Varen nods respectfully to Onyx. "I wanted to check in on you and your sister. See how you were holding up. If either of you want someone to talk to... You know where to find me." She begins to turn. "I won't keep you. Good night, Onyx."

Varen speaks with the guards after. "Keep a sharp eye out. I don't trust a thing about this town. Expect we will rotate shifts later tonight. Where is Pytr?"

After hearing the answer, Varen heads back downstairs, joining the table once more and resuming drinking her tankard of ale.

"Everything seemed secure upstairs. I wouldn't say that it's fine, though. Onyx is obviously worried about his father."

She speaks in a more hushed tone. "It's as if he has the wasting disease... Though he's far to young for it to be affecting him so, compared to everything I've read. I wonder if there is foul play involved, even beyond the ambush."

Varen looks around for the royal courier. "Hmm. So, there was a person wearing royal colors who had been giving our table the side eye earlier. Perhaps he was that shady figure you saw, Ran..."

Varen will then describe the courier in detail.

(DM: was the courier wearing the colors of one of the minor houses or the big kahuna house in Ospel? And any other details about him that Varen could relay?) 

Petal is glad that more people have come to the table and to fill Kirans uncomfortable silence. She takes interest in Varens thoughts on the kings health. She says in a hushed voice to Varen.

“You don’t think... someone or something might be making him ill? If there is ... I think I could find out, there were many great um... doctors I think you call them, in my circle and they taught me a little.”

Ran looks to Varen as she describes the person she saw earlier. 

"Best I could tell you was he was a man with a hooded cloak," he says. "Dark. I would be at a loss to pick out the colour."

Kiran speaks up quietly, looking around to make sure none of the surrounding patrons can hear, "The best thing we can do for him is get him to the capital as quickly as possible and reunite him with Chancellor Green."

Petal nods at Kiran nervously.

”Of.. of course sir..”

Insight: 18

Kiran turns to Varen and Ran, "I can trust the two of you to keep anyone's over excited nature getting the best of them? It would be unfortunate if someone misunderstood a suspicious person sneaking around the king."

Ronegan is about to protest further, but looking at the crusted bloodstains on his robes and feeling a deep weariness in his bones, he shrugs and instead takes a big fork full of the steak and kidney pie. It was as delicious as he remembered his favorite dish from home being. As he tucked in, he reasoned he was in no condition for another fight and if the monk didn't make a big deal out of it, then, well, Ronegan was not one to make waves. Especially when the food was this good.

As Varen rejoins them, he looks at her pointedly for a few moments, but says casually to the group, "You know, the King would make an ideal subject for a monograph on the wasting sickness. Medical case studies are a little out of my bailiwick, but I could take a crack at it. The Medical College of Ospel called my work on the History of Medicine prior to the Darkness 'an essential text.'" He smiles broadly and looks around the table for approval.

As he looks at everyone, Ronegan finally starts to sense some of the tension at the table, and he begins speaking again, more to fill the silence than anything else. "So, where's this Elavor, then, eh? The lad was late this morning too! He's a bright piece of silver, that one and knows the geography of the Realm almost as well as I. I swear though, he'd be late for his own funeral. Heh heh heh..." He trails off, and drains the rest of his bitter.

Varen looks down at the little gnome and round halfling. "We'll see. We don't want to invade the King's privacy... we can discuss this later."

Petal: (and probably Kiran because he no doubt beats this Stealth 24)

 Turning to the monk, "What do you know of the Chancellor? He's as holy a man as you, Kiran, so you must have some good insights from interacting with him."

She watches Kiran carefully.

Kiran tries to open the door but it is locked.

Meanwhile a ballsy half elf across town...

Elavor easily pockets the growth potion as the teen collects the gold. The owl ruffles it's feathers but doesn't pursue the half-elf as he leaves the shop. Elavor move quickly through the bustling streets of Grambler and rejoins his party.

Back at the inn before Elavor's return....

Varen speaks with the prince who looks consoled by her thoughtfulness.

"I will tell my sister you came Varen. I am sure we all need friends after a day like today," he adds rubbing his wounded arm that Varen sees has been expertly bandaged! "Good evening," he adds before returning inside the room and closing the door.

After speaking to Wynora and Elinor they look at one another.

"He's run off," Wynora finally speaks up. "Going on about witches....so I told him he wasn't wanted," the dwarven woman adds curtly. "Firstforges by all the powers of the Light and the elders can be trusted and for a low born dog like him to raise a sword against them....my brother died defending them as they would of done for any if us," she trails off with a set jaw as her eyes water but she doesn't cry.

Elinor touches her companions armoured shoulder.

"We could do with a breather later Varen...if you could manage it. That fine Cutgrass fellow saw us fed and watered but I wouldn't mind a stiffer drink," she says as Wynora nodes.

"Aye," Wynora speaks up brushing her nose with the back of her hand.

Varen agrees to arrange a watch and returns downstairs. She finds Elavor returning finally to discuss the day's events.

OOC: If I've missed anyone's inquires let me know. As for Kiran's insight on party members that's for them to say or deceive against his probing observations!!

Quote from Viper15E >>

 

Varen will then describe the courier in detail.

(DM: was the courier wearing the colors of one of the minor houses or the big kahuna house in Ospel? And any other details about him that Varen could relay?) 

OOC: Ospel colors, gold and red with two hands clasping a key, so yeah big kahuna, hoaloha (my friend).... 

Varen gives Elavor a wave as she spots him entering. Assuming he joins the table... Kiran, work in your response as appropriate.

