Elk Running listens to Aubin carefully. “Well met, Aubin of Neverwinter. A coup? I know not of what you speak. The man Vaelish was not like to be a beggar, then? One oft seen to roam the roads of Bryn Shander?”
Vruna’s explanation provides further light. Elk Running is both relieved and disappointed to learn that Vaelish is likely not the human she had found in the wilderness.
“Ah, Vaelish sought to be a speaker for the village. A leader. But his honor was challenged? There was a Thing and his claim was moot? If, as you say, he was a wytch, may it be his kinsmen turned against him?”
Given what she has seen, she would not doubt the people of Bryn Shander to be unspeakably cruel.
“Agreed. I shall sojourn with these--” she barely lifts a hand, her only movement in the last several minutes “--into the tundra in search of your man and goods. Then I will speak with your leaders.” While Elk Running’s tone has remained neutral, if inquisitive, the last line is laced with frost.
When Blackberry makes his joke, she pauses. A near smile traces her otherwise frozen features. (that’s me LOLing!)
Aubin shakes his head at Blackberry. There is some truth in his words and I do dislike this place. He looks to Hruna "Yes I would welcome an introduction, now lets be off. Unless someone has further questions"
Hruna crooks an eyebrow at Elk Running. "Lass, Duvessa Shane is Speaker of Bryn Shander and, so far as I can tell, her judgement is fair and worthy. However, do not think that my leaders are to be found here. I am a dwarf of Clan Battlehammer and we are from the valleys and mines 'neath Kelvin's Cairn. We answer to none in the Ten-Towns, although we do try to maintain good relations. It might be best to wait and get a better sense of the local politics before you start demanding answers."
Listening and watching, Sabetha suppresses laughter at Blackberry's descriptions of Uthal the Yetiterror's smell as "yeti-repellant" and of Aubin's fate coming from Neverwinter to a place of always winter. She remembers the City of Skilled Hands from when she passed through hurriedly, north of Waterdeep, with it's cool climate, but nothing like this unending cold. And she had been still too focused on escape at the time to notice anyway.
She thinks she detects a frosty fury in Elk Running at the leaders of Bryn Shander. A beggar mistreated - killed even? Sabetha could sympathize with hating that. The winter eladrin seemed so certain of who is at fault, though... Speaker Duvessa Shane and Sheriff Markham Southwell...Sabetha files the names away in her head, as she does with the names Halla (the herbalist) and Mishann at the shrine. I'll have to ask after them when we return. Maybe they will know...
She puts the thought out of her mind for a moment and turns to Hruna (and Bolvark as well), taking a deep breath and deciding to trust, perhaps foolishly:
"I am Sabetha," she says to them. "Hruna, when you and your two companions first entered and beseeched the patrons of the Northlook for help, none of the locals responded. Yet six of us from varying backgrounds stood up to offer aid when you were resigned to receiving none. In good faith, and to protect your chances of our succeeding, I would ask that you outfit us with snowshoes and crampons so that we can retrieve your sled of metal and your friend's remains safely and quickly. If we flounder out there in the snow and ice, you gain nothing."
“And we grateful for it, lass, which is why I advise you to tread carefully” nods Hruna.
(OOC This was in response to Elk Running)
After listening to Sabetha, Hruna turns to look at Korux speculatively. Korux sees Vruna looking at him, gets a dark look on his scarred face, harrumphs and says “Fine!”
Vruna looks at Sabetha and says, “Korux will be happy to go with you to Garn’s and get gear in the morning.”
Blackberry stage-whispers, "He doesn't look that happy about it. But Hooray! Mr. Scrimsax, sir, I hereby give my half-day's notice! I'm going on an adventure!" He then remembers awkwardly they they are no longer at the inn, and resolves to let his employer know when he returns for his things.
Blackberry looks up at Uthal in wonder. "They won't bother us? Is it because of the smell? I mean, I don't think it's that bad, but maybe it repels Yetis? Do they have really sensitive noses, is that why they would learn so fast? You know, that would be an interesting invention, to create a Yeti repellant that could be sprayed on. Do Goliaths have scent glands?"
