DogTheGoblin

The look on David's face was enough to tell Martin that he had overstepped. Regret filled the reporter, but he had to ask. He bowed his head in a silent apology and refrained from speaking any further. Having already insulted the man's privacy, Stone didn't want to make the man any more uncomfortable.    But regardless of the refusal, a half smile formed at the mention of the deposit box. Nodding along with Coupard and Malcolm's suggestions, he added his own thank you to David and awaited for the party to press on.

Fair enough, we'll ignore the roll xD

Gonna roll Persuade, unless you want me to roll something different @Butchern

"For myself, I just wanted to have a look around myself. One last feel for the man, you understand?" Stone spoke, looking straight to David. Sincerity in his eyes as he spoke the words. Yes, they came for another reason but Martin saw a chance to reconcile with Broder one more time before moving on. Something David was possibly doing himself, or so Stone would assume. Either way, he hoped to persuade the man allow the party, or at the very least himself, to enter.  

Stay safe @Butchern, hope it’s nothing more than a minor inconvenience 

"I miss him dearly. I can hardly imagine what you- both of you must be going through." Martin chimed in, stepping onto the porch just behind Malcolm. The fact this was Broder's house was not lost on him, however this went, he wanted to handle it with the upmost respect. "There are only a handful of men like him, and the world is worse off without him." Stone bowed his head, stepping aside to allow space for the rest of the party.

Martin when Stephanie says they're not watching her: But yeah, Library will probably take some time, Broder's house seems like it might shed some light more. We still need to find out what the key is about xD

Same here, ready to move!

Martin took the chance to maintain a semblance of peace, taking the cue from the doctor to gloss over the groups bout of craziness. The professor and their own doctor dealt with nurse, leaving Stone with little to do beyond looking around while he listened to Stephanie. Her words as she talked about the birds... she had a very vivid imagination, a shame it landed her here. "They're not of this world?" Stone asked, turning his head to the girl. "Why would they be watching you, Miss Stephanie?"

Sense seemed to return to the party, though it only baffled Martin more of what that was about. "I second that. At the very least, I believe we need a mental rest."

@Caystodd That's alright, doesn't matter exactly who's checking it out xD I'll have Martin get caught up with everyone freaking out to forget his plan

The gentle hum from the chimes rolled through the office, drawing Xu's eyes to Miki as she flicked them. The sound was calming, soothing, things you'd expect from a nation of nomadic monks. Still, they're old and irreplaceable. "Miki, be careful with that. Don't think the Professor would appreciate it if we broke them after all they've been through." He flicked back to Professor Ko. "But Miki's right, Professor. You can count on us. Hopefully without drawing in the Fire Nation's attention."  

It's appreciated never the less

Maria's reaction took Martin by surprise. The quick hail Mary and the urgent calling for Livingston came out of apparently no-where. Not as surprising as Coupard's exclamation. Stone turned his head to the suddenly frantic professor. "Professor Coupard! Get a hold of yourself!" He shouted, looking around towards the frozen Malcolm. "These outbursts are only frightening Miss Stephanie who, if I need to remind you, is already quite scared of those birds."     

Sorry for the late response!   For the patron: I was leaning towards Dendar, the Night Serpent. A god that eats nightmares and fear would love a troubled mind. I also loved the idea of the scene where she approached Haweswin alone in the forest, whispering promises of helping him for a price.   That's really the only one that stood out to me from the small list that the handbook mentions, but if you have any examples of others I'd love to hear them!   For the argument: It was a misunderstanding of stances. For Carona; the cargo drop was the first job that she was allowed to take by herself. To show her independence and competence to her parents. Which didn't help, with Haweswin coddling her all the time, she wasn't soft! For Haweswin; the moment in the forest was going to harm her, or at worse kill her. He couldn't have that. He tried to subtly hint that they should turn back as to not hurt her pride, but her stubbornness was too blinding. Now they were caught in the rain, deep in a dark - supposedly haunted - forest and she keeps pushing forward. It bubbled up where he stood his ground and said they were turning back. And that was the catalyst. They shouted who was actually to blame to be in the forest, how neither of them listened to the other and ultimately led to Haweswine stating "I don't know why I bother with you" out of anger. "You won't have to." was all she said back, before marching off into the thicket.  It hurt, because for Carona she hoped that this job would be something more between the two.   For Haweswin's life: In a very short answer, simple. His father was a tailor, mostly known for his cobbling skills, while his mother was a full-time house wife. Being the only son, most of the focus and responsibilities were placed on him when he was readied to take over the business. But he was happy, idle hands made him crazy. After the forest however, he was noticeably different. Haweswin had grown quieter, twitchy. He avoided Carona's family entirely, as he did with friends. Instead keeping himself locked away in his house, only answering for work. At night, it was worse. Glimpses of what he had seen flashed and blurred into terrifying nightmares. From haunting monsters to ghostly images of Carona blaming him for her disappearance, he couldn't sleep. He needed to get out, away from the familiar faces; from the memories of her and the guilt.   So he left. He left home, he left the Dalelands and headed southwest. Washing up here and there till he finally stopped in Daggerford - out of its near resemblance of Daggerdale and for its poxy-home feeling.      

