"Hold on now, the guards did what to ya?  That's awful.  Imma have a word with someone.  This is why I stay out of their reach."

Con Save 17

Feeling the biting cold, Torrent starts shivering too.  His teeth rattling, he says "Come on, let's get inside and warm at Horace's.  First rounds on me.  Yeh all deserve it."  

Aluzira nods in agreement both to what Torrent said about the guards, and going to Horace's.  She couldn't wait to be in the familiar atmosphere of a tavern, although this time, she would be part of the crowd rather than the musician.

Ulben, Tarek, we’re still waiting for Constitution saves from you for your second hour in wind chill conditions. Your participation is needed and most welcome. 

18

Tarek CON save: 4

As you make your away around the city wall to the gate, the day warms enough that, although the wind continues, it no longer chills you as it did earlier. The storm continues to approach out of the west, however, and is nearly upon you as you reach the city gate to the sound of distant thunder rolling across the bog.

The guards are startled by the immense toad's head you bear, but nevertheless question each of you as to your citizenship, charging citizens of Ekuepool the customary 1 copper piece for entry and non-citizens 3. "Do you intend to sell that... head?" one of them asks in awe.

Now that you've all arrived at the city, what do you wish to do?

Oh, I almost forgot. Everyone take 208 XP.

"Perhaps we should go to the city council," Tarek suggests. "They'd pay us decent for our work. Then if we have any spare toad left over, we can see if we can sell it at the marketplace."

"The council is my guess," Anakis says after she gives her 3 copper to the gate guard. "Maybe we can find Rowan? She'd know for sure!"

Aluzira listens to the others waiting to what everyone thinks, pausing just outside the gate with a look of sudden realization on her face.  "Ah, drats, I can't believe I forgot about the entry fee..." she mutters to herself.  She pauses for another moment, wondering what to do, and if she should ask for help.  After taking a deep breath, she asks Torrent, "Um, I'm really sorry, but I don't have any coin... Could the entry fee take place of my drink?"  Then adds, "I'll pay you back as soon as I earn some coin.  I could also wait out here for you guys, but someone will have to help Fluin with the toad head."

"I've gotcha.  Ain't no problem.  Don't worry about payin' me back.  Ain't got much use for coin nowadays."  Torrent pays for his and Aluzira's entry to the city.  "I suppose we oughta deal with the toad issue before we get too settled.  Horace ain't gonna want us to drag in that head none."

Ulben pays his money.  "I for one would like to sleep for a month."

"Not me. I'm excited to explore some more," Anakis says with a smile, before she lets out a big yawn.

"Thank you," Aluzira says in reply to Torrent.  "That's true,"  she says nodding agreement then adds with a small chuckle, "the people there probably wouldn't either."  She smiles at Anakis's enthusiasm but agrees with Ulben, rest would be nice, but after the toad was taken care of as Torrent suggested.

Heavy palls that cover the merchants' stalls in the market of Ekuepool flap in the wind, and dust and leaves swirl up into the air as you enter in through Wuft Hill Gate. Across the circular open space and to the right, Hart Route extends northwards towards West Mek and Keld Wood beyond where you all met in the Magenta Angels just five days ago.  Across the marketplace and to the left, through the produce stalls of Farmer Row, lies the way westwards to Yet Valley where some of you spent the night in Rowan's quarters at Lord Guernot's garrison. Beyond that lies North Spruk, the city's administrative seat where Maid Genevote, the Reeve, presides over the city council, an elected body comprised of the aldermen from each ward of the city. 

The extreme cold of the earlier morning has left the market mostly deserted, but some few of the city's inhabitants bustle about, securing their wares or moving them to safety ahead of the oncoming storm. They gawk at the disheveled party, smeared with swamp muck and, except for Tarek, noticeably weary from travel and cold. They also gaze in wonder at the gargantuan toad head that you bear among you.

"Look," shouts out one of the gawkers, pointing in your direction, "I recognize him. That's Tarek from the temple. He has slain a monster of the bog. Hooray for Tarek, hero of the temple, and his brave followers!" And the marketplace erupts into cheering to welcome home the victors.

Where do you go, and/or what do you do?

"His followers?" Anakis mumbles to herself, "We did stuff too."

(OOC - from our previous conversation we were going to take it straight to the council, but I'm happy if anyone has a different idea now.)

Tarek puts on an air of importance, though without trying to show pride. He smiles as the people in the marketplace cheer for him. "Oh please," he calls out. "I am no hero, and these are my friends, not my followers."

Aluzira, startled by the sudden exclamations and praises, tenses and focuses her gaze on the boots of whoever is in front of her.   “Just keep walking,” She repeats to herself quietly, not thinking about where they were going and just following the boots.

The market is largely dead.  This is good.  Less exploitation of the Bog the better.  With a smirk, Torrent says, "Yer holiness.  Where should we n' yer humble followers go next?  Should we go n' take the toad to the council first?"

As Ulben follows he trys shaking hands of people he passes by, missing one guys hand he stumbles across, misses a woman's hand and in stead grabs something that earns him a smack in the face.  He passes a row of women holding babies and kisses the babies, but doesn't realize that he has kissed the last one, and in turn kisses the head of a dwarf man who was standing with the women and babies.