Moving East just a bit beyond the trunk of the large tree in the center of this now destroyed village and towards Sebastian, Jahren sees Jezun dealing with a cluster of deformed gnolls with great skill.  "Ha, you're going to fit in well around here, Jezun!"   Bardic Inspiration: D10 on any Ability Check, Attack Roll, Saving Throw as needed

Looking at one of the gnolls Jezun hasn't fully focused on taking down yet, the bard begins to mutter an enchanted whisper at the creature, telling it "don't be afraid, my new friend will put you at ease very, very soon..."

Vicious Mockery DC18 WIS  4 psychic

Jezun nods in thanks at Jahren, and takes a free action to fasten his cloak around him a bit more securely, and his form blurs a bit, such that he seems to not only be where he is, but also a few feet to the left. (Cloak of displacement remembered and attached!)

Jahren, at your level vicious mockery does 3d4.  so +5 

(Jezun, saving throws vs exploding gnolls please...)

 ((Not that it really matters at this point.)) 

In less than 30 seconds, the party has disabled or killed most of the would be ambushers. The blasts of powerful cold magic, flashes of hypnotic lights, and storm of ice chunks falling from the sky, not to mention the ferocity of the attacks...sends the remaining gnolls fleeing into the woods, even before they close in on the battle. (though you may have some unconscious ones captured if you care to). Despite their crazed demeanour, they are clearly still susceptible to fear as they run in every which direction.  Soon the place is quiet, the few remaining threats eliminated. The only sounds the hiss and pop of the icy ground as the frozen chunks melt. 

The group looks around, it's clear that these gnolls and the leucrotta creatures have suffered from the same affects as the goblin. It does not take Mirica long to find a large trail of the gnoll war party. Though days old the group was large, perhaps fifty...including some goblins. Examining the village, there appears to be a number of dead, but obviously a good number must have also fled, as Mirica also finds the trail of a hasty retreat, littered with a few dead elves and several exploded bodies....though the gnolls did not pursue them for long. 

After a short rest (TM) the group resumes trailing the war party's original path.  Near the evening the group comes across a small elven stone bridge that the war party used to cross a creek. There is a brief battle with a small group of these strange goblins, four of them, but the group manages them without any trouble. They seem bestial in manner....and a bit crazed, so attempts to interrogate them don't get very far. 

Soon though, the light begins to fail. Toc dismounts and finds a random location where he begins to summon forth his mansion. A shimmering door appears in the air and the horses and group enter for their evening rest. 

Jahren, you're in the middle of enjoying a bowl of hearty beef stew with crusty bread, piping hot from Toc's magical home, when you receive a mental message in your head.  "Jahren, it is Candour. It is urgent that we meet and discuss a development in the situation. Same location as last time, 8pm." 

Jahren replies "far away without teleport."  "Can meet by roughly 9:30 or 10.  Will assume agreement if you do not reply."

-------- Jahren + FinFin (though Fianna keeps you all apprised as you sit comfortable in a sitting room, some of you reading, some snacking.  Someone is painting their nails...) -----------

Jahren is glad for the summer weather. Traveling at high speed through the air is cold business and his gloved hands are numb, his face dry and cold from the wind. He swoops down, looking for a reasonable place to land without drawing attention.  At 9:30, in the dark, it's relatively easy and he finds himself landing on solid ground.  He shakes out the numbness from his legs from sitting for 3 hours, clenching his hands to get feeling back into them, as he brushes his hair quickly with his hand...the windblown look not great for the Silver Crust gentlemen's club.

He heads inside. The place is very busy, with standing room only on the lower floor. Dancing girls are performing on the center stage that runs the length of the main room, while clientele sit in booths that line both walls, some with their thick plush red curtains closed, others with them open. Music is being played by a band just to the right of the door.  The upper rooms which hang over the lower ones and look down to the stage are likewise pretty busy.  A quick inquiry with the man at the front desk and he nods, "Yes, Candour's table is room 12 upstairs, 2nd on your right.  

You head upstairs, passing by the well dressed man who is clearly a grizzled solider standing guard at the top. He gets the nod from the maitre de downstair and unlocks a hanging felt line that you could just as easily step over.  This time, unlike last, Candour is not waiting for you.  You slide into the booth, getting a good view of the room downstairs over the balcony, and leaving the curtain open for Candour's arrival.  FinFin crouches on your shoulder, glancing about. 

