Chapter 3: The Enemy Within

[Jeff]

Sivis station

"Not a problem, sir," the gnome says. "That will be five galifars per page. I see you have two messages. If you wish to have the message delivered to an address within either city, that will be an additional sovereign per message. That will be ten galifars and two sovereigns, in that case."

_______________________

Darren: As a rule, yes, they'll know.

[Darren]

"Certainly," Kal says, reaching over the counter to hand the gnome the money and the two letters. "This one," he says, indicating the letter Amal gave him, "goes to Passage. Please have it delivered to the Deneith enclave there. This other," he says, holding up the letter to Lady Korvine, "goes to the Deneith enclave in Fairhaven."

___________
How long does delivery usually take? I'd ask in character, but it seems like something Kal would already know...

[Jeff]

Middle of the Pavilion

As Torhak stands silently at the center of the pavilion, watching the many customers and dragonmarked house staff mill about, it occurs to him: there are no other dwarves here....except one that he sees manning the House Kundarak bank station. The dwarf there is white-bearded, bespectacled, and looking a bit annoyed at the humans working around him.

A small human boy of perhaps six years of age walks up to Torhak. "Are you a gladiator?" he asks, eyes on the dwarf's axe and tattooed arms.

Sivis station

The gnome collects Kal's money, scribbles out a receipt...then waits until Kal is actually first in line before processing the request. "Is there anything else, sir? Do you require any translation services?" The gnome looks like he's been a bit pressured from his superiors to bring in more revenue.

_______________________________

Darren: fairly quickly, unless the Sivis gnomes have a backlog of messages to process. The message will likely be sent within the hour. How fast a message is delivered at the other end is subject to the usual variables. All told, it could range from an hour of receipt of payment to maybe six hours to delivery.

[Darren]

"Ah, no," Kal says, giving the gnome a sideways glance. "Why, is there something else you think that I need?"

[mike]

admin said:

A small human boy of perhaps six years of age walks up to Torhak. "Are you a gladiator?" he asks, eyes on the dwarf's axe and tattooed arms.

Torhak, who had the best of intentions and sincerely meant what he said - at the time - when he told Streko that he would act mute upon arriving in Windhaven ... well, the boy's question startles him, and the dwarf answers, forgetting about his vow of silence.

It is the boy, perhaps. Most young children run from him. The fearlessness of the lad is something Torhak finds impressive.

"A gladiator? Nay." Torhak kneels, so as to better look the boy in the eye. "Gladiators fight for sport. I do not. I fight for blood and honor. I am a warrior and a slayer of orcs, sworn to Clan Droranath."

"And what is your name, my brave lad? Methinks you may have a warrior's soul as well."

[Jeremy]

Goran frowns a bit.

"Hmm, a hundred, eh? Let me consider this over some tea."

Clearly he cannot afford such things. Not at the moment. Goran nods appreciatively to the vendor and climbs back down, seeking tea out in the pavilion, notably in the Ghallandra way.

[Jeff]

Center of the Pavilion

"Riaan, sir," the boy replies to Torhak. "You fight orcs? They're bad
where you çome from? My pa says there are some deep in the wood who help the world to heal."

"Goran makes his way down from the magic shop—earning a glare from the half-orc—and across the pavilion floor, where he sees Torhak talking with a human child.

Ghallanda station

Goran finds this section of the building laid out like a city delicatessen. A counter serving foodstuffs on one side and several small tables laid out in a tavern-like section. Several people are eating here now. Although House Ghallanda is the house of hospitality, it doesn't appear this station doubles as a boarding house. Most likely local inns are simply licensed by Ghallanda.

Goran immediately detects the smell of forest game...but he also sees an assortment of jars evidently of local teas...and berries!

An apron-wearing halfling looks down from the high counter. "Can I help you?"

[Joe]

Accessing the dragonmark over his heart, Streko focuses all of his energy and will through it and into the young shifter, hoping to provide the strength needed to answer some questions and speed recovery.

Streko also calls out for the halfling Jorasco attendant he saw earlier and asks that anything the shifter says be written down, as it could help aid in the recovery process.
____________________________________________
Lunch break...back to training now...will check in again this evening...

[mike]

"Where I come from, Riaan, all orcs are wicked," Torhak says to the boy. "But here ... well, things are different. Orc healers in a forest, you say? Your father speaks truth, I am sure, but I still find such notions difficult to fathom."

