OOC: Did Ebokk turn into a bard or was that supposed to be Erric? 😆

As Ebokk leaves, Maldorn wishes him a goodnight and turns to Erric: "I think you scarred the good dwarf with talk of sleeping on the floor. That house of his must have some fantastically soft beds. Did we ever spend the night there? I don't recall."

While the two tables commiserate, Maldorn engages in good old small talk and tale sharing. He calls Lara by the name of Mara more than a few times, and calls Mara by her rightful name not a single time. He finds it very funny that a drongonborn is name "Cat" and unconsciously refers to the talkative bearded man as "Steed". He asks "Filo" for a sample of his baked good (see what I did there?), "Kitten" about where she learned to paint signs, and "Other Mara" if she is willing to sell them potions, getting all their occupations wrong in the process and never realizing it even if corrected.

Once Aseid arrives, Maldorn turns his attention to the young man. The old man frowns for a long while than raises his eyebrow at the mention of "miss Jambiya": "Watch out boy. I used to call her that for a little while until she scolded me. You are bound to be next."

Maldorn is doing his best to pretend he knows exactly who Aseid is (deception: 9). It's been too long since the old ranger and the young guard have seen each other, which, for Maldorn, might as well be never.

If Maldorn ever Seldom Trading (Kul'ra was thinking about changing the name but never got to the point of doing it), he definitely saw Aseid around. "Quiet" would be the first and the strongest expression anyone gets from the boy, also, pretentiously polite, though whether or not any of these qualities could make Aseid memorable for Maldorn, only the hunter himself could tell.

With a half nod, Aseid let Maldorn know that he heard his words and answered Jambiya's questions almost with a smile (well, for him). "Master Kul'ra did not come with us but we are here on his behalf, yes. Also, your father, Master Dirk asked me to retrieve some items for him, that he left behind around this place, the Keeper's Square. Not possible in this weather, I am afraid. Would you happen to know if they have rooms here?"

OOC: Well, at least I didn't call him Ebook. LOL

Geth happily lets himself be pulled along by the cute girl with green skin. Settled beside Tassel, he gives his friend a wink. As he looks away, Tassel blinks a few times and maybe even shivers before grabbing the brute's collar and pulling his soaking coat off of his broad shoulders. Munchy begins making the rounds, sniffing everything and licking up anything that's fallen or been spilled on the floor.

Mara smiles at Aseid. "We've got ale and wine. I can warm one for you if you'd like that."

“Oh, I can do that,” Jambiya says, warming her own drink.

"Some warm wine, please". Aseid watched the vapour coming from Jambiya's drink, noting quietly. "Your talent is growing. Your fathers would be glad to hear of this too." He tasted the wine and asked in his turn. "If I may, what brought you to Neverwinter? Last time we all heard of you, you were heading to the Sword Mountains. With Anafrey as I recall. But..." He looked around once again, "I do not see her. Did you lose her in another tavern?" Anyone in Seldom Spring knew about huntress's ... habits and Aseid did not sound surprised.

@Blue: The issue is not whether they have met or not. Maldorn has a bit of a memory issue.

Speaking about Anafrey hurts a bit. Maldorn stays silent for now. Instead, he reaches into his dry-pouch, gathers some loose tobacco, and rolls himself a cigarette. The painful memory prevents him from asking if the act would bother the others. Assuming Jambiya could use a second to collect her own thoughts, he provides her with a momentary distraction by asking the goblin girl if she could light up his cigarette. He does so wordlessly, by nodding and grunting amicably instead.

Jambiya smiles sadly, then glances at Maldorn and points a finger at his pipe, which begins to smolder.

”Anafrey’s not with us anymore. She… she left to find some answers. We would have helped, but she didn’t let us…” Jambiya’s face falls into an uncharacteristic frown. “I think she didn’t want to burden us anymore, with trying to help her. But it wasn’t a burden. She was family.”

She sniffles a little, and looks down into her drink.

(Would not expect Maldorn to remember Aseid's name, more like to recognize the face he saw around for a year)

Aseid nodded again once acknowledging the information. "Do you plan to return home now?"

