previously... Chapter 2 — The Long and Winding Road

[iantruesilver]

At the Midnight Snack Shack

"Greiitwngkss, furrless wanss. Kykki bids you wellcamn." The catfolk at the back of the shop raises from his seat, blinking his eyes slowly once at you.

 

At Barhuce's inquiry about beaver tails, he answers, his accent unique to people who have never interacted with a member of his species, "Ah yehs, beevyrr tayls. A trreet! Usuwally ferr cheiildrren, baht deliyshous fer adultss as well."

 

"And dih femaless? Wat kan dees wan do fer you?" The catfolk turns his attention to Val and Violet, his paw-like hands spreading in front of him to hover over his merchandise in gesture, "Kykki has snackss, waress, bieutifle jullry… Eef you have dih coin."

 

Val Only

You can see that while the snacks and other food items are organized rather well, the remainder seems to be in a kind of haphazard jumble around the store.

 

Some things are piled on top of one another in clumps on the counters, others shoved into the cubbies of shelves or left laying around on the floor or leaning against the leg of a table.

 

In a back corner you spot a rather sturdy buckler, and while sifting through a pile or two you hear a couple of things clinking around and some ruffling indicative of parchment as well.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[ccanary]

 

T'Sarra Khonnor 

HP 4/11  | AC 18(+1 vs robots) |  Fort (2) - Reflex (3) - Will (2) 

 

 

 

 

---

T'Sarra was torn. Not wanting to relax her guard in this cursed town, her head constantly on a swivel looking for danger, a bath seemed to be leaving herself unacceptably vulnerable. But ultimately, the dip in the waterfall was just not enough to cleanse the pee stink to her liking, so she decided taking off armor and immersing herself in hot water was worth the risk.

"Oh, you got that right," she sighed as she slid into the tub next to Vri. It would have been better with wine, true, but she wasn't prepared to let her guard down that much just at the moment.

She sighed again as she immersed herself until just the tips of her horns were showing, purple hair fanning out in a halo around her. She came up for a breath and then gently ran a wet cloth over her horns, making sure they got washed too.

"I am not interested in dawdling in this town any longer than necessary, but if you have to spend the night, this is the way to do it, yeah? I wonder if Jerry is going to join us with Rain. Are little rodents like that even supposed to get wet? Or do they just dust bath, do you think?"

 

 

[Wiz]

Val will carefully move things around to reveal the source of the clinking and rustling.

[farothel]

 

Statblock

Vrilundass 'Vri' Arund

Female NG Half-elf Swashbuckler, Level 1, Init 3, HP 4/11, Speed 30ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 15, Fort 0, Ref 5, Will 1, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 1   
silversheen, MC rapier +5 (1d6+1, 18-20/x2)
cold iron dagger +4 (1d4+1, 19-20/x2)
shortbow (20)+4 (1d6, x3)
Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 15
Condition None

Hero points: 1/1

"I have no idea," Vri said, "You'll have to ask Rain that.  Besides, if it's a familiar or something like that, it might actually be different.  As to staying in this town, I would try to sell as much as we can so we don't have to lug it all around.  We can also sell the horses and the cart and get those provisions we really need to get back to Torch.  But there was this elf who wanted to see us, so we might have to hang around until he does.  We just have to be careful."

 

OOC

 

[Inash]

 
Barhuce

Barhuce manages, just barely, to avoid copying the store keepers accent as he looks over at Val when she doesn't answer the storekeeper. "I think she is currently browsing. While she does, can I ask just what type of treat a beaver tail is? Is it a dried meat product like those? or something sweet like those over there?"

Statblock

Barhuce
M NG Human (Kellid) Alchemist (CryptBreaker), [B]Level[/B] 1, [B]Init6[/B] 4, [B]HP[/B] 7/9, [B]Speed[/B] 30
[B]AC[/B] 15, [B]Touch[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed[/B] 13, [B]CMD[/b] 13, [B]Fort[/B] 3, [B]Ref[/B] 4, [B]Will[/B] 0, [B]CMB[/B] +1, [B]Base Attack7 Bonus[/B] 0   
[B]1d8 v undead or constructs, DC 14 Alkahest Bomb (5/day) [/B] 3 (1d4+4, x2)
[B]  light Mace [/B] 1 (1d6+1, x2)
[B]  Dagger [/B] 1 (1d4+1, 19-20/x2)
[B]  Lamellar Cuirass[/B] (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Deflect)
[B]Abilities[/B] Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
[B]Condition[/B] None 

Actions Crunch

 

 

[iantruesilver]

At the Midnight Snack Shack

"It'tis neether, rreelly, and bowth if you laike." Kykki explains, turning his attention back to Barhuce once more. "Eh beevrr tail is at dih core jast a fried dough, wiff yer choice of toppings."

 

"Saum say it is good wiff cinnaman, or choklit, batt I cannot eit dat stuff, it'tis toxic to me and my kind." The catfolk scratches the side of his cheek for a moment, then smooths his whisker out slowly between two fingers, "So I occasionawlly haev it wiff saum berries and mint myself."

"Chocolate?" Having been wrist deep in a small pile of things herself, Violet suddenly jumps, her excitement piquing through the roof, "Oooh ooh Val, Val, he said chocolate!"

Completely besides herself with the gaiety of anticipating new experiences, she doesn't even realize she's subconsciously picked a bauble out into her hand, and it's now a hard pebble-like sensation pressing against Val's arm in the middle of the young android's palm as she grabs and tugs at the other girl.

 

Val Only

Honing in on the scrunching and clinking, you notice a scroll, a potion, and what looks to be a wand of some kind.