They're just birds...just birds...

 In that case, I believe Haweswin is pretty much done. Only got one name under character opinions as I wanted to wait till the list stopped expanding xD

Stone up to now, could only grimace. To the news of the tics and the year long stay. This story was spiralling down into a depressive rout, at least from the notes he had been taking down.   That is, till the mention of birds. The particular avian nuisance that seemed to plague his mind since the lab. A slight smile cracked through at the sound of Stephanie's empathy. Only for it to be snatched away as she seemed to be possessed again by a tic. It was subconscious instinct to follow her gaze up along the oak tree. Martin hadn't noticed how dark the clouds had gotten, but what stuck him was sheer number of large black dots that sat atop the high branches.    One instance could be easily explained away, but two in the same day? "They seem to do that, of late." Stone replied to Stephanie, keeping his eyes of those shadowed beasts. There wasn't much she'll want to reveal with these surveying over here, an indirect approach might be necessary. The reporter turned to Malcolm and Maria. In a hushed whisper, he spoke. "I don't think we're going to get anything out of her with these doctors and nurses around. Especially with them-" Martin motioned over to the tree with his eyes. "-spooking her. We may need to do some unorthodox spelunking in her room. Any ideas how to get there without the croakers noticing?"

The shade of the trees coupled well with the gentle autumn breeze that rolled through the campus, the chatter of merchants just outside the walls mixing with the mutterings of the student body and what sounded like the yipping of a small hare-dog created a gentle ambience for Xu who was sat on one of the many benches drinking it all in. It reminded him of the tea shop, minus the detail of Miki and himself being rushed off their feet.    Speaking of which, where was that hot-headed girl? "Miki..." A sigh rolled through his smile, he had already wasted enough time. Standing to his feet and tightening the knot on his arm, he turned to enter the university properly. She'll arrive on her own time, as always. Just hopefully without any commotion.    Xu's smile beamed as his head looked down the hall and saw three familiar sights. "Fei! Khulan! Mahin! It's good to see you all again." He nodded to each respectively.        

• Do you believe your ward listens to you more often than not? "As always, she acts before thinking. She hears what I'm saying, but I don't think she actually listens." • Have you recently protected them or helped them with a problem? "No, not recently. But it shouldn't be too long till something flares up." • Is there an immediate threat to your ward that you are aware of?  "Beyond some rowdy earthbenders or Commander Ming showing up, she should be fine. I hope."   I'll roll once I have the all clear from @Kyoh, but I took the liberty to assume that the escape from Ming didn't happen recently to count and given how early days it is with the relationship, Xu is still testing the waters between him and Miki. 🙂

