Chapter 10: Eye of the Storm

[Jeff]

Everyone

Shorak doesn't recognize Rinti, but it's clear to him that she's an urchin-in-page's-clothing, uncomfortable in her new-looking attire. But it's also clear to everyone else that she's a plucky little soul, and her Deneith livery is obviously Kal's doing. She looks warily upon the newcomers, especially Adamant and Belarin. And she's more than a little confused by the words exchanged between Condign and the three alleged strangers...and the fact that Tangat is instantly friendly with the three of them. The dog even licks Adamant's metal leg briefly and sticks his cold wet nose in Belarin's hand to get a reaction out of him.

Rinti doesn't look too fooled. But she is polite, terse, and clings mostly to Tangat. With Belarin, Adamant, and Shorak on the scene, she also drifts closer to Condign. But when talk turns to the House Jorasco enclave, Tangat especially seems eager to go there.

Shorak leads the way to Respite, which is east and not too far from the Temple of the Sovereign Host.

When you pass through the ancient stone wall that divides this district from the rest, you feel like you're entering a new realm entirely. The archway is filled with flowering creepers and vines. Only the sky above seems the same, although it does seem to turn a bit gray at this point.

Almost immediately you're assaulted by the sweet and lovely scent of blooming flowers. Here among the giants' ruins the city is built upon, the plant life and the new buildings seem almost harmonious, the one flowing into the next. Even the floating rubble, ruinous fragments of long forgotten majesties, play their part, covered in blooming plants and small, beautifully twisted trees. At a glance, everything in here unattended or uninhabited looks like a monument....or a cenotaph.

Somehow it makes you think of Syrdan—who even now could be anywhere in this city, staying out of sight with Lerrhana.

Respite has residences and shops like every other district you've passed through, but it's much, much quieter. There's no general bustle, no packed streets, no shouting merchants. Places of businesses are either newer constructions or else doors attached to holes bored into holes in the ruins, either on the street level or up outdoor stairways and balconies. Halflings seem as commonplace here as humans, and most of them look polite.

After walking through the district for a few minutes, three places become prominent around you:

The Garden of Respite: A stone-walled, multi-tiered garden which rises up like a ziggurat and is accessed through a pair of wide double doors. It looks like a place for the appreciation of flowers and plantlife, a place for trysts and secrets, and a monument to ancient life.

The Graveyard: The whole district feels like a memorial to things long faded or dead, with occasional stone markers and tombstones, but the walls that surround this massive ward clearly delineate it as a place of interment.

The House Jorasco Enclave: A cluster of squat towers built at the top of a sloping hill, giving it the highest vantage in the district, the Jorasco house of healing is visible from almost everywhere.

[Dave W.]

Adamant is horrified when Tangat affectionately licks his leg. "Ah, umm, what a... umm... friendly animal..." glancing at the young girl he sees doubt on her face, and tries again... "oh, yes... We had occasion to go trough that shop... with the cutting and tearing flesh... and, unmm those large knives... ummm, the butchery... I must have been splashed with a bit of goat." The tall warforged winds down his deception and grows quiet.

As the group travels through the city, Adamant's quiet steps it's way from nervousness, through embarrassment, and into simple stillness.

When entering Respite, Adamant is taken back to his trip with Syrdan to Shae Lias. The differences are stronger than the similarities but perhaps his stillness has somehow connected the separate sense of peace of the two locations.

He whispers a prayer, "Lady, your servant begs you, guard him as he guards her." A short pause as he notices the numbers of halflings, "and the Tavvens, all of them."
---------------
had to dig to find the name of the elven enclave.  It was fun reminiscing though.

[Ken]

Belarin/Nerrin appears to be offended by Tangat's brazen familiarity, yet his fingers still manage a quick, affectionate scratch of the dog's throat. He limps along behind Shorak and next to Adamant.

"A moderately interesting place," he says with polite disinterest as he examines the fascinating architecture and locations. "Not as interesting as the place we were at earlier today..."

