“I see. What can’t you tell me about all of this?”

"I can't say my former master's name... It's too much." Vivi admits, "I spent a lot of time sleeping, and I only woke up when it was time... to practice. Um... I'unno. I don't really want to talk about that too much. I know it's not helpful... but I only remember one place. A very dark place. I could see in the dark by then, because of papa. Uhm, it was kind of rocky and echo-y."

Merrick pipes up, going through a bunch of mushrooms. "Look what I found! These look tasty. Some nice forest bunions, a couple of chantrelles, and some speckled hogswart." It's not clear to the party how long the halfling has been here, but seems very intent sorting through mushrooms and putting them in piles on the floor and any surface he can find. "These are great for tea. These, you shouldn't eat. These I've never heard of." He sniffs one curiously.

Muireach slowly turns to Merrick, in malaise surprise, “Oh... Merrick’s here. Cool... when did you get here?”

Luthok, who just went downstairs to get some more tea is interrupted by Dyoken falling through the floor and his usual pale skin turns into a dark red. "Rewards you say? Well i might be interested since i need to pay FOR A NEW ******* FLOOR!" As Merrick appears seemingly out of nowhere and starts rummaging through his stuff he gets even more angry. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE PIPSQUEAK!?!?!? STOP MESSING WITH MAH CROPS YOU ****!"  He grabs his chest and wheezes a little all of a sudden and says through gritted teeth. "You lot are not good for my health." 


When the pain settles he goes upstairs to join the conversation on the main floor and the pale colour of his face has faded. He looks calmer than normal, maybe because he is afraid of stirring up some more heart pain or he just added something more relaxing to his tea. "Okay lassie, lets just be blunt about it. I know ye and your ma´. Not sure if you remember me, but thats not important here." He speaks directly to the girl and ignores the others for the time being. "Your ma´ came to me, even before the city had walls. Just as i had settled in this hut... when it still had a ******* floor." He looks to Dyoken as he finishes that sentence. She brought you, only a wee lass at the time and you were sick, very sick. Coughing up all kinds of slime, with a fever so high it almost hurt to check your temperature. You were shaking so bad at times we had to bind you to the table that used to stand over there." He points to a pile of decaying wood in the corner. "I was a more cooperative man then, before i met nimrods like these guys I enjoyed helping sick folks, so I said yes to help your ma´." He looks at the girl with a worried expression, the first time anyone has seen anyone has visibly seen Luthok with an expression that shows he actually cares about something. "Thing is, I didn't meet yer pa´, so that adds up to him at least not being there at the time." He throws the rest of the now cold tea on the floor and throws the metal cup into the hole in front of Dyoken. "What confuses me is that this was almost a hundred years ago..." He stops and looks towards the girl, waiting for her response, before he walks over to the stack of cauldrons, flips one over and sits on it like a stool. 

"Yeah, you gotta get a new floor. This one's falling apart. The roofs ready to go too. If you'd like I can climb up there and take a look at it."

DK considers the rest of the conversation, "So, you think these guys have been around the block a few times? What's our next move?" 

Vivi noticed Merrick along with everyone else, and simply watched as the adults spoke for a while.

"I remember you, Mr. Dwarf," Vivi said as politely as she could and sounded more like a child than a teenager in that moment. "Thank you." Vivi nods along until Luthok mentions 100 years. "100 years...? No... But your beard is a lot bigger now, hmmm."

Luthok strokes his beard and throws some residual mushroom goo into the fireplace. "Lass, do you remember where you went after your stay here? Also, let me check your health, you seem awfully malnourished for a girl your age. Who knows what being tied to a god of literally death does to your health." He gets up and walks over to the girl, not asking permission to touch her of examine her but just starts taking her temperature.  "Say Aah." He starts examining the girls general health, if she even makes an attempt to twist away or say anything against him he will pinch her in the forearm and shush on her or tell her to stay still. 

Medicine check: 13

"I remember your beard," she points at it, "Mushrooms."

Vivi obeys Luthok completely, which might be strange given her earlier attitude. "Aah."

