(Haha this exchange cracks me up)

Nefire stares at Krumar as he eludes that she is a dwarf.  She stabs the head of her axe onto the ground and it balances there as she crosses her arms to intensify the glare.  "A dwarf?  You think I'm one of those stinky, hairy, big footed creatures that doesn't know his ass from his chin?  And personal hygiene?  I think you could do with some of that"  she grabs one of the small greenstones from her pack and tosses it to Krumar, "Here, rub some of that on ya."

((Are we SURE Krumar doesn't think Nefire is a Goliath??))

Jaylan does not interviene in the exchange, but after both groups part ways he says

"I am not entirely sure that they were the ones that entered the Tower... definitely I do not believe that they climb much, not to the top that's for sure... I doubt that they could had decipher the first puzzle... I guess that there are some people taking advantage of the chaos of that day and claiming this kind of things... guess we could ask what to do with them to the High King when we return..."

During the exchange between the others he adds

"Wait a minute Nefire.... you do not have big feet... they are smaller than Krummar's head!"   

 Lore info above re the other group - spoilered it to differentiate from a real update?  

Krumar's face reddens after he smells himself "You are right, I need a warm bath. However, I think what you smell is Dabbert. Ah you are right....Your hair is less ehhh unkempt, but the hygeine still stands. Perhaps when we get back I can introudce you to the sweet smell of lilacs, or perhaps some lavender....really anything is better than...." Krumar points at Nef with a wriggling finger. 

So...  Where were we??

     The party came face to face with another party.  One which claims to have also entered The Tower.  Who taunted that they got to the top...  But except for the exchanging of a few minor insults and barbs, not much came of the encounter and the other group rode off away from Eisloch and back towards central Vaire.

     Yourselves trade some words amongst yourselves and start walking the other way, towards Eisloch.  You don't have an overlong journey before you get there and a lot of the time is spent with the Orcs asking you if it's true that you all entered the Tower and peppering you with questions about the entire affair.  It's a big enough events that even Orcs are impressed.  At least enough to chit chat about it, it wouldn't likely get them to back down if a fight was brewing...

     The approach to the town is familiar.  Or at least you have taken this route once before.  Even before reaching the town proper the Orcs, one by one, thank you and head off for their own homes.  Habub journeys the furthest with you all, til the Frosty Beard is in sight, but then even he begs off explaining he has to get home before his wife goes to sleep.  "If I wake her from slumber after so long she is likely to kill me before she recognizes me!"   ((Feel free to RP anything with the Orcs before they all leave if you wish...))

     Alone as a group once more, the Frost Beard looks inviting...  At least until you open the door and step inside.  Last you were here the place had a good allotment of people eating and drinking and generally just being.  As you look around now though there is just one table with two Orcs nursing drinks, one passed out in the corner a few tables away, and Mudge.  Mudge starts yelling as soon as the door cracks open "Hurry up and get that shut behind you, you're letting the cold...  Oh.  You lot.  Wasn't expecting to see you all again.  Well still and all, shut the damn door before it's as cold inside as out!"

As each orc leaves the group Krumar reminds htem of his exploits and tells them exactly how they should share the story of how he rescued them. Once in the Frost Beard he quickly enters pushing past his companions to getinside the warm tavern. He immediately starts telling Mudge and the orcs listening of how he single handedly scared this abomination away and how he helped his companions stay alive with his sweet melodic tunes. 

"So you see they and the orcs we rescued are alive and well because of me.....Oh let me sing and entertain with the tales from our adventure!"

Syl grumbles at Krumar, "While you're spinning fiction, be sure to remind everyone about how I was 10 foot tall, and smelled of sandalwood and sweet sea air."

Then he approaches the bar lays his arms and face upon it, and surrenders.  "Alcohol, por favor!  Erm, I mean, pour some more!  I am a thirsty pilgrim in a barren land!"

The Doctor no more than dips her head farewell to the orcs as they depart one by one while Pauwau takes one last sniff in their direction. 

Once they arrive at the Frost Beard, Raevyn hangs back with Pauwau to let the others in first. She scans the area outside, from ground to sky, prior to stepping in last.

Nefire stands and glares at Jaylan and Krumar.  She then waves a hand at the two of you dismissively, "Y'all need work on your insults."

As the orcs depart, Nefire finally asks, "What?  You don't want to go and tell your friend you're ok?  Huggamuffin or somethin?  He's the one that sent us out after ya!"

When they enter and Krumar starts in, she comments as she walks by him to the bar, "Better watch it, tell tales too long and it'll be even easier to snatch things off of ya, won't be able to see past your nose!"  She smiles to herself as she join Syl, hoping whatever Mudge draws up is better than last time.  She calls out to her, "Where's the party?"

Dabbert silently agrees with Nefire as he enters the room and looks around.  He looks genuinely concerned by the silence in the room.  As a soldier, when things that or normal (or that at least seem normal) start to change suddenly like that, it raises his hackles.  

As Nefire talks to Mudge, he steps over to the two Orcs having their drinks.  

"Cold uh...evening."  He said, making a statement about the weather.  "Wind keeping everyone in tonight?  You two are the uh..****y brave souls around, I see, having come out anyway."  

(Nefire brings up Hrolf being the one who sent you all to rescue the Orcs and their seeming lack of wanting to find and thank him.  I’m assuming this kind of information got shared and discussed the first evening spent out of the mines.  They expressed some shock that Hrolf would send you, no shock that he didn’t accompany you and some jokes (?) about how he must think there is still money in the mine or he’d never of bothered…. And while they do want to thank him, in whatever manner, they want to see their families first…)

     Hanging back and spending some time outside to really scan the area and get the feel for the place, Raevyn notices that Eisloch feels different than it did just a few nights ago.  It is an Orc town so it was never friendly… But now there is a tension and wariness in the air that Raevyn just can’t really make sense of.  Pauwau, never having been here before, knows no difference but knows this whole place feels a bit on edge.

