Upon his return to the Citadel, Walt spends most of his time volunteering at the House of Convalescence. He is astounded by the skill and level of care provided by the many clerics and healers found here. When he's not helping tend to the ill, Walt observes and tries to soak up as much knowledge as possible. In short time, he's filled his entire journal with notes, diagrams and recipes for various tinctures and salves that he may find useful in his adventures with his friends.

After some time, Walt feels the urge to get out stretch his legs and he goes for a walk. While out an about, he's happy to see that he spots his friend Zartan walking hurriedly down a street. Walt picks up his pace in an attempt to keep up with Rabbit-folk and spots Zartan dip into a building that appears to be a library of some sort. Walt thinks to himself "Ah...I can't say been there before. Let's take a look and see what they have in there."

Walt steps in the building and he's pleasantly surprised that this appears to be some sort of library dedicated to the arcane arts. Most of his learning has been at the hands of his Druidic mentors and not be book, but he is excited to see if he can find anything useful in here. He spots a crotchety and cranky old librarian at the front desk in a heated debate with an individual. Walt wants to stay out of that tangle so he quickly proceeds down the stacks in search of his friend. He snatches up a few books that seem interesting and continues his search for Zartan.

Before long he spots his friend tucked away in a corner seemingly studying his spell book and writing spell scrolls. He pulls up a seat next to Zartan and makes occasional small while trying not to distract him from his work. Walt whispers to his friend "How have you been? I have been as well as can be expected. I've spend some time helping at the House of Convalescence. I've just about perfected my potion of healing with the help of some kind clerics there. I even added a puree of good berries and some mint make it much more palatable. What have you been up to?"

As the small talk is steered to the contacts Zartan has made with local dealers in the Arcane, Walt mentions his interest in possibly acquiring some items. He's very interested in a Moon Touched scimitar, a Staff of Birdcalls or an Alchemy jug. The scimitar is what he truly desires.

Zartan lost in his arcane works doesn't notice his friend sitting next to him till he speaks and that he is speaking to him. In a hushed surprise lowered volume voice he says "oh! hi Walt. Sorry for my rudeness in not noticing you. I can get snatched away into these codes and syphers. I've been busy learning the ins and outs of the arcane side of the the Citadel. OH YEA oh yea; I found some interesting spots that peddle in the mistic and magical items. If you need anything let me know, and let the others know if you see them. I can investigate anything we might need. It sounds like you've been doing some good for the people less fortunite"

"Besides running around town I've been doing some scroll work for one of the mistic spots I found. Trying to raise some coin so I can copy this spell into my book"

You see his book and various papers scattered about the tiny table.

Walt didn’t realize how loud he’s been speaking. He hunches down and looks around to see if he’s disturbed anymore in the room. He looks over Zartan’s setup and Walt is amazed. “My that looks quite interesting. It’s incredible how we both dabble in mystic and arcane arts which are in many ways quite similar, but so very different at the same time. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d very much like a Moon-touched scimitar. Perhaps one of your contacts has a lead on one of those?As you know I’m quite attuned to the celestial side of nature and I would very much appreciate one of those beauties.” 

Walt has gotten a bit carried away and his loud voice appears to be attracting attention. ”My apologies Zartan, I can get a bit too excited. I best be leaving. Please let me know how much the Scimitar will cost if you can procure one for me. And I’ll pass on word to the rest of the gang. I’ll be at the Cat this evening for a bite to eat and a drink, will you be there?”

Walt scurries off before he draws the ire of any other people in the library, especially the librarian!

When he and his newfound companions returned to the Citadel via the Concord Jewel, Aranor assured them he would see them again soon before venturing off into the city. His immediate destination was an elegant manor house in the Citadel's upper district, home to the Talandren family, his family, for the past three generations (which was quite a long time due to the length of the elven lifespan). Before making their way to the Radiant Citadel, his family had been nobility in one of the civilizations connected to the Citadel that had since become lost. The moon elf didn't know the whole story, but some sort of catastrophe had befallen the lost home of his moon elven ancestors and their Concord Jewel had been destroyed. His family had escaped the devastation and ever since had called the Citadel home.

His mother was especially pleased to see him, and he spent most of the day visiting with her and his two older brothers. Iolas, his eldest brother, spent his days assisting their father, who was a Speaker for the Ancestors, the ruling body of the Citadel. Elaran, the middle brother, had joined the Shieldbearers, the Radiant Citadel's search and rescue group. As the youngest son, Aranor had felt pressured by the high expectations of his family. When he decided on a life of adventure, taking on the role of a knight errant of sorts, his parents had been less than pleased but eventually had come around when they learned how many people he had helped in his travels.

As the afternoon wore on, Aranor decided to seek out Zartan, who had informed them about his contacts who could acquire certain arcane artifacts. The moon elf met with his new harengon friend at the library where he was working and let him know that he would be most pleased if his contacts could procure any sort of magical swords or a set of Adamantine Armor. Once that errand was complete, Aranor made his way to the Catford Cask, where Tuuli had told him that she worked.

