[Eikan Empire]Ira - IC

[Sen isSaqqara]

As what was a beautiful fall day draws to a close, you find yourself in the small rural town of Innesh. It is a tiny community: a few dozen houses fill one half of the settlement; another quarter is made up of shops surrounding a small market square; and the last quarter is made up of workshops and storage sheds. The surrounding countryside is covered with large, sprawling farms. The town has one small inn, the Shining Pendant. It is getting dark, perhaps you should find a place to stay the night.

[Hazuki]

Ira has a small smile on her face as she walks through Innesh, her cloak's hoad pulled down and billowing behind her. She'd always loved small settlements, they were just so kooky! She holds a pellet of liquid sunlight in her left hand, letting it give light as she turns her attention to the Shining Pendant inn. "This seems like a lovely place to visit!" She announces to herself, pocketing the pellet and rapping lightly on the door.

[Sen isSaqqara]

As you enter, the innkeeper rushes over from the bar to greet you. "Welcome to the Pendant, best (and only) inn in town! How can I help you, friend?"

[Hazuki]

Ira regards the innkeeper curiously, tilting her head to the side. "I was wondering if there was a room available." She says, with a smile tilted like her head.

What's his/her race? Ira don't be trusting humans. :smalltongue:

[Sen isSaqqara]

Ah, yes, sorry.

The kith innkeeper smiles. "Of course, or course. Will you be staying by yourself, or are you expecting friends?"

[Hazuki]

"Just by myself for now, thank you." Ira responds, her smile warming up some as she lets her eyes travel over the room they're in. "I plan on staying until the next merchant caravan passes through. Will that be okay? Do you know when the next one will pass, perchance?"

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Oh, you just missed it. Luckily for you the next one should be coming through mid next week." replies the innkeeper. "Here, let's see if we can't find you a room for the night."

[Hazuki]

"I believe that's the one I got off on." Ira says with a small laugh, stepping to the innkeeper's side. "Lets. How much will it be for a room until the middle of next week?"

[Sen isSaqqara]

"One gold bit per night is standard fare, but since you're stuck here, I'll throw in free drinks each night. How's that sound?" replies the innkeeper, indicating a bar behind him, behind which stands a shortish human wearing an innkeeper's outfit similar to that worn by the kith standing in front of you. He is talking to someone through the back door.

[Hazuki]

Ira's eyes let themselves avoid the human, going back to the kind Kith leading her through the inn. "That would be just fine. It looks like a lovely place you have here." She makes note of her growing hunger, but keeps quiet until she's shown to her room. She hands the Kith a gold coin for the night, after fishing it from her pouch.

[Sen isSaqqara]

"It is. Nice and quiet most of the time." He reaches behind the front desk and hands you a room key with a wooden tag labeled '8'.
"Your room's on the third floor, at the back. If you have any problems, ask me or Rassi over there."
He points you towards the staircase, and turns to address the Saih who just walked through the door behind you.

[Hazuki]

The kith thanks her kinsman with a pleasant smile, adding the key and label to a series of beads and totems already in her hair. She pays little attention to the rest of the room; her attention far too focused on updating her map with her progress so far. Ira hops over to a seat near the fire, unfurling her map and retrieving charcoal from her pack, as she begins to scribble markings across its already doodled surface.

[Sen isSaqqara]

Your work is interrupted by a loud crash from the roof. It is followed by a loud explosion, then by a solid thump from outside the front door.

[Hazuki]

Ira quickly wraps up her map and places it back into her backpack, getting to her feet and looking around rapidly, the tokens in her hair whipping around. "What the kith was that?" She asks, mostly to herself. The kith mutters invocations, moving her hands in the air as force wraps around her form.

Casting Mage Armor.

[Sen isSaqqara]

The storyteller speaks up quickly. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may keep your attention, I have one last story to finish off the night. I ask that you disregard the noises outside as they'll no doubt end when the town guard arrives."
You notice that Rassi and a female human are moving towards the door. The woman opens it with her staff, and peers outside cautiously.

[Sen isSaqqara]

Sorry, just making the last post show up. It did that server error thing.

