Madmal's Snows of Summer IC

[Madmal]

Heldren. A small community of farmers and traders that long ago decided to settle along a caravan route that goes through Zimar and past the Whistling plains, and then towards the Satrapy of Qadira; the westernmost province (and foothold toward the Inner Sea Region) of the Empire of Kelesh, long time enemies of the Nation of Taldor. Far away from the constant scheming and intrigue of the capital, the small town seems a place where time seems to either stay still or move slowly, this spell only broken with the appearance of the regular merchants and less regular adventurers, which usually were assailed by the interest of the inhabitants for the few days they stayed around to recover.

Many are certain there has never been a time the usually sleepy village last saw so much excitement or concern. Now, Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town's soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead. Of course, this is usually enough for local hunter Dryden Kepp to cry wolf for an Qadiran invasion, egged on by Perkin Tarimm, (supposed) former river pirate, jumping on a barrel while brandishing his butcher's cleaver.

On one warm summer morning in mid-erastus, Heldren's clocktower bell begins announcing the 7th hour of the day. A mass of a man named Menander Garimos strides solemnly out of his kitchen a mop resting on his right shoulder, a bucked carried by his left arm, and a gleeful grin on his face.

"Once again? one day You will be the one sliding off our floor" Kale Garimos prodded as she began cleaning the bar.
"My lovely wife, I am a man of my word" The third bell rungs "My rules were stated last night twice and by Aroden, I will abide to them!"

Never the most popular location, Heldren doesn't have a true Inn. In it's place there's the local Tavern, The Silver Stoat. A fixture of village life, the tavern fills up with patrons in the evening as they gather to share gossip, hear news, and reward themselves for a hard day's work. Anything that's worth knowing in Heldren gets talked about here, and if asked where he got a particularlyjuicy bit ofgossip or information, a villager will likely say, "I heard it from the Stoat." Slightly eccentric couple Menander and Kale Garimos run it as if it were their family kitchen: there's always a seat at the table, a space by the hearth for a guest, and travelers are welcome to a spot on the floor of the Stoat next to the fireplace for the night... as long as they're up early and on their way when morning comes.

The fifth bell rings, he submerges the mop in the bucket, still grinning.
The sixth bell rings, the mop emerges, and is brandished towards the nearest patron as he clears his throat.
The seventh bell rings, and hence he roars:

"Time to get up, time to get out, ladies and gentlemen! I did say to thee "Off you go by the morning or your face will meet my mop! My floor needs cleaning, so scram!"
"But be sure to come back for breakfast!"

[ProudGrognard]

Tefrug

Tefruh gets up quickly, without further nudging. He rolls his shoulders and goes to the basin with the cold water to clear the sleep of his eyes. He then starts to roll his cigar, mentally checking that all his things are with him.

"Innkeeper, it seems to be a waste to go and come back again. How about we do the breakfast thing now. And add some coffee to it, if you please"

After all, I am nearly broke already. I may well as enjoy some coffee while I can.

[Halae]

Annie Lask

The young wizardess pulls herself off the floor for the morning with considerable effort. Her traveling companions - her brother Barry, and a friend so close she may as well be a sister, Janna - are well aware of her poor ability to deal with the morning. For the next hour or so, unless something wakes her up, she'll be blearly eyed and unable to think straight. Still, the young woman complies with Menander's order, and begins shuffling off in the direction of the door.

The cockatoo that had been resting in the rafters flutters down to her shoulder and says with a mocking tone, "You know, if you didn't insist on reading into the night, you'd feel better in the morning."

Annie doesn't dignify her familiar's jab with a response.

[Deathkeeper]

Barry Lask

Barry hops out of bed quickly, stopping only to brush a small pile of fur out of his clothes. He's peppy, lively, and was not reading late into the night.
"If all else fails, I can carry you out on my shield. But they'd probably mistake us for a couple." he says with a wide grin, clapping Annie on the back. Brody stays ever on his heels, tail wagging.

[Salieri]

Sarkan Savajz

By no means a traveler, Sarkan had sought the shelter of the Stoat the night before owing to the unfortunately extreme amount of rodent activity in and around his shack in the prior days, and a desire to not wake up in the middle of the night with squeaking and uninvited company in bed. Bestirring himself at the bellicose bellows of the keeper, the witch seems unconcerned. " Ja, ja, Menny. Such class. Never change."

