(OOC might have posted same time as DM so may not have been noticed but Ran had told Varen what he saw and took off after the courier)

Quote from Thoradin_Orcbender >>

(OOC might have posted same time as DM so may not have been noticed but Ran had told Varen what he saw and took off after the courier)

OOC: Not to be a pest but Ran wouldn't know who the courier is he did not make the observation and Varen did not share this detail with him, Viper rolled a Nat 20 so she noticed the dude's clothes which are covered now with a dark hooded cloak. Varen did not mention the courier to him or anyone in the party. If you think Ran would run after a random person that Barrin spoke to and then left in haste then sure?

Please keep OOC only to the PM.

Kiran finds a curtain and parts it to be stopped by a closed wooden door.

Varen had just observed a bit of suspicious activity, and might have gone to talk to the courier before looking back and realizing he'd left. She hadn't seen enough to confront him.

Petal let’s out a deep sigh of relief as Kiran leaves the table, as Ran darts off she turns to Ronegan.

”What do we do? Everyone else is running around, is this normal behaviour when you dine out?”

Ronegan who had seen the exchange as well, has just taken a large pull from his bitter so it takes him a minute to respond. "Just as its in the scorpion's nature to sting, our martial friends are by nature suspicious and see threats everywhere." He will look around, and if seems like there is a lot going on and he can get away with it, he will cast Detect Magic.

"I myself intend to wait for my pie. Whatever their other characteristics, my people produce the best food in the Realm." He says, but he will still peer around intently, looking for any magical threats.

As Ran rushes out he finds that the street lit up every couple of feet by lanterns on posts. It's a fairly busy scene unlike earlier with the party arrived. The sun having set called more laborers and farmers from their harvests to town. They come in by foot or boat for a drink and some entertainment. He nearly runs into a group of men and women coming toward the inn. His sudden appearance calling attention to himself.

Ran roll perception check to find the hooded man.

Ronegan roll sleight of hand to see if he can cast covertly as people filter onto the tavern.

Perception: 5 

With Kiran and Ran away from the table, and night having fallen outside, Varen looks to the halfling and gnome. "So much for the melding of minds I had hoped for. Everyone is on a knife's edge... keep an eye out on the tavern for anything amiss." She looks at Ronegan specifically as she says that. "I'm going to check upstairs, make sure all is alright with Opal and her parents. Be back shortly."

Varen stands from her chair, leaving the half-empty tankard of ale, and walks upstairs. It's late enough, she thinks. As she is halfway up the stairs, out comes the small vial she had prepared. One practiced movement, and the liquid (still glowing purple, were anyone else close enough to see) is quickly downed. Her pupils dilate, and anyone observant enough might notice an amber sheen to her eyes, though that could easily be a trick of the lantern light of the inn reflecting off her irises - only in complete darkness do her eyes seem to glow. She blinks several times, adjusting to the new apparent level of light.

Use: Mutagen of Nighteye (60' darkvision).

Varen scans the hallway, looking for the guard on duty in front of the Royal room.

Assuming nothing is amiss with the guard on duty, Varen will quietly knock on the door, hoping to talk to Opal.

"Oh I'm quite fond of rarities... " Elavor says, sliding 5gp across the counter, discreetly at the shopkeeper. 

Persuasion: 16

Ronnie sleight of hand: 23

Petal helps herself to some more vegetable medley as she scans the room, looking for suspicious behaviour. 

perception 7

Ran has lost the man in the new crowd coming into town!

Upstairs Varen finds the female guards, Wynora and Elinor, but Pytr is decidedly absent. The guards don't hesitate to knock then announce Varen's presence but only Onyx comes into the hall and does not let Varen in the room closing the door behind him.

OOC: All the royal family are in one room whole leaving 3 for the party to sort out who's staying where...

"Yes," Onyx asks bleary eyed as if he's been crying or focused very hard. "My mother and my sister are...occupied and father is still very unwell," he adds with a solemn expression.

Meanwhile.....

"Well you're in luck," the teen says taking the gold and gesturing towards a plain bookcase. "Look over there....closely," the teen grins pointing to a normal looking shelf at this distance.

As Elavor approaches he sees the illusion disappears and reveal a small shelf of potions and elixirs. He also sees a very puffed up owl that looks quite a bit flustered by the attention. On the shelf Elavor finds a rack of five ruby red common potion of healing 75 GP apiece, a single golden elixir stopped in a leaf shaped vail Potion of Growth 275 GP, and a rack of 3 oils with several elemental magics cracking inside Oil of Elements looks like 2 fire and 1 lightning for 550 GP apiece that once applied gives a weapon 24 hrs extra d6 elemental damage granting temporary magic weapon status.

