Alan stammers a bit replying to Snap, "Umm... Yes, the song... It was different... Sorry... It just caught me off guard. Err... Yes, the song was in Elvish. It seemed like you and your friend -" he points at Oswin "-seemed to understand."

"This is embarrassing, but I... I don't remember it. The song hasn't changed since it's started. I did catch mention of Elturel... and Hellriders. Sorry... This caught me off guard..." Alan continues before trailing off to a sort of mumble. He looks down at the bar in front of him hands keeping him steady, as if in thought.

Everyone, please give me a HISTORY (INT) check. 

Snap offers a paraphrasing. "She sang of Elturel, and of the Warriors who defend the town against what sounds like a devil horde."

"Alan, you mentioned Tarina before the song started, know where we can find her?"

History: 7

History: 16

History: 6

I just got here, what do you expect!? Hehe

History 7

Quote from Hardcopi >>

History: 16

 When Alan mentions Hellriders, it dawns on Keth that he's been hearing that word a lot recently... especially since the 'loss' of Elturel. Whenever people spoke of Elturel in the taverns talk of Hellriders was included - in fact, Captain Zodge mentioned Hellriders when he spoke to you all not long ago. Who the Hellriders specifically were, however, eludes you. 

Quote from DarthAvarice >>

"Alan, you mentioned Tarina before the song started, know where we can find her?"

Alan finally snaps out if his thoughts, and responds, "Right, she's likely upstairs playing Baldur’s Bones - cheating her way into some winnings."

He shakes his head again, looks at the party and says, "Well, that was... strange. In any case, if you need to freshen your drinks, please let me know."

// Place holder should Oswin roll a history check. 

Tzo-Tzo provides a curt nod, “We appreciate your assistance. If you’ll excuse me.”

Tzo-Tzo would like to head to Tarina.

Quote from JcAndD >>

Tzo-Tzo provides a curt nod, “We appreciate your assistance. If you’ll excuse me.”

Tzo-Tzo would like to head to Tarina.

 // Assuming that Tzo-Tzo went up alone...

Tzo-Tzo, having hung back away from the bar, easily and quickly makes her way towards the stairs on the east side of the room.

Tzo-Tzo makes her way upstairs and finds herself in what seems to be a large dining room. Lit lanterns hang from the rafters in this windowless room - there are, however, several doors around the perimeter. Rugs cover the wooden floor and help dampen the noise from drunken patrons gathered around two large tables, eating and playing games of Baldur’s Bones.  The rugs also seem to give off a stale smell of old ale and other concoctions - they likely have not been taken out to be cleaned in quite some time.

At the center table, playing a raucous game of Baldur's Bones, sit two humans, a dwarf and a half-orc. The half-orc lets out a bellowing laugh, stating as he does, "Finally won a round! My luck is changing! I'm going to clear out the lot of you - you'll see!" The other three, as one, throw pieces of cracker at him, laughing as they do.  None seem to take notice of Tzo-Tzo, scanning the room from the stairwell.

A halfing wearing a colorful cape sits by herself on a comfortable chain in the southesast corner of the room. She refills her glass with a bottle of wine that was on the table beside her. 

On the west end of the room opposite the stair well leading from the main room below sit a human, furiously writing, and a scar-faced halfling, flipping a coin and nursing an ale. Tzo-Tzo notes that the coin flipping halfing is looking right at her - after their eyes meet, she catches the coin midair, takes a drink, whispers a comment to the writer across from her and then goes back to flipping her coin.  The human writing turns to look at Tzo-Tzo, his eyes widen a bit, then he flips to a fresh page and begins writing again in earnest.

The rest of the group notes that Tzo-Tzo is no longer among them. You do, however, see her feet as they disappear upstairs. 

Tzo-Tzo freezes for a moment, “Telegram for a Ms. Tarina...”

Quote from JcAndD >>

Tzo-Tzo freezes for a moment, “Telegram for a Ms. Tarina...”

 // As you ask the question... Are you looking at any one or any group in particular?

// Also, I need a deception check...

// And a perception check... 

Just the room overall, I’m just a courier after all!

