‘Was there some trouble on the road, then?’ she asks. ‘I s’pose that would explain the lateness of your arrival. Tobler said Elmira brought you here and that you’re friends of Gundrun. What’s brought you to Phandalin?’
Aeran who had been eating some bread and cheese, gives a reassuring nod to the ranger. "Don't worry about it, friend, I am glad to hear and see you are feeling better. When I saw you lying there in that puddle of blood on the road, I thought for a moment we had lost you. Good to see I was wrong."
The long rest seems to have done some good to all of them as his companion seem more cheerful. The high elf feels a bit lighter too, now that he has made his mind.
"I do apologise for our late arrival, ma'am, we got ambushed by some goblins on the road. We were helping Gundrun with delivering some supplies here, " Aeran responds to the woman. "I heard from Lady Elmira there have been trouble around, so I suppose that's why Gundrun needed us to come in the first place."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Mayres did not hear the woman's words, he was so deeply engrossed in reading the less-than-reputable spellbook propped on the table. Of the magical tomes he always carried on his person, he had not shown his newest companions this particular volume for several reasons – the foremost being that this was a spellbook dealing in death; both in its brokering and its undoing.
Milling about, eating their breakfast, or nursing hangovers (of which there were many), the rest of the inn’s patrons were giving Mayres an unusual amount of space. Perhaps it was because he had not used the washing basin provided to clean himself the night before, his fine clothes still splattered with dust, mud, blood, and even ink, or perhaps it was because he had hardly slept the the night before either, evidenced by the shadows carved under his pale blue eyes, and the aforementioned ink, which he had spilled in a studious haste that was brought upon him by a loving and obsessive devotion.
A plate of dry bread, runny eggs, and a glass of ale, were all left untouched on the rickety, wooden table.
'Goblins?' She responds. 'Darned nuisance they are. Looks like you made it through alright in the end though. Glad we could give you shelter after your ordeal.' She puts her hands on her ample hips as she continues, 'Those goblins are a pain for travellers, but it's these red-cloaked sons of curs that you need to watch out for here in town. You expect to have to fend for yourself mostly when you live out here on the edge of civilisation, but we never expected to be beset by such pests. And Harbin sits there in the town hall fretting about this, that, and nothing, and doesn't lift a finger to stop them harassing honest folk. Why, the other day they killed poor Thel, and now his wife and two little ones have gone missing. Cold-blooded murder, I tell you, in broad daylight no less. Several witnesses. That's what it's come to, and I don't see where it ends, you know. People here are just trying to make an honest living and this is what we have to deal with. Mind you, Sister Garaele has been trying to drum up some spirit in the town to resist them, bless her heart, but there ain't much fight in the townsfolk now, not after what happened to Thel. And now the good sister herself is in a bad way. I hope those scum didn't get to her as well.'
She leans in closer to Aeran and speaks in a low, conspiratorial tone, 'I'll tell you what, though, there's something fishy going on at the miner's exchange, you know. It's all over town. Everyone knows the Redbrands won't touch Halia's place, but nobody knows why. I have my suspicions of course, but I shall keep them to myself, because my old mum taught me that if you can't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all.' With that she stands up straight and purses her lips as if to demonstrate that they are sealed on that particular subject.
Casting a critical eye over Aeran now she has regained some perspective, she says, 'Ooh, you're one of them elves, aren't you? Lovely pointy ears and such. I always think you folk are so graceful and elegant. Have you met Daran? He's an elf too, lives up at the orchard. I don't know how many years you folk live for, but he's definitely carrying a great number of them. You should go and see him, I don't know how many other elves he sees these days.'
She turns to Lukuth, 'And you're a handsome one aren't you?' she says with a coy smile and a flutter of her eyelashes as she looks up at him. 'You'll have to tell me all about yourself later, I've never met anyone like you before.' She turns and winks at him over her shoulder as she disappears back into the kitchen.
The taproom is relatively busy given the early hour. A female dwarf sits opposite a male human and they converse in hushed tones. She is typically sturdy for a dwarf, and her strawberry blonde hair is piled up on top of her head. She is dressed simply and practically in leathers and doesn't appear to be armed. The man is quite short and looks thin but wiry, as if he is used to a life of manual labour. His hair is cropped close to his head and he has pockmarked skin and a prominent nose.