[Hazuki]

Ira raises an eyebrow towards the storyteller, finding her own way towards the front door and trying to peek out. Town guard? Madness. This town didn't seem like it could scrape together an armored cow!

[Sen isSaqqara]

You manage to get in a position that allows you a view out the door just as Rassi and the young woman move outside. You get a glimpse of a body lying on the ground, before Rassi returns, pulling the door shut behind him. He turns to Kavin, and begins speaking in hushed tones.

[Hazuki]

Ira shrugs to herself, letting out a a Kith-sized sigh and finding a space to sit from which she can get a view of the entire room. She points her finger at everyone who had been outside after the explosion, trying to speak to each of them from her seat, while she mouths the words. "Apologies if this is a common occurence, but I'm curious as to why there was a body lying upon the ground!" She speaks into their minds, her voice remaining upbeat.

Casting Message on everyone who has been outside and saw the body.

[Sen isSaqqara]

Rassi reacts suddenly to your message, spinning around looking for the source of the voice.

[Hazuki]

Ira raises her hand from where she sits, waving it in the air at Rassi with a smile.

[Sen isSaqqara]

Rassi sees you, and hurries over. "You saw Javin?" he asks in a whisper.

[Hazuki]

"Hello to you too!" Ira greets the human, looking him in the eye from where she sits. This human certainly seemed nervous; perhaps the man was dead? "And I did!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Hmn. That shouldn't happen in a place like this..." he replies. "Actually, I was wondering. I'm going to call the town council together tonight, we need to elect a new town watch. After what happened to poor old Javin, we'll probably need more than one person. Would you be willing to help out until you have to leave?"

[Hazuki]

Ira ponders the question for a few moments, leaning her head on her hand as she keeps looking into Rassi's eyes. "Wellll...I suppose I could spare moments of my time while I'm in this village. I can cast spells all day, you know." She winks at the human. "I'll do it."

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Thank you. I'll call you up once everyone's here." replies Rassi. "Kavin's just checking the roof and then he'll call the others."

[Hazuki]

Ira gets to her feet, standing on her chair and saluting. "Yessir!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Hey, hey, no need for that. First order of business is keeping everyone calm. Our storyteller friend over there seems to be doing a good job of that, see if he'll help us." With that, Rassi walks off to find Kavin.

[Hazuki]

Ira gives a quiet laugh to herself as she hops off of the chair, her tokens jingling as she lands softly on the ground. She looks over to the storyteller by the stage, approaching it softly but with a sure stride, working her way through the seats of the room like a cat. She raps softly on the side of the stage to get the storyteller's attention. "Excuse me?" She asks in a loud whisper so only he could clearly hear what she was saying.

[Sen isSaqqara]

You make it there just as he finishes his story, making it easy to whisper to him without being heard. He looks down to see you.

[Hazuki]

"I'd like to talk to you about town protection. It might be best if we talk in private!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

He makes his excuses to the crowd, who look disappointed. You hear his voice in your head: "I take it you are here on Rassi's behalf little pup? If you wish to speak, then you cannot get more private than this."[/QUOTE]

[Hazuki]

"Well I didn't want to talk to you while you were performing or you might mix up the conversations, stage puppet!" Ira speaks back with a small grin on her face, finding herself a seat by the stage to sit upon. "And Rassi sent me to talk to see if you want to help protect the village for a little while; the last one is, well, taking a dirt nap!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

His voice replies in your mind. "Stage puppet, I haven't heard that one in a while. You did wait for me to finish though, so I really buy that excuse. Anyway if you didn't catch my name in the beginning then you'll have to believe that I am Prothius Nightingale. I find that I'm still quite good at keeping up multiple conversations at once, especially if they use different means of communication. However if you say Rassi wants to speak with me, then I shouldn't keep him waiting."
He walks off to the bar, where Rassi is standing.

[Hazuki]

Ira nods, smiling to herself as she looks for somebody to give her the free drinks she was promised, while waiting for Rassi to send her out.

