In the dining room, you are faced with a spread of steaks and vegetables. Two ranch hands are already at the table, having a laugh while they wait for the host.
"Well, sit down, sit down," Sabe says. "Tuck in. It was a good day."
During the meal, Mrs. Fallswind replies to Eremoz's query. "As you know, Beastkin is a general term used to describe the many individuals that evolved from animals or beasts. Over the years, the number of Beastkin variants increases, especially in the more forested regions untouched by anyone. But, in the beginning, there were nine. These nine were the ones that Awakened a few hundred years after the coming of the Children of Tuada. There were felines like us, the Tabaxi and the Leonin. Other than that, there were the Loxodon, elephants; Aarakocra, birds; Hadozee, monkeys; Wulfkin, canines; Tortle, turtles; Lizardfolk, reptiles; and Thri-Kreen, insectoids. Eventually, they united and called themselves the Plainsrider clan."
"When the War in Heaven broke out, most of them went to the front line to defend their home. From what my grandmother told me, the ferocity of the Plainsrider paired with the strength of the Giantkin was the reason we didn't have as many casualties in the war. It's biased and incomplete information, but there were some kernels of truth there. The Plainsrider and the Giantkin were the only two... factions, you may say, that understand runes and are able to creatively and flexibly apply them. Of course, there were many runic languages in the world. Almost every culture has one, but the Giantkin and the Plainsrider runes are unique in that they can be manipulated. The Draconic runes are rigid with a specific set of rules and require a lot of blood to power them. The Dwarven runes are powerful but incredibly vain and temperamental. Elvish runes are limited in their application. Some of the artifacts left behind by the Ancients have Primordial runes and that thing is gibberish and useless to those who cannot understand them."
"Over the years, more and more Beastkin variants Awakened. The Merfolk, fish people, later evolved to be the Triton of Majapasai. Gnolls began as the Wulfkin pack that was cursed by a blood curse. The Giff is the Awakened hippopotamus originating from the Root Anvil. The Kenku came to be from Aarakocras who grew in captivity. Minotaur, Owlin, Harengon, Elkin, and many others Awakened. All of these Beastkin can say that they are part of the Plainsrider clan either by marriage or by blood. However, only those who directly descended from the Leaders of the original nine clans were gifted the symbol of the Plainsrider clan as a sign or promise that despite the struggle, the Plainsrider original nine clans will unite once again."
"If you have seen such a symbol in your family home, there is a chance that you are a descendant of the Leonin leader of the Plainsrider. From the records that I managed to piece together, either from written reports or interviews with the nomadic clans, that should be someone called Teranil. While his descendants lived on, he seemed to disappear nearing the end of the War in Heaven, possibly killed in action."
"I didn't really go into detail when asking about it in the past, but you can ask them yourselves if you have the time. The surviving Plainsrider clan members had since become a nomadic clan roaming the northeastern part of the Verdant Trammel, near the base of the Weaving Way mountain range. That's where most of the existing Thri-Kreen, Tortles, and Wulfkin were. It was a surprising sight to see the thought to be nearly extinct people. You best be as peaceful and open as possible when you meet them because they are a very reclusive community."
"I will confess I was not expecting such hospitality when we arrived, but it is certainly appreciated", Drexon says to Sabe as he takes a seat and and follows his lead with regards to tucking in.
He listens as Mrs Fallswind speaks of the Beastkin to Eremoz. It is all very interesting, but he stays quiet on the matter, not interrupting the pair. He briefly wonders whether Eremoz will be inclined to leave the group to go and search out this Plainsrider clan, or if he would be willing to let them accompany him if he does go.
"We have not yet arranged lodgings for the night, I suspect it will be quite late by the time we leave. Is there somewhere close you can recommend?", he enquires of Sabe.
"Ah, you're a city guy, aren't you?" Sabe asks Drexon. "Here in the suburbs, we're like an entirely separate community. We suburban and countryside people only want to relax and be with our family. The business, the ranch, that's just routine and an addition. The urbanites covet something. They always ask for something in return. Here, you only need to ask. If we can give it, we will give it freely. We can give you a room if you want to stay the night here. We prepared for at least a dozen when we renovated the barn as dorms. Currently, it's only these two knuckleheads living there full-time. If you don't mind a bit of walking, the Silver Sable has good rooms and services. It's in the Charing Crossroad district. They're a tavern first and foremost, but they have beds and breakfast at the back. Just ask the tenders. Any other inns in the city are not as good with the food. There's this one place in Ironside called The Brick and I had to wash myself a couple of times before I can get off the smell of incense that they used all the time of the day."
