Snack talk
Log Info
- Title: Snack Talk
- Emitter: Braelnoir
- Characters: Karasu, Bannon, Ashes, Sabina
- Place: PROne: Village of Mornhaven
- Time: Wednesday, May 06, 2020, 4:55 PM
- Summary: A townguard of Mornhaven, Noelle, contacts the Explorer's Guild for assistance in locating her daughter. Veliare, apparently grew frustrated with her smothery mother and left for adventure. Noelle, and the town Mayor, find this suspicious. Especially as two town guards, Harold and Meryln, vanished trying to track down Veliare. The adventurers examine the note, Ashlee appeals to the spirit world for guidance, and they look over other notes. While they all seem genuine and written by their signed authors, there is a common component to each, in phrasing, that suggests some guidance was provided. After a dinner discussion of cannibalism and a good night's sleep, Ashlee remembers a certain type of vampire that would fit their pattern. Vampires are not a breakfast discussion topic, and this upsets a local bard, whom the party surround and intimidate. With even the locals turning against her, the bard, Liatris, reveals she has been helping a poor innocent vampire and she doesn't want to betray him to the unsympathetic adventurers. Ash suggests she is still under mind control, casts a spell that will suppress it, and everyone waits to see what happens...
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* The Village of Mornhaven *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
A sleepy little village which produces swines, vines and wines. The residents of which are so homesick ones of them leaves for better prospects every couple months or so. Tacky troubadors and a mournful mansion on the hill have nothing to do with these unexpected, yet strangely regular absences.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Karasu 5'9" 125 Lb Human Male Clearly a man of Xian decent with dark hair and eyes. Bannon 5'9" 195 Lb Human Male A shorter man of Tsuran heritage, with a thin moustace and goatee. Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face Sabina 5'4" 130 Lb Human Female Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Braelnoir 5'11" 2146 Lb Chimerarilith Female Four armed, silver snake woman w/black hair. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
It's a soggy evening in the village of Mornhaven, the road up the foothills pounded intermittantly by a troubled sky. Trees are still reluctant to believe spring has come in the area, in fact, the vegetation in generall seems to be having a lackluster response to the change in season. The grass is meager, and only the pervasive vines seem to be all that's getting enough out of the soil for the last several miles, leaving the walls of distant Alexandria barely visible.
The thirty-something guide, a frail wisp of a thing, still has stains on the front of her skirts from literal unprompted begging for someone to come to resolve a string of disappearances; including the latest, her eldest daughter. Some of the men at arms of the village had tried to look into it themselves, never to return.
There's a short-statured xian man following the woman, a raven perched calmly on his shoulder. The raven watches everything, but Karasu has his eyes on the path before him. He hasn't said anything, not even a single word of greeting to break his silence. Instead he has pulled his black coat around himself and follows the woman that leads them as if too deep in thought for words to be permitted.
Bannon walks with a saunter up the path to the village, one hand on his wide-brimmed hat, the other hooked onto his swordbelt and hanging lazily. While the Xian man is lost in thougth, the Airman seems to be pondering the raven on his shoulder. Each time the raven looks at him, Bannon makes a face at it. At first, he crossed his eyes. Which then devolved to crossing his eyes and sticking up his nose. Each time, the face lasts only a moment before he looks off towards the troubled-sky innocently.
An ashen Arvec Nar lingers behind the group. She shared that her name was "Ashlee, Ash is preferred" and said little else on the journey. Her name is appropriate as she is predominantly grey, dark in skin tone and hair, with some lighter highlights. Her clothes are treadbare to the point of holes, simple slacks, a shirt and short jacket, once black and now faded. The most striking thing about her is a white skull on her face, and her black nose and darkened eye sockets that complete the image. She has a choker and a satchel, and sometimes watches the raven, and the raven-watching Bannon.
The guide a Acanian woman named Noelle, has been trying to relay what she knows of the disappearances, between occaisionally breaking off into a tearful funk, or reminescence, along the way, and so you are more familiar with Veliare, her daughter, than you are with her.
The village itself seems to favor small semi-communal gardens than outright farmlands, with what seem cultivated plots surrounded on three sides by humble cottages along the streets, with the odd gap between some such cul-de-sacs to plunk down an inn, a stables, or other such staple of town life. The weather has driven most people indoors, save the pan-helmed and rather ramshackle guardsmen standing by near the wrought iron gate who allow you passage with Noelle's writ.
Karasu listens intently to the woman's story, though his raven interupts occassionally with a little warbling sound that causes the man to finally look back at Bannon. "Well if you did not stare at him, perhaps he would disist." Wuya ruffles his feathers and does not in fact disist. If anything the bird seems to take a more intense focus on the man following Karasu. Karasu for his part ignores the antics aside from that comment which broke his silence, and follows Noelle.
Ashlee is walking fast enough to keep up, and that is a pace quicker than she'd prefer. She has the shoulder strap of her bag in hand, the other one swaying freely. The story holds her attention, though not intently. Nothing about the arvec seems intense, much like her clothes she fades into the background, although that is broken when she asks a question. Her voice is monotone and her phrasing on the slow side, she's in no hurry to say the words, "Noelle, how many days ago, how many others, where did the other guards go looking?"
