Above & Below

Everything added to Pip's inventory. Be sure to deduct any gold spent. :)

Cadmael seems frustrated as he soars above the city, scanning the streets ahead and behind you as you move along. There's too many humanoids, he blurts out into Effort's mind. I don't see anyone trailing you, but how am I to know?

Effort leads you to the area on the border of the grittier area of the city. There are many taverns and inns lining the streets, including one Effort has in mind as a good place to stay and rest up. 5 silver each will get you both a room and a hot meal of beef stew and fresh bread. 

Bleh, says Brask, dismissing the centuries of tradition of cultivating and consuming tea in one syllable.  Ale is better.  Now that's truth for you.

"Mix ale into your tea and everyone will be happy," Effort says with a slight roll of her eyes at the two.  "We're here, by the way.  The food's not bad, so help yourselves."  Sensing Cadmael's frustration, she summons him into her pocket plane before entering the inn... the better to not attract too much attention, and give her familiar a much-earned rest.

Everyone, give me a perception check as you sit down in the tavern.

"Perhaps I shall try that.  Maybe I shall find a new truth!" Kurama replies to Effort's comments taking her words as sage counsel.

Entering the tavern, Kurama wrinkles his nose slightly before adjusting and sitting down at a table with the others.  When a server asks for their orders, Kurama will order the beef stew as well as a glass of ale, tea and a spare glass.

Perception: 25

Brask orders two ales for himself and one for Kurama.  Perception 9

Effort takes a look around the tavern, squinting at the familiar atmosphere.  9

While she wouldn't call the feeling it evokes quite homesickness, the memories are enough to keep her attention diverted from truly studying her surroundings.

Burik remains silent. He occasionally moves deliberately to take a deep sip of ale, but otherwise doesn't seem like he's there in the tavern with the rest of you. His mind is elsewhere, far off.

Brask hardly looks around as he swigs his beer and speaks loudly. Pip nods, listening and trying to take in as much as he can from his new...friends? Effort looks around briefly, but it's more for the ambience of a Gorta tavern than to try and notice anything. It's been a long time. Maybe too long. Maybe not long enough. 

Maybe it's the combination of tea and ale...but Kurama has a third eye open. He somehow sees everything going on simultaneously. Each gesture between friends, between lovers, between rivals. Every passing bowl of stew offers him up complex aromas of spices and seared meat. 

Kurama Perception:

Kurama is enjoying the ambiance of the tavern, another new experience for him on a day full of them, and his surprising pleasant - if odd -  mixture of tea and ale.  Another truth learned!  he thinks pleasantly to himself as he writes a couple of notes into his journal after draining his second mug of the mixture.  Putting his notebook away, as he prepares his third concoction - this time with more tea for experimentation's sake - he becomes aware of all of the little moments happening around him; from the group of dock workers singing a rousing song together in one corner to one of the servers clearly pretending to flirt to another group of patrons in the hopes of receiving a better tip.  Just as he was about to taste test his next drink he notices a couple of "seedy" oddities that stand out at the bar.  Noticing in particular the tiefling and the half-orcs making some sort of illicit deals, Kurama says plainly to the others "This bar seems to attract all types of patrons, from the simple worker to the more... unscrupulous sorts," as he points to the half-orcs behind him and the lone tiefling, "That one there thought he was being clever but just paid for some sort of vial."  he follows up before continuing his experiment.

Brask shrugs.  All types.  Yeah.  Includes us.  What vial?  Like potions? 

He looks at Effort.  We should talk to people, right?  Find out what's going on this city.  I'll take the unscrupulous half-orcs.  He stands, and walks over to the half-orcs.  Hey, I'm new in  town.  What do people here do for fun?

Effort leans back and narrows her eyes at the tiefling, trying to place their face. 

(Does Effort recognize this one? History: 13 + 1)

When Brask goes forward to negotiate with the half-orcs, she almost reaches out to stop him, a word of warning on her lips.  He's too quick, and she changes the move into a silent message instead.  