On the opposite side of you from the man and the dwarf sits a female gnome, alone. She is wearing a homespun dress adorned with embroidered flowers, and has wildflowers tucked into her long auburn hair which is mostly loose but for two small braids. She is humming to herself quietly as she tucks into what seems to be quite a hearty breakfast.
In one corner there is a human man who is picking listlessly at his food whilst staring at nothing in particular. Every so often he pinches the bridge of his nose and winces, as if his head hurts.
There is a young boy, presumably the innkeep's son, who is darting about between the tables clearing empty plates and taking them to the kitchen.
Mayres slammed the necromantic spellbook shut abruptly, his anger and frustration neatly concealed, and reached over for the glass of ale. Barely even paying attention to the taste, he drowned it in several swallows.
He froze when he caught sight of the gnome sitting across from him, runny eggs speared on his fork and halfway to his mouth.
"You . . . are a person." He said this -- this being the previous sentence -- quite awkwardly.
The gnome pauses, a hunk of bread halfway to her open mouth, and slowly turns her head to look at Mayres. She stops in this position for a good few seconds before lowering the bread and placing it back on the table. She jumps down from her chair, it being more human-sized than gnome-sized, wipes her crumby hands on her dress and sticks out her right hand toward Mayres, giving a large grin as she does so.
'I sure am, mister!' She says cheerfully. 'Freda's the name, weaving's the game. I can make any garment or cloth product you need.' Then with a wink, 'for a price, of course.'
'And who might you be? Newcomers in the town if I'm not mistaken?'
Mayres set down the fork with a clink, settled his forearm in a way so that the necromantic spellbook was hidden from view, and took Freda's hand gently. They shook.
"Newcomer, yes, my name is Mayres Sigil. I'm a wizard and alchemist by trade and choice, although the matter of why I came to Phandalin is more to do with scholarly inclines, or so I've been told."
Aeran listens attentively, savoring the taste of bread and cheese as his brow furrows in curiosity with each piece of information. "A murder? What happened?" The lady's revelations about the town's troubles weigh on him, and a sense of responsibility stirs within him. Perhaps fate has guided him here for a reason – an opportunity to help.
"I appreciate your kindness, and I'm sorry to hear about the challenges with these Redbrands, ma'am," Aeran responds, maintaining his typical politeness. "It's disheartening to learn about the hardships the townsfolk endure. Is there something I can do to assist?"
Intrigued by the mention of the miner's exchange, Aeran hesitates to press for details. Instead, he decides to earn the woman's trust, hoping she might share her speculations in due time.
Smiling at her compliment, he replies, "Thank you; indeed, it is my first time traveling around the Sword Coast. I'll make sure to pay a visit to Daran. Your insights are much appreciated."
A soft chuckle escapes Aeran as he observes the woman's interest in Lukuth, who seems blissfully unaware. The morning seems much more idealistic than he expected with the higher spirits of his companions evident, but the paladin can't help but wonder whether it is time to pay Elmira a visit.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
There's a lot going on in this little town. It seems that our list is getting longer and longer to find out what's going on here, said Alden in a calm voice as he tore off a piece of bread and watched the hustle and bustle in the room.
Maybe the first thing we should do after Breakfast visit elmira and get some first-hand information?
She turns to Lukuth, 'And you're a handsome one aren't you?' she says with a coy smile and a flutter of her eyelashes as she looks up at him. 'You'll have to tell me all about yourself later, I've never met anyone like you before.' She turns and winks at him over her shoulder as she disappears back into the kitchen.
Not noticing her smile he grins and says in a solemn voice, “Thank you kind lady. It would be my honour.”
Mayres set down the fork with a clink, settled his forearm in a way so that the necromantic spellbook was hidden from view, and took Freda's hand gently. They shook.
"Newcomer, yes, my name is Mayres Sigil. I'm a wizard and alchemist by trade and choice, although the matter of why I came to Phandalin is more to do with scholarly inclines, or so I've been told."
'Well, welcome to Phandalin, Mayres Sigil,' she says, pronouncing the name carefully, 'I'm not sure you'll find much of scholarly interest here though. It's mostly just folk searching for wealth under the mountains. And those of us who seek to share in that wealth by providing them with things they need...' She tails off as Lukuth approaches.
Aeran listens attentively, savoring the taste of bread and cheese as his brow furrows in curiosity with each piece of information. "A murder? What happened?" The lady's revelations about the town's troubles weigh on him, and a sense of responsibility stirs within him. Perhaps fate has guided him here for a reason – an opportunity to help.
