Ted’s cocky grin sinks as Zira expresses her disappointment. Ted tries to interject too no avail, “But mu- I mean Zira....” 

His frustration at being unable to defend himself, (and being not too subtly called out) is only poked by Gen-ga’s tirade. For the first time, a full on frown creases his face. Opening his mouth to speak, Ted knows he must choose his next words very carefully. 

“With respect, for what reason do you automatically assume that we instigated some kind of trouble? We’ve spent so long jumping through hoops for you, and we can’t be given at least a modicum of trust? Immediately you think the worst of us without hearing us out?”

Yes, as Erika mentioned, we explored the town stopping at Duncans for a drink when we got a thirst before heading back here. I think it is only natural, after being cooped up in the institute for such a time, that we would want to explore a little bit. I must say, for my part, that I very much enjoyed our time. I tried these battered cake things that we definitely couldn’t get anywhere near the institute. It was a great morale boost, which I think has was sorely needed.

We did stick together, other than Garron, who disappeared to allegedly threaten shopkeeps, which sounds pretty unlike him if you ask me. None of us have any idea where he is, as far as I know anyway, but that’s all on him.

And yes, we were threatened. We did all we could to appease them or escape, but when they took swings at Erika and Trixi we had to defend ourselves.” 

Ted leans forward, making intense eye contact with Gen-Ga

”And now we are finding out that our friends and fellow students have lost their lives. Instead of letting us mourn, you chide us about some nonsense that happened in town. Our friend who survived our friends’ death is sitting right here, and rather than comfort him, you are trying to make us feel guilty for BEING attacked. Gen-Ga, it’s about time you showed some empathy.... treated us like people and not your property......... again, with respect.”

Trixi did not intend to talk much and had little to add after others explained the situation. There was only one more thing that bothered her there. "Those who attack us in the tavern, they assumed right away that we are the expedition to the mountains. And that we carry magical items. It was as if someone sent us to that place on purpose, hoping to get our equipment or harm the Institution by attacking us." She nodded to her own words remembering dwarf's numerous threats. "You warned us about bandits on the road but we did not expect to find some in the town. Still, we got away alive and with all our stuff - Institution's reputation is safe."

Ragnar listens quietly as the other’s speak. This is not his crew, at least not yet so he grapples with wether to speak or not, but he feels that he can not let some of this pass by.

”I am not part of your crew and I do not know how much your captain allows,” he says gesturing at Gen-ba. “But if you were on one of my father’s ships, you would be whipped until your back bled heavily for such disrespect. Stand tall, accept you acted impulsively and take what punishment comes.”

Then he takes a breath and a long drink of ale and looks over at Gen-ga.

”But as I said earlier, the best crews sleep, eat, drink, piss and fight together. They will need this camaraderie if they face the same bandits I did in the mountains.”

Suspecting he has probably over stepped his boundaries with both his new crew and his captain Ragnar lapses into silence and stares into his beer, remembering the events of a few days earlier.