He's now looking at Condign as he speaks. "Shorak's home ended up being far more interesting than I could have imagined," he says, allowing a trace of Belarin's sarcasm to slip in. "There was a ... for lack of a better term, a cult of rather skilled individuals waiting to greet him. Through Shorak's and Redoubt's shockingly effective bumbling, we were able to dispense with most of them ... before the building exploded and fell on top of us, that is." He snorts, which becomes a bizarre, nasal chortle. "Now that's how you greet visitors from faraway lands! Oh, where are my manners? Goodness, my apologies... Nerrin Blackwell."

[Dave B.]

Shorak winces slightly when Nerrin/Belarin mentions his home and what occurred there, but remains silent. He focuses on guiding them to House Jorasco. When they arrive, he bows to Nerrin/Belarin and Condign. "We have arrived." He motions towards the house of healing.

[Brian]

Condign's eyes widen at Belarin's words, and he peers more closely at his friends. Shaking his head, he says, "You may call me Condign. And this excitable animal is Tangat. The young lady here is Rinti, and she is now in the service of my lord Kalarian." He gestures amicably to the girl. "He is one of the two I seek here. The other is a rather eccentric halfling named Streko."

He turns and bows to Shorak and Adamant. Looking up at the warforged, he says with a hint of a smile, "You are a big one."

[Jeff]

Rinti keeps throwing suspicious glances at Belarin, Shorak, and Adamant, and she walks quietly beside Condign. Tangat, meanwhile, stays in his agitated state, with the occasional soft woof escaping his throat.

You find the Jorasco Enclave a spacious, brightly-lid, and welcoming place. The halflings are friendly, if pithy and business-like. They welcome you in and direct you to a waiting area, promising to look into the two friends you ask about. They cite confidentiality laws (within their house, not within Stormreach) preventing them from immediately confirming or granting you access. They ask first if anyone is a family member with Kalarian d'Deneith or Streko d'Jorasco, and it's quite obvious none of you are.

So you're left sitting in a waiting room adjacent to the entrance hall, and you find yourselves next to a vast bay window overlooking the rest of the district facing west. The ziggurat of the Garden of Respite is the closest prominant landmark, but the spires of the temple district further out in the city also stand out. The Garden looks mystical. Figures drift among the tiers and lush, vibrant flora, while statues stare back at you from the walls of each tier.

In the room with you are a few others waiting. One of them, a wealthy-looking young merchant, fidgets and speaks quietly with a manservant. At one point, a female halfling comes up to him and you can just make out, "She is still in labor, but doing well."

At one point, Rinti taps Condign on the arm and lowers her voice. "I've heard stories about this place. They said the Jorascos here even have the power to the raise the dead. Do you think that's true? My friends and me....sometimes we watch the crowds in the Harbor, and play a game of guessing...guessing which folks—usually adventure-types like you—have died and come back...have seen Dolurrh itself. Do you think it's possible?"

_______________________

My next post, hopefully just a bit later today, will be for Darren and Joe.

[Brian]

Rinti:

At one point, Rinti taps Condign on the arm and lowers her voice. "I've heard stories about this place. They said the Jorascos here even have the power to the raise the dead. Do you think that's true? My friends and me....sometimes we watch the crowds in the Harbor, and play a game of guessing...guessing which folks—usually adventure-types like you—have died and come back...have seen Dolurrh itself. Do you think it's possible?"

Condign smiles down at the girl. "It is more than possible. I have fought undead, and fought along side them also. The world is vast and mysterious, my lady. Never assume anything is impossible. As to bringing someone back from death's cold grip, yes, I do believe that can be accomplished." Then he leans down and whispers, "These others are friends. You can trust them completely."

[Jeff]

Team K

Kal and Streko awaken almost at the same time, drawn out of shadow and smoke and some eldritch memories by the warmth of magical healing. The dreams are fading fast, involved dragons, and were disturbing. Death seemed at hand, but it has been banished by life and a very lovely face.

