The woman happily pointed Lera in the direction of the nearest bakery. "Come on Mr. Kitt- Mr. Dapple," Polly said. "You'll like pastries! They are sweet and flaky and yummy!" She took Dapple by the paw again and began to lead him, while looking over her shoulder at the rest of the group. "We can all show him what pastries are!"
As his friends scurry out the door, Zamar approaches the woman. "My dear," he says, pouring on the charm, though he strongly expects she is impervious, "We have solved your rat problem. Those men were behind it. You say your uncle chased them off?"
"Why yes," she responds. "I won't be seeing them again, I think. She glances up the stairs as more shuffling occurs. "Yer not stealing my stuff, are ye?"
"Absolutely not. In fact, we found something up there that you may not have been aware of." He hands her the bag of gems. "I'm pretty sure those men wanted to steal them. We sent them on their way. I plan to let your uncle know a bit more."
"What's this?" She asks, slowly opening the pouch. Her eyes go wide when she sees the contents. "Whaa, wow... I uh... I don't remember losing these up there."
"There are some interesting quirks to your attic. We found some...dangers there that we did our best to dispatch. You should probably wait for your uncle before going back up. We are pretty sure we got everything, but there is magic involved, so it is hard to be sure. And if the door opens on its own, leave and get help. I don't want to alarm you. I just want you to be safe."
"I don't know anything about this stuff," She whispers. "I should... I should get my uncle." She turns to leave, hobbling slowly out of the house.
"I'll come with you," he says. "My friend Singe will keep watch while we are gone. Let me just tell them what we are up to."
She nods slowly as she slowly makes her way down the streets. "I'm feeling there were more than a couple rats, I think." She mumbles.(edited) She keeps the bag of gems clutched in her frail hands, careful not to move them.
Zamar calls out to Singe, "I'm going to take the woman back to her uncle and make sure he understands what is going on here! That should give you time to move the books without too many questions." He turns to Perrin and says, "Your call. Going to help Singe or help me guard our friend and her newfound wealth on the way to the harbor?"
He then heads outside after her and says, "I'll keep you and your...find...safe as we head to the harbor."
Dapple let Polly and Lera lead him off down the street. Doing the best he can to answer their questions, he slowly shares bits of his story - what life had been like with his tribe in the nearby jungle and the concerns of the elders when the humans had established the harbor fort that has since grown to become the sprawling metropolis (in his eyes) of Port Nyanzaru. "I am...was, a scout and hunter. We were responsible for keeping our clan's territory safe by patrolling the borders and keeping an eye out for danger. Normally just the occasional wild creature, but there were also sometimes parties of swamp goblins, or lizardfolk to ward off." He'll admit to having killed with his weapons as part of these duties but avoids details, recognizing them as inappropriate for the young Polly.
He marvels at the colors and sights around them as they walk, sometimes plucking at a woman's bright dress or reaching towards a particularly shiny weapon or piece of armor and having his hand slapped away. At one point there is a rustling from a pouch at his belt and Mr Bun pops out his head. Dapple plucks a few leaves when he sees some, feeding them to his horny little friend as they walk.
"You might not want to just pluck at people's clothes and purses," Lera prodded. "That's considered theft, and I have no idea what the law enforcement is like in this city." Lera appreciated his stories, finding them remarkable. "You've lived a pretty cool life, Dapple, and I imagine it's about to get stranger."
Arriving at the bakery, Lera strode in confidently. "Good day to you," she greeted the person behind the counter. "I would like all of your cinnamon rolls. I’m worried what you just heard was give me a lot of cinnamon. What I said was give me all of them." She placed two gold pieces on the counter and beamed at them.
The Chultan woman behind the counter looked at Lera, slightly confused. She opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it when she saw the gold. Taking the gold, she nodded and began to carefully package up the last few dozen cinnamon rolls she had available. Once she was done, and the spots were empty, she placed a little "Sold Out" sign in their place. "Ere you go!" she said, placing the packages on the counter.
Polly jumped with excitement, pulling Dapple this way and that. "All of them! She got all of them! We can get fat on sweets! Can Mr. Bun have some? Can I pet Mr. Bun? You can pet Mr. Drippy if you want! He won't hurt you, unless I tell him to! But I won't tell him to! I promise!"
Dapple pooh-poohs Lera's warning, showing little concern, and appearing a bit hurt as well. "I'm not stealing anything, just looking!"
As the baker loads up Lera's order of cinnamon buns, he watches with acute interest. "Is that a cherry? They seem very sticky. They don't look like fruit to me." To Polly, he adds "I'm not sure Mr. Bun will like them, but we'll see. He usually eats leafy greens. You know what they say - "Leafy greens are a special treat, they give you long ears and great big feet!"
"Oh, thank you so much!" Lera grinned, grabbing the boxes. "What was your name? I hope to bring my friends back another day, but for now these will have to tide them over."
She handed Polly and Dapple each their own cinnamon roll. "Prepare to have your tastebuds blown," she winked at Dapple. "Welcome to the future, friend. These are called cinnamon rolls, they're more common than cherry pies. And since Perrin makes the best cherry pies, I worried that I might offend him if I gave you someone else's. But don't worry, cinnamon rolls are even better." Lera took a huge bite. "Although don't tell him I said that."
