[Story] Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles

[Kaigen]

Rahat Originally Posted by Touketsu Merris watched Rahat properly enjoying her tea as he cleared away clutter from the table, flashing his usual placid smile. "Someone who's on the road as much as you, helping so many people, probably doesn't take time for the little things too often. They're more important than a lot of folk give credit you know Rahat. Mustn't forget a little self-care and relaxation from time to time." Giving the centaur a faux finger waggle, he chuckled. "Nah, but really, I'd be happy to make you a cup whenever you'd like. Just say the word my friend." "I take time for some little things," Rahat said evenly, though she could feel the heat in her cheeks behind her mask. "But I've never been able to brew a cup nearly as well as you." Her mouth quirked to the side. "I would be an enormous hypocrite if I admonished my patients to rest while working myself to death." Merris had helped her with just such a stubborn patient when they had first met. For all her perceptiveness and skill, she never had been very good at dealing with those who were not willing to listen to her advice. Noticing that Goop had quietly followed them, Rahat turned towards her and raised her cup. "Do you take tea? Merris brews an excellent pot, and I'm sure he wouldn't object to you sticking a finger into a cup to taste it even if you don't drink." The slimefolk evidently could taste something just by coming into contact with it, which had Rahat considering all sorts of things about the floors and ground that she hadn't before, but it wasn't clear how she drew sustenance, or what she required in the way of sustenance. "You are the first slimefolk I've met, so I have to admit some curiosity as a healer as to how your body works." Should she have just said that out loud? It was probably better than silently staring. She'd been told that made people uneasy. "Not that I expect you to have much in the way of answers. Few people of any kin understand how their bodies work." Originally Posted by Xyza "A sphinx? Hmm, I haven't seen one before...do they actually ask you riddles like in the stories? I don't know if I'd be good at that..." "They do, Khrysa," Rahat said, turning her gaze back towards Khrysa. "And apparently an adventurer got it wrong, and his companions paid the price, though thankfully no one was mortally wounded. Or so the rumors go." She shook her head. "I am sure he feels very bad about it, but I don't think it is a good idea for him to be alone with his thoughts while his companions are recovering." Assuming it was ever a good idea for him to be alone with his thoughts. Some people, in Rahat's experience, were very bad at that in general. A conflict between animus and anima, usually. Following Khrysa's gaze, Rahat realized that Merris was writing in a scrap of paper left on the table. It was unusual enough behavior from the firbolg, at least as Rahat knew him, to draw her attention. "What do you have there, Merris?" She tilted her head at him. "Don't tell me you have a secret admirer here already."

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 10:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)	🎼

Merris studies the pencil and paper. Neither seem to be made of anything of particular note. The paper is simple parchment, and its thickness is closer to that of what one might find in a book rather than a scroll. Two of its edges are straight, while the other two are jagged, as if someone had ripped it out of something, then ripped that in half.

The twig pencil, on the other hand, looks to be handmade, and anyone studying it would be able to easily note the seam where the wood was cut in twain in order to hollow it out and insert the charcoal. There are no obvious marks or signatures to suggest it was made by some professional hand, though, and it was likely made by a layperson. Merris could probably Using the crafting system, of course.make something similar if he wanted to.

As he goes to write beneath the word, however, something strange happens: he finds that while the twig pencil writes splendidly, the moment that he finishes writing even a single letter, it just...vanishes...! As he puzzles over this, however, or perhaps when he tries again, he spots something else. A tiny arrow in the corner of the page, which appears to be indicating the other side.

Strange...was that there before...?

If Merris turns the paper over, he sees that the back side of it remains blank. Perhaps the strange arrow is trying to suggest that he's supposed to write on this side?

 

Merris finds that he is able to write on this side of the page just fine, and he scrawls his message without hinderance, placing it back down on the table.

Not even a minute later, the sound of a pencil scrawling on paper can be heard...

 

Good evening. Do you have a habit of
talking to random scraps of paper?

