"I do not know what the rest of you wish to do, but I'm going to see this Filani. Lulu, will you come with me?"
Jin almost volunteered out of impulse, eager to please the fair maiden ( @Nonnahswriter ), whose shy smile made her seem all the more lovely... But he hesitated momentarily, remembering mother's warning about pretty girls before he set off, and still acutely aware of the circumstances surrounding this chance encounter. In that momentary hesitation, the half-Orc ( @Delvarian ) stepped up and to offer his protection.
Jin watched impassively as the human woman ( @booinyoureyes ) took charge of the situation and introduced herself as Lulu, remarkably confident for a young florist.
...Who are the rest of you?"
"I am Jin, maiden, son of a merchant of Thesk, though I am adept with sword and sorcery. I shall be glad to protect you also." Jin replied, keeping it simple, and not quite willing to share his full name and background, lest this was a ploy to blackmail his father into a ransom.
"A pleasure to meet you all. I'm sure that if we work together we could figure out what is going on, and find a way so that we can all return home safely." She stares carefully at Thongor "Perhaps we should meet this Filani, 'fore our gnome friend turns blue. Maybe we can peacefully and methodically figure out what is going on here, and she seems like the lady with all the answers"
As she turns, she passes behind the Half-Orc's large frame, and quietly whispers into ( @Delvarian ) ears: "I'd prefer a diplomatic approach, but just in case this Filani is not what she seems, we best prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Keep your weapons ready... even in peaceful negotiations it always helps to have an imposing figure at your side. Keeps people honest you see..."
Nailo nodded again as Lulu ( @Booinyoureyes ) spoke to him. Outwardly he showed no emotion, but inside he swelled with pride that this girl would place such faith in him. He made a promise to himself that her faith would be rewarded.
He could not help but be drawn toward this woman, she had a strength he had never witnessed before in a female. Most of the women he had met were timid or silly. He admired this Lulu for taking charge so quickly in this situation.
While he checked over his weapons he made a mental note to be cautious however, he must not let any foolish feelings that he had interfere with his duties.
OOC: I've decided to make Crevs carry a copy of Adjathat made by himself, it dosn't heal one HP per hit, it regenerates 1 HP per turn, I've changed this to make it a little bit more accurate to what Crevs would like. The Blade is called Valgurth (in Sindarin "Powerful Death").
Crevs entered the room after hearing that a talk was going on, "This isn't my group. I guess some of us were kidnapped, does anyone of thee know why I am here?" He hears Falagrim's and he answers ( @mlnevese ) "Hello fellow traveler, I am Gûlruthdil, an Elven sage and rouge, you might also know me by the name the Planes gave me, Crevs Daak, or Black Hood if it pleases more to you." "I want answers too, I don't have rush other than my curiosity."
OOC: I've decided to make Crevs carry a copy of Adjathat made by himself, it dosn't heal one HP per hit, it regenerates 1 HP per turn, I've changed this to make it a little bit more accurate to what Crevs would like.
haha, totally accurate to what Crevs would like! Typically CrevsDaak, always powergaming! [/spoiler]
I hope it's OK that I move forward to the meeting with Filani, since going there seems to be the consensus. Always let me know if I act too soon.
After the filling breakfast and a few introductions, Thungor pulls out a map of Tilverton and offers it to the adventurers.
"You don't need this to find Filani's place," he tells them. "It's right across the courtyard, through the back door. But it may come in handy. Your rooms are paid until the end of the week, so feel free to come back for dinner and to rest your heads this eve. Farewell!"
The back door of the inn leads into a neat little courtyard with a well-kept flowerbed and a few small trees. Some guests sit enjoying breakfast or tea in the open air. The adventurers make their way to Filani's house, which as promised is a brief stroll from Windlord's Rest. A bronze knocker in the shape of a woman's hand rests on a door painted in a cheerful shade of green. After a few taps, the door opens.
A beautiful elven woman with coffee-colored skin and dark hair bound up by ribbons peeks out. Her eyes settle on one of the glowing tattoos.
Filani
"Oh! Are you the adventurers who Thungor told me about? I'm Filani, as I'm sure you already know. Please come in!"
