An inn on the borderlands IC

[WalkingTheShade]

This starts in a roadside inn, without a signboard, on the borderlands.

Its been days since the last town you went through.

At day, you've been following an ancient road, overgrown with briars and weeds, supported by in your venture by the lukewarm light of an early spring sun. Under the thin light, you've seen scarcely inhabited farmsteads and huts, afar, scatered over low hills and meadows. The region suffered much during the war. You even passed a couple torched towns and ransacked farms.

At night, a rampant chill often forced you to seek shelter between the walls of a ruined home, lighting a fire, if not only for warmth, also to keep the dark at bay.

Dusk has come for some time when you notice lights on the roadside. The inn itself is surrounded by earthen walls, five feet high, with a ditch on the exterior and a talus on the inside. One passage, large enough for a carriage leads from the road to what passes for a courtyard. A wagon, laden with tens of barrels and kegs, big and small, is parked here, next to a well. On the right, a barn. On the left, a two story wooden building. You take a couple steps up, first, to a covered terrace and, then, through a large door, you get inside the inn's common room.

A few notes of music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBLyXh-7YkQ) tickle your ears as warmth from the hearth seeps slowly into your bones. In the middle of the room, stands a long table on which reigns a steaming iron pot. On the opposite side of the room, you see a counter, hiding a few kegs and barrels, and stairs to the floor above. At smaller tables, half a dozen patrons are sitting, a few playing games of chance, another singing and strumming a small string instrument, another lost in haze from his pipe, yet another visibly passed out in front of a spilled wine cup. Two young aproned maids go around, bringing plates, refilling glasses. Looking more closely, one of the maids is still a child, brown-haired and freckled, albeit a little tall and lanky for her age. The other one is fresh as a vernal flower in bloom, with long lazy curls whose shade reminds you of a fox's coat.

As you take notice of the room, a fleshy matron comes towards you, looks you up and down, as if appraising cattle, and finally barks: "Seems business's pickin' up tonight. Two silvers a night, four if you want t'eat. Rooms are that way", she points to a door on your left, "just pick an empty one. Food's on the table, meat soup, just sit there and help yourself", she points to the long table. "Ask ma girls for drink. For that you pay extra. All clear?"

You arrive in order of posting and meet around the long table at the center of the room.
It's a draft and not up to any kind of scale.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Map_01_zpszdlohayg.png?t=1452349211

[wkwkwkwk1]

A fairly discreet man covered in orange robes and sporting a carved staff quietly makes his way across the room, acknowledging the matron with a sharp nod, and sits down at the long table, in a spot from which he can see the largest part of the room. An eye with a red iris and another with a black iris and a glowing red pupil swiftly scan the room as he rests his legs and scrapes the dry mud from the bottom of his robes.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Close to the hearth, Blemir feels his strained muscles slowly relaxing. The man nearest to him is sitting in a chair on the left of the fire, back to the wall, his face hidden by melting smokes, both from a pipe he's smoking and that from the hearth left undraged by the chimney. When Blemir's gaze sweeps the room, the smoking man seems to be the only one to notice. Blemir distinguishes what he thinks to be a nod, as the man exhales some pungent smoke. He wears fur and leather that doesn't look like local garb, or peasant clothing.

I guess, Blemir'd get the best view by sitting back to the counter, near the hearth. Marked it on the map in Blemir's color (also indicated where the hearth is).http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Map_02_zpsbdbjtuzp.png

[fyleisch]

"A figure cloaked in shadow, his face invisible in the darkness beneath his hood, except for a single glowing eye - redder than the nine hells!"
That was the description the farmwife in the last village gave him, anyway. As well as undead, the Pelorean clerics were always on the look-out for fiendish incursions, and they'd pay well for information about a devil in our midst.

The reality is massively disappointing. It's just a bookish-type with an unusual eye; a quirk of nature, or perhaps a cosmetic glamer. If nothing else, the orange robe was proof that the man bore no evil intent - no wicked being in the history of the planes wore orange.

Vincent closes the door behind him, trying desperately to think up a way of profiting from the weeks-long pursuit, and failing. The only thing left to do is to indulge as many vices are available in the small inn, an establishment apparently too remote and ill-frequented to even warrant a sign.

"Girly! Girly!" Vincent shouts, sitting down at the room's central table. He gestures to the young serving-girl, pulling a platinum coin from his pocket.

"I'll trade you a magic trick for a free bottle of wine!"

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir replies with an equal nod and then, reminding himself that he has a facade to keep, he moves over to the man and motions for permission to sit down.

"Good evening. I would offer you a drink, even though I don't drink myself, but I am on my last few silver coins myself. Are you a traveler like me?"

He inspects the man's clothing and boots, to see if they are mud-soaked and well-worn, as one would expect from a traveler.

Only then does he notice the entry of the new man, also a traveller for certain.

A man skilled in both persuasion and stealth. A quiet entry followed by a powerful presence.

[Ryuuk]

"All clear. The room and the meal will be welcome." The large man fidgets through his pockets until he produces four silver. He lowers his hood, revealing short blond hair and a pale complexion, before continuing. "If I may be so bold, I am a servant of the Far Wanderer. If you or your clientele could use my services, I would be glad to offer them." Isaac hands the matron the silver, along with a smile and a nod. "I'll take a seat, excuse me."

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
The curly young woman smiles to Vincent, goes behind the counter, grabs a bottle and comes to the table. Her bossom brushes lightly against Vincent's shoulder as she bends to make her face level with his. "Magic?", she says, raising a curious eyebrow. Her eyes are green, her cheeks flushed from work and hearth fire, her smile mischevious. "Here's that", she waves the bottle lazily in the air. "I love tricks, specially if they're magic tricks, but if I start givin' bottles for free, Ma's gonna smack me on the ear so hard 'till I roll over the ditch". She straighten's up, still waving the bottle in the air, mouth pouting, "so that'll be three silvers, a'right?"

Blemir
The man seems a bit surprised by Blemir's introduction. He waves his pipe towards a chair not far. "I couldn't forbid you from taking a seat wherever you fancy. I'm also partial to the occasional drink, however forced I am to admit to a belly ache I'd rather not expose to more unnecessary trials. I could offer you a smoke, if that's your poison. It soothes the soul."
Seen from up close, Blemir distinguishes a gaunt face, a bushy beard, scruffy and tangled graying hair, a leather string around the neck. The string's weighted by something that disappears under the man's collar. Blemir is certain there's some sort of holy symbol there. The boots are well-worn but the mud's been removed from them as best as can be. The man might look unkempt to a less inquisitive eye, but to Blemir it seems clear the stranger takes a great care to stay clean while on the road. A follower of the Old Faith, maybe even one of their priests. From what Blemir knows, they're a rarity in these realms.

Isaac
"Afar Wand'rer? Who's 'at? God of tramps and such? Well you can give a prayer t'him so that every traveller comes 'round here has pockets as deep as yours and pays in advance. Always 'preciated, that is." The matron gives a lopsided smile. For all her efforts to seem nice, her smile makes Isaac uncomfortable for some reason.
Isaac has entered in time to hear some patron calling to a serving girl, promising a magic trick. Isaac sees the girl, her back to the patron, roll her eyes to the ceiling, before affecting a smile as she turns round.

You're now sitting at the same table.

[fyleisch]

"Fine," Vincent grunts, slipping the platinum coin back into his pocket and pulling out a handful of silver coins instead. He slaps four of them down on the table.

"Bring me a stoppered bottle of water, as well as the wine."

Vincent notes the arrival of the man behind him with disinterest, and to satisfy a point of curiosity, begins staring at the orange-robed figure sat at the other end of the table, trying to work out if his red eye is a birth trait, or an illusory affectation.

[RolandDeschain]

A diminutive figure in a well cared for grey travel cloak enters the tavern. Sighing audibly, "Ahhhh" welcoming the warmth of the common room, she pulls back her hood revealing long auburn hair, elven ears, and amber eyes.

Bending to tend to her muddy boots, Tia furtively scans the room, taking note of the growing number of travelers.

In response to the large woman's declaration of food and rooms, "Here are four silvers, I would like to claim a room before I eat."

[ZamielVanWeber]

A sizable elf strolls in the front door, his features hidden beneath a cloak. "This place should do. It is warm at least," he mutters. He nods to the marm, and proceeds to the large table in the center of the room. "Gentlemen," he says, acknowledging the other patrons at the table.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir declines with a slight shake of his head, and charges once again,

"Have you been away from the road for long?"

He notices the other patrons entering, but decides to feign that he didn't see them, at least for now.

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent, Isaac
The young woman looks confused for a few heartbeats. "Stoppered bottle o' wha..." However, seeing the gleam of silver, her smile comes back. As Vincent slaps the coins on the table, she's quick to advance her hand, brushing his fingers while looking into his eyes. She slides the coins in a pocket of her apron, starts a motion to uncork the wine bottle, when... "Hold there, lass! You ain't gonna open a bottle of that piss on my watch or I ain't no Paulander no more..."

The man speaking is sitting not far from Vincent, at another table where three other patrons and him are playing cards. The Paulander seems fit and well built, wears a crimson doublet and black leather. On the back of his chair are suspended a whip and a wide brimmed black hat. Clean shaven, rough features. Short sword, in scabard, set on the side of the chair. "Say lass, why don't you open up a bottle of the good stuff, the one I brought? These gentlemen are world savvy travelers, parched, I'm certain, gentlemen who, I'd venture to say, appreciate every rare and fine thing life can offer. I see my friend here's from the city. No bottled water for you in these parts and my mules wouldn't drink from that well outside. My other friend there seems to appreciate good food as much as he appreciates a good drink. What says you, friends? The next bottle's on generous Yvan Paulander! Bring, say, a bottle of white lass, yes, the white for starters." The serving girl gives a dry smile. Without a word, she goes back behind the counter to fetch another bottle.

"Friends, in your travels, be certain to mention my family's name. Wherever you're offered whatever that is they call wine in these parts, mention Paulander wine. My brothers and I, each on his own, we go through this country selling the best wine there is, southern wine, from where the sun shines on all days, springs are sweet and even winter is mild."

Tia
"Ain't that a good mannered girl! Choose any room you fancy and eat your stomach's fill. If any o' those men bother you, just you tell me so I smack them on the ear. Bunch o' drunks and bandits... That clear?" As she makes the silver disappear in her dress, the matron gives Tia what a wide grin that could easily be mistaken for a snarl.

Behind the door the matron pointed to is a corridor with wooden doors on both sides. Tia's eyes swiftly accomodate to the half light. Some doors are ajar, others closed. Maybe a dozen small rooms in total. Through the open doors, Tia sees that each room has a hay matress on the ground, heavy blankets and a solitary chair. Yet, the rooms look clean enough and don't smell.

The corridor goes southward, six rooms on each side. Just pick one, and we'll say it happens to be free. See the map at the bottom.
Aradheldir
"What's up with you elves? Is there a whole nest o' you outside I ain't seen before? Your friend, she payed in advance, at least."

Vincent, Isaac, Aradheldir
When Aradheldir gets to the table, the men there seem to be already in a conversation with a patron sitting at another table. The one who was talking turns to the elf: "Ah, another friend! Greetings, indeed. And I've always heard elves have the finest tastes. Name's Yvan Paulander. Please have a drink with us, to my health and my family's venture!"

Three other men are sitting at Yvan Paulander's table. Two are clearly soldiers, wearing mail hauberks, matching tabards of blue and red, their steel helmets left on the side of the table. One looks absorbed by the playing cards he has in hand. The second seems impatient with Paulander, staring at him while grinding his jaw. The third man is dressed in fine clothes, sports long hair and a trimmed beard, holds his cards with gold ringed fingers, and is staring with intense curiosity at Aradheldir.

Earlier, Vincent noticed that both the long haired man and the impatient soldier intently watched the elf lady while she crossed the common room.
Blemir
"Well, you are a blunt one, aren't you? I would usually opt to answer something along the lines of: shorter than some, longer than you. However, I have this feeling you're of that breed of dogs that doesn't let go once they bite on a subject." The stranger gives a sly smile, but his tone was complimentary. "I arrived here this afternoon. Before that, I was on road for..." He drags on his pipe. "Well, I have lost track of that. Must be weeks I haven't been under a man-made roof." He exhales. "Now that we're better acquainted, and recognize each other as equally blunt persons, I must admit I wonder about your unusual features. In my travels not once have I met someone with such peculiar eyes. Have you been with them for long?"

I made some colored smudges wherever I guessed each character is:
http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Map_03_zpsnsdlunpc.png

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir smiles slyly back.

"I'll take that as a compliment. I see you're a sharp one, eh? To answer your question: since I was born, if my parents are to be believed. I think I've got some fiendish blood on me. An ancestor of mine probably got lucky with a succubus or somesuch. Where were you headed?"

[fyleisch]

"I'll take the piss for later," Vincent says, relieving the girl of the bottle and slipping it into the pack at his feet - he'd paid for it after all.

"Praise the generosity of the Paulanders!" he cries loudly.

As Vincent cheers his new benefactor, he looks up, seeing the new arrival.

"So many elves tonight, reminds me of my mother's sewing nights."

Although his tone is light, Vincent hasn't overlooked the attention the new elven arrivals are getting. He's dealt with creatures of the night before, from a safe distance, and he knows what a predator looks like. He gives the long-haired man and impatient soldier a long, probing look, trying to gauge their intentions.

Vincent wonders if this feeling is his instincts giving him a warning, or if it's just his paranoia speaking.
Does he develop a hunch that the two men have dangerous intentions?
[roll0]

[Ryuuk]

Isaac attempts to shrug off the remark and oddness as he goes to a seat. He can't help but feel that this is a scene he would see many times, in many forms, on the long road ahead. May your stars make this a prosperous night, for the mother and her girls' sake. Not so much a prayer as good wishes, perhaps at midnight, in proper meditation under the stars, he could make a proper supplication.

It seemed to be shaping up at least. He leaves his pack by his chair and serves himself a bowl, mentally debating the portion, before finally sitting down and letting his legs rest. "To the Paulanders!" He raises a hand in a jovial gesture, joining in. As others arrive, he greets them in turn and moves aside to make sure there is room on the table.

For now, he just listens, seemingly focused on his half full bowl as he takes in the mood.

[RolandDeschain]

"You're most kind mistress."

As she makes her way back to the rooms, she hears the matron's greeting to Aradheldir and pauses to look back noting her use of the word "friend".

Quickly pacing to the end of the hall, she discerns that all of the rooms are nearly identical, somewhat crude, but obviously well attended to.

She retraces her steps, and enters the first room on the right off of the common room(room 1), tests the matrress with her toe, and sits down on the chair to remove her boots and briefly massage her feet.

After a few minutes of tending to her pack and freshening up, she returns to the common room carefully selecting a seat next to the elf that entered earlier.

"Greetings gentlemen. How's the stew?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Lucky, with the devil? Well, I guess I still haven't heard everything there's to hear." He starts with a slight chuckle and finishes with a dry cough. "As to where I'm headed, well, nowhere, really. I'm from this here country and just cross it this way and that as is my fancy. See the farmers, help them with their beasts or sick children, celebrate the odd wedding, say a few words for the departed, sleep under hedges, barns or branches, that's more or less my lot and I can't complain about it. Ugh..." The man is grimacing. "Sorry, belly, again... So, well, I'm pretty much headed nowhere. What brings you to these parts? And where are you headed? No, wait, more importantly, where's your heart headed, young man?"

Isaac
The stew looks... Well, the stew... The stew smells, but Isaac can't quite place it. There's some kind of meat. Onions probably, there's always much onion. Some spices? Some local herbs? To plunge the laddle in the iron pot, Isaac must first vanquish a scandalous layer of fat and gristle that's coalesced on top. Beyond that, the stew looks... it looks, well dull grey-brown. Probably over-cooked. It's not that it looks bad. After a couple days without food it certainly would look like a king's meal. It's just that it looks... underwhelming?

Tia
When Tia comes back to the common room, the loud man who was talking when she passed first waves to her: "m'lady! I got heartbroken thinking you'd gone to bed without spending some times with us ruffians, but seeing you back is like seeing the sun shine at midnight. Do us the honor and join us for a drink."

Vincent, Isaac, Aradheldir, Tia
While the elf lady comes back, Vincent sees again how they both watch her, and by the way long-hair smiled, elbows the soldier and whispers in his ear, Vincent guesses it's just a common form of lust and lewd jokes. None of it looks dangerous, for now, but after a few cups, who knows what could happen... Vincent knows well how drunk soldiers behave. The way long-hair looked at Aradheldir seems to be genuine curiosity. Vincent realises long-hair is quite young, and maybe a bit childish in his manners.
Yvan waves to the older serving-girl: "Lass, we'll need a second bottle of white... oh, and while you're at it, lass, pour some from a keg of red, so that it breathes while we drink the white."

Both serving-girls affair themselves at your table. The younger one doesn't say much, just a "sir" here or "ma'am" there, while she puts earthen bowls and pieces of black bread in front of each of you. She watches either her feet or the table while doing so, trying to avoid eye contact. The older one places cups and fills them with white wine. When she gets to Tia's cup, she pours a little too forcefully, the cup tips over and wine spills; some of it on Tia. "Gods, m'lady! I'm so very sorry. I'm such an idiot sometimes."
... both hear a discreet but annoyed sigh by the younger serving-girl.
"Hey lass, keep your hand steady or you'll be the ruin of poor Paulander one cup at a ti..."
"Damn you, Paulander, stop... just stop stalling and play your card!", yells the impatient soldier, while slaming his fist on the table.
"Hah, can you believe that man, friends? Why such a rush? See, my three opponents have been a tad unlucky..."
"You won every round!"
"... a tad unlucky, but I'm sure that by being patient, and giving it time, I'm sure Lady Luck will smile to them again."
Paulander turns back to the card game.
With a better look at the soldier's colors; they're the colors of a local noble. Some kind of baron.
Vincent, Tia
Taking advantage of the ruckus, the older serving-girl bends next to Vincent, brushes against him, starts pouring his cup and whispers to his ear. Tia overhears her.
"I'm Marta... And Ma, she doesn't need know everything... I'd love to see a trick or two later... maybe when every one's asleep..."