It was early in the evening when he pushed through the doors and made his way to the bar, hoping to spot Tuuli and perhaps some of the others as well.

After leaving Zartan at the arcane library, Walt proceeded to meander his way about town, with his intended destination being the Cat. Walt walked the back and side alleys seeking out stray critters along the way. He stopped by Harrow's place, hoping to catch his old friend but he was not in. Walt had found an old jug of pirates rum at the Night Market and he left it on his old friends doorstep along with a note wishing him well. 

Walt eventually made his way to the Cat and he was happy to see Aranor there as well. It was good to see his new friend. Due to the circumstances of their chance encounter, Walt didn't have much of an opportunity to get to know know the brave moon elf. He hoped to change that over a drink and some salty bar snacks. 

Tuuli slides right back in to her position at the Catford Cask (aka The Cat), messing around with drinks, flirting disastrously with women, fighting hot and cold with Ruby. At one point, the Cat gets a hold of a few cases of Jeli Wine, the hottest rage in the Citadel. It's hard to find, and Ruby somehow got her claws into it, and the Cat is attracting a different kind of clientele, the kind that can pay for it, the kind that takes all the private booths in the back, the kind that isn't quite so fond of cats everywhere or the occasional bar fight. Nor, it turns out, a rambunctious bartender/mixologist.

After some private conversations with Ruby, Tuuli agrees to tone it down. Her swooning over the ladies drops to almost zero. She doesn't break into impromptu bagpipe solos. She doesn't show up with a gaggle of kids asking for just one more magic trick. Lucky is banished from the premises after rallying all the cats to takes over one of the private booths, when it was occupied. Tuuli dampens her spark... but it doesn't go out.

One evening, there's a small explosion behind the bar, and Tuuli pops up looking guilty. Really guilty. Ruby looks to the heavens and marches over, and when she leans over the bar, her face drains of color, and Tuuli scrambles for the back room, Ruby right on her heels. Ruby's yelling is loud enough to hear, and includes snatches of typical Ruby/Tuuli conversations, "what were you thinking" and "why do you think that is normal" and "I should fire you but you're not actually an employee" and "of course you're going to make it up to me." Tulli's responses are muted, and then so are Ruby's, and then Ruby comes back out and directs another employee to clean it up. Tuuli does not make another appearance that evening.

In the end, it comes out that Tuuli was trying to create a drink using the Jeli Wine, and whatever she was mixing ended up exploding. And it took out most of the stock behind the bar, which included an almost full case of the wine. Has she been fired, despite not drawing a paycheck? Has she been banned from the bar? Has Ruby finally had it with her?

Stay tuned...

Aranor and Walt do not find Tuuli at the Cat, but do hear from the waitstaff or the regulars what happened (see above). Ruby avoids them, they are known friends of Tulli's, but (Insight not needed!) it looks like she is pretty upset/sad, not upset/angry.

Not seeing Tuuli, Aranor nevertheless decides to take a seat at the bar. He notices Walt and waves over the older man, inviting him to join him. The moon elf orders a glass of blackberry wine. As he waits for Walt to join him, he looks about the bar curiously. This isn't a place he's frequented before, but he is keen to learn more about his new friends and where they spend their time. As he observes the patrons, he catches snippets of conversation, and almost all of them mention Tuuli. From what he can gather, some sort of incident took place. That must be why she's not here, he thinks, beginning to worry a bit.

"Walt, it's good to see you again," he says as Walt joins him. "I thought Tuuli would be here."

Tuuli, Zartan, Walt, and Aranor settle back into familiar routines at the Citadel.
Zartan and Walt continue to regularly patronize the Cat and see Tuuli (at least until the Jeli wine incident.) Aranor is finally drawn in as well, although he chooses an awkward night to do so.

Zartan has been trying to find work at the library where his scrolls were made; or failing that, with the guild, the antique shop, or even the barber shop (Persuasion checks: 15,  0,  18,  17)

He also looks into +1 longswords and adamantine armor for Aranor. As it turns out, both are available, although it will take a few weeks to obtain them. (The longsword costs 315 gold. The adamantine armor cost depends on the kind of armor (not all of which may be available): the cost is 300 gold plus the normal cost of the armor. See this and this.)

(BTW - I am assuming that the rest of you have enough ordinary income to cover your living expenses at the level of your Lifestyle – Tuuli from the bar, Walt from his retirement savings and minor side hustles, Aranor from his family. Saving money, on the other hand, is more difficult...)

Zartan is offered a meager job at the Guild (really more of an informal club than a formal organization.) It's clerical in nature: managing paperwork, collecting dues, planning gatherings (and purchasing supplies for them with the dues.) The pay is terrible, the hours thin, but it could pay his immediate bills and keep him in the arcane gossip circuit.

