Brunthor lovingly accepts Jambiya's hug, then holds her at arm's length and glares at her. "What are you talking about, little one?" he grumbles at her quietly, attempting to avoid catching Dirk's attention. "Quitting the Seldom Spring and becoming an adventurer? You're too young. You need to stay here where it's safe. That halfling said himself that you almost died several times." The dwarf is now shaking his head. "No. You'll not go running off again." He turns and looks at Dirk, his face hard, and his arm hard and a little painfully wrapped around the little goblin girl's shoulders. "Jambiya is staying here," he announces. "She's not ready. She's too young," he repeats. "She'll stay here where it's safe."
Eric continues filling up flagons behind the bar, only three once he sees Anafrey drinking what Brunthor gave her. "That mirror was a horrorshow, Brunthor. Killed a whole household of people -- Lord and Lady, plus their servants. It's broken, but really, you should ask a few more questions of the keepsakes Dirk still has--"
He speaks until Jambiya runs into Brunthor's arms, about to launch into a longer spiel about his fears (OOC: deleted said spiel, you're welcome) and tries to restart his mood, saving Brunthor the trip and brings the flagons back to the table with Jambiya and Maldorn. He catches the introductions and the quest description from Dirk.
With Brunthor's outburst, he just points out that given how dangerous the mirror was, any one of Dirk's keepsakes in the bar could be more threatening than any adventure, and goes back to his flagon.
Eventually, when talk returns to the quest, he does his best to charm both new arrivals with practiced ease (this is not the first time he's tried to charm old wealthy people) and small, flattering talk, presenting himself to Eilikasys as a solid investment should she be looking for one with Dirk's mementos not for sale (Deception: 24).
He turns to Ebokk and says, "I'd be up for helping you find your father, Ebokk. Where did you last see him? What do you think happened to him?"
Anafrey knocks back about a quarter of the bottle before she pulls back, letting out a hot breath her face scrunched up tight, "Phew... thank you Brunthor, this is even more awful than I remember it." She sits at the bar, away from the new faces, sipping her drink more slowly now, listening to the conversation, and making a face with every taste of Brunthor's brew.
"Mind if I light a smoke?" Maldorn asks, already rolling his next tobacco paper regardless of the response he gets. "How much of an urgent matter is this, young Epoch? Not that I am disagreeing with the proposal, but we just got here... Surely it is in your best interest to hire well-rested adventurers, is it not?"
Maldorn assumes Brunthor and Jambiya are just doing some sort of strange family bonding, and as such, does not pay too much attention to it.
Brunthor releases Jambiya as she pushes away. His arm hovers for a moment as she complains, but drops as his face softens. "Full grown?" he repeats a little sympathetically.
"We can't hold onto our little flower forever," Dirk interrupts, a big smile on his face as usual.
Brunthor's face hardens again as he looks at Dirk. "We certainly can," he growls.
During all of this, Ebokk is watching the family exchange with embarrassment, and Eilikasys looks bored. The dwarf looks at both Erric and Maldorn, but appears afraid to answer them quite yet. Eilikasys sighs.
Erric's fine letting Dirk and Brunthor squabble, confident that Jambiya can advocate for herself, and also naively thinking his point about Dirk's keepsakes being dangerous was enough to settle to discussion. His small talk begins to wash over the matronly gnome.
"Miss, you seem like you have had a very successful business career, may I ask if you yourself collect things for a living? You might not be able to buy anything from Dirk (and might I suggest to you that this is a good thing, because that mirror I mentioned was very dangerous), but perhaps there's something else here in Seldom Spring that would interest you. I have to assume you're a collector of rare and valuable and dangerous things. Well, there's only one of me, I'm very useful, and when push comes to shove, I can be very handy in a fight. If you're looking for a team of scrappy heroes and heroines to rescue a disappeared dwarvish dad," and he looks to Ebokk too at this point, "we're your team. Very little went wrong on our last adventure, and I'm sure the next one will be even better!"