"If these were to be purchased and used a body would know not to say where they were purchased from," the teen says taking the coin Elavor gave him and gesturing over it with their hand as a whisps of shadow forms around it and Elavor sees a small fiendish hand snatch the coin from the counter before the shadow vanishes! "Or...further bad luck might be fall a body," the teen adds before calling to the owl that flutters passed Elavor to roost on the halfling teens shoulder almosts the size of the teens head itself!

Back at the inn....

Ronegan easily conjures unseen and notices a flash of blue aura from the door Kiran is now standing at blocked from Barrin's direction is abjuration while the flower pin Posey is wearing is divination.

Petal notices only hard working folk filtering in for a pint or a stew while the existing patrons seem amused by their companions nothing nefarious.

Kiran will check the door, but if it is locked he will return to his seat, watching for the innkeeper to reappear.

Resuming his meal, he speaks up quietly without looking directly at either of them, “Ronegan, Petal, you will accompany me on the same boat tomorrow, we have much to discuss.”

Petal, taking her watch duties very seriously, narrates the mundane movements of many of the locals coming in to Ronegan at a blistering speed. And that one, is ordering a drink, and those ones are talking, any of this suspicious?

When Kiran returns to the table Petal quiets herself. “Of course sir! Yes l, on the boat with you.. sounds fun! Hehe!” As Petal fidgets, her curiosity overcomes her fear. “Say, what did you think was happening with the package there? And why were you trying to get through the door. I could... help you know - I could do it in secret, turn into something small and find out whats going on in there... ”

Ran takes a deep breath and returns to the inn. He needs to stop seeing danger in every encounter or he’s going to drive himself crazy.

He heads back to the table to join Petal and Ronegan. 

While it’s just the two that he still thinks of as children he realizes this might be the only time to broach a delicate topic.

”Given your own secrets you keep, I hope you can help me with mine,” he says then pauses. “I don’t know much more than a soldier’s life but I do want to make more of myself, but, well . . .”

He stops and gestures to the bill of fate menu by the bar.

”When I look at that, I can make out about three words. I would value your help, Master Ronegan, in getting me to the point where I could read all of it, and anything else I might need to read as well.”

He then goes quiet and returns to his ale, uncharacteristically sheepish.

Kiran continues eating without response, but glances around the room before turning to stare quietly at Petal for a long moment.

"Well, I'll definitely take two of these healing potions, I'd love to get the rest, but my supply of coins isn't what it should be for such a purchase." Elavor says, sliding over the 150gp required. "And don't worry, I'll forget where I found these, right when I leave the store."  

Elavor uncorks one of the bottles, drinking it down...

7

And then, sneakily, Elavor attempts to steal the golden vial without being seen... 

23

Ronegan seems a bit distracted as Ran returns to the table, but the soldier's confession snaps his attention back. "Oh! You mean to say, you are unable.... Oh, my." He falls silent for a second, then pats the Ran on his arm as he beams at him, delightedly.

"There is no shame in bettering oneself, sir! I am honored to offer my assistance in being your guide to the beauties of the written word my friend! And I am not just speaking of the delicacies on that menu. No, indeed! There is no skill that will serve you greater. Except, perhaps, your abilities with the blade if today is to be a sign, ha ha!" He begins to pull out a little journal and hums happily as he begins devising a rudimentary lesson plan.

As Kiran comes back to the table and makes his request. Ronegan will bob his head. "I suppose this has been coming." 

Then, as Petal mentions the door, Ronegan sits bolt upright, looking at each member of the household and finally, longingly, at his half-full pint. All he had wanted was to finish the drink and eat a steak and kidney pie and enjoy the company of most of the members of this household. If Onyx and Opal were under threat, however....

Sighing, he will lower his voice. "I understand we are all on edge, and do not ask me to explain, but there seems to be a source of some magic behind the door you examined, Master Kiran. It is not dangerous magic per say... more, of a protective magic, or something that can mask, but it is dashed odd, and not something one would expect to find at an inn in a crossroads town. It is...unsettling."

Ran nods to Ronegan but quickly drops the topic in front of Kiran.

He looks over at the door Ronegan has mentioned. 

"I suspect, you might find more of this in crossroad towns than you would think," he says. "Our host may just have a large chest full of silver he wants to keep safe from thieves."

Looking at Kiran he adds, "and tax collectors."

"And what's keeping Elavor? We need to discuss what happened today."