After sitting down, pins and needles crawl along Jahren's spine. Something is not right.  He shushes FinFin away who flies up into the rafters to hide, and watches down from above.  A moment later the familiar hears Jahren speaking beside it, though Jahren has clearly used magic, since he still appears to be sitting down in the booth.  

From their view point, they glance around the room.  It doesn't take long for Jahren to note several people taking a keen interest in booth #12 where his illusion is situated. From above you watch as a group of four men, posing as drunk patrons make their way up the stairs. The guard lets them pass, though there is no knowing glance or wink that you can tell, so you're not sure if the guard is in on it or not. When they stop just outside booth 12, with one of them turning to face the guard, it's clear they're not in cahoots with the establishments people. 

With a sudden lunge, one leaps into the booth and lands with a heavy thud on the stuffed chair where the illusion sits, having attempted to tackle the illusion, while the second one has lept onto the heavy wooden table, a sack with something heavy in it swung, sweeping through your illusions head.  The last stands ready to react....and then very quickly realizes something is amiss. 

Meanwhile, on the far side of the 2nd floor in one of the other booths, Jahren notices a table with two people at it, an obvious thug, though well dressed, and another man that looks like a well to do merchant.  Except of course that he's casting a spell.  

The sudden attack draws the attention of all of the guards in the place, as well as drawing a yelp from a lady dancing on the tables....but the band is still playing. They're singing a song...

"So don't stop me now don't stop me....'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time...." 

What do you do? 

Jahren just calmly shakes his head at the effort of run of the mill thugs.  He has been here before.  At least they have a spell caster, and Jahren doesn't want to mess with that, not knowing who else is about.  "Come, FinFin" he whispers, just to ensure FinFin does not resist his Dimension Door.  Teleporting 500ft straight up with FinFin in tow, Jahren ever so briefly thinks of just how many times he has had to do this as his stomach lurches a bit as he begins to fall from the sky...again.  Whipping out his favorite carpet the well traveled bard quickly recovers, then casts Invisibility on himself, FinFin and the carpet.  He whispers to his companion "now we wait and watch, it could be a long night."  "Help me watch for the merchant spell caster character, and we'll follow from above."

(he'll ask FinFin to watch other exits of need be to have full coverage and wait to track this spell caster)

     "No, wait..." Fianna says through FinFin, too late.  The view changes from the birds eye view of the farce to a much more familiar one, that of open skies.  

     FinFin hovers alongside the carpet riding Jahren and Fianna softly scolds the bard.  "If you would have left FinFin in there he could have seen who the goons talked to, who they met with... " There is an audible sigh but then the pseudo dragon shakes itself, it's flight wobbling a bit due to it but unseen thanks to the invisibility spell.  "Never mind. Next time. Just keep in mind I can poof FinFin out of any tight spot at a moments notice if need be."

     That being said, Fianna and Jahren will quickly discuss who should cover which side of the building.  Also discuss  a time frame for watching and a rendezvous spot to regroup after a certain amount of time.  ((Lacy's?)) Then FinFin will attempt to hide and watch from up high.  Invisible or not, the instinct is just there.  

((Watching separate exits would make it hard to follow together...  Both being invisible and all.  Easy to just think invisible can see invisible but more likely they'd end up fly-crashing into each other...))

Choosing not to be lectured, Jahren just quietly and invisibly floats away from FinFin without a word to Fianna...

(Jahren makes sure to fly well over 30ft above the street in front of the establishment so no typical Detect Magic spell can find him easily.  He is likely above the rooftop heights as well.)

((The lecture was all of two seconds!!! lol))

After a moment, FinFin starts to get the feeling that he/she/it is by itself....as there are no signs, sounds, or indication Jahren has stayed around for the discussion. 

However, both of their attentions are quickly drawn to the front of the establishment where several well dressed soldiers begin ejecting whom you recognize to be the would be attackers.  They're unceremoniously tossed out.  An attempt to bribe them results in some mean stares and some "You come back, we break bones!" shouts one of the Silver Crust warriors. 

The four men take a quick appraisal of their situation, then...still being eyed by a solider standing at the door, head down the street a ways. They watch until Jahren sees the well dressed merchant / spellcaster and his escort walk calmly out of the Silver Crust and down the street to meet the men. Jahren swoops in to listen from above.  They speak in hushed tones but FinFin and Jahren hears them all the same.