As they pass through the gate, Bannon gives a quick thumbs-up to the guard, "Keep it up, mate. First, guard the gate. Next up, the soup." Though he continues playing with the bird in a distant fashion, he maintains an ear towards the tale being told by Noelle. As Ashes asks her questions, the Airman nods his head and then adds his own question, "Has there been any new faces in town?"
The windows occaisionally are silhouetted by occupants peering curiously out at the band that the woman has come back with. Some are getting eyed harder than others, of course.
Noelle breaks off another tale about Veliare's beauty(and where she gets it) with the Arvek's question, "-Oh! About five days, now" granting it was a bit of a walk, "since Meryn and Harrold went looking for... for..." A sniff and she brings a hand up to her face, "F-forgive me... I... I just miss her, so!" She's at that for a few more moments then, "There... there've been six... six in all. One every couple of months, usually it's someone older, and there's a note about some inheritence to claim or, some thirst for adventure, and no one thought much of it... but Edmund, the town elder... he realized the timing was too regular..." She looks to the relatively normal looking man, a little comforted by his lack of... extreme individualism, and "No, not really... I mean, there was a troupe of performers that passed through a week before, but... this was going on before we ever knew about them."
GAME: Ashes rolls knowledge/religion: (4)+7: 11
Sabina walks along near the rear of the party, having listened quietly for the journey but with her smile firmly in place. She nods to the upset guide and makes commiserating noises while petting the peacock on her shoulder. A mithral mask rides the upper protion of her face, shaped in a stylized coyote. "How many folk went missing while looking for the lost? And where?"
Karasu wears a thoughtful expression, but he seems to have no questions of his own for the woman - yet. But they are led onwards and he follows, his dark eyes occasionally tracking over to where they are being watched by the villagers they pass. He seems content for the moment to allow his companions to ask their questions.
As he saunters past those looking at him, Bannon keeps a hand on top of his hat, keeping it from blowing it away in the wind and occassionally lifting it to tip to those who glare particularly hard at the party. He settles the hat back onto his head with a grin and then turns his attention back to the road, "Did the men-at-arms who went looking prior say where they were going? Given that they haven't come back yet, they may well have been successful."
Ashlee listens to the given timeline, and then remains quiet for a little while, perhaps in thought. Words finally come in another flat monotone, "Nothing I'm aware of is consistently celebrated more often than once a year, especially with a disappearance them. There was a new moon 5 days ago. Did Veliare leave a note?"
She adds a moment later, "Harrold and Meryn."
Noelle answers, "We don't know exactly where they went missing... neither of them came back." with a sigh. There is a little shake of her head, "We don't have any more trackers. We get most of our meat from the Vorhearst. Or, catching fish from the stream about a mile and a half past the other side of the village." She looks for a moment like the Arvek kicked her in the stomach, but she nods, slowly withdrawing a folded note froma pocket in a pocket hidden under her somber sash and hands it to her.
The townsfolk doesn't seem to be giving anyone a particularly... hairy eyeball, more vaguely uncertain, vaguely curious... some almost look hopeful, and the distraught woman seems to be leading the group toward what is probably an inn: Bed'n'Bacons.
Sabina offers a smile and waves to anyone she catches looking out at them from a home or passing by. Always pays to be friendly. The inn's name makes her smile wider and then her attentions are drawn to the note being passed. "Are the notes writen by the same hand or different?"
The ashen arvec takes the note. Noelle's reaction draws no response from her, comfort isn't her strong suit, and she unfolds the paper and looks it over. She draws her fingers carefully across it, holding it up to look at how the light reflects off the ink and passes through the sheet. Ash gives her adventuring companions a look and holds the note out for one of them to take and examine further.
Karasu is the one that takes the note from Ashlee, his dark eyes tracing the paper with interest. He it seems, has no qustions for the woman, or if he does he's keeping them to himself for the moment.
The note, shakily written, with some of the ink blurred by tears, reads in summation:
You never let me do anything I want to do, ever since Daddy died, and I hate you! I'm going to the city and finally get to get a chance to touch my dreams. Good bye!
Of note, it feels as though the letter was scrawled by who it claims wrote it, someone impulsive and weak of will.
- Veliare
GAME: Bannon rolls Sense Motive: (17)+7: 24 GAME: Bannon rolls Perception: (19)+7: 26
"I don't think it's a forgery. There are tear-stains, the letters are uncontrolled, like someone impulsive and weak willed wrote it." Ashlee states, bluntly and unemotionally. She gazes at Noelle, her own eyes impassive and deep in the skull-sockets. She opens up her satchel, takes out what looks like a small cigarello and lights it.
She gazes upwards, "Would it be better to go after Harold and Meryl instead of looking around further in town and examining more notes." Following this question she takes a long inhale on the stick, holds her breath for a while, then breathes it out and watches the smoke curling up, mixing with the trail of smoke from the one in her hand.
The curls of smoke seem to indicate that tracking Harold and Meryl would be the poorer choice.
GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (17)+4: 21
Karasu reads the note several times before folding it back up to offer back to the mother to whom it was written. "Perhaps something is controlling the minds of people in the village to convince them to leave." It's a nearly startlingly large amount of words to come out of the man after so long silent. He looks at the inn and then nods to Ash. "I have no ability to track, but it might serve to follow in their footsteps as best we can in the hopes of stumbling on what they stumbled upon."