"Hah, Blackberry of Forgotten Clan has great imagination! Will make great storyteller. But Uthal of course mean Yeti are too afraid to face the mighty Yetiterror. Hmm, now that I think, maybe there's something to that. Maybe every great hero develop musk to tell monsters they are among their betters..." Uthal boasts, before turning thoughtful.
Vruna looks at Sabetha and says, “Korux will be happy to go with you to Garn’s and get gear in the morning.”
Uthal adds in to this and the previous talk that lead to it: "Yes, snowshoes and crampons can be useful, if only so constant staggering won't slow us down. I of course left home with mine, but I'm sure the others will appreciate it."He then turns to the others and offers: "If we are done here, how about we return to the tavern and celebrate the teamwork to come with a mug or two of ale? Its warming of our innards will surely mirror our new camaraderie!"
Elk Running bows her head. "You are wise, as these tools will aid us in our journey. It is best to leave at first light. My we meet then, at the doors of this feast hall?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Thank you," Sabetha says quietly and sincerely to Hruna and Korux and to the rest of the party. "Properly equipped, we stand a greater chance of success."
If the trip will start tomorrow morning (with a quick stop at Garn's for the snowshoes and crampons), Sabetha is almost ready to turn in for the night. Upon returning to the Northlook, she makes a quick note of the first job posting she had been reading, about Dannika at the Geldenstag’s Rest Inn (she wonders if they have more reasonable rates) and the supposedly magical beings. Something in Sabetha's partial fey ancestry is intrigued by that.
As she bids goodnight to her new companions, she instinctively takes one last look around the common room for anyone who appears to take special notice of the party's return or any other oddities visible inside. I cannot believe I am using my real name. Foolish, that.
Having agreed to the undertaking you all return to the inn and prepare for the next day. Sabetha, when you take a look around the inn, you notice a dwarf and a human pushing away from a table with angry faces, the dwarf with a card in his boot and the human with a card hidden in his large hand. You see an elven server slapping a half-orc patron who tried to take liberties, then dumping a pint of ale over the patron's head, to the laughter of those surrounding. Finally, you see a trophy of knucklehead trout mounted above the hearth.
It suddenly begins to loudly sing, and the whole bar goes quiet to listen.
"There's a place I like to go Farther up the river's flow; Where it is, I do not know; Must be under all that snow!"
After singing, the stuffed trout opens its mouth wide and a waterfall of confetti spills out, a phantasmagoria of color and the sound of tinkling bells. The crowd cheers.
Sabetha, you noticed something hard and round falling out in the midst of all the confetti.
Scramsax comes out from behind the bar and glares at the dead fish. Red-faced, he yells, "Blackberry! Where is that idiot rabbit when I need him? Who's going to clean up this mess?"
(OOC: you are welcome to stay downstairs and chat or engage in further activities. I'll move us to the next event on Monday afternoon EST)
Aubin taken back by the singing fish instinctively reaches for his dagger. Seeing no threat he relaxes and asks a patron "What's the story behind old bitey?"
"Here I am, Mr. Scrimsax, sir. I'll get right on that... for one last time. Tomorrow, I'm going on an adventure!
Scrimsax yells, "Like hell you are! Whose going to keep the place clean if you leave, eh? Better you stay here with me where it's safe. You wouldn't last a day out on the tundra! Now get to work and stop your yammering. That fish makes enough noise for both of us." He starts heading back to the bar.
Aubin taken back by the singing fish instinctively reaches for his dagger. Seeing no threat he relaxes and asks a patron "What's the story behind old bitey?"
The patron, a grizzled halfling woman, looks at you and smiles. "You're new around here, aren't ya? Not enough cute men around here; most are missing a nose or an ear. Glad to make your acquaintance. I'm Helga, this is Marco, this is Tibor, and that is Squeak." She points to the others sitting at her table, a human in furs and armor, a half-elf in heavy fur robes, and a goblin in furs and leather armor, respectively. The goblin makes a face at you.
