Fluin gives friendly greetings as others join their growing group.

Seeing the multitude of people gathering around him, Tarek sits back down and offers a toast "to the great city of Ekuepool!" He then goes around the group, asking each one their business here.

"I'm not sure why I'm here, maybe I feel Tiamat wanted me-no, us here" while saying, he was looking up at the ceiling while scratching his chin. While no one's looking, he tips over Fluin's cup of ale.

Sleight of Hand: 12

Horace, an unkempt man who appears to be in his late twenties, sets down a mug of ale each in front of Tarek and Fluin. "That'll be eight copper pieces," he says to Tarek.

He hands a mug of cider to Rowan. "No charge for our on-duty militia members," he says. When he comes back with an ale for Ulben and a cider for Anakis, he charges Rowan six copper pieces. "I have to make a living somehow," he says defensively.

He greets Torrent as the druid comes through the door. "I have just the thing for you today, my old friend," he says and produces a bottle of fine wine from under the bar, eyeing the druid greedily, "but it'll cost you ten gold." He licks his lips while waiting for Torrent's reply.

"You know you're always welcome to play here," he says to Aluzira. "We've got a full house in here today, as you can see, and when word of mouth gets out that the Magenta Angels is featuring talented entertainment such as yourself, there's bound to be an increase in business. Maybe you could be enticed to settle down and take up a residency here?"

The tavern is indeed quite full today, due to the carpenters, roofers, and plasterers that are its usual patrons having little work to do with the pouring rain outside. The sound of lively conversation, punctuated by rolls of thunder from outside, bounces off the wooden beams that hold up the ceiling, and as more and more arrive to escape from the torrential downpour outside it becomes difficult to move freely about the common area due to the crowd of people that hedges your group in.

"This really is remarkable," you can all overhear Horace telling one of his customers. "I'd attribute this crowd not just to the rain, but to one of my rivals having fallen on some hard times. From what I hear, they lost one of their top cooks when he disappeared after his wife left him, and because the food was one of the inn's main attractions, it seems likely they'll go out of business. Ah well, their loss is my gain!"

As he makes the rounds, Horace notices Nazkan's amulet. "I see you're a priest," he says to the dragonborn. "I'd be interested to know how you think your great god can dwell within such a tiny object as that which you wear around your neck? It's my opinion that all such images ought to be destroyed so that the gods inside of them can be set free!"

The day's successful business is having a visible effect on the taverner's mood. He can be seen through the open door to the kitchen, red-faced and angrily berating one of his employees for some small mistake. "I told you to save the expensive cutlery for when we have noble visitors!" he shouts, hitting the serving wench over the head with a wooden spoon. 

Rowan turns to Anakis, “would you please assist me?” As she stands up and goes back into the kitchen. She grabs the spoon out of the barkeep’s hand. “Don’t. Strike. Your. Employees.” INTIMIDATION: 11

”let us assist you, since you seem to be experiencing extra traffic. Let my tiefling friend eat for free as payment”

Emerging from the kitchen and seeing Anakis eyeing her drink suspiciously, Horace asks her, "What's the matter my dear child? Is there something more to your liking I can get for you?"

Tarek pulls the copper pieces out of his pocket. "Thank you, sir." He begins sipping his ale and thinks for a while.

"Yes, of course," says the barkeep. "I don't know what came over me."

Rowan, take Inspiration.

Torrent's's face brightens up when he sees the fine wine, then he deadpans once he hears the price.  "Bah, I'll take a mug of brandy then."  Torrent gives up trying to be polite.  It was worth trying to be polite, but not if it is going to allow him to get taken advantage of.  He surveys the room.  Yes, this crowd may be able to help with the issues in the bog.

“Thank you! I will defiantly consider it.” She replies.  Aluzira then makes her way through the crowd looking for a nice spot to play her pan flute.  Looking around at all the commotion she decides to play something calm but still cheerful.  All the while she watches the crowd.  She smiles when she sees Rowan go to help the overwhelmed staff.

"No, thank you." Anakis pushes the cider back across the bar and hops down from her stool to head to the kitchen with Rowan. More excited at the thought of escaping the din of the tavern's main bar and making a friend with the poor serving staff. Ultimately though, having never really been in a kitchen, she has no idea what she's supposed to be doing so instead begins asking a multitude of questions of the serving girl, each question quickly followed by another question that pops in her head.