Bannon reaches out, taking the note from Karasu in turn. He tilts his head to the side, turning the letter one way, and then the other. He then offerss the letter to Sabina, then reaches up and scratches his chin, "We need to go after the acting troupe." He then smirks with no small about of swagger, returning his thumbs to their tucked in position behind his belt, "We should be able to track them by stink alone."
When Sabina reads over the note she hmms softly. Taking the time to reread it several more times and she begins to shake her head. "It seeme to me there was some coaching involved. Say this and not that.. And if Ashlee says there are tears on this then perhaps it was not leaving because she wanted too."
GAME: Ashes casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 1 DC: 13
Ashlee quietly watches the smoke curl upwards, how it curls and coils, splits and then is swept away by air currents up near the rooftops. "Examining a few more notes before we go seems like the better choice. I can see if there was enough of a magic influence to leave something in the note."
She waves her burning stick around, and her eyes cloud over, going smokey. She doesn't ask for the note back, instead watches it as it passes around between the people.
"There is something there. Magic potent enough to leave a trace that still lingers. Five Days." Ash adds after some observation.
Bannon nods his head to Ash as she gives the insights gleaned from her ceremony, and he looks to Sabina briefly, then Karasu, "We should at least find the troupe and question them. There could be those amongst their members who can create Persuasive affects that can lead to situations very similar to this." He looks towards Noelle now, his eyebrow raises as a broad smile begins to spread over their face, "Have they mentioned their next stop?"
Noelle turns away at the appraisals of the note, "Why...? I tried... Oh, Velly, why...??" she moans into her hands. The brewing night, the resuming rain, choose not to enlighten her. Then, her head lifts and she looks back toward the creepy Arvek, "M-m-magic...? Someone... someone put a spell on my baby?" she asks with something almost hopeful in her voice. Her little girl doesn't honestly hate her. She's still missing, but there is some slight balming effect to that. She looks uncertainly between the adventurers, then, not sure what the duration of spoor really means, but then the sky opens up anew and she edges toward the door in time for the man's question, "What? They were headed to Greenholme, last I heard? Are you sure it could have been them?"
"A word of caution." Karasu says quietly, looking at his various companions. "If the magic is strong enough to linger for five days... then it might well be beyond our abilities to deal with." Wuya caws quietly and Karasu glances at the bird on his shoulder. "I am not suggesting that we merely leave, but it is wise to be prepaired."
"I am not sure it was them. If it was them it does not explain your missing hunters who went otu searching .But it is a thought." Sabina states calmly and steps forward to try and soothe the mother and guide. "We will look for her and the others."
"Yes. Someone used magic to twist her mind. Those are not her thoughts." Ashlee says, sounding more confident than she actually is. It's true enough as far as she's is concerned. These events have affected Noelle greatly, and the arvec makes an effort to comfort her. Ash tries something she was told was effective, reaching out she pats Noelle carefully in the shoulder, "There, there. Everything will be all right."
That should work. The words are delivered in her flat monotone. Authority figures are most appreciated when they're boring. The grey arvec looks around at the others, finally back at the guard, "If the pattern is new moon, note and caravan, there should be evidence of some visiting group for the others. This performing troup may be the best option. I have only a few protective spells, I'll be putting them on Bannon."
At the questioning of his logic, Bannon reaches to twirl a gloved finger around the point of his moustache, "There are several indications. For one, the arts of Persuasive magic are well within the skillset of bards. Bards enjoy spending time with actors, certainly for a lack of good taste. Furthermore, the coaching involves several details including handshaking and tears that indicate deep thought placed into the performance, further indicating that the person or persons who persuaded your daughter to do this lacked many hours of intimate relations." Finally, he says off-handed, as if he's the great detective sealing the deal, "Plus I've been in Alexandros for almost a week now and I've yet to punch an actor, which is sincerely uncharacteristic of me." He then looks around, nodding to the others, "To Greenholm?"
"As you will." Karasu replies diffidently, not seeming to have much opinion on the matter.
GAME: Ashes rolls diplomacy: (14)+0: 14 GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (12)+12: 24 GAME: Karasu rolls diplomacy: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Bannon rolls Diplomacy+2: (9)+11+2: 22
The townsfolk, after some initial 'you interupted me at dinner', swiftly countered by the earnest reminders of how short life can be, do come forth with similar notes in most cases, save one despondent wife who burned hers (it was a dear Gieyne, you see). While the writing lacks a common hand, there are, in fact, some choices of vernacular that suggest the missing are being helped with particularly cutting or disarming lines.
Other folk, however, had little untoward to attribute to the travelling performers. They were good for entertainment value, but such riff-raff always bring trouble, don't you know, and it was for the best they moved on toward Greenholme, they got sacked by brigands a couple of months ago, you know. Tragic, so senseless. No one seems to remember any particular interest in Veliare, though they often wonder about Noelle, the poor dear.
