Dennis quickly loses composure as Sam leans over the counter to intimidate him, "oh of course yes, the customer is always right, though I'd definitely be willing to trade! Aha!" The awkward laugh cones out as more of a nervous squawk.
Griff raises a feathered brow, "this sounding like wise choice, thanking you sam... I am interested in this small bow like thing, yes, perhaps I could offer one feather for such thing?" Griff steps forward plucking a small feather fron his body and placing it on the table.
Dennis looks to the crossbow and back to Griff, them back to the crossbow and then chances a nervous glance to Sam, "if, um, this is good, but if I could get one slightly bigger, maybe from the wing too? And I'd love to take a look at your armour, no need to take it off just a general observation, if you'd be willing to offer those three things, then the crossbow is yours. Yes?" Dennis fidgets with his fingers as he offers a faltering smile at the Aarakocra. Griff merely turns to Sam questioningly, "I can take wing feather, it growing back but only slow, is worth crossing bow?"
As Muir takes more interest in the locked chest, Dennis responds excitedly, "I have attempted a dispel, yes, but the magic that holds this closed is either much older or much stronger than my own, my best guess is that certain requirements must be met to open this thing, and so obviously out of ideas I just tried smashing the everloving crap out of it, which also, unsurprisingly isn't working... If you'd like to try anything go ahead"
As Elthana speaks to the others Dennis tries to catch her attention, "oh I was meaning to ask if ever I saw you all again, how fares the mystery bag? Have you pulled anything interesting from its depths, have you discerned it's mysterious power?" He gives an amused smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows as he asks.
Sam frowns a bit at Elthana and shrugs. "He is not one of us," Sam repeats. "But he is with us..." To Sam that explains everything.
When Griff inquires with Sam if the trade is worth it or not, Sam grunts and shrugs again. "I couldn't say. I don't know how good the crossbow is. I also don't know how bad it hurts for you to remove feathers or if it'll affect you at all... But Dennis here is usually a pretty fair dude. Usually."
Keeping an eye on Dennis as he has been, Sam does see him talk to Muir about the mystery box. "Put it in water," Sam suggests offhandedly. "Salt water..."
Gewyn places one of the dolls on top of his head, perching it between his horns, and then leans over Muir's shoulder to peer at the box. "Hmmmmmmm,"He says. Then once more, longer and more dramatic. "Hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm."The sound starts to turn into a note as Gewyn begin to hum a little tune. His finger dances through the air as if he were getting lost in the music and pretend-conducting an orchestra of one. To Muir, though, he is unmistakably weaving magic.
Gewyn finishes humming his tune. "An old sailor's song I heard about a box like this once. I don't recall the words exactly, but the melody is still with me." His diction and accent start to shift into something more fitting for a tale of the sea. "Passing fortunate ye may be that ye weren't able to get it open. The song tells of a salty sailor who were washed ashore upon a strange island where he was nursed back to health by a bonny siren, the lucky fella. Only, he weren't so lucky when he found a chest among her hidden treasures. Looked proper like a thing straight from the bottom of the ocean, like this one here. Unable to help himself, he made off with it in the dead of night on a rowboat of his own makeshift fashionin'. But as soon as he were out of sight of the island, he could scarce keep his hands off the chest.
Ye can imagine his shock, of course, when he finally gets the thing open and a swarm of tiny crabs pour out and cover him 'ead to toe. He goes over board, as does the box, and those crabs drag him right down to a watery hell.
Hardly the first man to be lead to his grave by his obsession with a woman's box, nor the last to get crabs, so I suppose it remains a pertinent cautionary tale. Either way, if I put my mind to rememberin' the words of that song and then let you record that and a few others for your cutting-edge doll business, do you suppose I could take this crusty box off your hands? Might make a good prop. Or a portal-"Gewyn prods Muir in the back with a finger,"-to a lifetime supply of free mini-crabs. Who knows? By the way, who was this man you bought it from?"
"I've not tried water actually, if I'm honest I thought the bloody thing would have had enough of it by now.." Dennis chirps up at Sam's suggestion.