 

Taking a few moments to assess each, you determine them to be a scroll of comprehend languages, a potion of enlarge person, and a wand of cure light wounds. The wand sports some signs of wear from previous use.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[madMonk]

Rain-in-Summer

Rain slips into the bathtub next to Vri. Jerry opts to sit at the edge of the bath, occasionally dipping a foot or hand (yes, jerboas have tiny hands) in the water and rubbing at his fur. “Ordinarily, Jerboas do not bathe in water. They are able to survive for years without ever drinking water, obtaining the needed hydration from their food. But Jerry is quite particular about his cleanliness.” After concluding her brief lesson, Rain dunks her head under the water. After she emerges, she begins rubbing a thick, herbal paste into her hair.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by madMonk (see edit history)

[ccanary]

 

T'Sarra Khonnor 

HP 4/11  | AC 18(+1 vs robots) |  Fort (2) - Reflex (3) - Will (2) 

 

 

 

 

---

T'Sarra nodded at Rain, Jerry was certainly no ordinary ... hams... jerboa? She'd have to try to remember that.

"What is that? It smells nice," she asked about the herbal paste.

 

 

[madMonk]

Rain-in-Summer

“In my tribe, we use this paste to clean our hair, and make it grow strong. Would you like to try it?” Rain offers the small clay pot to T’Sarra.

 

[iantruesilver]

At the Baths

The bath is comfortably hot, just a tad warmer than what would be described as warm.  For the beginning at least, the few of you had the place to yourself, for a good twenty minutes or so.

 

That was before a large group intruded upon your peaceful little soak, some of them barely able to stand on their own.  Several males make their way over to the side of the room partitioned off from your section, while five females — four human and one that is vaguely elf-like, with long, notched ears, narrow eyes and white fur nearly stumble into your pool, giggling and pushing each other as they enter.  The majority of them look clearly inebriated.

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[Wiz]

Val piles up a few items into the buckler shield and throws a couple of tacky nicknacks on top of the pile.  The young investigator smiles at Violet, "Really?  Fantastic!"

 

Val looks to the bauble that's digging into her arm, "What's this?"  Looking at what's in Violet's hand, she tries to take hold of it.  If it's even slightly interesting, she will toss it onto her carried pile balanced on the buckler.

 

Going over to the catfolk, she sets down her small pile of stuff, "How much do you charge for chocolate, oh, and what's your valuation on this stuff?" The young woman gestures offhandedly at the buckler and other items.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Wiz (see edit history)

[ccanary]

 

T'Sarra Khonnor 

HP 4/11  | AC 18(+1 vs robots) |  Fort (2) - Reflex (3) - Will (2) 

 

 

 

 

---

For the second time that night, or was it the third, T'Sarra swore under her breath. She didn't feel threatened by the new additions. She felt empathy for them. That was her group a few nights ago, drunk and helpless to a group of predators. She couldn't just let that happen to these women (and men on the other side of the barrier). It looked like she was staying around for a while. At least she always had her weapons on her.

She looked from Rain's braided hair to the paste and shrugged, reaching out a dangerously clawed hand

"Sure, might as well. Looks like I'm going to be sticking around a while." She rubbed the paste in her thick purple hair, claws retracted enough to let her work it in.

"Then what do you wash it off in the water? Or leave it in?"

 

 

[Inash]

 
Barhuce

Barhuce smiles, hearing the excitement. "Sounds like I will be needing 3 beaver tails, 2 of them chocolate and the last, hmmm. Can I get it with honey and cinnamon?"

Statblock

Barhuce
M NG Human (Kellid) Alchemist (CryptBreaker), [B]Level[/B] 1, [B]Init6[/B] 4, [B]HP[/B] 7/9, [B]Speed[/B] 30
[B]AC[/B] 15, [B]Touch[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed[/B] 13, [B]CMD[/b] 13, [B]Fort[/B] 3, [B]Ref[/B] 4, [B]Will[/B] 0, [B]CMB[/B] +1, [B]Base Attack7 Bonus[/B] 0   
[B]1d8 v undead or constructs, DC 14 Alkahest Bomb (5/day) [/B] 3 (1d4+4, x2)
[B]  light Mace [/B] 1 (1d6+1, x2)
[B]  Dagger [/B] 1 (1d4+1, 19-20/x2)
[B]  Lamellar Cuirass[/B] (+2 Armor, +2 Dex, +1 Deflect)
[B]Abilities[/B] Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
[B]Condition[/B] None 

Actions Crunch

 

 

[farothel]

 

Statblock

Vrilundass 'Vri' Arund

Female NG Half-elf Swashbuckler, Level 1, Init 3, HP 4/11, Speed 30ft
AC 16, Touch 13, Flat-footed 13, CMD 15, Fort 0, Ref 5, Will 1, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 1   
silversheen, MC rapier +5 (1d6+1, 18-20/x2)
cold iron dagger +4 (1d4+1, 19-20/x2)
shortbow (20)+4 (1d6, x3)
Studded Leather (+3 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 15
Condition None

Hero points: 1/1

"Do you think I should scare them a little," Vri whispered to Rain and T'Sarra, "I can change to look like a drow.  Should be fun, no?"

 

OOC

 

[ccanary]

 

T'Sarra Khonnor 

HP 4/11  | AC 18(+1 vs robots) |  Fort (2) - Reflex (3) - Will (2) 

 

 

 

 

---

T'Sarra looked over at Vri with an incredulous look on her face.

"What? How? No, why? Be nice!" She hissed in a low voice and splashed a little water over at the swashbuckler.

"They're basically us from two night ago, before we got ... grabbed. Drugged. Abducted. I kind of want to watch to make sure the same doesn't happen to them."