Kesh listens to the long-winded ramblings of the mayor, his mood worsening at the implication of unseen metaphysical tampering. Still, he keeps his mouth shut. He has no reason to question the validity of this situation, given he's here to fulfill the contract he readily accepted. So this one is bound by further laws; it is no less a contractual obligation than before.
He awaits the others, watching for a moment as the first of the newly assembled pair gives a rather foppish bow and departs. The Dragonborn simply leans back, arms folded, waiting. When almost all have left the premises, he gives the mayor a small dip of his head and files out as well. Perhaps now, he can get his work done.
Joy also quietly retreats to the exit, expression thoughtful as she considers the Mayor's words. So, be extra careful about making promises here...Ah, so she'll have to resist getting overconfident with her words as well. A slight look of concern crosses her features; this is going to be quite difficult, isn't it? As a paladin, she's used to offering help and making promises to protect people regularly. Just...think more, I guess. Think. The tavern calls to her like never before.
"At this point I could go for a drink and a rest or just a rest. Either way I've taken enough bruises for today."
Even if the Mayor was telling the truth it seemed like the group got new information every time they were in the man's office. Maybe he could convince him to do a full rundown the next day?
Elyndor slips out the door and into the open air breathing deeply. He looks up at the sky for a few seconds then turns his attention to the guards, shaking his head. This, all told was a very strange experience. The Mayor seems positively unhinged, though the constable seems reasonable enough. The guards, however. Well they looked about as useful as a one legged halfling at an arse kicking contest and to top it off, this place seemed to be on the edge of the faewild. That's where this Murder Court is. They're Fae creatures, dammit. How do you go about dealing the Fae?
He looks up to the sky again, searching for the moon and chuckles. "You brought me here for a reason, Selune. I guess I need to figure that out as well!"
Joy heads out of the town hall with a sigh of relief. The cold night air is actually a bit refreshing after the stressful events inside, though the sight of the Ravenswood looming around the town is as uncomfortable as ever. She fidgets with her holy symbol in her hand, smiling as she overhears Ely address his goddess.
"With the Moonmaiden and the Morning Lord watching over us, we're sure to figure this out somehow." She remarks, feeling encouraged, though still longing for a few drinks to calm her nerves fully. "Ah, I got...well, distracted in there and forgot. I am injured just a little. Nothing to worry about! But if you don't mind, some healing wouldn't hurt. I feel like I need to be at full strength all the time in this place."
Elyndor relaxes a little and smiles. “She has been my guide in…most things. I’m sure our Gods will be looking out for us.”
He looks closer at Joy. “You were injured fighting that creature? It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” He extends his arms towards her shoulders. “May I?”
Placing one hand on a shoulder, he closes his eyes. “Leigheas lotan ìre a h-aon,” he says softly and Joy feels a wave of healing power wash through her. He opens his eyes and pulls back his hand. “I hope that helps?”
Joy smiles more brightly, feeling energized to an extent now that her wounds are fully healed. "That's perfect! Thank you." She stands on her tiptoes excitedly to address him, but her features grow more serious and thoughtful as she thinks back over the battle with the creature.
"Yes, me either. My previous missions were mainly diplomatic--Goblins, you see. Those exiled by their tribes can be quite receptive to turning to lives of peace." The memories seem pleasant to her, but she shakes her head, resisting the urge to get lost on a tangent. "But the selang, yes. It had tricky magic that used sound, and these...ugh, bugs that came out of it...They sewed my mouth shut! It was terrible...but together we stopped it in the end."
Ely raises an eyebrow at the mention of Goblins. He was never on the best of terms with those damnable creatures, but it had been years since he'd had any contact with them. Decades. "A Selang," he repeats, rolling the unfamiliar word around his mouth. "It sewed your mouth shut with bugs," he asks a little incredulously, wondering how that would even be possible. "If we are on the edge of the Fey here, then I expect we'll encounter all sorts of strange and wondrous things." He lets out a laugh. "Not including the Mayor." He gestures towards the tavern. "How about a drink to celebrate your victory? They might not appreciate a dead Selang in the taproom though. We might be able to find out more about the creature from the locals."
Shae listens quietly to the others, absorbing their talk of the strange creatures they faced and the oddness of the Mayor. She glances up at the inn, the flickering lights through the windows catching her attention. Clearing her throat softly, she speaks up for the first time since leaving the hall. "We should talk to the innkeeper's son, if he's still awake," she reminds them. "He might know more about this 'Murder Court' or the creatures lurking in the valley. It could save us some guesswork before we dive back in." She gestures toward the inn, her voice calm but with a sense of urgency. "Best to gather as much information as we can while we're here."
