The white-haired half-elf watches as the kender proposes a toast to Ispin and the dwarves join in. He wasn't surprised to see his old mentor having all kinds of acquaintances, of different sizes too. "Well, join me if you want Darrett, and wish me luck." He says with a smile to the squire beside him, then stepping over to the punch bowl and helping himself to two small wooden cups of punch before moving on the the Solamnic Knight with the impressive polearm, a glaive they were called he seemed to remember. "Can I offer you something to join the toast..." He asks the white-haired knight with a friendly smile, holding a cup of punch for her to take. "...I can only assume you are another old friend of Ispin's, or are you perhaps here for the festival and the reenactment of the battle?" He asks with a curious smile.

Darrett half reaches out to stop Daryan when the half-elf starts stepping over to Calitynia, but freezes, as if caught in a conundrum of trying to figure out the Measure between making sure one's friends behave themselves in a seemly manner and respecting a knight's agency to decide his or her appropriate company. He lowers his hand and stands worriedly, as if watching a northbound wagon play chicken with a southbound one, and awkwardly takes a little toast-and-spread hors d'oeuvre from a platter on the closest table to try to calm his nerves.

Yalme gives the kender and dwarves a slight but happy smile at their wholehearted praise of her friend, and goes to a shelf behind the front desk to get a bottle of a local red wine to pour for them.

"You do well in honoring the name of Ispin Greenshield. I am Shagrin Ironheel son of Borigar. Shield Warden (rank, think army corporal) in the "Iron wall" Battalion. Tell me how you are acquainted with Ispin."  Shagrin announces loudly to the kender as he approaches.

Calitynia gives the half-elf approaching her a faint smile. Raising a hand, palm outward in a stopping motion, she says, "Thank you, but I believe I shall refuse. I might see if I could get a small taste of the wine." She nods her head over to where she sees Yalme grabbing the bottle. "I did know Ipsin Greenshield. He aided me greatly when I was but a small child. Now, if you would excuse me."  She steps to the side, moving past the man and towards where Yalme is offering to pour the wine for the kender and dwarves. 

Yalme happily pours six glasses of wine: one for Calitynia, two for the dwarves, two for the kender, and one for herself, leaving Daryan with his cup of punch. Darrett helps himself to a cup of the punch himself, sipping it to ease his second-hand embarrassment on behalf of his new half-elven acquaintance.

Calitynia thanks Yalme for the wine and raises the glass towards the others. "It is very good to meet friends of Ipsin Greenshield! Sorry if I missed any introductions earlier, but I am Calitynia Frostwind, Knight of the Crown. I owe my knighthood to Ipsin; he sent me on the path to become a Knight of Solamnia." She takes a small sip from her glass as she looks around to the others with a smile. 

Wilberforce is momentarily taken aback by the force of Shagrin’s statement. Before he can collect his thoughts he is greeted rather formally by a tall Knight, everyone seems tall to Wilberforce. ‘This conversation has taken an unexpected turn’ thinks Wilberforce who had just been planning on getting down to some serious drinking with Ori and Pelo, ‘I had better be on my best behaviour’. He nods towards Shagrin and says  ‘Well met good dwarf’ and tries to remember anything about the Ironheel clan or the Iron wall.  

History 9 (I fixed a typo and this affected the roll)

As usual history is not a strong area for Wilberforce, however he does remember a few more details than normal. He continues addressing Shagrin ‘And a member of the famous Iron Wall no less. My old mind doesn’t retain much these days but I think I remember hearing about their exploits during a goblin raid’. Wilberforce decides not to mention that he actually heard this from one of the surviving goblins who attacked the fort. It is in Wilberforce's nature to offer aid to all who need it, but not everyone appreciates that.

Wilberforce finishes his second ale before accepting a glass from Yalme with a ‘Thankyou kindly lass’, Wilberforce always accepts a free drink. Feeling a bit more confident, and a bit more drunk, he looks up at Calitynia and says ‘Well met Cali, it’s an honour to meet you.’ Wilberforce feels pleased with that statement, Knights always like talking about honour. He then continues ‘I’ve known Greenshield for many a year. I’m not surprised to hear that he helped someone such as yourself become a Knight. A generous and giving man was Greenshield.’ 

He pauses to take a sip of his wine, it's not ale but it's not too bad either. He then continues ‘Well Greenshield would call on me as a guide whenever he needed to venture off the common path. Maybe you have heard of the time myself and Greenshield rescued a small lad from the Dire-Peacocks of Darken Wood?’ Wilberforce hopes that someone has heard of it, he doesn’t have many heroic stories and Darken Wood is one of his best.