GAME: Ashes rolls knowledge/religion: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Sabina rolls knowledge/religion: (6)+8: 14
Ash did her best to help out with the questionning. She doesn't smile, people don't like grinning skulls anyhow, so she stared ernestly and nodded from behind Sabina. A living momento mori that set the mind at ease. She also avoided speaking, which she enjoys, giving her time to watch her cigarello burn down, then then rain, and Karasu's raven. After all the informating is gathered a few more possibilities come to mind.
A very unpleasant one. Ash looks at the others, her voice remains even, monotone, "Oh. There is a type of vampire, a Baetriov, that requires blood sacrifices every couple of months on the night of a new moon."
Just getting done with the smiling and the nodding and the offers of sympathy where they are needed, Sabina turns and looks at Ashes abruptly when she says this lat little bit. "Excuse me? Are you saying that there might be a vampire invovled? Like there was in the city not too long ago?" She sighs. "Of course there might be.. Tricksters luck indeed."
Karasu like Ash keeps his mouth shut, offering silent support to the other members of his party. He does arch his eyebrow at Ash's comment however as she explains that it might be... He sighs. "An abomination. Such could certainly bespell people in order to force them to write letters and then take off with them."
There is a large home a bit uphill from the town proper it seems in decent repair, the Vornhearst residence. no pale troubadors afraid of sunlight, though.
Bina stops to ask more pointed questions of her companion. "What else do you know of these vampires of which you speak? The one I met briefly had a strong blood lust. Staying away from blood for such a time likely would not be a thing for him. What makes this kind so different?"
"Are you absolutely certain there wasn't a reprobate amongst the troop of actors who visited?" Bannon hmms and hahs, raising his gloved hand with his thumb and forefinger pinched, "Not even just a little?" At the negative, Bannon walks away disappointed, meeting up with the rest of the group to share the news and get the skinny himself.
As the group regathers for the evening, Karasu glances around those who have rejoined him and motions with a free hand toward the inn. "We should consider bedding down for the evening. No one will answer questions while they are asleep after all."
"I'll think about it some more and let you know if I remember anything." Ashlee says, still not smiling, "Retiring to the Inn and setting a watch is a good plan. I have to have a talk with my familiar."
The Inn is mostly closed down for the evening, but they are still serving for a little while longer, various forms of swine are on the menu, as well as common gardenable vegatables and imported beers and their expansive wine selection of: Red.
Ash orders the traditional meal of swine and wine. A moderately sized plate of meat, and a rather big glass of the wine. She only has one, but it lasts her all night, and she gives creepy looks across it every time she takes a sip.
Sabina inquires about a room for the group as well as a meal for herself. The selection has her missing the city's broader menu. "Just the vegatables and some wine please. Bread if there's any to be had too?"
Finding a particularly nice spot amongst the rest of the group, ordering a large glass of wine with a small side of wine, citing the need to consume more fruit for an undisclosed reason, and bread as well. As takes a deep breath, sighing and nodding his head, "Now this is adventuring that suits me. Warm inn, good food, fine wine..."
Ashlee eats her meal. Up close, that skull on her face is definitely a tattoo or an interesting pigmentation issue. Also, the choker necklace she is wearing is actually a very big bug, which becomes apparent when it uncoils from around her neck, runs under her collar, and the out of her sleeve to nibble at the pork. The arvec covers it with her hand in case anyone gets stabby. Ash attempts to be conversational with Sabina, matter of factly stating, "Pork tastes just like human."
"Does it?" The human asks with a grin. "I hope I'm not on the menu any time soon. I'm not sure how I would taste but I'm hoping it's not good. Indegestion or worse. Tarien's final blessing apon me."
Karasu looks up at Ashlee's words and gives her a considering look. "I would not have expected anyone else at this table to be able to say such with certainty." There's something of a smile in his words. His own meal was taken without complaint or the addition of wine. His bird eats a little of everything hopping onto the table to do so and watching everyone with wide dark eyes.
Bannon stops, his glass of wine half-way to his lips, his eyes sliding towards Ashlee for a moment. He hmms, then sets the the wine down and clears his throat, "Perhaps it's not the fact to lead off with." He then considers, "There are a few things that we recommend you avoid at the dinner table. Cannibalism, necromancy, certain acts that occur amongst people in a long-term relationships, certain acts that occur at children's birthday parties for that matter." He tilts his head, his hand moving back towards his wine, "Make sense?
"It's well known." Ashlee says, monotone, no reaction, no defensiveness in her words. She doesn't say anything else for the rest of the meal. There are some stares at anyone that avoids looking at her for a long time. When she has finished eating as much meat as she wants, she stands. The wine glass is still half-full, so that's coming with her. Her large centipede crawls into her bag. The ashen arvec looks at Sabina, "Are we sharing a room? I need to talk to my familiar. I can take first watch."
Bannon's broad grin splits into a large smile towards Ashlee, which then continues on to peels of laughter emitted from the Airman, "Yes! It is well known." He reaches out, taking up his wine and throwing back the glass. He sets the cup down and continues, "We called it "Chicken Dinner talk" though." The laughter dies down to a chuckle, and then the man starts considering sleeping accomodations.