(This is all said in a very sincere and not-smarmy way -- Erric is naive and just assumes people like him so he's not even trying to maliciously deceive her.)
"Neither of you gets a choice!" Backing away from her fathers, Jambiya stamps her foot. "I am a grown goblin, fully ten years old! But I'm not a goblin, am I? I don't look like a goblin, I'm not dumb like a goblin, and I'm not a coward like a goblin! And you know it, too. I am something else and you don't know what that is, either! I've got some tree lady trying to speak to me, and I've got this inside me," and she holds out her hands in a claw shape like she did when her eyes turned black and her fingers got long and gnarly and acid dripped from them... only this time, black vines made of smoke burst out of her, lashing the air all around her, then flashing back inside her as quick as they came.
In the ensuing shocked silence, Jambiya stands frozen, her eyes wide... "I don't know what that was."
"I mean, it was wicked cool," she adds in a small voice.
"I have got to go back out there and find some answers, Pops," she says to both of them. "I can take care of myself, and these three are more capable than they look. Erric is a steadfast companion. Anafrey is fearless. And Maldorn is wise." She pauses a moment, and her eyebrows rise in surprise. "And I'm not even using their bar names anymore. I can't stay here, Grumpy Pops. I need to find myself. I need to find where the Saxifragicae blooms."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
After Jambiya's hormone-infused epiphany, Maldorn adds to Erric's pitch by shifting in his chair a bit, and moving his extended arm in a sweeping motion behind him in the general direction of the bar (i.e. Jambiya and Anafrey): "... as you can see, we're a very stable party of adventurers. A pair of safe, steady hands. We are indeed the team for your needs. In the morrow, that is."
Eilikasys watches Erric with an unwavering, if snobbish gaze as he makes his proposal. When she feels confident he is finished, she makes a little sweeping gesture with one long-nailed hand. "The choice of who accompanies him on his errand is up to young Ebokk. While two of you look a little ... green," she says somewhat unkindly, "who am I to assume your prowess?"
Ebokk leans closer to Erric and Eilikasys. "Do they fight like this often?" he almost whispers.
Brunthor stands, wide-eyed and almost fish-mouthed as Jambiya proclaims her independence and even displays the use of (potentially) powerful magic. Finally, Dirk claps his hands together loudly. "Little one!" he exclaims. He rushes to her and kneels down in front of her with bright eyes and a wide smile. "Yes. Yes! You are smart and courageous!" He looks at Brunthor. "Look at her. I know we'd love to keep her here and protect her, but she wants to go. We can't hold her back when she's ready to spread her wings."
"But —" Brunthor responds feebly.
"It's not like we're sending her off to fight a dragon, Brunthor. She's just going on a little boat ride. They'll find the lad's father and come back. And the others will be with her."
"But —" Brunthor says again.
Dirk looks at Jambiya again, this time with pride. "You are my greatest treasure. If I could put you up on my wall, I would," he says with a laugh. "I'll never forget the day we plucked you out of that pot. Remember that, Brunthor?" he calls, still looking at Jambiya. When there is no response, both Dirk and Jambiya turn to look where the dwarf had been, but he is gone. Dirk stands, looking unsure. "Ah ... let me ... go find him," he says. He puts on a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Speak with Ebokk. He has quite a ... tale." He turns and disappears through the back of the bar into the kitchen.
Eilikasys sighs once again.
Ebokk looks at each of the remaining faces, most of his nervous energy melting into awkwardness. "Well," the dwarf tries to begin. "Well, my father's been missing for many, many years. And I recently discovered evidence that a notorious pirate going by the name of Captain Flindbar wore a beard ring extremely similar to my family's ancestral beard ring," he says, sounding more and more sure of himself. "If Flindbar was wearing my father's beard ring, well, he must be dead. But I have recently learned the location of Flindbar's wrecked ship," he hastily continues. "It is run aground by a small island in the Sea of Swords. So, I need a small party to accompany me to the island and provide protection as I seek to recover what may be my birthright. Aside from the ring, any treasure we find is yours. I only seek news of my father, and to hopefully reclaim my family's beard ring," he concludes. He looks at each, then settles on Erric. "Eilikasys had suggested Dirk, but it sounds like he isn't available, so perhaps you four?"
