Vazo'yn accepts Joy's arm as he pulls himself to his feet. There is no hint of his prior distress on his face now. In fact, it seems he may not even have any memory of it at all. He simply smiles to Joy and her gentle enquiry.

"Thank you, Joy. The maze bested me, it seems. Though I can't recall where I may have veered off course."

Once back on his feet, he turns to Dermot.

"You are part of Ayo's adventuring party? We met her after she won her contest by the water. We are due to see her at tonight's closing ceremony. I believe she hoped to introduce us to you, in fact."

"The closing ceremony?" Dermot's face transitions from worry to relief. He looks at the setting sun and nods to himself. "That's not too far from now. Do you guys have plans between now and then? If not, want to come with us to the closing ceremony to meet up with Ayo?" He holds up his hands to halt any premature rejections. "If you got plans, that's okay. But if you planned to be there anyway, I thought I would offer. Totally fine if you want to just meet us all there while you get yourselves ready."

" I remain planless.", quipped Jacaranda.

Joy tilts her head thoughtfully. "I'd love to see how Vazo'yn does at riddles," she remarks with a smile, "Ah, but only if you feel like it," she adds quickly, looking to him.

Ylis looks at his bottom in an obvious surreptitious manner.

"Yeah ,he'll do...I mean if he wants to." she smiles.

"Sooooo...do we not need to worry about Ayo?" the bunny girls asks quietly.

DM: Sorry Wysp. I am not sure if you are running a gag, I misunderstood your intent, or if you missed the part where Vazo pointed out that you met Ayo already, so I am just going to play it like this is intentional. If it isn't, please let me know; I will hand wave this next part away with my supreme DM powers. 

IC: Dermot's smile is pulled down into a frown. Though Ylis said it quietly, Dermot's ears are attuned to pick out any mention of his dear friend. "Wait, I thought you said you met her and she was fine. Should I be worried? Did she get hurt?" He begins to wring his hands in concern and he looks toward the docks a short distance away.

Maggie's jaw sets and her eyes harden. "If she has come to harm, you must identify who is the offender so I may focus my vengeance appropriately." Suddenly, the fact that Maggie is a giant, full-blooded ogre becomes terrifyingly impossible to ignore as her head stoops, her fists clench, and her shoulders bulge in preparation for what is to come.

OOC: I was going off Dermot not knowing where Ayo was. We know the waters are dangerous, maybe she suffered a mischief after we left. 

DM: Excellent. Letting it ride then. 

"She was in good spirits when we left," Vazo'yn says in his quiet, calm voice, the confusion of a few moments ago seemingly forgotten.

"I would not worry yet. Let us see if she is at the closing ceremony, yes? I think I've had my fill of contests for today."

"Well OK if you say so!" Ylis bounces back quickly from worry to excitement for the closing ceremonies.

Dermot and Maggie relax with Vazo'yn's reassuring words and they join the Fellowship for a leisurely stroll to the closing ceremony. The sun begins to set and as the party is already heading in the right direction, they begin to hear the beat of rhythmic drumming, which echoes throughout the Jumble of Jigow. The townsfolk all seem to understand this signal and most begin to flock toward the paddock; the very same area that the Fellowship began their horizonback challenge.

Hundreds of people fill the area, their faces an assortment of excitement and fun. Since the horizonbacks have been cleared out (thanks to you), they have assembled a platform of simple, wooden crates. Standing on top of these stacked crates is an elderly orc, dressed in deep blue robes.

He smiles at the crowd and walks confidently, though precariously around the rickety stacks of wooden boxes. “Mighty warriors, brilliant strategists, you have impressed us with your feats of strength, your incisive wit, and your sturdy bellies,” he booms proudly. “But the main event, as you know, is yet to come. For those who don’t know me, I am Elder Ushru and it is my responsibility, along with my partner and frienemy Elder Colbu Kaz,” he pauses to give the crowd of orcs and goblinkin time to laugh, “to determine who will be participating.

“Only two teams will be chosen to compete in the final challenge—a race through the Emerald Grotto, in the depths of which the greatest prize awaits!” He thrusts his arms into the air, shifting the crates dangerously… alarmingly. The crates groan under his large frame and though he has seen many summers, he simply widens his stance a bit as workers rush in to lean their bodies against the crates to press them in. Some grumbling can be heard among them that someone should have thought to fill these crates to give them stability, while others mutter about how someone is about to lose their job.

Elder Colbu Kaz scurries up the backs of several crouching people, using them as a stepping ladder to climb onto the platform as well. He also raises his arms into the air, eliciting cheers from the goblinkin. “We have been watching you all day! Reports filed in on the best of you and it was our responsibility to sift through them to find the ones capable of enduring this incredible challenge. The winners will get 100 gold pieces, and hailed as the city’s Champions of Merit for the whole year! With that, comes discounts on wares and services at any establishment in the city.”

