"Dunno, ask our human friend," Jubilant said, setting Posie down on the floor. "As for what it is, well, long story short—something that doesn't make much sense," she said, chuckling. "Long story a little less short, it's a magical Witga artifact. Could have a specific use, could just be an arcane focus, but since Witga usually live in nature and seclusion, its a little strange seeing the thing here."

"Fine. I will take the next one left then." Niner says to the old man, ignoring the information obviously withheld from him. A short while later, Strife appears out of a dark corner. "Hello there, little one." ... "James seems a bit odd for a dog but chasing after a squirrel seems pretty dog like after all." ... "Of cause, I was only out here to search for you. We should minimize the time we are separated in unknown areas." 

And Niner walks with Strife back to the tavern. After opening the door, Strife dashes through, below his arm, to the rest of the group. After the short burst of questions, Niner sits down next to Strife. "Where were you, Strife? After you were gone the old man was eager to search for the wolf and I decided to follow but he didn't seem wanting me to find you or James. He had an idea where to search but didn't want to tell me and instead suggested to split up. It was somewhere starting with a B. But the search was odd by itself too, keeping in mind that the wolf was quite independent before."

Strife will look up to Niner from under his hood so that the kobold can lock eyes with the warforged. "That "B' may have been for  "boy.. or body.."... James took me to his body Niner..... his REAL body" The kobold will say slaming his claws on the table before quickly looking around and sticking them back in his robe. "He showed me his body and he knows who did this but he refused to help me figure out who it was.." The kobold will say reclining back in the seat a bit. "After seeing that wolf stick over there... I have to believe they are linked though.." He will say to the warforged as well as any of his other companions that may have sat next to him to join the conversation.

"Some sort of magic to turn a boy into a wolf," Jubilant said, smiling. "Well now, this sounds exciting!" As far as she was aware, her pact hadn't granted her much magic that would be useful for this situation, unless they needed some remote work done anyway. But she was cunning enough, and good with people, so she'd do what she could to help things along. After all, it sounded like quite the adventure. "May as well be straight-forward. I'll question the barkeep when he gets back," she said.

"I think some how the soul of the boy was transferred into the wolf... the body of the boy is in a small house." Strife would say to Jubilant. "It was as if the boy was in a deep sleep.. I tried to wake him and couldn't" The kobold would say with a concerned expression on his brass scaled face.

"I remember a Druid who was able to transform into a beast of his choice, but other than now, he didn't leave behind a body and could return to normal at will. Maybe this has some roots in druidic magic as well. Whatever the case may be, this boy doesn't seem eager to return to his body."

Velima

Velima had agreed to put the staff back once the others returned, she did so swiftly. Then she joined the others in their discussions. Though she couldn't say for sure that this magic hadn't originated from a Druid of some order, it was definitely not hers. Her order drew on the power of animals to protect and guide, but not to curse people. In a hushed voice she issued a calm warning to her companions, "I think it best if we don't sleep alone this evening, if this is some sort of magic that has sealed people away, it might be wise for pairs of two to take watch over each other waking the other every couple hours to insure they have not been affected."

"Niner doesn't need to sleep, right? But I do think we should have a second person on watch just in case. Posie already woke me up, so I can take the first shift with Niner?" Jubilant said, looking to the warforged for approval.

"Who wants to be my sleeping buddy!" Strife will say looking to his companions "I dont take up much room, I could curl up in a ball and sleep at the foot of the bed.." The kobold will say with a smile. "Then in the morning I think we should restock our supplies before we ask about James like Jubilant said... that way if things go poorly at least we already have the stuff we came for.." the Kobold will suggest looking to the group.

"I will watch out. If someone wants to join me I would not mind. Less boring that way. I just have to be cautious since it is always a bit suspicious when someone doesn't sleep... or eat... or breath for that matter." 

There was a slight hint of concern in his metallic voice as if a bad memory just popped up in his mind. Something that is quite rare to hear from this warforged.

(I can't turn off bold for my text for some reason.)