She beckons toward a cozy living room lined with shelves upon shelves of books. Scrolls and tomes are stacked here and there, and a big gray cat lays stretched out on the sofa. Filani scoops him up and deposits him on the floor.
"I was sleeping, you ninny," the cat complains, no doubt startling the daylights out of anyone who's never seen a Mage's familiar. With a dissatisfied growl, it stalks off through an open door.
"Ninny?" Filani snorts. "Little ingrate."
She turns back to her guests.
"Sorry. Where are my manners? Take a seat. Is there anything I can get you? A tea? A cookie or two?"
OOC: @booinyoureyes as an Elf and someone that says "Perseverance and you shall triumph (well, at least you should)" I don't see why is bad to have healing over time instead of healing each hit which isn't going to help him much since he don't uses the sword that much. And yeah, I'm a powergamer and I like it.
OOC: To be fair to @CrevsDaak, 1 hp per turn is pretty slow. I think that's worse than the original weapon. Although it does mean that Crevs doesn't have to worry about healing inbetween battles.
ooc: I wasn't criticizing, I was admiring (and being totally sarcastic)! He's role-playing himself to perfection!!!!
ic: "Lady Filana, we would appreciate it if you would answer a few questions for us. I'm sure you are aware of our situation. We were all seemingly abducted, in one way or the other, and ended up waking together in the local inn. We would like to know if you have any information about how we ended up in this town. For starters, what can you tell us about Tilverton? Is there anyone here who would wish harm to a seemingly random band of adventurers?"
"Hmmmm," Filani murmurs thoughtfully. "In regards to how you got here, I'm afraid I know even less than my friend Thungor. I don't know you well enough to know who might want to see you hurt. There is a thieves' guild in Tilverton, as there is in most cities, but I highly doubt that they would have orchestrated an attack outside of the city. They're not so clever or resourceful by half, and I fail to see what their motivation would be anyway. As for those curious marks..."
She gazes at them with a small frown.
"I am certain that through some combination of research and divination I can tell you their significance...However, my services do not come for free. This sort of work is how I support myself. So, I will have to charge you for this information. At a discount, of course." She smiles.
Hmm... she asks for gold? Surely if she was behind the attack, she could have taken my gold with ease, as well as my precious blade, which is much more valuable than what gold I have in my possession.
"Please excuse our friend, we are all obviously under a great deal of stress. What he meant to say is that we would be happy to pay a fair price for your services. As a businesswoman myself, I understand your need for reimbursement. Could you give us an estimate? If it is too much for our means, perhaps we could help you with any problems you have that need solving, or perhaps find paying, honest work in town to compensate you for your help? I, for one, am not afraid of a little hard labor"
"Six thousand gold," she says finally. "It may sound steep, but it's less than I usually charge. My books and divination components aren't cheap."
Edit: OOC, going to sleep now since it's 2 AM here. Feel free to discuss Filani's terms amongst yourselves. I'll respond to any questions or comments you might have for her tomorrow.
Nailo opens his eyes wide in surprise, but looks to Lulu ( @Booinyoureyes ) before he speaks out against what he feels is likely this witch trying to take advantage of them.
Lulu walks over to her party. On the way she whispers to Nona ( @nonnahswriter ) "That Kara-Turan boy is quite handsome, but.... do you still have that friends scroll I bought you for your last birthday?"
"Lets gather around. Okay, I have some gold on me, but most of my funds cannot be accessed so far from home. Perhaps if we pool our resources we could match her price, but there must be a better way. We should conserve our resources."
She thinks for a moment "We could ask to find work around town, or maybe she might give us a further 'discount' if we help her with something she needs. Perhaps one of our mages could help her with the divining. Do you have any skill in divination @CrevsDaak ?"
"Oh... And I was here thinking to myself she was going to ask us to go to some far away place in the other side of the world to retrieve a lost tome or some other pointless trinket the "learned" always seem to be needing..." The sarcasm is heavy in the dwarf's voice.
"Oh... And I was here thinking to myself she was going to ask us to go to some far away place in the other side of the world to retrieve a lost tome or some other pointless trinket the "learned" always seem to be needing..." The sarcasm is heavy in the dwarf's voice.
