Chapter 12: Shadows in the Dark

[Ken]

Belarin walks around the shop, looking for ingredients that could aid his invocations. He wonders about the transmutation magic around Salar. Could be minor. Or it could mean he's not "merely" a halfling. Suddenly, he has another thought. "Excuse me... Do you have anything that would be an effective repellent against certain large creatures? I once had an encounter with an owlbear, and I'd like to be better prepared should it happen again." Personal business first, information gathering second.

[Brian]

The halflings raise their eyebrows at Condign's closing words, then smile politely. Then Sem steps directly into Condign's field of view and holds up a lecturing finger. "Come here for a moment, Condign," the gnome says, and leads him over to the corner. "Listen, you've got to stop calling everyone you meet 'lord.' You're rendering the word meaningless. Have you ever heard the story of the gnome who cried worg? After joking around with everyone—which, to be fair, is what a good gnome does—no one investigated his screams when actual worgs tore out of forest and dragged him off."

He indicates Larest and Streko. "These two you could call lord. One's a nobleman and one's a dragonmarked heir. Sure, you're as likely to give ir'Zathyran this title as you are to willingly lick a poison frog's back, but I'm just saying: discriminate. Starg's not a lord, I'm not a lord. Kal is. Otherwise you make yourself look, well, uneducated. It'll show." He smiles. "Are you going to fight me on this and embarrass us again later?"

Larest doesn't intrude, but he does say lightly, "I didn't choose Condign for his courtly arts, Sem. Go easy on him. He's a warrior, and I suspect he cares more about the nobility of spirit and strength than of blood."

Sem Darlesh rolls his eyes. "Whatever, Lord Obvious. I'm just being practical."

Condign stares down at the gnome, his smooth, red brow furrowed into an angry knot. "The only meaningless thing I see," he says slowly, "is a presumptuous gnome who finds it necessary to lecture those around him about all manner of things, some of which he has experience." He leans down so his face is close to Sem's. "And on others over which he has no knowledge whatsoever. Does overuse of courtesy diminish the value of said courtesy? Maybe we should stop helping the poor--do it too often and it will become meaningless. Yes, that is a grand idea!" Condign glances at Adamant. "Please stop your aid to those poor Cyran bastards, my friend. It will simply inure them to their plight!" Returning his attention to Sem, Condign says levelly, "Do not instruct me on manners again, my lord Sem. I have met many greater than you who do not deserve the title, and many lesser that do. It is not for I to judge, so I name everyone 'my lord.' I suggest you get used to it."

Standing, he bows toward the shopkeepers. "My apologies if I have disturbed your commerce."

[Dave B.]

Shorak walks around, just browsing. He doubts there is anything here to interest him. He can't help but snicker at the exchange between Sem and Condign. It really is a humorous sight. The large red-skinned tiefling bending down to berate the diminutive gnome.

[Jeff]

Quolish nods at Adamant. "The carpet aims to marvel."

Sem freezes while Condign berates him. His face is a mask of composure, but a hint of mirth creeps into the corner of his mouth. When the tiefling finishes, Sem looks sidelong to Belarin and says like a whisper (but loud enough for Condign to hear), "Is it the horns that make them so cranky?" He indicates Starg as well.

Sem shrugs. "Very well, Condign. We are all lords." He turns and walks away, pausing to offer a slight bow toward Adamant—or the carpet. "Lord Adamant, do not be rude. You should not stand upon Lord Welcome Mat for so long a time."

Sept 12, 2014 16:19:45 GMT -4 Ken said:

"Excuse me... Do you have anything that would be an effective repellent against certain large creatures? I once had an encounter with an owlbear, and I'd like to be better prepared should it happen again."

"Owl bear?" Salar repeats. "Is that like—?"

"Owlbear," Quolish says more confidently. "I've heard there are some around the foothills of Titan's Teeth. Real mean things, I hear. I heard they're the product of early House Vadalis wizardry! Can't say we've got anything specific to them, but..." The plump halfling strokes his chin. "I do have some powder owls in particular dislike, and some juice that all things ursine go madover. Mix them together, maybe? I could make a nice paste out of it..."