"Thank for your honesty Erika. My apologies for your injuries which I see are not grave thanks be the Raven Queen," Gen-ga says touching their holy symbol etched into their breastplate. "Can you explain the call for a fire to be put out? We saw none when looking for you six but Ragnar here was rebuffed by Duncan's patrons," they explain then turns to Ted. "Of all the places you could have gone why that one? Out of six taverns in this town why did you choose Duncan's," they ask their expression hard again but not waiting for an answer they continue. "Do you know who owns that tavern Dreadbane? Did you care to wonder?" They ask before going on their expression sad now. "Well, the Omnipotent run it as a base," they answer themselves letting the word sink in. The Omnipotent the party knows are a criminal organization all over Embera that are diametrically opposed to the Institute. They even trade in enslaved casters! "I will apologize for not telling you all about Duncan's in the first place but often Dreadbane your cavalier attitude makes me feel like I might as well have hung a welcome sign on the damned door," they add looking at Ted still as they speak. " I wonder though how you think we're treating you like property? To be employed by anyone any where of note you're expected to act a certain way on a job as well as have a certain amount of justifiable limits. But please tell me how have we made you feel so used? By demanding you be accountable and keep some margin of respect for the Institute when you are out in the world. By reminding you of your higher commitments or by getting in the way of this game persona you have of wine, women or men, and song? If those are your only aspirations in life I feel we've gravely mistook your talents," Gen-ga says holding Ted's eyes with theirs before he looks away at the party. "All of you are important here to the mission and to discovering what Ellyria holds stopping the spread of the Spell Plague. We ask you stick together and defend one another," they gesture to Erika, "as i understand it that was done so at least thst lesson was learned," they add with a curt nod. "There was no guilt or ill will intended by Zira. She means to look out for you all, for us," they pause to sigh loudly. "I'm not meant to discuss this but she...she lost people once," Gen-ga dares to add now. "A mercenary as well as a young sorcerer...a good friend of ours we came up in the institute with due to past careless behavior so I think your evening out stuck a nerve. She's changed much since then and I... I will not stand for anyone giving her grief. So, the real take away here is know your responsibilities and keep the Institute name in respectable territory. Oh and try not to get yourselves killed before we even get to the place that will most definitely kill you if no one has your back," they add before glancing at Ragnar, "or even if they do. Now Areon thank you for your account. Molle?" They then ask.

"It's as Erika says," Molle replies her expression unreadable.

He sure did it with Trixi. The girl looked at sudden interruption in a shape of barely familiar human and asked Gen-ga: "Is this our new superior? Otherwise I am not sure why is he present here and allowed to comment on things he did not see and judge people he does not know." She looked at Ragnar again and smiled: "Can it be that your father's methods of treating people is the reason you are not on his ship right now but far away in the mountains? Or did you find the people that shared your view on the whipping on the land too? I would rather stick to our methods, you know, because five of us walked into danger - and five returned. Where is your crew, Ragnar? "

Ragnar laughs heartily at Trixi’s comments.

”Such righteous anger,” Ragnar says.”Do you want to survive the coming dangers you will face or continue to act like a spoiled unblooded child?”

Ragnar looks Trixi up and down and laughs again.

”You survived a bar fight. And from the sounds of it, it wasn’t even that. Ran from a bar fight. Yes, that makes you a hardened warrior and gives you the right to belittle the deaths of my companions in the mountains.”

He looks around at the others.

”This one is the child. Which of you are the adults who might actually want to hear what is in the mountains?”

"Enough!" Erika says, slamming down the tankard of ale, some heat in her voice. A splash of brown ales makes a spray towards the center of the table. "We have had a trying day. We have survived a trying day. We will have a trying day tomorrow, and the day after, and more after that..."

She looks to Gen-ga, then to Ragnar. "We do not need to turn allies into foes. Candor was no fool. I saw his prowess in training. Tell us what it is you saw in the mountains, that killed him."

Ted rolls his eyes, leaning back, “This again? You’ve never thought much of me have you?  My hobbies don’t make me any less fit to be here than anyone else. Just like your hobbies of sleepy songs, prayer and witholding potentially life saving information.... oh wait.... no, that one actually does put us in danger. You really think I would just walk into a place you’ve specifically told me not to? It’s that lack of trust that I take issue with.” 

Ted stops, his mouth agape as Trixi makes him look like a saint in comparison. 

“Ragnar, I’m so sorry this squabbling has taken up the evening.” Ted can’t help but sneak a peek of Gen-Ga’s face as he tries to show that he is the most responsible in the room. The serious, yet open look on his face says ‘I’m listening’  but also has an air of the theatrical about it “Please, tell us what happened.”

Won't post edit.