GAME: Ashes rolls knowledge/religion+5: (11)+7+5: 23 GAME: Sabina rolls knowledge/religion: (18)+8: 26
The night passes without incident, by the grace of the weather, or the fact that the presumed abomination has recently fed. During it, amongst Ash's usual dreams is a brief one about a number of figures prostrate in a hall, while a pale, indistinct figure climbs out of a bath of what could be fresh blood, while two other servants carefully begin to towel off and dress it in a fine robe.
The morning activity begins, and soon the smell of frying bacon, and/or ham and eggs waft up through the halls. Guests and staff engaging in chatter tinged in lingering sleep.
Bina is up early and heads dowstairs to greet the day and the fellow travelers and inn staff. She sets down at a table and waits for the others to get up and join her. The peacock rests in her lap, waiting impatiently to be fed.
Ashlee slept well, although she wakes suddenly. That scent reminds her of war. Although war never smelt so yummy. She descends to the common room for bacon and eggs and a round of staring. Her knife clinks on her plate as she eats. Her centipede is back around her throat. The arvec checks the list of prohibited topics provided the night before, and decides to be social again with Sabina, since she asked. Twelve hours ago.
"The Baetriov vampire uses a ritually prepared bath of blood to maintain its unlife, and tends to have at least a small cult of followers."
Karasu is also up early, though it might be more accurate to say that he didn't sleep very much last night. He got in a few hours right away, but then was up practically the whole night watching out the window until the sun rose, and then he's downstairs with the cooking of breakfast with Wuya on his shoulder. He lifts a cup of tea to his lips, arching his eyebrow at Ashlee's topic of conversation and nodding. "No one we questioned yesterday came across strongly as being a member of a cult, but we may have missed it."
Bina blinks, fork with eggs on it paused on the way to her lips. "Oh? Well that's.. unusual. I does sort omake it sound like the roving players are our suspects. A small unit that travels together."
Bannon is up a little later, his descent down to the common room proceeded by a crash of a door opening, and the unearhtly scream of a hungover yawn. He saunters down the stairs a step at a time, dropping down into one of the chairs and leaning back. He lets his head lull back, his chest rising and falling being one of the only indicatiosn that he's still alive.
Few breakfast conversations can silence a room quite like the word 'vampire'. About a dozen eyes are suddenly anchored to the adventurer's table, and the sound of pouring, perhaps from a kettle continues well longer than is wise, when the sound of something pouring upon the floor joins it.
The staring causes Bannon to cringe, and he lifts his head to look around at those gathered in the common room, who are in turn looking at them. In a stage whisper, the airman asks, "Can you please stare quieter, please? I have a terrible headache..."
Karasu glances around the room, but doesn't comment on the attention that they've drawn like Bannon has. Aside from the flicker of eyes he simply drinks his tea and eats his breakfast with smooth graceful movements. "We might as well see to them. If nothing else they should have a unique perspective on this town."
"The do have a lot of farming to do. Maybe they're only free on weekends." Ash says, still in a flat voice, cutting a piece of bacon and dipping it through her egg. The sudden silence draws her attention, she looks around at various townsfolk and attempts to calm them, "It was meant academically."
GAME: Ashes rolls diplomacy: (18)+0: 18
Bina nods slowly to Ashes. "Of course. Continuation of yesterday's discussion. Now. Question is when are we getting on the road? How soon, mm? We are going to chase after that band of actors, right?"
GAME: Karasu rolls perception: (16)+6: 22 GAME: Ashes rolls sense motive: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Sabina rolls sense motive: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Bannon rolls Sense Motive: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Bannon rolls Perception: (5)+7: 12
It beomes apparent that the bardess in the corner who looks like she froze setting up shop, her alarm is less 'omg, what??' and more 'shit!'
Sabina smiles at those around the table and lowers her voice. "Have any of you noted the young woman of in the cornor? She seems.. paniced by my question."
Ash nods, without looking in the direction of the woman. Instead she continues to stare at Sabina.
Bannon lifts his head, exhaling in a meaningful groan before he nods his head to Sabina, "Yeah..." He then clears his throat, dropping to a whisper, "Someone should go stand by the door of the kitchen. Someone else should stand by the front door. Someone else should go have a chat. Someone else should sit here and sit still until their head stops hurting..." He makes it clear the roll he intends to volunteer for.
Karasu takes another sip of his tea and rolls his shoulders. Wuya sits on the table eyeing his food. "Does she?" He sounds more interested than he looks. "I will move to the front door then." He rises smoothly to his feet to do just that. Clearly he's not inclined to do any talking.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20+8: (9)+8: 17 GAME: Sabina rolls will: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Karasu rolls will: (13)+4: 17
As the party start to lower voices, the piqued little bardess in the corner seems to get her head squared away, just in time for the spooky guy with the bird to start making toward the door... in the middle of breakfast without any kind of argument. Expecting trouble on her proverbial doorstep, she gets to her feet and starts to sing some.... limpid dirge about how pointless some things can be, how things just.... happen, sometimes.... While edging just a step or so to start, closer to the front door.
GAME: Bannon rolls Intimidate: (17)+9: 26
As the others spread out and cover the doors, Bannon seems about ready to stand up until the singing starts. He grits his teeth, twitching, and standing up quickly. The table goes along with him, spilling over the contents onto the floor with a loud crash. He reaches across, pulling the rapier from the sheath there and turning towards the bard. He takes several menacing steps forward, bringing the point of the rapier directly pointing towards the bard, "I have a terrible headache." As he finishes stating what he seems to feel to be the blatently obvious, the Airman seeths, "If I hear so much as one more false note. So help me..."
