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

Arus

He nods in agreement but asks Jaliera:

"Couldest thou check on Zhu on thine rounds?"

Jaliera

She blushes slightly. She should have thought of that herself.

"Sure, where is she?"

Arus

He points across the square to the towering edifice of the Temple of Tymora.

"There. The Tymorans said we are free to vist at any time."

Jaliera

"OK, will do. Where will we meet later? I know we have to get Zhu and Davroar fit again first but are we planning on heading out from here soon? I can check if Zhu or Davroar have any preferences."

She will go to the temple first and then head to Davroar. She is keen to see how he is faring.

Arus

"The road from here to Silverymoon is little shy of three hundred miles, Jaliera." he says to his friend and fellow adventurer.

Arus lets that perculate a moment. The party don't know how urgent their mission is exactly but it's safe to say they should make best speed.

"Although we shouldn't dawdle in Yartar we must still properly prepare for the journey ahead."

<Bern>

"There might also be information here that will be useful to that task", he offered. "But I agree that we should be on that task soon."

Zindra
She was waiting for the others outside the Waterbaron's Hall. When they all came out, she joins them and offers to join either Jaliera who wanted to visit Davroar who was bathing in the river or with the group headed to Lady Rossolio's manor.

"Do you want privacy or company Jaliera?" she asked knowing, like all the others, that Jaliera and Davroar were a pair.

After being given a response she turns to the others and answers Arus.

"Smart thinking," the guide said about preparing for the trek. "Indeed, the next town we get to, really just a village, is Calling Horns but after that we'll be in the Evermoors. The bogs are dangerous and it's also called the Trollmoors for a good reason. At times travel through that region is like walking through a cloud, the fog is so thick."

She didn't think she needed to underscore that the fog wasn't what was most dangerous. The Evermoors were infested with monsters of all sorts.

Jaliera

She thinks quickly. Privacy is not likely required as Davroar is likely to be in the river, whereas having Zindra around would provide company, additional safety and give her the opportunity to get to know her better.

"Company is fine." She smiles as the scout.

OOC: Aquadyne needs a day or two. I'll contiune until you all move on away from Yartar....
DM

The party splits up as Jaliera and Zindra go to check on Zhu and Davroar while the others go to visit Lady Rossolio at her estate.

Jaliera, Zindra and soon Zhu and Davroar
Visiting Zhu is on the way to find Davroar so the pair make their first stop at the Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance. The temple was located on a small hilltop in Yartar, and was built like a huge windowed keep with dark and dreary stone walls. Inside however it was quite different.

The wealth of Tymora's faithful clergy was vast and the opulence was a metaphor for their allure. Worship Tymora and luck will be with you forever. Indeed, adventurers, those who needed luck the most, were drawn to Tymora. So the temple was encrusted in gold and gems and there was a widely held belief that lifting from Lady Luck's led to a losing life. It was the most foolish thing one could do. On the contrary, thieves from all over came to the temple to tithe a share of their acquisitions. There was another widely held belief that tithes to Tymora triples ones fortunes.

As they entered, Zindra tossed a gold piece into a wishing well in the center hall. As luck would have it, Mother Bronwyn showed up to greet the pair almost as the coin splashed into the water.

"I assume that you came to visit Zhu? Well, I have good news for you. I've just cured her. Let me take you to her."

Arus, Bern, Kriv and Sindar
Meanwhile, the four males made their way to the northern, richer part of town to pay a visit to Lady Rossolio. When they reach the manor house they are met by Khemed at the threshhold. "May I help you?" the butler says coldly.

<Bern>

Clearly not one used to the sort of 'intercourse' that would be 'expected' here, he remained silent ... letting one of those more comfortable with that sort of talk take the lead.

Kriv

As ever, the heir to Norixius Keep was on hand to smooth over their interface with the local nobility, the Dragonborn scholar making the most of his position of privilege to address the butler accordingly.

"We are here to report the successful completion of the matter delegated to us by Lady Rossolio, and to handle the matters arising from that completion in audience with her."

Jaliera

Not one to tempt fate, Jaliera follows suit, murmuring a small prayer for Davroar as she does. She then smiles as the cleric comes to greet them with her good news.

"Oh excellent. And thank you! Does that mean we need to tell our other friend to report here tomorrow?"

At the Rossolio Estate

"Oh," remarked the butler. He paused a moment and looked the group up and down. "Please come in," he said, almost reluctantly. He leads the foursome into a parlor. "Please wait here" he says before knocking on a set of double doors. Without awaiting a response, he opens the right hand door, enters and then closes the door behind him leaving the party alone for a moment.

