musings' were interrupted by the indication that a 'hasty departure' was in order. He tossed a few coins in Davroar's direction to cover his part of the 'tab'.

As they walked ... discussing how best to 'leave a trail' that the others could find, he couldn't help but lament being 'in town'. Things were so much simpler where nature still held sway.

But he had to help his friends, so put those thoughts aside and did his pest to look for 'threats' as the continued to their lodgings.


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Jaliera

As they walk outside to go to find Beldabar's Rest, Jaliera takes a look around to make sure they are out of earshot of anyone else before she explains.

"Booglin's name was given to me as a contact who might have useful information but he has to be careful as he is working for the Hand, a female thieves guild and his position could be compromised if that was known. So he didn't know much about the giants or the nobles but maybe he can find out more. He advised me to talk to the Waterbaron but that it is likely she would not approve of me.. but I think the others were planning to visit her so that might be best. He knows of the noble we rescued and has heard rumours of disappearances but thinks they are just rumours. He did think he had seen you in there before Bern when I asked about a Doppleganger but with masks he said it was difficult to tell. However the girls said the same. One of them spent time with him, as long as he paid that was OK. I have asked that they keep a watch out but whether they will or not remains to be seen."

"Booglin says we should try not to make enemies in the Wink & Kiss as it is a useful source of information and best not to make enemies of the Hand. He also provided information about where to stay. Beldebar's is under the city. It connects several of the warehouses in town. Service there is discrete in the extreme. But once you are in your room, you can bar the door will be left undisturbed. We might hear or see things that are unsettling, but we must not intervene. Beldabar enjoys some bloodshed and promotes a rather dangerous atmosphere. The inn staff includes many former or semi-retired adventurers who are ready to handle any type of trouble that might arise. You won't even be allowed inside the common room until you take a room. Only inn guests are allowed. That's how Beldebar keeps the mayhem under control. And to not mind the cats. They do a good job of keeping the rat population down. There ain't much to the rooms but it will be safe."

She paused for a minute to see if there is anything she had forgotten.

"I can send Whisper to roost on the roof of where we go to stay, that could be a useful doublecheck for Zho. Any questions?"

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Davroar

He is amazed at how Jaliera has managed to get so much information in so short of time, and says to her, "I was fairly angry at Ivy for almost taking my coins." He turns to Bern and gives a thankful smile, "Thanks Bern for catching that."

Back to Jaliera, he continues, "They, the women, might not do anything for us on account of my less-than nice words when we left."

Being quite like a fish out of the water when it comes to skulduggery in a town of this size, he adds, "Jaliera, maybe we should come up with a better signal between us when this sort of bull crap starts hitting the barn door. That way I'll pay more attention and keep my mouth shut."

When they reach the decrepit building of Beldabar's Rest, he keeps his hood up and will let Jaliera or Bern deal with the inn keeper.

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Jaliera

"Hopefully I fixed that as I tipped them and chatted nicely. As to signals, need to give that some thought as the Hand and my contacts both use hand signals to communicate and so would be watching for that sort of thing."

She smiles at Davroar.

"Let's get our room sorted before we talk more. Think it might be wise to share a room and have a guard roster tonight."

They go inside and she walks up to the innkeeper with a smile.

"I understand that you may have a room available?"

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"Aye, I have a room fer ya," Beldabar says to Jaliera. "T'will be a gold fer each of yer."

Looking more closely into the common room, you can see that there is a decent size crowd. At several of the tables you see folks playing games of chance, a number of tables are surrounded by men and women drinking heavily.

A nasty wrestling match breaks out at one of the gambling tables. The skirmishing couple is mostly ignored by everyone except for the barbarian whose table they happened to waltz into. He grabs two mugs off the table before it's destroyed, stands up and smashes one into the heads of both men. They crumble prone to the ground and crawl away.

Beldabar hears the skirmish but ignores it with a sigh. "We have a few rules. Don't be buildin no fires. Keep yer hands off my help and outta other folks purses. Don't be sellin no people and keep yer steel sheethed unless yer life's in danger. There be a bar to keep yer door closed in the rooms. Yer gonna need a torch to get to yer room and don't mind the cats." He provides directions to get there and identify it.

The clientele is mostly adventurer types, mercenaries, soldiers, caravan guards and the like. Glancing inside, you see Zindra Winterbow, your scout, sitting alone, a tankard of ale in front of her. She notices you and simply nods in your direction.


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<Bern>

"You might want to make sure that your 'girls' know those rules as well", he said with a chuckle before taking a final sip from his beer and then following his friends out to find a place to sleep.


