SCENE: ...back with the Beregost refugees..

Portia gives Malark a hug before she follows Mara through the tents. She recognizes a few people that she nods or waves to, but many are unknown to her. She smiles at the kids and watches Mara give each of them a coin. While Mara is packing up she quietly says prayers over the refugees. Some day they will return home and Beregost would be rebuilt. At least, if she could do anything about it.

"Hmm, I think we should take Malark back to the Inner Cloister with us. Let's go get him as soon as you are packed."

She hurries back once Mara is ready. "Malark, I would like you to come with me to the Inner Sanctum. Kanon, the one you sent north with something, wound up with our group, too. You can meet some of the others, too, before I run off with them again to wherever. And Lathander only knows what else would be a good reason to come." She chuckles realizing she has invited him this way many times to see things on the spur of the moment when she was younger.

Malark agrees to return with Portia to the Inner Sanctum and the study room to which the group has been assigned. By sheer coincidence, Kanon, Zina, Pettilaen, and Orst arrive at essentially the same time.

Through Kanon and Zina's yawns (and the occasional light snore from the latter), Orst tells of recent developments...

"Roe and Bullden are going about selling our assets in the gate. We've got a few minor mercenary companies on their way to get the process started, but we'll need many, many more. Seems most companies are nervous about encroaching on Flaming Fist territory. What do they know?"

Orst pauses to scratch his head.

"This is gonna be a tall order. I think we're gonna have to do some of it ourselves, if you're up for it..."

When Orst is finished, Malark introduces everyone to Mara and himself to Orst...

-----

META: Now's a good time to ask any questions and decide what's next. Sounds like Orst is proposing the group brave the risks to the south themselves.

Seeing Zina hanging from Kanon's arms, fast asleep, gave Pettilaen a slew of ideas. But his attention was focused on the newcomer, Mara. After looking her over, he smiles. "You're a fighter, aren't you? We don't have the best of luck with your kind... But third times the charm, they always say!" He winks at her, adding, "Hopefully you don't die on us like the others..."

Turning the the rest of the group, he says, "We've got important choices to make, and a lot of coin to make too. While I know that book and the cryptographer are important to some of you," He looks to Kanon and Zina for a brief moment before continuing, "I think this issue with the hobgoblins is a more pressing matter at the moment, and given that we'll probably be passing by their newly established territory in order to get to Athkatla, I think it's wisest to catch them off guard and cut the head off the proverbial snake. Besides..." he looks Mara over one more time, "I need to impress our new friend! What was your name again?"

"What is it with you youngsters and not respecting your elders..." He feigns offense to her comment. "I am Pettilaen! The magical swordsman, creator of the Spazzledazzle. Tamer of butterflies. No doubt my fame was well-established during my two-day visit to your quaint city." With the silence, he sighs and continues, "You've at least heard of my family, the Brookebrewers, and our sweet mead we craft just outside of the Gate, in either case. But I'd rather be known as the Slayer of Balagos than the Brewer of Brookes, so I'm trying to distance myself from my family to further my own aspirations of fame. We're going to kill a dragon, if you're up for it!" 

To eager to pass up the opportunity, he blurts out, "The gnome? She's our pet. Well... more of like a team mascot. She doesn't do much, but we like having her around when we need to try out a new spell or have her walk down a dangerous hallway."

He smiles widely at the thought of Zina being a team mascot, but sighs. "No, in truth, she's the mage. Does things with magic I can't even comprehend... She puts me to shame in the magical-prowess department, but..." he leans in closer, almost whispering, "I put her to shame in the charming personality and more intimate department."

"We've been studying all night, madam. She's just... tired is all." Kanon gingerly places her on Petti's bed and, stifling a yawn, introduces himself, "I am Kanon, a bard by trade, a bit of a scholar, and servant of Oghma. It is very nice meet you." He smiles, brushing his red hair from his eyes as he does. He barely looks eighteen by the looks of it, with soft hands and a baby face that looks like it'll never grow a beard.

He gestures over to Zina, "This is Zina. A master magician from Blackstaff tower." 

"We haven't found anything of note in our studies so far. I feel like it'll take years before we actually have any sort of breakthrough. Elder Reader Dhoro believes we would have better luck continuing our quest to Athkatla." He says this to no one in particular, but when he spots Malark his eyes light up. 

"Master Malark. It is good to see you well amidst the chaos. I have many questions for you..." 

Portia takes this all in barely stopping a smirk at the exchange between Mara and Pettilaen. Too bad Zina was sleeping through it.