Dapple accepts he sticky sweet, first sniffing it, then testing the gooey frosting withe the tip of his tongue. A smile spreads across his feline features and he makes quick work of his treat and is soon cleaning the leftovers from his whiskers and paws. "Oh! That's delicious! Like a sugary bread, and with the sweet creamy topping! May I have another?" He eyes Lera's package eagerly. "Amazing indeed Polly! I hope cherry pie is just as good!"
“Isa, I will certainly visit you again,” the aasimar gave the woman a wink.
“You haven’t eaten for a handful of centuries, it’s understandable that you’d be hungry,” Lera tossed Dapple a second roll. “Society really took off after we figured out how to refine sugar. Anyway, we probably weren’t supposed to wander off. Ready to head back and share our spoils with everyone else?”
After about three hours of fruitless reading - save for Mage Hand - Shanolia returns the books to the shelves and exits the large temple. Throwing her hood over her head, she looks to the sky and realizes that it is currently late afternoon. With no other plans, she decides to visit the bathhouse. Asking around, Shanolia learns that the bathhouse is about an hour away, and not too far from the Thundering Lizard. As she walks through the streets, she begins noticing the bright colors of the Red Bazaar, numerous merchants peddling their wares, exotic animals, and a lot of meat vendors. Finally, she finds herself at the public bathhouse, where she sees all sorts of people walking in and out; wealthy merchants and lowly dock workers seem to both be allowed here.
As she walks in, she sees people in robes bearing the symbol of Sune. Warily, she approaches one of the robed women.
"Pardon me. I'm new to the area and was wondering if there are any baths that offer a bit of... privacy. I'm willing to pay a bit extra if I must."The woman smiles and gestures toward a giant clamshell at the entrance.
"This is a public bathhouse and there is no charge, while we will always accept donations. As for private rooms, we don't really have any private rooms. We do have masseuses, and those massages take place in private rooms. That service costs 11 silver pieces."
Shanolia thinks about the offer for a moment, before deciding that a massage is definitely worth such a small fee. She digs through her small coin pouch, counts out the correct number of silver pieces, and hands them to the woman.
"Where shall I find such a masseuse?"
The woman places the coins into the giant clam, then turns to Shanolia.
"This way, please." She leads her down one of the tiled hallways, stopping in front of one of the few open doors. "This is your room. You can change behind that curtain," she says pointing to the changing area."Once you're unclothed, wrap yourself in one of the towels and make yourself comfortable on the table. Your masseuse is Sana, and she will be right with you momentarily."The woman gives the Elf a slight bow and leaves.
Shanolia nods, entering and closing the door. Once the door is closed, she moves to the changing area, swiftly removing the week-old leather armour and the clothing underneath and replacing them with a towel, opting to leave her mask on. She neatly folds the clothes and piles them within sight of the table. She then climbs onto the table and awaits Sana's arrival, self-conscious of the melted skin on her neck, similar to her face.
A few minutes later, there's a soft knock at the door and the door opens. A Chultan woman enters and announces herself.
"Ello dere! I am Sana, and I will be yer masseuse." She begins to move about the room, preparing the items she will need, and lighting some incense."Ave you ever ad a massage before?"
"I'm afraid not. This will be my first."For once she's thankful for the mask, which was currently hiding her blush.
"That's alright! I'll make sure yer first time is the best!"She begins by removing the towel."If yer ever uncomfortable, just say, and I'll stop."Sana then starts placing hot stones across Shanolia’s shoulders, down her back and buttocks, then down each leg. She gently places the towel across her buttocks again and begins to work on her feet, rubbing warm oil into each, working her arches and in between her toes."Ave you been in da Port long?"
"My group and I landed a few hours ago, though I've no idea where they've gotten to.”She relaxes slightly, the masseuse working wonders on her sore feet. “What about yourself?"
"Born an raised! Been 'ere all my life!"She finishes with one foot and begins on the other."Why 'ave you come to da jungle?"
"My group has been sent on a mission, something about a portal. I must admit, I wasn't too keen when I heard how hot it would be, but the library alone has all but changed my view."
"I see! So you enjoyed the library, eh?"She moved over to wipe her hands, then began to rub the hot oil across Shanolia’s arm and hand."Did you find anything int'resting?"She lets out a soft sigh as the masseuse continues her work.
"Nothing too special, though I did come across one spell that may prove useful in my travels."
"Sounds exciting!"Sana stretches and pulls, gently, on each of Shanolia’s fingers."But dere are a lot more exciting things to do in da Port! You should check out da races! Buy some fancy clothes!"Shanolia eyes her folded outfit and gives the idea a thought.
"I suppose I could use some new clothes, though whether the merchants will be comfortable selling to me I am unsure. I don't have the most settling appearance."She mutters the last sentence quietly. Sana chuckles and moves past Shanolia’s head to her other arm. She pours some warm oil and begins working on that side.
"Da merchants will sell ta anyone. Coin is coin, here! Coin don't discriminate!"Shanolia chuckles softly.
