All Roads Lead to Red Larch

[gurusql]

Mag

"Moan I will help you get the body to the stable.", before he goes he slides a PP to the barkeep and says "Two rooms, one for me and one for Moan, and bath for each please."

[tarlyn]

Brother Bentley listens to the companions queries and suggestions and after Moan's final suggestion, the priest scratches the hair on his balding head and says, "Well, that should do the trick. I'm going to have a bit of something to eat and some more of this delicious vintage, and get a good night's rest, so I can be fresh on the morrow. I suggest you do the same my young friends."
The good cleric goes to the bar and pulls up a chair, ordering some crumble cake and another glass.

Jhandlatha sighs and sends for a bucket and a mop to "do something about the blood on my good floor."
Constable Harburk nods and says, "Right then. I guess we better move the body to the stables until Brother Bentley is ready in the morning."

"Oh, I'll be ready! You can count on me, Constable!" Brother Bentley calls from the bar, smacking his lips in anticipation of the fresh glass of wine being set in front of him.

The constable clears his throat and asks Moan, "Would you help me carry, erm, the dead, erm, body out to the stables?"

Kol wanders over to sit by the fire, enjoying the crackling flames.
While mopping up the blood, Jhandlatha offers, "So, I'm guessing you'll be spending the night, am I right? Single rooms for the lot of you, eh? Would you like a bath? Would you like some company for the evening?"
She indicates the ladies hanging around the bar area; one buxom red-head is tittering and giggling at Brother Bentley's arm.

"Rooms are 2 gold a night, but that includes breakfast. Baths are 10 silver, and some company...well, you can work out an arrangement if you so choose."

Kol

The large woman listens to Jhandlatha. Frowning, trying to think about what to reply.

Kol looks around the room then to Jhandlatha.

"Uh,,, me , er I, um , well what is this Company you speak of? Me a little confused."

Removed 2 gold 10 silver for bath from Kol's sheet for room and brekkie

Kol takes her time to count her coins out for Jhandlatha and pay.

"I try, a um, bath? Is it safe? I not hurt myself?

[Rex]

Moan

"Of course constable." He lends a hand with the body.

"Thanks Mag."

[GreyWolfVT]

Razillin goes to help clean up the blood and apologizes to Jhandlatha. "I'm sorry for the mess Jhandlatha. Here let me help clean it up since it was my group responsible I feel it would only be right for one of us to help you."

[dmw71]

"Watch where you're putting your hands!" Bugs slurs in his sleep. Clearly out of context with the current situation, and likely dreaming or working through some drug-induced hallucinations.

He remains completely oblivious to anything that transpired after falling into his stupor.

[hedgeknight]

Razillin goes to help clean up the blood and apologizes to Jhandlatha. "I'm sorry for the mess Jhandlatha. Here let me help clean it up since it was my group responsible I feel it would only be right for one of us to help you."

The lovely proprietor smiles and allows Raz to help. "You are much too kind, Master Gnome."

Kol looks around the room then to Jhandlatha.
"Uh,,, me , er I, um , well what is this Company you speak of? Me a little confused."
Jhandlatha smiles slightly as Kol counts out the coin for the room and bath. Her smile becomes much bigger when Kol asks, "I try, a um, bath? Is it safe? I not hurt myself?
"I promise it is, and if you need someone to help you bathe or brush your hair or perhaps, a sleeping companion, well..." she indicates the escorts at the bar, including a couple of young men who are scruffy, but handsome.

While Bugs mumbles in his sleep, Mag slips a platinum to the barkeep for two rooms with baths for he and Moan. Grabbing the dead Drow's feet, with Moan holding the Drow's shoulders, they easily carry the slight-bodied dark elf outside, following Constable Harburk to the stables around back. A young man meets them and the Constable explains their purpose. The color fades from the young stableman's cheeks and he swallows a few times while trying not to look at the dead body and the blood dripping on the ground of the stable. The horses in the stable snort and whinny, some stamping their hooves at the smell of death so close to them.
But the stableman pulls himself together and by lantern's light, leads the trio to a stable on the back wall, used mostly for storage. Mag and Moan leave the body there, noticing the Constable slipping a few silver to the stableman for his cooperation and silence. He walks the pair back outside and then stops and looks out across the rolling hills surrounding Red Larch.
The snow is barely falling now and the sky is clear in places; the breeze is biting cold, and Constable Harburk crosses his arms in front of his chest, his breath blowing away with the breeze.
"Never in my life would I have imagined to see a dark elf, much less under our noses! Tell me true, do you think my town is in danger?"