Joy glances at the inn, considering Shae's and Geren's suggestions. "Yes, I'd like to ask the innkeeper's son about his map as well. Auntie Woodswallow said he is able to go all the way to Oldtown with no trouble...I wonder if he has any special tricks he can share about how to avoid more creatures."
Turning to Ely, she adds, "Don’t worry, I think it should be alright to leave the dead selang outside. It seems the body isn't of interest to anyone other than us after all." Mainly just Geren, but she doesn't want to alienate the half-elf for his interests.
"What's so special about the innkeepers lad and Oldtown?" Elyndor's ears twitch at the talk of the boy. "But yes, I could do with a drink or two, and it will be a nice change of pace to rest in a bed rather than the ground."
"Auntie said Oldtown got overtaken by some kind of madness, and 'the earth is fouled' there now. It's supposed to be crawling with Jae and who-knows-what else." Joy reports, getting more curious about the innkeeper's son by the moment. "Apparently he can go there and be fine though. Also, he made the map the Mayor gave us! It has some landmarks I want to ask him about."
“Sounds like the sort of lad that would be useful to be friendly with! We should buy him a drink or two.” He also sounds like the sort of lad who the townsfolk regard as the village idiot. Hopefully not, but it always seems to be the way when someone is a bit different in town. “I do wonder about the people here. The name of the town, is quite literally “People of the Jae”. I’d be fascinated to find out how they feel about that.”
Shae gives Elyndor a small nod before speaking, her voice low but clear. "Actually, the Mayor explained that the name Jaekin doesn't come from the people here or any proud tradition. It’s tied to the Jae—the creatures of the Fey who manipulated the founders of this town into making blood oaths. Contracts with the Jae have been a curse on this town ever since, or so the major makes us believe."
She pauses, glancing toward the others. "The villagers may not even understand the full weight of it anymore."
Joy listens thoughtfully to the conversation, nodding as Shae shares the town's grim history. "It's always tragic when people, and I guess towns too, end up cursed by such dark bargains," she says quietly, then shifts her focus to more immediate concerns. "Ah, I just remembered that Geren got hurt as well during the fight! Could you or Strife take a look at him too?"
She then inspects her damaged armor with a sigh. "That selang's spear went straight through my chainmail and left quite the hole. Does anyone here know how to mend chainmail or fix a tear in fabric? I can manage some patchwork, but this looks like it might need a bit more expertise."
“I can mend it for you while we rest, if it’s not too badly damaged. I don’t need sleep as such and very little even then, though if there’s a lot to mend it could take several hours, even days.”
Elyndor looks towards Geren. “Are you badly hurt?”
”I’m not sure I can truly believe all the Mayor says, but I can’t help but feel there’s something unseen and unsettling below it’s surface”
Geren remembers his injury. He'd gotten so caught up with the new secrets he'd learned existed he'd almost forgotten about it.
"Any healing you can provide would be appreciated" he thanks Elyndor.
He considers the next part of what they'd said.
"Oh, there's far more to this than we've been told, you can bet on that. Everyone here is all about pacts and secrets. I'd prefer if it were a smaller percentage, but hopefully that just means this will be a more profitable adventure. Let's check under our beds tonight though, just to be sure."
Elyndor touches Geren on the shoulder, and a moment later, he too feels the wounds that he took in the fight with the Selang knit and heal together. “You’re very welcome,” Ely replies to Green’s thanks.
His smile is a wry one as he adds, “It may be a healthy approach for us to trust no one in the town until they have proven themselves honest and true. It’s my naturally suspicious and cautious nature, I suppose, but I find it’s better to be pleasantly surprised by someone than fatally disappointed. Not that the people here are involved, just that it’s prudent to consider that they might be, for whatever reason.”
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Kesh listens to the long-winded ramblings of the mayor, his mood worsening at the implication of unseen metaphysical tampering. Still, he keeps his mouth shut. He has no reason to question the validity of this situation, given he's here to fulfill the contract he readily accepted. So this one is bound by further laws; it is no less a contractual obligation than before.
He awaits the others, watching for a moment as the first of the newly assembled pair gives a rather foppish bow and departs. The Dragonborn simply leans back, arms folded, waiting. When almost all have left the premises, he gives the mayor a small dip of his head and files out as well. Perhaps now, he can get his work done.
