Calitynia waves as Ori says goodnight. She then watches as the kender woman tries to wake Wilberforce. During this, she catches a bit of Drayan's remarks. "My Pardon sir, but are you Implying that I have in some way been less than polite with you?" There's a hint of a challenge to her voice. "And you malign Orisatra as well? What has she possibly done to you?" 

Her light blue eyes stare fixed on Drayan.

Wilberforce starts to stir as Ridomir approaches and fully awakes as she calls his name. He had been having the best dream, he was back in Aurbos and all the children had been asking for stories. Wilberforce thinks 'No one asks for stories these days, apart from that nice young Drayan lad'. He is intrigued when Ridomir mentions something from Ispin, 'Probably a nice bottle of something knowing Greenshield' he says to Ori.

He looks over at Drayan who is talking to Calitynia, did he just inadvertently insult her honour. 'Well I hope he survives the night' thinks Wilberforce and chuckles at his unintentional pun. Not being a diplomat and having no idea where Shagrin is, Wilberforce tries to help where he can.

He walks over to Pelo, takes out an elaborate hanky with the initials IG on it and proceeds to wipe Pelo's face. He uses a soothing voice as he says 'That's right lad, let it all out'. He looks over to the staff behind the bar with a stare that on Krynn says clearer than words 'I've got a drunk dwarf, where do I put him' and attempts to lift Pelo to his feet.

Athletics 23

Daryan nods in acknowledgement to the dwarf as she mentions his name, only now realizing Cudgel must be the dwarf from Ispin's stories. He is both surprised and curious about what old Ispin might have left for him but keeps his calm. "I noticed him at the funeral service, I believe he was in company with the grieving dwarf over there." He says in a somber and polite tone, inclining his head to Pelo over at the table. "And thank you, I will be sure to come up to the keep tomorrow morning." He adds with a polite smile.

As the beautiful white-haired solamnic knight suddenly and unexpectedly addresses him, Daryan turns and gives her an incredulous look, not quite sure if she is really asking or if she simply wants to berate him for being a half-elf. "I'm not sure in what way I have maligned Orisatra, but I'm sure you must have noticed the tone in which she dismissed my offer to help, which I must admit was unexpected for a kender, more unexpected than a solamnic knight dismissing a mere half-elf when he offers her a drink. Being who we both are I'm sure we might have different views on what is less than polite though." He says with a playful bow, a flicker of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

As Daryan, Calitynia and Ori banter and Darrett looks on helplessly, Wilberforce helps Pelo up with surprising strength for an old kender and helps the dwarf to his room.

Cudgel eventually finds Shagrin out on the docks, standing vigil. She approaches him. "Excuse me, are you Shagrin?", she asks out of protocol, though she's pretty sure by his appearance he must be the young dwarf Ispin saved from trolls years ago. "My condolences. Ispin thought highly of you, you know. There's something he wanted you to have, Becklin's got it stored in the keep north of town. Come by at sunrise, if possible," she says.

When Cudgel stops at the table, Pelo does his best to pull it together. Sniffling, he tries to smile at her and listen. The truth is that he is too far gone in drink and grief to pay her words any mind. He just sees a sympathetic face. He takes a nearby napkin and folds it into a peacock, handing it to her. "S'yours now. Spread joy!" After she leaves, he falls into a deep, loud sleep. His snores make it difficult for other patrons to hold conversations.

When Wilberforce comes to fetch him, he wakes with a start. "Whozzat? Ispin?" He looks, bleary-eyed at Wilberforce. "You're not Ispin. I ain't been this drunk since the last time I saw 'im. He told me once about this pretty dwarf girl." He looks at Wilberforce again. "You ain't her either." Nonetheless, he accepts Wilberforce's arm and leans on him as they go to their rooms.

(Sorry for retconning a bit; this just struck me as a bit more amusing)

Wilberforce puts Pelo into bed and gives his face one last wipe. If Wilberforce sees anything shiny and low value in the room that Pelo seems in danger of losing then Wilberforce will look after it for him. 

Sleight of Hand 21

'This seems a fine place to sleep' thinks Wilberforce, 'I'll wake up Pelo before dawn with a nice hot breakfast and remind him what Ridomir said, in case he wasn't paying attention'. With that Wilberforce lies down on the floor and goes back to sleep, hoping for nice dreams once more.

[OOC] As ever if Wilberforce takes something you want, let me know and he will give it back immediately as you must have just dropped it. Otherwise you will probably see it again at some day

"Yes I am Shagrin." replies the warrior. He recognizes Cudgel from the ceremony. He continues with, "I thank you for your kind words. If it was even a quarter the amount of how highly we regarded him then that is a great amount indeed. Thank you for any part you played in organizing this memorial. You've done Ispin proud. I will see you at dawn"

As the first rays of light begin to brighten the day, Shagrin kneels and recites his Shield bearer oath.

"My shield shall not yield. Neither my spear nor my spirit shall falter. On my honor I will do my duty to the people of the land. The mountains strength shall be my guide. Tremble before my resolve for I am the rock against which the river breaks. I swear this oath to all at hand! MY SHIELD SHALL NOT YIELD!

He delivers the last line with determination. The words no longer just an oath to his position but now a promise to an old friend. Once finished, Shagrin rises to his feet. He pivots on his heel and strides back to the crab. He looks around for familiar faces from the day before as he approaches a chamber maid quietly going about her morning routine.

"Excuse me, could I trouble you for some water and directions to Lady Beklins keep?"

That morning, the chamber maid at the Brass Crab is happy to set Shagrin up with a glass of water and directions to the keep. It's not hard to find once he knows the direction, actually; you can see it from most of the streets, high on a cliff just north of the town proper.