"I suppose you're right, and it just so happens that I have quite a bit of coin."She sighs softly again."It's been so long since I could relax, this feels nice."
Sana begins stretching and pulling the fingers on that hand."I'm pleased you approve! But, I've only begun. Da next part will send ya to da heavens!"She finishes and wipes her hands again. Then she begins to move around the Elf, removing the stones, one by one, removing the towel again and replacing it once the stones are gone. She then starts working on her shoulders, kneading the muscles, finding all the sore spots. Once she finds such a spot, she works at it until the knot melts away. No matter how much it hurts at first, the more she works it, the better it begins to feel. A soft groan escapes Shanolia’s lips as the years of stress seem to melt away, and her eyes drift shut as Sana continues her massage.
"Ya hold a lot of yer stress in yer shoulders."Moving down the Elf’s back, she finds fewer spots, and it takes less time to ease the knotted muscles. As she gets to her lower back, she begins to dig in a little more. "A lot of stress can be held in da buttocks, as well. Dat can be quite uncomfortable for someone's first time, so I can skip if you wish."Unbeknownst to Sana, Shanolia smiled at the idea.
"No, please. Continue."
"As you wish."She removed the towel and began to work on each buttock, moving quickly as to not make her feel uncomfortable. Replacing the towel, she moved down one thigh to the calf and exclaimed,"Oh girl! Ya hold a lot of stress in ya calves, as well! Ya must be an adventurer!"
"I would hardly call myself an adventurer, despite what my friends might say. Although, I have been traveling for quite some time."
"Ah, a traveler. Tell me, what 'ave you seen in yer travels?”
"I have seen many things that I would rather not speak of, if you do not mind."
"Of course,"Sana said, quietly."Apologies."She remains silent while moving to the other leg, down her thigh and finally on to her calf.
"I apologize if I sound defensive, I did not mean to be rude."
"No, 'tis I who am sorry. I did not mean to bring up difficult topics fer ya."Sana finished with Shanolia’s calf and moved to a side table where she wiped her hands once again."Time for da lotion. What scent do ya prefer?"She held out two tubs containing white creamy looking lotions. One was a citrus scent, and the other was flowery.
"You've no reason to apologize, your intentions were well."She eyes the bottles for a moment before deciding. "The citrus scent, please."
Sana nods and begins to work the fruity smelling lotion across Shanolia’s entire body. She's quite for a long time, then finally speaks again."I do hope you enjoy yer time in da Port. It's a beautiful city, with much to do. Many memories can be made here. Beautiful memories."
"I have an idea for a beautiful memory, if you are not opposed..."The Elf’s voice takes on a seductive tone. Sana's hands pause a moment.
"M'lady, it's not professional."
"Must it be? Surely a pretty girl like you wants to have fun every now and then, and who will know besides you and I?"
Sana backed away, covering Shanolia once again with the towel."Please, m'lady, I can lose my job."She started wiping her hands with another towel."Dat sort of thing isn't allowed here."
"I understand, and I do not wish to cost your job. I apologize for my behaviour."
"If one is looking for companionship,"she continued, not looking at you. "One can find it at one of the two inns."She spares a glance, looking her in the eye. Shanolia looks away, genuinely ashamed of her actions.
"Thank you. For not freaking out, I mean."
Sana raises an eyebrow."Companionship varies, depending on which inn you stay at."
Shanolia looks back at the girl.
"I'm afraid I do not understand what you mean."Sana looks away, quickly.
"Maybe... I'll see ya at one of da inns when I get off work?"
"That would be nice. I apologize again for making this so uncomfortable. I should probably be going."Sana nods and quickly leaves the room.
With a sigh, Shanolia stands from the table, dresses, and leaves the bathhouse, making her way to the Thundering Lizard.
/r 1d20+2 #Wingman = (1)+2=3 Sidekick = Worst Wingman NA
Mumbei takes Zamar's arm and begins her slow shuffle back toward the dock. "All these strange people in my house. Just no respect for people, these youngin's have."
He pats her hand. “Many do not, which is a shame, but there will always be those who will stand for what is right, such as my friends in the Scarlet Dawn. I am glad we could be there for you.”
"Is that a club?" She asks. "I was a member of the Banana Slugs when I was younger. Harunga was alive then... she was such a sweetie..." She continues telling you about the Banana Slugs as you finally round the bend to the Harbor Master's office. As if suddenly realizing where she is, she stops. "Why am I here? We shouldn't bother Uncle when he's working..."
“It is all right. This is important and he needs to know. There is danger in your home. It is contained for now, but your safety is important to him.”
"Danger in my home?" She asks, "Is it the rats?"
“The rats and what they have attracted.”
Noticing the urgency, she opens the Harbor Master's office door and calls out, "Uncle Zindar? Are you back yet? The rats have friends, uncle." She hobbles in to the office.
“Master Zindar. A thousand pardons for interrupting your work, but I do not think you should dismiss your niece or her concerns. After getting my wife settled, we accompanied your niece to her home to investigate the rat problem. And the “rats” had attracted an interesting band of gentlemen. They looked local and each sported a red band around their left bicep. We managed to send them away, but they may be back. They were attracted by something interesting in the attic. As you can see from the somewhat fresh blood on my clothing, we did our best to deal with that as well.”(edited)
He looks up from his scrolls and his draconian head cocks to the side. His eyes move from his niece to you. "What was it you found in there?" He asks.
