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[howandwhy99]

[DAY 87 – Thunderday, Azer 19th, CY 81]

In the morning Dram noticed Mouse’s old store was open. He wondered if the little guy had come back, or even better whether Igor had arrived finally. He was disappointed to find only a new small man at the desk after entering. The new storekeeper introduced himself as “Trifle”. Mouse had authorized him to run his shop in his absence. Dram wanted to lighten his load of coin and asked to see any available gems he might buy. Trifle went in the back room and returned with a large pouch. He poured out the contents on the counter. Dram’s eyes glittered. Literally hundreds of gems of every imaginable color were displayed before him. Pulling out his coinpouch he pointed to a small blue gem and asked if it was worth fifty gold or not. “Um… hold on,” said Trifle. The little man turned to go, but then wisely asked Dram to take a few steps back before leaving the counter.

Retrieving a long list from the other side of the shop, Trifle waved Dram forward again. He paged through the list with a confused look on his face. “That one there is… 100gp,” he said.
“Well what about this red one then?” Dram asked. Trifle search again. “Fifty?”
“How much for this big green one?” Dram asked pointing to a medium-sized gem.
“Uh….that one is also fifty.” Trifle admitted he was still getting used to Mouse’s pricing system. Dram looked through all the gems. Many of them looked like they had been pried up from somewhere. “Perhaps from a crown?” thought Dram. “Or a king’s throne?”

For the next hour he poked through the gems. He purchased all he could of the largest gems for the lowest prices. One of the gems for sale had even glowed red. But Dram was short on funds and Trifle was loath to part with it “in case it’s somehow faulty”. Kayla entered just as Dram was leaving. She browsed around and noticed something she had not before: a bookcase for traveling. She snatched it up quickly. Outside, Dram walked to the armory and smithy where he saw Dalin inside. He was buying new greaves as his old ones had been significantly weakened by the blob. Dram purchased some of his own footwear to replace the boots he had lost. The two returned together to the temple to talk with Dram’s father and the other Hamfastites. Dalin was laughing to himself. He wanted to know when they celebrated their “Festival of Ham”. He seemed to believe they had a lot of pigs in the town too.

The rest of the team kept to themselves. Father Ben had yet to come out of his chambers. Kayla read and explored what she could of Elion’s room with Diedre’s help before moving out. Just in case she might have missed something. Darius spent time with Lord Radcliffe in anticipation to the coming ceremony. Rose simply walked about town smiling at the children with her fangs. When the contingent of soldiers escorting their replacement arrived, all but Father Ben were waiting anxiously at the gate. Forty soldiers marched in flying a banner of the Keep (a winged hawk for Lady Devereaux) on one side and a banner of a large badger on the other. In their center were three young men: one a priest in brown robes and with thick gold rings, another in polished, heavy armor, and the last in rather frivolous gown. When formation, all in heavy armor, reached the town square their captain declare the arrival of “The Badgers” and bowed deeply to Lord Radcliffe.

Father Ben hurried outside into the square from the temple, while trying to hold an absurdly large, funny-shaped hat on his head. He had been asked to say a prayer at the invocation of the Keep’s new Captain and Advisor. When he bowed to the group many of them noticed he had no hair or eyebrows. He lined up next to the other priest closer to the audience. Lord Radcliffe stood in front center dressed in yellow with a yellow cape; to his right stood Darius and Kayla, on his left the two newcomers. All were dressed in either fine clothes or armor. The young man in platemail approached Darius and bowed deeply. He handed the dwarf an ornamental rod and stepped back. Darius bowed in return. The other young man in the colorful robes bowed to Kayla and handed her a rolled parchment. She also bowed in return. Darius declared Captain Rufus and Advisor Burné officially appointed to Keep Margrave.