The two elders continue to make a spectacle of it, dancing around each other, poking fun to get laughs from the crowd, talking about the challenge and benefits of victory, but some of the Fellowship have a hard time focusing. Instead, their eyes wander about the hundreds of people in attendance, maybe thousands, filling the entire space with people sandwiched against each other and straining their ears to hear above the din of so many. 

DM: Whomever may be interested in finding Ayo, please give me a Perception Check, DC 18 because of the number of people present. 

Ylis generally didn't mind crowds, dodging between legs or following in her friends' wake. But this celebration was particularly close. So the press of bodies and the full face passing of gas was distrating and made movement difficult. Even though the great number of goblins were closer to her size then humans, her vision was still quite blocked.

Ylis Perception check with disadvantage 12

Joy can’t help but grin as the crowd surges around her, their excitement contagious. She scans the gathered throng, searching for Ayo, but there are too many distractions. Every time she thinks she’s spotted her, it turns out to be someone else. Still, she keeps looking, bouncing slightly on her heels with barely restrained anticipation.

Perception: 6

DM: Love that you both played that roll. I'd give you inspiration for the commitment to the game, but you already have it. :P

Randa is sticking very close to Riven there are too many people here, she's been ok with moving through the lighter crowds the rest of the day because she was focused on her tasks, standing doing nothing in the ever increasing press of people was beginning to make her breathe a little shallower and faster and her hands were clenched into fists....but her friends were here so here she would stay.

Vazo'yn watches the two Elders as they emphatically announce the evening's coming spectacle, and grimaces as the crates are nearly toppled by Elder Ushru's gesticulation, though it fades when he sees the workers putting their weight into stabilising it.

He feels confident in his companion's achievements of the day that surely they would be chosen for the challenge and wonders who the other team might be. It is then he remembers that they should be meeting Ayo and he lifts himself up on his toes to peer above the hears in front of him and search the crowd for her uniquely blue skin.

Perception: 21

Riven catches the thrown item from the aarakocra without breaking his stride, reflex more than thought, his fingers closing around the medal in a smooth motion. He looks up as the bird settles back into its perch, silent and still against the late-day sun.

As Maggie steps forward, praise flowing freely, Riven listens to the compliments receiving them the way he does most things, with steady silence.

 When Dermot speaks, Riven’s focus shifts again. The crowd is thick, pressing in, surging closer with each passing beat of the distant drums. It would be easy to get swept up in the noise of it, but Riven’s eyes stay sharp. He scans faces, angles, movement. Looking for one.

Ayo.

Water genasi. Dark hair. Blue skin. Not here.

His expression doesn’t change, but he begins drifting around the edge of the gathering, moving slow and deliberate along the periphery. Randa stays close, and he keeps her presence in his awareness, even if his gaze stays outward. She’s steady, but he feels the tension in her posture, the tight fists, the subtle rise of her breath. He doesn’t speak, but he shifts just enough, placing himself between her and the densest swell of the crowd.

His eyes keep scanning.

Still no sign of Ayo.

Perception Check: 12

The party looks around for Ayo, but struggle to find her. That is, of course, until Vazo'yn begins to scan the area. His eyes are like a falcon, scanning hundreds of faces in moments as he pans the crowd. Her blue skin is rare, and has pop against the more earthy tones of the orcs and goblinkin, and before long, he spots her. Coincidentally, she has also spotted the Fellowship and a moment of recognition and acknowledgment occurs as she locks eyes with Vazo'yn. She shoots an arm up into the air and begins waving enthusiastically at him from a fair distance away. Galsariad is with her. Vazo'yn also notes Irvan is standing behind her, unaware of the Fellowship until Ayo's exuberant wave alerts him to their presence. She also has another person with her. A young tiefling woman in chainmail.

She carves a path through the crowd almost as easily as she swam through the rushing waters and soon meets up with the group. "You made it! And... you brought my friends!" She says with a laugh. "You already know Gal, and obviously know Dermot and Maggie, so there really is just Irvan and Entropy that you need to meet."

Irvan steps up, his posture relaxed and slightly stooped. "We met already, actually. That's Joy, Berk, Randa, Verrin, Riven, and..." He pauses and offers a calm, lingering smile. "Ylis."

DM: Note, the mispronunciation of the name is intentional on my part.

Entropy also approaches. She has a discipline not shared by anyone else in Ayo’s group. Her face, as hard as the shield strapped to her back, practically cracks when offering the faintest of smiles. She nods respectfully, “It is a pleasure to meet you all. Anyone Ayo would call friend is a friend of mine.”

Berk greets them all enthusiastically, but he feels a bit of anxiety about remember all the names. He met so many new people today!

Vazo'yn returns Ayo enthusiastic wave with an amiable one of his own, though he pauses when he sees Ivan behind her. His hand lowers when it's made obvious that he's one of her companions. He eyes the Wastewalker with equal parts confusion and suspicion.

"It's Vazo'yn," he corrects Irvan's mispronunciation. "Though I don't recall introducing myself during our first meeting?"