Luthok's cursory examination reveals to him a slow, but steady heartbeat and what seems like a cool chill. Her temperature felt off for being a half-elf girl. Vivi wasn't quite 'cold to the touch,' but her skin was much cooler than he'd expect it to be. His test of her reflexes and such revealed that they were normal for young person, despite how old she must be. When he pulled down the back of her dress, far enough to place his hand to check her breathing one more time as he tried to assess what was wrong, he noticed she was branded. 

The brand on her skin had to have been formed from burning or something like it. Her skin was raised and discolored. It looked as though she was marked with what looks like the simplistic skull of a buck with many horns.

The old dwarf brushed a finger against it before seeing the thing and felt a shiver crawl up his spine, which made him feel nervous and want to look over his shoulder, but when he stopped touching it, that feeling soon subsided. Given part of his magical expertise... this feels like necromancy. However, Luthok isn't certain if this means the girl is raised, undead, or something else. Not without, possibly, getting a second opinion from another party.

As he sees the brand on her back he turns her around and shows it to the party while making sure the dress stays on. "So she's marked, apparently." He helps her pull the dress back up before turning back towards the party again. "It oozes nercomantic energies too. So I guess that might be the reason a teenage girl is a 100 bloody years old." He walks downstairs to get some more tea, but shouts through the fresh hole. "You lads would have gotten nowhere without me." When coming up from the trap door he takes a sip of tea and clears his throat. "Now that the girl has been taken care of there is a question I want answered. WHY IS EVERYONE STILL IN MY BLOODY HOME?!" He shoos the party out the main door and slams it behind himself as he too exits the hut. "Now what?" 

Merrick comes scrabbling out of the home with a lantern in his small arms. "Hey everyone! Look what I found! It's a lantern that looks just like the one from the statue. Funny, I didn't know there were two of them. Look, it turns on! Whee!" Merrick gleefully spins the artifact round and round, skipping among the mushrooms in the garden.

"GET BACK WITH THE LANTERN, PIPSQUEAK!" Luthok turns back to the same red colour and shouts something that only has to be cuss words in dwarvish. 

Muireach makes no attempt to stop Luthok from shooing them out. He sighs as they exit the hut, once again returning to the modern world.

"Well no need to be rude! You should be glad I found this, it was lost just in a corner somewhere. Anyways what are you all doing next? I was going to just pick up the next caravan out of here, but I can tell you need me to take care of you." Merrick nods sagely. "After all, Luthok is losing important things and the rest of you almost got yourselves killed out there. No need to ask, I know it can be a point of pride with you tallfolk not to say when you need help ."

Merrick returns the latern and gathers up some mushrooms for snacks later on.

Dyoken looks to Muireach. "Well? Lead on, Lord of Heroes." Completely unaware of his companions change in temperament.

“Why are you looking at me? It’s not like I know anything about this place... I guess... the library? I dunno...” Muireach starts slowly walking toward the library.

DK follows along, though the library doesn't sound terribly exciting.

"Might as well." Luthok follows, putting on his mask as they get closer to the city gates.

You all decide to follow Muireach to the library. On the way there, you can hear commotion and music coming from the marketplace in Shepherd's Crossing. There are many stalls set-up where you find people peddling produce, animals, and knickknacks. People of all kinds, humans, halflings, dwarves, and some of the more 'exotic' races are haggling with each other for the better deal. You see there are a few musicians, and even a magician, set-up at what seems like key points in the marketplace. You have no choice but to walk by some of these different groups.

The ones with the most overpowering sound are a pair of bird-people. One is tall, muscular, and is playing an accordion. The other is small, yellow, and playing the viol. They seem to have gathered quite an audience around them as they play a duet together. (BGM: Love Birdies) Vivi's eyes seem to linger on this set of musicians as you pass the duo. 

Perception 12: 

Finally, you find yourself in the library. It is a bit busier than Muireach remembers, as there are actually a few people inside the building from what you all can see coming inside. Some of the tables have one or two people seated at them with books and some with piles of books and parchment. 

Behind the desk, you see a feline woman standing and looking around the desk frantically. Papers and books are strewn across the surface of the desk and as you approach her for help, you can hear her muttering, "Where did that little spider put our notes...?"

Muireach walks up to the counter, if he’s read all his books and notes he’ll bring them as well, “Hello... I’d like to return these. Also, I need to find some new books...”