     Inside Mudge is Mudge and treats everyone as Mudge does.  There is sass and insults but also quick, good service.  She may not have exactly what you are looking for but will find you some stronger, more biting variant which while not savory will at least get you drunker faster.  But all is not well inside, either.  It is obvious the sparse patrons are even more hostile and wary to the group than they had been on your original visit.  They are also more reserved though, making no outright hostile gestures or insults.  You can see it in their eyes but they otherwise keep it to themselves.

     When Nefire inquires of Mudge where the party is Mudge answers with a hard, inquiring stare as the proprietress tries to determine her answer.  “Run off now, weren’t they?” Mudge finally answers.  “By that other group of ya…. The other group of strangers.”

     “Go on with ya,” the Orc patrons answer Dabbert.  “We’re wanting no trouble with ya, we’re not trouble…”

     Assuming questions are asked and all it comes out that another party of strangers had arrived early in the day.  They were asking about the Greenstone.  Having come in all full of themselves they did not get the best responses at first and there was trouble…. “Not even Rourke could calm things,” Mudge offers with a quick sad glance up to the rafters.  Eventually someone gave up Hrolf’s name.  Then another where he lived.  “Surprising he wasn’t in already but he had more than usual the night before.”  The strangers roughed the customers up a bit more then laughed and joked as they had a bite to eat and a few drinks before heading off to see Hrolf.  “Nobody dared leave until we heard their horses carrying them down the road about two hours ago.  Them they all fled off.  This lot only recently come in to check on the stories themselves,” Mudge more or less finishes.

     “My guess is you all aren’t exactly with them, but you all aren’t us.  Now a dust up ain’t much around these parts, though Rourke usually keeps it outside the bar itself, but they weren’t just looking to fight. They were looking to hurt, you know?” Mudge adds.  “And while I think you aren’t them not everyone will see any difference between yas, y’know?”

Dabbert listens first to the Orcs wishing him off, and then to Mudge's explanation of the situation.  He chews on this for a moment, then offers the two orcs having drinks a gold coin.  

"I uh...we ain't here for trouble."  He says, knocking on the edge of their table and then pointing to the coin.  "Just uh...curious."  

He steps closer to the counter, toward Nefire and Mudge.  

"What'd this party of uh...strangers look like?"  He asks, suspecting that he already knows the answer.  

     He does indeed already know the answer.  Two dwarves, one a fighter type, the other with this big ole book chained to his wrist.  Two humans who looks nothing alike but seemed very, very close.  A big ass goliath and a half-elf, blonde, pretty as could be, voice of pure honey... The orcs hated her instantly.

Dabbert pursed his lips.  

"Go figure, that."  He says, his eyes shifting to the rest of the party.  "I uh...don't like this.  Not a bit."    

Without lifting his head from the bar, Syl murmurs, “Good call on that ‘in, Dabbert.  Sounds like that other group was a bunch of Steves and Rogers, after all.”

"That bunch of ********!!· exclaims Jaylan "I wish the mines had collapsed a little bit later... so they got trapped inside... that would had teached a lesson to them. I will report them to the High King... see what he can tell us about them..." he then turns to  Mudge "I am sorry for the way they treated you. We, in fact, cross paths with them a few hours ago. They were quite abusive but we didn't know... I am sorry... please, I know that it is hard but not everyone of us has shit for brains...  "

Krumar looks and listens, listens and looks....He feels the the group is missing out on an important point "Uh say there everyone, not to point out the obvious here but that other group was traveling to the mine for the green stones....Once they get there and see it has colapsed they will return here looking for us. It doesn't take too much inteligence to figure that point out....Perhaps we should not dawdle here any longer than we have to and get moving....They have horses and we have our feet....We should put distance between us and them and get out of here...maybe we can find some horses ourselves?"

"I do tend to agree... but... what if they... " Jaylan looks to the orcs and turns again to Mudge

"Just do not antogonize them. If they ask wich way we went just tell them. Fortunately they hush to hunt us made them leave this place before they repeat what they had done. I woudl like to go visit Rourke, make sure he is ok but I would conftont them as far of the village as we can. Make sure to tell him that we wish him well... would ya?" 

Jaylan, regreting the missed chance to spend the night in a warm room and even taken a bath heads to the exit. At least the will be returning to the south and more warm temperatures sooner. 

Once they all are reunited outside he says.

"Well... even if I do not want them to hurt these people farther, or even take hostages... I do hate to run from an enemy, and specially those pricks. Perhaps we should set up an ambush and give them some of their own medicine?... "

"What?  Run?"  This time Syl does lift his head from the bar, raising his mug aggressively.  "From those tossers?"

Syl laughs and downs the rest of his drink, motioning for a refill.  Then he wipes his mouth and laughs.  "Wasn't it just you there, Krumar, who was spinning the tale of how we triumphed against a green abomination?  'Sides, ain't we agents o' the High King himself?  Psh.  Run...".

When his new drink arrives, he leans back against the bar, drinks half of it down in one gulp, and begins singing his own song, waving the mug around such that the other half of his drink is in peril of spilling.

"Fists flew high, like a tempest's rage,

Barroom brawlers on the bar engage.

A sailor's dance in the lantern's light,

Bloody knuckles in the dead of night.

Yo-ho-ho, the rum did pour,

In the harbor town, a tavern war!"