Quote from ZeeOfIstus >>

Quickly scurrying back to the room, she steps in and immediately curses after scarping her horns on the ceiling once more. "So, our options are this room or food, drink, and sadly un-salacious company in the common room. I guess something is better than nothing, so I'll be heading back out there. I think I may have also offended the innkeeper."

Alaris glances back and forth from the relic to the door, a pensive expression furrowing their features. "With all these strangers around, I fear for the safety of the... item." They open their mouths to continue but just then, their stomach rumbles and gurgles. "Ugh... but it would be nice to eat something I didn't cook myself. Do you think they'd send up a bowl of something warm and rich?"

Quote from Saute_Monkey >>

      "Well, the innkeeper sure figured you out pretty quick, hrmm..? And that would be Sharindlar." Astrid rolls her eyes but can't help but to chuckle a little. "The thalornor are her uh... special clerics. They will surely show you the light of their order. If you liked The Lada, that will probably be the best temple for you. C'mon then." 

     Astrid leads them back to the common room and approaches the innkeeper. "Excuse me... Ale please."   

Voided eyes go wide in surprise as a big smile spreads across Shiva's face. "Oh! And here I thought that I had offended her sensibilities. Thank you, that was some much-needed context." Following after Astrid, she stops in the doorway at Alaris's voice. "Sure hun, I'll have them send in something filling for all the holy folk along with something nice for dessert." 

Taking her place beside her dwarven companion in the common room, she nods to the innkeeper. "My friend has explained the vocations and specialties of the thalornor to me, and I would like to thank you for your guidance. Sounds like exactly where I'd like to be. For the rest of this evening, I'd like for everything that my travelling group and I request to be put on my tab: all the food and drinks. Speaking of which, the holy folk in our room would like something warm and rich to nourish their bodies, and I believe I would like that as well, please. Followed by something sweet for their dessert. As for my dessert, could you tell me how to get to Sharindlar temple?" 

"Of course," the woman tells Shiva with a wan smile. "The temple is the great hall on the northern side of town. You can't miss it."

"Wonderful, thank you." Once the food has been prepared Shiva eats quickly and leaves a large tip behind for the innkeeper. After fussing with her hair and doing her best to dust the road off of her clothes, she sets off towards the temple of Sharindlar.

The moonlight casts sharp, angular shadows of the squat architecture across the streets of Mingol Bar as Shiva makes her way across the citadel. Sharindlar's temple is a great, open hall free of pillars, with ample space for dancing and celebration. The grounds are well-lit and open to the sky, decorated with fountains and formal gardens. Red-robed dwarves with blue girdles and scarves can be found here and there, talking amongst themselves in small groups.

Looking around, Shiva is surprised by the care given to these grounds in comparison to the utility-only appearance of the rest of the fortress. Unable to peg someone as a head priest or leader, she walks over to one of the small groups. "Good evening. I've been told that I could find intimate company here?" Based on the reactions to her arrival in Mingol Bar, she avoids smiling too wide.

A mousey-haired dwarf gives Shiva a demure nod.

"Sharindlar's mercy smiles upon you. Follow me."

The thalorn leads Shiva to a small guest room and it is some time before her travelling companions see her at the Hearthstone again.

For now Caio remains in their private room with Alaris and the priors. He sips on a heavy porter and there is an uncharacteristic look of weariness on the elf’s face. “Alaris...” he says after a while. “Might the light of the Lady do something to ease my back? I believe Shiva’s serpentine alter ego bruised several of my ribs.” Meanwhile, Ghoul accompanies Astrid down into the common room, finding a comfortable roost on the dwarf’s shoulder.

     "I'll walk with you a bit," Astrid says to Shiva. She downs the ale in a quick gulp and deposits a few coins on the bar top. "I think my questions are going to be better answered at the keep," she adds hopping down from the stool. 

     When their paths diverge, Astrid turns to the tiefling and offers a bit of advice. "Please, don't go running off into any strange realms while you're in there." She smiles and continues on to the main keep of Mingol Bar, her pace quickening.

     Approaching the entrance, the cleric finds one of the guards standing post. "Excuse me," she says Dwarvish. "Is the Lord Commander of the keep available? I have some information I would like to pass on that I discovered on my journey here from Tanem."

The soldier looks Astrid up and down and her appearance and accent quickly tell him what she is; the daughter of a rich and influential clan.

"Good evening, mi'lady," he tells her respectively, pulling himself to attention and offering a quick salute. "If you tell me what the matter concerns, then I can have him informed. Who should I say is requesting an audience?"

     Astrid returns the guard a polite nod. "Astrid Silverscar of Kazad Azgarz." She glances about from side to side before adding, "I noticed a number Sarameian troops gathered in the Ootroga marching this direction, it appeared."

The soldier nods in understanding and shows Astrid inside the gate, explaining the matter to a comrade, before returning to his post.