While she makes her way around the kitchen, she picks up little food scraps and secretly feeds them to her pet mouse, who still remains hidden in her clothing.
[ skill]Sleight of Hand[/ skill] : 10

Ulben heads to the kitchen tripping over a stool leg, which allowed him to miss bumping into a waitress.  To Rowan he says,"I'm a cook, I'm looking for my wife." As they approach the kitchen Ulben bumps into a waitress, sending her spinning, Ulben catches the tray she almost dropped, sins trying to catch his balance and sides the tray into the bar to.  To the waitress he apologizes.  But to Rowan he says "she left me, and I was pointed this way, and I've got a cousin here named Rowan, so I figured, even though I've never met him if find him.". Once in the kitchen Ulben gets to his glory.  By watching him work you would think he had never stepped foot in a kitchen, or if he has a clue what he is doing.  But everything you taste is amazing.

Seeing the tavernkeeper hitting his employee, Fluin would frown, but then  nod as he sees two of his table companions move to help out in the kitchen.  He figures he would cause more problems than help back there, but notes to hismelf to check out this other place, that seemes to ahve lost a cook recently.  Aiding this man's rivals might not be a bad idea after all.  He sits back and drinks from his mug, watching the tavern and seeing the minstrel setting up.

Nazcan look down at Horace with a smirk on his own face "No, that be myth, from my land, we believe our gods rest at their plane of existence, and the amulets are link to them" He looks down at the floor, knowing his common is not that great.

Tarek, as you sip your ale and think, the storm outside intensifies, and the room begins to darken. It's as though the light of Pelor himself is blocked by the thick thunderclouds.

Fluin, as the throng of tavern-goers crowds around your table, you notice that your drink has been knocked over and spilled, creating a pool of ale that runs over the edge of the table and on to the planks of the wooden floor.

"Ah well, three silver pieces then," Horace says to Torrent, pouring a brandy and smiling at him with a twinge of disappointment.

"That's a cute little pet you have there," says the serving girl to Anakis. "What's 'is name?"

"Well, I know it's not a popular opinion in this land either," Horace replies to Nazcan, "but I don't see why a god would need mortals like us to create an image to establish contact. If my god wanted to speak to me or listen to my prayers, I don't think a worthless piece of metal would have any bearing on the matter."

Torrent, as you begin your speech, a hush falls over the crowd. At the mention of the eye-creature especially, the fear in the audience is palpable. As you finish, however, no one in the indifferent crowd of assembled citizens dares more than a faint murmur as they look at the floor in shame and cowardice.

Finally, Horace speaks up. "Did you come here today to frighten my patrons with stories of monsters?" he says, looking worried that his business might suffer because of the gloom that's taken hold of the room. "And besides," he says, "isn't that why the lord's militia patrols the perimeter of our lands, to keep the city safe? There's a militia member here with us today," he says gesturing to Rowan. "Perhaps she would like to allay our fears and tell us how the lord's men have the situation well in hand." He looks at Rowan pleadingly, hoping that her testimony will quell any doubts his patrons might have about their safety.

"Looks like I am in need of a new drink."  Fluin says with a sigh.  He sets his mug upright, then glances for the bartender again.  Seeing him talking to others, he shrugs and decides to wait for him to be done.

Tarek listens intentively to Torrent's speech as he begins to notice the room darken. You would have noticed that he had a general aura of radiance about him. Even that radiance has dimmed in the darkness quickly surrounding the tavern. Something is off, he tells himself. Hearing the faint murmur of the crowd after Torrent finishes his speech, Tarek looks down at his ale, visible worry on his face. Then he remembers the example of many of his kinsmen, including Byron Strongheart, whom he especially admires. Drawing on their examples, and feeling a nudge of inspiration from Pelor, Tarek gathers the strength to jump from his stool, raise his hand and exclaim, "I will join you! It will not be easy, but it is necessary." He ignores the looks of contempt and confusion from the crowd and walks over to stand next to Torrent.

Rowan is deep in contemplation as the shepherd speaks. She’s brought up to the militia time and again that they need to recruit or hire adventurers to take on the more powerful threats to almost no avail, maybe this is her chance to take on the darker things with the aid of some adventuring types, she is stirred back to the presence when Horace points her out.

”Ah, yes. In fact, the lords militia is hiring adventurers to help aid in the quelling of the darkness” 

DECEPTION:12

Thinking on the shepherd's words, Fluin gives a shrug. Getting to his feet, a tall man of hefty muscle, he walks over and nods.  "I too will join you in this."