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DM

Bern soon learned that Arus knew his way about this town. He had mentioned it before, but the speed with which they zigged and zagged through the throngs of people in the mazelike marketplace was how Bern typically felt when he was maneuvering through the forests. As they moved, Arus gave Bern a bit of a rundown. They made it to their destination, The building was large and hanging above the front door of the building was a sign shaped like a wooden shield with a blue lion painted on it. This was the headquarters for the Lionshield Coster Trading Company.

Similar to the establishments in both Phandelver and and Triboar, the place operated as a merchandise exchange ut it was much larger and more cluttered than the two smaller outposts. This was the headquarters. There were crates, barrels, boxes, sacks, bins and bundles of items of all sorts organized. Against the far wall there was a staircase that led up to a second level.

A man was sitting at a desk that was just to the left of pair as they entered. "Arus! I was hoping you would stop by! I thought you would get here earlier."

At some point before they had entered, Arus surely mentioned to Bern that the person that ran the place was named Aldis.

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Arus

He walks into the Lionshield dressed for business.

Glad to see Aldis, he smiles and shakes the man's hand.

"What ho, Aldis, tis good to see thee." The triton says, then gesturing to Bern, "This is my brother-in-arms, Bern."

He could have stopped by earlier but that would've meant cutting breakfast at The Pearl-Handle criminally short.

"I trust the delivery yesterday was all in order? Othovir's saddles. Narth hoped I might run them all the way to Noanar's Hold but I could not guarantee it."

Arus looks around the shoppe.

"Still, our business does take us east. What say I relay events in Triboar to thee over a cup of tea?"

His intent is to lead on from the giant raid to questions about other raids and low intensity conflicts along the river. If anyone would have heard of such things, it would be an arms dealer.

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<Bern>

He followed Arus into the Lionshield, nods acknowledgement at his introduction, but does not feel inclined 'insert' himself into the conversation.


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It was at the moment that Arus had introduced his brother-in-arms that Aldis's smile turned flat. "I've met your friend," he says with an icy glare.

"I would have thought you had my answer already," he says to Bern coldly.


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Arus

The triton expected a reaction like this would occur at some point during their stay in Yartar. He was counting on it.

But that it's from Aldis is both lucky and frustrating.

"Ah. I see thou hath met Bern's troublesome twin. Looks the dead spit of him, but more talkative and a better dresser?" Arus says, describing the doppelganged-Bern.

"Alas the other Bern is also a complete arsehole. Whereas this one is a fine fellow."

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<Bern>

He did his best to avoid any 'reaction' to the 'issue' of his doppelganger'. He held tongue, happy to let Arus do the talking.


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"I see. Strange." Aldis seemed quite skeptical. He looks at Bern, his eyes squinted as he studied the man that refused to answer the direct question posed to him. "Tell me, did this twin of yours loan you that studded leather armor? He was missing a stud in that same spot on his left shoulder. And that quiver you carry has a gash where someone else's arrow must've nicked it."

Arus knows Aldis and knows that he is astute. His keen eye served him well as a merchant of wares. The fact that Aldis has not addressed the request to discuss matters over tea yet was a clear signal that he wasn't about to let go of this. The doppleganger has made Aldis suspicious.


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<Bern>

He had hoped not to get 'involved', but apparently Aldis wanted to press the issue.

"You =do= know what a doppleganger is ... how it operates ... right", he asked rhetorically, then continued. "It =duplicates= the chosen form ... my form in this case ... in total."


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Aldis

"A doppleganger you say? Do you mean that was NOT you? Do you have one impersonating you? Don't tell me that was a doppleganger that came in here!"


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<Bern>

He tried not to look or sound as frustrated as he felt. "Yes", he began patiently, "it was the doppleganger that you met."


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Aldis

He is unsure and then turns to Arus. "Have you been with Bern, uninterrupted?"

OOC: I assume that Bern and Arus are going to try to convince Aldis that Bern is not the doppleganger. That requires a persuasion roll. Arus can "assist. That means that both of you make the rolls. If Arus makes his persuasion roll, it adds a +2 to Bern's roll. DC is 12.


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Arus

"Well, as lovely as his company is, we didn't sleep together." Replies Arus with a smirk.