GAME: Karasu rolls intimidate: (14)+5: 19
Karasu stands where he is by the door, not moving an inch from the station he's chosen and eyes the woman heading toward him with black eyes that hold nothing of warmth or understanding. With a flick of his wrist he makes a dagger appear in his fingers. He gives it a soft toss and catches it smoothly. There's no words from the xian man but his meaning is clear enough - there's no exit for her this way. Not unless she's willing to fight him for it.
GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (8)+12: 20
Bina sighs as she feels the impact of the song on her mind. She gets up and follows after Bannon but speaks to those in the inn. "Sorry everyone! Just need to adress the misuse of magic!" She has smiles for everyone even with weapons drawn and stops in front of the bard. "We should chat."
Ashes: evil eye hex the bard. DC 13 GAME: Liatris rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14
Ash nods, standing and taking her plate towrds the kitchen. Although when the limpid dirge starts up she turns and gives the bard a look. This look continues as Bannon draws and Sabina approaches her. Ashlee simply stands there, holding her plate, with a mostly finished meal of bacon and eggs. Her eyes seem particularly penetrating, the skull on her face, vibrant. She looks like a little grim reaper, standing there, holding possibly the last breakfast the woman might ever see. Ash is doing absolutely nothing and it's unnerving.
GAME: Liatris rolls 1d20+8: (4)+8: 12 (Diplomacy)
The bard, in all of her artfully arranged would-be rebel bling, is stopped cold by the sudden arrival of Bannon in her personal space, and her face goes ashen as he uncorks his hangover on her, especially as her reflexive step back ends against the edge of a table. A quick glance at her primary escape route reveals the spooky guy with... yeah, that's a knife. As her eyes swivel back toward the rapier in her face, she sees the other woman with the... are birds the in thing, now? If she lives, she needs a bird! No! Later! Escape now and... The ghost lady at the kitchen is really really creepy, but also in her way. She looks around rapidly, "P-please, a-anyone! Don't let these outsiders hurt me... you know me, please...!"
GAME: Bannon rolls Diplomacy: (18)+11: 29
Bannon lowers the tip of the rapier, but only just barely. He emits a grunt, reaching up with his free hand to rub his eyes. With the tip of the sword, he gestures towards the chair the bard just stood up from, "Shut up, sit down, shut up, talk to her, and shut up. Please. The last thing I want to do is cause more screaming until my headache goes away. Now..." He takes a few sideways steps, reaching out and pulling out a chair, "If you please..." He lowers the sword and gestures grandly to the seat. He then turns, pulling out another one and gestureing towards it, "Luckbringer." He then turns, looking around towards those that are looking towards them. Raising a hand grandly, he drops it and pulls it in towards him, "And scene."
Karasu remains where he is, his dark eyes never wavering in their death-promising expression. The dagger rests comfortably and familiarly in his hand. If threatening to kill this woman bothers him in the least it certainly doesn't show. Just standing there he manages to radiate a sense of calm placidity of the variation that preditors give off. If you don't try me you might live his face seems to say wordlessly.
GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (7)+12: 19
Sabina nods her masked head and smiles to Bannon. "Thank you gracious, sir." She calmly sits in the offered seat and then looks up towards the nervious bard. "Please, my dear. Please sit with me and chat?" And truely she means it, not wanting to shed blood or cause more consternation at the already riled up inn common room.
Ashes: keep up the evil eye hex, DC13, her save is a -2 from the last time GAME: Liatris rolls 1d20: (6): 6
The ashen arvec nar continues to stand there, holding a plate. Looking tattered, looking like something from the grave. Not so much intimidating, as unsettling, a constant reminder. Death comes at any time, it's not pretty and it's so easy to fall. Ashlee holds her plate and keeps her eyes locked on the bard, and otherwise motionless.
Seeing the vast sea of -not-helping- from her own, the bardess, who kinda smells a little scared, slowly raises her hands and settles back into her chair with a slightly wet slap, "I'll.... i'll give you whatever I have! Just... please don't hurt me...!" While calmer for Bannon's backpedaling and Sabina's proferred demeanor, there is still the underlying threat of live steel and the two creepy people blocking her escape routes, "...just don't hurt me...."
Bannon closes his eyes, scrunching his face. He lifts a hand, holding it up flat to the bard, "Please, not so loud. We don't want your money maybe, and we probably don't want to hurt you either. We noticed that you had a very interesting reaction to some of our topics of conversation, making it very important that we all had a chat."
Sabina laughs softly but not unkindly at the bard. "I have no intention of hurting you. Nor do I wish to have any of your goods or money. This is not a robbery." She gives Bannon a dry look before going on. "This is us wondering why you tried to bespell us and why we all have a feeling it has something to do with the missing persons from this village. Your face was.. rather priceless when I spoke about going after the traveling troupe in search of answers. So. If you'd please tell us what you know about this troupe and the missing persons we'll most likely be on our way."