Both human and halfling are lying on adjacent beds in a dimply-lit but pleasantly furnished room. An attractive halfling woman only a few years Streko's senior is standing over them both. Wisps of violet light are still fading from her hands, and a similar glow is even now fading from her dragonmark, the Mark of Healing, which beautifully adorns her low-cut neckline. She steps back and sweeps her shiny black hair away from her forehead, where a sheen of sweat stands in evidence of her efforts.

"Good day, my foundling lords," she says with a knowing smile. "You are in the Jorasco House of Healing. I have to admit, this is only the third time I've seen a pair of battered and unconscious men dropped off on my doorstep in this city with full payment lying in sacks beside them."

Kal and Streko both feel achy but otherwise intact. Kal feels the reassuring presence of Tangat somewhere nearby, though he doesn't seem to be in this room.

Kal and Streko also see their weapons and equipment neatly arranged on a table across the room beside a cluster of lit candles. There is an open door and what appears to be a burly, immaculately dressed dwarf guard standing just beyond it, looking in. Just in case patients become violent?

Your sense of time is all skewed, though. It might have been minutes, hours, or days...you're not sure. But you can remember the dragon, though it doesn't quite feel quite real anymore.

_____________________________

Kal and Streko both have 10 hit points now.

[Dave W.]

May 25, 2012 10:45:15 GMT -4 Brian said:

Condign smiles down at the girl. "It is more than possible. I have fought undead, and fought along side them also. The world is vast and mysterious, my lady. Never assume anything is impossible. As to bringing someone back from death's cold grip, yes, I do believe that can be accomplished." Then he leans down and whispers, "These others are friends. You can trust them completely."

Adamant turns to look at Condign and Rinti, "I would not compare raising undead to raising the dead. One is an abberaton; a coruption of the parts left after the spirit has exited them. Raising the dead back to life is a joyful thing; a celebration of the faith of a vassal and the Grace that flows from his God or Goddess. One is contemptable, the other glorious." The warforged's thick fingers rub at a spot on his chest.

Adamant's deep voice fills with warmth and his eye-gems glow brightly, "But you are right to tell the small human that the world contains more impossible things than even the wisest know."

[Joe]

Team K

Streko tries to lift his head to look around.

Bad move.

"Wake me up next month, after I've rid myself of this wretched hangover."

He glances over at Kal, looking almost as bad as he feels, and sets his head back down on the table.

"Thank you, Healer, for your efforts. I shall be no more trouble to you for a while."

He closes his eyes and allows himself to believe he will fall back into blissful slumber soon. A part of him, however, knows better.

[Darren]

Kal slowly opens his eyes. He feels no pain as he moves his head to the side to take in his surrounds. Halflings, he thinks. Of course Paradise would be filled with Halflings. Kal lays his head back, closes his eyes and smiles. This will be a good way to spend eternity, he thinks as he sighs deeply.

In the back of his head, he feels the tangled knot of emotions that is Tangat. Odd, he thinks as his eyes pop open and his brow furrows. What is Tangat doing here in Paradise? Not that he doesn't deserve it, but I hope nothing has happened to him....

Waves of pain crash into Kalarian as realization hits him with the force of a dragon's breath. His hand moves to his aching head as he tries to sit up, a wave of dizziness keeping him from reaching his feet. No, not dead. Still here. Still trudging along this path.

Kal grins. "Streko," he says, seeing his friend in the bed next to him. "Streko, wake up you lazy Halfling. We have work to do. I know where we need to go...."

[Jeff]

Team K

As Kal and Streko ready themselves and wash up, the Jorasco woman explains the circumstances of their arrival.

"In short, you were both discovered, unconscious but stable, clearly injured but paid for with almost exactly the correct sum, at our back door. And by 'back door' I mean the enclave's subterranean entrance which very few people know about and fewer still know how to find.

"From the looks on your faces, I trust that you don't quite know how you came to be there, either, or even where 'there' is. Which is probably for the best. I can also see that you're new to this city. Welcome to Stormreach, my lords." She gives Kal a smile and Streko a wink. "I hope to see you both again sometime, perhaps in differing circumstances."