Running fingers through tangled hair, doing his best to set it to rights before settling his cap in it's place. Across the room, an owl drags itself from out behind the bench it'd sheltered behind after stealing some of it's owner's supper. It briefly preens itself in an ironic echo of Sarkan's feeble attempts at grooming before hop-skip-flapping to alight on his shoulder. "He's not kidding, neither. Saw him swab down a dwarf vagabond once. Little guy was such a sleeper that his teeth got scrubbed till they shined. Brutal stuff." Glancing into the shined surface of a serving platter as a makeshift mirror, Sarkan sets the angle of his hat's brim at a jaunty angle, before heading for the door.

[Murkus]

Jaha Saskryn

The colorfully garbed Qadiran by the fireplace cracks an eye. He'd laid out his considerable length of body before the hearth, his hat and scarf tucked beneath a close-shaven scalp. He swallows and smiles, the whiteness of it a fresh scar in his ebony face.

Jaha rolls over to begin collecting his things, laughing as he does. He feels slightly unwell, perhaps having partaken too much of the Garimos' wine, but he's still warm and still whole. For what else can a man complain? "Is tha' some chance of breakfast?" His accent, quaint and deep, puts ripples in every word. Makes a good deal of his R's sound like W's. "I am powa'fully 'ungry..."

Jaha's eyes widen as he looks around, taking stock of his fellow tavern-goers for the first time. "...Who let all de' birds in 'ea?"

[UncleWolf]

Janna Parrish

Those speaking might find themselves interrupted by a rather loud and obnoxious snore, changing into a snort of surprise as the bleary-eyed Tiefling tucked into a ball near the fireplace wakes up. After a moment of staying still, she gives a sigh and uncurls before standing up. The woman is large, muscular, bright red and more than a little bleary-eyed as she straightens out and begins to stretch. Joints pop, muscles creak, and she winces as the stiffness of her body gets worked out. "Food?" She asks aloud, sounding hopeful as her long black braid snakes around her front to tuck a small child's doll into her waistband. The doll is crudely made but heavily patched and restitched, shaped much like her except with one long horn in the middle of its forehead instead of the two that dot her own brow.

After a moment, the tavern-keep's words and everyone's actions filter through to her mind and she gives another sigh as her shoulders slump. "Ah, no food then. Not until after some exercise at least." She says to herself as she grips her pack and shoulders it over one arm before setting her hands on the shoulders of the Lasks. "We shall return, do not fear. Unless the fates decree otherwise of course, but what is, is. Let us not worry about the future." She remarks with a grin as she steps out the door behind her friends.

[Madmal]

"Don't be daft, of course you'll get your breakfast. Once Kale's done cutting the tomatoes and I'm done mopping that mess the boy Phineas' did." Menander makes a vague motion towards a corner of the tavern fortunately covered by most of his bulk "Take the smell as a lesson: always snack a bit while you drink, maybe even before; we always keep some nuts around and Perking always seem to carry that jar of pickled ears with him."

"Who are you to talk, you officiated their wedding this spring!" Kale pips from the counter, giving a sly smile at the party.
"Only because Safander is a stuck-up! Now off you go, all of you!" He flails his mop at the door "Walk around a bit, get in touch with the folks, bother his holyness Safander for a hangover cure or somesuch."

(You are located in the Town square now, feel free to talk among yourselves, approach any main building or listen for local rumors [Knowledge (Local) or Diplomacy, preferably in the OOC thread.])

[Salieri]

Sarkan Savajz

Into a pouch at his waist reaches the witch, producing what looks like a fragment of ginger that he passes up to the bird that's perched on his shoulder in a futile and long running war against the avian's aggressive halitosis. Sarkan sort of side-eyes Jaha once they're all shepherded outside in a delayed response to the question on the birds, but doesn't say anything in regards to the comment. Rather, he looks around the little, dull town that he lives in before turning to address the collection of strangers and outlanders that slept in the tavern the night before.

" Don't think you folks are from around here, are ya? Welcome to Heldren's beating heart," Sarkan says, gesturing at the small town's central square. " If you're thinking about actually asking the Elder for help shaking off last night's drinks, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. A solid breakfast back in the Stoat'd probably do you just as well, and you'll be able to skip the lecture. If you're really poorly off, I think I've got a bit more ginger. Does the trick for a troubled stomach. And bad breath besides. " He wrinkles his nose and glances up and to the right in an accusing fashion at his owl companion. " If you're wanting to see some of the local flavor, there might be something interesting what came in with the last caravan at Vivialla's Store, or hey, maybe Argus is pulling out a tooth today." He offers these intensely mundane suggestions in a tone that is either dryly making fun of how tedious they sound, or just entirely flat of affect.