"Sounds like a perfect arrangement to me," Eilikasys says drolly.
After Eilikasys responds so dismissively to his attempts to woo/impress her, Erric's face displays a brief look of disbelief. That sort of thing usually worked much better than it did here.
Erric replies to Ebokk asking about whether Brunthor and Dirk fight like this, "you couldn't imagine," he says with mock seriousness. He goes to check on Jambiya to make sure she's alright, bringing her the flagon of ale he'd poured for her.
After Dirk departs and Ebokk tells his tale, Erric listens intently, an expression of dismay at what a bad storyteller this dwarf is on his face. "Is the pirate a dwarf? Any chance this Flindbar is a relation of yours, wearing a similar beard ring? I'm not familiar with the traditions and intricacies of dwarven beard rings. But maybe he's got his own beard ring? Just spitballing here."
He takes a long swallow of beer. "I'd be game for this task. If you like songs, I'm happy to entertain you on the way. I'm also the type to ask a lot of questions. How many years has your father been gone? How did you learn the location of this wreck? Are you anything of a sailor and do you have a ship to get us to this island? Do you really expect this wreck to be full of treasure, and if it doesn't, does your family have the gold to pay for our time and risk-taking?"
He looks at Eilikasys and says, "how do you two know each other, by the way?"
"Wow," Ebokk chuckles nervously, his excitement melting away again, "you talk a lot." He clears his throat and begins running a finger along the rim of his mug. "Er ... Captain Flindbar — that's the pirate — was a dwarf, but, no, I don't think he's any relation to me. He was ruthless. Not honorable. My parents both come from very honorable houses. Kind, chivalrous. My father was a treasure hunter. Well, that's how I know Eilikasys. My mother occasionally sells some of my father's treasures to help her continue to afford the lifestyle she enjoys. And she helps me find evidence in my search for my father. (She buys and sells all kinds of things.) He disappeared a little over 50 years ago. Oskir Lockforge was his name. The last we knew, he was headed south to Amn, but he never returned. And, well, yes, many dwarves wear beard rings, but the description in the account we found describes the ring, noting some very specific runes. My father's ring had these runes. It is my suspicion that my father never made it to Amn. Somehow, he ran afoul of this Captain Flindbar, and the pirate took my family's beard ring after murdering him. Well," he says, his nervousness once again turning into smoothness, "I had this link from Captain Flindbar and my father's beard ring, but no other clues. I began to lose hope again of ever finding my father or the ring. Then, just a couple tendays ago, I heard word of an old shipwreck, still flying Captain Flindbar's flag, run aground on a remote island. I immediately acquired a ship and hired a crew. It's just that I need a few more for protection. You know. Just in case. I can pay, of course. Fifty gold per person. And, like I said, you can keep any treasure you find. All I want is the beard ring ... if we can find it."
"Ebokk has spent many years searching for his father," Eilikasys says, her words conveying sympathy, but her tone still sounding cold. "I was very glad to find the manuscript which may help him finally solve this piece of the puzzle."
Anafrey has the bottle upended as Jambiya comments on her bravery and she spits a mouthful of foul smelling liquor from her mouth and nostrils upon hearing someone call her "fearless." She stands for a moment staring at everyone in the room, looking dumbly, mouth agape as if she might say something.
Instead, she turns her back to the others to face the bar and drink in peace.
Maldorn sat there for a moment, simply listening attentively. He pipes in on the mention of Erric being talkative: "Aye. Our little halfling here likes dealing in information. He makes sure we are not missing anything. I am sure you'll understand we do not like the prospect of going into this adventure blindly, sort of speak. So yes, he talks a lot but means well. I hear you get used to it, eventually."
Smoking and listening resumes, until the gnome adds her piece: "A manifest, you say? Do you happen to have it with you? May we have a look at it?"
