CH. 03 - The Spider's Web

[Daos]

The following morning is the Spring Equinox, Ches 19th, 1481 DR.  It is Tenth Bell.

Fosco, Orianna, Bareris and Zoya wake up, freshen up, get dressed and head down to the common room of the Stonehill Inn for breakfast.  It's a nice day out, and they needed to plan their next move.  They were no closer to learning the location of Cragmaw Castle than yesterday.  Plus, they still had a couple of jobs in town they have yet to complete.

At the same time, Klaxon and Navarra having just arrived in town after completing a simple delivery job from Neverwinter.  In the center of town stands a large, newly built roadhouse of fieldstone and rough-hewn timbers. Stepping inside, the two find that the common room is filled with locals nursing mugs of ale or cider, as well as an eclectic group dressed as adventurers--a halfling, a tiefling, and a pair of humans.

[Saskia]

Navarra saunters into the roadhouse with a swagger suggesting she might just own the place.  With short stature and broad, athletic build, it's hard to tell if she's a tall, slim dwarf, or a short, broad human, though a worldwise eye might pin her as Rashemi.  Her light brown hair is tied back in thick braids, and her mail armor has clearly seen better days.  She waves her hand in the air for attention and calls out,  "Hey taverner!  What d'ya got for a pair of hungry travelers?"

She looks around the lodgehouse and nods her approval at the table of adventurous types.  They look like an interesting group, and the only thing better than a hot meal is a hot meal shared over good stories.  "These chairs look awful inviting over here, friends."  And if they aren't friendly, well, a bar fight might be fun.  "Name's Navarra, my friend here's Klaxon.  Just got here off a job lookin' tough to keep bandits off a shipment of, I dunno, somethin'.  Didn't care to look in the crates to find out for sure.  Guessin' we did a good job 'cause there weren't nobody to fight,"  She unshoulders her heavy pack with noticeable relief, and rolls her muscular shoulders.  Despite the flecks of rust on her armor, her shield's depiction of Valkur's angry stormcloud has been embossed with great care and the paint has clearly been touched up after signs of use.  "How's this lovely day findin' you fine folks?"

[HorizonsDream]

Orianna looks up from her meal Navarra and Klaxon simply join their table without much of an invitation. At first she is slightly suspicious of the two of them, as it has been her experience that most people just aren't friendly like this. "So far, the day is turning out to be okay," she says to the both of them. "If not a little bit surprising," she adds. "I'm Orianna. I'm sure the others can introduce themselves if they so feel inclined to do so."

[Tieren]

Klaxon smiles meekly and lowers the pack from his back with a jingling of ink vial on scroll case.

"Please excuse my impetuous companion, but it is our pleasure to meet to you.  It has been a dreary trek from Neverwinter and the prospect of good company and intriguing tales is a very pleasant development indeed.  May we have your leave to join you?"

Klaxon makes a curt bow of his head as he waits for permission to take a seat.

[Daos]

The innkeeper, a short, friendly looking male human, smiles and approaches.  "Welcome strangers.  What will it be?  Got some egg and sausage cooking up in the back, if you fancy breakfast.  Got some nice cold ale, if you just want a drink."

One of the two humans, a dark-skinned woman in chain mail with a blade on her hip and a dragon icon around her neck, nods stoically to the two newcomers.  "I am Zoya Lonerock.  I, too, arrived in this town on a job.  Although I came from the other direction, from Triboar.  It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[GravityEmblem]

“It’s all right with me,” the young Halfling says to the newcomer. “I’m Fosco, by the way. Fosco Moss.”

[Tieren]

"Well met ladies, Master Fosco, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance this fine morning. I am Klaxon Nailo of the Moon Elves, student of the arcane, scholar, and of late sword for hire."

Klaxon takes a seat.

"What brings such a formidable group of adventurers to this small corner of nowhere? and How can we be of service?"

Klaxon casts Mage Hand and uses the floating appendage to retrieve a piece of bread from the far side of the table without an awkward reach.

[Xantin Rahl]

Baeris continues eating his breakfast and gestures at the bartender, then he pretends to drink from an inexistent glass and points to an ale keg.

He Points at himself and says "Baeris", he points at Orianna, and says "You, answer", then falls silent again

These strangers are vibrating good ki, he thinks to himself, nice, strong.

[GravityEmblem]

“Moon Elves? I don’t think I’ve heard of them before,” Fosco says with arched eyebrows. “She already answered,” he reminds Bearis, referring to Orianna.

[HorizonsDream]

Orianna looks at Baeris in amusement for a moment, then looks back to the others. "Baeris doesn't talk a lot," she explains. She glances to her little group. "We are looking for a place called Cragmaw Castle," she explains. "The person that originally hired Fosco and myself has been taken there, so we plan on rescuing him if we can," She says. "We were going to ask around town today, and complete another job that we found recently."

[Daos]

The bartender sends the waitress, Elsa, to go refill Bareris' mug of ale.  As she does so, Zoya says to Fosco, "Moon Elves are the most common race of elves in the Realms.  They are sometimes called Silver or High Elves.  Sister Garaerle and little Lorarel are both Moon Elves."

[GravityEmblem]

“Oh, I see,” Fosco says. “I haven’t heard much use of that term, although I admit I haven’t spent much time outside of Halfling lands.”

[Tieren]

Klaxon shifts a bit awkwardly in his seat.

"My more fair skinned High Elf cousins tend to be a bit 'reclusive' and limit their interaction with other races and societies.  Most wandering elves you may have met are likely of my people who have a tendency to wander and seek greater knowledge of the wider world.

I myself have been on the road for a few years, always seeking out new knowledge and opportunities to learn.  I would be happy to assist you in your endeavors, for a reasonable share of any justly earned compensation of course."

Klaxon smiles warmly and chews on his piece of bread.

[HorizonsDream]

"It is safe to say that the two of you haven't heard of this Cragmaw Castle either?" Orianna asks.

[Xantin Rahl]

Baeris will sit back listening to the conversasions- but after sometime he will sit in a lotus flower position trying to meditate