Who drinks? How many cups? For each cup, take a cumulative -1 on one mental stat, player's choice.

Fluff effects, if you wanna roleplay them:
-1 INT: memory is... is... is... what was I saying? What's your name again? Where's my boot?
-1 WIS: discernment is for the weak, I tell you... tell you ALL, I AINT DRUNK and I CAN juggle with knives.
-1 CHA: f*** sociability, stop lookin' at me funny, leave me alone, I ain't in a mood for fun and talk.

Of course, you could go any combination: -2 WIS and -3 CHA giving something lacking both discernment and sociability, like insulting every patron present then moving out and climbing on the barn roof to continue drinking there by yourself (well, maybe an extreme example, but you get the gist).

Starting at five cups, FORT save DC 5+number of cups to avoid being graphically sick or passing out, player's choice. You can use the [rollv] tag to roll an array of saves at once (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?360837-This-is-how-you-use-the-Dice-Roller).

One cup's effect disappears after each hour spent without drinking. Two cups for each hour spent sleeping or passed out. FORT save DC 5+number of cups on the morning after or be sickened (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#sickened) for the rest of the day.

That's just for fun, don't bother with the bookeeping if it's too annoying: in that case, your character drinks as much as they're fine with and wakes up fresh the day after.

You can keep track of the mechanics in the OoC thread so we don't pollute alcolize this one.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir's red pupil seems to shine more intensely for a few moments.

"Well, using 'getting lucky' as a figure of speech, naturally. Now, you ask where my heart is headed? Wherever there is knowledge to be had. Whatever form it might take. Hence why I am conversing with you, instead of joining the celebration over there. Seems like there is more alcohol than knowledge to be had on that table, and there is not much in the ways of alcohol. Maybe tomorrow they will prove to be more level-headed. For now, I am simply roaming this side of the world, getting odd jobs done and the like."

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Ah, yes, a young and vigorous quest for knowledge. I guess I should feel honored that you seek it with this old man here. Knowledge... knowledge, that's a good thing, maybe the best of things if, I say, if one can put it to use. Well, not to sound like an old crank, even then, sometimes, we all must admit that certain occurrences are beyond whatever we know yet or will ever." He drags on his pipe. "Sure you don't want some? Anyway, well, just sitting and watching people can bring some insight. Look at that loud man over there, offering wine to whoever comes. What is his deal, do you think? Why do you think he is so profligate with his coin?" He exhales.

[wkwkwkwk1]

He shakes his head again slightly.

"Thank you very much. I tried it once and barely made it out with my lungs in their place."

He looks intently at the man.

"He looks either like he's had his share of cups, unless that is his sober state. If so, I pity him. He looks like a man who wouldn't turn down a good scuffle. And he looks like his temper would quickly drop should he start to lose. A drunk, sore loser, faster of tongue and fist than of brain, to put it simply."

He doesn't answer the old man's last two questions, since he doesn't have an answer to them.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Ha, the folly of youth! Quick to pass judgement from what jumps to the eye! No doubt or remorse..." The man beams a smug grin. "Well, I've been in this room a bit longer than you, I had a little more time to observe... or maybe age has worn me to the point of patience. I digress. The man has been constantly winning against his opponents at cards. Is he smarter? Luckier? A better cheat? Who knows? I don't. Well, doesn't change much. He's spending the monies he's won until now. He might make a couple enemies tonight, but he will also buy a few friends. And maybe one of those will remember his name, mention it in another town, and maybe that, in turn, will help him and his people in their wine trading ventures. That's a long-shot, but why not? He's having his fun and winning anyways. But it's a long-shot. So there's surely something else... you might yet figure it out." Blemir thinks that the man's smile can grow no smugger or wider, lest his face splits in half. Seems the wine trader isn't the only one having fun tonight.

[fyleisch]

Vincent accidentally inhales some of his wine at the serving girls whisper. After recovering, his eyes narrow, and he becomes instantly suspicious. He's never this popular with women, and he hasn't even told her that he's a vampire hunter yet, or about his tortured past, or given her the "I am the night" speech.

Vincent has lost too many dice rolls, and tracked too many fair-but-foul creatures -not to mention fair-but-foul damsels- to feel anything but caution for unsolicited attention.

Instead he finishes the rest of his wine, and slides down the table, sitting opposite the sturdy looking cleric across from him. He fiddles in his shirt to pull out the symbol of Pelor he wears around his neck, and smiles at the robed man.

"Ah, a cleric of..." he peers at the man's own holy symbol. "Flergl.. Hiery... who do you worship anyway?"

Vincent will make small talk with the cleric, if he proves friendly, while drinking his wine slowly as not to outrun the generosity of the Paulanders, eventually taking -3 to Wisdom.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Aradheldir barely avoids coughing up the first sip of his drink. He decides that he should switch over to something milder when he is done, should that something exist. Humans are a strange folk. He smiles demurely and nods his hair at the long haired woman. He is not used to being noticed and this occasion is no different.

After a few moments Aradheldir grabs a bowl and ladles some soup in, only to discover the spices to be overpowering. What in the name of the Seldarine did the cook do to this? Have these humans never heard of subtlety, poise, grace, or even half-measures? He would leave if it weren't getting on late. He pinches the bridge of his nose and quietly mutters "By Corellon this will be a long trip. But maybe..." He glances over to the fellow fire elf who came in after him. Maybe she will be amenable to civilized conversation?

He waves to her in an attempt to get her attention.

[Ryuuk]

Isaac finds himself stirring the stew in his bowl more then eating it. It was paid for though, there was no point in leaving it. It occurred to him that he was going to grow to miss Father Sagan's cooking, quaint as it was. Still, this would explain why the elder brothers always knew he'd never traveled as they had, maybe even why they weighed little more than half of what he did. He takes a deep breath, smiles, and downs a cup of wine. This would be his life now.

He keeps most of these thoughts to himself, a meal was a meal. He turns to the elven woman, "It's fine, after so long on the road, it sits well." A white lie, maybe, but little would come of pointing out that it could be much better.

He leaves the card players to their games, simply hoping that dear Paulander knew what he was doing. He notes the colors, and tries to place them until the question of faith comes from the Pelorian. He smiles, and gives a soft chuckle, drawing his own symbol. "I'm a follower of Celestian, the Far Traveler and brother to Fharlanghn. The lesser known, but more widely traveled of the two, if you ask me." He welcomes another cup from the serving girl as he speaks, but knows he'd best not drink much more at this hour. "Fharlanghn follows the roads by day, but Celestian takes to the nights unknown." He takes another drink.

"Though perhaps now is not the time to proclaim favor of one god over another, rather not anger those of others faith." He speaks lightheartedly, half joking. "Just glad that the roads are safer now. Are you heading anywhere in particular friend?"

-1 Wis, -1 Cha from the wine so far.

[RolandDeschain]

As auburn-haired elf approaches the table, noting the other elf's wave. She laughs at the boisterous man's comments and merriment, "You cut to my heart good man. I have a weakness for flattery. But...alas, flattery is akin to perfume, intended to be smelt not swallowed. Food first. Drinks latter...if, of course, the offer still stands when I've finished my meal." With a devilish smile and nod she takes her seat, next to Aradheldir.

Grabbing a bowl she ladles herself a healthy portion of soup, smiling at the large man's recommendation. As he speaks of Celestian, the Far Traveler, she takes a large spoonful of soup and instantly sits up straighter with a rather intent expression on her face. Those nearby can tell she's clearly struggling to swallow. Quickly she recovers her poise, leaning back over the bowl for a somewhat smaller spoonful. Turning to the man(Isaac) with a rueful chuckle and whispers under her breath, "I confess, I was unfamiliar with the expression 'sits well', but I do believe I've discerned your meaning. You've a courtier's manners sir."

Speaking to one of the serving girls, "My compliments on the fare. Indeed a warm welcome at the end of a long day, and it....sits well."

Leaning towards the elf, "One wonders why they bother with the food at all? Might as well just gargle the spices and seasoning."

To all seated near her, "Greetings all, my name is Tia."

[fyleisch]

Vincent's eyebrows knit together at the cleric's question.

"I was tracking him!" Vincent drunkenly levels an accusing finger at the red-eyed, orange-robed figure sitting nearby. "-but he turned out to be just a man, and not a devil as I'd hoped. The bumpkins out here wouldn't know a fiend from a fowl!"

"Charmed," he replies to Tia. "I'm not going to try the stew myself. I always avoid food introduced to me as 'meat'."

"I'm Vincent," he says to both the elven newcomer and the cleric, before taking a swig of wine.
"I once tracked a fiendish fowl you know, it was a pretty ticksy creature. Tricksy and deadly."

[Ryuuk]

Isaac

Given the Tia's reaction, perhaps being straight with the stew may have been for the best. Rather sheepishly, he adds, while scratching the back of his neck. "Well, a long day and an empty stomach are some of the best seasonings, and when there's nothing else..." He was glad she took it in jest.

He turns to the apparent tracker of fiends. "All things considered Vincent, I'd think there are worst outcomes than not running into a devil. I would not look forward to such a meeting, at least. Sounds like you're pretty keen on such encounters though."

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir seems to think on the man's words.

"Of course; given my lack of experience, I could very easily be wrong, I will admit. What other wisdom could you offer me? The demand is high and the supply is sparse, these days!"

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table
The foxy woman looks with surprise and embarrassment as Vincent has a drinking accident. The younger girl sneers first and then has to press both hands on her mouth to prevent herself from laughing out loud.
She's laughing more at the older serving-girl's expanse than at Vincent's.
The long haired man returns the nod to Aradheldir, beams a smile and promptly declares: "my dear friend, just let me finish this round", while waving a handful of cards.

Everyone
Once her fit of laughter has passed, the younger girl comes to the long table, a bowl in hand and fills it with stew. She then goes behind the counter and takes the stairs up, bowl in hand.

For a time, the guests at the long table keep conversing. The two men by the hearth continue their debate behind a haze of pipe smoke. The singer finishes a song, takes a drink and starts a new one. The card players go on with their game, with a few hurrahs, rising bets and a lot of teeth grinding. The man passed out in front of his cup stays still, giving a snore from time to time.

The younger serving-girl comes down from the stairs, bowl in hand, and goes to the Matron.
The bowl is steaming, it must be still full.
Tia overhears girls talking to the matron, "still won't have any", then the matron's reply.
"Can starve herself for all I care. Bring that to t'boy."
The younger serving-girl exits the common room by the main door, into the evening dark.

Blemir
"Well, let's figure that out together. First, let's have a look at the card players. One we know as the boisterous, and maybe slicker than meets the eye, Yvan Paulander. What of the three others? What do you know, already? Those three seem to know each other. What do you think is their relation?"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia chuckles, "The stew's fine, if a bit overpowering for my taste...sir" She keeps eating while watching the serving girl returns from upstairs still carrying the full bowl.

"Looks like you're not the only one not eating tonight Vincent. Seems someone upstairs found the stew to be fiendishly foul."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"They haven't talked much yet. I'd say they might be travel companions for a while now."

[fyleisch]

Oblivious, or perhaps uncaring of the insult he's just dealt the poor serving girl, Vincent is pleased to be distracted by the fire elf.

"What kind of meat is it anyway?" Vincent replies to the elf, "Anything you recognize? Pork? Chicken? Dog?"

Vincent breaks conversation to lean over and catch the singer's attention. "Minstrel, do you know any songs about the war? The land around here has been torn up by it, I'd like to hear a song about it from one who's felt it at their heels. A sad song perhaps, or a dramatic one?"

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long-table
To those eating the stew, the meat might be... it's hard to say. The meat's been over-cooked, its consistency more akin to leather now. Spices and herbs cover much of the actual meat taste. It might be pork; certainly not dog or rat.

The singer turns to Vincent. "Many songs I know. Songs of love, a-plenty, some sad, some happy, some lewd. Songs about heroes and songs about villains. Some about slaying dragons and many about tragedy in the hands of gods. A few I know are about war. None of those songs, however, can be properly sung with a dry throat..." He raises an eyebrow with that last sentence.

Blemir
"Do you think that's it? Yet, two sport the same simple uniform, and one wears fine clothes and golden jewelry. Do you think each of the three equal?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Oh, I see what you mean. Well, they could be subordinates, then? Might even be mercenaries."

[fyleisch]

Vincent pulls the wine bottle from his pack and unstoppers it, refilling the singer's cup. He also slips a silver piece onto the table in front of him.

"Sing, then. Sing of the war."

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table
The singer gives a grave nod. "This, is a serious and dramatic song. It's been sung in dwarven millennia after millennia. A song of love lost, betrayal by kin and then civil war, pitting brother against brother and father against son. It was translated for us by an artist who died forsaken. Some even say the very song is cursed. This, here, is a saga... the saga of Higli Dumathoinson..." The man starts singing a slow introduction to what seems to be some epic poem.

The card players finish their game, with a smirk from Paulander and one soldier standing up and kicking his chair. The long-haired man puts a gentle hand on the soldier's shoulder. "Master Paulander is a talented opponent. Maybe we should take a break before the next hand." As Paulander is already ordering another couple bottles, the long-haired man comes to sit in front of Tia and Aradheldir. "I should apologize for the rudeness of my staring, earlier. I confess I have never met one of your folk before. I have heard many tales of their prowess with the arts and the occult," now looking into Tia's eyes, "and many more tales of their dangerous charms and unearthly beauty."

Blemir
"Or a lordling and his guards, what do you think?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Well, yes, or that. I might have figured that specific out if I knew anything about the nobility. Or if I cared for them, even."

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Do you think I care much for them? You asked for such wisdom as might be found here... Well, I don't have much more to give." The stranger drags on his pipe. "The name's Gael. What's yours?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

"I meant in relation to the nobility in general. I will make no guess as to whether you care for them or not, but knowledge does not imply empathy. My name is Blemir. Blemir 'Redeye', as most have taken a liking to call me."

[RolandDeschain]

Tia chuckles lightly at Vincent's words, "I believe this was once pork, but I can't be certain."

As the singer begins the first lines of his performance, she turns to listen forgetting her soup becoming quickly enthralled with the song. To Vincent,

"Better fare than the soup for sure. I shan't question your 'tastes' again my friend."

As the long haired man takes a seat across from her, she gives him a polite nod while he speaks.

"No need to apologize sir, I catch myself staring quite often in these strange lands. That which is unfamiliar often draws the eye. I've been accused of rudeness more than once in my brief travels. You see, your people, your customs, and your mannerisms are all quite strange and fascinating to me."

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Ah yes, well, now I understand what you meant. I blame the smoke for dulling my edge! Nice to meet you, Redeye." The man gives you his hand to shake.

At the long table
Just like Vincent moments before, the long haired man —who was talking to Tia— accidentaly inhales some of his wine. Is that some strange male human custom when adressing the opposite gender?
"Huh... I'm sorry... I mean for you to say I am, I mean, humans, I mean to say we're fascinating... I don't know, I think we're very dull, actually. I never imagined one so exceptional as you would think of m—*ahem* us this way. But now that I think of what you said, I guess we must appear as strange to you as you appear fascinating to us. Maybe I am too bold, and in that case please excuse me, but where are you headed? It would be a great honor to accompany you for a couple days. My mount is waiting in the barn and going together might shorten your travels? I could show you around the country, that I know well, and explain all that is needed about our customs? I am Rickard, and so very enchanted to meet you."
Yvan Paulander comes to the table and adresses Rickard: "my friend, time for the next round of cards and isn't it your turn to deal? Or maybe someone else might want to take your place?"
The wine trader then adresses the rest of you: "isn't there one or two of you who want to play with us? That game is way more interesting with five players than..."

All
Paulander is interrupted by an unusual entrance. The man in the dorway is not tall, but heavily built. On his shoulders, he carries a dead fawn, throat cut, bleeded, two broken arrow shafts extruding from the flank. As the matron goes towards him, he growls: "not dealing with you, woman. Where's your man?" There's a heavy silence, as even the minstrel stops singing.

From another room comes a yet larger man, with thick muscular arms, a thick neck and a huge gut. He carries a cleaver and wears an apron that might have been white, but is currently covered in fresh blood, as are his hands up to the elbows. With a swift flick of the arm, he slams the cleaver in a nearby table where it's stays upright, stuck in wood, before moving towards the deer hunter. "Usual price", says the hunter, dropping the fawn on the floor. The bloody man searches in his pockets, and without counting them, gives a handful coins to the hunter. The hunter examines the bloody coins, nods then leaves the inn.

The bloody man picks up fawn and cleaver before going back to the room he came from.

"Guess that solves the mystery of the meat in the stew, heh?" says Paulander to Vincent.

All those of you who took a meal have finished eating. Unless you have some crazy idea, here's what's left for your characters to do.
- Participate in the card game. As many as four of you can play, as all the players other than Paulander may be persuaded of leaving their seats.
- Going to sleep. You need to pick a room. Just give me a room number (see the previously posted map) other than Tia's and we'll suppose it happened to be free.
- Stay some more in the common room and get drunk on Paulander's tab. Give me a summary of the various topics you'd like to discuss and with whom, and I'll give you a summary of what your PC learns.
There's time for a couple rounds of cards, let's suppose a little under an hour. After that, the matron will yell that she's closing for the night and the guests should go to their rooms.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir takes Gael's hand and shakes it.

"Nice to meet you too, Gael!"

He pauses, pondering his next move.

"Just a question, Gael... are you leaving tomorrow? As travelers, we could share the road, and these fellows in the long table seem to be traveling as well."