Eilikasys looks at Ebokk to answer Maldorn's question. The dwarf blinks at the old man, then slowly says, "Yes."
"If you have it, show it to the man," Eilikasys says impatiently. "We're sitting right here. He's not going to steal it from you."
Ebokk looks disappointed and dutifully chastised. He turns to reach into a pack by his side and pulls out a very thin leather folder. Placing it on the table, he opens it and leafs through a few papers. He finally selects one and hands it over to Maldorn. As the hunter's eyes begin to scan the document, which is full of ink written in a neat hand, Ebokk leans over it as well. He points at a few places as he explains. "This is an account given by a Waterdhavian noble whose ship was attacked by fairly modest-looking vessel commanded by a dwarf calling himself 'Captain Flindbar' and his crew of gnolls." When Maldorn and Erric look up at the dwarf in surprise, he nods. "Yes, gnolls. The noble said Flindbar immediately had the crew of the noble's ship murdered and thrown overboard, but the noble and the few other passengers were kept below deck for a couple days. The few times the noble was in the presence of the pirate, he says Flindbar was clearly addled. He wielded a strange weapon made of two rods connected in the middle by a chain — a kind of flail. And he writes that the gnolls appeared to almost worship Flindbar like a deity. But what interests me most is his description of the pirate captain's ornate beard ring — and the description sounds very much like the one my father used to wear." He moves his finger a little higher on the page. "Here. This is where he describes the flag flying over the ship that attacked them. It bears the face of an angry orc. And that's what is flying over the wreck we'll be sailing to investigate." He takes the manuscript back with a little hum of apology, carefully returning it to the folder and closing the leather back protectively. Taping the cover, he says, "This ship was attacked a little over 50 years ago, around the same time my father disappeared. I'm not sure why my father would have been on a ship, but I'm sure his ship came to this same fate, and he was murdered. It was really a fluke that this noble was able to make it out alive. He said he and the other captives were brought up on deck and the gnolls started squabbling when Flindbar wasn't around. The noble was knocked overboard, where he was sure he would drown as his hands and feet were bound, but a sea person of some sort saved him — delivered him to safety, then disappeared back into the waves. The other passengers were never heard from again," Ebokk finishes, his eyes large to emphasize the wonder of the tale.
Jambiya comes over, holding the drink Erric gave her, looking a little flustered, and glancing over her should where her fathers went. "Hi, sorry you all had to see that," she apologizes to the clients. "I do think you've found the right group to take with you, we're very adventurous," she flashes a smile. "We'd be happy to help you find out what happened to your father."
She turns to Eilikasys, "Will you be joining us on the trip?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Eilikasys actually shows a bit of emotion, her non-existent eyebrows rising. "Me? No, child. I was simply providing the introduction. And as it appears Ebokk has found his party, unless anyone has anything they'd like to show me that I might perhaps want to exchange for a little gold, I'll be on my way."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Erric asks Maldorn if he still has the case that used to have the revivify potions inside. "Maybe that would be of interest to her?" If Maldorn and the others agree, Erric describes it and tells her a bit of the story of finding it and how it was the only thing that didn't burn. Persuasion if we need a new roll: 17
Afterward, he asks Ebokk, "So when you aren't searching for evidence of your father's fate, what do you do for a living? And for fun? Have you even been on adventures before?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
While Ebokk is going over the document with Maldorn and Erric, the old coot will make sure to pay at least half attention to the mannerisms of the dwarf in hopes of extracting any now-spoken information from the way he is delivering his tale:
Later, as Erric describes the casket, Maldorn brings it out of his pack: "Here is the object my bard companion is describing, along with the key our dear Jambiya here found. I would not mind trading it with you, dear Eleanor-asys. That is, if the rest of my companions agree, of course."