The spellcaster is speaking, "....no no no....he was never here. The men we have following them spotted them over a days ride out west, heading into the forest. He was using magic to appear here."

One of the thugs, "Well...what now then?"

The spellcaster shakes his head, glancing around while he thinks, "She'll be upset, but there's nothing we can do about it. At least she knows where they are. She's going to have to let Bahedron's man go though. She doesn't want to start a feud anymore than she already has.  She keeps him and things get ugly for all of us. For now, we're done tonight. Report in tomorrow for duty." 

The men nod and the spellcaster and his escort begin walking away together as they other men all go their separate ways. 

?

     FinFin follows the thug who spoke to the spell caster.  Fianna assumes Jahren, if he follows at all, will take the spell caster so she has FinFIn go the other route.  The pseudo dragon will attempt to follow the man back to his home if possible...  And may even try to slip inside if the opportunity arises.

     Also of note, while, yes, describing what is happening to all... Fianna is doing her best to describe the people.  Hair, outfits, shape of nose, etc.  She's trying to note as many details to the others as possible in case they need to be tracked down later.

Everyone else sits around in the mystical mansion listening to Fianna's account of Jahren's run in with political intrigue in Hillsfar while they relax. 

FinFin flies off after one of the thugs. He winds his way through the streets of Hillsfar. He makes his way down an alley that has a good amount of steam and smoke puffing out into the night, the smell of hot water and fire coming from the place that seems to be a leather processing plant. The smell of bleach is mixed with other less clean smells.  He stops at the end of the alley and turns around, looking back down the alley carefully.  FinFin perches above invisible. Then he goes left and quickly ducks into a building. He's too quick for FinFin to sneak in with him.....though he emerges out the back door a minute later, and FinFin resumes her trail.  He's taken off his dress jacket and rolled up his sleeves and looks quite a bit more casual now. After another fifteen minutes he ends up in a densely populated poor area of town. He glances across the street at a busy bar, but then shakes his head and heads into another three story building. FinFin sneaks in behind him and follows him upstairs. He eventually enters a small apartment on the 2nd floor. FinFin slips in as he's taking his boots off before shutting the door. 

Inside, Fianna sees a cramped, fairly dirty apartment where this guy clearly lives alone. He begins changing out of his suit. Opening his closet she sees an unusually wide array of clothing choices.  He settles in his underpants and an undershirt and sits down in a chair.  He opens a lamp which contains a magical flame within, and pulls out a well worn story book with a leather cover and opens up the page to begin reading. 

     "Oh she's upset alright," FinFIn whispers.  "She is very very upset...  If you wish to live through this you had better report to HER in the morning.  I suggest you bring an apology... and some pastries." 

     FinFin (and Fianna through them) will stay for just a moment to see the goons reaction...  But before they get anywhere near close to finding the familiar, Fianna will dismiss him and then recall them back into existence with her.  

     "It's a cheap tactic, perhaps," Fianna explains to her audience.  "But we weren't going to get much more from watching him.  The invisibility granted by Jahren was surely about due to expire at any moment and there's only so much room to hide in such a place.  Still...  If it even gets him doubting those he works for in the least..."  Fianna shrugs.

Jahren takes note of the vigilance of the Silver Crust’s security staff and even a few faces for future interactions such as these.  He is then relieved a bit to hear that Candour should be fine.  As the thugs depart Jahren flies high again and follows the spell caster.

The look of panic and confusion on the thug's space is priceless as FinFin winks away from the apartment....dozens of miles away, and in an alternate plane of existence, a mischievous grin creeps across a pretty Fey girl's face. 

Jahren flies after the caster. He and his escort walk through the streets eventually ending up at a small shop. They knock on the door and then are admitted into the place. Its windows are boarded up and it looks deserted, but clearly is not. A quick look around shows a back door, a side door, and the front door. It's a two story building with several windows, but they're all boarded up on the outside. 

(Jezun dex saves: 16 16, pre-evasion)

Jezun, rapt with attention as Fianna narrates Jahren's adventure, sits on his hands with a big grin on his face, laughing at the right moments and also some wrong moments. When things seem dicey, he hides some nervousness. As FinFin follows the man to his house, Jezun turns to Toc (or Tic, whoever is closer) and says, "I just KNEW Jahren had strange friends!"