"The story of Ol' Bitey is as follows. That fish was the terror of Maer Dualdon for years, off to the west there, by Targos. Many a fisherman was pulled into the lake by that beast. Many a fisherman lost a finger to it. Well, about 10 years ago, a couple of ne'er-do-wells names Kintyre and the Maverick managed to catch it. And, having landed the great beast, brought it their favorite inn, the Northlook, looking to have it cooked up nice. Scrimsax, knowing how the famous fish'd be a draw for the inn, convinced them to let him have it instead, for 50 gold. That fish has brought in more than 500 gold in traffic since then, he claims. So, a good deal.
Well, about three years after, Scrimsax got into a dispute with a passing wizard, name of Minster or something, about the size and payment of a bill. After a long discussion, the wizard paid what Scrimsax asked, but he left a gift for Scrimsax. Since then, every day, three times a day, that fish bursts into song (always the same one) and makes some sort of mess. Something that needs to be cleaned up. What you just saw is relatively low on the messy scale..."
"You're telling me," interrupts Marco, "I once saw it eject three gallons of fish guts out it's rear. Today was nothin'."
"Bah, that was nothing," says Tibor, "I once saw it produce a full-grown elk, antlers and all. It was..." he shudders, "disturbing"
Squeak adds their opinion, but it is in Goblin, high-pitched, and spoken very rapidly. The others around the table nod solemnly. Marco blanches. "S'true, I've never seen so many tentacles" mutters Tibor.
Looking back to you, Helga says "Anyways, whatever comes out goes all over and Scrimsax always goes ballistic, yelling for whatever fool he's hired to clean up at the time. Now, if the wizard's plan was to shut the Northlook down, it backfired completely. More people come here than ever before; who doesn't love dinner and a show? Scrimsax must know it too, otherwise he'd have thrown the thing out years ago."
Squeak suddenly gives another speech, pointing to Ol' Bitey and mimicking a mouth opening and closing. Helga's eyes light up.
"Oh yeah," she says, "There's the other reason Ol' Bitey is a draw. If you go up to him, give him three pats on the back, and listen closely, he'll whisper to you the answer to any one question you ask him. It only works once, but the answer is always true"
"Don't listen to him, Blackberry, I'm glad you're joining us," Sabetha whispers sincerely to the harengon as she helps him clean up. If nothing else, we need his sense of humor to cut through the depression that this constant darkness and snow bring about.
She shows him a strange brass and glass ring that she found among the confetti spit out by the magical knucklehead trout.
"I'm going to spend some time tonight before going to sleep to try to understand if it is magical and what it does if so."
Of course I could stay down here ask Ol' Bitey about how to find my contact in this frigid town. Or why the likeness of my father that was made in Lonelywood looks so angry. But that feels ridiculous. I saw the town of Lonelywood on the dwarves' map! It was just north of Termelaine, and we are headed north near Termelaine to find the dwarves' sled of metal and their friend's remains...
Sabetha shakes herself from her reverie and returns to cleaning.
If he overhears the fish story, the harengon will ponder what questions he could ask it. How to square a circle? How much wood could a woodchuck chuck? What do women want?
When the half-elf kneels to help him and then speaks to him, Blackberry seems stunned. He turns to Sabetha slowly, great tears welling up in his eyes. "You mean it?" he says. "That's the first kind thing anyone's said to me in a long, long time." He sniffles. "I won't let you down." He wipes his nose and pulls himself together.
Glad of the distraction of the ring, he looks it over with interest. "Please tell me what you discover, I am so curious!" he requests.
Elk Running is surprised by Ol' Bitey's song. It was not uncommon for her people to display evidence of successful hunts, such as the head of bison and bear, but it was quite another to leave the animal whole, and to make of its slaying a childish song.
"Did the elk live? Was it released into the wilderness, or slain for food?" she asks earnestly.
She sits with her back to the fish at a table near Blackberry and Sabetha. She orders mead, if it is available, otherwise beer.
She catches sight of the ring. "If the others speak true, it is only another mess to clean up."