"How about bovine?" Sem says under his breath, and Starg turns to regard him.

[Ken]

Belarin turns and wags a finger at Sem. "Don't pout," he chides with a smirk. "It makes you look old." He turns back to the halfling. "Yes, if you could mix something together for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Will that take time?"

A few seconds later, he adds, "I hate to say it, but I do need directions of a sort." He shrugs, as though he's embarrassed to bring it up. "Last night, I shared dinner with residents of this area, and I was invited back to their home today to continue our discussion. However, there was, ah, wine involved, and I don't know the exact spot. Do you know a family of arcanists, the ir'Serells?"

[Dave W.]

Sept 13, 2014 11:24:00 GMT -4 Jeff said:

[Sem] turns and walks away, pausing to offer a slight bow toward Adamant—or the carpet. "Lord Adamant, do not be rude. You should not stand upon Lord Welcome Mat for so long a time."

Adamant doesn't respond to the confrontation between Condign and Sem. "Please," Adamant says softly, "if you find it necessary to antagonize each other don't use me as your pointed stick. On the whole I'd rather we find a way to work together as that may well be necessary very soon."

"But also please do not call me Lord." The warforged looks at the tiefling, "Sorry, my friend, but it makes my jaw ache."

Adamant steps into the room, "And sorry if I tarried too long on this magnificent rug. New experiences often give me pause. I know it makes me look simple, but I'm sorry if it also appeared rude."

Adamant starts to look around at the strange collection of ingredients and objects. Adamant addresses whichever halfling Belarin has not engaged, "So, you have potions and oils? Do you have something to repair rent creatures?"

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I"m fine with not having the time to do Divine Sense, but is it obvious... just as an fyi.

[Jeff]

Sept 13, 2014 22:06:39 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Adamant addresses whichever halfling Belarin has not engaged, "So, you have potions and oils? Do you have something to repair rent creatures?"

Salar takes this one. "Repair? Do you mean...constructs? I'm afraid that's not necessarily our purview. I might have a solution that strengthens, for a time, the...what is it called? 'Creation matrix" of a warforged. Something I acquired from a passing artificer. But it might be expensive."

Sept 13, 2014 17:10:49 GMT -4 Ken said:

Belarin turns and wags a finger at Sem. "Don't pout," he chides with a smirk. "It makes you look old." He turns back to the halfling. "Yes, if you could mix something together for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Will that take time?"

"Very little time," Quolish responds as he drifts toward the shelves and starts collecting a few bottles. "The paste would cost ten galifars. Would that suffice?"

"I hate to say it, but I do need directions of a sort." He shrugs, as though he's embarrassed to bring it up. "Last night, I shared dinner with residents of this area, and I was invited back to their home today to continue our discussion. However, there was, ah, wine involved, and I don't know the exact spot. Do you know a family of arcanists, the ir'Serells?"

Quolish pauses for a moment with the bottles in his head, seems to consider, then shakes his head. "Not sure I've ever even heard the name."

He keeps walking toward the back room, and Salar walks up to Belarin. "Ignore my associate, good sir. I'm afraid some names are dangerous to ask too much about. I could...check our...records, see if that name shows up anywhere useful. It might take a while, I'm afraid. If you could make it worth the while—seeing as how the business of others' isn't really our trade"—he gestures at the shelves—"I might be able to expedite the process."

Quolish pauses in the doorway of the back room, opens his mouth, then shuts it. He seems irritated at his colleague.

______________________________

Sorry, Dave. Just overlooked it. Adamant expends one use of his Divine Sense (3 remain for the day). Within 60 feet of him, he detects no celestials, fiends, or undead.

[Darren]

Kal leans against the door frame and flicks a drop of water from his nose with one hand. The other hand idly twirls a glowing green ball of light. Suddenly a second ball appears, this one blue, the the two dance through and around Kal's fingers, rolling over the back of his hand as he lifts it and then drops it back to his waist, up and back, keeping both balls juggling and spinning around his hand. Kalarian seems almost not to notice what he is doing, and with a wave of his hand the glowing balls disappear. He blows out a breath (spraying water in the process) and refolds his arms, waiting for his friends to return.