[Sen isSaqqara]

The storyteller' voice calls out in your head once again. "So I take it Rassi told you about an opening in the town watch and you just took it? Did he say anything about payment? Anyway, I might be working with you so I'd like to know some stuff about you. Like your trade, skills, and name. Also I didn't think there were still tribes around anymore."

[Hazuki]

Ira looks up, trying to see where the storyteller is in the room and twiddling one of the tokens around in her hair. "I just took it! Villages get scared easy and I have nothing else to do. I can cast spells all day, y'know. He didn't say anything about payment to me... Yes, sorcery is my trade. I am a sorcrerer. My name is Ira the Twist. I make, cast, and investigate sorcery. And there aren't any! But I study tribes for the magic they used and I like their style!" She grins as they continue their mind-talking.

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Slow down, it took me a bit to realize what questions you answered. Ira though, that's a good name. I take it 'the Twist' is your sorcerous title then? You know, you remind me of an Ira I met a few winters back. A daughter of a nice sorceress archiver. She should be around 18 now though, I should probably send them a letter." replies the storyteller.

[Hazuki]

Ira laughs loudly to herself, wandering her way through the inn in an attempt to find some drinks! "I'll slow down... Thank you; and The Twist is the name they gave me in the arcane college, it stuck. Criminy...I think that's me." The kith lightly taps her head against a table as she walks past it. "Umm...so hello again!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

You arrive at the bar just as the storyteller finishes his conversation with Rassi. The human innkeeper gestures towards the back door, and the kith heads out. Rassi turns to you. "Anything I can get you?"

The storyteller's voice echoes in your head. "My oh my. How time does fly, is that really you? Man, I remember telling you stories when your parents couldn't get you to sleep. Heck, I even taught them some stories when I had to leave. I still send them some stories sometimes, your parents are good friends. Could you ask Rassi or Kavin to get me a bucket of water and a rag? I want to get this blood off of Javin so I can get a better look at the wound itself."

[Hazuki]

"A bottle of the most expensive drink in the house, if you would. And a bucket of water, a rag, two nuns, and a flute. And I need somebody who can do this." Ira holds up her hands and wiggles her fingers, grinning all the way.

"It is me! I send them letters too, but not very often... Mostly just send them any books they'd like. I don't remember many stories, though. And comin' right up!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

Rassi eyes you sceptically. "A bucket of water and a drink it is." He pulls an unlabeled bottle from the racks behind him. "Not the most expensive, but certainly our best. Good enough?" He puts it down in front of you and pulls a bucket from below the counter, brings it over to the pump, and begins to fill it.

[Hazuki]

"Good enough." Ira says, tucking the bottle into her backpack and tapping her fingers against the table as she waits.

[Sen isSaqqara]

He pulls the bucket over to you, and hauls it up onto the counter. Reaching down, he throws an old towel into it. "There ya go."

[Hazuki]

Ira nods, picking up the bucket and carrying it out to the stage puppet. "Thank you, kind sir!"

[Sen isSaqqara]

You go out through the back door, and see Prothius kneeling by a body in one of the stalls. He gets up and takes the bucket. "Ah, there you are. If you want to stay with me and watch I'll have to ask you to stay outside the stall. Sorry if I don't really talk while I work. It's just I promised that I'd look at this guy's wounds, maybe figure out what killed him."

[Sen isSaqqara]

He finishes examining the corpse and heads back inside the inn, stopping in the doorway to talk to Rassi, who stands just inside the door. "Just as I thought, no real clues here. It looks like he was gored by beast, and the only beast I know of that could make that wound don't belong here. I should probably take a look at where the explosion happened. I should also talk to anyone who saw anything."

[Hazuki]

Ira stops her whistle mid-tune as she stands nearby. "There weren't many people who saw it I think! You'd need a boost to get up to the rooftop, though..."

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Oh I don't plan on climbing onto the roof. I've been told that they have an access to the roof in the third floor," replies the storyteller. He turns to the staircase, and begins climbing. "I've been told that this hatch leads to the attic, which should have a door leading to the roof. And even if they didn't have this then they would have a ladder." Arriving at the third floor, he opens a hatch in the ceiling and pulls a ladder down. He pulls an everburning torch from his pack and climbs into the attic.