Hours earlier at the reception, as Wilberforce helps Pelo to his room (and helps himself to one of Pelo's forge tongs that fell from his bag, for safe-keeping), Darrett tries to negotiate a truce between the kender woman, the knight, and the half-elf man he is supposed to be showing around. "Maybe a reset is called for," he says. "Um. You all have been called to the keep tomorrow; perhaps it would be best if you headed to your rooms, got some sleep, and in the morning reintroduced yourselves with your best feet forward?"

"Oh, I'm obliged to accept a drink from every man that offers me one?" Calitynia starts.  She is soon interrupted by Darrett. "Yes, you are quite right.  It seems we both have business at the keep tomorrow. If our paths cross perhaps any misunderstandings can be set aside?"

She bids the others goodnight and heads for her room. 

The white-haired half-elf is about to point out that he is hardly every man but a close friend of Ispin's, much as the beautiful white-haired knight seems to be, but then Darrett intervenes and Daryan too bids the others good night with a polite smile but remains at the bar for some more of that ale before eventually retiring to his room. As the others leave the half-elf takes the opportunity to ask Yalme about the young heckler in the fancy clothes.

Shagrin is just about to head out when a tightness in his belly accompanied by a rather loud gugle reminds him he hasn't eaten in some time. Catching the maid just before she returns to her duties he says, "Say lass, there wouldn't be any think to eat around here? 

She points him towards the hearth where a large cast iron pot has some hot oats bubbling softly. Shagrin leans his shield and spear against the arm of the chair he plans to sit in and then retrieves a bowl from the stack on the stool next to the fire. He ladles in two large scoops of the gruel and plops down in the chair to consume his meal.

Wilberforce wakes up early as normal, gets up from the floor and goes looking for breakfast. Walking quietly to avoid waking Pelos seems unnecessary given the volume of Pelo's snores. Wilberforce grabs some food and seeing that Shagrin is already eating sits down next to him and says 'Hello again Shagrin, I hope that you found some comfort in saying goodbye to Greenshield'. Wilberforce remembers Shagrin disappearing at some point and assumes, in a non-judgemental way, that he spent the night carousing. 

Just as he is finishing his meal Wilberforce remembers the news from last night and says 'Oh a dwarf called Cudgel was looking for you. She mentioned that Ispin had left something for us and we are to go see Becklin at sunrise.’ Checking the time and realising that he doesn’t have long, he quickly grabs some more bowls and rushes upstairs shouting ‘Pelo, Ori, Cali, Drai. Time to get up Lasses, Lads and Lassos and get some breakfast down. We need to be off to see Becklin. There might be some quality booze in it for us.’

"Good morning." Shagrin replies to the kender. "Thank you, She found me and informed me of the gift. I had not realized there were others though. I was about to make my way up to the keep but now I'll wait for the rest.' He watches as the kender looks about and realizes the time, stuffs in a few mouthfuls, and then proceeds to run upstairs with bowls for the rest. Shagrin spends the time checking his gear and preparing his departure. When the others come down they find him waiting by the door eager to be moving.

Pelo is suddenly shocked awake by a kender's voice and, as he bolts upright, a bowl of hot oatmeal is handed to him. Not yet fully awake, he doesn't register what is happening and drops the oatmeal immediately into his own lap. Brought fully into consciousness by the pain, he leaps from the bed and starts brushing himself off quickly. Looking around, his eyes focus on Wilberforce. He says, "Who? Why?" and then the familiar pounding in his head of a hangover distracts him further. Waving toward the kender, he says, "Would you bring me a bucket? Please?" 

‘Bucket, bucket, bucket. Where can I get a bucket from?’ thinks Wilberforce. He puts the remaining bowls down carefully on the floor and with surprising alacrity and agility for an old Kender runs back down the stairs to where Shagrin is checking his armour. He picks up a helmet from the table, Wilberforce isn’t sure who it belongs to, and rushes back up the stairs again to Pelo. Wilberforce, now slightly out of breath, proudly presents the helmet to Pelo. Hopefully he was in time.

Ori, always happy to wake up in the morning and start a new adventure, helps herself to breakfast and pleasantries. Content to fade into the background for a moment and observe the rest of this group from last night. She is curious about what Ispin may have left for them all, and is anxious to begin traveling to the keep.

Calitynia is awake early, rising before the sun to prepare for the day. Donning her armor, she makes her to grab a very  quick bite.  She then heads out to take a look about the town, just as the light on the horizon is turning light.  

Presuming the keep that can be seen looming above the town is the one she wants, she makes for the place in her own.

Not wanting to miss the chance at free quality booze. Wilberforce leaves Pelo with the helmet and skips out the door. He waves to Ori and Shagrin on the way through the main room and asks 'Are you coming? I think that Pelo may just need a minute and I'm not sure where Cali is.' He is unsure why everyone is reluctant to leave the Inn, 'Maybe they don't like daytime drinking' he thinks.

As he skips through the town on the way to the keep he offers small treasures to any children that he sees. An owl feather here, a button there and a beautiful acorn to one lucky child. He offers a pair of forge tongs to a teenage noble, but she politely refuses with a bemused look on her face.

Pelo takes the helmet he was given and, sighing, casts Create or Destroy Water in it, filling it with water. While the water begins to cascade out of the helmet's eyeholes, he dashes over to a window and dumps what remains in the helmet over his head. The cool water soothes his head. However, looking at the wet mess he has created, he is embarrassed. He leaves the room to find a mop and apologize to the innkeeper.

Shagrin hangs back and waits for Pelo.