Be careful.  The half-orcs were involved in a power play on the streets here the last time I crossed paths with them.  It ended badly for my friends and I.  If they mention someone named Namar, be on your guard.  He's their leader, and he's ruthless... and I have a bone to pick with him.  You know, on second thought, if they mention him, do as you like.  As long as it's not gentle, I'll be pleased.

She glances over at Pip and Kurama, and feeling a twinge of something like responsibility, leans in to warn them.  "Sometimes, when Brask negotiates, it gets messy.  Be on your guard." 

(What Effort says to the Tiefling depends on if she knows him or not.)

(To Brask): "No idea, too far to tell" he replies casually between sips.

(To Effort): Kurama nods to Effort relatively unconcerned, perhaps beginning to feel some of the side effects of his experiments.

As Brask approaches the table, the half-orcs look up, questioning an unknown face. In response, the middle half-orc snorts and looks back down at some kind of ledger. One of the others speaks up. "What you can do for fun is get the hell out of here if you know what's good for you." Another snorts out a laugh, and swallows the rest of his ale in one gulp. 

Across the bar, the tiefling pushes his mug around, not really drinking much. Effort, you don't know him - he's relatively young. Probably just old enough to be sitting in this tavern without being questioned too much. His clothes aren't dirty, but they're ragged. Pants torn around the ankles with worn-out knees. Every minute or so he turns a bit to glance around the bar, but then goes back to looking forward.

OOC: Has Kurama every had alcohol before? If not, give me a constitution roll. :)

Now see, that's not a smart answer, friend, Brask replies amiably.  Smart people like to ask questions and find things out.  So I'll help you.  I'm Brask.  My friends and I are in town to have fun, make trouble and earn money.  Now we can do that with you boys, or if  you're not interested maybe someone else will make a good offer.  In which case, you'll need to explain to your boss why some minotaur and his buddies have just pissed all over his plans.  But hey, we still got time to start again.  So, like I said, I'm new.  What do people here do for fun?

Roll a deception check.

Deception 7

[He has but rarely so he's a light weight :)]

Constitution check: 15

Effort sighs slightly.  Just a boy, that one.  Well, at least she knows how those street boys think.  Touching her forehead with a murmur, she approaches the young tiefling and slides in next to him, turning up just the right amounts of the sultry street charm with bored disinterest, and being sure to shift her skirts a little to show some leg as she crosses them.

"Hey there," she purrs at the tiefling in infernal, leaning indolently along the bar.  "My name's Effort, and I was wondering what yours was.  I just got back in town and could stand to use some friendly company.  It's good to see another brother around these parts.  Can I buy you a drink?  Maybe get to know you..."  She delicately extends a hand and taps a finger right next to his palm, "accidentally" brushing against his skin as she does so. "... a little better?"

(We're gonna stop right there and make the first roll, LOL: Deception 24 + Guidance 1)

Brask, at the mention of their boss, the middle half-orc looks up. He has a sneer on his face. "Like we already told you - get the hell out of here. Ain't got no work for you." The other two sit up in their seats - not making a move to attack, but clearly ready for an altercation should it present itself. Pip is watching intently from your table, looking down only to slurp up some stew.

Kurama, you've been adding just a bit too much ale to your tea. You blink a few times, and notice that your focus isn't quite what it was a few "experiments" ago. On your next roll, subtract 1d4.

The tiefling looks startled for a moment. His eyes shoot down and then quickly back up. The reddish hue of his skin seems to grow a bit redder as Effort talks to him. He glances into the bar, and after a second seems satisfied with what he did or didn't see. "Hey, uh...yeah. Name's Akrus." His horns, growing out of his black hair, extend back about eight inches, just starting to curl down behind his head. The left one has a decent chip taken out of it. His dark eyes betray his relative innocence. "I should buy you a drink. Ale? Or something a bit more exciting?" 

Brask sneers as the two half-orcs sit up ready for a fight.  Keep your britches on, ladies. Then he looks again at the leader and shrugs.  Your loss.  See you around. 

He walks back to the table.  Can he make an Insight check on how the half-orcs behaved - did they just not like him or his attitude, or were they on edge about something else?  Insight 11

As he returns to the table, he says to the others.  The half-orcs are not friendly.  Can't think why.  I'm a likable guy.  Right, Pip?