"So we have talk of Athkatla and hobgoblins as two different main points of what we are going to do. I'm totally ignoring the dragon comment because we aren't ready for that at all. And Orst is talking business of selling everything off in Baldur's Gate, but not getting help the way he wants all due to Flaming Fist." Portia crossed her arms. "So what is our real goal here because I don't think any of us have the same goal at this point unless you can show me how they are connected. I am ready to do what I can to help return Beregost to its proper owners and maybe some of this other stuff leads to that though I've lost track if it does. I'm part of a large homeless contingent dispersed in two places and not liking it one bit. My main goals will deal with returning the people of Beregost safely to their home to rebuild though I know that is going to take a lot of work and time. There is a huge piece of this we don't know. Who is really behind it and will they decide to come here or the Gate if they get stronger? They aren't that far away."

She slowly looked about the room.

"Athkatla and the hobgoblins are connected." he intercedes. Moving to the table, he pulls out a platinum coin and a gold coin, placing them down. "I'll show you." he remarks, pulling out a dagger. "If the platinum coin is Athkatla, and the gold coin is Beregost, and..." he grabs a napkin and lays it in between the two, "the napkin is the Cloud Peaks, then..." using his dagger, he draws a line connecting the two coins, passing through the napkin, "you can see that the line I just drew is the only road that connects them. And if the hobgoblins have control of Beregost and came from the Cloud Peaks, then it should be fairly evident that we're going to have some major conflict with them, since we need to pass through their territory in order to get to Athkatla. So if we can retake Beregost, than that not only solves the issue of the hobgoblins gaining a foothold in this region, but it also would solve your concern with the 'large homesless contingent'."

He sighs and smiles, sheathing his dagger and quickly grabbing the coins. Can't let any sticky fingers get to them first. "Any questions? We have to deal with the hobgoblins one way or another." This definitely meant they were going to get treasure.

"I could use some new armor..." Kanon whispers this quietly. He'd always worn these fitted leathers more as a fashion statement than for protection, but lately with all of the conflict suddenly appearing around them he felt severely unprotected.

"So what kind of assistance did you need, Master Orst?" Kanon turns his attention to the dwarf. He had mentioned that his army of mercenaries wouldn't be here in time, so he needed help with a few things himself. If they had to retake Beregost to sneak through to Athkatla, Orst's missions would be the best place to start.

Portia shakes her head. "But why go to Athkatla now? Will it assist in solving the problem of Beregost? I do not see a connection of losing my home and going off on a trip to interpret a book unless it leads to solving what I see as the greater issue of Beregost." She does not look impressed.

"I believe that Master Malark could answer that. It was he that sent us, or more specifically me, to Baldur's Gate on an urgent mission to translate the documents. If the only way to get them translated is from a merchant in Athkatla, our immediate course of action might be to go there." Kanon yawns again, this one stretching on for nearly ten seconds. "Do the documents hold any strategic significance to the defense effort here, sir?" He adds after the yawn.  

"You gotta open your eyes, Portia." Pettilaen says, closing his hands, placing them over his eyes, and then opening them for the added effect. "These events that are taking place.... Beregost being attacked by hobgoblins, led by a dragon as great as Balagos... the Red Wizards and the tomes on them having disappeared... that gem with the soul trapped we found... the books we have that we can't read... they're connected. I don't know how, but I feel it in my cute, tiny, gnommish bones."

"To what Mara said, Beregost is our first stop. That's what I'm saying. We deal with the hobgoblins in Beregost, make sure the city is secure, and then move onto Athkatla. Our jobs are bigger than helping a city, no matter how dear it is to some of you, rebuild itself."

"Now that you put it simply without extravagance....mostly, we are good." Portia smiles. "Sometimes it is too much fun goading you into explaining it all better." She swoops him into a hug. "And you are a cute gnome but if that goes further to your head I might have to do something about it." She laughs.

"Hey!" he remarks, trying, yet failing, to shrug off the hug she gave him. "Only I'm allowed to call myself cute. You have to call me manly. Or dashing. Or handsome. Or masculine. Something to that effect. And just be glad I'm not explaining it to you like Zina would. That... would... take... a... long... time." He laughs, albeit slightly nervously, as he glances over to Zina. It's clear that he's only mocking her because of her sleepy stupor.

Portia laughs as she holds him out from her for a good look. "Well, when in public I might have other words depending on the situation." She sets him down gently. "I still like cute the best, but we'll keep that to private in party chatter."

Despite the commotion and intense conversation happening around her, Zina remained fast asleep. One cheek was covered in ink smudges; if one was to look closely enough, they may even recognize a few gnommish characters. Right after the mention of the illusionist's tendency to explain things rather condescendingly, the gnome rolled over a little and began to cuddle a pillow. "Don' steal my cookie," she sleep-mumbled.