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Well, I was pondering whether to set out now. The weather tonight is not all that bad, and that hunter nearly killed my good mood. People... they've lost their manners, let me tell you. But, yes, your words are wise. I will stay here. Hopefully, if my belly fares better by the morrow, I may join you for a time."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Pft. Personally, I have learned a long time ago how to ignore these people, and I am glad I did. It has saved me more than once from a sleepless night, and more times than I can count from petty, useless arguments. Thank you for considering joining us, and I hope your belly gets better! I must go now and get some sleep, though; I'll need some fitful rest for tomorrow's journey! Once again, it was a pleasure meeting you!"

As he says this, Blemir gets up, stretches his back, and extends his hand to shake Gael's.

Afterwards, he heads towards the rooms and peeks into each of them, trying to choose one.

Blemir wants a room with a window, if possible. If all have one (or none have one), then he'll choose room 12.

Having chosen one, Blemir takes a roll of string from his belt pouch and, unrolling it a bit, he ties it to his finger and the doorhandle so that opening the door would pull on the string, waking him up. Then, he does the same for the window and his other hand.

[RolandDeschain]

Noting the long-haired man's sudden nervousness, Tia looks away from the performing minstrel to study him for a moment.

Does this man have a Charisma score by chance?

"You're most kind sir. I can't recall anyone ever calling me 'exceptional'." With a wide smile she continues, "You humans do seem to be inclined to flattery, and you should know that it's actually quite endearing."

She reaches over to pour herself a glass of wine, "Rickard, I can't help but note that you sound a great deal like myself not long ago. I'm quite certain that my mother grew weary of me referring to elves as...'very dull'. You are not being to forward, and I greatly appreciate the offer. I am, in fact, headed...nowhere."

She takes a sip of the wine and her face briefly turns sour, "I may take you up on the tour of the local countryside and any explanation of local customs is much appreciated. Of course that would require you to be headed 'nowhere' as well."

Tia will have two glasses of wine, and engage Vincent, the long-haired man, and possibly the other elf in conversation while enjoying the performance. She'll retire to her room for the night roughly twenty minutes before the Matron shuts things down.

[fyleisch]

Vincent stands, swaying slightly, and makes his way towards the inn's small bedrooms.

Vincent goes into Tia's room and unrolls his bedroll on the floor, hoping that by the time Tia returns to sleep, she'll be too drunk, or too tired to care about the freeloading visitor.

[WalkingTheShade]

The rest of the evening proceeds quietly. The card players loose the taste for games, and slowly, guests go back to their rooms. Those who stay up late witness a young man, smelling of horse and stables, come in late and go to sleep in the common room, in front of the hearth. Yvan Paulander asks for a last round, and then goes to sleep. The singer, seeing there's not many people left to sing for, goes too. The drunk, passed out on his table, stays still, snoring.

Tia
Tia learns that Rickard is a son of a local noble, the baron of Combwell, and that the inn is located in his fief. Rickard is sleeping in the inn and can't wait to guide Tia around the country on the morrow.

Isaac
When Isaac goes out to pray, the sky is overcast and a thin rain is falling.

Go to the OoC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?474591-An-inn-on-the-borderlands-OoC&p=20361831#post20361831) for instructions.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia says good night to Rickard, trying her very best to sound impressed by his familial connections.

When she enters her room she nearly trips over Vincent snoring away on her floor. "What? Who the...?" She leans over and discerns that it is Vincent and tries her best to be perturbed, but can't hold back a smile. "Well, let's see if the floor 'sleeps' as well as the soup 'sits'...." Chuckling at her own wit, she pulls the blanket up over the snoring man, and crawls onto the straw mattress. She reaches over and pulls a small journal from her backpack and begins recording the events of her day, when she's finished she places the journal back inside and then sits cross-legged in the center of the mattress with her hands clasped together in her lap.

So weird, after all these years playing d&d, I still don't know what to do with my elven PCs after everyone else goes to sleep...LoL. I suppose she could bake cookies or cobble shoes, but alas...no, boring meditation I suppose.

[WalkingTheShade]

The Devil
http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj15.jpg
Blemir wakes up to the sound of mastication and snorting. He lies on a hard surface, in a room lit by a waning hearth. There are four figures bent over him and such is Blemir's torpor that he can't seem to move or think straight. He realizes he must have been laid on a long table. The guests around him have the queerest countenances. One his left, one has the face of a wolf pup, muzzle bloody, the other the face of a vixen, still clean but abundantly salivating. On his right, one guest has the face of a buldog, snout covered in filth from her meal. This one holds and chews from what looks to be some kind of intestine whose bright tint of red reflects the firelight. The fourth guest wears the face of a great rotting hog, nest of flies swarming around the eyes. When that last one bends towards the table, Blemir sees, behind the hog, the hint of a fifth guest. As he raises his head for a better look at that fifth guest, he sees that a body, Blemir's body, has been opened from groin to torso, ribcage spread to the sides. Inside, live organs glisten and pulsate as the guests devour them in turns.

Blemir wakes up, this time, in the inn room he chose last night. As he touches his chest to check if everything is in place, he feels a pain on the flank. As he passes his finger there, he finds a long scar on his left side. Blemir seems to be missing his lower left rib.

The Chariot
http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj07.jpg
This keg, it's the last one poor Vincent Hesselius is going to discharge today. Slowly, he takes from his cart and installs it on his shoulder. He crosses the small yard, enters the inn and puts on the counter, in front of the matron. "Well, I'd stay to have a drink to commemorate our arrangement, but I'm saddened to say I must go. Business does not wait. As for the matter of the price, now..." Vincent cuts his sentence short. The big man over there is holding a cleaver. The young redhead is grabbing for something behind the counter. Vincent draws his sword with his right hand, "just pay the money, and I'll be on my way", yet before the left can untie his whip, he has to bend to dodge a bolt. The big man rushes toward him with a mad scream. Vincent dodges again and gives him a taste of his blade, too short, just a cut to the arm. Vincent falls back, eyes locked on his opponent, waving left and right to avoid the heavy cleaver. Another cut for Vincent, this time deeper, and the big man drops the cleaver. The satisfaction is short, however: pain in right leg. Someone hidden under the table? Vincent's been stabbed. Before he can understand what's going on the big man is grabbing him by the waist and tackles him towards... The last thing Vincent sees are bright flames. Vincent screams.

Vincent wakes up on the ground of Tia's room. Just a bad dream, yet Vincent feels drained.

The Page of Wands
http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/wands11.jpg
As Tia has finally centered herself, an overwhelming vision drags her away from her meditation. A barn. She (or is it really her?) has been tending to horses. It's been a tiring day, like every other day. Tia watches herself know handling a hayfork, adding hay to some of the empty pens, in case more guests arrive. She finally puts down the hayfork. As she was going to sit outside, she watches herself see the innkeeper standing in the doorway. Tia knows she's afraid of him. "You think I won't know you steal from ma kitchen, boy?" Tia knows she should play dumb, yet she watches herself look guilty and ashamed. "Don't we give you 'nough to eat?" Tia watches herself freeze with fear. She realizes the innkeeper has both his hands behind his back. "You know, boy, don't you not?" Tia sees the innkeeper's face contort and squint with suspicion. She was going to plead, mouth opening and closing, at loss for words, she watches herself raise her hands, in supplication or maybe defense, but to late to protect her skull from the cleaver.

Tia opens her eyes. She is sitting on her bed, her journal next to her. Just a vision? but Tia feels it cost her something. Vincent seems to be waking up, too.

The Hanged Man
http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj12.jpg
Aradheldir goes to his room with the last guests. He takes some time to reorder his pack and go through his evening routine. As he is thinking of what to do next, he hears noises coming from the common room. At first some footsteps, but it might just be the inn people who are doing a bit more of tidying up. A moment later, he distincly hears a snap, followed by a crash. Going back to the common room, he sees, by the light of the dying hearth, someone hanging from the ceiling beam. A thin figure, a woman maybe, wearing a pale gown, long dark hair obscuring her face. Two stools are lying at her feet as shes sways in slow circles. People come from upstairs, the inkeeper, his wife and finally the two serving girls. The matron curses and then tells Aradheldir. "She was th'bride of our son who'd gone to t'war. Ain't been herself since m'poor boy's been gone. She'd stopped eatin', and we were afraid she'd go sick, we were. Didn't think it'd end like this..." As the inkeeper unties the woman and brings her down, the older of the serving girls comes and puts a hand on the matron's shoulder. "You did all could be done, ma'." The innkeeper puts the body on the long table. "Go fetch a sheet or blanket", he says to the younger girl who quickly runs upstairs. Aradheldir can stay and watch the family roll the corpse in fabric and the innkeeper takes it outside. If Aradheldir were in the mood to follow him out, he'd see the inkeeper digging a grave behind the stable.

The rest of the night passes without incident for Aradheldir.

It is morning (unless your character has something important to do during the night), you characters are each in their own room (or for Vincent's case, in someone else's room).
Blemir takes [roll0] of constitution drain (please roll it). Vincent and Tia each take 1 point of CON drain.
You are free of your actions.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Sweat permeating his underclothes, as if from a raging fever, Blemir throws the covers aside, grimacing, throws his red robe over his head, snatches the loaded crossbow from the table and slams the room's door open, one hand over his spell component pouch.

His face twisted in a gnarled mask of wrath, fury and powerlessness , his red pupil glowing brighter than ever before, seeming to ignite; his hand clenched around the crossbow's grip, he storms through the corridor, throwing doors open until he finds the priest from last night to have a word with him about the... "dream".

He doesn't think the priest had a hand in it, it's just the only person he got to know the night before :smalltongue:

Also, his face looks something like this, color included: :smallfurious:

[fyleisch]

"phph. Mmphh Uugh." Vincent sits up and rubs his eyes blearily. His eyes scans around the room, until they alight on Tia, and he smiles sheepishly.
"I, uh. I suppose I must have settled in the wrong room. Apologies. Tia, was it?"

He stands and stretches.

"I feel as weak as a kitten, barely feel like I've had any sleep at all. Damned dreams. I've never dreamt of being a wine merchant before - that's what I get for paying so much attention to Paula- Plander? The merchant with the good wine."

Outside the room he hears the clangor of slamming doors and stomping feet.

[fyleisch]

Suddenly the door to Vincent's room flies open. In the doorway stands a fuming, red-eyed demon of a man. For a second, Vincent thinks he can see what all those peasants on the road were talking about when they spoke of a "fiend", but the moment passes, and the sinister atmosphere vanishes.

"You! You were at the bar last night. Bemyr? Blammer?" Vincent shakes his head.
"Apologies for my rudeness, I feel like I've barely slept. I was haunted by vivid dreams, which isn't unusual for me, but there are usually more vampires, and less mundane murder."

He stands and brushes off his clothes - which he slept in, drunk as he was. He reaches for the leather coat that serves as his armor and slips it over his shoulders.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Standing in the doorway, bracing himself against it with one arm, Blemir points an accusing finger (and crossbow) at Vincent. He then erupts into a torrent of words., barely coherent.

"You. You speak of dreams, surely it was not a coincidence. Tell me what you saw. Murder? I saw my own evisceration." He opens his robes where the scar is to make his point. "And it cannot have been just a dream. Tell me what you saw."

Blemir pants and lowers his crossbow, clearly exhausted, but keeps his burning eye zeroed in on Vincent, barely paying attention to Tia.

I was totally gonna have Blemir invade your room, but you beat me to it :smalltongue:

[fyleisch]

"Be calm. Let's all be calm and lower our crossbows. We wouldn't want to add to a dream murder with a real one. I only saw myself murdered, over a wine payment I think?"

Vincent peers at the scar.

"You seem fairly alive for someone who's been eviscerated. You were probably just scratched in the night, by a cat or somesuch, and worked it into the dream."

"Although..."

Vincent turns to the elvish woman sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"I do feel... very drained, and miss Tia was bright enough last night, but hasn't said a word this morning."

Vincent steps over and snaps his fingers in front of the woman's face.

"If something has affected us, the lady here seems to have felt it much more strongly. She's in some kind of a daze."

He spins back to blemir.

"If something is happening, what could it be? Some kind of vampire? A vampire of the mind?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

"That 'cat or somesuch' would have to be ethereal to get into my room without waking me up. And a cat's scratch would leave a scratch, not a scar."

Blemir struggles to maintain his composure.

"Nevermind, I still haven't found who I'm looking for. I must continue my search. If you find the priest from yesterday, let me know."

Blemir storms out of the room, shaking but determined, his face still clenched yet much less twisted.

[WalkingTheShade]

At Tia's room
As Vincent finishes talking, he realizes he might be close to the truth. His symptoms, a diffuse and languid lightheadedness, are those of blood loss. Tia's face indeed looks paler in the gray morning light than it yesterday night.

As Blemir turns to continue his search, the matron barges in the corridor from the common room.
"What's all that ruckus 'bout? Is there a problem 'ere?"

As she's standing in the doorway to the common room, Blemir sees, behind her, Gael sitting at the long table, in front of a steaming bowl.

At the same time, attracted by the noise, Rickard comes out of his room, up the corridor, "Miss Tia, is everything fine?" Rickard stops in front of Tia's room to see Vincent still standing in there. Rickard's face takes a look of both shock and disappointment.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia initially struggles to slow her heart and her breathing, much disturbed by her visions. "So strange. The matron mentioned taking the bowl of food to 'him'....I wonder if? But, why would...? And why would I see these things through 'his' eyes? Who is 'he'? Is 'he' still alive?"

The room is dark, and the inn is quiet. Noting her open journal next to her, "That's weird....I KNOW I put that away." Then a rueful chuckle as she shakes her head, "You're fool-headed enough to share your room with a man you have barely met - you should be grateful that the worst that happened was he read your journal, you ninny!"

Feeling fatigued and fuzzy-headed Tia tucks away her journal, casting a baleful glare at the man sleeping on her floor, then begins to recenter herself. Her mind quickly trails off into fitful visions of the butcher and the fawn, followed by what seems like being endlessly pursued by an animated butcher's cleaver.

Strange, muffled voices eventually pull her from her trance-like state and she awakens to see a red-eyed man storm from her room as the Matron bellows in the background, Vincent grumbling something about vampires and Rickard looking crestfallen.

She quickly gets to her feet. "I'm...I'm fine Rickard, if a bit fatigued. Will you please escort this man," motioning to Vincent "from my room. Seems he's a bit too...curious to mind his manners. I'll join you breakfast in a moment."

[fyleisch]

Vincent stands, shouldering his back.

"There's no need for that. I've already been threatened once today. Miss Tia, thank you for hosting me on your floor."

Deciding that under the circumstances, seeking a priest seems like an excellent idea, Vincent heads after Blemir.

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
Rickard let's Blemir and Vincent pass, with a wordless but baleful look to the latter. Without entering the room, he addresses Tia again. "I am sorry miss, seeing this ruffian here I th... well, never mind." He looks aside as a faint blush passes on his face. "I should leave you so you can prepare. I'm ready to leave this place whenever you are."

Blemir, Vincent
Satisfied whatever that accident was, it's now over, the matron moves aside to let Blemir and Vincent enter the common room. At the long table, both the priest of the Wanderer—or was it Wandering God?—and Gael are sited. The first one is eating some blood sausage, while the second is having solely tea. Both men are silent and look worried, maybe for differing reasons. "For th'morning, we've ribs or blood sausage, your pick! Don't even think 'bout wrigglin' outa payin' your tab 'fore leaving."

From the doorway at the opposite side of the room, the big man watches for a minute, cleaver in hand, ensuring everything is going fine, before going back to his tasks.

[fyleisch]

Vincent stretches as he takes a seat. Despite only having a liquid lunch the night before, his stomach is too unsettled for him to find the breakfast fare appealing. Besides, he never did much like ribs or blood sausage.

"I'd stay to have a drink to commemorate our arrangement, but I'm saddened to say I must go. Business does not wait. As for the matter of the price, now... I..."

The words come naturally to Vincent, and it takes a moment for him to realize they were those from his dream, and not in the manner he usually spoke. He carefully and dispassionately looks around to see if anyone has noticed the odd turns of phrase, comparing the layout of the common room to the dimly remembered setting of his dream, before continuing awkwardly.

"...but I don't think I have a tab. I'm all paid up! It helped that the wine merchant was so generous with his wares, what was his name? Palaver? Paulander? Bless it anyway." He looks around for the man.
"Where did old Paulander get to, anyway?"

How closely does the inn's common room resemble the dream room? And did Vincent recognize any of the people in the dream from the inn?

[WalkingTheShade]

You know this nagging impression of having already done this, been there (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu#Dream-based_explanation), but being unable to be certain of it? That's what Vincent gets once back in the common room. Everything in the room, seems so very similar to what he's dreamed about, yet he already can't place the details of the dream anymore. However, the man with the cleaver in the inn looks too similar to the one who stood in the doorway. Is Vincent still dreaming?
"T'man's Paulander, he left earlier with 'is cart. Should make ya pay, but since t'merchant paid fo' you, we gonna be generous today," says the matron, with a scowl.

[RolandDeschain]

As Rickard turns to leave, "Wait. Tell me Rickard, did you, perchance, experience any strange visions or particularly vivid dreams last night?"

She stops packing her things as she slowly begins to recall what the men were saying as she was trying to break free of her disturbing meditation.

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
A frown, either recollection or confusion, passes swiftly on Rickard's face, to be then replaced by a smile. "I'm sorry, I can't remember any dreams. I feel I should tell I dreamed of you," says Rickard, with a teasing tone, "but honestly, I have to admit I slept like the dead."

[RolandDeschain]

Tia stares at Rickard for a moment, "Hmmm...it's been my experience that when a man uses the word 'honestly', it's immediately followed by something...well, not all together honest."

She watches his face carefully for any reaction while pretending to fold the bed linens.