As Gewyn regales his tale, it seems Dennis is more than just focused on the bard, Dennis seems to lean in and eat up every word, only catching himself after he goes but red in the face at the talk of women's boxes and catching crabs. "Well I... Um... Well, I sure don't want to be ahem, eaten by crabs but my curiosity cost me 50gold here, do if you can match it then you can have it, though I suppose I can knock a chunk off for the favour of the recordings and such like, Oh! And if you do buy it and you ever get it open do tell me what was inside, yes?... The man I bought it from isn't a regular though he has been in a handful of times, I don't know his name but I know he travels from marblestead, specifically the Overspill, as he always has odd things to try to either sell or trade, most of the time just trash items. He's a grubby looking gnome with a shock of white through his otherwise black hair, like a badger!"
As Griff listens to Sam and then turns to Dennis, "I am wanting to be trying crossing bow yes? If I like, then we trade, agreement?" Dennis furrows a brow and casts an eye over the swathe of feathers that could be his to investigate and test, he then nods his head emphatically and hands over the crossbow with a single bolt, "there's a straw bale just outside, take a shot, oh Sam? Could you make sure it comes back, I would like this transaction to go smoothly, please, he's with you guys after all."
"He'll be right back with it," Sam assured gruffly. "If not I'll pay for the thing and then make the money back by selling you each and every one of his feathers after I catch up with him again, eh?" Frankly Sam is a bit too interested in the chest to go wandering off just yet. And he figures if the birdbrain was going to flutter off he'd have done it long before now.
History check: 9 to see if Sam knows the song Gewyn is on about. You hear a lot of songs in bars...
Insight check: 21 on Gewyn to see if Gewyn is making all this crab shit up or not and if he knows more about the box than he is saying.
Before Dennis can change his mind, Gewyn steps past Muir and firmly grips Dennis' hand, giving it a vigorous shake. "Deal. I'll be back after supper if you can be ready for me, and we'll work out the math then."
While the song isn't one that Sam's heard, Gewyn's confidence in the telling of its plot makes it highly unlikely that he is just riffing on the spot. Besides, he doesn't seem that interested in the chest beyond mild amusement and curiosity. (Deception: 23)
Muir shrugs at Gewyn's story and Sam's suggestion of putting it in water to open it and leaves the chest be. "Dennis do you have any old books that talks about portals or anything from different realms?"
Muir look at Sam "What portals? I am interested in the history of other realms. The drawings I have seen in the woods and caves....why I can't help but wonder what else is out there....Dennis I am sure has wondered....are we alone" Muir looks back at Dennis with a smile "I mean here we stand with Griff...."
Elthana considers Dennis a moment and then shows him the deer's head amulet that now hangs around her neck. "This has been useful, but mainly just strange items have come from the bag. But it is good for entertainment value on its own."
As the exchange unfolds about the chest, she watches the back and forth between Dennis and Gewyn and a sly grin plays upon her lips. She sidles up next to Gewyn and slightly elbows him in the ribs, "Looks like you have admirers everywhere, Gewyn. And don't worry, I'm sure he'll be ready for you. Question is, are you ready for him?"
Deciding that was enough, she then overhears what Sam and Muir are stumbling on about and anger seers through her. What about keeping this shit to ourselves? Going to blab it to everyone they meet? And as Muir continues to blab and go on about Griff, she purposefully steps on his foot, hard. "Come on Griff, let's go check out that crossbow." and she leaves in a huff.
Gewyn gives Elthana a wink in response as she walks away. Then he says to Sam, "No, Sam, what I said to you yesterday was I don't want YOU talking about portals because you always go off on a passionate rant about the wild superstitious theories your old work buddies used to bandy about. And while entertaining, after all the work we just did, I really just wanted some peace and quiet to work on my next song. But tell you what. You buy me a few drinks tonight, and I'll let you tell me the one about where Gneb says black cats come from again."
“What? No!” Sam insists, totally confuzzled by the misdirection Gewyn is trying to provide to the whole gaffe. “Gneb and the rest know nothing of the portals. Too secret for them to know about, couldn’t trust them not blathering on about doorways to other worlds if they knew. Gneb would have tried to steal one of the items so as to open one himself, he would’ve!”
“Bad enough they have to learn about the fairies and the hag, we definitely can’t tell them about..,,”
Sam pauses and looks around the room. His eyes falling on Dennis as he’s the only stranger here. “Oh. Shit…”
“Well then,” Sam says with a bit of energy and a crack of his knuckles. “We reckon he’s heard too much then now, do we?”