His niece, as if remembering the pouch she held tightly in her hands, confidently steps up to his desk and pours the contents of the pouch out.
“We found that in a pocket dimension inhabited by an imp and an assortment of magical traps. It appears to have been a wizard sanctum, though we are not sure how long it has been since he was last there. It looks like at least two hundred years. The imp is dead and the traps deactivated. My wizard friend is claiming the books for our pains, but I felt the money should go to your niece.”
He pushes the gems around with a clawed hand and stands. "Show me," he says. "Stay here," he demands of his niece. With a few soft gestures, he whispers something under his breath and nods for you to take the lead.
Zamar leads him out of the office and toward the house. After rounding the first street, Zindar is joined by nearly a dozen guards. He whispers to one, and the man breaks off to go into the Harbor Master's office. They walk on in determined silence, Zamar gratified to know that once the danger was real, there was no hesitation in Zindar. As they mount the stairs into the house, Zamar can hear the voices of the Scarlet Dawn and their new Tabaxi companion. They enter to find Lera doling out treats from a comically large bundle of cinnamon rolls.
As they enter, Zamar calls out to his friends. "Master Zindar has brought some of his men to help secure the home. He would like to see the portal and what we have found. I also described the interlopers the best I could. I'm sure my testimony has added yet another crime syndicate to our list of enemies. For that, I apologize. How goes the cataloguing of arcane knowledge?"
"Watch them," Zindar commands to the guards. They take position in the attic, watching the Scarlet Dawn. Zindar then enters the portal. After a few minutes of silence, he comes back out. His hands move rapidly, a copper piece wedged between two clawed fingers. Everyone feels a soft hum in their heads when he finishes and he looks at the assembled Scarlet Dawn. "Tell me everything," he says.
"We came upstairs, the men here brandished swords. I charmed one of them and they told us about the portal. In turn I told them all to leave in exchange for the contents of what was on the other side. It was a deal I never planned to see fulfilled. We went through and met an imp who promised to disable the traps in the room and we would set him free. We disabled several of the traps with his help and then I released him from being bonded with the place and then trapped him. We then trigger the last trap and the imp refused to tell us how to disable it. Polly then found the source of the trap and broke it in half. I killed the imp and then scoured the room for anything of value. In total we found the gems your niece now carries, a locked potions box, a tabaxi frozen in time, a previously animated sword, a cloak of elvenkind and this wizard's entire life's work." Singe says breathlessly, pushing the intimidating harbormaster out of his mind and filling it with excitement of learning about the 300 year-old wizard.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
The half-dragon gives no indication as to whether or not he believes Singe, instead he asks, "Do you remember what they looked like?" His focus is on the Wizard as he says this, but Singe merely feels the half-dragon probing his surface thoughts, waiting for an image of the thieves. Something to track them down by. The guards stand patiently, they've seen Zindar work before, and know that anything they say or do will not help during an interrogation.
Singe brings the image of the five men front and center in his mind, "They looked like they were from around here, they all had matching armbands. There should still be one of them under my charm. I wonder what he'll do once he realizes what I did..."
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
"Y'bunda," he says, recognizing one of them. "I will take care of it."
He looks about and his eyes pass over to the Tabaxi. "My thanks," he says. "Unfortunately, the portal is now our property, and so is everything within." There's a moment for this to sink in before he adds, "However, before it was claimed it was the property of no one. Everything you have claimed for yourselves is yours." He gestures to the books and the Tabaxi. "I will close the portal and take care of the... thieves."
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
"Yes of course!" Singe write on an empty page in the back of his spellbook and tears the page out, handing it to Zindar, "Here's our address, do include any remarks or interesting findings you have."
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
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The woman happily pointed Lera in the direction of the nearest bakery. "Come on Mr. Kitt- Mr. Dapple," Polly said. "You'll like pastries! They are sweet and flaky and yummy!" She took Dapple by the paw again and began to lead him, while looking over her shoulder at the rest of the group. "We can all show him what pastries are!"
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
As his friends scurry out the door, Zamar approaches the woman. "My dear," he says, pouring on the charm, though he strongly expects she is impervious, "We have solved your rat problem. Those men were behind it. You say your uncle chased them off?"
"Why yes," she responds. "I won't be seeing them again, I think. She glances up the stairs as more shuffling occurs. "Yer not stealing my stuff, are ye?"
"Absolutely not. In fact, we found something up there that you may not have been aware of." He hands her the bag of gems. "I'm pretty sure those men wanted to steal them. We sent them on their way. I plan to let your uncle know a bit more."
"What's this?" She asks, slowly opening the pouch. Her eyes go wide when she sees the contents. "Whaa, wow... I uh... I don't remember losing these up there."
"There are some interesting quirks to your attic. We found some...dangers there that we did our best to dispatch. You should probably wait for your uncle before going back up. We are pretty sure we got everything, but there is magic involved, so it is hard to be sure. And if the door opens on its own, leave and get help. I don't want to alarm you. I just want you to be safe."