---

As the group gets to know one another, Merris ponders over the curious note, and Khrysa awaits the appearance of the missing assessor, a gust of cool morning air wafts over the balcony, fluttering the limbs of the overhanging oak. All things considered, this is a rather nice, cool morning for the month of Aiou, which is typically characterized by its roiling temperatures and frequent, yet fleeting storm structures.

Neither of these persist here, as if the valley was somehow sheltered from the heat of the day.

The little bird, too, who had been the group's above-wise neighbor, puffs up a little at the wind, flapping its wings and shivering a little before its plumage settles again. It lets out a loud, shrill Tweet!, which carries a little ways off into the town, and is answered by a similar chatting not far off. Then, suddenly, the bird is gone, having fled the branch and taken to the air in a flash, appearing only for a moment as a streak of brown that disappears out of sight around a corner.

GM's Notes ------------

[Homestarbaby]

Goop

Rahat raises a cup towards Goop and asks, "Do you take tea? Merris brews an excellent pot, and I'm sure he wouldn't object to you sticking a finger into a cup to taste it even if you don't drink."

Goop grins happily and nods before taking a breath in order to speak. "Oh, that sounds lovely! I enjoy new tastes very much. Tea is a liquid, right? I should be fine absorbing that if you or Merris are offering. Um...would it be more appropriate for me to try and drink it with my mouth like you do?"

Unless anyone objected, Goop reached out to take the tea and tried to drink it like a normal person would.

OOC Tea time is a must before every serious adventure journey! ❤ Let me know if I need to roll anything to successfully sip tea.

[morgantha]

Langtree "Bureaucracy isn't really... much of a thing in Wrenhollow. The inherent chaos of nature constantly balancing itself tends to lend itself poorly to rules and procedure." Langtree shivered involuntarily. “How does anything get done like that?” she asked, verging on distraught. After a moment and another sip of tea she collected herself, peering into the cup with wide eyes. “I never would have thought a tea sourced from such chaos could be so good.” "Don't tell me you have a secret admirer here already." Langtree shifted a curious gaze over to Merris, and then around the general seating area, expecting to see someone lingering around who may have prompted the comment, but there was no one who stood out. "Um...would it be more appropriate for me to try and drink it with my mouth like you do?" “You should drink it however you like,” Langtree suggested. “I never really got the point of acting more human. They’ll always know we’re not.” She was speaking from experience, something she suspected Goop could relate to, seeing as she was... well, what she was.

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 10:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)	🎼

The conversation, both with the mysterious paper and amongst the group seated at the table, is inevitably interrupted by the reappearance of the Critique's assessor, Celluey, whose form is immediately spotted by Khrysa. The young woman spots the draconian girl and her entourage, and approaches, holding a folded piece of paper in addition to the great tome.

"Apologies for the wait..." she says, addressing Khrysa and offering the paper timidly. "The, umm...list was rather long, you see...and I had to copy it over manually. Thank you again for doing this..."

Her delivery complete, Celluey takes out a pocket watch and checks the time, "And still another twenty minutes before Miss Elem stops taking orders. If you could get it to her at the Little Lamb Eatery by the top of the hour, we would greatly appreciate it..."

Anyone who has been in town for a day or more has probably heard of the Little Lamb's Eatery, which also sits in the town's center some two or three blocks down from the Adventurer's Critique. In fact, you might even recall smelling something coming from that direction not a moment ago...

Celluey is happy to stick around in order to give directions, but it is fairly straight forward: turn right after you exit the street and keep going until you see the "cream-colored building with the mocha-colored roof." Apparently, "if you hear bleeting, you're in the right place."

Otherwise, unless the crew have any further questions from her, Assessor Celluey begs her leave, and prepares to resume her work. A fresh batch of adventurers seem to have come into the establishment, and someone needs to break the news about the lack of jobs to them. "I usually end up getting stuck with that job. Maybe my title should be 'Harbinger of Bad Luck' rather than 'Assessor'." she muses with a weak smile.