"Are you from this town, my lad? What can you tell me of this place?"

[Josh]

Cannith Station

Grafth listens to the brief exchange between Goran and the artificer, slightly shocked when the price of the arrows is revealed.

As the half-elf departs, Grafth approaches the man. "Excuse me, but are you the one called Lever? I was told below to seek an artificer here."

[Jeff]

Jorasco station

Streko's body grows warmed as his dragonmark heats up. He channels the magic through his fingers and into the shifter's body. Almost immediately the shifter lapses into a gentler sleep and Streko can feel a measure of his strength returned. There is still a ways to go, but he's taken back several more hours of the poison's effects. The shifter hasn't awakened, but Streko think he's close to it.

Cannith station

The Cannith artificer looks at Grafth for a moment. "They told you to ask for Lever?" He frowns. "No, I'm not he. Lever's busy. My name is Keldan. Maybe I can help you?"

Center of the Pavilion

"Are you from this town, my lad? What can you tell me of this place?"

"Yes, sir, I am. My pa's on the militia. There aren't any dwarves on the militia. Pa says they only like counting their gold." He says this innocently, seeming no offense, and then seems to consider Torhak. "You don't, right? You fight bad orcs. There aren't any bad orcs here, but sometimes they're mean half ones."

Riaan looks pointedly up at the top of the spiral staircase leading to the second floor shop of the House Cannith section of the pavilion. There Torhak sees the hulking half-orc who stands guard there, armored in House Tharashk livery.

Torhak never had dealings with House Tharashk back in the Mror Holds, because that dragonmarked house's center of operations is on the opposite side of the continent, in the Shadow Marches. A place Torhak heard that many orcs and humans mingle and produced the half-orc race. He's heard that the orcs there are less trouble than the orcs of the Ironroot Mountains. But that remains a theory.


Even as Torhak looks on, a human woman in a Jorasco uniform jogs out from the Jorasco section of the pavilion and makes her into the Cannith section. A few seconds later, she comes back and out and heads up the spiral stairs. There she seems to be having an exchange with the half-orc there.

______________________

Streko's dragonmark (the Mark of Healing) restores 1 point of Strength to the shifter and also strips away much of his exhaustion.

[Josh]

Cannith Station

"Perhaps you can, Keldan. My name is Grafth. I've been traveling with a warforged that has become incapacitated and is now in need of significant repair.

"Mist, the 'forged in question, is just outside Windshire. I'm looking for an artificer who would be able to help." The shifter pauses, the continues, "If this work would suit you, I'd ask you to accompany me back to the ship where Mist resides."

[Jeff]

Cannith Station

The artificer Keldan nods at Grafth's words. "I see." He stands, looks back down to his work—a number of grimy tools laid out on a cloth—and glances to a windowed door behind him. "Just outside of town? Not far?"

Meanwhile, he raps on the door behind him. "Lever! Get in here."

[Jeff]

Sivis station

"Well..." the gnome replies. "I suppose not. Next!"

Kal moves from the line, free to move elsewhere.

[Darren]

Finally free of the torturous wait, Kalarian moves in a somewhat aimless fashion towards the Cannith shop. Passing through the center of the pavillion, he sees Torhak speaking with the boy. "Watch his axe, young man," he says with a grin, "he's more dangerous than he looks." He gives the dwarf a clap on the shoulder as he continues past him and into the weapons supplier's store.

Kal looks quickly over the weapons in the rack, but his attention is quickly drawn to the young woman behind the counter. "Hello, my dear...."

[Josh]

"That's right," the shifter replies.

[Jeff]

Cannith Station

On the ground floor, the Cannith employee smiles in greeting at Kal's approach. "Hello. Is there anything I can help you with?"

In the second floor magic shop...

The door behind the counter opens and a warforged steps through. It's the only one Grafth has seen in Windshire. Not unlike Mist, this one does not look like he was meant to be one of the rank and file warforged combatants. He's leaner in shape, fairly tall, and a harness of artificer's tools is the only clothing on his metal-and-wood body.

The human Keldan looks at the warforged. "This gentleman has a warforged to repair. Are you still cleaning the propulsion spokes?" Grafth detects irritation in his voice.