"I don't know anything about this stuff," She whispers. "I should... I should get my uncle." She turns to leave, hobbling slowly out of the house.
"I'll come with you," he says. "My friend Singe will keep watch while we are gone. Let me just tell them what we are up to."
She nods slowly as she slowly makes her way down the streets. "I'm feeling there were more than a couple rats, I think." She mumbles.(edited)
She keeps the bag of gems clutched in her frail hands, careful not to move them.
Zamar calls out to Singe, "I'm going to take the woman back to her uncle and make sure he understands what is going on here! That should give you time to move the books without too many questions." He turns to Perrin and says, "Your call. Going to help Singe or help me guard our friend and her newfound wealth on the way to the harbor?"
He then heads outside after her and says, "I'll keep you and your...find...safe as we head to the harbor."
Zamar Zahuv - Level 4 Aasimar Bard in Whispers of Dissent
Golos - Level 1 Halfling Barbarian in Night's Dark Terror
Jerrok Flametongue - Level 6 Human Barbarian in Zendikar - Whispers of the Aeons
R'thr Ka'ri - Level 5 Paladin in The Adventures of Bubbles (every other Wednesday)
Johnathan Moonspeaker - Level 6 Druid in Web of Lies (every other Friday)
DM of Something Wicked This Way Comes - D&D Modernverse (every other Tuesday)
Dapple let Polly and Lera lead him off down the street. Doing the best he can to answer their questions, he slowly shares bits of his story - what life had been like with his tribe in the nearby jungle and the concerns of the elders when the humans had established the harbor fort that has since grown to become the sprawling metropolis (in his eyes) of Port Nyanzaru. "I am...was, a scout and hunter. We were responsible for keeping our clan's territory safe by patrolling the borders and keeping an eye out for danger. Normally just the occasional wild creature, but there were also sometimes parties of swamp goblins, or lizardfolk to ward off." He'll admit to having killed with his weapons as part of these duties but avoids details, recognizing them as inappropriate for the young Polly.
He marvels at the colors and sights around them as they walk, sometimes plucking at a woman's bright dress or reaching towards a particularly shiny weapon or piece of armor and having his hand slapped away. At one point there is a rustling from a pouch at his belt and Mr Bun pops out his head. Dapple plucks a few leaves when he sees some, feeding them to his horny little friend as they walk.
"You might not want to just pluck at people's clothes and purses," Lera prodded. "That's considered theft, and I have no idea what the law enforcement is like in this city." Lera appreciated his stories, finding them remarkable. "You've lived a pretty cool life, Dapple, and I imagine it's about to get stranger."
Arriving at the bakery, Lera strode in confidently. "Good day to you," she greeted the person behind the counter. "I would like all of your cinnamon rolls. I’m worried what you just heard was give me a lot of cinnamon. What I said was give me all of them." She placed two gold pieces on the counter and beamed at them.
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
The Chultan woman behind the counter looked at Lera, slightly confused. She opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it when she saw the gold. Taking the gold, she nodded and began to carefully package up the last few dozen cinnamon rolls she had available. Once she was done, and the spots were empty, she placed a little "Sold Out" sign in their place. "Ere you go!" she said, placing the packages on the counter.
Polly jumped with excitement, pulling Dapple this way and that. "All of them! She got all of them! We can get fat on sweets! Can Mr. Bun have some? Can I pet Mr. Bun? You can pet Mr. Drippy if you want! He won't hurt you, unless I tell him to! But I won't tell him to! I promise!"
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
Dapple pooh-poohs Lera's warning, showing little concern, and appearing a bit hurt as well. "I'm not stealing anything, just looking!"
As the baker loads up Lera's order of cinnamon buns, he watches with acute interest. "Is that a cherry? They seem very sticky. They don't look like fruit to me." To Polly, he adds "I'm not sure Mr. Bun will like them, but we'll see. He usually eats leafy greens. You know what they say - "Leafy greens are a special treat, they give you long ears and great big feet!"
"Oh, thank you so much!" Lera grinned, grabbing the boxes. "What was your name? I hope to bring my friends back another day, but for now these will have to tide them over."
She handed Polly and Dapple each their own cinnamon roll. "Prepare to have your tastebuds blown," she winked at Dapple. "Welcome to the future, friend. These are called cinnamon rolls, they're more common than cherry pies. And since Perrin makes the best cherry pies, I worried that I might offend him if I gave you someone else's. But don't worry, cinnamon rolls are even better." Lera took a huge bite. "Although don't tell him I said that."
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
The Chultan woman smiles at Lera. "Me name is Isa, and if ya come 'ere early in da morn, da rolls are fresh an hot!"
Polly quickly started licking the frosting off her cinnamon roll, digging her fingers into the warm sticky mess. "Mmm! This is amazing!"
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
Dapple accepts he sticky sweet, first sniffing it, then testing the gooey frosting withe the tip of his tongue. A smile spreads across his feline features and he makes quick work of his treat and is soon cleaning the leftovers from his whiskers and paws. "Oh! That's delicious! Like a sugary bread, and with the sweet creamy topping! May I have another?" He eyes Lera's package eagerly. "Amazing indeed Polly! I hope cherry pie is just as good!"