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"Lord Doormat"! Brilliant!

Kal is using Prestidigitation to make the glowing balls appear.

[Ken]

Belarin looks at Salar and smiles. He glances over at the shelves and says, "Hmmm, those ingredients look expensive. You may be undercutting yourself. Didn't you mean to say that the mixture will cost me twenty galifars?"

[Jeff]

Salar's eyebrows rise up. "Hmmm, you make an excellent point, sir. Thank you for your consideration. In truth, golden licorice root isn't always easy to come by, and that's the key ingredient for the owl-repellent powder my colleague named. Given its rarity, the paste would really cost fifty galifars. Market prices do fluctuate, you understand, and the hazards involved in acquisition of some ingredients are not to be dismissed."

[Ken]

"Really? Fifty? Well, I've made the acquaintance of a deva trader in these parts who told me that normally hard-to-find herbs and foodstuffs sometimes arrive in merchant vessels from Sharn. I'm sure the root is more easily acquired than you suggest. Perhaps forty galifars?"

He looks over at Larest. "That sounds fair, yes? After all, we want a reliable product."

__________________
Not a stellar result: 1d20 (5) + 6 = 11
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4644914/

[Jeff]

Ken: Go ahead and make a Persuasion check for your haggling; you can just add it in your post above!

[Dave W.]

Sept 15, 2014 9:37:27 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Salar takes this one. "Repair? Do you mean...constructs? I'm afraid that's not necessarily our purview. I might have a solution that strengthens, for a time, the...what is it called? 'Creation matrix" of a warforged. Something I acquired from a passing artificer. But it might be expensive."

"Oh," Adamant replies, "I'm afraid 'expensive' and I are not on speaking terms at the moment. I do expect to be back in her good graces shortly. I will return then."

Adamant makes a short bow to Salar. He then watches Belarin haggling with the other halfling.
______________________________

No problem on the Divine Sense, Jeff... I didn't think it was going to be critical...

[Dave B.]

Shorak, getting a bit bored, since there doesn't seem to be anything of interest for him, slowly makes his way back to the entrance. He hovers near the door, waiting for everyone to finish any business transactions.

[Joe]

Streko continues to look through the stock of items throughout the store, glancing at prices and, should he see anything he needs and does not yet have, he will take some of the item in question and discuss pricing with one of his kindred.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've noticed that Streko has a certain 4th level spell called Locate Creature. Methinks this will come in handy...however, I don't have any idea of the components and such. Where can I get info on the spells. Perhaps I can help with some of the editing of this on my sheet?

[Jeff]

Larest nods at Belarin's words. "We most certainly want a reliable product."

Salar shakes his head. "Indeed! Reliability is generally expensive. I sympathize. But yes, fifty galifars most certainly would secure the salve that you're asking for. I'm afraid I can't offer a sovereign less."

Sem glances over at the exchange with interest. Then Larest nods again at Belarin, walking over to Salar. He produces five platinum coins stamped with the dragon emblem common on Khorhairian currency and places hands them over to the halfling. "As owlbears may prove a hazard to my associates, I'm happy to provide their protection. You may give the item to my friend."

Salar thanks him for the payment, then gives Quolish a look. Quolish disappears into the back room and returns a few minutes later with a leather pouch. He fiddles around at the counter (which is clear across the spacious room from the rest of you) with various items as he prepares the paste. At one point, he takes a little piece of wire, twists it, and glances up briefly at Belarin and points with a pinky at him.

Belarin hears the halfling's voice as soft as a whisper in his ear, though he's not actually whispering (it's just quiet): The ir'Serrels don't give out their address, and to describe where I think their home is located could condemn me to worse than the gallows. But there is a way to advertise your interest in visiting them, and I will tell you. If they wish to have a visitor, then they will collect you. Understand?