The longer you spend with the Fallswind, you get the feeling that they like to talk. While Mrs. Fallswind seems to love intellectual discussion, Mr. Fallswind will talk your ear off with everything and nothing.
Karm leans a bit over to Eremoz and Sabe. Excuse me hooking there, you mentioned primordial. It is only usefull to those that understand it? Does that mean that in order for the rune magic to work i need to know what it says or i need to understand it in order to learn what it does in the first place?
Karm then hears the conversation about sleeping opportunities and joins in there for a sentence I think given the fact that we don't really want a connection to here we should sleep elsewhere. Not that i'd dislike it here
"I haven't really delved deep into Primordial runes," Mrs. Fallswind says, "but from what I've learned, they are a little bit... fussy in terms of who can and cannot use it. Everyone who had succeeded in using equipment or artifacts carved with Primordial runes understood the language. But, there are sporadic cases where people who never understood the language had used such equipment or artifacts before. I'm not quite sure myself to be honest. There are just too few objects with Primordial runes to truly learn about it. The language itself is considered a nearly dead language, so not many people are interested in learning it."
As the dinner comes to a close, an hour has passed. Mrs. Fallswind leaves for the kitchen for a moment and returns with dessert. Your belly is full at the end of the meal and you feel you can take a long relaxing rest before continuing your endeavor tomorrow. After the day that you have, running around the city to look for clues, such a fulfilling dinner may just be the highlight of your day.
"Well, if you're sure," Sabe says, "then do come again. Who said want to walk the ranch to find some clues on our missing horses? Come by anytime and I'll escort you around myself. Show you our best horses."
After a lovely dinner with the Fallswinds, you walk back toward the Silver Sable to look for lodgings. You arrive in the middle of happy hour when the tavern is at its fullest and rowdiest. A brief conversation with the guard posted at the tavern's door directs you to an alley to the tavern's side. Following the alley, you arrive at a homely building attached to the back of the Silver Sable. It doesn't have a name or anything, but an ornate wooden sign shows the word 'Inn' at the top of the front door.
Entering the place, you are greeted with a lavish yet rustic interior. The person manning the front desk is humming a sweet song under his breath as he plays three simultaneous games of chess with himself. The pieces on the opponents' side move on their own, much to your surprise.
"Welcome to the Hid-Inn," the person at the front desk says, sparing you a brief glance before turning his eyes back to the chess boards. "A night is 35 bronze for a single, 50 bronze for a twin, and 125 bronze for a family suite with two twin rooms and a living room."
"There's a large sofa that can double as a bed," the front desk agent says. He snaps his finger and a tippy-tap sound can be heard from within the desk before a key is flown to the desk's top by a translucent yellow hand. "Up the stairs, top floor," he says. The translucent hand points toward a staircase further into the building. "Half-price for breakfast at the tavern tomorrow. Just show the key to the waiters. Check out is at noon at the latest or you will be charged for another night."
Karm also counts out the coin and places it in a stack next to Drexon's. He plays cards, but i always appreciate a good game of chess. No luck involved in that one.
Seeing and hearing no more outright acknowledgment from the front desk agent, you take your room key and walk upstairs. The building is three stories tall and at the topmost level are three doors. You look at the key and it has the number 03 on it.
Your suite for the night is quite cozy. It is definitely better decorated compared to the previous one. There is a living room with a long sofa that can be unfolded into a comfortable divan. Connected to the living room are two rooms, each with twin beds.
Karm will find himself a place at a table or comparable object in the room and will study the things they brought from the lodge. speak the urn and the beads.
And he will also take some time to try and decipher the code. But before that he will cast a quick comprehend languages just in case. the code might be hidden in another language
Sitting in front of the two objectsfrom the lodge that haven't been identified yet, you cast your magic and immediately gets a feedback from the beads. It is something that is not exactly common, but widely spread enough in certain circles. You recognize it after a while, having seen it used mostly by librarians and procurers to test a liquid of unknown origin. It is a very controversial use of the item in the hands of librarians and procurers. Commonly, it is called the Bead of Refreshment and it transmutes non-magical liquid it is submerged in into drinkable water. A bead can transmute up to a pint.