Wilberforce tries to remember if Greenshield ever mentioned training a Knight like Calitynia.

History 0

As usual his memories are foggy and the drinks aren’t helping. He decides to be polite anyway ‘I’m sure that Greenshield must have mentioned you to me a number of times, but I can barely remember my own name these days and the drink doesn’t help. He must have been so proud to see you become a full Knight.’ He gestures around the assembled crowd and says  ‘It’s great to see the legacy that Greenshield has left behind. He truely left the world better than he found it’

Pelo politely raises his glass of wine to toast Ispin and takes a sip. He cannot hide the face he makes after, but he does manage to not snort in disgust. "Hardly better than the punch," he thinks to himself. Setting the glass down and returning to his mug of ale, he says, "Ispin and I are long acquainted. We were in the Solamnic army together, worked through a few wars. I was a smith even then, making weapons and armor of Ispin's troops and others. We became friends over drinks, raids, training, and carousing. We tried to keep in touch over the years, but once I took off on my own, it was harder. A letter here and there. I am pleased to see that he continued to be a good friend and a brave warrior." Raising his mug, he again calls out, "To the Greenshield!"

The white-haired half-elf seems surprisingly unperturbed by the blatant brush off by the solamnic knight and saunters back to Darrett, raising his cup of punch to Ispin Greenshield before downing it's content. "See, she likes me already." He whispers to the squire beside him, winking and smiling. "So what is going on here you think, everyone supposed to introduce themselves? Sounds a bit formal."

"Usually that waits for the reception," Darrett agrees. Yalme addresses the knight, dwarves, and kender before her. "The funeral should be beginning shortly, out on the wharf. Go on ahead, before it gets too crowded," she says.

Shagrin claps Pelo on the shoulder, "Come on friend let's wish another on his way." Shagrin leaves the in and strides towards the warf.

Wilberforce turns to Ori and Calitynia and says ‘Well lasses, looks like it’s time to go. But if you are willing to listen to the advice of a silly old Kender then I will say this. Remember that this event is about your grief and not Ispins. Sure it is a time to say goodbye, but it's also about us acknowledging how much we are going to miss him. I look at the two of you and I don’t feel sorry for Ispin, because I know that the most important thing to him was the next generation and not himself. He will be looking down at you both and be rightly proud that he excelled at the most important thing in his life. No, I don’t feel sorry for Ispin but I do feel sorry for those of us who will miss him. Therefore express your grief however you feel comfortable, it doesn’t matter if it is standing tall or sobbing your heart out. Get it out now and moving on will be easier. After all that is what Ispin would want’. Wilberforce gets off his chair, which actually makes him look shorter, and says ‘Now I’m off to say goodbye to another old friend. Take some time if you need it lasses, I’ll make sure they don’t start without you. And later if you need a shoulder to cry on, and don’t mind bending down a bit, then old Wilberforce will be around.’ With that Wilberforce heads out the door to say goodbye to one of his oldest friends and acknowledge his own grief.

"Down to the wharf then I guess." Daryan says to Darrett with a shrug, trying to swiftly acquire a key for a room from Yalme, then ready to follow the squire down to the funeral service, briefly glancing over at the Solamnic Knight as he exits the Brass Crab. 

Calitynia continues to sip at her wine, listening to all the others and trying to commit names to memory. "I'm not sure Ipsin even knew I'd become a knight. It was but very recently," she starts to say, but much of it seems lost as others speak. She does listen attentively to Wilberforce as he imparts advice, though she glances over to Ori a few times wondering just how long this fellow was going to go on. 

When he's finished, she gives him a polite nods. "Thank you, sir.  I will certainly take that to heart. But I do think we should be on our way."  Smiling to the pair of kender, she then finishes off the rest of her wine.  Setting the glass down before going, she makes her way towards the wharf. 

Ori smiles warmly at Calitynia. Wilberforce has been going on, but Ori doesn't mind. In the short time she has been reacquainted with Wilberforce she has enjoyed immensely reconnecting with the old Kender. 

Ori finishes her drink and stands to head towards the funeral. "I loved Ispin like a father, and I am so grateful for all he taught me. But death is an important part of the circle, and I celebrate his transition into the next adventure. Do you think it would be alright if I played my Lyre for him?" She asks looking towards Wilberforce and Calitynia. 

'A fine idea lass, just what we need.' Wilberforce calls back as he walks out of the door.