Tic looks to Jezun..."Oh, I'm sorry, I think you're confused. That man is not Jahren's friend. I believe he was attempting to abduct him in fact."  His blank face shows no sign of deception or sarcasm. 

Back at the shop, Jahren isn't poking around long before the door opens and a man with a bag on his head is shoved out into the front of the house.  The man shakes free of the loosened ropes tying his hands together, and then yanks the hood off. Jahren is unsurprised to see Candour, his hair sweaty and messy, a rather pissed off look on his face.  He throws the ropes and the bag on the ground angrily, and then kicks the door ineffectively.  "Bastards!" he yells.  Glancing around with sudden urgency, as if he remembered something, he quickly casts a spell. 

Jahren receives a mental message, "It's a trap...if you're not already captured, don't meet!  This is Candour!" 

Glancing around, he seems to be trying to figure out where to go next, but quickly casts another spell....another sending....and then after a moment looks like he's ready to head away in a quick walk. 

Mirica was listening the live report quietly, sipping her warm spiced milk. Even though slightly worrisome - after all, the actors here were the members of the group - it was ... useful. FinFin was safe and Jahren was an experienced spy and diplomat, they both knew what to do, still, the whole situation was troublesome. "Politicians! They have the whole house on fire yet still fighting over a barn. Disgusting!" Mirica wrinkled her nose showing how disgusting it was. "Does "her" means that those are men of that ... what was her name? Lady Thiscan? The fanatic one. She is either desperate or thinks she can get away with open assault of the mage. But most importantly, how did they know about the meeting? Another invisible spy snitching messages?"

Jahren replies to Candour in an amused tone "you look a bit frazzled, my friend.  I'll watch and ensure you aren't followed, and then we shall indeed meet."

Assuming Candour doesn't do anything to the contrary, Jahren will follow above and ensure his contact is not followed after a handful of blocks Jahren will land on top of an awning near the street, duck down, cast detect magic, then wait to ensure no invisible enemies are following Candour.  Soon he catches up and meets his contact.  "Got a place to talk free from scrying ears?"

Cobwebs hung from the corners of the rafters, their delicate threads covered in fine wood dust, making them look more like opaque brown sheets than true webs. Every corner and edge in this place was caked with saw dust and the smell of freshly cut wood hung in the air. The wood working shop had raw lumber of many cuts stacked near the back with long work benches with half-finished furniture on it. Tools were neatly arranged and carefully placed back into place, hammers, saws, clamps, chisels and all the other tools of the trade. A box of splines and another of dowels sits nearby. Candour, still looking a bit frazzled from his experience closes the last set of curtains leaving the interior in shadow.  "We're not safe from scrying, but I have a see invisible spell going, so if someone was scrying, I'd see the result."  He takes a moment to sigh, "So, I have some bad news for you and your party. Verdant Cloud reached out to Yestrel. A representative of the great wyrm arrived today for a meeting. In the meeting, the representative, who was a human by the way...she knows her audience...informed Yestrel that Verdant Cloud was apologetic on her childrens behalf and was willing to muscle them into a truce with the region. She is willing to not only eliminate their raiding, but offer their protection of the trade routes. Now, Yestrel understands a protection racket when he sees one, but....given how things stand, he was not in a position to out-right toss the fool out on her ear. The trade houses in particular were very interested in the proposal. Unfortunately the price she asked for, was not high. Particularly for Hillsfar. The wyrm wanted you and your group handed over. She said you were responsible for the murder of her child...and she wanted....quote unquote....justice.  Bahedron informed me of the meeting and expressly ordered me not to tell you of this...but...he did so with a wink and a nudge, knowing that I'm not one to always follow the rules. I'm a bit of a problem child if we're honest.  So...there you have it. Unofficial word that this offer is being seriously considered. Even those who support Yestrel would call him a fool to pass this up. A few years of respite is worth it, after all.....to this city...you and your folk are fairly unknown....and....I honestly don't know what he'll decide at this point.  All he has to do is make a deal with a devil.  He told the messenger he needed three days to decide.  You have until then to try and sway him, or....make for the hills as it were.  I think part of him was thinking this news would reach you and you'd get a three day head start to someplace else."