"Well said Erika," Gen-ga replies. "Ragnar I don't approve of your threats of my people regardless of there intention of a lesson in respect. I wish no dishonor on your father or culture but violence is no way to garner trust or truth," the bronze dragonborn adds. Looking at Trixi they frown. "That is well out of order," they add firmly to the sea elf. "Now come let us argue no more. Should have and shouldn't blame falls on all of us. I am glad all of you came out even if we're missing Garron. I don't believe it either of Garron but the shopkeeper is telling everyone he was being robbed before he cast the man out. Now Garron is no where to be found to tell us otherwise," they add. "Let us find him shall we and get to the truth of it. After Ragnar here warns us of what we're up against," they ask rising from the table.

"We were only a day into the mountains when we first spotted them," Ragnar begins. "Shadowy shapes in the brush, never staying in place long enough for anyone to really make out who or what they were. We dismissed them as wild dogs. Keep an eye out, make a lot of noise, and keep the fires up at night. Nothing to worry about."

Ragnar paused, and took a sip of his ale, and then a deep breath.

"Simon had just called a stop so we could grab a quick bite and collect some water when it started. Davis never knew what hit her. One moment she was laughing, and then the next, three black feathered arrows were sticking out of her chest and she was dead.

"Arrows came from two sides and we saw the shadowy shapes again. We formed a tight wedge and raced up the canyon. Seamus and Aimon used their magic to give us time and to push our unseen attackers back. That was a mistake.

We thought we’d gotten away. There was no sign of any pursuit. We kept up a fast pace the rest of the day and made camp at the top of the canyon just before the pass.

Simon set the watches, and then doubled them. We built the fire up. And we drank a toast to Davis.

"We hadn’t escaped anything," Ragnar says, barely louder than a whisper. "That first encounter wasn’t a failed attack. They wanted to push us up the canyon. And more importantly, they wanted to know who our spell casters were. I guess I got lucky that Seamus and Aimon didn’t need my help earlier. I was scheduled for the last watch and was fast asleep when they came again."

Ragnar drains the rest of his ale before continuing.

"Simon Candor was no slouch. He knew what he was doing. But so did these bandits. I still think they were watching us even before we got into the mountains. Maybe even when we were here, in town. They were too well prepared.

I woke to screaming. The brush around our camp was on fire. Growling animals. And blood. So much blood.

Half our number were already dead before I stood. A part man part boar creature was bent over Aimon’s body, its tusks ripping the life out of my friend. Another gored Seamus. They went for them first. The spellcasters.

Someone was flinging magical darts and motes of fire at Candor, keeping him pinned down behind some boulders. Whoever they were, they had mages too.

There was no time to think after that. I fought whoever was in front of me. I could hear the man – boar creatures growling and grunting around the edges of the camp. Masked figures slashed their way through what was left of our party.

Most of our weapons were useless against these monsters. My axe though, it hurt them. The witch may have had me cast out, but the power she imbued in this axe for my father saved me that night," he says, casting a quick glance at Erika. "But it was too little. The savagery of the enemy was relentless. They had no interest in ransom. They meant to kill us all.

Simon and I ended up being the last ones standing. Back to back. I used every bit of power I had, but there were too many of them. I was able to draw on enough to keep their spellcasters back but the others still came.

It’s a blur after that. I was hit from the side. A tusk split my leg open from my hip all the way down to my knee. And then something hit me in the head. As I was falling I saw Simon take a sword to the stomach and then the wereboars were on him. And then blackness."

Ragnar sits quietly for a few moments and then looks around at the others.

"They thought I was dead. They just left me there on the canyon trail. If those passing travelers hadn’t come along when they did, I would have died up there too. They got me back down to Timbergrove. That was three days ago. It’s taken that long for the healers to put my leg back together."

He gestures down at the bandage still wrapped around his thigh.

"I missed the service they gave the others. But they told me it was good. The rest, or at least what they could find of them, were buried at the Temple of Ioun, on the other side of town."

He looks over at Trixi.

"So yes, you're right. The rest didn’t make it back. The rest who were as equally well trained as you didn't make it back."