Even with the woman's words Karasu doesn't move from his place. Instead he begins oh-so casually to play with his dagger. Flipping it in the air, basic knife-drills to keep his dexterity up. Things that look threatening but have a practical purpose as well. All while watching the woman silently.
Ashlee is not going to get her sausage links. Oh well. She approaches the seated bard and her other two party members. The plate is still held before her, and she moves with a ghostly glide even though it is careful steps. Moving around Sabina she takes up a position where she's got a nice line of sight on Liatris. She quietly waits while Sabina asks her question.
The bardess finds her eyes drawn to the flipping knife and she unconsciously shrinks a little into her seat, glancing furtively around between the group while the locals continue with their poingnant -not helping-. She looks at the reasonable woman while the unsettling one drifts past her and she swallows before she starts to speak, "I... look, no one wants any trouble. It.... it's just... sometimes there are.... needs, y'know? And... and they moved on before more trouble could come down on them, please...!"
Bannon moves around the bardess's table, finding an empty seat. He turns it around, setting the back to the table and the sitting astride it, "I have needs." He then calls out, "Wine please!" Only his heart and his head doesn't seem to be in it, and the request comes barely louder than a whisper. This is a fact the airman seems to at least realize on some level, as he puts his head down in a resigned fashion, "Or at least the hair of whatever bit me last night."
Bina gives Bannon a roll of her eyes behind the mask but her grin is very much visible below the mithral coyote. She notes the fear of her fellows and nods slowly. "Well. That's a ..lovely string of wrods that mean little in and of themselves. Perhaps you could expand and expound apon all that. To me it sort of implies that you knew that this troupe was stealing people. But that couldn't possibly be the case, right? Because stealing people is, well, evil. No matter the purpose?" She pets the bird in her lap and watches the bard calmly.
As everyone gathers around the table, Karasu leans against the wall and keeps to his idle task of toying with his dagger. Over and over the dagger flips in his hand. Short practiced movements without ever having to glance at his throwing hand. He doesn't seem inclined to join the rest of the group.
Ash has no smile. She simply stares at the woman. The centipede crawls out of her sleeve and starts licking, nibbling, pincering the egg yolk streaks on the plate. While her insect is eating she asks a question, her voice monotone throughout, "Last night I had a dream about a number of figures prostrate in a hall. A pale, indistinct figure climbed out of a bath of what could only be fresh blood. Two other servants carefully begin to towel it off, then dress it in a fine robe. Are these some of those needs you helped with?"
GAME: Ashes rolls sense motive: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Sabina rolls sense motive: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Karasu rolls sense motive: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Bannon rolls Sense Motive: (13)+7: 20 GAME: Liatris rolls 1d20+9: (19)+9: 28
The woman squirms a little in her seat as Sabina lays out the moral... compromise presented, straightens a little and gives the skull faced woman a wierd look, "What are you, sick? Is that what got you talking about vampires over breakfast, lady?" She shakes her head and holds up her hands, "Look, it's... it's just one guy, but you seen how people treat that kind of group.... they'd all burn."
There is the start of murmurs and whispers amongst the townsfolk present, who are still at rapt attention over the proceedings.
Bannon lifts his head from the table, sniffing the air and then looking towards Ashes, "What's that?" He sniffs the air again, first to the right, and then to the left. He takes a deep breath, as if inhaling deeply to get to the bottom of a great mystery. Finally he ahs, holding up a finger as he looks towards Sabine, "Do you smell that?"
Bina sighs like her feelings have been hurt. "Yes. I smell it. It smells like the stables in the morning. Ripe." She gives the bard a harder look from behind her mask. "You're stalling. You're eveading. You're doing anything but discuss the issues I've asked about and now it needs to stop. Tell us the whole story. You're a bard, right? Do a good job."
There's no need for Karasu to add more to the converstion, everyone seems to see what he sees without a word from him necessary, so he stays where he is and remains silent. For now.
"I'm Ash," The grey arvec nar says, as if she was claiming to actually be made of ashes instead of it being her name. Her centipede coils around and crawls back into her sleeve. Going somewhere in her clothing. She sets the plate down, reaches out with a hand that has stylized bones on the back of it, and grips the bard's wrist. Again there is no inflection in her words, no apparent threat, her voice is as dull as if she's reading from a piece of paper. "The Dread Lady dislikes them. That is enough. You can explain helping that abomination when you meet her. You're local and willing to die to protect it. How do you think you'll fare when we're gone now that everyone knows?"
The bard seems somewhat indignant at that, "What? Who are you to come in here and-!" she breaks off as someone suddenly grabs her wrist and tries reflexively to pull away. "Get you damned hands..." The arvek's sudden deathly inflection of certain underlying truths brings her up short. She glances around at disapproving faces, seeing she's quickly running out of friends, lowers her eyes and sags in her seat, "Please.... it's not his fault..... he's trying to stop. I can't.... I can't lose him!" and the tears start.
Bannon nods his head sagely to Sabina, "That was it..." He then takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly with a sigh. He reaches out with both hands then, luxuriously stretching before putting his arms back on the table. He leans forward, lowering his voice just slightly, "Madam, may I remind you that you're talking to them in lieu of talking to me. Control yourself. Should she," he takes a moment to gesture to Sabina, "not have everything she needs in the next thirty seconds..." He trails off, seething for a moment before he speaks through gritted teeth, "I don't think my little heart could take it."