Maldorn will also try to read the enigmatic gnome's facial expressions:
Brunthor lovingly accepts Jambiya's hug, then holds her at arm's length and glares at her. "What are you talking about, little one?" he grumbles at her quietly, attempting to avoid catching Dirk's attention. "Quitting the Seldom Spring and becoming an adventurer? You're too young. You need to stay here where it's safe. That halfling said himself that you almost died several times." The dwarf is now shaking his head. "No. You'll not go running off again." He turns and looks at Dirk, his face hard, and his arm hard and a little painfully wrapped around the little goblin girl's shoulders. "Jambiya is staying here," he announces. "She's not ready. She's too young," he repeats. "She'll stay here where it's safe."
Eric continues filling up flagons behind the bar, only three once he sees Anafrey drinking what Brunthor gave her. "That mirror was a horrorshow, Brunthor. Killed a whole household of people -- Lord and Lady, plus their servants. It's broken, but really, you should ask a few more questions of the keepsakes Dirk still has--"
He speaks until Jambiya runs into Brunthor's arms, about to launch into a longer spiel about his fears (OOC: deleted said spiel, you're welcome) and tries to restart his mood, saving Brunthor the trip and brings the flagons back to the table with Jambiya and Maldorn. He catches the introductions and the quest description from Dirk.
With Brunthor's outburst, he just points out that given how dangerous the mirror was, any one of Dirk's keepsakes in the bar could be more threatening than any adventure, and goes back to his flagon.
Eventually, when talk returns to the quest, he does his best to charm both new arrivals with practiced ease (this is not the first time he's tried to charm old wealthy people) and small, flattering talk, presenting himself to Eilikasys as a solid investment should she be looking for one with Dirk's mementos not for sale (Deception: 24).
He turns to Ebokk and says, "I'd be up for helping you find your father, Ebokk. Where did you last see him? What do you think happened to him?"
Anafrey knocks back about a quarter of the bottle before she pulls back, letting out a hot breath her face scrunched up tight, "Phew... thank you Brunthor, this is even more awful than I remember it." She sits at the bar, away from the new faces, sipping her drink more slowly now, listening to the conversation, and making a face with every taste of Brunthor's brew.
~♡~
"What?!" Jambiya turns her head to look at Brunthor.
Acrobatics roll to squirm out of his grasp: 5
OOC > Well, that's not likely to work...
She struggles in his arms, "I'm full grown! Let me go!"
OOC > There's still the chance he'll just let her go...
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
"Mind if I light a smoke?" Maldorn asks, already rolling his next tobacco paper regardless of the response he gets. "How much of an urgent matter is this, young Epoch? Not that I am disagreeing with the proposal, but we just got here... Surely it is in your best interest to hire well-rested adventurers, is it not?"
Maldorn assumes Brunthor and Jambiya are just doing some sort of strange family bonding, and as such, does not pay too much attention to it.
Brunthor releases Jambiya as she pushes away. His arm hovers for a moment as she complains, but drops as his face softens. "Full grown?" he repeats a little sympathetically.
"We can't hold onto our little flower forever," Dirk interrupts, a big smile on his face as usual.
Brunthor's face hardens again as he looks at Dirk. "We certainly can," he growls.
During all of this, Ebokk is watching the family exchange with embarrassment, and Eilikasys looks bored. The dwarf looks at both Erric and Maldorn, but appears afraid to answer them quite yet. Eilikasys sighs.
Erric's fine letting Dirk and Brunthor squabble, confident that Jambiya can advocate for herself, and also naively thinking his point about Dirk's keepsakes being dangerous was enough to settle to discussion. His small talk begins to wash over the matronly gnome.
"Miss, you seem like you have had a very successful business career, may I ask if you yourself collect things for a living? You might not be able to buy anything from Dirk (and might I suggest to you that this is a good thing, because that mirror I mentioned was very dangerous), but perhaps there's something else here in Seldom Spring that would interest you. I have to assume you're a collector of rare and valuable and dangerous things. Well, there's only one of me, I'm very useful, and when push comes to shove, I can be very handy in a fight. If you're looking for a team of scrappy heroes and heroines to rescue a disappeared dwarvish dad," and he looks to Ebokk too at this point, "we're your team. Very little went wrong on our last adventure, and I'm sure the next one will be even better!"