"Wait here please, mi'lady," the second dwarf says, showing her to to a stone bench in the vestibule, before disappearing off into the keep. She waits for a good quarter of an hour, before the soldier eventually returns.

"Lord Commander Flintbeard will see you now, Lady Silverscar," he tells Astrid, guiding her up several flights of winding stairs and along wide, low ceilinged corridors to the finely wrought doors of the Lord Commander's office, which silently swing open. Inside stands a powerfully built and finely dressed dwarven nobleman with greying brown hair. On the far side of the room is a large circular window looking out over the town, in front of which stands a broad desk lined with neat stacks of parchment. A great table stands in the center of the room with a map of the Gap of Hirn lain out on it.

"Lady Silverscar," Flintbeard greets his guest respectfully, "welcome to Mingol Bar."

"Thank you Karfet, that will be all," he adds to the soldier who had escorted Astrid upstairs. The man salutes and closes the doors behind him as he departs.

"I'm told that you have news of Sarameian troops nearing our position," the Lord Commander notes, gesturing to his map, "where exactly?"

     Sitting there waiting to be seen by the Lord, Astrid's foot begins to tap nervously as her mind wonders how deep the plot of Marchek goes within the others of Kazad Grim. "Oh, yes!" She jumps slightly when Karfet returns. "Thank you." she adds, standing to compose herself and then follows behind the solider.

    Astrid gives the Lord a bow upon entering his chamber. "Thank you, mi'Lord, for seeing me this late hour. Uh, umm... Yes, I do." She steps closer to look over the map of the area. "It was a few days before arriving here... And south of the road a bit. Probably about here. They had a logging camp there with a large number of troops." 

Lord Flintbeard nods thoughtfully.

"'A large number'? Can you quantify that? What's your best estimate of their numbers?"

     "Perhaps a regiment of janissary," she says unsure. "I - I didn't not see them for myself. That is what Al-... the bogatyr reported when she went to the camp in attempt to get them to leave. You see, it seemed they had angered some of the spirits of the forest by cutting down so many trees in the area. Those spirits - spriggans - had already killed a dozen or so soldiers when we passed through. So, maybe a bit less than that by now... If they continued their operations." 

     She pauses a moment to gauge the Commander's reaction, before adding. "We didn't stay around to see if they heeded the warning."

Flintbeards mouth curls in a smirk of smug satisfaction.

"Even with the snow melting, these lands are not to be understimated," he notes. "Ostroga forest is wild and old. The Sarameians were foolish to take it lightly."

The commander pauses, considering the situation, before asking another question.

"Did your friend the bogatyr see any large cannon with this regiment?"

     "Yes. Yes it is. We had our own monsters to take care of in order to make here." Astrid relaxes seeing the reaction from Flintbeard. 

    "She did not mention anything anything like that. However, on those that the spriggans had killed, some of the soldiers were armed with hand cannons."

Quote from Sphynxyy >>

For now Caio remains in their private room with Alaris and the priors. He sips on a heavy porter and there is an uncharacteristic look of weariness on the elf’s face. “Alaris...” he says after a while. “Might the light of the Lady do something to ease my back? I believe Shiva’s serpentine alter ego bruised several of my ribs.” Meanwhile, Ghoul accompanies Astrid down into the common room, finding a comfortable roost on the dwarf’s shoulder.

Alaris pushes themselves to their feet and makes their way over to Caio. "Sit down, beloved," they say, gesturing towards the edge of the bed. Their hands move with gentle searching over the shadar-kai's ribs and back. "Let me see," Alaris murmurs, tugging up the elf's tunic to examine the bruising. Most of the elf's pale side and back are discolored with varying shades of black, purple, and blue. The aasimar's sensitive fingers find a hot and swollen spot and hisses in concern. "More than bruised, I would guess, Caio..."

Quote from Saute_Monkey >>

     "Yes. Yes it is. We had our own monsters to take care of in order to make here." Astrid relaxes seeing the reaction from Flintbeard. 

    "She did not mention anything anything like that. However, on those that the spriggans had killed, some of the soldiers were armed with hand cannons."

 
Flintbeard nods.

"That's always been the secret to their success, but they've yet to match dwarven craft," he boasts, puffing up his chest with pride. "I think that they'll find our walls not so easily broken. It's hard to blow through stone when it's shooting back!"

The commander coughs and composes himself once more.

"Regardless, thank you for bringing this intelligence to my attention, Lady Silverscar. I trust that you've found accommodations to your liking? If not, I'm sure that I can make arrangements for you."

     "The accom-... Oh, yes. We are fine at The Hearthstone. Thank you for the offer. Uh.. Mi'lord, there is perhaps more."  Astrid pauses and glances down as she considers how to proceed. She nods to herself with resolve and looks the the commander.

     "Are you familiar with one of ours, from Kazad Grim, I believe, by the name of Marchak?" She adds a brief description of the dwarf she saw in Temnitsa.