______________________________________

At this point, Kal and Streko can head out to the waiting room and reunite with everyone else. But I'm not going to post again until everyone else has a chance to weigh in on where they're at. We're not quite done with the Jorasco enclave yet.

[Ken]

May 25, 2012 9:23:23 GMT -4 Jeff said:

So you're left sitting in a waiting room adjacent to the entrance hall, and you find yourselves next to a vast bay window overlooking the rest of the district facing west. The ziggurat of the Garden of Respite is the closest prominant landmark, but the spires of the temple district further out in the city also stand out. The Garden looks mystical. Figures drift among the tiers and lush, vibrant flora, while statues stare back at you from the walls of each tier.

After sitting for a while and fidgeting, Nerrin stands up, softly muttering a curse and grabbing at the thigh of his "bad" leg. "Damn thing seizes up on me now and then," Nerrin says with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.

"Shorak, Redoubt, have I told you the story of how my leg was injured?" Without waiting for an answer, he continues, "It was about ten years ago, during the War, of course. And naturally it occurred while I bravely acted in the line of duty for House ... er, my former employers. I was entrusted with the task of delivering a vital message to a mage in the Whiteroof Ward of Fairhaven -- that's in Aundair, try to keep up, Shorak! The Watchmen were on full alert. It seems a spy -- possibly from House Phiarlan -- had been discovered in the palace!

"So it was with all that going on that I entered this deceptively ramshackle building near the docks. As I ascended the stairs toward the designated meeting place, a gnome started coming down those very same stairs, bearing what appeared to be a large fishbowl, with water sloshing all around it. We eyed each other warily as we passed. I continued my ascent -- and suddenly I slipped on a patch of water left by that damn gnome's fishbowl! My leg went right through the stairs, and my knee twisted with an agonizing crunch! Cursing loudly, I sought out my diminutive oppressor, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"They're tricky, those gnomes.

"If he was an enemy agent seeking to hinder my delivery, as I suspect, he did not reckon on my perseverance! I crawled up the stairs, step by step, inch by inch, until I reached my destination. Reaching up, I knocked on the mage's door. Or perhaps I moaned loudly. I don't recall. In any event, the door opened. There was the mage, clad in a black nightshirt. With my last conscious thought, I held up the sealed letter and its receipt, and said, 'Sign here.' Then I passed out.

"By the time I saw a healer, the damage was done, and my knee seemed to be locked into position. No matter." He pats the leg affectionately. "I treat it like a badge of honor. Ah, better days. Damn inconvenient, that War ending... cut back business significantly. Oh well." He looks out a window and examines the enclave. "That Garden is most inviting. I should visit it be-- Redoubt, you're not asleep, are you? It's hard to tell."

[Dave B.]

Shorak waits patiently with everyone else in the waiting room. He listens even more patiently to Nerrin/Belarin's amusing tale. He is just successful at keeping a straight face. He looks to Redoubt/Adamant with a raised eyebrow at Nerrin's comment. A smile spreading across his face.

[Brian]

Condign stands next to Rinti. His shoulders shake slightly as he struggles not to laugh. He never knew that his friend was such a skilled performer. Still, he understands the need to be remembered, and not for who they really are.

When Belarin is done, Condign turns to Adamant. "I am sorry, my lord Nodoubt, but did that man hit on the head in the recent past? He seems to prattle on about the most absurd things, as if his brains were addled." He gives the warforged his most serious expression. "You may want to keep a close eye...um, well, I suppose gem on him, lest he wander off and assault some innocent gnome."

[Joe]

Kal grins. "Streko," he says, seeing his friend in the bed next to him. "Streko, wake up you lazy Halfling. We have work to do. I know where we need to go...."

Streko chuckles. "I'll have you know I've been awake for several minutes now. My eyes are only closed because it hurts too much to open them. I feel like I've indulged in way too much Talentan spirits without enough to eat. I also feel like I've got the Sharn Flu, which is equally as unpleasant."

He sits up, groaning. "Did you say LAZY, My LORD?" He grins and tries not to breathe too deeply. "Host, but my lungs hurt. What did that damnable dragon do to us?"

