Katarina pulls out the amulet and looks at it for a moment, before handing it over to Jasper.

"Yes, Katarina is willing to let elf Jasper hold it for the night," the cat says after a moment's hesitation. "Just remember to give it back... it is very pretty and Katarina is already quite fond of it."

“Thank you Lady Katarina! I will definitely return it in the morning.” Jasper graciously takes the device. “This may prove useful in many ways.“

”Mister Wester. If our business is finished, we will retire for the night. I believe our payment is in order.”

After receiving payment, Jasper suggests a meal at the inn. “Is anyone hungry? It’s been a very long day. Shall we go to the Stonehill Inn?”

"That's a great idea Jasper!" Khessa exclaims "The Stonehill Inn is very comfortable and our two new friends will need accommodation for the night. Plus" she turns to said friends,  Katarina and Aura "You will like Margret, she is jovial, nice and cooks really well - one more reason to save Phandalin," she winks "if we need one!"

Harbin stares at the magical items with intense interest. "And the gnomes are preparing even more weapons to use against the dragon? Splendid! You truly went above and beyond."

Harbin disappears for a moment into a side room and returns with a pouch of 50 gold pieces. This time he doesn't have to poke them under the door one by one, and he looks relieved at that. "If you're looking for more work, I've posted a few more notices to the board outside. Take a look after you've rested, and I can answer any questions you might have. Thank you again! Phandalin will forever be in your debt if you manage to take down that horrible flying beast."

~~~

At the Stonehill Inn, Margret greets the party warmly. "Welcome back, adventurers!" she says with a wink. "You look like you've had a long day. What are you having?"

Khessa is truly relieved that Harbin isn't complaining about the limited offensive potential of the gnomes' current boons - she was so afraid to see him regress to his more usual state of panic...

'Perhaps our victories, small but continuous, are restoring his confidence' thinks the blonde arcane warrior. 'It might almost be time' she smiles intimately 'to introduce him Tookrashk...'

"Thank you Harbin!" the tall adventuress gives him a hearty pat on the shoulder "You'll see, things are going well! Soon you'll be free again to fearlessly manage this city, worrying only about everyone's well-being!" then she quickly divides the reward among everyone.

(OOC: 10Gp each)

At the Stonehill Inn, Khessa is also very happy to see Margret again: "Long day, but crowned with success! Margret! How do you like my new hat? Do I look wizardly enough, finally? Anyway, I think I deserve a big portion of sautéed red cabbage... I like so much how it turns a little caramelized and crispy..." her blue eyes gets a little dreamy "You can cook it, of course?"

To the others: "Come, let's take a seat! What will you take? This time, to celebrate your arrival, it's on me!"

(Curious if Jasper noticed Harbin’s interest in the magic items.)

Perception Check: 16

At the Inn:   
“I’ll have the same.” Referring to Khessa.  “And some cheese and bread if you don’t mind.” No meat tonight as last nights meal with Tookrashk is still a little unsettling. 

"Katarina will have baked fishes, please," Katarina says, licking her chops hungrily. "And perhaps something to drink... but nothing too strong. Katarina is still not sure how she got up in a tree the last time she forgot her limits..."

Khessa smiles strangely at her friend Tabaxi's short anecdote, with a mixture of tenderness and melancholy at the same time: "Well, Katarina, at least you learned something from that experience! And what's more, I bet that the next morning you are came down by herself!" she sighs "Did you know that something very similar happened to my younger brother Rethos? With the difference that he's not our age... he's thirteen. At one of our village festivals, we don't know how, he managed stealthy drinking enough to get drunk. When our parents looked for him because it was time for bed, they found him hanging from the branch of one of the redwoods from which Twardens, our village, had taken its name. Evidently, he had been looking for who knows why to climb on it... but, being neither agile nor tabaxi, he had fallen and remained hanging. And I'm the one who had to climb up to pull him down. But he, unlike you, as usual, has not shown that he has learned anything. When, the next morning, our parents lectured him about what had happened, he persisted in repeating that it was all their fault! Yes, their fault, because if they'd let him get used to drinking over the past few festivals, then he wouldn't have gotten drunk too easily the night before!" she raises an eyebrow "Perfect logic, right?"

