EVERYONE
Climbing out of her silence, after Dram's staggering long explanations, Arvana begins to choose from the table, saving wine for her skin and fruit for her purse. Occasionally, she looks up, adding an observation or paying particular attention to a part of the debate.
“Sae wot are we gaein’ t’ dae? We trustin’ ‘im?”
"We trust no one. Such is the rule" - she turns to Marius right after saying it. "I know, a few hours ago you didn't trust me as well, and you possibly don't trust me yet, past the fact that we shed some blood together. And I find it reassuring, to say the least." - she handpicks from the pears on the table, choosing the prettiest.
"But here's the thing: we can deal with each other. Dram... I don't know if we can take him, should we have to. After all, he
did hire a handful of greenskins, and nerathians seem happy to do his bidding."
"Would you have me along for the quest? I know we didn't really start well what with bringing you here, but that was just a job. I would like to help keep the people of Maran safe."
"Gods of sea and sky, I trust the
orc more than I trust the human. No offense... - she glances at Hagadark. "At least the shaman works for coin. You can always trust coin." - she looks around, right after filling up her purse. "And I don't trust these walls as well. There's something...
odd... About these pictures. My blood boils just to look at them. I say we discuss these matters... But far away from here. Why not go to one of the towns, to begin with? there we can find a nice, cozy table near a fountain, freshen up, leave the desert heat behind..." - she offers, desperate to leave the manor.
"Would you have me along for the quest? I know we didn't really start well what with bringing you here, but that was just a job. I would like to help keep the people of Maran safe."
"I am willing to do what needs to be done. As long as there are no unnecessary deaths. But sacrifice is something warriors understand well. And we will do our part as required."
Arvana gives him a puzzled, curious glance, apparently fascinated by the sudden display of nobility upheld by Hagadark. Soon after, she seems to feel more comfortable around him, but her sense of urgency still does not go away.
HAGADARK
"I will see what we can do about this. I will join them or not depending on what we...well, what *they*...decide to do with the dagger.
Dram doesn't seem to rely too much in Hagadark's efforts for conciliation. At first, the half-orc suspects that this is Dram's ruse. By stepping away from the shaman, he might make Hagadark a more ubiquitous participant, increasing his chances of convincing the others. On the other hand... Dram might just have his own tricks under the sleeve. That is a matter of concern for Hagadark. If Dram's reach is as people say, then he might have anticipated several other ways to get his hands on the dagger.
EVERYONE
[Arvana proposes that the group descends into the valley, away from the orcs - Dram's payed henchmen - and away from the manor. She decides to go as far as the fields with Dram's car, but she prefers to finish the way on foot. Anyone that wants to follow her, just assume that the description below is as follows. Otherwise, just say what you want to do, and we'll adapt the posts as necessary.]
The distrustful conductor takes the car down the path, leading it to the limits of the fields. He stops as soon as the thick of the hills comes to an end, at a crossroads that might lead someone towards the hilltops, through a dark wood or into the valley and, eventually, the village. The woman decides to go forward, tasting the fresh air of the night and seeing the distant lights in the valley. Even though the whole area seems peaceful, there are far too many lights for a night in the fields. The hilltops around are alive with the traffic of watches, and the roads below reach out with the faint noise of movement.
A few minutes later, the car passes down, scouting the area as it follows through to the village. Arvana twists her way and decides to go around the valley towards the dwarven settlement, encrusted within the mounds, not far from there. Her distrust is visible, and at least it leads to a pleasant walk through the ravines and the crops.
An hour goes by before the settlement's gates can be seen. Considering the size of the valley, they are impressive. A pair of statues flank the entrance, a halfling at one side and a dwarf at the other, both holding the tools of the trade - a scythe and a pike. within, after a 200 feet stretch and a brief altercation with a pair of gnome guards, a small, industrious and organized village sprawls. Cut in fine stone and build to house several layers, the small towers surround a triangular square. The entire place is lit by fires, sprung out through walls and housed in a sconce placed up above. Two hours before Vespers, the place is already at full speed. The small marketplace is alive, the furnaces are hot and the alleys are crawling with workers.
A while later, the same industrious scene is met within the walls of the Oddfellows of Nerath Wall, a tavern that tends to the small Worker's corporation housed within the small men village.
The place is defined by the brown, stony aspect of its' walls. Heralds of many dwarven houses decorate the place, sharing space with numerous genealogies of halfling families and gnomish seals. Memory strikes deep in the hearts of these men. Many workers fill the place, even in this strange hour, beyond nocturnal and not entirely dawned. Most of the customers are from the small species, but they seem to be at least a little receptive around here, since many humans bring their businesses to the Oddfellows as well. Some even hold a foreign, exotic appearance, as a pair of ashirite merchants at one corner, a group of human rangers at the balcony, and a pair of traveling monks from the Temple of the Dragon at the communal table - among others....
[MENTION=24380]Neurotic[/MENTION] [MENTION=6801311]KahlessNestor[/MENTION] [MENTION=87106]MetaVoid[/MENTION] [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION]
]