The story of Tuuli's wine incident gets around. Jeli wine is a recent fad; this expensive wine has been around for a few years, but has only taken off at the Citadel recently. It's an import from Zinda (one of the founding civilizations.) It's a city of spiraling marble towers and turrets; home to magical universities, conservatories, museums, and other centers of the arts, in addition to its robust agricultural holdings. It has always been a wine-growing region, but Zinda’s people have become especially known in the past few years for cultivating the jeli flower, the source of the popular new wine. The jeli flower also features prominently in the annual March of Vice celebration, a lavish and notorious ten-day carnival. A small population of Zindanese citizens dwells at the Citadel, many newly wealthy from the jeli wine craze.

(Assuming the crew has assembled at the Catford Cask through some kind of generalized karmafate...)

A small white cat, more kitten than cat, slinks its way through the shadows of the common room at the Catford Cask, darting across open spaces, and makes its way to the table where the friends have settled. It sneaks under the table and then claws its way up Aranor's pants to his lap. Then it mewls quietly. You all recognize Lucky. Once he has your attention, he hops off Aranor's lap, and darts towards the exit to the street. He stops under a chair and looks back at you, moves a few more inches in that direction, and then looks back at you again.

“I’m glad for you that Lucky’s back”

(I’m just gonna go with it)

The party gets up to follow Lucky, who leads everyone outside, then around the side to a private entrance. He scratches at the door, and it open, Tuuli looking out furtively. She checks the street, like she’s looking for danger, then opens the door and beckons you all in. She ushers you into a small room of the hallway, and when everybody is in, comes in and shuts the door.

The room is very small, is furnished sparely, and is not terribly clean. You can tell from some of the items and clothes strewn about that this is where Tuuli lives.

Without preamble, she starts, “Thank you all for coming. By now you’ve heard about what… happened. I mean, accidents happen! But, Ruby is really upset with me, and I have a plan to make it better, but I need your help.”

Assuming everyone agrees, she goes on. “We’ll take the Bastite Jewel to Zinda, where they make Jeli wine. They are having a festival… funny how we always seem to visit places when there are festivals going on… anyway, the March of Vice is the festival, which sounds kind of amazing, but it should be a good time to score some cases of wine, since it’s all about the Jeli flower and the wine and all the other things they get from it, from my research it sounds like they’ve put all their eggs into the Jeli basket, which sounds dumb, but should mean there’s a lot of it to go around. Should be easy, in, buy wine, out…”

She stops and looks at the floor. “Um, so, I need you guys to help carry it, but, um, I was also hoping you could float me a loan, maybe. I mean, I have a lot saved up, and I can always send home for more, but I’d rather owe my friends than my family…”

She looks up with her winning smile. “Whaddya say?”

Zartan says "I'm in"

(Presuming Walt and Aranor are also willing to accompany Tuuli, are there any last-minute preparations you want to make? At this point, all of the magic purchases you have made have been delivered without incident. Are there any other supplies you need to acquire? How much money will you lend Tuuli to buy wine?)

Tuuli has 144 gp of her own to lend to this endeavor, and will not spend any more of it on anything else. She is committed to this course of action.

(Do we know how much the wine costs? Or how much the Cat paid for it? By the case?)

(Jeli wine retails for 10gp a bottle at the Cat when it's available. But their profit margin on wines like these are razor-thin. It does draw some deep-pocketed crowds, though. A 12-bottle case wholesales for maybe 100gp plus customs tariffs when it's available.)

Aranor steps into the small room that is apparently Tuuli's entire residence and frowns. He tries not to appear appalled, but he can't help but blink. Is this how Tuuli truly lives? She deserves much better, he thinks, and resolves to find some way to make sure all of his new friends are able to live in better accommodations. This is no way for a hero of San Citlan to live.

As Tuuli lays out her plan, the moon elf listens attentively. When Tuuli mentions being friends, he smiles and wonders when is the last time he made any new friends. It's been awhile, he decides. His life before running into this motley crew had been rather lonely, adventuring and taking jobs on his own. He doesn't want to go back to that life.

"Of course I'll help," he says now. "How much do you need? I am hoping to buy a magical weapon soon, but I don't have the funds for that yet so I can definitely spare some coin to replenish Ruby's stock."

“Well, I honestly don’t know how much it will be, exactly, because I don’t do the buying for the Cat, but it can’t be too much, right? I’ll cover as much of it as I can,” at this Tuuli hefts a heavy bag that clinks with coins, “and I will definitely pay you all back. I think maybe I could just use the support, I mean, for the coin, yes, but mostly for the company.”

(I am ready to go, at this point, having delivered my plot point! ;)

"I am not worried about being paid back," says Aranor. "If worse comes to worst, I could always ask my family for assistance. They are of means, but I try to earn my way in life through adventuring, which to them is considered very eccentric." He grins.

He gives Lucky some scritches. "I am ready to leave whenever you are."