Elk Running listens to Aubin carefully. “Well met, Aubin of Neverwinter. A coup? I know not of what you speak. The man Vaelish was not like to be a beggar, then? One oft seen to roam the roads of Bryn Shander?”
Vruna’s explanation provides further light. Elk Running is both relieved and disappointed to learn that Vaelish is likely not the human she had found in the wilderness.
“Ah, Vaelish sought to be a speaker for the village. A leader. But his honor was challenged? There was a Thing and his claim was moot? If, as you say, he was a wytch, may it be his kinsmen turned against him?”
Given what she has seen, she would not doubt the people of Bryn Shander to be unspeakably cruel.
“Agreed. I shall sojourn with these--” she barely lifts a hand, her only movement in the last several minutes “--into the tundra in search of your man and goods. Then I will speak with your leaders.” While Elk Running’s tone has remained neutral, if inquisitive, the last line is laced with frost.
When Blackberry makes his joke, she pauses. A near smile traces her otherwise frozen features. (that’s me LOLing!)
Aubin shakes his head at Blackberry. There is some truth in his words and I do dislike this place. He looks to Hruna "Yes I would welcome an introduction, now lets be off. Unless someone has further questions"
Hruna crooks an eyebrow at Elk Running. "Lass, Duvessa Shane is Speaker of Bryn Shander and, so far as I can tell, her judgement is fair and worthy. However, do not think that my leaders are to be found here. I am a dwarf of Clan Battlehammer and we are from the valleys and mines 'neath Kelvin's Cairn. We answer to none in the Ten-Towns, although we do try to maintain good relations. It might be best to wait and get a better sense of the local politics before you start demanding answers."
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
“I am one who has lent aid to your cause,” Elk Running reminds the dwarf calmly.
Listening and watching, Sabetha suppresses laughter at Blackberry's descriptions of Uthal the Yetiterror's smell as "yeti-repellant" and of Aubin's fate coming from Neverwinter to a place of always winter. She remembers the City of Skilled Hands from when she passed through hurriedly, north of Waterdeep, with it's cool climate, but nothing like this unending cold. And she had been still too focused on escape at the time to notice anyway.
She thinks she detects a frosty fury in Elk Running at the leaders of Bryn Shander. A beggar mistreated - killed even? Sabetha could sympathize with hating that. The winter eladrin seemed so certain of who is at fault, though... Speaker Duvessa Shane and Sheriff Markham Southwell... Sabetha files the names away in her head, as she does with the names Halla (the herbalist) and Mishann at the shrine. I'll have to ask after them when we return. Maybe they will know...
She puts the thought out of her mind for a moment and turns to Hruna (and Bolvark as well), taking a deep breath and deciding to trust, perhaps foolishly:
"I am Sabetha," she says to them. "Hruna, when you and your two companions first entered and beseeched the patrons of the Northlook for help, none of the locals responded. Yet six of us from varying backgrounds stood up to offer aid when you were resigned to receiving none. In good faith, and to protect your chances of our succeeding, I would ask that you outfit us with snowshoes and crampons so that we can retrieve your sled of metal and your friend's remains safely and quickly. If we flounder out there in the snow and ice, you gain nothing."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
“And we grateful for it, lass, which is why I advise you to tread carefully” nods Hruna.
(OOC This was in response to Elk Running)
After listening to Sabetha, Hruna turns to look at Korux speculatively. Korux sees Vruna looking at him, gets a dark look on his scarred face, harrumphs and says “Fine!”
Vruna looks at Sabetha and says, “Korux will be happy to go with you to Garn’s and get gear in the morning.”
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Blackberry stage-whispers, "He doesn't look that happy about it. But Hooray! Mr. Scrimsax, sir, I hereby give my half-day's notice! I'm going on an adventure!"
He then remembers awkwardly they they are no longer at the inn, and resolves to let his employer know when he returns for his things.
"Hah, Blackberry of Forgotten Clan has great imagination! Will make great storyteller. But Uthal of course mean Yeti are too afraid to face the mighty Yetiterror. Hmm, now that I think, maybe there's something to that. Maybe every great hero develop musk to tell monsters they are among their betters..." Uthal boasts, before turning thoughtful.
