(Casual D&D II) The Fellowship of the White Dove

[dpdx]

Nurthk arrives just in time to see Fendric seal the deal with Gilter.

"I'm sorry, Mr... Ghant, was it? but shake or no, signature or no, Mr. Gilter is correct - we have reached agreement at 2000. I'm afraid I gave my word just now, May Pelor's Holy Light See It True, and you are indeed too late. Perhaps if we are waylaid by orcish brigands again sometime soon, provided we survive, we shall come see you? I'm afraid that's scant consolation, I know, May Pelor Forgive Me. Come, I shall buy you a drink, as soon as we receive our money!"

Fendric turns back to Gilter, a little more expectantly. "Perhaps we should consummate this transaction, then?"

 

[Festy_Dog]

Nurthk nods when Hiritus explains the situation.

"Fendric's sticking to his word, not surprising, but I respect that," he says, "It's a good sum of money anyway, keep us going for a while yet."

 

[Uriel]

Keepng his eye on the other Gnome <Sense Motive roll 13 total>, Niccolo watches the exchange between the smith and Fendric, confident that he would finally have a proper bath and dinner after so many days and nights in the saddle. Remembering Alexander at that moment, Niccolo moves to go outside. to where his steed is stabled. Stopping near the bar, Niccolo inquires of the barkeep 'Excuse me, my Good Man, but is there somewhere I might buy a sausage or perhaps a bit of mutton? My dog is terribly overdue for a proper treat, after his valorious performance in the mountains against orcish raiders.'
Niccolo produces a silver coin, wondering if perhaps the Inn might have a snack for Alexander. When/if one is procurred, Niccolo will continue on his way out to the stables.

 

[Sparky]

Oliver, oddly quiet the whole of the trek down out of the mountains, bares a toothy grin at the sight of Eivanrach on the horizon. ...Can't believe I made it out of those mountains in one piece - and feeling fit as my old bones can, too! Guess the hunt is still in my blood...

At the Inn he gratefully hands Bastrop's reins to a stable hand and flips the grubby child a coin, "Take good care of him, he's taken good care of me." And to Bastrop he adds, "I'll come and check on you soon, Bastrop." He eyes Nurthk or Raven, or even Fendric... "Could one of you lads help me with this pack?" At any dubious looks at the large pack, "I'm an old man, I need my comforts." He looks down and away ...And caltrops provide comfort to a man on the run... He raises his scraggly eyebrows, "It's really just bulky, not all that heavy," and grinning sheepishly, "Couldn't do that to poor ol' Bastrop."

*******
At the Inn:

Oliver happily pays for a share in the rooms and ambles up the stairs humming, Winkle's cage in hand and a bit of meat for the growing owlet. He jolts to a stop, foot hanging in mid step as he sees the red-painted floor, cage swinging. He swallows and a tattooed hand checks hidden daggers. His tenses, eyes darting this way and that at a shout barked below. He shakes himself and continues Down-the-hall-To-the-left-Third-on-the-right. He grins gratefully as the pack is placed on the floor and places Winkle's cage on one of the beds.

"I'll be down later."

He feeds Winkle the tidbit of meat, astonished that, for once, the creature doesn't try to take his fingers and the food. Huh... how about that? He experimentally pets the mangy tufts of gray down and gleaming white feathers and smiles.

"Orbril teaching you some manners, eh, Winkle?"

The bird merely blinks and leaving the cage open Oliver goes to sit at a small hard stool before the room's wash basin. He leans over, and tugs the pack closer undoing the bindings and sorting through the drifts of stuff, fingers brushing items summoning the memories they conjure. He lingers on the case of the handsome lute before cracking it open and taking out the darkly gleaming intrument. He strums the strings smiles faintly. It is uncertain how much time passes as he idly strums and plucks the strings, lost to music and memory. After a time he comes to himself and he carefully places it back into the case.

 

[Guilt Puppy]

Downstairs:

"We have a deal then," Gilter says. Ghant looks ready to interrupt, then slumps back in his chair, watching the smith count out the platinum (four pounds of it, btw) and trade it for the weapons & armor. "Good doing business."