Joy also quietly retreats to the exit, expression thoughtful as she considers the Mayor's words. So, be extra careful about making promises here...Ah, so she'll have to resist getting overconfident with her words as well. A slight look of concern crosses her features; this is going to be quite difficult, isn't it? As a paladin, she's used to offering help and making promises to protect people regularly. Just...think more, I guess. Think. The tavern calls to her like never before.
Geren's seen and heard enough for now.
"Fine."
He motions for the others.
"At this point I could go for a drink and a rest or just a rest. Either way I've taken enough bruises for today."
Even if the Mayor was telling the truth it seemed like the group got new information every time they were in the man's office. Maybe he could convince him to do a full rundown the next day?
Elyndor slips out the door and into the open air breathing deeply. He looks up at the sky for a few seconds then turns his attention to the guards, shaking his head. This, all told was a very strange experience. The Mayor seems positively unhinged, though the constable seems reasonable enough. The guards, however. Well they looked about as useful as a one legged halfling at an arse kicking contest and to top it off, this place seemed to be on the edge of the faewild. That's where this Murder Court is. They're Fae creatures, dammit. How do you go about dealing the Fae?
He looks up to the sky again, searching for the moon and chuckles. "You brought me here for a reason, Selune. I guess I need to figure that out as well!"
Joy heads out of the town hall with a sigh of relief. The cold night air is actually a bit refreshing after the stressful events inside, though the sight of the Ravenswood looming around the town is as uncomfortable as ever. She fidgets with her holy symbol in her hand, smiling as she overhears Ely address his goddess.
"With the Moonmaiden and the Morning Lord watching over us, we're sure to figure this out somehow." She remarks, feeling encouraged, though still longing for a few drinks to calm her nerves fully. "Ah, I got...well, distracted in there and forgot. I am injured just a little. Nothing to worry about! But if you don't mind, some healing wouldn't hurt. I feel like I need to be at full strength all the time in this place."
Elyndor relaxes a little and smiles. “She has been my guide in…most things. I’m sure our Gods will be looking out for us.”
He looks closer at Joy. “You were injured fighting that creature? It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” He extends his arms towards her shoulders. “May I?”
Placing one hand on a shoulder, he closes his eyes. “Leigheas lotan ìre a h-aon,” he says softly and Joy feels a wave of healing power wash through her. He opens his eyes and pulls back his hand. “I hope that helps?”
Cure Wounds: 12 HP back
Joy smiles more brightly, feeling energized to an extent now that her wounds are fully healed. "That's perfect! Thank you." She stands on her tiptoes excitedly to address him, but her features grow more serious and thoughtful as she thinks back over the battle with the creature.
"Yes, me either. My previous missions were mainly diplomatic--Goblins, you see. Those exiled by their tribes can be quite receptive to turning to lives of peace." The memories seem pleasant to her, but she shakes her head, resisting the urge to get lost on a tangent. "But the selang, yes. It had tricky magic that used sound, and these...ugh, bugs that came out of it...They sewed my mouth shut! It was terrible...but together we stopped it in the end."
Ely raises an eyebrow at the mention of Goblins. He was never on the best of terms with those damnable creatures, but it had been years since he'd had any contact with them. Decades. "A Selang," he repeats, rolling the unfamiliar word around his mouth. "It sewed your mouth shut with bugs," he asks a little incredulously, wondering how that would even be possible. "If we are on the edge of the Fey here, then I expect we'll encounter all sorts of strange and wondrous things." He lets out a laugh. "Not including the Mayor." He gestures towards the tavern. "How about a drink to celebrate your victory? They might not appreciate a dead Selang in the taproom though. We might be able to find out more about the creature from the locals."
Shae listens quietly to the others, absorbing their talk of the strange creatures they faced and the oddness of the Mayor. She glances up at the inn, the flickering lights through the windows catching her attention. Clearing her throat softly, she speaks up for the first time since leaving the hall. "We should talk to the innkeeper's son, if he's still awake," she reminds them. "He might know more about this 'Murder Court' or the creatures lurking in the valley. It could save us some guesswork before we dive back in." She gestures toward the inn, her voice calm but with a sense of urgency. "Best to gather as much information as we can while we're here."
|| Myrla - Wood Elf Rogue - After the Fall || Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Taiga - Genasi Fighter - Looking for Group || Riyphou - Loxodon Druid - Secrets || Tez - Half Elf Artificer - Looking for Group || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Zelaerys - Halfling/Celestial Divine Soul - NWN || Kesili - Human/Dhampir Monk - Witchwood || Trystane (main/gestalt) - Gestalt Trollblood - DOOM ||
Geren nods at Shae's words.