[Rex]

Moan

"Honestly, yes. Everything I have ever heard of the Drow is just plain Evil. I think it would be wise for us to post a guard in hiding near the body. I can take a turn. I fear other Drow may come to collect their fallen spy."

[GreyWolfVT]

Razillin goes to help clean up the blood and apologizes to Jhandlatha. "I'm sorry for the mess Jhandlatha. Here let me help clean it up since it was my group responsible I feel it would only be right for one of us to help you."

The lovely proprietor smiles and allows Raz to help. "You are much too kind, Master Gnome."

Razillin smiles kindly "No, no it's only fair we messed up your place at least one of us should help clean up the mess. Kindness is part of why I started my journey to becoming a priest good lady Jhandlatha." ever so often looking at Bugs he shakes his head "I suspect he'll need a bit of a hangover recovery meal come morning. That or a bit of the hair of the dog. If you need any tip for anything Bugs has done my lady I'll be more than happy to compensate you for it."

[gurusql]

Mag

"I agree, I will be happy to help with the guard duty as well. I am sure Kol at the least would agree to help."

[tarlyn]

Kol

Kol looks around the room then to Jhandlatha.
"Uh,,, me , er I, um , well what is this Company you speak of? Me a little confused."
Jhandlatha smiles slightly as Kol counts out the coin for the room and bath. Her smile becomes much bigger when Kol asks, "I try, a um, bath? Is it safe? I not hurt myself?
"I promise it is, and if you need someone to help you bathe or brush your hair or perhaps, a sleeping companion, well..." she indicates the escorts at the bar, including a couple of young men who are scruffy, but handsome.

Kol listens to her and then looks at the men, comprehension dawning.

"Ahhh snu snu men. No it okay,,, but maybe someone can help clean hair? It dirty dirty. So I give "

And she slides 2 EP over "I pay for hair lady too. Where I go for this?"

Kol stands and waits for further directions. She also gathers her gear.


2 EP deducted from sheet

[Darithe]

Vesper

She wondered what devious activity that drow had planned and intended to be there when the priest spoke to his dead form. She hoped the poison had faded, but was unsure, finishing her drink she ran one hand over the area his blade had struck.

[Lance]

"Rooms are 2 gold a night, but that includes breakfast. Baths are 10 silver, and some company...well, you can work out an arrangement if you so choose."

Neogra shrugs embarassedly "I'm afraid all I owe I wear. Vow of poverty, and all." She will volunteer to guard the drow spy for the night, to have a place to sleep.

[GreyWolfVT]

Razillin "Worry not if any cannot afford the payment to stay the night I can front them." the gnome says while helping clean up the bloody mess.

[hedgeknight]

Sitting Up With the Dead

It is a long, cold night...as Moan, Mag, and Neogra take turns watching the Drow's body in the stables. The morning breaks cold and with a bitter wind blowing out of the North. Open water is iced over and there is a thin layer of hardened snow on the ground.
Inside the Swinging Sword, however, things are warm from the fireplace and the kitchen stoves. The common room smells of bacon and biscuits and coffee...and the companions have no trouble tucking in as much as they can hold. Brother Bentley is waiting for them as they arrive, a steaming mug in hand. His cheeks are rosy and his hair freshly washed, his face clean shaven. He wears a silver robe tied with a blue belt and thick soft boots trimmed in beaver fur. The holy symbol of Tymora, Lady Luck, shines brightly on a chain around his neck.