[ProudGrognard]

Tefrug

Dripping with water after a refreshing walk to the local well, and freshly combed, with the creases on his clothes neatly taken care of, Tefrug hears Sarkan, letting a heart laugh. He rolls a cigar and he lights it.

"These sound exciting! I wonder how you manage to survive such wonders every day!

But I am interested in work. My coffee and my tobacco will be running out. I can hunt but no animal I have ever seen carries around coffee. You seem to know things here. Any ideas who I could ask about some work? "

[UncleWolf]

Janna Parrish

The large crimson-hued woman gives a dismissive wave of her hand at such silly mundane suggestions for what to do for entertainment. "What use is it to watch the trivialities of pulling teeth? While our guts may be empty, look around for we have another glorious day. The air is warm, the wind is to our backs, and the light shines down from above to fill our souls with joy. That is the only sustenance we truly need. Until breakfast is prepared of course." She adds finally with a grin as she leans on her two far smaller friends. "Tell us, what shall we do for the day?" She asks, looking between the two Lasks as she all but hangs off of them.

[Halae]

Annie Lask

Annie rubs her head, still clearly half-asleep, "We should look if this village has a job board. We have a fair amount of gold, but that won't last forever, and we need to keep it from running out."

The cockatoo on her shoulder says, "We'd have more if you didn't insist on looking for magic everywhere."

Annie huffs, "You're only here because of my magic, don't give me that!"

[Murkus]

Jaha Saskryn

"Thanks fo' the booze, Menandah," Jaha says, waving as he shuffles his big self out into the morning sun. He yawns animatedly, rolling his head this way and that, his eyes following the other Stoat houseguests. In fact, they find Sarkan and his companion again.

"...I'll take some o' that gingah, if youah just givin' it away," Jaha remarks, his incandescent eyes glittering jovially. "M'Jaha. I'm..." The big man clears his throat, correcting his thick accent for a moment. Slowly does he say, "My name's Jaha. I like ya bird. E's a fine one."

Whether or not Jaha can get some of that ginger for his complaining stomach, he brings a hand up to rub at his smooth chin. "Mmm... maybe dat' caravan's the ticket. Maybe dey got fresh news. Come to my eah that these are strange days in Taldor..."

[Deathkeeper]

Barry Lask

Barry nods, though he rolls his eyes at the tiefling, who should know that they don't particularly like when she does that. She's heavy darn it.
"We definitely ought to look for work. Though she's right, feather-brains. Without the magic you'd be sitting on a wooden dowel asking for crackers this time of day." he says with a grin at her sister and her companion.

[Salieri]

Sarkan Savajz

Providing a morsel of ginger to Jaha while he observes the assorted outsiders interact, discuss and decide, the be-hatted witch answers with, " Work. Work. Weeeeeeell I don't know so much about work. Mostly, folks give me the odd coin here and there for advice of the occult sort when they're too embarassed or soused to go talk to Old Mother. Tea leaves. Relationship counsel. You know, that sort of thing." The owl menaces the witch's ear for his relative failure to be honest and Sarkan relents, adding in a hurried way. " Right, right, and to keep away from their gardens. People are frightful worried I'll hex their rutabagas or something. In any event, just over that way." Sarkan says, pointing to the building across the square, the town hall complete with a looming clock tower. " I think they post jobs there, though it's usual of the sort that involve shucking corn, you know? But who knows, might actually be something interesting up there for once."

[Madmal]

The morning sun shines brightly and the birds chirp over the statue of The Lady as you walk across her towards the opposite side of the square, and stop at the wall outside the front door to the Town Hall, where the local notice board hangs.

Most of the old flyers are a bit worn out by exposure or torn, but there are a share of recent ones:
- A list of townsfolk to attend to the armory for militia drills.
- The usual reminder to everyone about the council meeting next Starday.
- A "Gossip note" detailing the scandal caused at the failed meeting between Lady Argentea Malassene from Oppara with her now-former betrothed at Zimar. Excessively speculative about it's cause, even going as far as to claim a complot by the fairies.
- Vivialla Steranus' "Weekly deal!" on ....rope. Hemp rope. Obligatory cheesy slogan involving wordplay is present.
- A scribbled note: "Ar talken deers blessed by Erastil? Sonny spoked off the woods by big un. Now ill. - Roven"
- Another scribbled note, tacked on right below the previous one: "Dibs if Safaren says Go. Been weeks since I roasted deer. -M. Garimos"
- A notice about the recent thefts on Old man Dansby's fields, along with a reminder to report bandit activity at the town hall.