"I agree. It seems like every time we talk to someone in this town we learn something we didn't previously know."
He rubs his hands together, his excitement obvious.
"There's more mysteries than just the Murder Court in this town and I can't wait to learn the answers to them."
Joy glances at the inn, considering Shae's and Geren's suggestions. "Yes, I'd like to ask the innkeeper's son about his map as well. Auntie Woodswallow said he is able to go all the way to Oldtown with no trouble...I wonder if he has any special tricks he can share about how to avoid more creatures."
Turning to Ely, she adds, "Don’t worry, I think it should be alright to leave the dead selang outside. It seems the body isn't of interest to anyone other than us after all." Mainly just Geren, but she doesn't want to alienate the half-elf for his interests.
"What's so special about the innkeepers lad and Oldtown?" Elyndor's ears twitch at the talk of the boy. "But yes, I could do with a drink or two, and it will be a nice change of pace to rest in a bed rather than the ground."
"Auntie said Oldtown got overtaken by some kind of madness, and 'the earth is fouled' there now. It's supposed to be crawling with Jae and who-knows-what else." Joy reports, getting more curious about the innkeeper's son by the moment. "Apparently he can go there and be fine though. Also, he made the map the Mayor gave us! It has some landmarks I want to ask him about."
“Sounds like the sort of lad that would be useful to be friendly with! We should buy him a drink or two.” He also sounds like the sort of lad who the townsfolk regard as the village idiot. Hopefully not, but it always seems to be the way when someone is a bit different in town. “I do wonder about the people here. The name of the town, is quite literally “People of the Jae”. I’d be fascinated to find out how they feel about that.”
Shae gives Elyndor a small nod before speaking, her voice low but clear. "Actually, the Mayor explained that the name Jaekin doesn't come from the people here or any proud tradition. It’s tied to the Jae—the creatures of the Fey who manipulated the founders of this town into making blood oaths. Contracts with the Jae have been a curse on this town ever since, or so the major makes us believe."
She pauses, glancing toward the others. "The villagers may not even understand the full weight of it anymore."
|| Myrla - Wood Elf Rogue - After the Fall || Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Taiga - Genasi Fighter - Looking for Group || Riyphou - Loxodon Druid - Secrets || Tez - Half Elf Artificer - Looking for Group || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Zelaerys - Halfling/Celestial Divine Soul - NWN || Kesili - Human/Dhampir Monk - Witchwood || Trystane (main/gestalt) - Gestalt Trollblood - DOOM ||
Joy listens thoughtfully to the conversation, nodding as Shae shares the town's grim history. "It's always tragic when people, and I guess towns too, end up cursed by such dark bargains," she says quietly, then shifts her focus to more immediate concerns. "Ah, I just remembered that Geren got hurt as well during the fight! Could you or Strife take a look at him too?"
She then inspects her damaged armor with a sigh. "That selang's spear went straight through my chainmail and left quite the hole. Does anyone here know how to mend chainmail or fix a tear in fabric? I can manage some patchwork, but this looks like it might need a bit more expertise."
“I can mend it for you while we rest, if it’s not too badly damaged. I don’t need sleep as such and very little even then, though if there’s a lot to mend it could take several hours, even days.”
Elyndor looks towards Geren. “Are you badly hurt?”
”I’m not sure I can truly believe all the Mayor says, but I can’t help but feel there’s something unseen and unsettling below it’s surface”
Geren remembers his injury. He'd gotten so caught up with the new secrets he'd learned existed he'd almost forgotten about it.
"Any healing you can provide would be appreciated" he thanks Elyndor.
He considers the next part of what they'd said.
"Oh, there's far more to this than we've been told, you can bet on that. Everyone here is all about pacts and secrets. I'd prefer if it were a smaller percentage, but hopefully that just means this will be a more profitable adventure. Let's check under our beds tonight though, just to be sure."
Elyndor touches Geren on the shoulder, and a moment later, he too feels the wounds that he took in the fight with the Selang knit and heal together. “You’re very welcome,” Ely replies to Green’s thanks.
His smile is a wry one as he adds, “It may be a healthy approach for us to trust no one in the town until they have proven themselves honest and true. It’s my naturally suspicious and cautious nature, I suppose, but I find it’s better to be pleasantly surprised by someone than fatally disappointed. Not that the people here are involved, just that it’s prudent to consider that they might be, for whatever reason.”