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OOC: Ok, clean up of thread complete. To clarify the situation, Davroar, Jaliera and Bern are now standing next to the front desk. You've noticed Zindra in the common room. You have the choice to follow directions to your room or to make a stop and talk to Zindra before going to bed.


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Davroar

"Hey! There's Zindra", he says to Bern and Jaliera. He gives a small wave of his hand to her, and asks, "Should we have one more ale with her then find our room?"

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<Bern>

He follows Davroar's gaze. A smile appears on his face as he sees an unexpected friend. He nods greeting to Zindea. "Of course we should", he says and heads towards her table.


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Jaliera

She has had enough excitement for one night and desires safety and rest above all else but it would not be very friendly to ignore Zindra. She just hopes they do not get involved in any trouble.

"OK, one drink then I need to head for bed."

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Zindra
The group pays for the room and joins Zindra at her table. She was just relaxing, enjoying an ale when you get there. "Greetings. I see you found the Rest. So, what happened with that man you found near the river and where are the others?" she asks when you get there.


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Davroar

"We got him back to his estate. You should have come. You missed out on some really good cookies and sweets."

If there is a server wandering around he will wave a hand to grab their attention, before continuing, "We left Lord Artan still suffering from his skin sickness. Judging from his manor, they're rich enough to get the best cleric or healer in town. Hopefully Artan will survive."

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Jaliera

"And the others are at the Pearl Handled Pipe. Bit rich for us, so we came here."

She smiles at Zindra.

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A server comes over, a larger middle aged woman who wears an apron.

"Are you eating or just drinking? The kitchen is closing."

The waitress takes your order and leaves before Zindra answers.

"If I would've known there were cookies and sweets, I might've considered, but I'm not much for spending time with city folks, especially high and mighty, silk shirt nobles. I'll leave that for you guys. I've stayed at the Pipe and it's really special and less expensive than you might think. Taking a hot bath is always nice. But I prefer to stay here at Beldebar's. It's simple and it's cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I think the food here is the best in Yartar. Mostly adventurers and frontier folk of all sort come here, so mind your belongings and secure your rooms."


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<Bern>

"I'll take a plate of 'what ever' and another beer", he said with a grin. then drained the rest of his current mug.

"I'm happy to stay here with you ... and the beer", he told Zindra, "when 'they' go off to chat with the 'hoy polloy'", he said with a grin.


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Davroar

He just orders a drink from their server since he had eaten earlier, and laughs at Bern's words of 'hoy polloy'. "Yep, that place was a bit strange", he adds then yawns as he looks around at the other customers. "The inn keep said the same, Zindra. Lock the doors and mind your own business. Cam it really get that bad here?"

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<Bern>

"Hard to tell", he offered. "One man's 'bad' is another man's 'boring'", he finished with a grin.



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Jaliera

She just orders a soft drink and no food as she is still full from the fish soup.

"Anything else happened to you Zindra? Any news?"

It is a casual enquiry as she doesn't expect anything in the short time that has elapsed.

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Zindra

The half-elf scout thought that it sounded like Bern would stay with her for a bit after Daroar and Jaliera were to retire and that made her smile. "If you're looking for something light, get the chicken heart skewers or the home made sausages. If you're really hungry, get the Mash but you better be really hungry to order that! Whatever you do, get the potatoes. They chop them, fry them then it's topped with a white sauce of chives, sour cream and parsley. It's just mmmmm." She seems quite excited to recite some of her favorites on the menu to the ranger.

She turned to reply to Davroar and nodded in the affirmative "Yes, it can get rather rough but mind your business because Beldebar has thing under control. If a drunken brawl breaks out, just stay clear, they're probably just having fun. Same goes if If someone goes running by you getting chased by someone else, just let them run past you; they might be playing some game. If you hear screams of pain or the sounds of whips cracking, just ignore them, they might be having fun. If there's real trouble, there's a gong in each room. Help will come fast."

Finally she at the looks at Jaliera more seriously and answers, "Well, your brothers have been telling tales of your exploits with fire giants in Triboar and the whole town must know the story about how you found the young lord." She had a certain look about her when she said the word brothers. It was either a poke or a probe.


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<Bern>

"Thanks for the suggestions", he told Zindra with a smile. "I have already eaten, but will keep them in mind for the morning."

He decided to leave things there until the others had moved on.


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Jaliera

"I presume you mean the caravan guards. So much for a low profile."

She takes a seat as she waits for the drinks.

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Zindra

"Yes. The ones Urlam put under your direction. Mercs aren't known for their discretion.