"I am, sir," the warforged says, then turns look at Grafth with his small, crystalline eyes. There is a faint blue light in them, which grows slightly brighter. The shifter can't read the warforged's expression—really, no one can—but his body language alone suggests a bit of excitement at the prospect of laying his 'propulsion spokes' aside and doing something more interesting.

Kelan opens his mouth to speak, but then the front door of the caged shop opens up and a woman rushes in. She is fairly young, human, and wearing Jorasco livery. "Excuse me..." she pants. "Are you Grafth? A companion of Master Streko d'Jorasco?"

Both Keldan and the warforged pause to watch.

[Darren]

Kal leans casually on the counter, looking the woman in the eyes. "I believe there is," he says suggestively, flashing her a big smile. "Would you happen to..." He cuts off as he hears the woman upstairs ask for Grafth. "Oh hells," he murmurs as he stands up straight, his amorous intentions gone in an instant. Without another word or look at the young woman, he shoulder his sharrash and heads up the stairs. When Kal reaches the half-orc guard, he quickly stifles a look of disgust, knowing the words in his mind would not be helpful right now. He tells the guard that he is simply there to check out the merchandise. Once hs is admitted, he stands behind the Jorasco woman and looks at Grafth over her head, his eyes asking a question of the shifter without speaking. "Problems?"

[Jeremy]

Goran's face lights up with pleasure.

"Ah! Berries indeed. If I may, let me have twenty of those lovely berries and, do you sell loose tea? How much could a sovereign get me? Something nice. And not too expensive."

He finishes with a smile, feeling as thought the last few words were put into his mouth from another source...far away in time...

[Josh]

Confused, Grafth turns to the newcomer. "Yes, that's me..."

At a loss, the shifter turns back to Keldan. And then back to the door, as Kalarian appears.

Facing the artificer once again, Grafth apologizes for the interruption. "It appears my attention is in high demand. Please, sir, continue."

[Jeff]

Cannith station

"Master Grafth, your friend Streko is asking for you to come with me to where he is tending a patient. He asks you to come as soon as soon as 'readily possible.'" The Jorasco employee seems to be waiting awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

Keldan gives Grafth a sly smile. "I don't think your banged up warforged is going anywhere," he says. "Lever here will be able to help you out when you're ready. But you should know up front...that the cost of merely reviving a 'forged is ten galifars. I will need that from you up front. But if there are further repairs, the fee will increase. That can be determined then. Is this acceptable to you?"

The warforged, Lever, says nothing, merely watched the exchange.

Ghallanda station

The Ghallanda halfling comes around the counter, down a couple of steps to get to Goran's level, then walks over to the low counter that houses the tea. "Yes, sir." She hands him a smaller glass jar and a metal scoop. You can fill however many jars you like with as many selections of loose herbs as you wish. Each jar is a sovereign, and a sovereign will also buy you twenty berries, as you like."

Goran has an array of local teas to choose from. Each jar's worth, he surmises, is probably good for at least ten mugs of tea. Some of the teas are familiar to him; Aundair is right next door to the Eldeen Reaches, after all. But some are newer.

[Darren]

Kalarian looks over the two artificers. "I can handle things here, Grafth, if you wish to see to Master Streko?"

[Josh]

The shifter, somewhat perturbed, agrees with Keldan's reasoning.

"Very well. My associate," he says, indicating Kalarian, "can handle the details for me. Keldan, Lever, this is Kalarian d'Deneith. He is familiar with the matter at hand."

Securing his new short spear beneath his arm, he looks to the Jorasco worker. "Let's go."

He will follow the woman back to the Jorasco station.

[Jeff]

Cannith station

Kal is left standing with the dragonmarked Cannith artificer and the tool-accessorized warforged. "Good day to you, Kalarian. Is your damaged warforged far from town? I am granting Lever permission to go with you...or your companion...but I am concerned for how long."

Jorasco station

Gafth is led down the spiral stairs and over to the Jorasco section of the pavilion. (On the way Grafth sees Torhak speaking with a very young boy, who's looking at the dwarf as he were a war legend.) Within the stark clean walls of the Jorasco station, the woman leads him to what appears to be a patient room.

Within: Streko, sitting over a sick-looking, sleeping adolescent shifter. He seems a hunter, wild-haired and tribally adorned (like most shifters), but also unwell.

The Jorasco nurse stands just outside the room, watching.

[Jeremy]

Goran smiles at the tea selection.