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[fyleisch]

Vincent rubs his eyes, trying to shake off the feeling of dreamlike unreality.

"I think I'll go outside and check the weather."

He certainly does want to see the sky, and hopes the air might help clear his head, but the events of the dream nag at him, and he's suspicious about the story that Paulander simply left of his own accord. Could the dream have been influenced by things he heard while asleep? After spending so long hunting evil, could he have developed some power to sense it through his dreams?

Vincent stands and heads for the inn's exit, stepping outside into the morning air. He takes advantage of the natural light to pull a dagger and hold it up, checking his reflection in the polished blade, looking for bite marks in the usual places; the throat, the wrist.

Having given himself a thorough search, Vincent looks around for the wagon he remembers from the previous night, searching around for wagon tracks, or any clue that suggests Paulander might not have simply driven away.

Search for clues of Paulander's presence, or passing:
Search: [roll0]

Try and find any wheel-tracks that the wagon may have left in the mud as it left that morning:
Survival: [roll1]

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"Are you teasing me, miss Tia?", says Rickard, suppressing a guffaw. "Or maybe you are encouraging me to describe my hypothetical dreams of you? I'm unfortunately not versed enough in tale-making to imagine dreams I did not have on such a short notice. Leave me some time and I may come up with something, what do you say?"
To Tia, Rickard seems entirely honest.
Vincent
A thorough examination reveals no bite mark whatsoever. Troubled by their absence, Vincent rummages across the opening around the well, between the barn and the inn. The soil outside is wet and muddy from early morning rain. Vincent keen senses help him detect fresh and obvious wagon tracks in the mud, leading away from the inn, towards the road.

As Vincent wonders what to do next, one of the two priests, the one who was sitting in front of him the past evening, comes out of the inn. He looks distraught, and noticing Vincent, closes the distance to him with some haste. "My friend, I'm coming to you with this, hoping that beyond bravado, you have some actual experience with monsters and the restless dead? Discretion, about what I'm about to tell, is paramount."

[fyleisch]

Vincent claps the man on the shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you're still here. Having a cleric at hand makes me feel much safer. And yes, I do have some experience tracking the dark and sinister forces of the night, and I know how to hold my tongue. Walk with me."

Vincent leads the priest out through the yard and onto the road, wanting to check how far the cart tracks lead through the mud, and where they terminate.

"What's troubling you, did you by any chance sleep uneasily?"

To check the road outside the inn complex for Paulander's cart tracks -
Search: [roll0]
Survival: [roll1]

[RolandDeschain]

Tia finishes packing up her things, "Rickard I'm curious about something. How long has your father been Baron of these lands? What do you know of this place and its current owners?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
"I... I haven't slept well, but seeing the circumstances, the quality of my rest should be the least of our concerns. Yesterday night, as all the guests retired, I went out to pray the Far Wanderer under the night sky. I went a few paces towards the road, around where we are now, I would think. As I was coming back from my prayer, I overheard some voices. Two persons were discussing, maybe an argument. Voices were kept low but sounded aggrieved. From their outlines, at the light of a lantern one of them was bearing, I thought to recognize the innkeeper and his youngest daughter, the one serving us last evening. I kept to the shadows of night. When their argument ended, the daughter ran away, holding the lantern, while the father went back inside. I followed the daughter, hoping to comfort the poor kid and give her my blessing. Following her lantern light, I saw that she had stopped by the ditch (on the other side of the inn from where we are). She seemed to be looking for something there. Held by curiosity, or maybe caution, I stopped there. I saw her put down the lantern on the side of the ditch, get inside it, and come out a minute later holding something she'd retrieved from there. I waited for her to get out and some distance away, then advanced to were she was searching a moment before. I saw nothing at first, but as the clouds parted, a sure sign from the Lord of Stars, by starlight, I saw things, buried things, clawing their way out of the ditch. The dead wore only loose skin, bleached bone and rags, at least three of them. I called upon the name of Celestian, whose power drove the restless dead away from me, far from the inn and its inhabitants. I ran back to the inn, first thinking to sound the alarm. Then, thinking it over, my suspicions grew... I retired to my room, where I couldn't find any sleep, afraid the monsters would come to attack the inn. I waited for the morning, thinking to find a knowledgeable man to talk to before doing anything rash, and that, maybe, sunlight might weaken the dead."

Once on the road, Vincent sees wagon tracks going to the northeast from the inn. The road progresses through moorland, before disappearing behind a low hill. Except for a hedge or two, Vincent doesn't see an obvious way to hide a wagon nearby.

Tia
"Miss Tia?"
Rickard seems confused by Tia's line of questioning. "You... you sound upset? What's wrong? Did that ruffian who rummaged through your room do anything to you? Is there anything wrong with the innkeepers?" Rickard raises his voice as he finishes that last sentence... yet calms down visibly. "To answer your questions, my family has owned these lands for many generations. My father inherited after the death, of old age, of his father, a dozen years ago. This inn is the only one on our lands and I've never heard ill about its tenants and owners."

[wkwkwkwk1]

After a good bit of searching, Blemir finally finds the priest in the common room and sits next to him, visibly calmer than before, and even managing a faded smile.

"Good morning, Gael! How was your night? Is your belly faring any better?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Gael is pale in the grey morning, yet he smiles as Blemir arrives. "Good morning to you, friend. Well, my belly is acting, and I must say I feel worse. Hence I'm having only tea this morning. Didn't get a good night's sleep because of the pain. What about you? I believe I heard you yell before seeing our kind host running like a rabid dog to quiet you down." He then whispers, "must say I had chuckle watching her stumbling through the room in such a hurry."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Oh, that. Heh."

Blemir lowers his voice considerably.

"Take a look at this."

He turns his body and opens his robes in the place of the scar to show it to Gael.

"This wasn't here last night. I dreamed of devils and animals eviscerating and eating me. What can you tell me about it?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Gael is at first taken aback by Blemir's display. Gael eyes light up, "well, is that a jok...", but he cuts his question short, noticing something in Blemir's look. "It's not, I get it. So you had a dark dream, and woke up with a scar?" Gael passes a callused hand on Blemir's side. "Well, the scar looks old. If I didn't know you, I'd think you a madman. There's not much that I can say, except that there are old stitch marks around the scar. As if someone patched you up and removed the stitches months ago. Can't say I'm aware of any magic with such an effect, but that's the only explanation I see, if indeed you hadn't this scar yesterday."

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir puts his robes back into place before anyone else notices.

"Never had any stitches before. And it's still sore."

He slinks back into his chair, trying not to show his disappointment and frustration.

"I was hoping you could provide me with any insight in the matter, but turns out that neither your life experience nor my accumulated lore are enough for it. Oh well. Another man... Vincent, I believe that was his name? Anyway, he suggested it would have been a cat. Turns out it wouldn't have been just a ghost cat, to get in without waking me up, it would have had to be a magical cat. Next thing I know, cats will be disintegrating people by gazing at them."

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
When Blemir gets on the subject of cats, Gael raises an eyebrow. He then silently drinks his tea. Finally, he thinks of something to add. "What are your plans? I'm unfortunately not in a state I feel comfortable following you."

[fyleisch]

"Knowledgeable, yes... well I've already ruled out vampires as the culprits. So that work is done. How many kinds of undead could there be? Do you know of anything that could cause bad dreams and wake the long dead? You think on that, and keep an eye out. I want to look in the ditch."

Vincent bravely clambers down into the ditch, checking around for evidence of the recent risen, or perhaps some clue as to what the young girl was looking for the previous night.

Sooner or later I will get a good roll.
Search: [roll0]

[RolandDeschain]

"Upset? Hmmm....I suppose a bit upset, yes."

She walks toward the door with her pack slung over her shoulder.

"I had a fitful and restless night, haunted by dark visions and awoke to discover that someone had gone through my things. Seems I wasn't the only one either, and it's possible I may have misjudged Vincent...the man that spent the night on my floor."

"You've been most patient with me and my questions Rickard, and I thank you for that. I warned you that I found your people fascinating, and will likely plague you with continued queries throughout the day." A light chuckle.

As she moves through the doorway she trails her hand momentarily across his shoulder, "I'm assuming you stabled your horse. It's curious to me that you human lords and ladies don't tend to your own mounts. I'm presuming it's because you view such tasks as beneath your station. I wonder can you even recall anything about the stable boy? I would wager you can't," she laughs as she walks into the hallway.

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
As he leads Vincent to the specific spot on the ditch, Isaac keeps talking: "Bad dreams? What kind of bad dreams? Maybe this place is haunted? A ghost or a phantom possibly? It was more or less here I saw them come out of the ground. It was night, so I can't be certain."

Taking some time to look over the spot, Vincent sees no obvious trace that the soil has been moved around. The ditch is wet and some rain water has formed puddles at its bottom. Neither are there traces of anyone running away on the other side of the ditch. Clearly, something is wrong. Is the priest lying to Vincent? He seems honest however. Then what?

Tia
"I now understand why you look so febrile. Don't worry, outside air will do you good and cheer you up! Let's go meet this stable boy you're so curious about." Rickard thus leads Tia, helping her with her gear, to the stables. Once outside, he has another baleful look for Vincent, who seems in a discussion with Isaac, the priest from yesterday night, next to the ditch.

The barn is humid and smells of mold and horses. The inside looks like Tia's macabre vision. Rickard waves to the a young man inside. "Aye m'lord, you' horse's ready. Bringin' her out." The boy leads a mare out of the barn, holding her by the bridle.

[fyleisch]

Vincent clambers out of the ditch, annoyed, and unnecessarily muddied. He pats the cleric on the shoulder as he leads them back to the inn.

"Did you have anything to eat or drink last night, cleric? The Paulander wine for example? Come with me, I want to talk to that red-eyed man from last night."

Vincent wanders back in to the inn's common room, finding Blemir sitting at the table. He sits down across from the red-eyed man and begins to stare at him wordlessly.

[wkwkwkwk1]

"My plans? I-- excuse me for a moment." he cuts his speech halfway as he notices the muddied traveling priest's figurative sights zeroed in on him. He waits for him to sit down and meets his stare for a while before speaking, sizing him um and scrutinizing his intentions. He then leans back on his chair and rests his chin on a closed fist.

"So... Vincent, was that your name? What is it that you want?"

[fyleisch]

"That's right. Vincent Hessellus."

Vincent lowers his voice so as not to be heard by any of the staff.

"I think something suspicious happened last night. I've heard reports of the dead rising from the ground in a ditch outside, but when I checked, the ground was undisturbed. My own nightmare seems unfounded as well - the wine merchant I dreamt murdered seems to have driven away alive - at least his cart did."

Vincent jabs the table with a finger.

"That's two nightmarish visions with no evidence in reality - enough for me to blame them on wine and atmosphere. But you're different. You have a scar."

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir's eyes narrow, trying to judge Vincent's honesty. He nods approvingly.

"Blemir 'Redeye'. I was just talking about this to Gael," he motions to the priest, "and he confirmed that this looked like an old scar. There's another point too. The wine can't have been the culprit, since I drank none."

He shakes his head.

"I have no idea what is going on. Neither does Gael, and apparently neither do you. Or anyone else, it seems. I say we get out of here, at once. It seems to be the safest route. Then again, I could be wrong."

[fyleisch]

"Really, you drank none? And I ate nothing. But- if there's more to this, if the vision of the undead wasn't a simple hallucination, then it could be too dangerous to leave. Those things are supposedly running around the countryside!"

Vincent scratches his chin.

"Will you check the ditch with me? You might be able to pick up on something I missed."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Another problem seems to be that they also have an utter disregard for material obstacles," Blemir says, smirking.

He looks at Gael and starts to get up.

"Will you accompany us outside?"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia walks over and puts her hand on the stable boy, "What's your name lad?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
Gael had been listening at the conversation in silence, sipping his tea, expressionless. It's hard to say if he believes them or thinks them madmen.
"Well, I must say... Might be Blackeye here is right. Might be we should all be leaving. A look outside can't hurt... more", he adds, passing a hand on his stomach, with a wince.

Isaac leads the three people to the place he saw the restless dead emerge yesterday night.

Tia
"My, my my... m'name is... m'name is J-J-J-Joerg, just like t'king Joerg, m'lady", the stable-boy manages to say. He keeps looking at his boot while addressing Tia. "Shall we go, miss Tia?" Rickard is holding the bridle with one hand, and offering the other to help Tia mount.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia takes a knee and lifts the boys chin with her finger, "Hello Joerg, my name is Tia. What do you mean 'just like t'king'?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"I-I-I..." stammers the stable-boy. Rickard chuckles, and then adds "I think he means his namesake is old king Joerg."
"Th-that's right, m'lord."

[RolandDeschain]

Tia runs her hand along the boys forehead, pushing the hair back out of his eyes, "Tell me Joerg, do you spend your nights here in the stable, and are you related to the innkeeper and his wife?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
After pushing the stable boy's hair to the side, for an instant, Tia thinks she sees a gaping wound and blood on her fingers. Yet, no, there's nothing here, and the young man seems fine. "In summer, I sleep in the hay, but when it's cold, I'm allowed in the common room." Tia remembers the young man coming in, yesterday, to sleep by the hearth (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20361809&postcount=47). "They ain't my family. My ma', she works on a farm, over yonder, but can't feed me there, so I came 'ere t'work."
Might be ambiguous, so I'll clarify, the stable-boy is in his early-middle teens, let's say 14 or 15, and that makes him a "young man" by the local customs.

[RolandDeschain]

"I don't mean to frighten you young man, but I had the most disturbing vision of the matron's husband viciously attacking you with a meat cleaver....and, again, just now when I touched your forehead, I could see the horrible wound again. I have no idea how they treat you hear, but I must say I fear for your safety."

Turning to Rikard, "I now clearly remember the conversations being held in my room this morning. I find it odd that you weren't troubled by any visions or dreams that many of the inn's patrons were. I wonder, is it something that only 'newcomers' experience, and if so why is it that you've never heard anything 'ill' about the inn or it's tenants."

The fiery elven maiden spins on her heal and walks back toward the inn, "I believe I'll speak with Vincent....alone."

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
The stable boy eyes widen as he hears Tia give her warning. His face turns pale. He opens his mouth as if going to say something, but stops himself, just staring at Tia in fear.

Rickard is barely controlling a fit of laughter, at the stable boy's expense, when Tia turns to him. When he hears her speech, he blinks in confusion and surprise, not knowing what to say. As the fiery tempered Tia turns her back to him, she hears him mumble: "what in the hells was that..."

Tia walks a couple steps towards the inn, before realizing Vincent and three others are near the north-western part of the ditch.

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Hmmmmm..."

Blemir kneels down near the spot and searches intently for anything out of place.

Having finished his search, he turns to Gael and Vincent.

"I want to search for magic in this place, as well as around the inn, and perhaps in the inn itself, but I don't want to attract any attention. I need you to guide me around unseen while I concentrate on the--."

He cuts himself short, seeing Tia glance at them from afar. He meets her gaze, his red pupil glowing softly.

"We have company, it seems. You know her, Vincent?"


Taking 20, if possible, with a +4 modifier. Otherwise... [roll0]

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Blemir sees nothing out of the ordinary. No traces of monsters or the living dead. The only traces are those of his companions and himself, in the wet mud. It's a ditch, only a ditch, just a ditch.

As Tia approaches, Isaac intervenes, reading Blemir's conclusion on his face: "I can swear I saw them here yesterday night. I didn't dream it up!"

[fyleisch]

"Yes, she tried to get me into trouble earlier, though I'm willing to put her poor mood this morning down to the bad dreams we all suffered."

Vincent watches Blemir scour the ground in far greater detail than he had.

"If you want to check for magics in the inn, I'm sure I can occupy their attention for a while."

[RolandDeschain]

Spotting Vincent near the ditch with two others, Tia turns and walks that way, approaching Vincent as he steps away from the other two.

"Vincent, it seems I likely owe you an apology. When awoke this morning to find my things disturbed, I naturally assumed....well....I guess I assumed the only other person in my room that night had gone through my personal belongings. Now, however, I begin to...doubt what may or may not have occurred."

Placing her hand upon Vincent's forearm and speaking in more hushed tones, "My nightly meditations were haunted by visions...terrible visions...of the stable boy being viciously murdered. Imagine my surprise to find him here, in the stable....hale and hearty. Just now when I spoke with him I swore I saw his gruesome wounds....I don't know if mind is playing tricks on me or what, but I felt I owed you an apology as things here don't exactly appear what they seem to be."

Glancing over at the two men near the ditch, "Did I hear correctly? Were you and the other fellow over there both haunted by such visions as well? And what on earth are you doing out here kicking around this ditch?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia, Blemir, Vincent
The priest of Celestian approaches Tia and Vincent. "Visions? Of murder? Yesterday evening, the ditch... I had... well, let me explain..." And Isaac repeats what he already said to Vincent (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20410061&postcount=69).

As Isaac is telling his story, you notice the other elf from yesterday, coming out from behind a cart full of old barrels. Aradheldir lets the priest finish his story. "I apologize for snooping. However, what I can tell about yesterday may be of interest to you all. It was, disturbing to say the least." Aradheldir goes on to narrate his experience from last night (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20372270&postcount=49).

[fyleisch]

"We've all suffered nightmares that had no basis in reality, except the priest who experienced a hallucination. I was ready to write the whole experience off on a batch of tainted food and wine, except, Blemir here woke up with a new scar."

Vincent pulls up Blemir's robe without warning or permission, exposing the scar on his side.

"I don't know how a man might gain an old scar in a single night, perhaps healing magics might leave such a mark? In any event, if Blemir is to be believed, last night's visions were no ordinary nightmares."

[WalkingTheShade]

As Vincent makes his statement, all assembled hear the sound of a gallop. It seems that Rickard, the nobleman, decided to leave the premises. In his wake, he's left Tia's backpack with the stable-boy.