Getting something from the urn is taking a bit longer. You receive conflicting information. On one hand, you know that the ash is magical and the urn is a normal urn. What baffles you is the fact that there seems to be an illusory magic weaved around the ash that causes the information you receive to become confusing. It is inconclusive.
Putting the confusing result for a moment, you grab the letter between Warhawk, Keepr, and Builder, and begin reading it. After a while, you begin to see a pattern. With Drexon's help in pointing certain phrases of interest, you begin to get a rough idea on what the true message being exchanged was. It is essentially a business deal. Warhawk had promised Keeper, Builder, and the Masons to reveal the location of a piece of the Tears of Curiosity, the Four-Corner Quartz, in exchange for the Masons' assistance in acquiring an elder of the city that held a prominent position and power but would easily dismissed and forgotten. The Masons' representative was supposed to deliver the elder to Timaril before the Hollow Night.
"The more we learn of Warhawk, the more I doubt his interests are aligned with ours. He seems willing to go to any measure to get what he wants", Drexon says, shaking his head.
"I do not want to be a pawn in his games any longer, and yet we have a task to complete. Speaking of which, where to tomorrow? Twenty-One Jack is one option, or we could take a wander down the sewers", he says quite quietly, so no eavesdroppers would overhear.
In the dining room, you are faced with a spread of steaks and vegetables. Two ranch hands are already at the table, having a laugh while they wait for the host.
"Well, sit down, sit down," Sabe says. "Tuck in. It was a good day."
During the meal, Mrs. Fallswind replies to Eremoz's query. "As you know, Beastkin is a general term used to describe the many individuals that evolved from animals or beasts. Over the years, the number of Beastkin variants increases, especially in the more forested regions untouched by anyone. But, in the beginning, there were nine. These nine were the ones that Awakened a few hundred years after the coming of the Children of Tuada. There were felines like us, the Tabaxi and the Leonin. Other than that, there were the Loxodon, elephants; Aarakocra, birds; Hadozee, monkeys; Wulfkin, canines; Tortle, turtles; Lizardfolk, reptiles; and Thri-Kreen, insectoids. Eventually, they united and called themselves the Plainsrider clan."
"When the War in Heaven broke out, most of them went to the front line to defend their home. From what my grandmother told me, the ferocity of the Plainsrider paired with the strength of the Giantkin was the reason we didn't have as many casualties in the war. It's biased and incomplete information, but there were some kernels of truth there. The Plainsrider and the Giantkin were the only two... factions, you may say, that understand runes and are able to creatively and flexibly apply them. Of course, there were many runic languages in the world. Almost every culture has one, but the Giantkin and the Plainsrider runes are unique in that they can be manipulated. The Draconic runes are rigid with a specific set of rules and require a lot of blood to power them. The Dwarven runes are powerful but incredibly vain and temperamental. Elvish runes are limited in their application. Some of the artifacts left behind by the Ancients have Primordial runes and that thing is gibberish and useless to those who cannot understand them."
"Over the years, more and more Beastkin variants Awakened. The Merfolk, fish people, later evolved to be the Triton of Majapasai. Gnolls began as the Wulfkin pack that was cursed by a blood curse. The Giff is the Awakened hippopotamus originating from the Root Anvil. The Kenku came to be from Aarakocras who grew in captivity. Minotaur, Owlin, Harengon, Elkin, and many others Awakened. All of these Beastkin can say that they are part of the Plainsrider clan either by marriage or by blood. However, only those who directly descended from the Leaders of the original nine clans were gifted the symbol of the Plainsrider clan as a sign or promise that despite the struggle, the Plainsrider original nine clans will unite once again."
"If you have seen such a symbol in your family home, there is a chance that you are a descendant of the Leonin leader of the Plainsrider. From the records that I managed to piece together, either from written reports or interviews with the nomadic clans, that should be someone called Teranil. While his descendants lived on, he seemed to disappear nearing the end of the War in Heaven, possibly killed in action."