"Ah, good. Pull up a chair, Elavor. We need to talk about today, now that we're all here."

She gives another glance around the room, looking for anyone paying particular attention to her group. 

Perception 16

"We haven't had a chance yet, with the chaos of getting the Royal Family to safety. But we should take a look at the evidence we have and consider who might be our biggest threats."

She removes from her satchel the ciphered letters, two bloodied strips of cloth, a piece of armor, and a ring. "When I searched through the bodies of those bandits, I found these items of note. Ronegan, you and I should take a look at these letters before I take my shift guarding the Royal Family. They are written with some sort of code... but I bet between us we can work out the cipher and figure out who might have been responsible."

Varen then motions to the cloth and ring. "One bandit was wearing the insignia of Marshfield. Another, the half-elf, wore Caelano colors, and had this distinctive piece of armor. A third, a gnome, wore the insignia ring of Turco. Three houses, all potential rivals."

"Now, were these former guards who abandoned their houses and took to banditry? Or were they active agents?"

"In addition, I saw a man in Ospel gold and red who was watching our party with interest, while you were off doing... whatever it was you were doing Elavor."

"And on top of this all, the King is not doing well. He could have the wasting sickness..."

Ran stares impassively at Kiran, not responding to his question. If wants to know something he can ask it. I’m not playing games with him, he thinks.

Varen’s information confirms a lot.

”It explains the ambush. At the very least they’re mercenaries hired for a job. That would explain the gnoll’s and the organization. Worst case they’re a united front of opposition to Firstforge,” Ran says. “But if they are actually from the three houses, the gnolls make no sense.”

He looks towards the stairs and the continues.

”And why target Firstforge in the first place? They’re not a threat. Neither Onyx nor Opal can win the tournament. The family is going because it’s expected and so they can curry favour with whoever does win.”

He finishes by eyeing Kiran again.

"If three entire kingdoms are allied against us, I fear for our chances. Perhaps they think that we can be sequestered on the other side of the Tumunzirs and forgotten about..."

Varen gives an audible sigh. "I did not expect my time with the Firstforges to have such... political aspects. And you're right. I don't know how a pack of gnolls factors in to this."

Elavor's fingers tingle with the afterglow of excitement pulsing through him as he walks back to the inn.  Whatever it is that urges him to do those type of things... he's still go it, and it feels great ... he has a grin on his face the entire walk back to the inn. 

He enters the inn, sees Varen, sits, and motions to the barkeep for a drink while she gives the group the summary as she sees it. 

Elavor's grin remains, although somewhat subdued by the information. He takes a drink of what he thinks is ale..."Hmmm, the attack seemed to be one that was orchestrated. Someone foul, to have worked with gnolls. I'd say a lone entity. And it appears they wanted us slowed in our approach to Ospel, or prevented from reaching the city at all. " Then looking over at Kiran, "I'd say some dark figure was the puppet master for this..."

 Leaning over to Ronegan he whispers "Hey about those coded letters... let me know when you start working on those, I'd be interested in the challenge"

Elavor then stretches his arms wide and relaxes his seated posture, letting out a sigh.  "Well, the night is still young. Who's ready for another round???" he says, placing his flagon down. 

Posey returns to refill the cups smiling to Elavor.

"Anything particular sir," the halfling asks smiling.

Just then Kiran sees Barrin exit the office and close the door pausing to lock it behind him.

OOC: Varen places the items out on the table for all to view?

"Any whiskeys??" Elavor says. His grin returning to it's fullness from before

(Varen wouldn't leave everything completely out and open. She would hand Ronegan the letters, then show the cloth /ring to the others but place them back out of sight once her point was made, especially before the barmaid came back) 

Ronegan will mostly listen as Varen lays out what the group knows, attacking his food with a precision and gusto that would be slightly off-putting if you all didn't know him already.

Hearing of the cipher he brightens considerably and pushes his pint to the side. "Yes! Most ciphers tend to be simple substitutionary codes. The three of us working together should make short work of it. After all, it had to be something those ruffians were able to understand. We can begin immediately after dinner. Oh, this should be capital fun."

Finishing his food and dabbing at the leftovers with a crusty piece of bread, he will add "I can't speak to the others, but I did examine the Marshfield fellow. His clothing seemed, a bit...old. I wonder if perhaps this attacks was simply a way to sow discord and distrust ahead of the tournament. It would be instructive, I think, to learn if the other houses were waylaid in such a manner, perhaps by someone wearing Firstforge colors.

Warming up now, Ronegan continues. "The other thing that struck me is that the gnolls seemed unduly interested in young Opal. Now, I know she is not the most cautious heir to have eer lived," he says chuckling, "but it seemed as though they were targeting her."

As Posey returns to take additional orders, Ronegan wiggles with excitement as he waits for Elavor to order, before finally bursting out "PUDDINGS! If you have any bread pudding cooking, dear girl, some of that would be splendid. If we are going to be exercising the brain this evening, friends, we need to make sure the belly is adequately full."

Ran smiles at Ronegan’s appetite.

”My brain has reached its limit tonight,” he says, knowing that he won’t be any help translating a cipher.

”I will take one last look around the grounds to make sure no one can climb up the royal family’s room and then I will give the guards a break.”

Ran then stands up, nods to the group, surveys the grounds one more time and if there is nothing of note he heads upstairs to give the guards a break.

Varen nods. "I'll take over in a few hours."

She looks to the others. "We are short a house guard. Pytr has departed Firstforge service. I would appreciate if two of you would be willing to help take watch later this evening."