[RolandDeschain]

As Vincent spills out his story Tia glances over her shoulder at Rickard galloping away, then back to Vincent, "Seems our young lord wasn't as smitten as he let on."

It takes her a moment to come back to what Vincent is saying, "What?!"

Stepping closer to examine the other man's scar, "Blemir? You were the other man in my room this morning, weren't you? I recall a story about a scar, and if I weren't seeing it now I wouldn't believe such a tale. My name is Tia, by the way..."

When Isaac steps forward and tells his story, Tia's eyes narrow and she steps to the side looking first at the ditch, then back to the inn.

"What on..." she begins, only to be interrupted by Aradheldir and his disturbing account of last evening.

"Something nefarious is afoot here. One or two odd dreams or visions could be merely coincidence, but this...." shaking her head, "....this is too much. Come on, let's go back inside, and see if we can get to the bottom of this."

[wkwkwkwk1]

When Vincent opens his robes without warning, Blemir's eyes flare as he clenches his jaw and reaches for a fistful of dried bat guano. He is barely able to calm down to let Tia examine the scar, dropping the guano bat into the pouch.

"You have no idea how close you came to being incinerated..."

Upon hearing the horse galloping away, Blemir says, reaching for his pouch again, "The man seems to be running away. Should I stop him?"

[RolandDeschain]

Catching Blemir reaching into his pouch for spell components, Tia instantly recognizes what he's doing and reaches over to rest her hand on his arm, "That man's the local noble's son. If you detain him or cause him harm, you may very well bring the entire barony down upon us."

"Does anyone have any ideas about how we should proceed here? Are we 'hunting' or 'trapping'?"

[fyleisch]

"I think we were about to cease stumbling around like peasants in our cups -I was anyway- and begin a more rigorous investigation. Blemir can cast a spell to reveal magical influences out here where the priest saw the dead rise, and in the inn where we suffered our nightmares."

Vincent climbs out of the ditch.

"I'll try and distract the staff as he goes about, as I think it will take some concentration on his part."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Unless the horse is a local noble or son thereof, I could stop him. But hey, that's a spell I don't have to waste on a lordling."

"Thank you, Vincent. Gael, could you please guide me around then? And... I suppose we can both hunt and trap, no? Well, here we go anyway"

A few gestures and chants later, Blemir's red pupil flares up, as if burning. He looks intently at the ditch, keeping his attention focused on the task at hand.

Casting Detect Magic. Checking the ditch. Have Gael guide me around the whole place, please.

[fyleisch]

Vincent waits for Blemir's verdict on the properties of the ditch, before heading back to the inn. He walks through the entrance ahead of the spellcaster, and moves to the wall opposite the corridor to the rooms, the one leading to the kitchen. He pushes two of the tables back, and stands straight.

"Last night I believe I promised to show your Marta a magic trick, so please, pay attention; you may not see a display like this again beyond the walls of the capital!"

Vincent begins pulling gold coins from his pockets, juggling them, and making them seem to disappear, interspersing the act with tumbles and backflips.

Sleight of Hand (Perform): Take 10+6
Tumble (Perform): [roll0]

[RolandDeschain]

The young elven maiden watches as Blemir examines the ditch and Vincent head back into the inn, "Hmmm...some 'hunting', and some 'trapping'. Probably the best approach."

She then turns to watch Rickard disappear over the horizon, and heads back to the stable approaching the stable boy, "Jeoreg, which direction is the the baron's keep?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Well, alright, I'll guide you."
There's nothing magic about the ditch. It's still just a ditch. As Blemir says so to the assembled, Vincent turns towards the inn and Isaac follows him. Gael leaves them a minute for the diversion to start.
wkwkwkwk1, describe where you want Blemir to direct his spell inside the inn. Gael will guide wherever needs be.

Tia
"T-T-T-Two days, m'be three... on the no-north road," stummers the stable boy.

Vincent
The family keeping the inn was tidying up and cleaning the common room. The singer from yesterday night is the only guest when Vincent enters. The matron raises an eyebrow as Vincent starts pushing tables around and gives a low grunt. Yet, when Vincent starts his tricks, even the fat man (that Vincent by now, supposes is the father of the serving girls and the husband of the matron) comes out of his kitchen, and chuckes as he watches Vincent. It seems the vampire hunter has everyone's intention.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia leaves the stable, noticing that everyone has gone back inside she approaches the inn. Nearing the doorway she notes Vincent's attempted distraction and Blemir's furtive scanning of the common room.

Leaning against the door frame Tia laughs and claps a few times at Vincent's tricks, keeping an eye on the inn keepers. While they are distracted she makes a quick sweep of her hand from her mouth to her ear, and whispers, "spiritus sanus".

Tia is holding a Ghost Sounds spell. She can complete it by sweeping her hand from her ear towards the area from which she wishes the sounds to originate. She'll wait until it appears that the innkeepers begin to tire of Vincent's antics, and subtly motion to the ceiling causing the sound of running feet to come from upstairs followed by broken glass.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
As he enters the inn, guided by Gael, Blemir hears Tia's incantation and sees her hand movements. The technique is original, but Blemir is certain it is a minor illusion spell that will produce sounds at Tia's command. As Vincent juggles the singer picks his instrument and sings a jig to encourage the would-be entertainer.

Blemir sweeps his gaze across the common room, but sees no aura other than the spell Tia is holding, which dances like a ghost snake around the elf's ears. With a nod from Blemir, Gael then guides him towards the guest rooms. The youngest serving girl has just put aside a broom in the corridor and passes without giving them any attention to see what's up in the common room.

Blemir and Gael sweep each and every room and Blemir sees nothing unusual. "Well? Saw anything? Anywhere else you want to check?" asks Gael.

Tia, Vincent
All the innkeepers seem enticed by Vincent's performance. Marta even encourages him, "give it all you have! faster, faster!" as the father chuckles.

[RolandDeschain]

Still holding her spell Tia smiles at Vincent and nods along to the rhythm.

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Yes. I would like to search the kitchen and the upper floor, if at all possible. Besides that, is there any other place we haven't been to yet? Oh, and get the elf to provide a distraction, if necessary."

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Tia
Gael nods to Blemir, guides him to the common room, then goes to Tia, as Vincent goes on juggling. "Blackeye asks for a diversion. He wants to be able to reach the kitchen or the upper floor."

[fyleisch]

Vincent's performance draws to a close, and he stops, panting and sweating.

"Thank you, everyone."

He wipes his brow as he heads over to Tia and Blemir, waiting until the attention him wanes, and speaking to them in a hushed voice.

"Did you sense anything interesting? While I was... while I was dancing, I had another idea about what might be causing our trouble, if you're interested."

[RolandDeschain]

As Vincent wipes his brow accepting the adoration of those gathered around. Tia subtly motions to the ceiling releasing her spell.

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia, Blemir, Vincent
With a discreet flick of the wrist, Tia, sends her spell. Blemir sees a silvery thread slither towards the ceiling. On cue, as Vincent comes to address his allies (with, as a collateral victim, the vampire hunter's dramatic pause) everyone hears someone running loudly on the first floor, followed by a sudden crash of broken glass.

Everyone, except Tia and Blemir is surprised by the events. The innkeepers look at each other. The red haired serving girl turns white, as the father takes a few steps outside his kitchen. Yet, he stops, scowling to the matron and his girls. He nods to the stairs, waving an urgent arm in that direction. The matron and the younger girl hurry to go upstairs. The father goes back to his kitchen, slamming the door behind him. The red haired girl stays in the common room, white as chalk, hands shaking, talking to herself... "B-b-but she hung herself last night..."
Gael doesn't seem surprised by the spell, either.
Should be obvious to players, if not to PC, but the father seems very protective of his kitchen.
In the common room, are left all the PC (including those whose players are inactive), Gael, the singer and Marta, the older, red haired, serving girl.

And no, Blemir didn't have time enough to slip inside the kitchen, unnoticed. The cook went only a couple steps away from the door.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir subtly (if somewhat roughly) grabs Gael and whispers directly into his ear, "Aradheldir said something about a hanging. Let us check behind the stables while we still can."

[RolandDeschain]

Overhearing the red haired girl's comments, Tia will approach her slowly and ask, "Who hung themselves last night?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Gael nods, "well". He guides the mage behind the barn. They find a spot of freshly turned earth there, with a big white stone at one extremity.

Tia
The serving girl is still in a state of shock. She replies by reflex, without forethought. "My sister-in-law... she was confused since my brother came b... I mean, went to the war. She became so sad. She spent all 'er time in their room, upstairs." She just seems to notice who she is speaking to. "I'm sorry, mistress, shan't bother you with this. I just, just got scared, that's all. Must have been just a cat runnin' upstairs."

[RolandDeschain]

"Was your brother some how changed when he came back?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"I... No, what do you even mean? Leave me alone!" She turns away from Tia and goes towards the stairs.
Tia's instincts where good, the woman has something to hide.

[RolandDeschain]

As the redhead walks away from Tia, she shrugs and approaches Vincent, "So. What's this about 'another idea'?"

[fyleisch]

"Let's find Blemir, I want his opinion as well."

Vincent leads Tia outside behind the barn, where they find Blemir mulling over a fresh grave.

"Last night we all suffered terrible dreams, and hallucinations- yes, Blemir, I know you seem to have a real injury, but that's the only evidence that any of it was real. My murdered merchant made tracks as he left this morning, the cleric's risen dead left no trace in the Earth, and at this stage I'm willing to consider there may be two different causes for our similar problems."

He begins pacing.

"My best theory is that our food and drink was tainted by some kind of natural poison, fungrot, or urgmold, something that creates disturbed thoughts. Remember what Paulander said about the well? That it wasn't fit for beasts to drink from? Well, I drank some of the local wine, and you both ate some of the stew, didn't you? I think there may be something wrong with the well water, perhaps something fell down it and died, or perhaps it opens onto a vein of toxic minerals."

"Well? What do you think? Do either of you mystics have a way to test the water? I'm planning to stay one more night in any event, and I won't eat or drink anything I didn't bring with me, but I'd like to have your thoughts."

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir struggles to talk while maintaining concentration on the spell, "There is no magic in this grave. I can check the water and maybe the kitchen through the walls. I prepared no spell to detect, say, poisons. Staying one more night is fine if we stand watch over each other."

[fyleisch]

"We can make our beds in the same room, though I'd hate to hear what these country folk will have to say about that. I think we should at least collect a sample of the water today. And later on when everyone is asleep, we might have a better look around the inn, depending good their locks are."

[RolandDeschain]

"Someone took their own life last night, and the reason...I think...is because she was disturbed by change in the innkeepers son when he returned from the war."

Peeking around the stable back towards the inn before continuing, "About now they should be coming to the conclusion that there was no one running around upstairs. The father seems very protective of his kitchen....I would like to get a look in there if we could."


"We have hours to go before nightfall my friends...it's only just midmorning. I'm not sure what we should do until then, but I would like to go ask the stableboy about the innkeepers son. He may talk to me, if I'm alone. Why don't you fellas check the well, unless you've got other ideas."

She walks around the corner of the stable in search of Joerg.

[fyleisch]

"They killed themself last night? Well... could they have suffered the same dreams as the rest of us? I know Blemir's vision was particularly disturbing, and if someone with a wounded heart had a severe enough hallucination, they might be driven to suicide."

As Tia leaves to perform her own investigations, Vincent heads to the well and tries to draw a bucket of its water, pulling the mostly-empty wine bottle from the previous night from his light pack, emptying it onto the ground, and filling it with well water.

Eyeing and sniffing at the water, he glances over to the inn, looking to see if the kitchen has any visible windows.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
The well doesn't seem to be under a spell. The kitchen possesses a small round window up on the wall. Getting some help from Gael and Vincent, Blemir is able to peer through it. There's no magic aura here either, but Blemir witnesses the gruesome spectacle of the innkeeper butchering a now unrecognizable carcass. The kitchen is not so tidy, either. There are buckets and tools lying all around, and it's been some time older and newer splatters of blood haven't been cleaned out of the furniture.

Tia
Joerg had gone back to the barn. He is moving some hay around with a pitchfork when Tia gets in. The young man puts the fork aside and comes to Tia, while staring at his own feet. "Is there... Is there 'nythin' else I can do for helpin' you, m'lady?"

Vincent
The well water seems nothing out of the ordinary. It doesn't smell of dead animal or anything rotten and while it's not as clear as stream water, neither it is anymore murky than the water of the well near Vincent's childhood home. The taste of it is... unexpectedly unsurprising.

[RolandDeschain]

"Joerg, you've been most kind and helpful so I don't want to get you into any trouble, but can you tell me anything about the innkeepers son?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"W-why d'you wanna know?" Joerg looks around to see if anyone can hear him, then stares at his feet again. "Please... I just..." He tries to look Tia into the eyes but seems to be more scared of her than anything else. "The master's son, he came back som'time ago. Ain't stayed 'round here for long... He looked, I dunno, sick, maybe?"

[fyleisch]

"Well, Blemir," Vincent says, swilling the water in the bottle around, "it looks like the water isn't fouled or poisoned, it seems like my theory has been washed down the drain," he pours the water out as he speaks, slipping the bottle back into his bag.

"Come on, let's head inside, I want to think. And I'm going to need supplies; paper and pen."

Vincent makes his way , he looks for the cleric Isaac, theorizing that a priest might carry writing supplies. He begs pen and parchment from him, and sits at the table in the inn's common room.

"Barmaid, a bottle of your least cursed wine, please!"

As he says the words, he watches carefully to any reaction to the words 'cursed'.

"Paulander seemed to act like it was cursed, in any event! I was rather fond of it."

Sense Motive: [roll0]

Also, damn! I was pinning everything on the well theory. That was going to be my big reveal (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheReveal).

[RolandDeschain]

"Thank you Joerg. One last question....I promise. Have your dreams been plagued by strange visions, either last night or others in the recent past?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
Joerg shakes his head horizontally. "No, m'lady, I sleep good."

Tia sees, at the corner of her vision, that the other elf from yesterday, Aradheldir, is leaving the inn, towards the road, his pack on his back.

Vincent
The youngest serving girl answers Vincent's summons, "sir". She simply brings a bottle over. She doesn't react in any visible way to Vincent's remarks, maybe she didn't even get what he said. "Three silvers, please sir." She looks, for a fleeting instant before looking at the table again, into Vincent's eyes. She might be just a child, but Vincent remembers a stabbing pain in his right leg, as if it weren't just a dream.

[WalkingTheShade]

All
The rest of the day passes like a lazed bank of fog over a snow-melt river. None remember precisely when the curtain fell, but slowly, a daze lifts and actors come back on stage.

In the common room
A few notes of music hang in the air as warmth from the hearth seeps slowly into the guests' bones. Tia and Vincent are sited at the long table, at the same spots as last time. The waning light, at the windows, indicates evening. Aradheldir and Isaac are here too. On the table, reigns a steaming iron pot. Blemir is sited next to Gael, near the hearth. At a table nearby, Rickard and two soldiers are playing cards against a figure wearing Paulander's garb. That figure has its back to the long table, and its head is blackened and burnt. Yet, it holds a handful of playing cards. The singer is here too. Another guest is visibly passed out in front of a spilled wine cup. Two young aproned maids go around, bringing plates, refilling glasses. A fleshy matron stands at the door, watching over the whole business.

Blemir
Gael holds his belly, and turns to Blemir. "Well, good evening, friend. My name is Gael. Must admit you seem familiar. Have we ever met before?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

"You... Gael, do you not recognize me?! We have met yesterday afternoon, little after you arrived! You had, and still have, a belly ache, we talked about these card players and-- let us see if this freshens your memory."

Abruptly, Blemir parts his robes to show the scar to Gael.

[fyleisch]

Dreaming again! Or...

Vincent checks beneath the table for the presence of his pack, then reaches out to get the attention of one of the bar maids.

"Excuse me, girly. Where are we? What inn is this?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"But... but I just arrived this afternoon? Did you have wine already? You seem a bit..." Gael sees Blemir's scar and examines its for a short instant. "Well, that's a clean scar. Do you mean to say I'm the one who stitched you up? Must have been years ago, that explains why you look familiar." Gael gives a hesitant smile. He looks toughtful. "How do you know about my belly ache?"

At the long table
The red haired serving girl answers Vincent. "Might have had one too many. I heard one more cup o' wine can sometimes set that straight. Should I bring a bottle?" At the mention of wine, the figure with Paulander's garb turns towards the long table. While the back of its head was burnt, his face is charred to the bone. A blackened skull, eye-sockets empty, turns towards Vincent and the serving girl. The skull's jaw is moving, as if to talk, but no sound comes out. The red haired girl scowls. "Sorry sir, can't figure out what y'want. Have t'talk clearer if you want t'order."

Isaac grabs a black circle with stars from his robes, and points it towards the burnt skull.

All your gear is present, in more or less the same state it was last evening.

[wkwkwkwk1]

"I-- you--"

Bewildered beyond himself, Blemir turns to the red-haired girl.

"Excuse me! Can you please come over here?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
The younger, browned haired, freckled, girl comes to Blemir. "I'm sorry sir, my sister's busy with t'other guests. What can I do for you, sir?" All that, with a dull voice.

[wkwkwkwk1]

"I think I may have had a cup of wine too many, so could you clear something up for me? When did each of us arrive at this inn? Me and my old friend here?"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia scans the room for a long moment, taking in the entire scene....lingering on the burnt Paulander figure.

"Hmmm....where's the girl that took the bowl of stew upstairs last night?" She mutters to herself.

"I wonder, if..."

The young elf abruptly stands, "If you'll excuse me Vincent. I'm suddenly quite weary. I believe I'll retire to my room." She turns and walks to her room.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
"Huh... I think he arrived this afternoon and you just entered, sir. D'you want something to drink or eat?"