[Darren]

Kal smiles a genuine smile at Streko. His heart is gladdened to have shared this experience with his good friend. "What he did, Streko," Kal says, leaning forward with a grin, "is give us our first solid lead. Now, we need to establish ourselves as major players in this town, and we must do it quickly. That will require money, and that is something we are currently in short supply of." Kal pats his now empty coin pouch. "So, no time to sit around here. Let's go meet up with the others and find out what information they've gathered. Then we must form a plan..."

Tightening the straps around his leg, Kal reaches for his sharrash to help prop him up and stands. "My dear lady," Kal says, turning to the Halfling, "it is my great pleasure to have been in your care, and I am deeply grateful to you. I wish I could pay you further, but I'm afraid I find myself without any funds. I will hold you in my heart, though, and I am certain my Lord Streko will offer many prayers to Olladra on your behalf. I wish I could stay longer with you, but I'm afraid we must depart." Kal looks around the room and realizes he is more disoriented than he thought. "If you could point us towards the exit....?"

[Dave W.]

Team B and part of K

Belarin finishes his tale and Adamant stares at him for a moment. His head cocks to one side clearly searching for something to say. Luckily he's saved by the tiefling.

May 30, 2012 19:13:47 GMT -4 Brian said:

When Belarin is done, Condign turns to Adamant. "I am sorry, my lord Nodoubt, but did that man hit on the head in the recent past? He seems to prattle on about the most absurd things, as if his brains were addled." He gives the warforged his most serious expression. "You may want to keep a close eye...um, well, I suppose gem on him, lest he wander off and assault some innocent gnome."

"Ha!" Adamant barks loudly, "An innocent gnome! Yes, I believe I've heard that humorous story. Isn't that the one where the honest militiaman ends up being chased through the brothel dressed in the clothes of another gender?"

"But I'm afraid I must correct you on two counts Lord Condign, was it? I'm neither a Lord nor a Nodoubt... I am simply Redoubt, a bodyguard. And as Master Nerrin's guard, I will certainly keep at least one eye-gem on him as much as possible."

Adamant moves closer to the tiefling and speaks conspiratorially, "As for Master Nerrin's head, I'm certainly not a human head artificer, my theory is that there is just so much in there sometimes it forces itself out in strange patterns. He can seem clever."

[Jeff]

A few of the waiting room's other occupants inevitably give Belarin some looks. Hard to say what it is. Curiosity? Disgust? That-guy-is-crazy? But it does draw some eyes and ears his way, especially from the Jorasco retainers nearby.

Meanwhile, the Jorasco woman steers the two dragonmarked heirs out the door and escorts them through a series of corridors until they reach the opulent, well-lit waiting room adjacent to the enclave's great hall.

And then Kal and Streko see the rest of their companions sitting there, drawing curious glances. Belarin appears to be speaking in the nasally tones of his alter ego, Nerrin. Adamant has a tattered/burned tabard around his body, and even Shorak looks a little worse for wear.

Rinti is sitting closest to Condign, and Tangat instantly bolts across the room, launching himself at Kal with a series of barks and drawing stern glances from the nearby Jorasco halfling employees.

In turn, Belarin, Condign, Shorak, and Adamant can see that both Kal and Streko look strangely weary in a way that defies their appearance. They don't look too battered, but they do look physically drained and weary.

Rinti follows behind Tangat. "My lord! What the....what...happened?"

[Joe]

Rinti follows behind Tangat. "My lord! What the....what...happened?"

Streko turns to Kal. "Yes, my Lord, what happened? I for one would LOVE to know." He cannot contain the chuckle, but looks away before his friend can give him the evil eye.

[Ken]

Belarin/Nerrin looks over Kal and Streko appraisingly. His two friends have clearly encountered some unpleasantness, also... but he senses an excitement in Kalarian's eyes that he hasn't seen since before the group's unpleasant arrival in the Merrow Down's hold, possibly not since that brutal fight with the gnolls and the troll. Belarin winces slightly at the remembered pain of the troll's near-fatal attack.