"I didn't really go into detail when asking about it in the past, but you can ask them yourselves if you have the time. The surviving Plainsrider clan members had since become a nomadic clan roaming the northeastern part of the Verdant Trammel, near the base of the Weaving Way mountain range. That's where most of the existing Thri-Kreen, Tortles, and Wulfkin were. It was a surprising sight to see the thought to be nearly extinct people. You best be as peaceful and open as possible when you meet them because they are a very reclusive community."
"I will confess I was not expecting such hospitality when we arrived, but it is certainly appreciated", Drexon says to Sabe as he takes a seat and and follows his lead with regards to tucking in.
He listens as Mrs Fallswind speaks of the Beastkin to Eremoz. It is all very interesting, but he stays quiet on the matter, not interrupting the pair. He briefly wonders whether Eremoz will be inclined to leave the group to go and search out this Plainsrider clan, or if he would be willing to let them accompany him if he does go.
"We have not yet arranged lodgings for the night, I suspect it will be quite late by the time we leave. Is there somewhere close you can recommend?", he enquires of Sabe.
"Ah, you're a city guy, aren't you?" Sabe asks Drexon. "Here in the suburbs, we're like an entirely separate community. We suburban and countryside people only want to relax and be with our family. The business, the ranch, that's just routine and an addition. The urbanites covet something. They always ask for something in return. Here, you only need to ask. If we can give it, we will give it freely. We can give you a room if you want to stay the night here. We prepared for at least a dozen when we renovated the barn as dorms. Currently, it's only these two knuckleheads living there full-time. If you don't mind a bit of walking, the Silver Sable has good rooms and services. It's in the Charing Crossroad district. They're a tavern first and foremost, but they have beds and breakfast at the back. Just ask the tenders. Any other inns in the city are not as good with the food. There's this one place in Ironside called The Brick and I had to wash myself a couple of times before I can get off the smell of incense that they used all the time of the day."
The longer you spend with the Fallswind, you get the feeling that they like to talk. While Mrs. Fallswind seems to love intellectual discussion, Mr. Fallswind will talk your ear off with everything and nothing.
Eremoz sits, listening intently. Thoughts race through his head. “Teranil, huh? That’s… that’s a lot to process. Um, thank you.”
Karm leans a bit over to Eremoz and Sabe. Excuse me hooking there, you mentioned primordial. It is only usefull to those that understand it? Does that mean that in order for the rune magic to work i need to know what it says or i need to understand it in order to learn what it does in the first place?
Karm then hears the conversation about sleeping opportunities and joins in there for a sentence I think given the fact that we don't really want a connection to here we should sleep elsewhere. Not that i'd dislike it here
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
"That is a good point Karm. Best we do not speak of where we are heading in truth", Drexon agrees.
"And yes, a city guy would be fairly accurate", he replies to Sabe, agreeing so as not to have to speak more about himself.
"You have been very gracious hosts, but I think we had soon best be leaving", he adds.
"I haven't really delved deep into Primordial runes," Mrs. Fallswind says, "but from what I've learned, they are a little bit... fussy in terms of who can and cannot use it. Everyone who had succeeded in using equipment or artifacts carved with Primordial runes understood the language. But, there are sporadic cases where people who never understood the language had used such equipment or artifacts before. I'm not quite sure myself to be honest. There are just too few objects with Primordial runes to truly learn about it. The language itself is considered a nearly dead language, so not many people are interested in learning it."
As the dinner comes to a close, an hour has passed. Mrs. Fallswind leaves for the kitchen for a moment and returns with dessert. Your belly is full at the end of the meal and you feel you can take a long relaxing rest before continuing your endeavor tomorrow. After the day that you have, running around the city to look for clues, such a fulfilling dinner may just be the highlight of your day.
"Well, if you're sure," Sabe says, "then do come again. Who said want to walk the ranch to find some clues on our missing horses? Come by anytime and I'll escort you around myself. Show you our best horses."
After a lovely dinner with the Fallswinds, you walk back toward the Silver Sable to look for lodgings. You arrive in the middle of happy hour when the tavern is at its fullest and rowdiest. A brief conversation with the guard posted at the tavern's door directs you to an alley to the tavern's side. Following the alley, you arrive at a homely building attached to the back of the Silver Sable. It doesn't have a name or anything, but an ornate wooden sign shows the word 'Inn' at the top of the front door.