Tia
As Tia stands up, she sees that the girl who went upstairs yesterday is near the hearth, talking to Blemir. Tia overhears their conversation.

[fyleisch]

Vincent knows how Isaac feels. Is it still a dream? He closes his eyes tightly and begins muttering to himself.

"It isn't real. It can't be real."

Vincent disbelieves that Paulander is a skull face.
Will: [roll0]

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir throws his hands up in the air in complete, utter frustration and despair.

"Well, I give up. It seems I need some rest. Sorry, Gael, old friend, this conversation will have to wait, I believe I need some rest. Excuse me."

Blemir gets up and goes get Vincent to meet up with Tia. Passing Paulander, his eyes widen, and the light on his bright pupil dims. He freezes in place.

"It can't-- no."

He shakes himself off and hustles.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia enters her room that she's presumably already paid for...again...? She places her pack on the floor, and turns around just as Blemir and Vincent come spilling through the door.

"What in the world is going on? Do either of you recall anything about....um....arriving here?"

[fyleisch]

"The afternoon was a daze, and then I woke up at the table. The same for both of you? Are we dreaming? Paulander's face... in my dream I was a wine merchant, and the last thing I saw were flames as my head fell into the hearth. I dreamed that skull-faced man's death."

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir leans on the doorframe, much like he did a few hours ago, in an attempt to find a certain ghost cat, his hands cradling his head

"I... thought I did. But... it's all so hazy..."

He shakes his head silently, trying to get a grasp on the situation. His head then snaps up towards Tia, his pupil flaring up.

"Hey! Did you write on your diary last night? Come on, check it!"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia picks up her pack, reaches in and pulls out her journal. Flipping through the pages, she finds that last entry and reads it.

Is it the entry from last night, about the inn, Vincent, Rikard, and the odd chance encounter with another fire elf?

[WalkingTheShade]

In Tia's room
Tia's journal does indeed contain an entry for last evening. Yet, before anyone can decide if this is should give any reassurance, Isaac and Aradheldir join the three in Tia's room.

"You three, you seem to be the only ones who reacted to that burnt man's face. Everyone else... They seem not to remember yesterday or acknowledge the burnt man... He should be dead", says the priest.

"Yesterday... What do you mean, yesterday! I left this inn days ago. I walked the road then after some time went to rest my body. And suddenly, I'm just here, with all of you again... What's going on?", says the elf.

[fyleisch]

Vincent quickly checks the corridor and neighboring rooms for eavesdroppers, finding none, before returning to the meeting in Tia's room.

"We may be dreaming, or in some other unreal state. I'll make a mark in a hidden place, and I'll do so every time I find myself lost of confused in this place. I would hope that if tomorrow we wake from this nightmare, the presence of absence of marks will tell us something of the reality of these events." He nods to the door, and the madness beyond.

Kneeling by the bed, Vincent reaches into his boot and pulls out a concealed dagger, then reaches underneath to scratch an X on the wood on the underside of the bed.

He moves to stand up, then hesitates, kneeling back down and feeling under the bed for any additional marks.

"By the way," he says as he feels along every board, "one of you would cheer me up immensely if you told me there was a practice of inns drugging their customers in these parts."

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
There are two more similar Xs under the bed. Vincent has no memory of scratching them.

[fyleisch]

Vincent buries his face in his hands for several seconds, before standing, hiding his dagger away back in his boot.

"There are two such marks under there that I have no memory of making."

He sits on the bed.

"Tia, may we look back through the last several entries of your journal?"

[WalkingTheShade]

In Tia's room
Aradheldir puts a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "I think I saw... something weird too. I didn't think much of it at the time, since I was leaving this place. Just when I reached the talus, before getting to the road, I had a last look back. I saw someone at the higher floor's window, looking out. She ressembled the woman I saw hang herself. Since I was sure she was dead, I tought it was only my mind playing tricks. With all we see now, I'm convinced she was indeed the woman who hung herself."

There's only that one entry about last evening in Tia's journal. Before that, entries concern Tia's travels on the road. There's nothing Tia wouldn't expect in her journal.

[RolandDeschain]

"Hmmm....I think it's time we took a look upstairs."

Tia steps to the doorway and looks out into the common room briefly, and then returns.

"If my memory serves, the young lady you were talking to Blemir will take a bowl of stew upstairs for the girl who will kill herself tonight. I wonder if you fellas could somehow get her back here and keep her busy, and I could magically disguise myself as her and get a look around up there."

Shaking her head as she studies the group, "I don't know...it's a pretty shaky plan, though."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Wait... I'm just thinking aloud, but... if Tia's journal is unchanged, and yet there are several marks under the bed... I don't know, maybe only what is "a part" of this inn is affected by whatever is going on?"

Blemir looks at the ground for a while.

"If we haven't just all gotten insane, I guess. Which might happen soon enough..."

After listening to Tia's plan, Blemir says, "Wait a minute, maybe you could project some sort of flat image of this place while another person, behind that image, walks up the stairs? It is also fairly shaky, and will quickly fall apart if anyone walks through the illusion."

[fyleisch]

"Illusions. Illusions, poisons, ghosts." Vincent closes his eyes.

"Looking upstairs seems like a useful idea, though I can't think how we can distract the younger. Both girls seem scared of their mother, and won't be distracted from their duties by any light diversion. Can I leave you all to cook something up here, while I poke around outside?"

[fyleisch]

Vincent tears a strip from a sheet of his borrowed parchment, scribbles something on it, then stands and ducks out of the room. As much as he wanted to help them plan their infiltration of the upper floor, several questions nagged at him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to think clearly until he'd found the answers. He passes through the common room of the inn, pausing to light a candle at the hearth, and subtly slip the scrap of parchment to Paulander's hand, playing the movement off as gesturing to his hand of cards, and trying to avoid looking too closely at the man's 'face'.

"Not a bad hand you've got there, Paulander. Oh- I'm sorry. I think the wine has quite overcome me!" he says aloud to the room, shaking his head "I think I better get some fresh air."

He steps outside, holding the candle in front of him, and heads towards the barn. He paces around it, and then checks the door, looking for the stable boy.


"I have something to discuss with you. Meet me outside in fifteen minutes. It is a matter of utmost importance."
Sleight of Hand (slip the paper): Take 10+6

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
Once outside the barn, Vincent hears footsteps and sees a figure moving in the shadows. Maybe the candlelight attracted the thing, as what's left of the stable boy lurches slowly forward, one arm twisting towards Vincent. "Mmrrrllllgggrrr..." When the thing gets close enough to be illuminated, Vincent notices a head split open, dried blood and brain matter spread all over its chest.
Vincent needs to roll Initiative.
Dead stable boy Init, [roll0]

[fyleisch]

"Mmmrgl to you to, l-little boy. I'm afraid I don't have a horse for you to stable, so why don't you p-pop off, and... I'll sneak you out some wine later."

Vincent's hand begins straying towards his belt pouch.

Initiative: [roll0]

[fyleisch]

Vincent's hand slips into his belt pouch, and he pulls forth his holy symbol of Pelor, which he brandishes at the boy.

"Back! Back, darkchild!"

So armed, Vincent backs away to the barn door.

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
The dead stable boy follows Vincent. As Vincent rumages in his pouch for the symbol, it stumbles on the ground. But then, suddenly, Pelor's might doesn't seem to have any effect on it, as it rises and nearly catches up with Vincent, who's just reached the barn door.
Vincent took one move action to draw the symbol, then one move to get away from the thing. Vincent has now both candle and symbol in the same hand, leaving a hand free, if needed.
The thing took one move towards Vincent, leaving it 10ft away again

[fyleisch]

Vincent backs away slowly, the candle and holy symbol held aloft, leading the shambling boy into the barn. As the boy enters, Vincent darts towards the door in a burst of speed, slamming it behind him and barring it. He takes a moment to lean against the door, breathing heavily, then promptly bends over and throws up.

"Ugh."

He starts back towards the inn, then pauses, steeling himself, before making a quick run over to the ditch. He examines the place where the cleric claimed the dead rose the previous night, casting the candle around to examine the earth, before sprinting full pelt back into the inn. He marches through the common room, down the corridor, and re-enters the bedroom with the other guests, pale and wide-eyed.

"Just out of curiosity," he clears his throat. "Does anyone have any animals they're fond of stabled in the barn?"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia launches into a discussion with Blemir about which possible scenario would work best after Vincent leaves to go poke around outside.

After a lengthy debate about which type of illusion would work best, the two seem about to settle in on a plan when Vincent comes rushing back into the room pale and wide-eyed.

"What? No, I have no animal in the...what's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

[fyleisch]

"I met your favourite stable boy, he was showing the wounds of his death - the ones you dreamed of, Tia, except he wasn't offering to buy me a drink. He seemed dumb, and followed me unfailingly. He never made a hostile move, but... I didn't give him the chance to."

"He's trapped in the barn."

"I tried to arrange a meeting with Paulander - for all that it might accomplish, but I'm afraid to go back out there alone," he finishes, staring at the floor. "Will anyone come to watch my back?"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia looks clearly stricken by Vincent's words, "Wait. What? The stable boy is dead, and yet he was coming after you?!"

To herself, "The poor boy, what I saw really did happen...but it didn't?"

Panic rising in her voice, "There is indeed a foul witchery upon this place....and it's inhabitants. I keep coming back to the girls words about the innkeepers son coming back from the war....changed...somehow. What should we do?"

[fyleisch]

"It's not just the other inhabitants, something's affecting us as well. There are two marks under the bed that I don't recall making - yet I think it's very probable I did make them. My rational and well-ordered mind would come to the same conclusion when presented with the same situation, which makes me think something here is affecting our memory."

"I believe we may have experienced these events twice before - perhaps even having a conversation like this."

[RolandDeschain]

The young elf looks to the bed, "Two more...?"

She takes a deep breath, clearly steeling herself, and in a determined voice says, "Perhaps we should take a more direct approach. If the innkeepers kick us out, it seems we'll just be right back here tomorrow anyway."

"I still want to see who...or what...is upstairs. I know Blemir wants to check the kitchen, largely because of the innkeepers protective nature, and you say you want to try to speak with the wine merchant...Paulander....is that even possible? Where do we start?"

[WalkingTheShade]

In Tia's room
Aradheldir answers Tia's question. "I'm with you. I'm for going upstairs, but I'll follow any way this all goes. What kind of more direct approach are you thinking of?"

Isaac addresses the assembly. "If it is not just a trick of the mind and they are risen dead indeed, we should beware. The walking dead are dangerous monsters. They prey on the living. I am not surprised that the stable boy came after you, Vincent. However, if any more of them attack, I'm certain the Far Wanderer will protect us. As for Paulander, if he seems not aggressive for now, maybe it is because some shade of his former self still lives inside..."

Isaac is interrupted by a heavy knock, followed by the muffled if heavy bark of the matron coming through the door. "Y'all in there, I don't care y'all sleep or do what'ver else in t'same room, but have t'pay each for t'stay anyways! Right?! And bring t'noise down afta' when it's curfew!"

[RolandDeschain]

Tia's head snaps towards the door with the loud knock, "Here goes nothing...." she mumbles and then makes a subtle gesture from her mouth to her heart, "leporem hominis."

Opening the door quickly, she opens it, removing her hand from her heart and opening it toward the matron.

Charm Person DC 15 Will negates

[WalkingTheShade]

In Tia's room
The matron was going to knock again when Tia opens the door. The older woman looks surprised for an instant, "whatcha doin...", then confused for an instant as Tia completes her spell and, finally, settles for a motherly (yet still as ugly as the first time Tia saw it) smile. "Ah, it's you, dear, t'good girl who paid in advance. Are these ruffians bothering you? I'll get them outa your room if y'need! Ain't no proper behavior t'follow a nice lady inside her room!" The matron gives a baleful look to the men in Tia's room.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia steps closer and gives the matron a brief embrace before putting her arm over the larger woman's shoulder. With a knowing chuckle, "These men continually invading my private chambers would, indeed, be alarming if they weren't my friends."

Walking her into the already crowded room, she motions for the others to sit, "I've been so rude. I haven't even asked your name. I'm Tia. This is Vincent, Isaac, Blemir, and Aradheldir."

"Seems I might be staying for a few days...of course I'll pay in advance....and I was wondering if you would answer some questions about your charming inn?"

[WalkingTheShade]

In Tia's room
The matron resists weakly as Tia walks her into the room. "Ah... Friends? huh... Am sorry, girl, but I can't really stay... I mean, my girls, who knows what they're up too if I ain't watchin' and I..."

She looks surprised and then genuinely happy when Tia mentions her name. "I'm Marline, but 'vryone calls me Marl." And after Tia mentions a prolonged stay, she adds: "no harm sittin' down a minute wit' sucha nice customer". A silent instant passes, during which Marl eyeballs the four men in the decidedly cramped room. "Wish they all were as good as you, girl."

[RolandDeschain]

She chuckles, "I'm sure these gentlemen are nice too, but you know how men are, generally unconcerned with manners and politeness...still... nice, however, in their own way."

"Marline. A pretty name, and I must compliment you on your daughters they are quite lovely and most kind. It must give you a certain peace of mind to have your entire family here with you, sharing your work....travelling these past few months has reminded me of how good it is to be surrounded by family, something I took for granted...including my own dear mother."

[WalkingTheShade]

In Tia's room
"Aw! But you don't know ma girls! Marta is all smiles an' whatnot but as soon as m'back is turned she's doin' all these... unlady like things! Tried m'best to raise her t'be a proper lady, but all these ruffians comin' in our inn, they taught her t'be how she is," she looks at Vincent with a snarl while saying that, "and then, don't start me 'bout her sister! Seems quiet, but I've never seen a child so willful, gets that from her father, I tell you! Keeps runnin' away all the damn time, and what does he say t'her, nothin'! I break m'back for all three of them, father and girls, and do I get thanks? Am t'one runnin' this place, guardin' them, taking care of all the drunkards and thieves and rascals! T'only one of them who... Am sorry, know better than botherin' you with all ma troubles."

[fyleisch]

Vincent scribbles on a piece of parchment and slips it to Tia, at an angle blocking Marl's view.

The note says:
Name of inn?
Ghosts?
Ditch? (risky)
Suspicious/mysterious travellers.

"Come on everyone, lets leave these fast friends alone to talk. Come on."

He shoos everyone else out into the corridor, giving Blemir a significant look to try and convince him to play along, and then quietly into an adjacent room.

[RolandDeschain]

"Marline, you've done a wonderful job with you family and this inn. Trust me. I've traveled a fair bit in the past couple of months and," she motions around at the room as the men file out quietly, "...your inn far exceeds many of the places I've stayed. Do you have a name for this fair place Marl? Even if you feel your hard work is unappreciated, let me assure you, your guests do not take it for granted."

"Judging by the number of visitors in the commons room...HA!...in MY room, you must do a fair turn of business as well!

Your youngest keeps running off you say?" With a wistful sigh she adds, "I suspect my mother often shared a similar lament with her friends and confidants as well...seems the only thing that made me finally appreciate what I had was to be without them for an extended period of time."

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"Aw, you're too nice, child... I'm grateful for your kind words. The inn, well, people from our land just call it Conrad's Inn, or just Conrad's, after my husband's name. It's t'only one 'round here, so ain't like people gonna mistake it up with 'nother one."

"I feel for your ma. There's nothing worse for a mother than being separate from her child. You'll know when you have your own, girl." Saying that, Marl's shoulder sag with sadness, and her face takes a weary expression, making her look somehow older.

[fyleisch]

Vincent heads back outside with his candle, curious to see if the disfigured form of Paulander would keep their unilateral appointment. He glances at the barn door to make sure it is still fast, and waits close to the entrance to the inn, wary of danger.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir slinks out of the room behind Vincent and follows him outside, hiding behind a corner just out of sight of someone who would come to meet him, crossbow in hand.

Blemir is a Tiefling, he loves tricks and deceit. No special need to make him "play along", he's no Brandon :smalltongue:

[RolandDeschain]

Mia snorts, "Conrad's? From what I've seen about the place, it should be called Marline's! You're the heartbeat that keeps this place alive...that's for certain."

Studying the older woman for a bit, Tia leans in and puts her arm back over the matron's shoulder, "Look what I've done. I've distresses you with my thoughtlessness, my apologies Marl. If you don't mind terribly, what do you mean about 'being separate from your child'?

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent, Blemir
As Vincent, followed by Blemir and Isaac crosses the common room, they all see the body with the burnt face playing cards with Rickard and the two soldiers. Outside, the latch on the barn is in place. After waiting for some time, it seems certain no one is coming to meet with Vincent.

Tia
"Huh... My oldest... He was tak'n away from me. They took 'im to t'war. I thought I never see 'im again. So, I know how your ma feels, really."

[fyleisch]

"Quite rude of old, dead Paulander."

Vincent pulls a dagger from his belt pouch and approaches the cart piled with barrels and kegs. He pries the lid from a barrel, checking the contents, and pulling out his empty wine bottle.

If the barrel seems to contain wine, Vincent will fill his bottle and take a sip, then replace the lid.

[RolandDeschain]

"Oh my dear woman. What's your sons name? Does he work here with the rest of the family? Don't tell me he's the young man in the stable...he's much, much too young to go off to war, not to mention clearly being younger than Marta. You're a good mother Marl, that's plainly obvious to me...you clearly care deeply for your children. Just so you know, I didn't sneak away. I told my mother I was going and that I would be back."

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
For all his travails, Vincent has finally found out something useful: free wine! Being cheap finally pays off!

Tia
"His name's Ben. He ain't workin' here..." Tia sees tears in Marl's eyes.

[RolandDeschain]

"Marl, we don't have to talk about it if it's too painful. Let's talk about lighter fare...I know you don't trust the fellas that were in here a bit ago, but did you see Vincent's performance....today, it was something else wasn't it?"

Tia leans back a bit to gauge Marl's reaction to the question.