Well if we need to pay her back with labor, I was hoping for something easier. Maybe someone poisoned her cow or she misplaced her longsword?"
*siiiiigh...* I knew it the moment I saw there were only two females against six males that there would be some gaggle-eyeing. Ah well, comes with the territory, I suppose.
As soon as they'd walked into the shop, Nona immediately went for the books. The horrors of the Zhent symbols forgotten, her eyes widened like a child's in a toy store as she scanned the lines of bookshelves and ran her finger against their spines. Sadly, it was difficult to find a title she hadn't already read.
Lulu's voice seemed to snap her out of her trance as she whispered in her ear.
"That Kara-Turan boy is quite handsome, but.... do you still have that friends scroll I bought you for your last birthday?"
Nona dropped her voice a little lower and leaned closer to Lulu. "I'd actually scribed it, Lulu. I cannot cast it now, but perhaps another time..." Her brow furrowed a little naively. "Why do you ask?"
Nona dropped her voice a little lower and leaned closer to Lulu. "I'd actually scribed it, Lulu. I cannot cast it now, but perhaps another time..." Her brow furrowed a little naively. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, keep one handy just in case we need to use some diplomacy "
BTW @Kalesra, is it intentional that all of us have exactly 1,000 gold each? It seems rather unrealistic from a RP perspective. Perhaps you can divide it amongst us randomly? Provides some interesting context and potential conflict for future merchant decisions. Jin is supposed to be rich, but if he gets a bad roll, I'll just pretend that most of the gold was lost in the attack on his trade caravan, and that he only had 'pocket money' in his personal belongings. [/spoiler]
Jin almost blurted out that six thousand gold would be of little concern for one of his family, to impress Nona ( @Nonnahswriter ), but he held his tongue, to avoid appearing brash and to conceal his identity.
"Six thousand gold is extortionate! I am familiar with merchant affairs, and you are charging a magnitude too much!"
*siiiiigh...* I knew it the moment I saw there were only two females against six males that there would be some gaggle-eyeing. Ah well, comes with the territory, I suppose.
lol You started it with the pretty pictures and shy smiles. Jin can't help himself around that feminine trope type girls. :P
ps: Classic Wuxia trope... and I've been watching Wuxia lately.
*siiiiigh...* I knew it the moment I saw there were only two females against six males that there would be some gaggle-eyeing. Ah well, comes with the territory, I suppose.
Imagine how awkward it is for a dude playing a gal! Its gonna be fun though, lol. I will friendzone everone, mwahahahaha
I actually thought Crevs was a chick for my first two months on the forum because he used Imoen's portrait xD
Nailo sighed as he turned his eyes to Jin ( @Heindrich ). This human seemed far too hotheaded for his liking. It also bothered him that Lulu spoke well of the mans looks.
"Do you then have a better idea for discovering what is going on Jin? While I agree the price seems high, I see little choice."
Nailo scowled.
"As Lulu has advised, perhaps we might gather some funds by doing work around town."
*siiiiigh...* I knew it the moment I saw there were only two females against six males that there would be some gaggle-eyeing. Ah well, comes with the territory, I suppose.
lol You started it with the pretty pictures and shy smiles. Jin can't help himself around that feminine trope type girls. :P
Oh, so all a girl does is act like herself, and she's the one being accused because your man can't find his spine? I see how it is. :P
Seriously though, it's fine. I just think it's funny, is all. After being kidnapped, tattooed, and who knows what else, you'd think there'd be more important things to worry about than some pretty girl.
"Ah." Nona's very ears seemed to wince when she heard Jin's ( @Heindrich ) outburst. "I see what you mean," she whispered back to Lulu.
OOC: @booinyoureyes and because I roleplayed female characters a lot :P
"Divination? Why is that you ask Lulu? Certainly no, I have skills over all the Arcane arts, but I have not specialized on that. I have studied the psychology of my people for a long time, perhaps that could help us?"
"Before paying to anyone I would like to know how marked my arm in this way, the mark is awful as well as the organization it symbolizes."