In that minute, the group can do little but look about. The Rossolio's were extremely wealthy. Priceslees objects of art were carefully displayed in various locations about the chamber. Portraits hanging on the walls identified the ancestral patriarchs and matriarchs of the family. There were several seats placed strategically so that one might admire artwork, as if to flaunt it.

There are voices from beyond the double doors and then they open. Kahled, the butler, bows and ushers the group into the study were Lady Rossilo is sitting at a desk.

"Did you recover the trinket?" she starts with nary a polite greeting.

At the Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance

Mother Bronwyn nods in the affirmative but adds, "He may choose to stay here too. Zhu will not be needing the tub and he is welcome to it. This way," she says as she leads the two women down the nave towards a door behind the main altar of the temple. The door opens to a stairwell which leads down a spiral staircase into the dormitory. Zhu is in the process of collecting her wares when the three women arrive. To the side is a large, lavish tub filled with water.

"How are you feeling, Zhu?" Bronwyn asks.

Zhu

Finishing buttoning her blouse and tucking her pants into her high boots she turns and smiles at Bronwyn. "Much better, and again many thanks." She glances at the tub. "As much as I enjoy bathing, I think I've had enough for a while."

Jaliera

"Hi Zhu. Glad to hear you are feeling better."

She smiles at her friend.

"We came to check on you and are now heading to see Davroar. Want to come?"

<Bern>

He followed the ... 'butler'? He wasn't always sure about those sorts of things.

While he wasn't a 'fan' of all the 'social dialog', it =did= surprise him a bit when their host skipped over it all too.

Zhu

"Certainly. While I was indisposed, did you take care of talking to the Waterbaron and our employer?"

Kriv

Without hesitation or ado, Kriv took from his belongings the item in question retrieved from the lordling room in the Aboleth’s lair, tilting it in the light so as to have every facet from which the ‘R’ was composed glint in the light, all present, all correct. He handed it over directly.

Lady Rossolio

She takes the amulet from the dragonborn with little emotion or a hint of gratefulness.
"Pay them, Khemed" she says coldly to her butler.

He hands a leather coin purse to Kriv. When the party examines it, be it immediately or later, their the payment is as agreed.

"That'll be all," she says dismissively.

<Bern>

Well that was 'pleasant', he thought as he looked at the others to see if they were as ready to get out of here as he was.

Kriv

With a curt nod, knowing that for a noble to bilk a noble would be a stain upon their honour and reputation thus checking the reward can wait, the Dragonborn led them out. He was impressed, he hadn’t expected such pragmatic swiftness and such a lack of emotion from a human. Despite the evidence of her child, she at least seemed to have the sangfroid the position required.

Jaliera

"We saw the Waterbaron yesterday. She paid us the remainder of our fee and was quite pleased with what we achieved so she added in two potions also, a healing and one that makes you bigger. There was some discussion about a Lord Drylund. Seems he might have been concerned about the lady who dies being reported as happening near the casino."

She shrugs.

"Maybe he owns it? And then Arus talked about the Kraken society. I wasn't listening much at this point but you can ask him if you are interested. The Waterbaron is qeite intimidating isn't she? Of and the others have gone to meet our employer now."

DM
At the Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance
Mother Bronwyn changes the subject quickly, seeming not to want to get involved.
"The sooner you bring Davroar here, the better. I shall retire now to recoup my energy. I should have him cured by sundown."

With that she turns and leaves the three ladies alone.

Zindra had waited for the Mother Bronwyn to leave before speaking up. She began to talk as Zhu finished collecting her things.

"There seems to be politics involved. Whilst you were otherwise occupied I spent some time at the Wink and there was talk about Drylund. He has wealth (running a casino can be profitable) and growing influence. There is talk that he has aspirations. And yes, he does own the casino. That is a well known tidbit.

ooc, for Zeim: Just a reminder. Start reading this thread from here... First meeting with the Waterbaron. Jaliera was not there. Aside from Zhu and the Waterbaron, just Kriv and Sindar.

At the Rossolio Estate
The transaction was completed with the reward in hand and no invitation was given to stay and socialize. Lady Rossolio turns her eyes back to her papers and waves her left hand dismissively. Her butler leads Arus, Bern, Kriv and Sindar to the door where two heavily armed guards stand and open them for the group.

"Good day," the butler said.

<Bern>

Nothing here that made him think better of the 'upper classes', he thought as they were 'shown the door' ... as it were. He =did= offer the butler a nod. He suspected that the poor fellow didn't have any warmer feelings for 'them' than he did.