(This is all said in a very sincere and not-smarmy way -- Erric is naive and just assumes people like him so he's not even trying to maliciously deceive her.)
"Neither of you gets a choice!" Backing away from her fathers, Jambiya stamps her foot. "I am a grown goblin, fully ten years old! But I'm not a goblin, am I? I don't look like a goblin, I'm not dumb like a goblin, and I'm not a coward like a goblin! And you know it, too. I am something else and you don't know what that is, either! I've got some tree lady trying to speak to me, and I've got this inside me," and she holds out her hands in a claw shape like she did when her eyes turned black and her fingers got long and gnarly and acid dripped from them... only this time, black vines made of smoke burst out of her, lashing the air all around her, then flashing back inside her as quick as they came.
In the ensuing shocked silence, Jambiya stands frozen, her eyes wide... "I don't know what that was."
"I mean, it was wicked cool," she adds in a small voice.
"I have got to go back out there and find some answers, Pops," she says to both of them. "I can take care of myself, and these three are more capable than they look. Erric is a steadfast companion. Anafrey is fearless. And Maldorn is wise." She pauses a moment, and her eyebrows rise in surprise. "And I'm not even using their bar names anymore. I can't stay here, Grumpy Pops. I need to find myself. I need to find where the Saxifragicae blooms."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
After Jambiya's hormone-infused epiphany, Maldorn adds to Erric's pitch by shifting in his chair a bit, and moving his extended arm in a sweeping motion behind him in the general direction of the bar (i.e. Jambiya and Anafrey): "... as you can see, we're a very stable party of adventurers. A pair of safe, steady hands. We are indeed the team for your needs. In the morrow, that is."
Eilikasys watches Erric with an unwavering, if snobbish gaze as he makes his proposal. When she feels confident he is finished, she makes a little sweeping gesture with one long-nailed hand. "The choice of who accompanies him on his errand is up to young Ebokk. While two of you look a little ... green," she says somewhat unkindly, "who am I to assume your prowess?"
Ebokk leans closer to Erric and Eilikasys. "Do they fight like this often?" he almost whispers.
Brunthor stands, wide-eyed and almost fish-mouthed as Jambiya proclaims her independence and even displays the use of (potentially) powerful magic. Finally, Dirk claps his hands together loudly. "Little one!" he exclaims. He rushes to her and kneels down in front of her with bright eyes and a wide smile. "Yes. Yes! You are smart and courageous!" He looks at Brunthor. "Look at her. I know we'd love to keep her here and protect her, but she wants to go. We can't hold her back when she's ready to spread her wings."
"But —" Brunthor responds feebly.
"It's not like we're sending her off to fight a dragon, Brunthor. She's just going on a little boat ride. They'll find the lad's father and come back. And the others will be with her."
"But —" Brunthor says again.
Dirk looks at Jambiya again, this time with pride. "You are my greatest treasure. If I could put you up on my wall, I would," he says with a laugh. "I'll never forget the day we plucked you out of that pot. Remember that, Brunthor?" he calls, still looking at Jambiya. When there is no response, both Dirk and Jambiya turn to look where the dwarf had been, but he is gone. Dirk stands, looking unsure. "Ah ... let me ... go find him," he says. He puts on a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Speak with Ebokk. He has quite a ... tale." He turns and disappears through the back of the bar into the kitchen.
Eilikasys sighs once again.
Ebokk looks at each of the remaining faces, most of his nervous energy melting into awkwardness. "Well," the dwarf tries to begin. "Well, my father's been missing for many, many years. And I recently discovered evidence that a notorious pirate going by the name of Captain Flindbar wore a beard ring extremely similar to my family's ancestral beard ring," he says, sounding more and more sure of himself. "If Flindbar was wearing my father's beard ring, well, he must be dead. But I have recently learned the location of Flindbar's wrecked ship," he hastily continues. "It is run aground by a small island in the Sea of Swords. So, I need a small party to accompany me to the island and provide protection as I seek to recover what may be my birthright. Aside from the ring, any treasure we find is yours. I only seek news of my father, and to hopefully reclaim my family's beard ring," he concludes. He looks at each, then settles on Erric. "Eilikasys had suggested Dirk, but it sounds like he isn't available, so perhaps you four?"
