III. To Belhaim

[Alethan]

Ciar sits to one side and fiddles with some things in his pack before joining the others at the table. After a few minutes, he does.

[Alethan]

Ciar eats his provided meal as well.

[AleBelly]

"I suppose you doubters were right. Something was off about Silas...or this place. Perhaps your intuition is better than mine. But now we have to figure out next steps. I actually trust the sheriff less than Silas" says Sylvan, keeping his voice low.

Sylvan will dip into his rations and ignore the food on his plate.

[dmw71]

The evening is beginning to settle as the group is shuttled into the Wise Piper inn by Talia where they are given a table, food and drink, and a place to rest their weary legs. While the group remains highly suspicious, with Sylvan going so far as to pass on the the free food and drink in favor of his own dry rations, the rest of the inn, which is beginning to fill up quickly, has an air of celebration about it. For the most part, people laugh and speak freely amongst themselves. The party does receive a few looks from the local patrons -- looks of curiosity, not suspicion -- but no one seem willing to interrupt the group and introduce themselves.

Talia remains busy, bustling about and trying to keep up with the increased activity in her inn, and it's almost an hour before she's able to free herself from her other responsibilities and return to the group. "I trust everything is good, no?" she rhetorically. "You need anything else, you just ask Talia," she says. "For bringin' that scoundrel to us, everything today is on me." she says proudly. "In fact, I hear that Sheriff Benhovy and his most skilled deputies have already left to bring Silas to Magnimar for trial. It's a good day, indeed." she says. When she senses the groups continued suspicion, she takes a seat at your table. "Trust me," she starts. "Silas is notorious for his deviant ways, and is not a good man." She stops and looks each of you in your eyes. "'Twas a long time ago, but he was caught smuggling limestone from our reserves here in town. He hurt a lot of people, but somehow managed to escape." she says with a sigh. "Until today --" she says, beginning to perk up.

Suddenly, her words are interrupted as the walls of the inn begin to rattle as if shaken by thunder. "What...?" Talia wonders aloud as she from the table; a general sense of panic begins to fill the room as people begin to question and speculate as to the cause of this disturbance. A moment later, a rear door to the establishment is thrust open and a local bursts into the tavern. While struggling to catch his breath, this local manages to share the news: "The Witch Tower has fallen!" he gasps. Almost without exception, all the locals rise and begin to filter out of the inn, and anyone that follows immediately notices a huge plume of dust rising to the northeast.



Actions?

[onlyme]

Fulp asks
Why is he asking which tower fell? Seems he would know.

[hedgeknight]

Having ate some bread with honey, Festus is feeling a bit better, even with the watered-down mead. But then when the local announces the tower having fallen, he shakes his head and mutters, "It's always something, ain't it?" and gets up to follow the locals outside to see what's going on.

[Alethan]

Trampling crowds being bad for those likely to get trampled, Ciar stays out of the way of the rushing crowd.

When there is a lull in the noise of the crowd, he asks loudly, "What is the Witch Tower?"

[AleBelly]

Sylvan is about to munch on his rations when the local busts in. He sighs and exits the inn, looking towards the plume of dust to determine its origin.

[dmw71]

Outside, a crowd forms and collectively stand around and watch as a plume of smoke and dust begins to pollute the sky to the northeast, just at the base of a hill. "Hunclay finally got rid of it," someone says jokingly. "I wonder if he's alright?" wonders another.

The town’s baroness, Lady Origena Devy, arrives soon thereafter with her son Arnholde to take charge of the situation.

Origena Devy.png (44.07 KiB) Viewed 933 times

"We must find out what happened here," Origena says. "Form a search party and set out immediately," she orders her son.

Arnholde Devy.png (40.95 KiB) Viewed 933 times

"And find Hunclay."

Those are the last words she speaks before being whisked off by her advisors.


Actions?

[hedgeknight]

"Never heard of it," Festus replies to Ciar, "but if'n ya don't ask, ya don't know."

Festus then yells toward the newly arrived dandy,"Ho! What's all this fuss about a tower of witches?"

[Storm11]

who is this Hunclay and what does he do? Kassal asks a passing local as he exits the inn.

[AleBelly]

"I can't take a man dressed like that seriously. I'll wager his only areas of expertise are the proper location of a salad fork in a place setting and the best Belhaimian vintage of claret. Shall we go explore the plume ourselves, or leave our fate to a nepotate?" asks Sylvan.

[OGRE MAGE]

Although he's never heard of a salad fork, or a Bellvint of whatsit, Sparrow laughs at the druids rip on the dandy.

Perhaps we could search for this Hunclay ourselves and volunteer our free services to this town as well? Not much coin in this hero business.......but you can't disregard the fame it brings.

[dmw71]

Festus' call catches the attention of one of the Devy's, but not the one he intended. "You, with the loud mouth," Arnholde says as he moves towards Festus. "You look like you'd be good working with rock. Come... you'll join me."

"Now we just need a few more volunteers."




Before continuing, I'll just need to know if Festus objects, and if anyone else formally volunteers?

[Alethan]

Ciar finally joins the others outside.

"One of the locals inside told me Hunclay is a... a... Well, some kind of a sage that studies the stars. He had land near the tower and wanted it knocked down because it blocked his view."

[onlyme]

Fulp turns a bit red, realizing he asked a rather dull question. He looks around at his party members, before speaking up...

Festus, my friend, I shall go and help you as well.

[Alethan]

Ciar stands by Festus, indicating he will volunteer to go, as well.

[Storm11]

Kassal likes the cut of this mans cloth. "Looks like someone's finally able to keep this dwarf in order," he says smiling mischievously. He too will go along, taking comfort in the fact it will annoy the stumpy fighter

[AleBelly]

Sylvan will accompany Festus. "I'm with you all, but I'm not going to blindly follow orders from Purple Pants" he says defiantly.

[hedgeknight]

Festus shrugs. "Ain't nothin' better ta do in this place. Lead on!"