"I appreciate your kindness, and I'm sorry to hear about the challenges with these Redbrands, ma'am," Aeran responds, maintaining his typical politeness. "It's disheartening to learn about the hardships the townsfolk endure. Is there something I can do to assist?"
Intrigued by the mention of the miner's exchange, Aeran hesitates to press for details. Instead, he decides to earn the woman's trust, hoping she might share her speculations in due time.
Smiling at her compliment, he replies, "Thank you; indeed, it is my first time traveling around the Sword Coast. I'll make sure to pay a visit to Daran. Your insights are much appreciated."
A soft chuckle escapes Aeran as he observes the woman's interest in Lukuth, who seems blissfully unaware. The morning seems much more idealistic than he expected with the higher spirits of his companions evident, but the paladin can't help but wonder whether it is time to pay Elmira a visit.
Aeran catches the innkeep's attention as she bustles past carrying more plates. 'Oh, poor Thel,' she says, shaking her head. 'It was awful. They started making trouble at his shop. He's... was... a woodcarver you see. Anyway, they were giving Mirna, that's his wife, see, a hard time. Thel came out and got angry with them and, well, there was a fight and he...' she sniffs back a tear. 'Well, you know. And now Mirna and their two kids have gone missing. I'd bet this whole inn on the blasted Redbrands having taken them. Goodness knows what awful things they might be doing to them.' Suddenly overcome by emotion at this thought, she scurries off back to the kitchen.
Aeran makes a mental note to try and find more information about Thel and his family, but he doesn't press the woman further, seeing that she has gotten emotional. With every minute passed and every detail learnt, he becomes more convinced that fate has brought him here for a reason.
Finishing his breakfast, he looks around the faces of his companions. "Are we ready to head over to Lady Elmira?" The elf asks, suddenly remembering that the she had mentioned they should visit her first thing in the morning.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Mayres set down the fork with a clink, settled his forearm in a way so that the necromantic spellbook was hidden from view, and took Freda's hand gently. They shook.
"Newcomer, yes, my name is Mayres Sigil. I'm a wizard and alchemist by trade and choice, although the matter of why I came to Phandalin is more to do with scholarly inclines, or so I've been told."
'Well, welcome to Phandalin, Mayres Sigil,' she says, pronouncing the name carefully, 'I'm not sure you'll find much of scholarly interest here though. It's mostly just folk searching for wealth under the mountains. And those of us who seek to share in that wealth by providing them with things they need...' She tails off as Lukuth approaches.
Mayres set down the fork with a clink, settled his forearm in a way so that the necromantic spellbook was hidden from view, and took Freda's hand gently. They shook.
"Newcomer, yes, my name is Mayres Sigil. I'm a wizard and alchemist by trade and choice, although the matter of why I came to Phandalin is more to do with scholarly inclines, or so I've been told."
'Well, welcome to Phandalin, Mayres Sigil,' she says, pronouncing the name carefully, 'I'm not sure you'll find much of scholarly interest here though. It's mostly just folk searching for wealth under the mountains. And those of us who seek to share in that wealth by providing them with things they need...' She tails off as Lukuth approaches.
Lukuth shrugs, “I just did what anybody would do.” He laughs, “You are very welcome nonetheless.”
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
The Lady listens to this exchange with interest.
‘Was there some trouble on the road, then?’ she asks. ‘I s’pose that would explain the lateness of your arrival. Tobler said Elmira brought you here and that you’re friends of Gundrun. What’s brought you to Phandalin?’
Aeran who had been eating some bread and cheese, gives a reassuring nod to the ranger. "Don't worry about it, friend, I am glad to hear and see you are feeling better. When I saw you lying there in that puddle of blood on the road, I thought for a moment we had lost you. Good to see I was wrong."
The long rest seems to have done some good to all of them as his companion seem more cheerful. The high elf feels a bit lighter too, now that he has made his mind.
"I do apologise for our late arrival, ma'am, we got ambushed by some goblins on the road. We were helping Gundrun with delivering some supplies here, " Aeran responds to the woman. "I heard from Lady Elmira there have been trouble around, so I suppose that's why Gundrun needed us to come in the first place."
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Vesna March - L1 Cleric in Etharis
DM The Missing Farmer
Mayres did not hear the woman's words, he was so deeply engrossed in reading the less-than-reputable spellbook propped on the table. Of the magical tomes he always carried on his person, he had not shown his newest companions this particular volume for several reasons – the foremost being that this was a spellbook dealing in death; both in its brokering and its undoing.