After some time, the front door rattles and opens, stern-looking middle-aged woman (http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r636/Denverbill/Councilor%20Ionnia%20Teppen.jpg) comes out, covering a yawn with her palm. "Ah, good morning dears, Councilor Ionnia Teppen, if you may." She bows slightly and offers the accustomed courtesies, treating Sarkan and Jaha with a bit more informality, and Janna with an almost unnoticeable hesistation.

"Well, this is convenient. I was on my way towards the Stoat to adress you. I heard some of you had been drawn to our town thanks to our little... "local curiosity", correct? And here you are looking at the board. Well." She waves a piece of parchment on her right hand. "Things have slowly been taking a turn for the worst lately, and I think it's due time to take a measur of action about it. Walk with me to the apothecary, please. We had another visitor to the village after you, and in a very bad shape."

[ProudGrognard]

Tefrug

Marching in step, Tefrug hides a smile. There would be work after all!

"Lead the way, lady."

[Salieri]

Sarkhan

" 'lo, Io," is the witch's response, upping the Councilor's entirely understandable familiarity with the sort of maximum laissez-faire approach to common courtesy that one could expect out of the weirdo who lives in a shack on the edge of town. While the nob is being polite to the travelers, he reminds himself of the posted notices and frowns, worry for the illness inflicted by the speaking deer. Maybe he should stop by, see if there's anything he can do to help... hmm. Deciding that that's allowing himself to become entirely too involved in the affairs of people who aren't saddled with Supreme Cosmic Power (or, at least, the local equivalent) he overcompensates by showing an unhealthy interest in the news that a traveler has come to grief. " Someone's banged up enough that we're trusting Tessy to take care of them? Maybe... Mauled? Maimed? Discommoded to excess via hayfever? "

[UncleWolf]

Janna gives a bow in return, still grinning. She's used to odd looks, so even if she had been able to spot it(she didn't) she wasn't likely to mind. "If we can help in any way, all ya gotta do is ask. What happened to the traveler?" She asks.

[Murkus]

Jaha Saskryn

Jaha puts the proffered ginger on his tongue and grins. "Obliged."

The big Qadiran has time to look toward the town hall, clearly considering, and does go to check in that direction... mingling, it seems, with the other curious adventurers. They're a whole lot of strange people, gathered by the board, but the results don't seem strange enough for them.

When the councilwoman appears, Jaha greets her with a bow at the waist, and a little traditional flourish of his sheathed blade, as well as his name. When the explanation is through, he does agree to come along... though he glances at the witch and his pretty bird.

"Never had the care o' the healah here. She dat bad?" Jaha asks as they move again. The big man looks at the pale palm of his right hand, expression curious. "...I could fix de' hurt man myself, mebbie." He still wasn't sure about how all his abilities worked. "Da gods, tha' fickle, but they listen sometimes. When I ask very sweetly."

[Madmal]

Councilor Ionnia gives Sarkhan a dry look over her shoulder as she guides you past The Stoat towards Willowbark Apothecary "Well Sarkhan, It was Argus who found him, way before the dawn, so maybe it's him you should adress your concerns at." You all cross the well-tended garden and knock at the door with a sign of "Sorry, please don't disturb today", where a dwarf with tired eyes (http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/226988/Picture_6.png) and an odd glint inside his beard welcomes you.

"Argus, how is he?"
"He's awake and hurting, but Ulfen are a resilent lot." The source of the glint is revealed as a considerable amount of gold teeth on his mouth as he gives you a smile. "Tessa had to go back to her trance, so mind your step and try not to stumble into any vials or beakers. Less people the better, methinks. Also, he'll need leeches."
"You always say that, Argus"
"We talking frostbite here, Ionnia! In summer!" He catches himself and looks sideways, apologetic. "Great Torag, now I even break my own rules, sorry. Anyways, leeches are good to make the blood flow. I'll be back with a jar of 'em." He points towards the guest room and trots off towards the barbershop.

*********

The ulfen warrior (https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7395/12487030284_44c7b4f795.jpg) lays across the guest bed heavily wraped in bandages; his nose, fingers, and toes taken on a black
hue from serious frostbite. He moves his head towards you and coughs. "Yuln. Yuln Oerstag is my name, Councilor. The caravan... Lady Argentea. She has been kidnapped."

What do you do?