"Sounds like a perfect arrangement to me," Eilikasys says drolly.
After Eilikasys responds so dismissively to his attempts to woo/impress her, Erric's face displays a brief look of disbelief. That sort of thing usually worked much better than it did here.
Erric replies to Ebokk asking about whether Brunthor and Dirk fight like this, "you couldn't imagine," he says with mock seriousness. He goes to check on Jambiya to make sure she's alright, bringing her the flagon of ale he'd poured for her.
After Dirk departs and Ebokk tells his tale, Erric listens intently, an expression of dismay at what a bad storyteller this dwarf is on his face. "Is the pirate a dwarf? Any chance this Flindbar is a relation of yours, wearing a similar beard ring? I'm not familiar with the traditions and intricacies of dwarven beard rings. But maybe he's got his own beard ring? Just spitballing here."
He takes a long swallow of beer. "I'd be game for this task. If you like songs, I'm happy to entertain you on the way. I'm also the type to ask a lot of questions. How many years has your father been gone? How did you learn the location of this wreck? Are you anything of a sailor and do you have a ship to get us to this island? Do you really expect this wreck to be full of treasure, and if it doesn't, does your family have the gold to pay for our time and risk-taking?"
He looks at Eilikasys and says, "how do you two know each other, by the way?"
"Wow," Ebokk chuckles nervously, his excitement melting away again, "you talk a lot." He clears his throat and begins running a finger along the rim of his mug. "Er ... Captain
Flindbar — that's the pirate — was a dwarf, but, no, I don't think he's any relation to me. He was ruthless. Not honorable. My parents both come from very honorable houses. Kind, chivalrous. My father was a treasure hunter. Well, that's how I know Eilikasys. My mother occasionally sells some of my father's treasures to help her continue to afford the lifestyle she enjoys. And she helps me find evidence in my search for my father. (She buys and sells all kinds of things.) He disappeared a little over 50 years ago. Oskir Lockforge was his name. The last we knew, he was headed south to Amn, but he never returned. And, well, yes, many dwarves wear beard rings, but the description in the account we found describes the ring, noting some very specific runes. My father's ring had these runes. It is my suspicion that my father never made it to Amn. Somehow, he ran afoul of this Captain Flindbar, and the pirate took my family's beard ring after murdering him. Well," he says, his nervousness once again turning into smoothness, "I had this link from Captain Flindbar and my father's beard ring, but no other clues. I began to lose hope again of ever finding my father or the ring. Then, just a couple tendays ago, I heard word of an old shipwreck, still flying Captain Flindbar's flag, run aground on a remote island. I immediately acquired a ship and hired a crew. It's just that I need a few more for protection. You know. Just in case. I can pay, of course. Fifty gold per person. And, like I said, you can keep any treasure you find. All I want is the beard ring ... if we can find it."
"Ebokk has spent many years searching for his father," Eilikasys says, her words conveying sympathy, but her tone still sounding cold. "I was very glad to find the manuscript which may help him finally solve this piece of the puzzle."
Anafrey has the bottle upended as Jambiya comments on her bravery and she spits a mouthful of foul smelling liquor from her mouth and nostrils upon hearing someone call her "fearless." She stands for a moment staring at everyone in the room, looking dumbly, mouth agape as if she might say something.
Instead, she turns her back to the others to face the bar and drink in peace.
~♡~
Maldorn sat there for a moment, simply listening attentively. He pipes in on the mention of Erric being talkative: "Aye. Our little halfling here likes dealing in information. He makes sure we are not missing anything. I am sure you'll understand we do not like the prospect of going into this adventure blindly, sort of speak. So yes, he talks a lot but means well. I hear you get used to it, eventually."
Smoking and listening resumes, until the gnome adds her piece: "A manifest, you say? Do you happen to have it with you? May we have a look at it?"