"Great! I'm excellent at being less boring than nothing," Jubilant said brightly. "I can play some songs for you! Wait, no, don't have a flute. Scratch that. I can, uh. I can show you the best way to pet Posie? Other than that the only thing I can think of is telling you about books I've read and it's been a few months, so that would probably be a mess. But I could try if you want!" Regardless, the idea of a (non) sleepover seemed to appeal to the tiefling.

Strife will turn to Valima, looking up to her son that she can see his face, the light of the tavern dancing along the scales of his face. "Sounds like you are my sleeping buddy!" The kobold will say with a toothy grin.

Velima

Velima nodded, "So it would seem" it mattered not to Velima who slept in the room as long as someone watched over and took action if they saw her struggling. "Are you still hurt from earlier with the wolf? If so I have these" she placed a few of the good berries up on the table, "They will nourish your mind and heal your broken body"

"Thanks" The kobold would say, pulling out is bloody mauled arm and examining it before reaching across the table and taking the berries from Valima. Strife would then place berries in the mouth and chew them up one at a time until the wound managed to close itself up completely. "So should we head up to bed then?" Strife would say, looking rather stuffed but feeling better..

Velima

Velima finished the ale she had ordered and nodded, "Yes..." she then looked at the others in the party, closed her eyes, and said a short prayer, "May the spirits watch over us" she then stood and headed through the fancy doors to her room.

Once in the room, Strife will bounce around the room excitedly while examining the furniture and fancy wood work. As Velima begins to get ready for bed, he will give her whatever privacy she needs and then once she has settled in bed, he would lower his hood and play with his arcane focus that he keeps secured on a chain around his neck. The orb appears as though it is a perfect sphere made of amber, with flickering and twinkling lights of red, yellow, and orange... As though an infinite number of tiny multicolored fireflies were trapped inside the small object. He would hold it in his hand, sitting at the foot of the bed for a while before curling up in a ball at the foot of the bed on top of the sheets and closing his eyes.

Velima

Velima watched Strife bounce and play, only having him turn around briefly so she could change out of her armor and into her common clothes. She wanted to get a good nights rest, and while her leather armor wasn't too restrictive, she'd feel far more comfortable with much less on. Still, she laid her sword, and shield, next to the head of the bed and stored her pack nearby so she could easily access them if needed. She then sat at the head of the bed herself, legs crossed, her eyes on her small companion as he drifted off to sleep. He dealt with a lot living among the non monstrous races, afraid to be himself, it reminded her of her own struggles growing up. She would protect this one.

Strife, curled up in the tight ball at the foot of the bed, still wearing his robe but with his head no longer covered and looking away from Velima towards the door with his eyes shut would whisper to her before finally drifting off to sleep. "Do you think the people here would like me if they knew what I was?" Before she could answer though, she would hear the quiet familiar sound of a snoring kobold...

Velima

"No" she whispered sadly so as to not wake the now snoring Kobold, she could feel a well of anger bubbling up from inside her as she laid her head back against her hands, allowing them to rest against the wall behind the head board. She breathed deep, in her nose, then out her mouth, staring into the dimly lit room, only the moon provided light. She allowed her mind to return to her younger years, remembering a time when her father had returned from a hunt with a large deer. He was covered in the beasts blood when he kicked in the door, cold wind and snow from outside whirling into the room, and slammed the beast down hard onto the floor. She had hopped to, retrieving his utensils and rope necessary to hang, skin, and process the deer. Her father didn't say a word to her, so long as she did what she had been trained to do he wouldn't, but she watched. Watched every movement of his hand, tracked every gaze of his eyes, he handled the beast with a sort of care and precision. She knew it was because he wanted the hide to be unmarred so she could sew it into a vest, or hat, or with an animal this size even a pair of trousers, but there was also something else; a respect. 

She never earned that same look from her father, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she read her mom's books on being a good wife, a good housekeeper, her journals on how she kept things for her husband. It angered her that this sort of respect wasn't just given, that people would simply look down on others because of their looks, or their species, or the fact that they weren't a man. 

She needed him then, but she didn't now, she had been found and taught how to take care of herself, and now she would serve to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

(Nice post)