The Wildemount Irregulars (2020)

Do you happen to know anyone named Annai?  What about this seal on this letter here?

No-one you speak to knows anyone called Annai.  The letter was 'sealed' with wax, or at least fixed so that it could not be opened without breaking the wax, but there was no actual seal pressed into the wax to make a mark. 

The smith shrugs.  Don't know.  Do you have a surname for them?

No.  Just found it on a corpse some half ogres left by the roadside.  Thought I'd ask around.  It's not particularly important.

To Magnum: I was considering buying a new suit of armour, but it might not be the use of our funds. Seems like Alfield might be a worthy destination though... on the way to Felderwin, that was where your letter was bound right? 

Ah, yes.  Felderwin would be the better area to search.  I thought the aunt lived in Trostenwald.  

Maybe we'll have better luck asking around in the tavern. Silent will thank the blacksmith for her time and head over to the Golden Lute.  

Do you feel vulnerable when in combat? I only ask because of your interest in armor. I might be able to help with that down the road. I am a skilled armor smith after all. You might even say it's my specialty. If we can get the materials I can make you stronger armor. 

As you head towards the tavern, Solro comes up.  I think perhaps I will take my leave, gentlemen.  Thank you once again for doing me the service of dealing with that upstart.  I value my life greatly.  However, I think I can find guards here with a less... adventurous spirit, less likely to lead me into trouble.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that you face down threats as you go and no doubt I and everyone else benefits from the paths you clear for us but such things are not for me.  He gives each of you a polite bow.  I shall be in the Seven Crowns Inn for a day or two, if you need to find me.  And he walks away.

Entering the Golden Lute, you find it absolutely empty except for a lone half-elf lazily wiping tables.  Hello, he says as you enter, without any enthusiasm before he goes back to slowly moving his cloth in circles on the table, not to any great effect.  The room is gloomy and doesn't smell great, and there's little in the way of decoration. 

To Magnum's proposal about armour: I might well take you up on that. This chain mail has served me well enough but I've seen senior soldiers use better armour. 

To the half-elf: Got anything to drink? 

Husseldorf Ale, Empire's finest, brewed right here in Trostenwald, the half-elf replies.  Four copper a mug.  

(Is Silent's lute strapped to the outside of his pack?  Would it be visible to the half-elf?)

(OOC: I imagine Silent sort of crisscrosses his lute with his greatsword across his back so the headstock would be visible over his shoulder, yes)

Silent will hold up four coppers. Sounds dandy to me. He'll sit down at one of the tables that doesn't appear to have been freshly wiped down yet. 

I'm also in the market for better armor. Eventually, at least. What I've integrated into my body is mostly a prototype. I hope to integrate more powerful weapons systems and utility options. 

Weapons systems... are those things that you can buy from a smith? Or would you be the one making them? Have to say, I've never really seen anything like your gauntlets used by anyone else. 

I'm not sure a conventional smith would develop something like this. Certainly whoever made these bubble helmets we're carrying might. Imagine a collection of tools or weapons that I could install into my arm. Take that spell I used to kill the half-ogre. It isn't powerful, but it never misses. Now if I made a wand that could fire that spell several times, then incorporated it into a gauntlet or armor. One anyone could use. It isn't a spell or wand anymore but an integrated system.

The half-elf fetches your ale, making it seem like the most arduous and unfair task that anyone has ever been assigned, without actually saying anything at all.  He takes the coppers, and looks at the lute.  You play?  Could do with some music in this place.  

Yeah, I dabble. He looks around the bar. Not much of a crowd at the moment.

Later, then?  The half-elf looks hopefully.  Free room for tonight, for you and your construct, in exchange for an evening's performance.  What do you say?

He's not my construct, he's a friend. But sure, sounds like a fair deal to me.  He'll offer his hand to shake the barman's. Fair warning, I'm no bard.

So long as you can play a decent tune, I'll be happy.  And maybe the patrons will be too.  He shakes your hand, seemingly a bit happier than he was.  The name's Deyon.  You and your... friend, he gives Magnum a slight bow, are welcome to sit and relax if you like.  The place gets busy around sunset.  Food and drink will still cost you, I'm afraid, but I'll get your room made up too.

He heads off behind the bar and continues cleaning.

To Magnum: Anything you want to explore in the town before sunset? I say we make for Alfield early tomorrow, see if we can catch the tail-end of whatever happened.