Jhandlatha is bustling around, accompanied by a buxom young lady carrying plates of food and mugs of hot tea or coffee to the patrons eating breakfast. The maid grins shyly at Mag every time she passes his table; she can't be more than 16 years old.
Brother Bentley makes "the rounds" at the tables in the room. He speaks jovially to the townsfolk, and when asked how he's doing, he responds with several different, colorful descriptions: "As fit as a fiddle!" "As fine as frog-hair!" "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning!" "Fine and dandy, sweet as candy!"

After breakfast, Constable Harburk leads Brother Bentley and the companions out to the stables where the body of the dead Drow now lies, stiff and frozen, on a table in the center of the stables. The good cleric walks around the table a couple of times, murmuring to himself and examining the body. He then takes four small pieces of incense and a matchstick, and lights the incense at each corner of the table. The aroma of cinnamon and spice fills the air in the stables, somewhat masking the odor of horses and dung. Then he says, "Are we ready to begin?"

(Any last questions for the Brother Bentley?)

[gurusql]

Mag

Mag will be polite to the young girl that is less than a 1/10th his age, but will not encourage her.

He heads back out into the cold when the priest is ready.

[GreyWolfVT]

Razillin after paying whatever Jhandlatha requested for the night stay and for damages to her property will pay for a breakfast something he might take with him out to the stables and something hot to drink. Razillin will offer to also pay for Neogra's breakfast.

not sure who else couldn't afford to pay for a room other than Neogra but I'll deduct 20 silver for Raz and Neogra. Let me know what to pay for breakfast or damages to the place.

After getting something to eat and drink the gnome thanks Jhandlatha for the hospitality and heads off to the stables eating his food and washing it down with whatever drink he was able to get.

[Rex]

Moan

Moan will get some breakfast for himself and Cu, then heads out to watch the priest do his work.

[hedgeknight]

After breakfast, Constable Harburk leads Brother Bentley and the companions out to the stables where the body of the dead Drow now lies, stiff and frozen, on a table in the center of the stables. The good cleric walks around the table a couple of times, murmuring to himself and examining the body. He then takes four small pieces of incense and a matchstick, and lights the incense at each corner of the table. The aroma of cinnamon and spice fills the air in the stables, somewhat masking the odor of horses and dung. Then he says, "Are we ready to begin?"

Brother Bentley circles the corpse of the Drow, murmuring words of divine power. The smell of incense grows stronger and the air becomes hazy with its smoke.

Hear these words, hear my cry
Spirit from the other side
Come to me, I summon thee
Cross now the Great Divide!

The Drow's body seems to shudder...surely not!...as a spirit, resembling the Drow, rises into the air to float over the body. The spirit looks around the stable, looks at the faces of those standing and watching, some with open mouths agape, others with arms crossed, swallowing down their discomforts, their fears.

"I have summoned thee, spirit, to speak with me, and by Tymora's will you shall!" Bentley intones, brandishing his holy symbol. The Drow's spirit offers a frustrated sigh and crosses its arms.
As beads of sweat form on the cleric's brow, he licks his lips and begins with the questions posed to him last evening:

"Why are you here in Red Larch?"
"I am...I was a scout. I scout things."

"What business did you have with our friend, Vesper?" Bentley indicates the woman standing nearby, still slightly pale from the poison.
"None. She just got noisy, so I tried to shut her up. Worked didn't it?"

"Do you have allies in town or nearby?"
"Yes."
Where? In town or nearby?
"Both"

Constable Harburk grunts and a dark cloud of anger furrows his brow. Jhandlatha gasps and places her hand on Harburk's shoulder.

Sweating profusely now as he tries to maintain the connection, Bentley manages, "From whence did you arrive on the surface? The mines? The wood? Tell me, I command thee!"
The spirit howls in anger and discomfort, glaring at the old cleric of Tymora. "Through stone and wood, we come. The foolish Dwarves showed us the way!" he hisses.

Bentley swallows hard and closes his eyes. "M-maybe one more...one more question...tell me quickly."

[GreyWolfVT]

Razillin blurts out "What do the drow want with Red Larch?" namely due to the urgency and short time for asking any more questions. Afterwards the gnome covers his mouth with a hand looking apologetic.

[Rex]

Moan

Moan listens to the Drow's spirit intently.