“Isa, I will certainly visit you again,” the aasimar gave the woman a wink.
“You haven’t eaten for a handful of centuries, it’s understandable that you’d be hungry,” Lera tossed Dapple a second roll. “Society really took off after we figured out how to refine sugar. Anyway, we probably weren’t supposed to wander off. Ready to head back and share our spoils with everyone else?”
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
After about three hours of fruitless reading - save for Mage Hand - Shanolia returns the books to the shelves and exits the large temple. Throwing her hood over her head, she looks to the sky and realizes that it is currently late afternoon. With no other plans, she decides to visit the bathhouse. Asking around, Shanolia learns that the bathhouse is about an hour away, and not too far from the Thundering Lizard. As she walks through the streets, she begins noticing the bright colors of the Red Bazaar, numerous merchants peddling their wares, exotic animals, and a lot of meat vendors. Finally, she finds herself at the public bathhouse, where she sees all sorts of people walking in and out; wealthy merchants and lowly dock workers seem to both be allowed here.
As she walks in, she sees people in robes bearing the symbol of Sune. Warily, she approaches one of the robed women.
"Pardon me. I'm new to the area and was wondering if there are any baths that offer a bit of... privacy. I'm willing to pay a bit extra if I must." The woman smiles and gestures toward a giant clamshell at the entrance.
"This is a public bathhouse and there is no charge, while we will always accept donations. As for private rooms, we don't really have any private rooms. We do have masseuses, and those massages take place in private rooms. That service costs 11 silver pieces."
Shanolia thinks about the offer for a moment, before deciding that a massage is definitely worth such a small fee. She digs through her small coin pouch, counts out the correct number of silver pieces, and hands them to the woman.
"Where shall I find such a masseuse?"
The woman places the coins into the giant clam, then turns to Shanolia.
"This way, please." She leads her down one of the tiled hallways, stopping in front of one of the few open doors. "This is your room. You can change behind that curtain," she says pointing to the changing area. "Once you're unclothed, wrap yourself in one of the towels and make yourself comfortable on the table. Your masseuse is Sana, and she will be right with you momentarily." The woman gives the Elf a slight bow and leaves.
Shanolia nods, entering and closing the door. Once the door is closed, she moves to the changing area, swiftly removing the week-old leather armour and the clothing underneath and replacing them with a towel, opting to leave her mask on. She neatly folds the clothes and piles them within sight of the table. She then climbs onto the table and awaits Sana's arrival, self-conscious of the melted skin on her neck, similar to her face.
A few minutes later, there's a soft knock at the door and the door opens. A Chultan woman enters and announces herself.
"Ello dere! I am Sana, and I will be yer masseuse." She begins to move about the room, preparing the items she will need, and lighting some incense. "Ave you ever ad a massage before?"
"I'm afraid not. This will be my first." For once she's thankful for the mask, which was currently hiding her blush.
"That's alright! I'll make sure yer first time is the best!" She begins by removing the towel. "If yer ever uncomfortable, just say, and I'll stop." Sana then starts placing hot stones across Shanolia’s shoulders, down her back and buttocks, then down each leg. She gently places the towel across her buttocks again and begins to work on her feet, rubbing warm oil into each, working her arches and in between her toes. "Ave you been in da Port long?"
"My group and I landed a few hours ago, though I've no idea where they've gotten to.” She relaxes slightly, the masseuse working wonders on her sore feet. “What about yourself?"
"Born an raised! Been 'ere all my life!" She finishes with one foot and begins on the other. "Why 'ave you come to da jungle?"
"My group has been sent on a mission, something about a portal. I must admit, I wasn't too keen when I heard how hot it would be, but the library alone has all but changed my view."
"I see! So you enjoyed the library, eh?" She moved over to wipe her hands, then began to rub the hot oil across Shanolia’s arm and hand. "Did you find anything int'resting?" She lets out a soft sigh as the masseuse continues her work.
"Nothing too special, though I did come across one spell that may prove useful in my travels."
"Sounds exciting!" Sana stretches and pulls, gently, on each of Shanolia’s fingers. "But dere are a lot more exciting things to do in da Port! You should check out da races! Buy some fancy clothes!" Shanolia eyes her folded outfit and gives the idea a thought.
"I suppose I could use some new clothes, though whether the merchants will be comfortable selling to me I am unsure. I don't have the most settling appearance." She mutters the last sentence quietly. Sana chuckles and moves past Shanolia’s head to her other arm. She pours some warm oil and begins working on that side.
"Da merchants will sell ta anyone. Coin is coin, here! Coin don't discriminate!" Shanolia chuckles softly.
"I suppose you're right, and it just so happens that I have quite a bit of coin." She sighs softly again. "It's been so long since I could relax, this feels nice."