OOC At least the dwarf has some sense not to hit the first girl he sees after being kidnapped, dragged across the world, marked by a tattoo that may be magical and discovering he was probably unconscious for weeks. Maybe I should have given him more than 9 wisdom
Comments
Jin almost volunteered out of impulse, eager to please the fair maiden ( @Nonnahswriter ), whose shy smile made her seem all the more lovely... But he hesitated momentarily, remembering mother's warning about pretty girls before he set off, and still acutely aware of the circumstances surrounding this chance encounter. In that momentary hesitation, the half-Orc ( @Delvarian ) stepped up and to offer his protection.
Jin watched impassively as the human woman ( @booinyoureyes ) took charge of the situation and introduced herself as Lulu, remarkably confident for a young florist.
...Who are the rest of you?"
"I am Jin, maiden, son of a merchant of Thesk, though I am adept with sword and sorcery. I shall be glad to protect you also."
Jin replied, keeping it simple, and not quite willing to share his full name and background, lest this was a ploy to blackmail his father into a ransom.
She stares carefully at Thongor
"Perhaps we should meet this Filani, 'fore our gnome friend turns blue. Maybe we can peacefully and methodically figure out what is going on here, and she seems like the lady with all the answers"
As she turns, she passes behind the Half-Orc's large frame, and quietly whispers into ( @Delvarian ) ears:
"I'd prefer a diplomatic approach, but just in case this Filani is not what she seems, we best prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Keep your weapons ready... even in peaceful negotiations it always helps to have an imposing figure at your side. Keeps people honest you see..."
He could not help but be drawn toward this woman, she had a strength he had never witnessed before in a female. Most of the women he had met were timid or silly. He admired this Lulu for taking charge so quickly in this situation.
While he checked over his weapons he made a mental note to be cautious however, he must not let any foolish feelings that he had interfere with his duties.
Crevs entered the room after hearing that a talk was going on, "This isn't my group. I guess some of us were kidnapped, does anyone of thee know why I am here?"
He hears Falagrim's and he answers ( @mlnevese ) "Hello fellow traveler, I am Gûlruthdil, an Elven sage and rouge, you might also know me by the name the Planes gave me, Crevs Daak, or Black Hood if it pleases more to you."
"I want answers too, I don't have rush other than my curiosity."
After the filling breakfast and a few introductions, Thungor pulls out a map of Tilverton and offers it to the adventurers.
"You don't need this to find Filani's place," he tells them. "It's right across the courtyard, through the back door. But it may come in handy. Your rooms are paid until the end of the week, so feel free to come back for dinner and to rest your heads this eve. Farewell!"
The back door of the inn leads into a neat little courtyard with a well-kept flowerbed and a few small trees. Some guests sit enjoying breakfast or tea in the open air. The adventurers make their way to Filani's house, which as promised is a brief stroll from Windlord's Rest. A bronze knocker in the shape of a woman's hand rests on a door painted in a cheerful shade of green. After a few taps, the door opens.
A beautiful elven woman with coffee-colored skin and dark hair bound up by ribbons peeks out. Her eyes settle on one of the glowing tattoos.
"Oh! Are you the adventurers who Thungor told me about? I'm Filani, as I'm sure you already know. Please come in!"
She beckons toward a cozy living room lined with shelves upon shelves of books. Scrolls and tomes are stacked here and there, and a big gray cat lays stretched out on the sofa. Filani scoops him up and deposits him on the floor.
"I was sleeping, you ninny," the cat complains, no doubt startling the daylights out of anyone who's never seen a Mage's familiar. With a dissatisfied growl, it stalks off through an open door.
"Ninny?" Filani snorts. "Little ingrate."
She turns back to her guests.
"Sorry. Where are my manners? Take a seat. Is there anything I can get you? A tea? A cookie or two?"
Map of Tilverton
And yeah, I'm a powergamer and I like it.
@booinyoureyes
OOC: To be fair to @CrevsDaak, 1 hp per turn is pretty slow. I think that's worse than the original weapon. Although it does mean that Crevs doesn't have to worry about healing inbetween battles.
ic:
"Lady Filana, we would appreciate it if you would answer a few questions for us. I'm sure you are aware of our situation. We were all seemingly abducted, in one way or the other, and ended up waking together in the local inn. We would like to know if you have any information about how we ended up in this town. For starters, what can you tell us about Tilverton? Is there anyone here who would wish harm to a seemingly random band of adventurers?"