"Mine can." Offers Karasu to Bannon's words, finally striding away from the wall and to the table where he leans over a chair and looks the woman dead in the eyes. "Your tears mean nothing to me. Only your words can save you now. So control your emotions and make use of them before patience ends." His words are flat and cold like his black eyes.
Sabina should feel some sort of pity for a woman in love. But having faced a vampire already and knowing part of what they can do she finds her heart baren of anthing close to pity. "Let me guess. Did you assist your love? Help him empty living beings of their blood so they could act as a source of life for him? Really? Did you help him steal them away? Murder them? All for love? It sounds like a tragic love story to me. Tragic will be your ending too if that's the case. SPEAK! Damn you."
GAME: Liatris rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21 GAME: Karasu rolls sense motive: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Bannon rolls Sense Motive: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Ashes rolls sense motive: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Sabina rolls sense motive: (15)+6: 21 GAME: Ashes casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 1 DC: 14
Ashlee breaks contact with Liatris' wrist. She moves aside, giving Karasu space. That's cold, and she likes hanging out in tombs. She brushes at her clothes and brings a small set of scales out of a pocket. Vardama's holy symbol. She tucks some of her hair behind an ear. I doesn't change her appearance much, her eyes are still deep in the sockets of her skull-image. Flatly, she explains, "Others have shown an influence. The Dread Lady's grace may give respite if your thoughts are clouded. Let me cast it on you."
GAME: Liatris rolls 1d20+8: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Bannon rolls Perception: (17)+7: 24 GAME: Ashes rolls perception: (14)+3: 17 GAME: Karasu rolls perception: (5)+6: 11 GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (10)+4: 14
What the party perceives, will be revealed in the next episode...
Dramatis Personae
Karasu0 Karasu is a few inches short of six feet tall, his frame thin and somewhat lanky in a way that belies his strength. He moves gracefully, like a dancer might. Light on his feet and languid in his movements he always steps with great care. His eyes are narrow, tilted, and pitch black so that one can not distinguish between iris and pupil. Karasu’s face somehow manages to convey years well beyond the few that he has lived, mostly through those dark eyes. His hair has outgrown itself, hanging over his eyes in the front and along his jaw on the sides and halfway down his spine in the back though he usually keeps it tied back in a low tail. It’s thick and black as a raven’s wing with just that faintest hint of blue that truly black hair has.
He would be a handsome man if not for the general impression his expression gives at all times. The impression that he could be sleeping or /anything/ else rather than speaking to someone. Karasu never smiles.
The dark-eyed man is dressed in a short-sleeved black shirt with a high collar stretched upwards around his neck loosely. Over that he wears a vest of some kind of thick cloth, dark grey in color that is clasped over either shoulder with the symbol of a dark bronze scale. He wears dark pants that fall to his feet which are usually clad with thin black sandals. Usually over all of this he wears a high-necked black coat that falls to the ground opened or closed depending on his mood and lined with red.
Around his neck can occasionally be seen a glimpse of silver, a thick chain of metal wrapped there hiding amid his clothing. Karasu’s various weapons are hidden about his body. A strange diamond-shaped dagger with only the hint of a handle. A black-painted crossbow with a hard pointed edge protruding underneath the arc of the bow itself that looks as though it has some indercernable purpose. And frankly, who knows what else hides itself there.
A raven is always calmly perched on his shoulder.
Bannon The human man you espy is a colorful figure. He stands a few inches below six feet tall, with a lithe and athletic build. He is dusky skinned and brown eyed, with wild black hair that is kept to a length just below his neck and otherwise not styled in any particular fashion. He has a thin moustache extending out past the edge of his lips, and a strip of a beard that travels from the center of his lower lip to the center of his chin.
He is dressed in his working best, with the main bit of kit being a sleeveless leather jerkin that laces up the front. Beneath this is a bright blue shirt, with thin yellow stripes radiating down from the shoulders and disappearing into the widely flared gloves on his hands. His pants are dark grey in color, tight fitting, and tuck into a pair of boots that come just above his knee. The boots seem to have additional padding or light armor at the knees. Holding the jerkin in place is a woven leather swordbelt that rests on the man's waist, carrying an intricately hilted rapier. On his left thigh, a piece of leather acts as a holster for a small selection of daggers and darts. A strip of leather connects it to the swordbelt to hold it in place.
Ashes She has a skull for a face.
On second glance it is a tattoo, white on her warm grey skin. Her nose is a coal black patch while her hair is a lighter, cooler grey. The hair has wavy, thick strands that clump together. Piercings and other decorations enhance her markings, creating a sugar skull, a festive death. Ashlee Ciaradh is not festive. She is a quiet, somber Arvec Nar. A little creepy. It's the way the hollows around her eyes are emphasized, her stare. The heavy jaw with all the teeth tattoos.
There's a chill around her, one unlike that caused by cold weather. A quietness of the tomb. Her clothes are dark, a short half-jacket over a shirt with dark slacks. She has a very battered bag slung over her shoulder, one that seems older than she is.
Ashes looks at you.