Dennis looks back and forth at all the mention and slight infighting regarding portals, "So Griff did come from another plane? Oh my that's exciting"
And then comes the further intimidation from Sam, and Dennis cowers slightly, but oddly enough he steps a little closer to the counter, and closer to Sam, "hey hey now, I don't know anything about portals and you guys never mentioned anything yeah? I can take a hint, you can trust me, no need for any trouble Sam, yeah?"
At this point Griff and Elthana return with the crossbow in hand and one broken crossbow bolt, "I like this crossing bow, is not too heavy and can use with one hand, we are trading yes? Two feather and a look at my armour... just look yes?" Then sensing the tension in the air and seeing that Dennis' eyes have not left Sam for the entire time that Griff was speaking, Griff weighs up the situation and nudges Sam, "if you squash blue robe man, we are getting items in shop for no trade or coin? Or what is deal?"
Sam looks from Dennis to Griff and then back to Dennis. A beat goes by. Then another. Then Sam’s face just can’t hold the gruff demeanor anymore and Sam bursts into gales of laughter!
"Dennis!" Sam calls out between guffaws. "Denny, my boy..."
Sam tries for more but he looks over to Griff and the seriousness and confusion on his face just sends Sam cracking up some more!
"You two... The two of ya... Man oh man oh man..."
"And Muir! You with that portal nonsense? Brillaint!" Sam manages, pointing at Muir then laughing again and slapping his knee. Sam is practically crying he is laughing so hard...
Eventually Sam manages to get himself together, barring the odd chuckle of laugh, and just shakes his head. "By the gods, Dennis! You looked near ready to wet yourself! As if I'd ever even think of... You? The wizard?! No thanks, I don't be needing any of that kind of grief. Who wants to be a toad, am I right??"
"And over what? What you call them, Muir? Portals?? Nice..."
"Go on, Griff... Fair is fair. A laugh is a laugh but you offered him a couple feathers and a looksee, I do believe... The crossbow really worth it, eh?"
Muir laughs at Sam and leans in close to Dennis "Sam took one too many shots to the head over his lifetime. This is why it's always suggested to wear a helmet"
Griff relaxes, and Dennis steps back from the counter seeming to step off something, as he lowers slightly when he does. The tension in the air vanishes as Dennis smiles wide and let's out a sigh of relief "yes yes, portals how silly, ERM... Yes! yes yes two feathers and a look at the armour, if you please. Haha oh!".
Griff raises a feathered eyebrow at Sam, seems to acknowledge and nod in agreement with Muir, and then pops the feathers on the counter, "I am confusion, but trade is still trade so I am not being questioning".
Dennis comes from behind the counter casting a spell on himself and igniting a magical glow in his eyes, he inspects not only Griff's armour as a whole but also pulls out a magnifying glass and gets very very close, with a few 'hmmm's and 'oh's he finishes his inspection, takes the feathers and then pulls the chest over to the counter, "so! Until Gewyn comes over later to do some of those recordings for me, this is in lieu. Is there anything else you all want? Those scrolls of levitate are particularly fun to use, and highly recommended!"
Elthana has a slight grin on her face as Sam doubles over in laughter. She is happy that the tension has passed and that everything appears all well and good. Not needing anything else, she leads the group out of the shop, and over her shoulder calls out, "Come on, drinks are on me."
And she heads over to the Inn they are staying. Figuring some time drinking and eating is well overdue for the group.
"Heh, sorry Dennis," Sam says with a final grin. "I was just messing with ya... Muir is interested in the idea of other worlds though. Bunch of hagwash, ya ask me, but nobody did, eh?"
"You too, Griff. You just got drawn into it. But all is good, go ahead and make your deal..."
Sam then looks longingly at the potions, he was indeed tempted... But no. He has other plans that may cost money so Sam shakes his head and then yells for Elthana to wait up. A drink would be good before bed!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Elthana elbows Sam and chastises him a bit, "You do have a bit of a soft spot for the crazy bird man after all."
Then leans over to Gewyn, "Better have him pay you for that. He would never give us any freebees, best repay the favor."