"Yes, I'll have the berries then. Twenty please. And..."

He peruses the teas carefully. Leaning at first towards a familiar brew, he makes a snap decision to try something new, and grabs a jar of one of the more exotic-looking teas.

"This one."

Pay the lady.

[Darren]

Kal gives a quick but exasperated look at Grafth as the shifter introduces him using his full name. "Between Grafth and Streko, it seems that everyone in town will know who we are," he thinks to himself.

Kalarian leans casually against whatever is nearest and folds his arms. "It won't be long. The warforged is with some friends of mine just outside of town. We could have your artificer there and back within a few hours." Kal unfolds his arms and brings them to his sides, subtly brushing his pockets as he does so that the coins there jingle.

[Joe]

Streko nods as he sees Grafth enter the room.

"I'm sorry to taking you away from your shopping expedition, my friend. But I was hoping you might be able to give me some insight into this young shifter's situation. I believe he has been poisoned and that it entered his system here, but I am not as familiar with Shifter physiology as I should be, I fear. Would you take a quick look and tell me if it would be safe to awaken him? Perhaps he can provide more information on the type of poison he was afflicted with."

He makes room for Grafth to inspect the shifter. "The Jorasco healers tell me that he came from the woods yesterday and was brought here. Also, that someone paid a tidy sum of gold to cover the cost of his care before vanishing. Perhaps I am becoming cynical in my old age, but who leaves a stranger at Jorasco with enough gold to pay for days of treatment, without knowing for sure what is being treated or who the patient is? He appears young. I wonder if his parents are worried about him."

Streko is pacing and stops abruptly when he notices the girl outside the room looking on.

"If you would be so kind to get me the healing kit and the nerbs I requested please and return should I need further assistance. Thank you, my dear. Well done."

After she leaves, he goes on speaking to Grafth.

"Also, my friend, I suspected that having a kinsman nearby upon his return to consciousness might, perhaps, make him feel better and more inclined to assist us in his recovery. Again, I apologize for intruding on your work. Please forgive me."

[Josh]

Grafth looks at Streko curiously. "I'm no healer, and as a result have spent scarcely any time learning anything that could be of use here. If you say he is poisoned, then that is the case."

Despite being no help, he inspects the young shifter anyways. "I will stay for a while if that is what you request, I suppose, though my presence is equally likely to disturb him as it is comfort him. Waking up in a room full of strangers is never very appealing.

"As to who left him here, well, perhaps a good samaritan? After all, Streko, couldn't you see any one of us doing the same thing— making sure someone in need is taken care of? Well.. maybe not Kalarian..."

After a moment, he suggests that the only person that could tell them more is the shifter himself. Grafth finds a place to lean, out of the way, and waits. "There wouldn't be anything to drink around here, would there?"

[Joe]

Streko smiles. "I understand, my friend." He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a bottle of wine and hands it to him. "You've been more than patient with me and my needs. If you don't mind staying until he awakens..."

Streko leans forward, the holy symbol of Olladra slipping over the folds of his tunic and dangling above the young shifter. He places one hand over the shifter's heart and the other over the wound he believes introduced the poison and begins to pray to his beloved Goddess.
________________________________________________
Cure Light Wounds - 1st level domain spell

[Jeff]

Jorasco station

Grafth takes a look at the other shifter. Indeed, he can't be sure of his condition any more than he would if the youth was human. However, he can tell the that shift is only recently come of age, and that he probably has spent a good deal of time alone in the forest without the guidance of his elders and perhaps not even his peers. The rites of manhood (or womanhood) are often tests of wilderness survival.

There is no actual wound that caused the poison. It appears to be contact poison, in that spores or other variety of toxin made contact with his skin. A regular healing spell will not revive him, though another use of Streko's dragonmark may.

Cannith station

"A few hours?" the artificer, Keldan, repeats. "Is it that far?" He looks to the warforged. "It's up to you, then. If you wish to go, you may, but you'll have to make up the time yourself. You're not getting a field day here."

The warforged, who was introduced to Grafth as Lever, looks to Kal as he speaks. "I would like go, Lord Keldan. I will make up the time, as needed."

Keldan turns to Kal again. "I'll need the ten galifars for reviving your 'forged up front. The rest you can give Lever once you determine how much work is needed beyond that."

_________________________

Joe, you still sure about using a spell? It isn't likely what he needs.