[Arus rolled 16 total for Persuasion.]

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<Bern>

He chuckled at Arus' 'quip'. But didn't really have a rebuttal, so decided to let Arus continue to 'speak' for their side.

Bern Persuasion d20-1 +2 for Arus' assist MikeD rolled d20+1 and got 20


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Aldis

"I see you let Arus do most of the speaking, when I saw your face the last time, you wouldn't stop blabbering. Come, let's go upstairs to talk, business."

Arus expected this. Aldis wouldn't discuss business in public. There were just too many people working and transacting business on the main floor. He preferred privacy to promote openness. Aldis led them to the staircase in the back and up to the second level. Arus did not hesitate to follow Aldis and made sure to let Bern that it was alright. Bern could tell that Arus knew his way about so well that he noted Arus reflexively avoiding stepping in the center of a weak step. For a trained scout, it was clear that Arus had walked up these steps many times before. Bern had a feeling, by the way the two interacted, that Aldis knew Arus better than Bern did.

They reached the upper level which had a sitting room that was surrounded by a number of hallways, each with several doors at the end. "Grab a seat," Aldis said as he walked over to the stone fireplace against the wall to the right. He knelt down and lit some kindle to get a fire going and positioned a tea kettle over the small fire.

"Arus knows that I love tea. I think that I've helped him develop a taste for the hot brew but maybe he just wants me to feel like a good host," he laughed. "Will you join me in some? I just received a sampling of tea imported from Port Nyanzarru in Chult. It actually came in on your caravan. I'm really interested to see what it is like."


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<Bern>

He nodded. "Unfortunately, that was not 'me' that you met previously", was all he said while they were in 'public'. Since it seemed clear that Arus knew and ... at least to some extent ... trusted Aldis, he followed.

He noticed Arus clearly avoiding that one step's center and did the same. He took a seat as was suggested and then watched as Aldis went to start the fire for tea. He nodded, "Yes, thank you. Not that I am any sort of 'expert', but a nice hot cup of tea is usually welcome", he said with an appreciative ... or maybe it was an anticipatory ... smile.


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Arus

"My thanks."

The triton is glad to sit and share a cup of tea with Aldis. The man had sponsored him in Yartar and proven an even-handed employer of decent character.

Letting Aldis pour, Arus raises his cup to Aldis and takes a sip. He needn't worry about burning his tongue. Aldis is no oaf. He'd not risk scalding the tea leaves with piping hot water.

This blend is new to Arus though. A reddish tinge, a strong, refreshing flavour with a twang. Arus approves and takes another sip.

"I'm glad we could oblige by delivering it, Aldis." He remarks, nodding, "This is the good stuff."

Arus settles back in his seat.

"Bern and I have seen some wild events on the road these past few days. Giant raids, giant cocoons. Is the river network as disturbed?"

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<Bern>

While he was no 'tea aficionado' by any stretch, he followed his friend's lead and took a sip and smiled appreciatively. To tell the truth, though, he didn't have to 'work' too had. It was as good ... or better ... than any tea he had tasted before.

He nodded, a serious expression on his face, as Arus directed the discussion to 'recent events', but continued to let his friend handle the conversation.


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Aldis

He sips the tea along with his two guests and nods in agreement with Arus's assessment of the tea.

"It is a tea best served strong, I think. And do you notice that zing? Supposedly the bush from which this is harvested grows at the edge of the jungle and is fertilized in the dung of giant reptiles that only live there. And they season it with the scrapings of a certain tree bark and the petals of some flower. Yes. I like it too. It rivals some of that pale tea from Shou Lung."

Sitting back, he snickers at Arus's question about the wild events on the road, "Word of your adventures reached me before dinner last night. I had to listen to at least a dozen wagon masters, one after the other, tell tales of your glorious exploits!"

Clearly, news travels fast in Yartar. Most of those people have never seen a giant before and to have battled and warded off two separate giant attacks became news that had no chance of being contained.

"Those were the first attacks I've heard of west of Yartar, but to the east, as you know, all sorts of things emerge from the Evermoors."