Name: Haweswin Drago.  Character Concept: A desperate man looking for a way to undo his pact, unknowingly acting out his patrons will. Class, Race, Background: Warlock (Great Old One), Human, Haunted One (Campaign Primer) Description: A slender man of average height, Haweswin holds himself in a distinguished and proper manner. Keeping himself dressed in fitted outfits of gentle fabrics, those with the eye for fashion would clearly out that they were cheaply brought. His hair is groomed in an obvious lackadaisical demeanour - a quick brush of the hand to rid oneself of the bed hair -, with more focus on trimming his beard to free his mouth of any prickly nuisances. Despite all this effort to portray a man of either importance or noble birth, there is an glaring underlaying tone of sorrow. The way the sparkle in his tired, bagged eyes seems to have dimmed, the unconfident way his voice carries his words, the lurch in his shoulders that lower his head ever so slightly.      Origin: In the north of Faerûn, nestled on the fields between the forest of Cormanthor and Battledale, connecting the roads of Scardale, Ashabenford and Hillsfar, sat the town of Bridgeford. A small town of a thousand peoples of all walks of life that found themselves stopping for longer than a break. Life there was simple, just perfect for a quiet kid like Haweswin. If farming didn't take his fancy, there was ample opportunity for trading.  Start of Darkness: At some point in the past, you have been touched by darkness. Something happened to you, a loved one, or something is actively happening to your character. What was it, how did it affect you, and how does it linger? Two years ago, Haweswin agreed to help his friend Carona - A red-haired Half Elf who he found himself smitten with but never found the right time to bring it up - with a job. It was a straight forward delivery. Take the cargo to Archendale and get back. Short and simple. Alas, life is never straight-forward. Along the journey, the weather took a turn for the worse. Grey clouds formed overhead with a loud clap of thunder. It was Coranas idea to travel through the wood to break up the weather, dismissing the rumours as hogwash, and not having the ability to say no to her Haweswin agreed.  The twists and turns of the maze-like forest floor seemed to go on forever. The more they pressed on, the more it felt they were getting further and further lost. Their emotions mixed with the pouring rain and looming darkness before they lashed out at each other and split up out of anger.  There, in the long forgotten groves, Haweswin stumbled upon a ruin. Elven at a guess and unbelievably old. Regret set in for his harsh words, Carona would have loved this place. If only-. His thought paused as a sound came from the ruins. A whisper, unintelligible but definitely there. Beckoning him to come closer. If someone was here, maybe they'd know the way out. He followed the whispering to what must've been a chamber, that now stood as an open roof-altar. There was a pedestal stood in the middle of the moss-covered cobblestone, entangled by roots and leaves. Atop it laid a book, untouched by time as it looked pristine. Haweswin neared the tome, his curiosity taking the best of him as he reached out to open it. His hands moved subconsciously and-   Horror. Pure horror. He couldn't stop his hands, they moved on their own. Each page more depraved and mind-bending as the last, his eyes flicked through it all till the build up mounted into a echoing scream. Haweswin slammed the book shut, tossing it as far from him as he could. But it was still there, behind his closed eyes, in the darkness. Those images, those unnatural images and the words! How they plagued his mind.    Burning the book was all he could do to make sure it was gone from the world. Even if it still swirled within his mind, only he had to suffer it.    Deepest, Darkest Desire: Carona. She never made it out of the woods, even Haweswin lucked out by entering a pact. She never made it back to town nor was she ever seen again. It was assumed she was eaten by Owlbears but without ever actually knowing, Haweswin would still long for her. If only to say sorry for what he said. Would she still like him after all this time? Knowing what he did while lost in the woods... Deity: Before his patron, Haweswin looked to Selûne, goddess of the moon. Simply for the fact he fell in love with the moon as it hung in the sky.   Music: Haweswin's Lament Posting Rate: Once a week would be fine, but I check daily and post daily if possible Impressions:  Dynaheir Minscthara of Rashemen. Someone who could easily take hold of Haweswin and break him like a stick. (Hell, even the real me.) Personally for me, I love a good berserker. Blame the Vikings for that. But more importantly, it's that focus on "Is this the life I want?" Given she's been taught to fight from an early age, having that doubt would be an interesting conflict for her that I'd love to see if I get the chance to play longside her. As for Haweswin, she just reeks of Intimidation. From the sheer size of her, both in height and muscle, he'll want to stay on her good side. Images: 

His heart sunk to see his efforts were for naught, though he was glad for her to have her pencil back.    The way she hugged the paper, being so protective of those answers. What was she hiding? "How long has she been here?" Stone asked the nurse, eyeing up the paper. An itch developed in the back of his mind. Without a second thought, he attempted to subtly peek at those elusive scribblings. 

I'll give it a go, assuming it won't lock people out if I mess up   Edit: Failed

Sorry about that @matt_s, on the brightside at least that means they're similarly good natured