Milling about, eating their breakfast, or nursing hangovers (of which there were many), the rest of the inn’s patrons were giving Mayres an unusual amount of space. Perhaps it was because he had not used the washing basin provided to clean himself the night before, his fine clothes still splattered with dust, mud, blood, and even ink, or perhaps it was because he had hardly slept the the night before either, evidenced by the shadows carved under his pale blue eyes, and the aforementioned ink, which he had spilled in a studious haste that was brought upon him by a loving and obsessive devotion.
A plate of dry bread, runny eggs, and a glass of ale, were all left untouched on the rickety, wooden table.
'Goblins?' She responds. 'Darned nuisance they are. Looks like you made it through alright in the end though. Glad we could give you shelter after your ordeal.' She puts her hands on her ample hips as she continues, 'Those goblins are a pain for travellers, but it's these red-cloaked sons of curs that you need to watch out for here in town. You expect to have to fend for yourself mostly when you live out here on the edge of civilisation, but we never expected to be beset by such pests. And Harbin sits there in the town hall fretting about this, that, and nothing, and doesn't lift a finger to stop them harassing honest folk. Why, the other day they killed poor Thel, and now his wife and two little ones have gone missing. Cold-blooded murder, I tell you, in broad daylight no less. Several witnesses. That's what it's come to, and I don't see where it ends, you know. People here are just trying to make an honest living and this is what we have to deal with. Mind you, Sister Garaele has been trying to drum up some spirit in the town to resist them, bless her heart, but there ain't much fight in the townsfolk now, not after what happened to Thel. And now the good sister herself is in a bad way. I hope those scum didn't get to her as well.'
She leans in closer to Aeran and speaks in a low, conspiratorial tone, 'I'll tell you what, though, there's something fishy going on at the miner's exchange, you know. It's all over town. Everyone knows the Redbrands won't touch Halia's place, but nobody knows why. I have my suspicions of course, but I shall keep them to myself, because my old mum taught me that if you can't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all.' With that she stands up straight and purses her lips as if to demonstrate that they are sealed on that particular subject.
Casting a critical eye over Aeran now she has regained some perspective, she says, 'Ooh, you're one of them elves, aren't you? Lovely pointy ears and such. I always think you folk are so graceful and elegant. Have you met Daran? He's an elf too, lives up at the orchard. I don't know how many years you folk live for, but he's definitely carrying a great number of them. You should go and see him, I don't know how many other elves he sees these days.'
She turns to Lukuth, 'And you're a handsome one aren't you?' she says with a coy smile and a flutter of her eyelashes as she looks up at him. 'You'll have to tell me all about yourself later, I've never met anyone like you before.' She turns and winks at him over her shoulder as she disappears back into the kitchen.
The taproom is relatively busy given the early hour. A female dwarf sits opposite a male human and they converse in hushed tones. She is typically sturdy for a dwarf, and her strawberry blonde hair is piled up on top of her head. She is dressed simply and practically in leathers and doesn't appear to be armed. The man is quite short and looks thin but wiry, as if he is used to a life of manual labour. His hair is cropped close to his head and he has pockmarked skin and a prominent nose.
On the opposite side of you from the man and the dwarf sits a female gnome, alone. She is wearing a homespun dress adorned with embroidered flowers, and has wildflowers tucked into her long auburn hair which is mostly loose but for two small braids. She is humming to herself quietly as she tucks into what seems to be quite a hearty breakfast.
In one corner there is a human man who is picking listlessly at his food whilst staring at nothing in particular. Every so often he pinches the bridge of his nose and winces, as if his head hurts.
There is a young boy, presumably the innkeep's son, who is darting about between the tables clearing empty plates and taking them to the kitchen.
Mayres slammed the necromantic spellbook shut abruptly, his anger and frustration neatly concealed, and reached over for the glass of ale. Barely even paying attention to the taste, he drowned it in several swallows.
He froze when he caught sight of the gnome sitting across from him, runny eggs speared on his fork and halfway to his mouth.
"You . . . are a person." He said this -- this being the previous sentence -- quite awkwardly.
The gnome pauses, a hunk of bread halfway to her open mouth, and slowly turns her head to look at Mayres. She stops in this position for a good few seconds before lowering the bread and placing it back on the table. She jumps down from her chair, it being more human-sized than gnome-sized, wipes her crumby hands on her dress and sticks out her right hand toward Mayres, giving a large grin as she does so.