He adopts a thin, business-like smile and limps forward to greet Kal and Streko. "Lord Kalarian d'Deneith, I presume? It is good to meet you at last. I am Nerrin Blackwell. We have corresponded several times over the past few months. Considering the interest you've shown in buying my m--" He glances around, as though noticing the other people in the waiting room for the very first time. "--in seeing the information I have, I was distressed to hear of your sudden injury."

With a perfunctory wave of his hand, he adds, "Oh, and this is Redoubt and Shorak. I have already made the acquaintance of your fascinating tiefling bodyguard and this brave lass here. Good dog you have, too, my Lord."

[Dave B.]

Shorak watches as the introductions are made...again. He nods towards Kal and Streko when Nerrin/Belarin mentions his name. He steps back a bit, continuing to play the role assigned to him. The local guide, standing quietly, just part of the background. Though he does look around a little, just to see who may be taking an interest in the conversation.

[Darren]

Kal strides happily across the room towards Rinti and Condign, but slows and eventually stops at the sight of Belarin. He turns his shoulder slightly and looks over it at the trio, turning his nose up as though examining a foul bit of trash that has been thrown from a window and landed in the street at his feet.

"Tangat, a growl at him, please?" Kal says in the Halfling tongue. When the dog complies, Kal cocks an eyebrow at Belarin. "It would seem that my friend does not find you as nice as you find him."

Kal folds his arms and looks Nerrin up and down. He makes no attempt to keep his voice down. "This is no place for conducting business, Master Blackwell, and I find it inappropriate that you would approach me here. Just because you carry valuable information does not mean that you can flaunt the rules of civility nor approach your superiors when unwanted. You may present your precious piece of paper to me at our scheduled meeting and not a moment before."

Brushing past Belarin, Kal can't help but smile. He hopes that anyone who sees assumes the smile is meant for Rinti, the girl Kal approaches. In truth, Kal is very glad to see her. "You have done well, Rinti. You've kept Tangat safe, and you've even managed to reclaim our lost tiefling. You have earned your keep this day, and I am grateful to you. Now, if you will take us to Cross," Kal glances over his shoulder at Belarin, then turns back to Rinti, "we must get to our lodgings."

Kalarian reaches down to bury his hand deep in Tangat's fur. It is a comfort to have his friend by his side. As he passes Condign, Kal lowers his voice and says, "I am glad to see you, as well. We have much to discuss...." Kal moves towards the exit, assuming Rinti will catch up and lead the way.

[Brian]

Kal:

As he passes Condign, Kal lowers his voice and says, "I am glad to see you, as well. We have much to discuss...." Kal moves towards the exit, assuming Rinti will catch up and lead the way.

Condign keeps his face impassive. He simply nods and says, "As you will, my lord." Hopefully anyone watching will assume he had been given a directive by the d'Deneith heir.

He falls in line behind Kal, his hand resting lightly on hilt of his sword. Belarin, Shorak and Adamant had obviously seen battle. It would best if he were prepared to further fighting.

[Dave W.]

Jun 5, 2012 6:38:09 GMT -4 Brian said:

Condign keeps his face impassive. He simply nods and says, "As you will, my lord." Hopefully anyone watching will assume he had been given a directive by the d'Deneith heir.

To the others, he adds, "If you will please follow me."

He falls in line behind Kal, his hand resting lightly on hilt of his sword. Belarin, Shorak and Adamant had obviously seen battle. It would best if he were prepared to further fighting.

Adamant nods to Condign at the invitation to follow. He waits to proceed with but preceed Belarin, being sure to look the effecient bodygaurd.

Adamant notices Condign's hand but refrains from following suit.

[Ken]

Belarin/Nerrin bridles at Kalarian's "dismissive" comments. After Kal addresses Condign and Rinti, Nerrin snaps at Adamant, "Where do you think you're going, Redoubt? You, Shorak, and I will not walk in the blowhard's footsteps! If he wants to keep the relationship strictly cold and professional, so be it! Our path shall cross again, as arranged... giving one of Lord Kalarian's newly announced competitors for the item an opportunity to make an unmatchable offer. Come!"

