"Well unfortunately, I don't know anything about magic pools, so I can't help there and saying that it's somewhere south of here is pretty vague in terms of directions, so that doesn't help either." Vesper says. "But, we now a guy that's interested in magical stuff and maybe he might be able to tell us more once we go do a small thing for him."

Lumen begins to reach for his lute to see if it kept dry under his cloak and his mouth opens to begin his usual entreaty for the innkeeper to permit some music and an upturned hat in the corner of the common room, and before he can get a word out, Chyrs dumps the saddlebag containing Krackle into his arms. His mouth clicks shut and the bard, not used to being so quiet for such an extended period of time, says "'course" and begins to move along with the room keys. As he hears the conversation at the table get interesting, he pauses a bit, rearranging the bag a bit with his back turned to the room, whispering "doing a great job, apologies for the inconvenience, be over soon" into the bag. 

Once the conversation gets uninteresting, he'll move along to the room, open the door with his back, spin around, make sure there's no one in there, and then set the bag down gently on the bed. "I'm very impressed with you, Krackle, I hope you're okay. Let's stay quiet in here, just in case these people aren't as accepting as the folks in Yartar. How are you? Can I get you anything?"

"Thanks Lumen!" Krackle would reply excitedly as he pops his head out of the bag. "I'm don't want to cause problems... I know sometimes it is best for me to just hide.." He would add as he finishes climbing out of the bag. "I think Chrys was going to get me some soup... here! Can you give this to her?" He would say as he pulls a silver coin out of his pouch and hands it up to the half-orc. "if the people don't want to listen to your music out there, you could play in here! We could have our own fun in here!" Krackle would add as he begins jumping on the bed. His small frame and light weight barley disturbing the sheets on the bed as he bounces around. 

"Can you wait in here while I got get some soup? I'll be right back," Lumen says, after another check around the room (investigation: 3). He'll head out to the main room and ask for a couple bowls of soup to bring to the room. While he's out there, he's still listening in on the conversation and trying to get a read on the room. 

OOC: I'm unclear on how odd it would be to see another half-orc in a place like this. He'll be keeping a close eye on them regardless. 

Lumen and Krackle

Lumen takes Krackle to the room, a rather spartan dwelling that smells of mildew. It has a scuffed up wooden floor that's contains a few dark stains, two small beds with hard, straw mattresses, a small table, one chair and a single window with thick, opaque glass and heavy wool drapes. It's worlds below in quality compared to the Golden Eagle, where you spend your first night in Yartar. 

Returning to the common room, Lumen orders up a bowl of soup to take back to the room, and after a few minutes, he's given a bowl of hearty stew with goat meat, onions, carrots and parsnips. As he waits and looks around the room again, he sees the one other half-orc sitting by himself in a corner table, sipping on his ale in a rather large mug that looks different from what everyone else is using. He meets eye with you for a few brief moments and then returns his attention to his mug. 

Being the Savage North, it's not particularly odd to see other half orcs in this part of the world. While they're usually accepted in more populated places, you do know that very small towns and villages can often be less tolerant when it comes to the diversity of races, especially when it comes to people of your kind. 

Listening to the conversations in the room, you overhear Chrys, Vesper and Kess talking with the red headed dwarf about goblins and some sort of magic pool. You also hear a couple of dirty men in rather clean looking garb drunkenly boasting about their great deeds, a man an a woman apparently arguing about crop rotation, and a couple of dwarves talking about something as the take large sips from their mugs. You can't really make out their words, but occasionally, one of them keeps saying, "They can't hurt ye if ye don't believe in 'em."

Chrys, Vesper & Kess

Flint continues. "Yea, that's all that fella with the purple cloak said. Somewhere south, in some cave near the road."

"Anyway, ta answer yer questions, We don't got guards here, just one constable... woman named Frida, and whoever else can hold a sword or a spear. Melton's a small place and there ain't much here, so we don't get bothered too much. Guess she's doin' an ok job, 'cause they haven't raided the town. Most of the attacks have been north o' here, out on the open road. My beard didn't grow this long yesterday, though. I know that a little wall o' sticks ain't gonna stop a big war party, especially if they latch on with some bigger monsters. So, I'm sure there's folks here besides me who would be glad to see you stomp yer boots on 'em."

"Speaking o' that, you got a plan?"

Vesper shrugs. "Kill them, I guess. To be honest, I haven't really gotten into too many fights and that fight we had with goblins was the first time I ever really fought them."

"Gotta try to scout out where they're comin' from first," Chrys says.  "Then try to hit their home base once we figure that out.   Problem is, there was a funny thing goin' on with the stirges that killed that guy on the road.  They shouldn'ta been out at that time o' day.  If that was the work of them goblins 'round here, means they might have themselves a shaman or a druid o' some kind, and that's gonna be a world o' trouble."  She frowns deeply.

"Stirges?!" Frost asks quizzically. "I ain't never heard o' stirges out the open. Those annoying little buggers tend to stay underground, where it's nice and dark. I suppose if they was latched onto some nice warm body, or maybe if they smelled one coming and were 'specially hungry, they might chase it out into the light, but I don't think they'd go very far. Pretty sure they can't stand bein' in the light for very long."