"No, not now." Maldorn responds after taking a drag from his pipe and thanking Jambiya for the light. "An acquaintance has asked for a favor, so we'll at least look into it before leaving. Erric gave them his word, and he speaks for us all. Jambiya here thinks for us all, and I am the groups' memory powerhouse." Maldorn looks at the new arrival from Seldom Spring and asks seriously: "What was your name again?"

"I can see that," without so much as a hint of a smile answered the young man. "I am Aseid." He bowed his head slightly. "If I could help you with your task, I would gladly do so. We could probably return together then, after the retrieving Master Dirk's items."

Jambiya’s head comes up. “Daddy Pops sent you to get some stuff? It wouldn’t happen to be an old companion’s stuff from…” she lowers her voice, “… a temple in an old cemetery, would it?”

For the first time, some clear emotion flashed in Aseis's eyes, he was genuinely surprised. "You are correct, Miss Jambiya. This is the thing and the place." He nodded and added now with his usual neutral expression. "If you know about it, I would assume your father did not mean it as a secret, and your presence there would be truly appreciated. Would you agree to come?"

"The more the merrier," Jambiya says, genuinely. "But not many more," she adds, lowering her voice again. "I mean, it's not graverobbing, exactly, but some of the locals might see it that way?"

"Shouldn't we tend to this Pilfer... Pilfernakkies matter first?" Maldron asks after taking another drag.

"I mean, sure, in the morning we can see to them, then do this other thing." Jambiya points offhandedly at the gaming room door. "They seem fine."

Aseid looked at the door, then back at the group. "I would aid you in your task first. We can not go to the ... place" (he got the hint and tried not to name things) "right now and it can wait anyway. I hope, though, we are not disturbing local traditions. This is mere returning one's belongings but if you think we have to be discreet, I will follow your advice."

"Interrupting their game seems rude, waiting until they are done sounds boring." Maldorn confesses while looking at the game room door. "Do you think there is a window in that room we could peek into from outside? You know, just to make sure all is really well over there." 

Tassel, who has been standing by a window for about 10 minutes sighs and turns toward the room. "I bet father doesn't want to venture out into the rain. Is someone willing to walk me home? I only live a few blocks away."

Erric nods amiably at Aseid as he arrives and is greeted by the others, and continues playing. The guard is someone he's familiar with, but hasn't had much chance to get to know. He was actually surprised he could speak sentences. He listens to the conversation, but during the quiet parts, he shifts to a sequence of ballads, sea shanties, and drinking songs.

There's a ballad of rich zombies, cracked mirrors, rude birdmen, horror chickens, ghosts, potions, house fires, sparklefingers, Maldorn's nicknames. A shanty involving dancing crabs, Bosun Grout, three sharks who fiercely guard the linen closet of a merman named Davijonz, irregular zombie gnolls, abandoned camps, large mounds, mud bats, the worst flail in the world, a murderous chest, pirate's treasure, the tragic death and improbable revival of Ebokk, mutiny. An eerie drinking song about the battle for Anafrey's soul. The polka he was still tinkering with about Brunthor's lost boot, flumphs, orcs, duergar cults, and now the patter-filled slam poetry rough draft of a song about the tomb they just traversed. It's a lot, but it's also comforting, and also entertaining.

Once he's gotten that out of his system, he returns to his friends. His family. "I think we can rest here. Find out what's going on with them," he says, pointing to the closed door. "Stay out of the rain and address Dirk's errand in the morning. What, Tassel? You need an escort home? I'm sure it's not THAT rainy out. Maldorn do you have a cloak for her? Only chivalrous..."

Tassel's words hung in the air without much response and Aseid glanced at Geth. It seemed the big guy really did not get the hint. The other staff members did not seem to worry either. Perhaps Erric was right and this is only a request for a cloak? "I can walk you home, Miss Tassel." He put aside his mug of warm wine and stood up. "I will be back right away," informed the young man his companions walking to the door and offering the girl his own cloak. "Hope that will hold the worst of rain."

((Added cloak into Aseid's inventory, if you allow.))