Dennis quickly loses composure as Sam leans over the counter to intimidate him, "oh of course yes, the customer is always right, though I'd definitely be willing to trade! Aha!" The awkward laugh cones out as more of a nervous squawk.
Griff raises a feathered brow, "this sounding like wise choice, thanking you sam... I am interested in this small bow like thing, yes, perhaps I could offer one feather for such thing?" Griff steps forward plucking a small feather fron his body and placing it on the table.
Dennis looks to the crossbow and back to Griff, them back to the crossbow and then chances a nervous glance to Sam, "if, um, this is good, but if I could get one slightly bigger, maybe from the wing too? And I'd love to take a look at your armour, no need to take it off just a general observation, if you'd be willing to offer those three things, then the crossbow is yours. Yes?" Dennis fidgets with his fingers as he offers a faltering smile at the Aarakocra. Griff merely turns to Sam questioningly, "I can take wing feather, it growing back but only slow, is worth crossing bow?"
As Muir takes more interest in the locked chest, Dennis responds excitedly, "I have attempted a dispel, yes, but the magic that holds this closed is either much older or much stronger than my own, my best guess is that certain requirements must be met to open this thing, and so obviously out of ideas I just tried smashing the everloving crap out of it, which also, unsurprisingly isn't working... If you'd like to try anything go ahead"
As Elthana speaks to the others Dennis tries to catch her attention, "oh I was meaning to ask if ever I saw you all again, how fares the mystery bag? Have you pulled anything interesting from its depths, have you discerned it's mysterious power?" He gives an amused smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows as he asks.
Sam frowns a bit at Elthana and shrugs. "He is not one of us," Sam repeats. "But he is with us..." To Sam that explains everything.
When Griff inquires with Sam if the trade is worth it or not, Sam grunts and shrugs again. "I couldn't say. I don't know how good the crossbow is. I also don't know how bad it hurts for you to remove feathers or if it'll affect you at all... But Dennis here is usually a pretty fair dude. Usually."
Keeping an eye on Dennis as he has been, Sam does see him talk to Muir about the mystery box. "Put it in water," Sam suggests offhandedly. "Salt water..."
Gewyn places one of the dolls on top of his head, perching it between his horns, and then leans over Muir's shoulder to peer at the box. "Hmmmmmmm," He says. Then once more, longer and more dramatic. "Hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm." The sound starts to turn into a note as Gewyn begin to hum a little tune. His finger dances through the air as if he were getting lost in the music and pretend-conducting an orchestra of one. To Muir, though, he is unmistakably weaving magic.
(Detect magic to see what school of magic)
Arcana 17 to learn more about it.
Gewyn finishes humming his tune. "An old sailor's song I heard about a box like this once. I don't recall the words exactly, but the melody is still with me." His diction and accent start to shift into something more fitting for a tale of the sea. "Passing fortunate ye may be that ye weren't able to get it open. The song tells of a salty sailor who were washed ashore upon a strange island where he was nursed back to health by a bonny siren, the lucky fella. Only, he weren't so lucky when he found a chest among her hidden treasures. Looked proper like a thing straight from the bottom of the ocean, like this one here. Unable to help himself, he made off with it in the dead of night on a rowboat of his own makeshift fashionin'. But as soon as he were out of sight of the island, he could scarce keep his hands off the chest.
Ye can imagine his shock, of course, when he finally gets the thing open and a swarm of tiny crabs pour out and cover him 'ead to toe. He goes over board, as does the box, and those crabs drag him right down to a watery hell.
Hardly the first man to be lead to his grave by his obsession with a woman's box, nor the last to get crabs, so I suppose it remains a pertinent cautionary tale. Either way, if I put my mind to rememberin' the words of that song and then let you record that and a few others for your cutting-edge doll business, do you suppose I could take this crusty box off your hands? Might make a good prop. Or a portal-" Gewyn prods Muir in the back with a finger, "-to a lifetime supply of free mini-crabs. Who knows? By the way, who was this man you bought it from?"
"I've not tried water actually, if I'm honest I thought the bloody thing would have had enough of it by now.." Dennis chirps up at Sam's suggestion.