Sana begins stretching and pulling the fingers on that hand. "I'm pleased you approve! But, I've only begun. Da next part will send ya to da heavens!" She finishes and wipes her hands again. Then she begins to move around the Elf, removing the stones, one by one, removing the towel again and replacing it once the stones are gone. She then starts working on her shoulders, kneading the muscles, finding all the sore spots. Once she finds such a spot, she works at it until the knot melts away. No matter how much it hurts at first, the more she works it, the better it begins to feel. A soft groan escapes Shanolia’s lips as the years of stress seem to melt away, and her eyes drift shut as Sana continues her massage.
"Ya hold a lot of yer stress in yer shoulders." Moving down the Elf’s back, she finds fewer spots, and it takes less time to ease the knotted muscles. As she gets to her lower back, she begins to dig in a little more. "A lot of stress can be held in da buttocks, as well. Dat can be quite uncomfortable for someone's first time, so I can skip if you wish." Unbeknownst to Sana, Shanolia smiled at the idea.
"No, please. Continue."
"As you wish." She removed the towel and began to work on each buttock, moving quickly as to not make her feel uncomfortable. Replacing the towel, she moved down one thigh to the calf and exclaimed, "Oh girl! Ya hold a lot of stress in ya calves, as well! Ya must be an adventurer!"
"I would hardly call myself an adventurer, despite what my friends might say. Although, I have been traveling for quite some time."
"Ah, a traveler. Tell me, what 'ave you seen in yer travels?”
"I have seen many things that I would rather not speak of, if you do not mind."
"Of course," Sana said, quietly. "Apologies." She remains silent while moving to the other leg, down her thigh and finally on to her calf.
"I apologize if I sound defensive, I did not mean to be rude."
"No, 'tis I who am sorry. I did not mean to bring up difficult topics fer ya." Sana finished with Shanolia’s calf and moved to a side table where she wiped her hands once again. "Time for da lotion. What scent do ya prefer?" She held out two tubs containing white creamy looking lotions. One was a citrus scent, and the other was flowery.
"You've no reason to apologize, your intentions were well." She eyes the bottles for a moment before deciding. "The citrus scent, please."
Sana nods and begins to work the fruity smelling lotion across Shanolia’s entire body. She's quite for a long time, then finally speaks again. "I do hope you enjoy yer time in da Port. It's a beautiful city, with much to do. Many memories can be made here. Beautiful memories."
"I have an idea for a beautiful memory, if you are not opposed..." The Elf’s voice takes on a seductive tone. Sana's hands pause a moment.
"M'lady, it's not professional."
"Must it be? Surely a pretty girl like you wants to have fun every now and then, and who will know besides you and I?"
Sana backed away, covering Shanolia once again with the towel. "Please, m'lady, I can lose my job." She started wiping her hands with another towel. "Dat sort of thing isn't allowed here."
"I understand, and I do not wish to cost your job. I apologize for my behaviour."
"If one is looking for companionship," she continued, not looking at you. "One can find it at one of the two inns." She spares a glance, looking her in the eye. Shanolia looks away, genuinely ashamed of her actions.
"Thank you. For not freaking out, I mean."
Sana raises an eyebrow. "Companionship varies, depending on which inn you stay at."
Shanolia looks back at the girl.
"I'm afraid I do not understand what you mean." Sana looks away, quickly.
"Maybe... I'll see ya at one of da inns when I get off work?"
"That would be nice. I apologize again for making this so uncomfortable. I should probably be going." Sana nods and quickly leaves the room.
With a sigh, Shanolia stands from the table, dresses, and leaves the bathhouse, making her way to the Thundering Lizard.
/r 1d20+2 #Wingman = (1)+2=3
Sidekick = Worst Wingman NA
Dungeon Master - LSoL
Kaori - Battlemaster Fighter 5 / Paladin 2 (Kenku) - TSR
Cherna Godhari - Grave Cleric 4 (Human) - TW
Breena Mahi'ai - Divination Wizard 8 (Halfling) - WoE
Sharyn Savonath - Open Sea Paladin 4 (Triton) - PoPI
Zephyr - Four Elements (Revised) Monk 4 (Air Genasi) - IO
Takeshi - Mercy Monk 6 (Protector Aasimar) - TBW
Avrui Sirsash - Genie Warlock 2 (Wildhunt Shifter) - WotBS
Mumbei takes Zamar's arm and begins her slow shuffle back toward the dock. "All these strange people in my house. Just no respect for people, these youngin's have."
He pats her hand. “Many do not, which is a shame, but there will always be those who will stand for what is right, such as my friends in the Scarlet Dawn. I am glad we could be there for you.”
"Is that a club?" She asks. "I was a member of the Banana Slugs when I was younger. Harunga was alive then... she was such a sweetie..." She continues telling you about the Banana Slugs as you finally round the bend to the Harbor Master's office. As if suddenly realizing where she is, she stops. "Why am I here? We shouldn't bother Uncle when he's working..."
“It is all right. This is important and he needs to know. There is danger in your home. It is contained for now, but your safety is important to him.”
"Danger in my home?" She asks, "Is it the rats?"
“The rats and what they have attracted.”
Noticing the urgency, she opens the Harbor Master's office door and calls out, "Uncle Zindar? Are you back yet? The rats have friends, uncle." She hobbles in to the office.