Deception: 7

Perception: 10

Quote from JcAndD >>

Just the room overall, I’m just a courier after all!

Deception: 6

Perception: 19

Tzo-Tzo's statement seems to have been ignored by the room as a whole, with the exception of the scarred halfling sitting on the far table who openly laughs, followed by a muttered 'telegram' and a low chuckle. The room, however, does get quiet after that, although the game of Baldur's Bones, and other various activities, continue. 

 Keeping her eyes open for any reaction, she notices the dwarf, a rugged and dirty sailor, with no eyebrows flits his eyes up directly at the human woman across from him before suddenly looking straight down almost into his own lap.

DM's eyes only... 

hey, your friend with the name you can't pronounce went upstairs 

"oh, she did? Oh, she did! Zoo-Zoo don't go alone you'll get in trouble!" Dar heads up to the zoo

Tzo-Tzo will nod curtly to the the room and make her way over to the human woman, who she believes is Tarina. “Excuse me, I am looking for Tarina, are you her?”

Seeing TsoTso  dissappear up the stqirs, Snap quickly thanks Alan and makes for the stairs.

Keth sighs and stalks upstairs. 

Quote from Gimpster >>

hey, your friend with the name you can't pronounce went upstairs 

"oh, she did? Oh, she did! Zoo-Zoo don't go alone you'll get in trouble!" Dar heads up to the zoo

Quote from DarthAvarice >>

Seeing TsoTso  dissappear up the stqirs, Snap quickly thanks Alan and makes for the stairs.

 As Dar makes her way to the stairs up to the second floor, the tavern has returned to normal - with the exception being all the talk is about the how the song was different tonight. Squeezing by what seems to be a couple of half-elven thugs, she catches a snippet of conversation, "...heard that them 'Hellriders' were led by some foreigner..." 

// For Dar-Khan's eyes only....

Dar - your eyesight goes black. Scenes form and evolve in front of you as if you were there...
From the black, a glowing red light, like burning embers, encircle the horizon line of a barren dessert, winds whipping up sand into billowing sandstorms scratching your bare skin...
Massive iron chains shoot forth from the ground straight up, behind them tar and ichor bleeds out of the ground forming a dark river, its far bank beyond your sight...
Dark wings of molten lava spread before you, the smell of brimstone burns your nostrils when a terribly beautiful devil with a circlet of fire materializes before you - it seems to be waiting for something...
You get closer, and closer, to the dark, fiery being; raising your hands you present to her a glowing, blue sword - it's light bathing your hands and arms in its glow changing them...
The entire scene collapses into a single point and then suddenly reforms... the barren landscape remains and before you sits, empty, an iron throne...
Then, you hear a single word intoned by a low, grumbling voice, "USURP."

 

Snap readies to turn away from Alan, when a waiter appears at the bar dropping off some dirty glasses and comments to Alan, "This Eltruel business is getting out of hand. With Ulder Ravengard gone, the Flaming Fist is decapitated. The captains are already bickering - who knows what can come off the street now? Is Klank working?"

Distracted from the conversation he was overhearing, he runs into a motionless Dar. However, she immediately starts walking up the stairs, as if nothing had happened.  Snap behind Dar, the pair make it up the stairs to the second floor dining room in time to catch Tzo-Tzo ask a human woman sitting at a table, "... are you her?"

Quote from JcAndD >>

Tzo-Tzo will nod curtly to the the room and make her way over to the human woman, who she believes is Tarina. “Excuse me, I am looking for Tarina, are you her?”

Footsteps are heard beating up the stairs with Dar and Snap soon appearing at the second floor landing.

The human woman addressed by Tzo-Tzo remains seated. Her dress suggests one who would be as comfortable scaling rooftops as they would be masts. She glances back towards the stairs noticing Dar and Snamp, then turns her face to meet Tzo-Tzo's, and replies with a devilish smile, "Hmph - more newcomers, I see... Now, I'm not sayin' I ain't, and I'm not sayin' I am - but either way, what do you want with her? And don't tell me it's about some 'telegram' - whatever that might be."