[fyleisch]

Vincent takes a swig from the wine, finally washing the taste of bile from his mouth, and helping to drive away the memories of that broken boy shambling towards him. He raises the bottle towards Blemir and Isaac, offering it to each.

"Blemir, do you think, if me and the priest gave you a boost, you could get up onto this roof?" He gestures up at the platform providing shelter for the terrace in front of the inn. "It runs along the front of the inn, if you wanted, you might be able to see in through a window - or even get inside."

[wkwkwkwk1]

"No, thank you, I don't drink."

He scratches his chin upon Vincent's proposal.

"Hmmm, I see, but... I have no means of escape, should I be found. Which I may well be. Isaac, do you happen to have a spell to... scout the future, so to speak? I would like to avoid taking many risks."

Talking about Omen of Perilhere :smalltongue:

By the way, Blemir knows that Clerics are known for divination, so... yeah :smallwink:

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent, Blemir
As Blemir is refusing, Isaac takes the bottle from Vincent's hand, without waiting, and drinks a great gulp. "I really needed that." He looks at Vincent and Blemir. "Wait." He drinks a second gulp, bigger than the first one. "That one too."

"I could ask the Far Wanderer for an omen, but only about my own future, not yours if you go up there. And you Vincent, don't you want to go up? You seem more discreet than our red eyed friend. Me, I guess I'm too heavy to be lifted."

Omen of Peril is a personal spell.
Tia
"A performance? You talkin' bout the singer? His name's Vincent too?" She seems genuinely confused by Tia's question.

[fyleisch]

"Oh, I don't know. Blemir here seems quite light on his feet. But... agh, fine. I don't even care what's up there, but fine, I'll look."

Vincent reaches into his belt pouch and pulls out a roll of twine, passing the end to Blemir and dropping the rest of the ball back into the pouch.

"I may need a distraction while I'm up there. If you feel a tug on that, make a racket down here, to draw people away from me. Isaac, I'd appreciate it if you went indoors to try and prevent anyone coming upstairs. Become aggressive if you need to, I don't doubt that hag in Tia's room will butcher me for my ribs if she thinks me a rascal."

Let's not talk about Blemir's superior move silently score, or his ability to literally teleport! Nooo, let's send the guy with the power of common household items.

Okay, how high is the ledge of the roof covering the terrace?

[RolandDeschain]

"No. The dark-haired half-elf that was just here Marl; he put on quite a performance earlier today tumbling and dancing..." Tia chuckles, "It was quite the sight, and not something you would likely forget."

The young elf stands, and sets her pack on the chair, "These rooms really are quite clean and nice Marl. You and your family live upstairs I presume. Does the wine merchant....what's his name Paulander...come by here often. Seems like an odd fellow...quiet."

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent, Blemir
The ledge covering the terrace is low enough for Vincent to grab it, with help from Blemir and Isaac. Above, the first floor is smaller than the ground floor, covering only a surface equivalent to the common room. A few dark windows are visible.

Tia
"You sure it was in 'ere girl? Might be it was outside and I didn't notice. Your friends came in just this evenin'." Marl looks at Tia like one looks at a little child who just said something utterly nonsensical. "We live upstairs, yes. There are three rooms. And t'Paulander... been comin' from time to time. Can't stop 'imself talkin' usually, but tonight he's mute like a tombstone. Seems to have a lot on his plate."

[RolandDeschain]

"Now that you mention it, I think Vincent did put on his little performance outside...I thought maybe you had witnessed it from the doorway or something."

Pulling her diary out of her backpack, Tia sits in the chair facing Marline, "Marl, who's the girl upstairs? You didn't mention anything about a third daughter so I'm assuming she's a guest."

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"How d'you know about her?" Marl seems more surprised than annoyed or angry. "She's my daughter in law. Got married to m'son before they took 'im to t'war. She's been... sad lately, but she doesn't understand what I feel. She neve' loved 'im.

[RolandDeschain]

"My friend Aradheldir, saw her looking out the upstairs window yest...today. My apologies, it seems we keep talking our way back to Ben. I am curious, though, why is she here and not with him?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
"He never come back, that's why. She's been awaitin' 'im." Marl's voice stays calm and composed, yet, a swift look to the side as she finishes that sentence convinces Tia that she's lying. "I oughta go. Am needed me for t'work."

[RolandDeschain]

Tia stands and goes back to sit next to Marl, "My friend, it hurts me to see you struggle so with this. I mean no harm nor disrespect, but it's clear that you haven't come to terms with whatever has happened to you son. He did come back from the war, but he was changed...somehow, wasn't he?"

With a brief look at the door, "Don't hear anyone screaming. I suspect everything is fine. You can trust Marta, I'm sure she's got things under control out there. Whereas it would probably do you a load of good to get this off of your shoulders and have some peace of mind."

[fyleisch]

Vincent cups his candle and approaches the nearest window, pulling the hood of his travelling outfit down to conceal his face, and lifting the candle to try and illuminate the interior.

As he strains his halfelven eyes to peer into the gloom, he mouths a silent prayer to the god of roads.

No monster face, no monster face, no monster face, no monster face.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Blemir is waiting in the cold, thread in hand, when he notices, under the starlight, that Isaac has turned very pale. The priest's hands are shaking.

Vincent
The two closest windows (those more or less above the common room's entrance) are those of a comfortably furnished room, with a large bed, a heavy wardrobe, a couple chairs and flower vases. This room is uninhabited for now. On his right, coming from another room, Vincent hears some muffled noise he can't exactly place.

Tia
"He did come back from the war, but he was changed...somehow, wasn't he?" Tia has no time to say anything more after this last sentence. Marl gets up, looking betrayed, confused and angry at the same time. "Who tol' you that! That's a lie! He never came back and he never was changed! Leave me alone!" Tears come to Marl's eyes, as a discreet whimper erupts from her throat. "Please leave me..." She slowly makes for the door, seeming somehow lost.
Marl is making for the door. She's still under the charm effect, but evidently too upset to stay with Tia. If Tia wants to stop her, it's clear talking won't be enough. Tia will have to either act aggressively, or use a spell or some other coercive mean.
Here's Marl's Init in case Tia decides to act: [roll0]

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Isaac? What is wrong?"

Blemir tenses up, preparing to tug on the rope and draw his dagger if anything happens.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Isaac is looking towards a clear sky. "The... the stars... they're what's wrong. I... I don't recognize them! Not one of them!"

[fyleisch]

Vincent tries the window of the empty room, then slips his tools from his belt pouch to try and finesse it open.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia jumps off of the bed and moves to put herself between Marl and the door, "I'm sorry I've upset you Marl. I truly am, but something strange...supernatural even, is going on here. The reason Paulander is so unusually quiet tonight is because he's dead, so is the stable boy Joerg, and the young woman upstairs hung herself last night."

Tia sticks her arm out to prevent Marl from approaching the door, "Are you unwittingly trapped in this never-ending nightmare with the rest of us, or are you simply playing along?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir tugs on the rope and whispers as loud as he can towards Vincenct, inching away from Isaac, "Vincent. Vincent! Hells be damned, come down here!"

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
The window is latched from the inside, but Vincent has no difficulty slipping a fine lock-pick between the two casements and unlatching it. As Vincent slips inside the room, he hears sobs, coming through the wall on his right. There's a door in front of him. Another wall on his left.

Tia
Marl visibly hesitates to push Tia away, put can't bring herself to do it. She stops in front of the elf. In between sobs, she manages a few words. "Watcha talkin'... 'bout... you mad witch!... No-one hung herself! You weren't even here yesterday!"

[RolandDeschain]

"I was here yesterday, and apparently the day before that, and the day before that as well. Vincent did give his performance today, in the common room, right in front of you. I watched as you laughed and clapped along."

Shaking her head sadly, "I'm not mad, and I'm no witch. I'm trapped here...as are you apparently. I know not, what sort of unholy curse is upon this place, but I will not spend the rest of my days here living the same day over and over again."

Staring intently into her eyes, "Tell me Marl, what day is it?"

[fyleisch]

Feeling the tugging at his belt, Vincent mouths a curse and slips back outside. He kneels on the roof, looking down at Blemir.

"What is it?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
Marl steps back from the elf's fury. "Am-am-am sorry, please, I don't understand..." In fright, Marl covers her face with her arms and latches to that one piece she seems to understand. "It's Tuesday... Tuesday! Please..."
PC arrived in the inn on a Tuesday. Right now, Tia has enough elements to be certain of two things: Marl seems oblivious to whatever phenomenon causing Tia and her allies experience the same day twice,
The only things she lied about are those that relate to her son, Ben.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Dagger already unsheathed, Blemir points at Isaac.

"It's... him! He's acting weird, come down here, please."

[RolandDeschain]

Tia steps forward and puts her hand on Marl's arm, "Peace dear. Peace. I believe you. It appears that you're as...stuck here as the rest of us."

"It's surpassing strange that my friends and I are aware of what's happening, and yet you and your family aren't. Be at ease, Marl, I mean you no harm. Tell me, what do you see when you look at the wine-merchant Paulander? Does he appear normal to you? "

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
Isaac looks at the dagger, then at Blemir, then at Vincent on the roof, then at Blemir again. "I... I'm not acting weird! No need for him to come down! It's the stars... they have entirely changed places. As if we were... under some other sky? If it is a sign from the Far Wanderer, it can't be but an omen to warn us of a terrible doom."

Tia
Marl looks like she still doesn't understand half of what Tia is talking about. "Pau-pau-paulander? Just looks... sullen tonight, is all." Fear and awe seem to have dried up her tears, for now. "Please... Let me go back to work, now."

[fyleisch]

"Yes, well, he's always been a little odd. I'm trying to housebreak here, please warn me if someone heads upstairs."

Vincent returns to the vacant room and sneaks towards the wardrobe, easing it open and examining the interior by candlelight.

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
The wardrobe contains ordinary clothing, spare boots, colored glass and copper jewelry, spare sheets for the bed. Nothing exceptional, but from the clothing size, Vincent figures out this must be the parent's room.

[fyleisch]

Vincent quietly closes the wardrobe door, checks under the bed, examines a vase, and leaves the room via the window. Once back outside on the terrace cover, he moves to sit by the window of the other room, and taps gently on the glass.

[RolandDeschain]

"Marl, before I let you get back to your work, the priest told me earlier that there's some....thing buried in the ditch out beyond the stable. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir
Isaac breathes profusely for a minute, then seems to have calmed down. "It's alright, we'll figure it all out." It seems Isaac is speaking to himself.

Vincent
Having ascertained no monster's hiding under the bed, nor in a vase, Vincent slips out to the next window. In the shadows, he makes out a room smaller than the last one, with another large bed. When he taps on the glass, he sees a figure moving on the bed, then light reflecting on humid eyes and a white face that just turned towards the window.
Vincent has time enough to press himself against the wall or the roof, so that whoever is in the bed doesn't see him. Or he could stay visible.

Tia
Marl takes a couple steps back from Tia and the door, white as chalk, hands shaking. "P-p-p-p-please... let me go... How... how d'you know?"

[fyleisch]

Vincent doesn't hide, he pulls back his hood and smiles, letting the candlelight cast a warm glow over his features. He quickly scribbles on a sheet of paper, and holds it against the glass.

Hello! I have to tell you something!

[RolandDeschain]

Tia simply stares at the shaken woman for a long moment, until the silence becomes awkwardly tense. "Somehow I've become trapped here, against my will. I've been very nice to you Marl. If it's within my power, I would help you if I can, but every time you lie to me or otherwise attempt to hide the truth, you stand opposed to me. Wittingly or unwittingly you aid the malignant force that does me harm. Where I would seek your friendship, you appear to be determined to earn my enmity."

Crossing her arms over her chest, "I will not raise my arms against you Marl. I seek only the truth."

"Speak true, what is buried in the ditch beyond the stables?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent
Whoever is in the bed turns back to the window, pulling the blankets up to hide their face. In between sobs, Vincent hears some muffled words he's not certain he distinguishes clearly."Leave me alone..."
And then, Vincent hears a scream coming from downstairs.

Blemir
Isaac startles as both him and Blemir hear a woman's scream, coming from the inside.

Tia
Tia's tone and words could be perceived as threats by Marline. However, they are not "acts". Since I don't want to bother too much about semantics, I'll let the dice decide by giving her another save: [roll0].
Marline screams, then hurls herself towards Tia.

See OOC thread.

[RolandDeschain]

Hearing Marline's scream and seeing the violent intention in her face Tia lowers her arms with her fingers pointing toward the floor, spins in a circle, while crouching down, "caligo obscurant".

The small room is suddenly filled with thick cloud-like mist, and the young elven woman disappears.

Standard Action - Obscuring mist
Move Action - Move Silently [roll0] out the door and into the hallway

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia
As Marl takes her first step towards her, Tia has already finished her spell. The elf slips out of the room, followed by tendrils of heavy mist overflowing into the corridor. Tia hears a bump and a fleshy crack, coming from inside the room, just like the sound of someone painfully stumbling head first into a wall.
Noise from the common room: people running around, and some loud yet indistinct voices.
Combat rounds are over, no need to follow initiative for now.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Keeping an eye on Isaac, Blemir shuts up and goes back to watching the area.

"Hurry up!" he says to Vincent, hearing the explosion scream. "Keep watch," he says to Isaac, turning and running inside to check out the noise. Seeing the thick mist, he hides behind a wall, peeking into the corridor.

[RolandDeschain]

With the mist covering her retreat, Tia feels her way along the corridor, finds a door, and quietly slips into the room.

Move from the corridor outside of Room 1 and into Room 9 Move Silently [roll0]

[fyleisch]

"Ugh, what now!" Vincent crawls to the edge of the roof and lets himself down, giving Blemir a pat on the arm and rushing into the common room.

"What's happening?" He asks the gathered 'revelers', looking around at their faces, assuming that the scream came from someone who glimpsed Paulander's skeletal visage.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
Isaac makes, at first, a motion to follow Blemir, but then nods at his suggestion and stays outside the inn. When Blemir and Vincent enter the common room, the situation is confusing at first.

Near the door, one of Rickard's guards replies to Vincent's question, as he grabs his pole-arm. "Someone screamed. Came from the rooms." Rickard has a hand on the pommel of his sheathed sword. Gael is sitting by the hearth. The singer is moving away from the corridor and the mists. Aradheldir is standing not far from the singer.

The innkeeper has just crossed the common room, running, cleaver in hand, when Blemir and Vincent enter. Yet, he stops in front of the strange mist covering the corridor to the rooms. The younger girl is next to him, wondering aloud: "fire?" The older serving girl, Marta, near the stairs up, is looking for something behind the counter.

The only one oblivious to all this is the thing that was Paulander. It peacefully keeps playing cards as if nothing had happened.

Tia
Tia hides in another room. There's no sign of anyone following her, or even suspecting where she is.

[fyleisch]

Vincent turns to Blemir, and whispers at his shoulder.

"My thoughts are that either Marl become some kind of horror, or Tia's spell wore off, and Marl was displeased by something. Given that Tia doesn't seem the kind to scream, I'm favoring the latter. What do you think we should do? Try and bluff it out?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

Blemir bends down slightly to whisper at the, if more magnetic, slightly shorter man, "I concur on both accounts."

[fyleisch]

"Gentleman! Please, stow your weapons until I have investigated. I am an agent of the church, here on business, you can place your trust in me to get to the heart of the matter."

Vincent brings forth his holy symbol of Pelor and places it around his neck, then flicks his hands down, gesturing for the alarmed guards to relax.

It's all true! (from a certain point of view)

[fyleisch]

Bluff: [roll0]

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
For an instant after Vincent's speech, everything stops, everyone is quiet, everyone looks at Vincent. Everyone relaxes. The guards even seem happy to see someone is in charge. Rickard, removing is hand from the pommel of his sword, turns to Vincent: "please go ahead, sir... or should I address you as 'father'?"

And then, someone comes stumbling out of the mist. The matron bumps into her husband and younger daughter. Her face is bloody, from a broken nose, and full of tears. "It's that elf witch, she did a spell an' broke my nose!"

The matron looks around herself. "She said t'other elves", she points to Aradheldir and Vincent, "and that red-eyed rascal are her friends!"

Rickard makes a gesture from his hand. As the guards put themselves protectively before Blemir and Vincent, a voice comes come from the far end of the room. "Here it was!" Marta stands behind the counter, a mean looking, loaded, crossbow in hand.

The innkeeper seems to believe Vincent. An unexpected consequence is that he's not taking his eyes away from the half-elf. All the innkeepers aggression is channeled in that look.

[fyleisch]

Vincent immediately raises his hands in a placating gesture.

"Madam, you seem highly agitated, and more than a little confused! I'm sure you are as intelligent as you are beautiful, but are you really qualified to tell a magical spell from, say... an elvish greeting? For example; [Elvish] Health to you, and your daughter."

Vincent flourishes his hand as he speaks, touching his heart, then gesturing at Marl.

"You may think you've just heard a spell, but it was nothing of the sort. I actually said: 'Health to you, and your daughter.'"

Vincent checks that every patron's attention is on the madwoman with the crossbow, before making a silent prayer for Frlnghrlns' forgiveness, locking eyes with the innkeeper's wife, fixing her a sly grin, and saying in his silkiest voice,

"Your beautiful, beautiful daughter."

Sense Motive: [roll0]

Vincent tries a rushed diplomacy check with Marl. He really, really, tries. Not really. In fact he deliberately tries to provoke her, though he hopes that subtle point will be missed.

I don't know how this works exactly. I suppose I'll roll for a rushed diplomacy check, and hope the result is below 5 (assuming she's only unfriendly). Of course, there's always the chance the Vincent's just too damned naturally charming to annoy her that badly (which I suppose will lead to a crossbow wedding).
Diplomacy (Rushed): [roll1]

[RolandDeschain]

Hearing Marl's voice coming from the common room, Tia slowly opens the door into the hallway and exits the room.