Uthal adds in to this and the previous talk that lead to it: "Yes, snowshoes and crampons can be useful, if only so constant staggering won't slow us down. I of course left home with mine, but I'm sure the others will appreciate it." He then turns to the others and offers: "If we are done here, how about we return to the tavern and celebrate the teamwork to come with a mug or two of ale? Its warming of our innards will surely mirror our new camaraderie!"
(OOC: Are y'all done here and ready to turn in for the night or is there something else you'd like to do?)
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
(OOC I am ready to turn in for the night)
Aubin turns to leave "I will be turning in for the night." He tips his hat and heads to bed.
Elk Running bows her head. "You are wise, as these tools will aid us in our journey. It is best to leave at first light. My we meet then, at the doors of this feast hall?"
"Thank you," Sabetha says quietly and sincerely to Hruna and Korux and to the rest of the party. "Properly equipped, we stand a greater chance of success."
If the trip will start tomorrow morning (with a quick stop at Garn's for the snowshoes and crampons), Sabetha is almost ready to turn in for the night. Upon returning to the Northlook, she makes a quick note of the first job posting she had been reading, about Dannika at the Geldenstag’s Rest Inn (she wonders if they have more reasonable rates) and the supposedly magical beings. Something in Sabetha's partial fey ancestry is intrigued by that.
As she bids goodnight to her new companions, she instinctively takes one last look around the common room for anyone who appears to take special notice of the party's return or any other oddities visible inside. I cannot believe I am using my real name. Foolish, that.
Sabetha Perception: 16
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Having agreed to the undertaking you all return to the inn and prepare for the next day. Sabetha, when you take a look around the inn, you notice a dwarf and a human pushing away from a table with angry faces, the dwarf with a card in his boot and the human with a card hidden in his large hand. You see an elven server slapping a half-orc patron who tried to take liberties, then dumping a pint of ale over the patron's head, to the laughter of those surrounding. Finally, you see a trophy of knucklehead trout mounted above the hearth.
It suddenly begins to loudly sing, and the whole bar goes quiet to listen.
"There's a place I like to go
Farther up the river's flow;
Where it is, I do not know;
Must be under all that snow!"
After singing, the stuffed trout opens its mouth wide and a waterfall of confetti spills out, a phantasmagoria of color and the sound of tinkling bells. The crowd cheers.
Sabetha, you noticed something hard and round falling out in the midst of all the confetti.
Scramsax comes out from behind the bar and glares at the dead fish. Red-faced, he yells, "Blackberry! Where is that idiot rabbit when I need him? Who's going to clean up this mess?"
(OOC: you are welcome to stay downstairs and chat or engage in further activities. I'll move us to the next event on Monday afternoon EST)
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
"Here I am, Mr. Scrimsax, sir. I'll get right on that... for one last time. Tomorrow, I'm going on an adventure!
Sabetha stands open-mouthed as the trout ("Ol' Bitey"?) begins to sing. She had not expected that.
It's a relief, though, not to feel as if she's being followed. I only had to come to this strange corner of the world to escape pursuit...
She immediately offers to help Blackberry clean up the mess. As she does, she unobtrusively picks up and inspects the round, hard object.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Aubin taken back by the singing fish instinctively reaches for his dagger. Seeing no threat he relaxes and asks a patron "What's the story behind old bitey?"
Scrimsax yells, "Like hell you are! Whose going to keep the place clean if you leave, eh? Better you stay here with me where it's safe. You wouldn't last a day out on the tundra! Now get to work and stop your yammering. That fish makes enough noise for both of us." He starts heading back to the bar.
The patron, a grizzled halfling woman, looks at you and smiles. "You're new around here, aren't ya? Not enough cute men around here; most are missing a nose or an ear. Glad to make your acquaintance. I'm Helga, this is Marco, this is Tibor, and that is Squeak." She points to the others sitting at her table, a human in furs and armor, a half-elf in heavy fur robes, and a goblin in furs and leather armor, respectively. The goblin makes a face at you.