As Gewyn regales his tale, it seems Dennis is more than just focused on the bard, Dennis seems to lean in and eat up every word, only catching himself after he goes but red in the face at the talk of women's boxes and catching crabs. "Well I... Um... Well, I sure don't want to be ahem, eaten by crabs but my curiosity cost me 50gold here, do if you can match it then you can have it, though I suppose I can knock a chunk off for the favour of the recordings and such like, Oh! And if you do buy it and you ever get it open do tell me what was inside, yes?... The man I bought it from isn't a regular though he has been in a handful of times, I don't know his name but I know he travels from marblestead, specifically the Overspill, as he always has odd things to try to either sell or trade, most of the time just trash items. He's a grubby looking gnome with a shock of white through his otherwise black hair, like a badger!"
As Griff listens to Sam and then turns to Dennis, "I am wanting to be trying crossing bow yes? If I like, then we trade, agreement?" Dennis furrows a brow and casts an eye over the swathe of feathers that could be his to investigate and test, he then nods his head emphatically and hands over the crossbow with a single bolt, "there's a straw bale just outside, take a shot, oh Sam? Could you make sure it comes back, I would like this transaction to go smoothly, please, he's with you guys after all."
"He'll be right back with it," Sam assured gruffly. "If not I'll pay for the thing and then make the money back by selling you each and every one of his feathers after I catch up with him again, eh?" Frankly Sam is a bit too interested in the chest to go wandering off just yet. And he figures if the birdbrain was going to flutter off he'd have done it long before now.
History check: 9 to see if Sam knows the song Gewyn is on about. You hear a lot of songs in bars...
Insight check: 21 on Gewyn to see if Gewyn is making all this crab shit up or not and if he knows more about the box than he is saying.
Before Dennis can change his mind, Gewyn steps past Muir and firmly grips Dennis' hand, giving it a vigorous shake. "Deal. I'll be back after supper if you can be ready for me, and we'll work out the math then."
While the song isn't one that Sam's heard, Gewyn's confidence in the telling of its plot makes it highly unlikely that he is just riffing on the spot. Besides, he doesn't seem that interested in the chest beyond mild amusement and curiosity. (Deception: 23)
Muir shrugs at Gewyn's story and Sam's suggestion of putting it in water to open it and leaves the chest be. "Dennis do you have any old books that talks about portals or anything from different realms?"
"Wait, what?" Sam asks confusedly. "I thought we weren't telling anyone about the portals!"
Muir look at Sam "What portals? I am interested in the history of other realms. The drawings I have seen in the woods and caves....why I can't help but wonder what else is out there....Dennis I am sure has wondered....are we alone" Muir looks back at Dennis with a smile "I mean here we stand with Griff...."
Elthana considers Dennis a moment and then shows him the deer's head amulet that now hangs around her neck. "This has been useful, but mainly just strange items have come from the bag. But it is good for entertainment value on its own."
As the exchange unfolds about the chest, she watches the back and forth between Dennis and Gewyn and a sly grin plays upon her lips. She sidles up next to Gewyn and slightly elbows him in the ribs, "Looks like you have admirers everywhere, Gewyn. And don't worry, I'm sure he'll be ready for you. Question is, are you ready for him?"
Deciding that was enough, she then overhears what Sam and Muir are stumbling on about and anger seers through her. What about keeping this shit to ourselves? Going to blab it to everyone they meet? And as Muir continues to blab and go on about Griff, she purposefully steps on his foot, hard. "Come on Griff, let's go check out that crossbow." and she leaves in a huff.
Gewyn gives Elthana a wink in response as she walks away. Then he says to Sam, "No, Sam, what I said to you yesterday was I don't want YOU talking about portals because you always go off on a passionate rant about the wild superstitious theories your old work buddies used to bandy about. And while entertaining, after all the work we just did, I really just wanted some peace and quiet to work on my next song. But tell you what. You buy me a few drinks tonight, and I'll let you tell me the one about where Gneb says black cats come from again."
“What? No!” Sam insists, totally confuzzled by the misdirection Gewyn is trying to provide to the whole gaffe. “Gneb and the rest know nothing of the portals. Too secret for them to know about, couldn’t trust them not blathering on about doorways to other worlds if they knew. Gneb would have tried to steal one of the items so as to open one himself, he would’ve!”