The drinks came and they talked about mundane things. She didn't offer anything pertinent, claiming she was "off duty" and that she thought "you had things well in hand", so she wasn't digging for information. "How long are we staying here? Do you have thoughts as to when we'll be off to Silverymoon? There is no great rush, but it is good to plan ahead."


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<Bern>

He was not the 'talkative' type, so was happy to let Jaliera and Davroar do the talking. But to her question about 'longevity', he smiled and said, "I have a final beer on the way. After that, I am off to enjoy a night in a real bed!"


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Davroar

"Not exactly sure, Zindra. We'll meet up with the others in the morning, and see."

The second ale is making him sleepy as he stretches out a yawn before emptying his mug with a final gulp.

"Let's find our room. Tomorrow might be another long day."

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Jaliera

"See you at breakfast Zindra."

She downs her drink and is ready to head to their room. A good night's sleep will be welcome. Let's hope they get one.

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<Bern>

"I think I will stay a bit longer and enjoy this beer", he told his friend. "And ... and catch up with Zindra", he added with a smile for her.


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DM

Knowing that Bern probably won't be too long, perhaps a half hour, Davroar and Jaliera discuss with him a way for him to knock on the door so that they can let him into the room. They depart, leaving Bern with Zindra.

OOC: I'll take the conversations into PMs. In order to get the game moving, we won't stretch it out long.


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DM

More than a half hour passes before Jaliera and Davroar hear the knock on the door. They let Bern in and he looks about. Their room looks like a repurposed storage room. Along two of the walls there are storage shelves and cabinets. There are four beds, a table and four chairs. Two of the beds, very close together, look like they've been taken by Jaliera and Davroar. A section of the room, the privy with a washbasin, is hidden behind a dark, heavy curtain. The room is rustic and simple but it's warmer here than outside. And there is a gong hanging from a rope near the door, next to the bar that is clearly there to be used to lock the door.

OOC: MikeD, make sure to read your last PM carefully. A reminder, do not remove yourselves from those PMs either. Let's get one post each before you wake up in the morning. You can have your sharing moments at breakfast. I want to unify the threads as soon as possible.


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[[ got it open now <g> Back with a post in a bit <wink> ]]


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<Bern>

His talk with Zindra had been informative, but it left more questions than it answered, he thought as he stood. But at least he had some direction, he thought as he walked with Zindra to the rooms. "Good night", he said to Zindra, then knocked on his door. He didn't want to 'surprise' his roomies.

He tossed his gear on the bed farthest away from his friends, trying to give them as much privacy as was possible ... given the situation.

He took stock of the rest of the room as he talked. "We are going to have to talk in the morning", he said to Davroar. But left it at that. For one thing, he didn't want to kick Jalaria out of the room at this point. But he also wanted some time to think about what he had been told and try to figure out what to do about this 'news' in terms of how it would affect the group and their plans.


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Jaliera

She wrapped the bed cover around herself to unbar the door, once she had established that it was Bern's voice on the other side of it. It did occur to her that she might be opening the door to the doppleganger but given that they had left Bern just down the corridor, chances were slim. Once he is in she bars the door again.

She is not too modest around Bern, after all they have shared many campfires and nights as a group and with just the three of them during their recent journey before all reuniting back at the mine.

She clambers into the bed next to Davroar's.

"So are we going to set a watch? Or just trust this place is secure?"

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<Bern>

"I wasn't planning on it. This seems a decent enough place ... unless you heard something while you were exploring."


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After barring the door the trio went to sleep and had a very restful night. No light poured into the room, as it was beneath the ground, so nothing disturbed their rest. It is now morning and you have awakened to start a new day.


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Davroar

Like a bear rousing from its den, he sleepily wanders to the privy to relieve himself then looks to see if Bern or Jaliera are already up. If neither are up, he will use his druidcraft to produce the smell of a fresh morning snow he knows so well from home to gently wake them. The sensory effect does not last long, but he figures it is better than suddenly lighting up the room along with a boot in the rump his father used to do to him.

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Jaliera

Consciousness returns slowly. She feels so good and so rested. That must rank as one of the best sleeps she has ever had. And as she remembers the evening before, she smiles to herself, opening her eyes which immediately light on Davroar. Her smile broadens.

"I slept so well. Amazing. Feel good.. but hungry. You?"

She glances towards Bern, suddenly remembering they are not on their own.

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<Bern>

Davroar's movements were enough to awaken him. But he continued to lay there there, enjoying soft warmth of a bed. He does notice Jaliera's gaze and gives her a wink before, with a reluctant sigh, sits up. "I would enjoy something warm to eat",


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Davroar

"Definitely hungry."