"I just wish" concludes the blonde arcane warrior "that at least he is now learning to behave better... I wish it for him, because now he certainly has much less loving and patient educators".

Jasper gets lost in thought with the talk of family. “Echo. Will you be staying at the inn or are you going home to see your family?”

Echo waves the wand she has around for the Townmaster to see, "it's really cool! the gnomes said it makes fireworks," though clearly she has no idea how to actually use it.

When they arrive at the inn, she pushes her hat back and settles in, "pie please!" And she'll start rambling about the shapechanging monster they encountered to Margaret and anyone else who'd listen, "-- and then, it was right there, with all the other barrels, but then Jasper moves his pretty light magic over it and shoom, there it is!"

To Jasper's question, "hmmm, maybe? I think I want to take a look at the Townmaster's new quests first. But if we go anywhere that's really really far away, I'll run back home and let my family know!"

Katarina giggles at Khessa's story about her brother.

"Boys, the same they all are," the feline says with a smile. "Katarina also has a brother who often gets himself into trouble... Rocco Silver Claw his name is. Clever wizard he is. Very clever. But Katarina often wonders if any common sense he has at all... Katarina still can't believe that her brother bet her father's throne in a game of dice... the Grand Duke, Katarina's father, was less than pleased to hear this, as Katarina is sure friend Khessa can imagine."

The feline sighs.

"In fairness to her brother, Katarina and her sister have also made their share of unwise decisions..."

Thoughts flood in hearing about their brothers and their bad choices. The night comes back clear as day. And that man’s smile. He’s not a man! He’s a monster! Shaking, Jasper spills his water on the table and stands up knocking his chair back. “I…I’m sorry.  I must take my leave for the night. Uhhh… I will meet you all at the Townmaster Hall tomorrow early. Good night…”

Jasper places five silver pieces on the table. And abruptly leaves the inn. Jasper heads over to the Shrine. Sets up his meditation items. His two remaining moonstones, holy symbol and a censer with burning incense. He begins his meditation ritual for the night. 

Khessa tries to stop Jasper: "Hey, calm down dear! You're here among us, there's nothing wrong..." but in vain; when she sees him throw the coins on the table she points out "And I said it's on me! Keep the money..." but he is practically already outside the Stonehill Inn "And remember we had to make that potion together, tonight..." she adds, in vain, deeply aware that he is now too far away (both mentally and physically) to hear her.

'Brother…' the tall adventuress asks telepathically to Anator 'Would you keep an eye on him? Just so that he doesn't get into trouble. You know, he is all by himself... If you have difficulties let me know immediately! Thank you, you are unique! You don't know how much I missed you! I don't know how I've been able to go on before I discovered the ritual to bring you back to me!'

And as the bat moves off into the darkness to watch over the elf, the blonde arcane warrior sighs and addresses the others: "I guess what happened to him... He must have remembered his kidnapped sisters. Kidnapped by moonlight shadows... Sadly, both Jasper and I have our families who are in grave danger - which we will take care of after we put Cryovain in condition to do no more harm. Let's go on and eat our dinner as we intended to. If Jasper calms down, he will come back to us. Otherwise, after dinner, while Margret shows you to your rooms, I will join him. I have sent Anator after him, I will be able to find them easily".

"Anyway, Katarina, your brother really had a lot of faith in those dices!" the blue-eyed woman forces herself to focus back on something amusing, finding herself smiling "Playing his father's throne! I'm maybe a little too self-confident at times, but it never occurred to me to play my parents' house! And you, Aura? Do you have a more ordinary family, at least you?"

Jasper having trouble entering his meditative state, he calls upon the Moon Maiden for her sanctuary as the twilight hour approaches. He channels Twilight Sanctuary. As the soothing twilight encompasses the shrine, Jasper calms a bit and forces the fear in those thoughts out of his minds.

Temporary HP:  9