"The story of Ol' Bitey is as follows. That fish was the terror of Maer Dualdon for years, off to the west there, by Targos. Many a fisherman was pulled into the lake by that beast. Many a fisherman lost a finger to it. Well, about 10 years ago, a couple of ne'er-do-wells names Kintyre and the Maverick managed to catch it. And, having landed the great beast, brought it their favorite inn, the Northlook, looking to have it cooked up nice. Scrimsax, knowing how the famous fish'd be a draw for the inn, convinced them to let him have it instead, for 50 gold. That fish has brought in more than 500 gold in traffic since then, he claims. So, a good deal.
Well, about three years after, Scrimsax got into a dispute with a passing wizard, name of Minster or something, about the size and payment of a bill. After a long discussion, the wizard paid what Scrimsax asked, but he left a gift for Scrimsax. Since then, every day, three times a day, that fish bursts into song (always the same one) and makes some sort of mess. Something that needs to be cleaned up. What you just saw is relatively low on the messy scale..."
"You're telling me," interrupts Marco, "I once saw it eject three gallons of fish guts out it's rear. Today was nothin'."
"Bah, that was nothing," says Tibor, "I once saw it produce a full-grown elk, antlers and all. It was..." he shudders, "disturbing"
Squeak adds their opinion, but it is in Goblin, high-pitched, and spoken very rapidly. The others around the table nod solemnly. Marco blanches. "S'true, I've never seen so many tentacles" mutters Tibor.
Looking back to you, Helga says "Anyways, whatever comes out goes all over and Scrimsax always goes ballistic, yelling for whatever fool he's hired to clean up at the time. Now, if the wizard's plan was to shut the Northlook down, it backfired completely. More people come here than ever before; who doesn't love dinner and a show? Scrimsax must know it too, otherwise he'd have thrown the thing out years ago."
Squeak suddenly gives another speech, pointing to Ol' Bitey and mimicking a mouth opening and closing. Helga's eyes light up.
"Oh yeah," she says, "There's the other reason Ol' Bitey is a draw. If you go up to him, give him three pats on the back, and listen closely, he'll whisper to you the answer to any one question you ask him. It only works once, but the answer is always true"
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
"Don't listen to him, Blackberry, I'm glad you're joining us," Sabetha whispers sincerely to the harengon as she helps him clean up. If nothing else, we need his sense of humor to cut through the depression that this constant darkness and snow bring about.
She shows him a strange brass and glass ring that she found among the confetti spit out by the magical knucklehead trout.
"I'm going to spend some time tonight before going to sleep to try to understand if it is magical and what it does if so."
Of course I could stay down here ask Ol' Bitey about how to find my contact in this frigid town. Or why the likeness of my father that was made in Lonelywood looks so angry. But that feels ridiculous. I saw the town of Lonelywood on the dwarves' map! It was just north of Termelaine, and we are headed north near Termelaine to find the dwarves' sled of metal and their friend's remains...
Sabetha shakes herself from her reverie and returns to cleaning.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
If he overhears the fish story, the harengon will ponder what questions he could ask it. How to square a circle? How much wood could a woodchuck chuck? What do women want?
When the half-elf kneels to help him and then speaks to him, Blackberry seems stunned. He turns to Sabetha slowly, great tears welling up in his eyes. "You mean it?" he says. "That's the first kind thing anyone's said to me in a long, long time." He sniffles. "I won't let you down." He wipes his nose and pulls himself together.
Glad of the distraction of the ring, he looks it over with interest. "Please tell me what you discover, I am so curious!" he requests.
Elk Running is surprised by Ol' Bitey's song. It was not uncommon for her people to display evidence of successful hunts, such as the head of bison and bear, but it was quite another to leave the animal whole, and to make of its slaying a childish song.
"Did the elk live? Was it released into the wilderness, or slain for food?" she asks earnestly.
She sits with her back to the fish at a table near Blackberry and Sabetha. She orders mead, if it is available, otherwise beer.
She catches sight of the ring. "If the others speak true, it is only another mess to clean up."