Eilikasys looks at Ebokk to answer Maldorn's question. The dwarf blinks at the old man, then slowly says, "Yes."
"If you have it, show it to the man," Eilikasys says impatiently. "We're sitting right here. He's not going to steal it from you."
Ebokk looks disappointed and dutifully chastised. He turns to reach into a pack by his side and pulls out a very thin leather folder. Placing it on the table, he opens it and leafs through a few papers. He finally selects one and hands it over to Maldorn. As the hunter's eyes begin to scan the document, which is full of ink written in a neat hand, Ebokk leans over it as well. He points at a few places as he explains. "This is an account given by a Waterdhavian noble whose ship was attacked by fairly modest-looking vessel commanded by a dwarf calling himself 'Captain Flindbar' and his crew of gnolls." When Maldorn and Erric look up at the dwarf in surprise, he nods. "Yes, gnolls. The noble said Flindbar immediately had the crew of the noble's ship murdered and thrown overboard, but the noble and the few other passengers were kept below deck for a couple days. The few times the noble was in the presence of the pirate, he says Flindbar was clearly addled. He wielded a strange weapon made of two rods connected in the middle by a chain — a kind of flail. And he writes that the gnolls appeared to almost worship Flindbar like a deity. But what interests me most is his description of the pirate captain's ornate beard ring — and the description sounds very much like the one my father used to wear." He moves his finger a little higher on the page. "Here. This is where he describes the flag flying over the ship that attacked them. It bears the face of an angry orc. And that's what is flying over the wreck we'll be sailing to investigate." He takes the manuscript back with a little hum of apology, carefully returning it to the folder and closing the leather back protectively. Taping the cover, he says, "This ship was attacked a little over 50 years ago, around the same time my father disappeared. I'm not sure why my father would have been on a ship, but I'm sure his ship came to this same fate, and he was murdered. It was really a fluke that this noble was able to make it out alive. He said he and the other captives were brought up on deck and the gnolls started squabbling when Flindbar wasn't around. The noble was knocked overboard, where he was sure he would drown as his hands and feet were bound, but a sea person of some sort saved him — delivered him to safety, then disappeared back into the waves. The other passengers were never heard from again," Ebokk finishes, his eyes large to emphasize the wonder of the tale.
"I'm sorry I doubted your ability to weave tales. That's a pretty good one. When do you want to go, and when is the ship ready to sail?"
Jambiya comes over, holding the drink Erric gave her, looking a little flustered, and glancing over her should where her fathers went. "Hi, sorry you all had to see that," she apologizes to the clients. "I do think you've found the right group to take with you, we're very adventurous," she flashes a smile. "We'd be happy to help you find out what happened to your father."
She turns to Eilikasys, "Will you be joining us on the trip?"
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Eilikasys actually shows a bit of emotion, her non-existent eyebrows rising. "Me? No, child. I was simply providing the introduction. And as it appears Ebokk has found his party, unless anyone has anything they'd like to show me that I might perhaps want to exchange for a little gold, I'll be on my way."
Erric asks Maldorn if he still has the case that used to have the revivify potions inside. "Maybe that would be of interest to her?" If Maldorn and the others agree, Erric describes it and tells her a bit of the story of finding it and how it was the only thing that didn't burn. Persuasion if we need a new roll: 17
Afterward, he asks Ebokk, "So when you aren't searching for evidence of your father's fate, what do you do for a living? And for fun? Have you even been on adventures before?"
While Ebokk is going over the document with Maldorn and Erric, the old coot will make sure to pay at least half attention to the mannerisms of the dwarf in hopes of extracting any now-spoken information from the way he is delivering his tale:
-> Insight check on Ebokk: 18.
Later, as Erric describes the casket, Maldorn brings it out of his pack: "Here is the object my bard companion is describing, along with the key our dear Jambiya here found. I would not mind trading it with you, dear Eleanor-asys. That is, if the rest of my companions agree, of course."
Maldorn will also try to read the enigmatic gnome's facial expressions:
-> Insight check on Eilikasys: 16.