"Anyway, I ain't heard 'bout not stirges round these parts. In fact, I ain't seen any of 'em since visitin' me grandad near Mirabar up in The Spine."

"I don't know where them goblin's is comin' from, but I might know someone who does. Gnome named Ellywick. Hunter. Lives here in Melton. Word is that she knows where their hideout is."

Chry's brow wrinkles as Frost talks, the dots suddenly connecting in her mind.  That magic pool... must be near the graves we made for that poor man and his horse.  He must've upset the stirges while he was exploring the cave he thought it was in.  We'll have to ask Krackle to see if any of the wild creatures there know of a cave in that area when we make our way back to Yartar... after all this goblin business is through.

Bringing herself back to the present, she smiles at the other dwarf warmly.  "Thanks for the tip," Chrys rumbles appreciatively.  "You've been more helpful than ya know, and friendlier than this entire town put together, too.  We'll be sure to pay Ellywick a visit tomorrow, if ya happen to know where we can find her.  Speakin' o' which, we'd like to pay yer smithy a visit tomorrow, too... got some goods we want to sell, maybe scrape together enough coin to upgrade our weapons 'fore we go an' face that goblin threat," she tells Frost.  "Where can we find ya then?"

Flint raises his mug to he three of you. "No worries, sisters. Glad to help. Most folks who come to Melton just pass through, just spend a night here at the inn, down a few beers, slurp up a bowl o' stew, then move on up the road the next mornin'. It ain't very often when someone actually offers their services and tries to do good here. That's why folk may not seem so friendly. We're just used to being' the scenery at the rest stop."

"Ellywick lives at the end of the road, last house on the left. I'm on this side, two down from the inn."

Just then, you notice that Constable Frida has entered the inn, and when she sees you talking to Flint, she comes over to your table and says,

"Flint, what you tellin' these folks? You know that we don't like outsiders comin' in and stirring up trouble."

Then she addresses you with the same stern, crabby tone she gave you at the gate. 

"I told you people, we don't need anyone causin' problems here. Goin' out and trying to provoke a band of goblins is likely to cause them to bring hostilities our way. We been lucky so far, they've left us well enough alone, and as the head constable of our village, I'd like to keep it that way."

Flint speaks up and tries to argue with her. 

"Frida, where's your sense? Them goblins might have left us alone so far, but you think that's gonna last? You think they'll ignore us for ever? You think our little wall gonna keep them out if they decide to come at us with big numbers or a handful o' bugbears? Be reasonable, woman! These people want to helps us and they seem like good, capable folk."

A conversation ensues, and of the other patrons agree with him. However, there are indeed a few folks who take Frida's position that any kind of attack on the goblin band is likely to bring trouble. 

Vesper heads back to her table with Kess and orders up a bowl of stew. "I think that we should leave the villagers to their own quarrels."

Krackle would flop on to the bed and stretch out. It was still nicer than what he was used to .. looking up at the ceiling trying to keep quiet while listening to any loud conversations that might be taking place until the soup arrives. 

"I think that Flint is right," Kess replied to Vesper, her eyebrows knitted with concern. "These goblins are only going to terrorize the good folk of Melton if they're allowed to continue to murder and plunder unchallenged... and tha'ts assuming that a more dangerous threat doesn't come along and rally them into something truly dangerous to this town and this entire part of the North. Although... I understand a bit of where Frida is coming from, as well. Most of the folk in this town are not trained with the sword, and goblins are infamous for swarming like gnats. Still... gnats should be dealt with or frightened away, not ignored. If we don't stand up to them, who will?"

"No one. Which is why we are here and we're standing up to them. But, I also have to say that I haven't really been fighting for too long and I don't know how well I'll do against a more dangerous threat." 

Chrys's eyebrow tics a little.  While she appreciates the job Frida has to shoulder on her own, the woman's attitude rubs her the wrong way.

"Listen here.  Ignorin' a problem won't make it go away.  You should know that, bein' in charge o' the safety o' all the good people here.  Now, we got hired to do a job here, and we're gonna do it.  I'd rather we do it with yer help than without, 'cause we'll be stronger facin' this threat together than alone.  But whether ya want to face the music or not, somebody's gotta deal with them goblins, or ya'll spend the o' your time here livin' in fear o' the next raid.  I'm not sayin' it's gonna be easy, but fightin' this head-on is better than givin' up and keepin' yer heads down."

Lumen gives Chrys and the others a look like, should I join in or keep watch over the room and Krackle...

(ooc: Krackle is just hanging out enjoying the room while waiting for some soup. He is good if you want to join in with the talking.)

Vesper looks at Lumen and waves him over.

Chrys sees Lumen peeking out and also gestures him over, impressively managing to do this without breaking her baleful stare-down with Frida. ;)

Lumen nods, and, not wanting to directly interrupt the conversation happening at their table, walks past Chrys and Vesper and Kess with his soup bowls and leans backwards against the bar next to the other half-orc. He rumbles in a low tone, “‘Lo. You live here, or just passing through? And what do you think of that talk? Oh. Name’s Vork.” He gestures with a soup bowl at the increasingly testy conversation about what to do with the goblins. Does the half-orc seem similarly attired to the rest of the townsfolk? Or dressed for traveling? Any other identifying marks?

(He’d be buying him a drink if he had any money!)