Belarin recognizes a messaging cantrip at work, and he knows he's allowed to reply to the words in the same way—by merely looking at the caster and whispering back.

Outside, Kal feels as though he's made himself very plain to see, with spinning, glowing spheres of magic. Rinti asks, watching the lights, "Would you be able to teach me how to do that kind of magic? Where did you learn?"

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Joe: Good! Definitely worth looking at your spell options. As time allows, I'll keep filling in spell info and descriptions. I've gone ahead and filled in the Locate Creature spell description. There is a material component for that (bit of a bloodhound fur), but unless a gold piece value is cited, you only need your holy symbol in place of any listed components.

[Ken]

Belarin gives a slight nod. He whispers back to Quolish, "Understood. Yes, they do like their privacy, don't they? What must I do?"

[Brian]

Condign almost chokes at the mention of fifty galifars. It is more money than he has seen in his entire life. The Demon Wastes were not built on wealth and prosperity, but blood and dirt and struggle. Turning his back on the exchange, he glances out the door, notices Kal once again playing with his balls, and rolls his gold eyes. I will never understand humans, he thinks glumly.

[Jeff]

No one else can hear the exchange, though they can see Belarin muttering quietly to himself—which most of you have seen often enough anyway.

Enter Delera’s Watch, by the closest gate outside this shop. When you’re on the path beyond the field, as you reach intersections, go left, then right, then right, then down. Linger in that place for a while. If they wish to engage you, they will. If not, you’d better move on and not bother them. I can’t emphasize that enough. You seem like a nice fellow.

With that, Quolish finishes putting together the concoction, seals up the pouch, then walks back over to Belarin and hands it to him. The pouch is labeled neatly: Owlbear Paste. “Here you go, sir. I hope it serves you well! This isn’t a very lovely day for dark dealings. You consider your next errand on a sunnier, less gloomy day.” He gives Belarin a knowing look.

[Ken]

"Thank you," says Belarin warmly. "This should do the trick. Enjoy the rest of your day - and thank you for the advice." He takes the pouch and moves toward the door. He says to Larest, Sem, and his friends, "We have what we need," and he smiles like a cat who swallowed a mouse. "Shall we... unless you have other items to buy?"

[Darren]

Kal startles at the sound of Rinti's voice. He looks over his shoulder at the girl, wondering how she snuck up on him. He was certain he told her to go inside. He must be slipping....

"My magic came to me naturally," Kal says, kneeling down next to the girl. A green globe once again ignites above his hand. "It's part of my blood. It surges through me, wild and uncontrolled. It took some time to master it." Again he sets the ball to whirling, only this time it is joined by both a blue and red ball. "Not everyone has that gift, but I've been told that with sufficient study, anyone can learn." Kal takes Rinti's right hand in his left, then places his left hand over hers and allows the green ball of light to float to her hand, dismissing the other two. He pulls his hands slowly away, keeping the green globe floating above her hand and enjoying the look on her face. Suddenly, the ball dissolves, the rain spattering against the girl's hand. Kal grins. "Study, Rinti. Talk to Sem about it." He winks at her. "I knew I was right to bring you with me."

[Dave B.]

Shorak nods and opens the door for the group. "Shall we be off, then?" He waves goodbye to the two halflings and follows everyone back out into the rain.

[Joe]

Streko returns to the front of the store and bows to his Halfling brothers. "A wonderful shoppe. I look forward to returning when we have more time. I am most intrigued by some of your local herbs and ingredients. Perhaps I might discover a recipe book at some point?"

[Jeff]

Sept 11, 2014 11:30:19 GMT -4 Mike said:

Syrdan heads off a bit further down the road, closer towards the gate. He looks for a somewhat secluded vantage point that keeps him within eyesight of both the Feather Fall and the trees surrounding Delera's Watch.