It was common knowledge that the Evermoors was once called the Trollmoors. Caravans that make the more than tenday trek from Yartar to Silverymoon kept eyes open both to south where the Evermoor way passed the High Forest and the Evermoors to the north.

"What is that you said about a cocoon?"


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Arus

He shifts in his seat, getting more comfortable.

"En route from Triboar, we found a giant cocoon snagged on the riverbank. And from within we pulled a Yartarian noble, one of the Waterbaron's supporters."

Although the party have pledged to help Lady Dezhia find her son's abductors (who Arus suspects actually attempted murder), the son had made a show of himself entering Yartar. Many townsfolk must have seen Lord Artan riding with the party, so word will get about today.

"Lord Artan Rossolio, a man-boy. Thou knowest him?"

Mostly a rhetorical question. Arus sips and goes on to ask:

"So no evidence of any factions arming up to the east? Giants, humanoids, what have thee."

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Aldis

He answers Arus's questions first.

"A cocoon you say? How strange. I know of Lord Artan, although do not have much dealings with him. Business with the Rossolio's is conducted with his brothers or Lady Rossolio. I do not think that the family values him much. But his family does have power in Yartar. Lord Artan is one of those rich brats that one would find ... well, in a place where I found you!"

Aldis smiles when he said that, recalling their first encounter. Then he turned his attention to the question about factions and giants.


"Arus. I still would like you to take the harness to Noanar's Hold, which is east, so I hope you don't think that anything I tell you is meant to prevent dissuading you from taking it there."

He pauses to sip some tea before continuing. "Uthgardt barbarians have been known to come down from the Surbrin Hills but the Shields take care of them mostly. And that is to the west. There have been sightings of hill giants but so far none have attacked. Hill giants ignore us little folk, mostly. They hunt for food. It's common knowledge that they're very stupid and above that lazy. It takes initiative to coordinate an attack on a caravan. That just doesn't happen. And fire giants look at us like we look at an insect. We're inconsequential, in their mind. So this news that the caravan teams is spreading, is alarming. I've not yet heard any tales approaching the seriousness of the stories that followed you into town."


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<Bern>

It would have been obvious to anyone that knew him, that he was =not= particularly impressed with Aldis' 'dismissive tone' to Arus' description of their 'encounters'. His interest is piqued though. He clearly had an 'agenda' based on all that. He was curious to hear what he 'wanted' from them. But he continued to sip the wonderful tea in silence ... for now.


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ooc: the "first encounter" you are thinking of is not the same as Aldis's post. He's referring to the time he first met Arus, which Bern does not know anything about. To make things a bit clearer.

Aldis

"Oh, yes, here. Let it not be said that Aldis is a cheap employer."

With that Aldis tosses a small pouch which jingles as it lands on the desk in front of Arus.

"A bonus, hazard pay for your troubles. I did not expect the Triboar caravan to be this difficult of a job. And since there's the matter of delivering the harnesses, there's a bit extra for taking care of that for me."

OOC: Arus can add 100 gold to his purse.

Last edited by Neptune; Mon 01/03/21 18:19 UTC. Reason: harnesses - plural

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[[ I don't think that Bern knows anything about anything ... or that just might be me ... getting old <weg> ]]


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Arus

He takes the purse with a nod of thanks.

"Noanar's Hold it is then. I'll deliver the harness."

The triton glances at Bern with an amused grin.

"We wouldn't want to be blamed for some poor mare's chapped neck."

Business goes on, regardless of marauding monsters and dark conspiracies. The customer in Noanar's Hold needs that horse-harness. A wagon needs pulling.

It might seem mundane but as Arus see's it, the reason paladins exist is so that ordinary people can go about their ordinary business. He doesn't begrudge it.

But Aldis's talk of hill giants does jog Arus's memory.

"Aye. The hill giants that attacked us were interested in naught but food." He comments, pondering aloud, "Perhaps some calamity has befallen their tribe. I've heard of no blight but it might be political upheaval. Not so different to what's brewing here in Yartar."

The triton empties his cup, sets it on the table and sits back.

"I've heard rich laggards like Lord Artan oft spend their nights at the Golden Goose. Dost thou know the place?"

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<Bern>

He continued to sip his tea and listen to the conversation. It sounded like another possible job in the offing.


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