"Katarina is very sorry if... if she opened old wounds," Katarina says after Khessa explains the reason why Jasper just left so abruptly. "Katarina's family may not be perfect... but most of the danger they get into is from their own bad decisions... If friend Khessa and friend Jasper need help to protect their families, Katarina is willing to volunteer her services. She might even be able to get her father to send some aid... if her father is willing to forgive her. Katarina made a... mistake... that earned her father's displeasure."

"Katarina is fairly sure that her brother uses loaded dice," Katarina says with a chuckle when Khessa brings the topic of discussion back to her brother's foolish bet. "But unfortunately for him, not the only one familiar with cheating was he... Katarina's father nearly had her brother turned into a rug when the collectors came for the Grand Duke's chair."

"It's not your fault, friend Katarina" smiles Khessa, who has already found her determination again. "Those to blame will pay... and I thank you so much for your offer to help!" on impulse she hugs the generous tabaxi, narrowing her blue eyes as she holds her fondly in her arms "I think we're going to need any help we can get. Drow, in my case. And vampires, if I well understand, in Jasper's. Pay they will; but they will be not an easy challenge".

"Anyway, as far as your father is concerned," the blonde arcane warrior declares "I'm sure not even the most awful 'mistake' in the history of Faerûn can keep him from realizing what a wonderful daughter he has fathered! I'm sure whatever it is, you've already been forgiven!"

The tall adventuress laughs heartily at the details about the conclusion of the gamble: "Nearly had your brother turned into a rug!? I can understand that... although maybe" she winks "I had turned him into a new and even more awesome throne!"

Jasper does notice Harbin taking an intense interest in the magical items.

~~

Margret smiles and shakes her head a bit. "You and those cabbages!" she remarks. "But I'll see what I can do."

At Katarina's story, Margret laughs. "Aye, liquor will do that to you. This is just between you and me, but the last time I had a little too much I gave our illustrious townmaster a pinch on the rear! Can you imagine it? Oh, you should've seen the look on his face though. It was priceless!"

Margret disappears and returns about fifteen minutes later with steaming bowls of cabbage, heaps of baked fish, and a slice of apple pie for Echo. Margret listens to Echo's tale of the barrel monster with a mixture of glee and horror. "Oh my! You make me want to go down to the cellar and check our own barrels, just in case!"

Katarina is a bit surprised when Khessa wraps her in a hug. But she returns the gesture of affection... and makes a sound that can only be described as a purr. She does her best to share her friend's optimism about her father, though the feline is still a bit nervous about the audience that she's inevitably going to need to have with the Grand Duke eventually.

"You are always the best, Margret!" Khessa smiles broadly, when the plump waitress comes back with food for everyone "And for this very reason, a piece of advice from the bottom of my heart: if you have doubts about your barrels, don't go yourself... call us and have them checked by us, all right? We'll be gladly do this for you".

If the dinner goes on without any particular events and Jasper still doesn't return, the blonde arcane warrior makes sure that the new friends get a room at the inn, then she pays dinner for all, takes the elf cleric's dinner with her and sighs: "Jasper hasn't returned yet... I'll have Anator take me to him and at least I'll bring him his dinner. I don't know if he's changed his mind about what he wanted to do tonight... but if we don't meet over breakfast here in the morning, then we'll meet at the townmaster's job board. We'll see what else Harbin has in store for us".

Quote from Sam1am96 >>

Jasper having trouble entering his meditative state, he calls upon the Moon Maiden for her sanctuary as the twilight hour approaches. He channels Twilight Sanctuary. As the soothing twilight encompasses the shrine, Jasper calms a bit and forces the fear in those thoughts out of his minds.

Temporary HP:  5

'Of course, here it is, at the Shrine' is not too surprised Khessa, approaching with a tray containing sautéed red cabbage, some cheese and bread. 'Thank you for watching over him, brother of mine!' Anator comes back to her, reaching his hidden position, close to her neck, under the flowing cascade of blond curls.

Without speaking so as not to disturb him, the blonde arcane warrior places the dinner next to the elf cleric and sits down opposite him, smiling and playing with the Moonstone that he himself had given her some time ago.

'In a moment, will he notice that I'm here?' the tall adventurer wonders to herself 'Or is he already in that kind of deep meditation that is like sleep for the elves?'