He starts gathering up his gear and packing his blankets back into his pack.

"Hopefully this place has good food, and then I guess we wait for Zhu to track us, or should we go looking for them at the other place?"

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Jaliera

"Be a good thing to pass on our information and see if they have learned anything. But breakfast first!"

She starts to get herself ready, hunger being a good motivator.

"Should we reserve a room for tonight?"

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<Bern>

"I say we break fast and if they have not found us by then we can go looking for them", he said with a grin for Davroar. Turning to Jaliera, he replied to her query. "I would hope that we are long gone from here and back on the trail to our destination."


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Davroar

He shakes his head to Jaliera's question, as with Bern he hopes they will be on the trail again by days end.

When it seems everyone is ready to go he will unbar their door and slowly poke his head out, not knowing if this place is as sketchy as it was last night. If the hallway is clear he will head back the same way they came to find a table in the common area.

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Jaliera

She grabs her stuff, a last look to check they haven't left anything behind, and follows Davroar. She is in two minds. There is a simplicity to life on the trail, a purpose. It is her life now and she is content to lead it. However a real bed and private time with Davroar has a special attraction too. Maybe more special with its rarity?

Mentally she shrugs. Breakfast is her first priority.

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The trio make their way back to the common room. It looks the same in the morning as it does at night, dimly lit but warm. The one difference is the smell of breakfast. The scents of fried eggs, bacon, sausage, roast potatoes and fresh baked bread all mingle in a harmonious blend. You also see some folks eating porridge and pancakes drowning in maple syrup. A booth is available and as the three friends sit down, a waitress approaches with a pitcher of steaming tea and three mugs.

"Some warm tea to start your day?" she asks. For those that nod or say yes she pours a cup. She puts a jar of honey and a glass with sliced lemons on the table and then takes their orders. Once that is done, she leaves to place the order with the kitchen and serve other tables, leaving the three alone to plan their day and reunite with the others.


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Jaliera

"Oh yes, tea please."

She is parched. And those scents are so enticing, her stomach rumbles, though not as loudly as Davroar's had the night before in the Wink and Kiss. Still she is not sure she can manage porridge as well.

"I'll forego the porridge but would love the cooked breakfast please."

Then she has a thought.

"Could I have that straight away?"

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<Bern>

He nods indicating a desire for some tea. He nods again thanking her as he takes a sip and smiles appreciatively. "The porridge sounds good and some warm bread and some butter would be good."


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The waitress pours tea for all three and once she receives all orders, heads off to the kitchen to get them started on it.

The trio are alone to now plan their next step.


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Davroar

He agrees with the tea and asks for the cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon, and sausage with maple syrup poured over it all, since it is not often he can indulge his tastes for sweets. Last night with Jaliera has made him exceptionally happy. "Ah! All this smells. It's the beginnings of a good day, I think."

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Jaliera

She cannot keep the smile from her face but they do have a number of missions underway. She leans back, relaxed, but keeping her voice low.

"So we go report in first thing? Then what? Do we try to find more information about the giants.. or the disappearing nobles?"

She looks around before turning back to the other two.

"It strikes me that this might be a good place in which to find information if those here are fellow adventurers but it could mean losing a competitive advantage."

She smiles to herself, hearing Randal's words coming from her mouth.

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<Bern>

"Probably more 'reward' if we recover missing nobles", he offered with a grin. "Depending on how long that takes, maybe we can consider the giant problem."


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Davroar

Monetary rewards are nice but it is not his driving reason to help as he says, "We're here. So I'm good in helping out the nobles. The condition we found the young lord in I would not wish upon my worse enemies, but the bigger problem is the giants. We can not delay too long on that."

He shrugs his shoulders and continues, "I'll follow your lead Jaliera, as this is your world, city life, I mean."

While he is not a physically large man for having a barbarian heritage, Jaliera would know he will back her up in any situation here in the city.

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Jaliera

"It might be an idea if we three stick together, assuming you want to Bern? I was just thinking that you might attract trouble that your doppleganger might have created and having friends along to watch your back.. not a bad thing."

She smiles at him.

"I favour finding out more about the giants too and I expect the others might be more engaged on the 'noble' problem. We can try to find out about other sightings. We can try to find out what that metallic object they dug up was all about. We can try to find out general lore about the giants so we are better prepared should we meet them again. Any other thoughts?"

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<Bern>

He nodded. He had been thinking much the same on the sticking together part. "I agree", he said returning her smile. "That is not a bad plan."

He looked to Davroar to see what he thought.


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Davroar

He nods in agreement for sticking together.
"Right. Nearly forgot about what the giants dug up. Let's do it."

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