'I sure am, mister!' She says cheerfully. 'Freda's the name, weaving's the game. I can make any garment or cloth product you need.' Then with a wink, 'for a price, of course.'
'And who might you be? Newcomers in the town if I'm not mistaken?'
Mayres set down the fork with a clink, settled his forearm in a way so that the necromantic spellbook was hidden from view, and took Freda's hand gently. They shook.
"Newcomer, yes, my name is Mayres Sigil. I'm a wizard and alchemist by trade and choice, although the matter of why I came to Phandalin is more to do with scholarly inclines, or so I've been told."
Lukuth walks over “Hey there Mayres, how you feeling? And who’s your friend?”
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
Aeran listens attentively, savoring the taste of bread and cheese as his brow furrows in curiosity with each piece of information. "A murder? What happened?" The lady's revelations about the town's troubles weigh on him, and a sense of responsibility stirs within him. Perhaps fate has guided him here for a reason – an opportunity to help.
"I appreciate your kindness, and I'm sorry to hear about the challenges with these Redbrands, ma'am," Aeran responds, maintaining his typical politeness. "It's disheartening to learn about the hardships the townsfolk endure. Is there something I can do to assist?"
Intrigued by the mention of the miner's exchange, Aeran hesitates to press for details. Instead, he decides to earn the woman's trust, hoping she might share her speculations in due time.
Smiling at her compliment, he replies, "Thank you; indeed, it is my first time traveling around the Sword Coast. I'll make sure to pay a visit to Daran. Your insights are much appreciated."
A soft chuckle escapes Aeran as he observes the woman's interest in Lukuth, who seems blissfully unaware. The morning seems much more idealistic than he expected with the higher spirits of his companions evident, but the paladin can't help but wonder whether it is time to pay Elmira a visit.
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Vesna March - L1 Cleric in Etharis
DM The Missing Farmer
There's a lot going on in this little town. It seems that our list is getting longer and longer to find out what's going on here, said Alden in a calm voice as he tore off a piece of bread and watched the hustle and bustle in the room.
Maybe the first thing we should do after Breakfast visit elmira and get some first-hand information?
Not noticing her smile he grins and says in a solemn voice, “Thank you kind lady. It would be my honour.”
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
'Well, welcome to Phandalin, Mayres Sigil,' she says, pronouncing the name carefully, 'I'm not sure you'll find much of scholarly interest here though. It's mostly just folk searching for wealth under the mountains. And those of us who seek to share in that wealth by providing them with things they need...' She tails off as Lukuth approaches.
Tilting her head right back to look up at the goliath, she seems a little lost for words. 'Gosh...' she says. 'You're... awfully big.'
Aeran catches the innkeep's attention as she bustles past carrying more plates. 'Oh, poor Thel,' she says, shaking her head. 'It was awful. They started making trouble at his shop. He's... was... a woodcarver you see. Anyway, they were giving Mirna, that's his wife, see, a hard time. Thel came out and got angry with them and, well, there was a fight and he...' she sniffs back a tear. 'Well, you know. And now Mirna and their two kids have gone missing. I'd bet this whole inn on the blasted Redbrands having taken them. Goodness knows what awful things they might be doing to them.' Suddenly overcome by emotion at this thought, she scurries off back to the kitchen.
And those redbrands again. I don't know how you see it, friends, but I've always been a fan of getting to the root of the problem
He puts a piece of cheese in his mouth and tears off another piece of bread which follows the cheese
Aeran makes a mental note to try and find more information about Thel and his family, but he doesn't press the woman further, seeing that she has gotten emotional. With every minute passed and every detail learnt, he becomes more convinced that fate has brought him here for a reason.
Finishing his breakfast, he looks around the faces of his companions. "Are we ready to head over to Lady Elmira?" The elf asks, suddenly remembering that the she had mentioned they should visit her first thing in the morning.
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Vesna March - L1 Cleric in Etharis
DM The Missing Farmer
Alden nods contentedly to Aeren.
Yes, that's what I've been waiting for - a digestive walk is the right thing to do.
Luk, I think you'll soon have the opportunity to swing your axe again
Mayres are you ready too?
The Goliath looks around. “I suppose I am, or everything is to small.”
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
Alden
Hehe laughed Alden you can only love this big guy
Lets go friends