Entering the place, you are greeted with a lavish yet rustic interior. The person manning the front desk is humming a sweet song under his breath as he plays three simultaneous games of chess with himself. The pieces on the opponents' side move on their own, much to your surprise.
"Welcome to the Hid-Inn," the person at the front desk says, sparing you a brief glance before turning his eyes back to the chess boards. "A night is 35 bronze for a single, 50 bronze for a twin, and 125 bronze for a family suite with two twin rooms and a living room."
"Greetings", Drexon says to the chess player. "Those are wonderful chess sets, although I am a cards man myself".
"Would there be a place to sleep in the living area? As you can see, we are five", he asks, looking to the others to see what they think.
"The family suite would work fine if so, don't you think?", he asks of his companions.
If they agree, he counts out his 25 bronze and lays it on the table next to the chess sets.
"There's a large sofa that can double as a bed," the front desk agent says. He snaps his finger and a tippy-tap sound can be heard from within the desk before a key is flown to the desk's top by a translucent yellow hand. "Up the stairs, top floor," he says. The translucent hand points toward a staircase further into the building. "Half-price for breakfast at the tavern tomorrow. Just show the key to the waiters. Check out is at noon at the latest or you will be charged for another night."
Karm also counts out the coin and places it in a stack next to Drexon's. He plays cards, but i always appreciate a good game of chess. No luck involved in that one.
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
"If you rely on luck for cards, you are doing it wrong", Drexon says to Karm with a chuckle and a wink.
"The sofa sounds perfect".
Cob slips more coins on to the counter, eyeing the chess boards as he does.
”I don’t take up much space Drex. Feel free to take a bed. A sofa cushion or two would be more than I could make use of.”
Eremoz adds his share. He remains quiet, contemplating all the information he was given over dinner.
Seeing and hearing no more outright acknowledgment from the front desk agent, you take your room key and walk upstairs. The building is three stories tall and at the topmost level are three doors. You look at the key and it has the number 03 on it.
Your suite for the night is quite cozy. It is definitely better decorated compared to the previous one. There is a living room with a long sofa that can be unfolded into a comfortable divan. Connected to the living room are two rooms, each with twin beds.
Karm will find himself a place at a table or comparable object in the room and will study the things they brought from the lodge. speak the urn and the beads.
And he will also take some time to try and decipher the code. But before that he will cast a quick comprehend languages just in case. the code might be hidden in another language
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
Sitting in front of the two objectsfrom the lodge that haven't been identified yet, you cast your magic and immediately gets a feedback from the beads. It is something that is not exactly common, but widely spread enough in certain circles. You recognize it after a while, having seen it used mostly by librarians and procurers to test a liquid of unknown origin. It is a very controversial use of the item in the hands of librarians and procurers. Commonly, it is called the Bead of Refreshment and it transmutes non-magical liquid it is submerged in into drinkable water. A bead can transmute up to a pint.
Getting something from the urn is taking a bit longer. You receive conflicting information. On one hand, you know that the ash is magical and the urn is a normal urn. What baffles you is the fact that there seems to be an illusory magic weaved around the ash that causes the information you receive to become confusing. It is inconclusive.
Putting the confusing result for a moment, you grab the letter between Warhawk, Keepr, and Builder, and begin reading it. After a while, you begin to see a pattern. With Drexon's help in pointing certain phrases of interest, you begin to get a rough idea on what the true message being exchanged was. It is essentially a business deal. Warhawk had promised Keeper, Builder, and the Masons to reveal the location of a piece of the Tears of Curiosity, the Four-Corner Quartz, in exchange for the Masons' assistance in acquiring an elder of the city that held a prominent position and power but would easily dismissed and forgotten. The Masons' representative was supposed to deliver the elder to Timaril before the Hollow Night.
Karm relays all that information to his friends
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
"The more we learn of Warhawk, the more I doubt his interests are aligned with ours. He seems willing to go to any measure to get what he wants", Drexon says, shaking his head.
"I do not want to be a pawn in his games any longer, and yet we have a task to complete. Speaking of which, where to tomorrow? Twenty-One Jack is one option, or we could take a wander down the sewers", he says quite quietly, so no eavesdroppers would overhear.
”Sewers is likely the most direct, but also the most likely to go sideways. Maybe Twenty-One Jack will prepare us better for that excursion.”