"The gnome made claim that you may shed some light on these tattoos as well."
Nailo rolled up his sleeve to reveal the glowing blue marks.
She gazes at them with a small frown.
"I am certain that through some combination of research and divination I can tell you their significance...However, my services do not come for free. This sort of work is how I support myself. So, I will have to charge you for this information. At a discount, of course." She smiles.
"Fine! How much?" Jin asks.
Lulu facepalms (1 point of non-lethal damage)
"Please excuse our friend, we are all obviously under a great deal of stress. What he meant to say is that we would be happy to pay a fair price for your services. As a businesswoman myself, I understand your need for reimbursement. Could you give us an estimate? If it is too much for our means, perhaps we could help you with any problems you have that need solving, or perhaps find paying, honest work in town to compensate you for your help? I, for one, am not afraid of a little hard labor"
"Six thousand gold," she says finally. "It may sound steep, but it's less than I usually charge. My books and divination components aren't cheap."
Edit: OOC, going to sleep now since it's 2 AM here. Feel free to discuss Filani's terms amongst yourselves. I'll respond to any questions or comments you might have for her tomorrow.
Lulu walks over to her party. On the way she whispers to Nona ( @nonnahswriter ) "That Kara-Turan boy is quite handsome, but.... do you still have that friends scroll I bought you for your last birthday?"
"Lets gather around. Okay, I have some gold on me, but most of my funds cannot be accessed so far from home. Perhaps if we pool our resources we could match her price, but there must be a better way. We should conserve our resources."
She thinks for a moment
"We could ask to find work around town, or maybe she might give us a further 'discount' if we help her with something she needs. Perhaps one of our mages could help her with the divining. Do you have any skill in divination @CrevsDaak ?"
As soon as they'd walked into the shop, Nona immediately went for the books. The horrors of the Zhent symbols forgotten, her eyes widened like a child's in a toy store as she scanned the lines of bookshelves and ran her finger against their spines. Sadly, it was difficult to find a title she hadn't already read.
Lulu's voice seemed to snap her out of her trance as she whispered in her ear. Nona dropped her voice a little lower and leaned closer to Lulu. "I'd actually scribed it, Lulu. I cannot cast it now, but perhaps another time..." Her brow furrowed a little naively. "Why do you ask?"
[spoiler] lol... thanks, given the origin of Jin's portrait
BTW @Kalesra, is it intentional that all of us have exactly 1,000 gold each? It seems rather unrealistic from a RP perspective. Perhaps you can divide it amongst us randomly? Provides some interesting context and potential conflict for future merchant decisions. Jin is supposed to be rich, but if he gets a bad roll, I'll just pretend that most of the gold was lost in the attack on his trade caravan, and that he only had 'pocket money' in his personal belongings.
[/spoiler]
Jin almost blurted out that six thousand gold would be of little concern for one of his family, to impress Nona ( @Nonnahswriter ), but he held his tongue, to avoid appearing brash and to conceal his identity.
"Six thousand gold is extortionate! I am familiar with merchant affairs, and you are charging a magnitude too much!"
ps: Classic Wuxia trope... and I've been watching Wuxia lately.
I actually thought Crevs was a chick for my first two months on the forum because he used Imoen's portrait xD
It also bothered him that Lulu spoke well of the mans looks.
"Do you then have a better idea for discovering what is going on Jin? While I agree the price seems high, I see little choice."
Nailo scowled.
"As Lulu has advised, perhaps we might gather some funds by doing work around town."
Seriously though, it's fine. I just think it's funny, is all. After being kidnapped, tattooed, and who knows what else, you'd think there'd be more important things to worry about than some pretty girl.
"Ah." Nona's very ears seemed to wince when she heard Jin's ( @Heindrich ) outburst. "I see what you mean," she whispered back to Lulu.
"Divination? Why is that you ask Lulu? Certainly no, I have skills over all the Arcane arts, but I have not specialized on that. I have studied the psychology of my people for a long time, perhaps that could help us?"
"Before paying to anyone I would like to know how marked my arm in this way, the mark is awful as well as the organization it symbolizes."
Lol, jk. I think its hilarious b/w you and Heindrich. May the best man win!