Trailing her hand along the wall she makes her way through the lingering mist trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Move Silenty [roll0]

[wkwkwkwk1]

"Marta, stand down! There's no need for a fight!" Blemir shouts, hoping to draw Isaac's attention rather than have any effect on the girl's actions.

Drawing his already-loaded crossbow, Blemir steps back through the doorframe and, using it simultaneously as cover and a makeshift stand, aims the crossbow at Marta, ready to shoot her if she tries anything funny, all while keeping an eye on "Paulander".


Readying an action. If Marta does nothing, then he'll switch to the most hostile target. Crouching behind the tab

Pre-rolling attack and damage:

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Sweet rolls :smallamused:

If the girl's AC is 10 or lower, this is 10 damage.

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
After Vincent's speech, everyone looks at everyone, confused and trying to figure out what he exactly meant. Except for Marline who looks at him with utter hatred. Gael talks, standing slowly from his chair, showing open palms, "well, I think everyone shou...", but Rickard cuts him, drawing his longsword and yelling, "drop that crossbow, now!"

Blemir's own words come in support, as he steps back behind the door frame. "Marta, stand down! There's no need for a fight!"

Marta visibly hesitates, eyes wide with fear, hands making her crossbow tremble. All the while, Rickard puts himself between Marta and Vincent. While no-one gives him much attention, Aradheldir slowly moves behind the nearest table and grabs his trident he'd left leaning against a chair, eyes on the woman with the crossbow. The silent tension is somehow diminished by the flip-flap of cards, as the-thing-that-was-Paulander has just finished shuffling the deck and starts dealing cards to players who've all left the table. The younger girl errupts in sobs, and suddenly runs as if wanting to make for the door. The guard closest to her pays no attention to such a scrawny girl, slowly lowering his pole-arm towards the big man with a cleaver.

Chaos unleashes. Suddenly the younger girl has a dagger in hand, and tries to stab the guard in the back. The man's mail saves his life and, reflexively, he strikes the innkeeper. The blow goes astray and as the guard is still trying to figure out what happened, the huge man deviates the pole-arm with one hand, closes in, and with the other hand buries his cleaver in the guard's shoulder. The singer shrieks in panic as he crouches behind his table, hands on his head in useless protection.

Tia
Yelling, crying, sounds of metal scraping metal and shrieking, a fight has broken out. Definitely doesn't sound like a friendly drunken bar brawl.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_middle_round_1_zpsqmz7gwrl.png

[fyleisch]

"Let's hide, shall we."

Vincent turns first to the inn's external door, before he recalls the undead that the cleric claimed to have seen the previous night. He looks over at the corridor to the rooms, but there was no way through that way. Finally Vincent ducks and darts towards the kitchen, finishing to the immediate North of the drunkard, where he half squats, readying himself to dodge any bolts that might fly his way.

AC:18, HP:8/8 (8!)
Free: Cowardice
Move: Move towards the kitchen, ending in the square immediately above the drunkard.
Standard: Total Defense

[WalkingTheShade]

Blemir, Vincent
As Vincent bodly runs for cover, head kept low, a hail of projectiles passes over him. Blemir had a nice aim on Marta's head, but as Rickard moves into his line of sight, he has to readjust his shot. Blemir sees Marta steady her hand and aim towards Rickard. Before she can shoot, Blemir's bolt catches her deep in the arm, making her push her trigger before she can finish aiming. Her bolt ends up stuck in the rafters. At the same time, Aradheldir raises his hand towards the grievly wounded woman, projecting some sort of green goo toward her face... missing, as the woman takes a step back to reload. Rickard, sword in hand, rolls over the long table then jumps over the counter to get to Marta.

Marline closes in with the wounded guard, dagger in hand, screaming, to help her husband and daughter. Dagger blows, from both mother and daughter, are deflected by the guard's mail. At the same moment, the other guard goes around Paulander's table, and tries to stab Marline with his pole-arm, but his blow ends up short from the mark.

The wounded guard drops his pole-arm, gets a dagger from his belt and tries a stab at innkeeper, who's dodge is not swift enough to avoid a cut on the belly. The fat man coldly removes his cleaver from the guard's shoulder, splattering his family with blood. With a grunt, he buries the cleaver again... in the poor man's skull.

The singer keeps shrieking, covering the flip-flop of the thing-that-was-Paulander's card dealing.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_middle_round_2_zpsyrvckztc.png
One guard down. Every player can post now.

[fyleisch]

Despite all of his bravado, Vincent's job never usually involved actually seeing any blood, and he squeaks as the innkeeper's cleaver is buried in the guard's skull. His eyes turn to the skeletal form of Paulander.

"Paulander! Paulander, help us! Draw your rapier!" he thinks for a moment, "j- 'Just pay the money and I'll be on my way!'"

Without waiting to see that no, Paulander's mute form probably wouldn't intercede, Vincent darts towards the kitchen, knocking the ajar door fully open, and moving inside to get out of the line of fire.

AC: 14, HP: 8/8
Free: Try and evoke Paulander's memory
Move: Draw dagger
Standard: Move two squares into kitchen

[RolandDeschain]

Hearing the clash of metal and screams Tia plunges forward through the misty hallway, emerging into a scene of grisly chaos.

The innkeeper pulls his cleaver free from the guard's skull as the body flops lifelessly to the ground; his wife and daughter both brandishing daggers menacingly.

Moving quickly, she collects something from her belt pouch and comes to a stop directly in front of Marline.

She raises her hand to her mouth, snaps it open and blows a puff of colorful sand directly into the crazed woman's face, "Pigmentum Aspergo!"


Hit Points: 10
AC: 18
Move Action - 25' directly forward; immediately left, adjacent to Marline *Provoking and attack of opportunity for the last 5' of movement
Standard Action - Cast Color Spray; Will Negates DC - 15 (Marline, Innkeeper, Daughter, and Paulander)

[wkwkwkwk1]

Used to keeping his mind as a shield between himself and the world, Blemir can't help but turn his mind to recalculating the odds, now that a man has been butchered, all while keeping his aim steady. Loading another arrow, Blemir takes another shot at Marta, determined to put targets down, one by one.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[WalkingTheShade]

Vincent, Blemir, Tia
Blemir's bolt digs deep... into the wood of the counter, behind which Marta is standing. The young woman raises her reloaded weapon towards Rickard. With a swift sword strike, the noble extricates the crossbow from Marta's hands, sending it tumbling over the counter. The bolt gives off and thuds into the long table. "Please don't", pleads Marta, raising her bloodied arms in front of her face, as she takes steps back from Rickard. He catches up with her, leaving his sword on the counter and drawing a dagger from his belt. He grabs her wounded arm, trying to put the dagger to her throat to subdue her, but she manages to twist away from his grip.

Aradheldir throws yet another piece of green goo towards Marta. It hits only the counter, that immediately starts fuming.

As she exits the mists, Tia sees a dagger cutting through the tendrils, coming for her throat, "witch!" Yet the cut is way too slow, and Tia dodges it without much effort. She casts her spell, as the big man with the cleaver is turning towards her. A vivid cone of color springs out of Tia's hand, enveloping the family, sweeping the thing-that-was-Paulander's cards away. The youngest girl falls flat on the floor. As the big man stumbles a couple steps forward, sparkles come out of Marline's eyes and she keeps screeming, "m'girl! Witch! Kill ya!" all the while widly and innefficiantly stabbing at Tia. Much to Tia's horror, the big man stablizes himself, hand on a stool and shakes the spell away. He grabs Tia's left arm and starts twisting it. However, the remaining guard gathers his wits. He manages to land a heavy blow on Marline's back, wounding her grievely. The thing-that-was-Paulander rises from its chair, as its hand dealing is disturbed. It turns towards the remaining guard and grabs him by both shoulders, going for bite from the man's throat. With a cry, the guard manages to push the Thing away.

Isaac arrives next to the door frame, on the opposite side to Blemir, peeking at the chaos inside. "What's going on? What should I do? Who's with us?"

Gael runs around the fighters, getting near the fallen young girl.

Vincent enters the dimly lit kitchen. Grime, insides, guts and drying blood cover the stony ground and the many broken tools littered on it. Barrels, crates, a stone oven and a metal stove adorn the room. Many meat hooks dangle from the ceiling. Many carcasses, some more decayed than others, all unrecognizable, dangle from them. Also a couple sausages. Flies buzz around, and the smell is nearly enough to make Vincent retch.

The singer stops shrieking.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_middle_round_3_zps5d1whgfg.png
Sorry Roland, got unprobably lucky on those saves... Tia is grappled (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#grapple) by the innkeeper. She can't use her spear to attack him, but he can use his cleaver. Marline is grievely wounded but still up and alive.

[fyleisch]

Vincent grabs the hem of his cloak and holds it to his mouth, struggling to hold down his wine.

"Never mind the church, I should be reporting this place to the food hygiene agency. No... I don't think I'll be spending any time in here."

Vincent flicks his dagger to the ground, careful to avoid its clattering bounce on the stone, and awkwardly fishes his shortbow out from beneath his travelling cloak, the bowstring catching briefly on the fabric, before slipping free. He knocks an arrow and takes a step towards the door, lining up a shot on the innkeeper, the innsfather, perhaps the only unambiguously wicked man in the building.

AC:40, HP:8/8

Free: Drop dagger
Move: Draw shortbow
Free: 5ft step to door

Attack (shortbow): [roll0] for [roll1] + [roll2] if denied dex
The distance is just outside 60, so I factored in the range penalty, BUT I forgot the penalty for firing into melee, so please -4.

[RolandDeschain]

Tia gasps as both the innkeeper and his wife are seemingly unaffected by her spell. Too late she tries to level her spear, but the cleaver-wielding innkeeper seizes her arm wrenching it painfully behind her back. Through gritted teeth the elven maiden curses, "unhand me you filthy brute!"

In a flurry of motion, she turns away from the innkeeper, bending at the waist and wraps her leg around the man's knee, leveraging herself against his weight rolling back over her own grappled arm. As she lands on her back looking directly up at the man still holding her forearm, she breaks his grasp kicking his wrist with her trail leg and rolls backward across the floor away from he and his stunned wife.


HP: 10
AC: 18 v Innkeeper; 14 v everyone else
Standard Action: Escape Artist Check [roll0]
Move Action: Tumble [roll1] straight away 15', coming to a stop beneath a table(not Paulander's, the other one on this side of the room)

[wkwkwkwk1]

Once again, Blemir loads and fires the crossbow, this time aiming at the inkeeper.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

What is Gael doing?

[WalkingTheShade]

Tia, Blemir, Vincent
Aradheldir clearly hesitates, holding onto his trident, trying to figure out the odds.

As Tia's agility gets her away from her assaillants, the innkeeper is struck by an arrow in the flank and a bolt grazes his neck. The large man turns with a squeal and locks eyes with Vincent.

"So what shoul... Aw, damn it!" Isaac enters the room, raising the chain around his neck with one hand, pointing it towards the thing-that-was-Paulander. "Far Traveller, defend us from the night's darkest!" Isaac's chain glows with starlight. The Thing raises its arms, then kneels, trying to hide from the light behind the table.

Marta tries to get away from Rickard by jumping over the counter. The noble trips her, and she falls face first into the wood. The noble finally manages to grab her arm and put his dagger to her throat. He says something to her, but no one else can hear it.

Marline runs towards Tia, murderous intents made clear—in case, it needed any more clarification—by her screams. "Kill ya witch! F**ing kill ya!" Yet, Tia kept her spear at the ready. She manages to lunge from under the table, skewering Marline below the sternum. The matron's expression is only one of surprise as her knife clatters on the ground. As Tia pulls back her spear, Marline falls on the floor in front of the elf. Tia, still kneeling, sees sadness and despair on the nearby woman's face, "no..."

As the mists dissipate, the remaining guard falls back along the wall, into the corridor, waving his pole-arm to frighten anyone wanting to approach.

All the while, the innkeeper has gone through the room, running towards Vincent, raising his cleaver high, still squealing dementedly. Aradheldir takes his decision. The elf runs after the innkeeper, throws his trident but misses.

Gael is examining the young girl on the ground, "she's fine, the girl's only knocked-out", he yells, to no one in particular. The singer is still hiding behind his table; the drunkard, still asleep in front of a spilled goblet of wine.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_middle_round_4_zpsuwok9ojy.png

[wkwkwkwk1]

Watching in horror as the inkeeper rushes towards Vincent, Blemir hurries to load another bolt and takes a potshot at the bulky man.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[fyleisch]

Seeing the madman charging him, Vincent fumbles another arrow to his bowstring and flicks it off towards the innkeeper, before calmly closing the kitchen door, and taking a quick step away from it, waiting for it to open from the other side with trembling hands.

AC: 14, HP:8/8
Attack: [roll0] for [roll1]
Move: Close the door
Free: 5ft step Bottom Right

[RolandDeschain]

Tia rolls out from under the table, discarding her spear in disgust and kneels next to the fallen woman while opening her pack.

"Damn you woman! Why did you make me do that? What possess you?"

She pulls out what looks to be strips of finely woven elven clothe stitched with sylvan runes, and begins applying them to the wound across Marline's back.



HP: 10/10
AC: 18
Move Action: Retrieve bandages from her pack
Standard Action: Apply Bandages
Blessed Bandages: Applying a blessed bandage immediately stabilizes the recipient (but heals no damage)

Seeing the innkeeper fall, Tia will fall back to what I was going to have her do originally. The eminent threat to her friends, made Tia set aside her concern for Marl. Yes, she's aware that there are likely still threats about, such as the dead thing known as Paulander.

[WalkingTheShade]

I took the liberty of moving Blemir inside with a 5ft-step to take his shot. From behind the door frame, his line-of-sight to the innkeeper was shaky.
Marline fell to the ground more or less 10ft away from Tia (because of the reach weapon). Tia needs one more move action to reach the woman. We'll just suppose Tia has already spent her move action from next round.

In the common room
Conrad, the innkeeper, is wounded by yet another bolt and arrow, the latter at point-blank. His cleaver clatters on the floor as the man's rush towards Vincent finishes with a roll to the ground. Aradheldir moves in to retrieve his trident. From behind the kitchen door, Vincent hears the sound of the inkeeper's large body falling to the floor.

At the other end of the room, Rickard has managed to neutralize Marta, her bloody arm twisted against her back and his dagger on her throat. "Everyone, stop this, I got her!" yells Rickard. However, a glance at the scene helps him realize that there's no-one still up who'd be interested in Marta's wellfare.

As Tia applies her bandages, Gael gives her a weak smile and a nod. "Just knocked her out. That's good. I was afraid someone would kill the poor kid." The man has retrieved the younger girl's dagger and is now adjusting her in a more confortable position. The elven bandages stop Marline's hemorrhage, but the woman doesn't wake up.

When the inkeeper fell next to him, the drunkard gave a slight groan, opened his eyes for an instant, before falling back into whatever drunken torpor has taken hold of him. The singer raises his eyes slightly above the table and looks around.

The thing-that-was-Paulander is still cowering from Isaac's star-light. Everyone hears Isaac's urgent voice: "I can keep him down for only so long. Someone do something!"

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_middle_round_5_zpst9flhtey.png

[RolandDeschain]

Turning to Gael, "I think Marline will recover, but it's hard to say. She's stopped bleeding at least. Poor woman is mad I think. There is a curse upon this place, I am certain of it. Look after these two if you can."

As she bends to retrieve her spear she hears Isaac's plea for help, "Blemir, Aradheldir help us subdue Paulander....or whatever he's become! Where's Vincent gone off to?"

[wkwkwkwk1]

Loading another bolt, this time more calmly, Blemir takes aim and shoots at Paulander, leaning his back against the doorframe, as if lounging in the sun.

No probs :smallbiggrin:

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[fyleisch]

Hearing the hefty body of the innkeeper slump to the ground, Vincent comes striding from the kitchen dusting off his hands.
"If any of you have partaken of the stew, I suggest you don't visit the kitchen."

He stops when he sees the skeletal form of Paulander.

"Ah. Guards! Where did the other guard go? Paulander's lost his wits! Help us subdue him!"

Vincent rushes over to stand next to Blemir.
"I'm not sure that bolts will do the job. Didn't I hear skeletons could only be killed with silver? Or was that zombies? Tch."

Knowledge relgion: [roll0]
I've recently learned that you can make knowledge checks for DC10 general information even untrained. Let's see if Vincent knows anything about what Paulander might be.

Move: Double move to the square N of Blemir

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room
Blemir's bolt strikes into the-thing-that-was-Paulander's empty eye socket. It stays stuck there, eliciting neither response nor apparent discomfort, whatsoever, from the Thing.

Vincent: "Ah. Guards! Where did the other guard go? Paulander's lost his wits! Help us subdue him!"
Guard, from the corridor: "That madman tried to bite me! I aint approaching him no more! And who's that witch with anyway?" (He points his polearm towards Tia.)
Rickard, keeping Marta pinned: "What do you want with him? He looks subdued for now... Will you stand down, Paulander?"
The Thing, cowering: "..."
Marta, starts cyring: "Pleease... let me go... mooom... my sister, is she fine, is she?"
Gael: "She's fine, now you'd better calm down."
Rickard, to Marta: "Quiet!"
Isaac, still holding symbol, quietly, to Vintr and Blemir only: "No, I definitely think it's some kind of... zombie. You need to slice him up." (He gulps while looking towards the cleaver.)
The singer, rising from behind table: "Is it... over?"
Rickard, to the guard: "Don't let them do anything to Paulander!"
The drunkard, despite the ruckus, still sleeps.
Guard, from the corridor: "I don't care what they do to him! Bastard tried to bite my ear off!"
Gael: "Wait... if the priest's symbol is keeping him at bay... it means..."

We're not in combat rounds anymore.