Ragnar sits for a moment. The sights and sounds of the ambush still playing in his head. But then he laughs to himself. Grabs another ale from the bar and raises it in a toast. 

"Raise your glass to brave fallen friends. We will meet again. Skål"

"Faen i helvete..." Erika mutters quietly as Ragnar speaks his tale. "To the fallen, may they never be forgotten." She raises her tankard. "Skål. I am truly sorry for your loss."

She looks like she is contemplating something, and the anger that flashed across her face earlier has faded as Ragnar spoke, though an eyebrow was raised at the witch comment. She looks to Gen-ga after taking a long draw of ale. "These... Omnipotent, you called them. Could they be involved with this? From Ragnar's story, the attack seemed very targeted."

Erika's removes the dagger from her sheathe, looking at her reflection on the steel blade. "And I do not suppose you know a smith with talents in silver here in town."

Trixi raised her brows at a "real adult" outburst of a true hero, but just chuckled at Areon's remark shaking her head and leaving the human, that was raised with a regular whipping, alone - truly, what manners can you expect here? She just made a mental note to write down another paragraph about human traditions.

"Would not Omnipotent want to take casters alive? Or as least wait for the expedition to return so they could get some magic items. But it seems they went for the kill, as if not wanting people to get there. Looks like Candor was about to discover something important if those monsters protect it so fiercely". She did not need to silver her weapon - would be hard to silver magic, but still liked the idea ("silvered dagger" - even sounds pretty!) and was waiting for Gen-ga's answer too now.

"Thank you Ragnar. Truly I am so sorry for what you've endured," Gen-ga replies placing a firm clawed hand on Ragnar's shoulder and giving a solemn nod while their other hand touches again the symbol of the Raven Queen on their breastplate bowing their head in silent prayer. "No," they begin again to answer both Erika and Trixi. "We think it's a cult but no one save Ragnar here has ever been left alive to confirm our suspicions. There's rumors of course. Someone somewhere infecting poor souls with blood curses and pointing them at us. Well, at anyone really discovering new passages into Ellyria. I have never heard of them moving so close to the mountains though. They usually attack on the land between the mountains and the ruins and mages...well never did I think a mage would serve such a master," they explain to Erika. "As for the Omnipotent..." they pause with a critical look in the middle distance before coming back to the present, "I do truly apologize for not warning you off but as you have been told and learned on outings in Embera they are everywhere," they say wearily then suddenly looking up to where Zira disappeared for a moment or two they are silent.

OOC: Should we do training overviews? You'll grant me the assumption that your PC has agreed to and learned a LOT during your mysterious training but I am totally willing to answer any and all questions through PM!

"Yes, as for silvering weapons I would expect plenty of smiths here in town perform such feats. Just look at Areon's new fine armor here," Gen-ga adds their attention snapping back to the party gesturing to the handsome half-elf made even more dapper but his new elvish armor, "but it's would take far too long now and we leave in the morning," they add with a curt nod. "Now not to belittle this information or the memory of our fallen heroes but we need to find Garron," they say looking around at the party. "I will take volunteers. Everyone has a choice to be here. In choosing to stay know you'll follow orders given with the minimum of protest," they say looking at Ted first they over the party before continuing, "and most importantly uphold the oaths you've made to Holbright or please," they pause with a unreadable expression but solemn tone, "leave now and let us all see the back of you for good. We need no more arguments or division here," they add waiting for a show of hands or to hear goodbyes.

Molle abruptly stands and speaks.

"Not to disrespect our companions or say that i was misled but I feel like the tasks before us are at this time in my training and experience are insurmountable. I...I would return to Holbright's and take more time to train. I apologize to leave you now but I think to follow with this doubt in my heart is wrong," Molle speaks up after nearly an hour of silent reflection and hearing people out. "Good journey to all. I hope Garron is found as well," she adds bowing slightly before turning on her heels to leave.

OOC: Nahbois is out due to inactive and no notice. Thank you for your time and creativity.