“Bad enough they have to learn about the fairies and the hag, we definitely can’t tell them about..,,”
Sam pauses and looks around the room. His eyes falling on Dennis as he’s the only stranger here. “Oh. Shit…”
“Well then,” Sam says with a bit of energy and a crack of his knuckles. “We reckon he’s heard too much then now, do we?”
Dennis looks back and forth at all the mention and slight infighting regarding portals, "So Griff did come from another plane? Oh my that's exciting"
And then comes the further intimidation from Sam, and Dennis cowers slightly, but oddly enough he steps a little closer to the counter, and closer to Sam, "hey hey now, I don't know anything about portals and you guys never mentioned anything yeah? I can take a hint, you can trust me, no need for any trouble Sam, yeah?"
At this point Griff and Elthana return with the crossbow in hand and one broken crossbow bolt, "I like this crossing bow, is not too heavy and can use with one hand, we are trading yes? Two feather and a look at my armour... just look yes?" Then sensing the tension in the air and seeing that Dennis' eyes have not left Sam for the entire time that Griff was speaking, Griff weighs up the situation and nudges Sam, "if you squash blue robe man, we are getting items in shop for no trade or coin? Or what is deal?"
Sam looks from Dennis to Griff and then back to Dennis. A beat goes by. Then another. Then Sam’s face just can’t hold the gruff demeanor anymore and Sam bursts into gales of laughter!
"Dennis!" Sam calls out between guffaws. "Denny, my boy..."
Sam tries for more but he looks over to Griff and the seriousness and confusion on his face just sends Sam cracking up some more!
"You two... The two of ya... Man oh man oh man..."
"And Muir! You with that portal nonsense? Brillaint!" Sam manages, pointing at Muir then laughing again and slapping his knee. Sam is practically crying he is laughing so hard...
Eventually Sam manages to get himself together, barring the odd chuckle of laugh, and just shakes his head. "By the gods, Dennis! You looked near ready to wet yourself! As if I'd ever even think of... You? The wizard?! No thanks, I don't be needing any of that kind of grief. Who wants to be a toad, am I right??"
"And over what? What you call them, Muir? Portals?? Nice..."
"Go on, Griff... Fair is fair. A laugh is a laugh but you offered him a couple feathers and a looksee, I do believe... The crossbow really worth it, eh?"
Muir laughs at Sam and leans in close to Dennis "Sam took one too many shots to the head over his lifetime. This is why it's always suggested to wear a helmet"
Griff relaxes, and Dennis steps back from the counter seeming to step off something, as he lowers slightly when he does. The tension in the air vanishes as Dennis smiles wide and let's out a sigh of relief "yes yes, portals how silly, ERM... Yes! yes yes two feathers and a look at the armour, if you please. Haha oh!".
Griff raises a feathered eyebrow at Sam, seems to acknowledge and nod in agreement with Muir, and then pops the feathers on the counter, "I am confusion, but trade is still trade so I am not being questioning".
Dennis comes from behind the counter casting a spell on himself and igniting a magical glow in his eyes, he inspects not only Griff's armour as a whole but also pulls out a magnifying glass and gets very very close, with a few 'hmmm's and 'oh's he finishes his inspection, takes the feathers and then pulls the chest over to the counter, "so! Until Gewyn comes over later to do some of those recordings for me, this is in lieu. Is there anything else you all want? Those scrolls of levitate are particularly fun to use, and highly recommended!"
Elthana has a slight grin on her face as Sam doubles over in laughter. She is happy that the tension has passed and that everything appears all well and good. Not needing anything else, she leads the group out of the shop, and over her shoulder calls out, "Come on, drinks are on me."
And she heads over to the Inn they are staying. Figuring some time drinking and eating is well overdue for the group.
"Heh, sorry Dennis," Sam says with a final grin. "I was just messing with ya... Muir is interested in the idea of other worlds though. Bunch of hagwash, ya ask me, but nobody did, eh?"
"You too, Griff. You just got drawn into it. But all is good, go ahead and make your deal..."
Sam then looks longingly at the potions, he was indeed tempted... But no. He has other plans that may cost money so Sam shakes his head and then yells for Elthana to wait up. A drink would be good before bed!