"I'll take that drink," Ghant says, and leads you back upstairs...

Upstairs:

Shavah idles near the staircase, watching you return.

"Get an offer?" she asks.

"Got it, took it, and it wasn't mine," Ghant interjects, resentfully.

...

Once seated with drink, the gnome asks a question: "Tell me, how big a fellow was that full-plate sized for?"

 

[dpdx]

Fendric, having made some change of the platinum with Gilter, manages to sort out equal shares to those of the people downstairs (that's +250 gp to each of Niccolo, Nurthk, and Hiritus). Feeling relieved, he tosses a gold to the innkeep for his room. Finally, picking up his pack, he follows Ghant upstairs, looking a bit beatific for his sheepishness.

As Shavah asks her question, and Ghant answers it, Fendric nods in the affirmative, and counts out 250 gp for her share (Shavah now +250 gp, leaving Oliver [who I'll take care of, since Sparky's busy], Orbril, and Raven). Seeing noone else around at the moment, Fendric will pay each of the remaining people when he sees them. Looking back at Shavah, Fendric procures and pays for his ales and salad-with-chicken, and sits down next to Ghant at an upstairs table with four seats.

"The platemail was worn by the champion, a rather large orc that Nurthk slew after the orc challenged him, then violated the rules of the challenge. I know not of the bands of the Passes, so I could not tell you who it was, nor do I remember the markings. But perhaps Gilter would allow you to study the armor. I must ask, what piques your interest in this platemail so?"

 

[Festy_Dog]

Nurthk takes a seat at the table with Fendric, Shavah, and their gnomish friend. He grins broadly as he puts his stack of coins away.

"That was a fight and a half, we had our hands full that time," Nurthk regards in reference to the orc bandits, he extends a hand to the gnome, "Name's Nurthk, a pleasure to make your acqaintance."

The seemingly well-spoken half-orc has a very firm hand shake.

 

[Guilt Puppy]

"I must ask, what piques your interest in this platemail so?"

"It's enchanted. Not sure how or with what, but I can tell you it alone will fetch more than what he paid you for the whole lot. Maybe a little more, maybe a whole lot more. Either case, I'd like to have it coming out of my hands when it fetches its true price."

"Name's Nurthk, a pleasure to make your acqaintance."

"Ghant Rhandoril," he says, his hand almost disappearing beneath the mighty half-orc grip. "Pleasure's all mine, I hope."

 

[dpdx]

Fendric's face falls when the gnome tells him the armor is enchanted. Fendric can barely hear the rest of the news, none of it good, until...

"Ghant Rhandoril," he says, his hand almost disappearing beneath the mighty half-orc grip. "Pleasure's all mine, I hope."

"Brother Fendric, formerly of the Temple of Pelor in Hedrogura. You wouldn't by any chance happen to be related to an Aesop Rhandoril, would you? We are on a mission on behalf of a Sir Exantrius, and..."

Fendric's other hand drifts out to catch Oliver as he walks by. Holding Oliver's pouch open, (and lucky that Oliver's weapon hand was holding Winkle's cage) Fendric deposits 25 platinum into it. [+250 to Oliver.]

Still, Oliver takes a moment to hiss into the young cleric's ear - "That's a good way to lose that hand, boy." - until he notices his pouch is heavier, at which point he mutters, and walks off.

 

[Guilt Puppy]

"Brother Fendric, formerly of the Temple of Pelor in Hedrogura. You wouldn't by any chance happen to be related to an Aesop Rhandoril, would you? We are on a mission on behalf of a Sir Exantrius, and..."

"Yep, that's my uncle." He sighs. "Who's he owe money to this time?"

He lets the conversation be diverted, but it's clear from his shifty gaze that his mind is still on the full-plate, at the very least.

(Quick poll check, as aside from Fendric, I'm not entirely sure where everyone is at the moment:

Fendric: Upstairs at the bar
Nurthk: Upstairs at the bar
Niccolo: Out at the stables with Alexander
Raven: In the bath
Oliver: In the room
Orbril: No idea?

Hiritus and Shavah are upstairs at the bar, too, btw.)