Sept 12, 2014 10:08:11 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Kal stands by the door, while Syrdan finds a lone tree jutting from cracks in the cobblestone—as if this tree sprouted up suddenly once—about ten paces from the nearest gate into the graveyard. From there he finds relative cover from the rain. More importantly, a decent view of the street and the necropolis. While standing there, after about five minutes, he spots* a couple of dark shapes shuffling around the muddy sprawl of the graveyard. From their movements, he's fairly sure they're alive. They don't notice him. They seem to have ragged cloaks.

The figures in the field have since moved on and are out of sight.

Sept 16, 2014 13:08:06 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal grins. "Study, Rinti. Talk to Sem about it." He winks at her. "I knew I was right to bring you with me."

Rinti bobs her head at Kal's words. "Gnomes talk too much, though," she grumbles. "Makes my head spin. But...my lord"—unlike Condign, she doesn't seem accustomed to saying that word much—"I think I might have some elf blood in me. That's what some of the other kids tell me, too." She points to her ears, which are slightly pointed. "I heard that could mean that I could have magic in me already. You say study. Well...magic books are expensive, and I...can't really..."

Inside, Sem, Starg, and Larest shake their heads. While all three clearly have some arcane interests in the wares here, they seem more focused now on proceeding with the quest.

"Thank you, Lord d'Jorasco," Quolish says with a smile. "All of you, have a pleasant day. Do come again."

[Brian]

Seeing the negotiations have concluded, Condign opens the shop door for his friends. He waits for them to depart before he follows them into the street.

[Ken]

Belarin steps out into the rain and, once everyone is together, he quietly relates the information he got from Quolish.

"I can understand why a family of necromancers would want to keep their location a secret," he continues. "They'd probably draw an angry mob after every undead sighting, otherwise. So... shall we stroll through the graveyard?"

He looks at Syrdan. "We should all go, but... I'd like you up in the front, with me, a few feet ahead of everyone else. If Thestra is anything like Histra, she'll be a bit uncomfortable in your presence. And if we're to negotiate an alliance of sorts, I want her to be uncomfortable. I also want to see her face twitch, but that's just me."

His smile fades as he adds, "Will YOU be all right with that? The notion of destroying the whole lot of them may inspire you to song, but let's skip that for today." He winks.

[Darren]

Kal listens quietly to Rinti. "Then work on your concentration," he says. "That doesn't cost anything." He produces the green ball of light again. "Try to do this. Keep concentrating on simply willing it to happen. Focus your thoughts on that." Kal hears the door open and looks up. "We'll work on it together," he says as he stands up.

"Did you find what you needed?" he asks his friends.

[Dave B.]

Sept 17, 2014 10:35:43 GMT -4 Brian said:

Seeing the negotiations have concluded, Condign opens the shop door for his friends. He waits for them to depart before he follows them into the street.

Shorak, having already opened the shop door, smiles at Condign. "Already got it." He does leave ahead of the tiefling, knowing that Condign wishes to guard everyone's back.

[Mike]

Sept 17, 2014 10:38:40 GMT -4 Ken said:

He looks at Syrdan. "We should all go, but... I'd like you up in the front, with me, a few feet ahead of everyone else. If Thestra is anything like Histra, she'll be a bit uncomfortable in your presence. And if we're to negotiate an alliance of sorts, I want her to be uncomfortable. I also want to see her face twitch, but that's just me."

His smile fades as he adds, "Will YOU be all right with that? The notion of destroying the whole lot of them may inspire you to song, but let's skip that for today." He winks.

"Most people feel uncomfortable around me," Syrdan replies. "I've gotten accustomed to it. And if I can make this Thestra's face twitch, then so much the better. I shall take the lead with you, my mad friend."

"And rest assured, destroying them all did occur to me." The elf rubs his chin, lost in thought for a brief moment. "And it shall happen. Have no doubt of that. But ... priorities. Doing so would not further the goals that we all seek."

[Dave W.]

Adamant makes a short bow to the halfling merchants, "Thank you gentlebeings, I hope to return soon." He heads to the door, "A magnificent run" he adds as he steps into the rain. Belarin suggests going to the graveyard. "Yes, well, it is raining. I suppose the only sensible thing to do is wander about tombstones."