With a final sneer, he bids Redoubt to precede him and motions for Shorak to follow.

[Jeff]

Belarin's and Kal's conversation keeps a few eyes and ears drifting their way.

But right at the tail end of it, just as Condign speaks, a few shouts at the door to the enclave—around the corner—herald the arrival of a new group. They rush in, scabbards rattling against armor, chainmail rustling, heavy boots clacking against the marble floor and then on the smooth carpet of the waiting room.

"HEALER!" a woman's voice calls out—ostensibly one of their leaders.

The Jorasco attendants, halfling and human both, rush forward to help as two men are carried in by the newcomers, seeking aid. You can't get a good look at wounded, but as they're placed on sturdy stretchers you get the immediate impression that they've been badly burned—by fire, if not by acid.

But what you can see is the frustrated swagger of the warriors, the orderly bond among them, and the green and grey raiment of the Order of the Emerald Claw. Especially the distinctive helmets and half-faceplates. There are eight of them, and after their wounded comrades are carried off, they fall into a loose military formation on one side of the waiting room, speaking angrily to one another.

The one who seems to be their leader is a dark-eyed, stately woman with a glaive, which she holds like a staff, and a silver emblem on her uniform. She speaks a few clipped orders to the other soldiers and their conversation lowers to a murmur. Then she turns and eyes your individual parties—particularly Condign and Adamant—and everyone else in the room. Her eyes drift back to Kal. There is challenge in her eyes, but also a measure of curiosity.

Under the Emerald Claw woman's gaze, Rinti drifts a couple steps back, hiding behind Kal. Tangat growls softly.

In Khorvaire, the Order is generally thought to be a terrorist organization, a militant group formerly associated with Karrnath. To see them openly anywhere is unsual, but Shorak has certainly seen soldiers of the Emerald Claw in Stormreach before. Usually in Southwatch. But all of you remember seeing some last in the Patriot's hold.

[Darren]

Kal bristles at the sight of the Emerald Claw soldiers. His grip tightens on his sharrash and his other hand drops to the hilt of the Rekkenmark blade at his side as he remembers the Claw officer he took it from. Sparks jump between his fingertips as he holds the stare of the officer across the room. His eyes do not hold the curiosity he is being shown. There is only cold malice and a challenge to draw arms, if they dare.

[Joe]

Streko watches the injured man brought in and moves to go to them as the call for a healer is made. Then, he notices the emplem of The Emerald Claw and freezes.

"Well, this suddenly smells of dragon droppings."

Streko shakes his head, then mumbles mostly to himself: "Of course, we did expect they would be here. In fact, they've been around since the beginning, haven't they? So why not here?"

He notices Kal's reaction and instinctively steps between him and the Emerald Claw leader and speaks loudly.

"This is a House Jarasco enclave and they are here for their injured member. I suggest we leave. Now. The House does not take kindly to battles happening within their walls."

He turns back toward the Captain, then returns his attention to Kal and lowers his voice.

"On the other hand, giving the House more work might be considered a worthy action on our part, provided the Claw pays. I think we must, however, consider the long term implications of what we have been presented with here. Before we burn that bridge."

He steps back to Kal's side, ready to reach back into his haversack should the need arise.

[Ken]

Belarin attempts to crane his head as though to get a better look at the two wounded men. However, in his current, slightly hunchbacked posture as Nerrin, the effect is nearly comical -- although Belarin knows the Claw soldiers won't see the humor in it.

"Oh by the Host..." he mutters with a mix of sympathy and disgust. "What terrible burns on those poor men!" He seems about to say something else, then a warning bell suddenly goes off in his head. A touch of fey magic or a bit of his Brelish-born insight? He casually turns to his two companions and -- specifically without using any names -- says, "You two. The Healers clearly have this well in hand, and our business associate is annoyingly healthy. Let's be about our business. Now." The tone is as authoritarian as Nerrin ever gets, yet there's a trace of Belarin's own voice in the final syllable. He begins walking out.