“Master Zindar. A thousand pardons for interrupting your work, but I do not think you should dismiss your niece or her concerns. After getting my wife settled, we accompanied your niece to her home to investigate the rat problem. And the “rats” had attracted an interesting band of gentlemen. They looked local and each sported a red band around their left bicep. We managed to send them away, but they may be back. They were attracted by something interesting in the attic. As you can see from the somewhat fresh blood on my clothing, we did our best to deal with that as well.”(edited)
He looks up from his scrolls and his draconian head cocks to the side. His eyes move from his niece to you. "What was it you found in there?" He asks.
His niece, as if remembering the pouch she held tightly in her hands, confidently steps up to his desk and pours the contents of the pouch out.
“We found that in a pocket dimension inhabited by an imp and an assortment of magical traps. It appears to have been a wizard sanctum, though we are not sure how long it has been since he was last there. It looks like at least two hundred years. The imp is dead and the traps deactivated. My wizard friend is claiming the books for our pains, but I felt the money should go to your niece.”
He pushes the gems around with a clawed hand and stands. "Show me," he says. "Stay here," he demands of his niece. With a few soft gestures, he whispers something under his breath and nods for you to take the lead.
Zamar leads him out of the office and toward the house. After rounding the first street, Zindar is joined by nearly a dozen guards. He whispers to one, and the man breaks off to go into the Harbor Master's office. They walk on in determined silence, Zamar gratified to know that once the danger was real, there was no hesitation in Zindar. As they mount the stairs into the house, Zamar can hear the voices of the Scarlet Dawn and their new Tabaxi companion. They enter to find Lera doling out treats from a comically large bundle of cinnamon rolls.
As they enter, Zamar calls out to his friends. "Master Zindar has brought some of his men to help secure the home. He would like to see the portal and what we have found. I also described the interlopers the best I could. I'm sure my testimony has added yet another crime syndicate to our list of enemies. For that, I apologize. How goes the cataloguing of arcane knowledge?"
Zamar Zahuv - Level 4 Aasimar Bard in Whispers of Dissent
Golos - Level 1 Halfling Barbarian in Night's Dark Terror
Jerrok Flametongue - Level 6 Human Barbarian in Zendikar - Whispers of the Aeons
R'thr Ka'ri - Level 5 Paladin in The Adventures of Bubbles (every other Wednesday)
Johnathan Moonspeaker - Level 6 Druid in Web of Lies (every other Friday)
DM of Something Wicked This Way Comes - D&D Modernverse (every other Tuesday)
"Watch them," Zindar commands to the guards. They take position in the attic, watching the Scarlet Dawn. Zindar then enters the portal. After a few minutes of silence, he comes back out. His hands move rapidly, a copper piece wedged between two clawed fingers. Everyone feels a soft hum in their heads when he finishes and he looks at the assembled Scarlet Dawn. "Tell me everything," he says.
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"We came upstairs, the men here brandished swords. I charmed one of them and they told us about the portal. In turn I told them all to leave in exchange for the contents of what was on the other side. It was a deal I never planned to see fulfilled. We went through and met an imp who promised to disable the traps in the room and we would set him free. We disabled several of the traps with his help and then I released him from being bonded with the place and then trapped him. We then trigger the last trap and the imp refused to tell us how to disable it. Polly then found the source of the trap and broke it in half. I killed the imp and then scoured the room for anything of value. In total we found the gems your niece now carries, a locked potions box, a tabaxi frozen in time, a previously animated sword, a cloak of elvenkind and this wizard's entire life's work." Singe says breathlessly, pushing the intimidating harbormaster out of his mind and filling it with excitement of learning about the 300 year-old wizard.
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
The half-dragon gives no indication as to whether or not he believes Singe, instead he asks, "Do you remember what they looked like?" His focus is on the Wizard as he says this, but Singe merely feels the half-dragon probing his surface thoughts, waiting for an image of the thieves. Something to track them down by. The guards stand patiently, they've seen Zindar work before, and know that anything they say or do will not help during an interrogation.
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Singe brings the image of the five men front and center in his mind, "They looked like they were from around here, they all had matching armbands. There should still be one of them under my charm. I wonder what he'll do once he realizes what I did..."
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
"Y'bunda," he says, recognizing one of them. "I will take care of it."
He looks about and his eyes pass over to the Tabaxi. "My thanks," he says. "Unfortunately, the portal is now our property, and so is everything within." There's a moment for this to sink in before he adds, "However, before it was claimed it was the property of no one. Everything you have claimed for yourselves is yours." He gestures to the books and the Tabaxi. "I will close the portal and take care of the... thieves."
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"If you don't mind, I have a question. I need to get these books back to Baldur's Gate. How would I go about doing this here?"
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Zindar's head tilts. "We can ship them for you," he says. "I will wave the fee in exchange for a day to look them over."
He nods to the guards, another whisper under his breath, and they begin to leave the attic. "You have done well here," he adds. "Thank you."
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"Yes of course!" Singe write on an empty page in the back of his spellbook and tears the page out, handing it to Zindar, "Here's our address, do include any remarks or interesting findings you have."
Tooltips | Snippet Code | How to Homebrew on D&D Beyond | Subclass Guide | Feature Roadmap
Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett