Dust and Ashes

[at]

"...and then the mist began to freeze into a figure!" Vadania gesticulates with one hand while taking another bite from the honey crispel held in the other. She was well into he second plate of the sweet pastries and feeling a little queasy but the villagers passing through the inn seemed content to part with their coins to hear the story of the shadow creature one more time.

The group had been well rewarded when they returned with the merchants, Vadania had glimpsed the armour the merchants had given their lives for - it was a work of art ... but it had been paid for in blood.
Salyyn and Rolan had seemed eager to depart, accepting commisions from the caravaneer as guards for the armour's continued journey east. Vadania though found herself less willing to leave the comforts and friends of this new home despite the clouds than hung over them.

Ylva lay nearby, playing with the mute child Sabra, having slowly become used to the bustle of so many people filtering in and out of the inn as the rain outside subsided.

Across the table sat a curious figure, Ka'lion, waiting impatiently as his companion was lost amongst the crowd around the bar.

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

Ka'lion can for brief moments be able to slightly make out his red haired friend on a bar-stool, hitting on a few well attractive women around the bar. When he is able to stop letting attractive women distract him form getting his friend a drink, he makes his way back to his comrade dodging others and trying not to get stepped on or spill the drinks in his small hands.

[harknail]

Vadania pulled a goodberry from her pouch and swallowed it to help settle her stomach. Besides a small amount of healing, the goodberry would provide her a full day of nourishment. But those pastries tasted so good that she grabbed another one anyway. These pastries were worth putting up with the stink of the town.

But even though she was enjoying herself, the eyes of the pale white haired elf with antlers in her hair never stopped moving as she tracked all the comings and goings. Vadania wasn't really expecting trouble here, but decades of being at high alert for ambushes is not easily put aside. Especially so in such unfamiliar surroundings as the insides of a tavern.

So Vadania noticed the red headed gnome making it's way back from the bar with a drink for the man sitting across from her.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion sits uncomfortably in the tavern. This was not a place he'd choose to be and he has never had a drink before. Based on the crowd this was more people then he had ever seen in one room before. He rage is just below the surface and he forces himself to breath slowly. He looses his temper here and an Innocent could be killed. He closes his eyes beginning to feel trapped. He thinks of Beagle's teaching's. "A monk feel fear, they feel anger, they feel hungry. But our fears cannot harm us unless we let them."
Ka'lion forces himself to cool down, but it is not easy for him. It never has been.

[harknail]

OOC: Well that explains why Ka'lion is sitting with Vadania, she's even more out of place than he is! Although she's not as likely to kill something as he is. By the way, the next town (Deviln’s Hollow) over is full of barbarians, rangers, and druids. But Vadania isn't from there.


Vadania too was reflecting on the crowd. Before she came to Clearwater, she had never in her life seen as many people as were currently in the bar. But she was enjoying being pampered with some of the delights of civilization. Like pastries... So she grabbed another one off the plate.

[at]

May 18, 2012 0:16:40 GMT -5 harknail said:

By the way, the next town (Deviln’s Hollow) over is full of barbarians, rangers, and druids. But Vadania isn't from there.

OOC: As far as I can tell Ka'lion isn't either.

Ka'lion fidgets in his seat. The temple caretaker had tasked him with retrieving flasks of the purifying water that gave this place it's name, but dark stormclouds had blotted out the night sky and left him wandering lost through the swampland for days.

The Gnome had found him, brought him here - and for that Ka'lion felt a sense of debt, but upon reaching Clearwater his companion had little on his mind but to shelter from the driving rain in the nearest tavern.

After two days of travel the Gnome still hadn't given his name and seemed to delight in evading Ka'lion's questions. He returned from the bar carrying three mugs of ... something that had Vadania reaching for another berry.

[harknail]

Vadania sniffs the drink, wrinkles her nose, and comments, "Smells like it's gone bad." She still hasn't figured out why the people here were so fond of spoiled drinks. "I guessing your friend likes his that way, what about you Ka'lion, would you like me to purify your drink for you?"

[sageaqua]

When the gnome gets back and gives him his drink, "Thanks Nickname. What is purify drinks? Do you have an few berry's your not going to eat? What I'd like is to get a few casks of Clearwater. I have a Friend that what's it. Do I need to earn money to buy it or is it free?" says Ka'lion

[harknail]

Ka'lion's speech confused Vadania, she didn't know what he was asking about at the end of his outpouring of questions. So she just answered the parts she could understand, "I have a Purify spell that removes poisons and other contaminants. It will make these <she indicates the drinks with a wave of her hand> safe to drink. As for the berries, the ones I have with me are enchanted. One berry is enough to feed a person for an entire day. They also provide some miner healing. So they aren't something to gobble down."

[at]

The Gnome settled into his seat, perched at a peculiar angle with his feet on the table, gaze fixed upon the young bard beyond. A poor singer but the ale helped, as did the fact that she clearly wasn't wearing anything beneath her tabard.

A chilling breeze blew through the tavern as the door was briefly opened - the storm outside wasn't natural, though after a week of rain and darkness the people here were wrapping up and getting on with their lives. Glancing over his shoulder towards the door he caught sight of uniformed guards.

[harknail]

Vadania looked up as the solders entered, remembering how her last adventure started with solders entering the bar to post a notice. She watched to see what these solders would do.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion looks at Vadania, "Yes, a purify spell I think would be good. This does smell off some how. If your magic berry's could be canned Preserves. I'd be in the market for a few jars."

Yes I know that's not how the magic works but Ka'lion has never seen a spell before and he's cureious.

"Nickname, easy little brother, storms happen everyday and when the sky sheds tears the Sky's soul screams. It's little different then a baby's - it just is."

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May 19, 2012 20:08:03 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

"Nickname, easy little brother, storms happen everyday"

Ka'lion has enough ranks in survival to be uneasy about the storm himself - the clouds moved in several days ago, not with the wind but seemingly from all directions and across the entirety of the fen

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion finds storms fun. He treats them as fireworks of nature. He just sees the unnatural storm as a type of storm he has not seen before. That does not mean he doesn't notice the oddity, just that he was trying to make Nickname feel better.

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

As the gnome see the guards his sits rather lower hoping they will not see him but he is not actively hiding himself from the party. He is also trying not drawing attention to himself at this point so he does this slowly.
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[harknail]

While watching the solders Vadania answered, "I can only enchant a few berries a day, not enough to make jam. Also the magic doesn't last more than a day anyway."

Vadania casts a Purify Food and Drink catrip on her and Ka'lion's drinks to remove all poisons (like alcohol) and contaminants. Then she talks a sip of her now safe drink.

She wonders why the nameless gnome is sinking down in his seat (not much escapes the notices of the slightly paranoid elf), but other than watching that he isn't attacking her under the table her attention is on the solders.

Vadania is VERY good at Spot, due to having been ambushed as a child, so I assume she's catching most things going on around her.

[sageaqua]

"Your going to need to teach me that trick. Safe drinks and food for a day. Do you have a spell that makes it so you never need to sleep and can see in the dark? Sounds to me like the perfect life." said Ka'lion, "Nickname I know the chairs uncomfortable but it is what we have to sit on."

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

the gnome give his comrade a sharp look, and presses his finger to his lips, and does not say anything in return. yet wanting to very baldly to do so. the hiding from the guards was more important and speaking may give him away, yet his friend was doing a very good job of giving him away. They were always trying to get him for something, but nothing ever stock, yet the hassle was enough to dislike and hide from them. A bar fight with guards was not optimal for then jail would be the least of his worries but they were not going to take him not this time not ever again. Running may be the best option if it came to it. with out getting up he eyes about how far it was to the door and how far the guards were from it.

[at]

Vadania takes a sip of her drink and immediately puts it down, taking a large bite from a crispel - it might be pure but it still tastes awful.

Looking back towards the gnome it takes a moment to register that he is still there, a single finger poking up from a convincing impersonation of a bundle of discarded clothes.

Beyond him the guards turned towards the table, the foremost fixing the elf in his sights, "Miss Vadania, Captain Rills would like to speak with you."

A pair of eyebrows perked up under the pile of gnomish clothing - if the elf's attire was any indication she was being well paid. Ka'lion also turns to listen to the newcomer as his initial efforts to meet with someone of authority when first entering the town had been brushed off by hurried guards.

[sageaqua]

Vadania, if you'd like an escort. I'd love to get out of here.