If Khrysa wishes, she can look at the contents of the letter (see below). It appears to be regular old paper, and the contents are hastily scribbled, but still quite legible. She gets the impression that the Assessor probably does a lot of writing if she can still write this nicely in hurry.

 

"Lamb"shanks for Mint and Elderberry
Eggy Toast for Stu and Marianna
Butter & Salt South Cod for Jules and Vern
A bowl of steamed rice for Argony
Grape Vine Smoothie for Lementina
Equestrian Coffee, black, with nothing else for Mr. Ryder
Venison Wraps for Ash, Misty, Brock, and Hilda
Blackwater Salad for Yelan and Mona
Apple Pie for Tannis and Mercury
Ham-On-the-Bone for Goan and Pararonccino
Three-Cream Cookies for August
Milky Fried Caspain for July
Dragonfire Tea for Natty, Lucy, and Hap
Sundried Platter for Locksley
Cornucopia Croissants for Celluey
"The Usual" for the Master

GM's Notes Just a little post opening the path forward. Feel free to move on whenever you're finished with your interactions at the inn, no need to rush things. It won't take the group more than a couple of minutes to get to the Eatery, and since it is in the same Environ as the Critique, you won't need to make any Travel checks. If you wish to make any checks along the way, however, feel free to do so, though please limit yourselves to one roll per post. Some possible suggestions: Arcana: If you want to learn more about the magic scene in Tradewinds, like whether or not there is a library, a school for the magical arts, or perhaps some sort of curio shop. Alternatively, you could observe and see whether or not is regularly or openly practiced here, and to what extent. Insight: If you want to observe the local populace and try to glean more information about them, the town, or about the adventurers you see. Lore: If you want to think about what you know of this town, the surrounding areas, or stories about the region as a whole. Nature: If you want to learn about the land within or without of the town, including what resources you might be able to find in the area, or good places that might be interesting avenues of exploration. Perception: If you want to look around along the way to see if you spot anything generally interesting. Alternatively, if you're looking for something specific, please note it with your roll. Religion: If you want to know about the local religion, what sort of presence there is, and if there are any churches or related structures in the area. By the way, there is nothing stopping @Merris from taking the mysterious letter with him if he so chooses!

[Xyza]

Khrysa

"They do, Khrysa. And apparently an adventurer got it wrong, and his companions paid the price, though thankfully no one was mortally wounded. Or so the rumors go."

Khrysa gasped dramatically, with hand over her mouth. Despite being on the road for a few months now, she'd hadn't run into anything too dangerous yet. She'd certainly heard stories though, and had been trying to gradually practice her spells in case an incident arose. But now... "Ack! Does that mean we should train in riddle-answering before traveling?"

The young chef continued to listen on with the group's conversations, but immediately sprung up upon seeing the shy assessor re-emerge from the back rooms.

"Apologies for the wait...The, umm...list was rather long, you see...and I had to copy it over manually. Thank you again for doing this..."

"Right, no problem at all! I-...er, we! We are just happy to help if we can!" Khrysa nodded along to Celluey's directions, but her focus was more on the paper she had been handed. Seeing how many Critique members had placed an order, as well as Hehe their names was interesting....but not nearly as interesting to Khrysa as the dishes listed! Butter and Sal South Cod! Venison Wraps! Milky Fried Caspain! There was an overwhelming amount of meals she wanted to find out more about, not to mention some drinks for those interested as well.

Khrysa felt a strong impulse to ask Celluey to elaborate about each delicacy, but held herself back seeing the assessor ready to get back to work. Right, she's busy here. It would be better to ask the tavern staff anyway...

"So...should we bring the dishes back as well? Or is just giving the order slip enough?" she hastily tried to confirm before departing.

Once everyone who No rush, of course wanted to go along was ready, Khrysa skipped out of the building with lunch orders in hand. Along the way, she would instinctively reach out with her magical senses to notice if there was anything else interesting around.

[Touketsu]

Merris Merris chuckled at Rahat's response, saying nothing, though he gave an appreciative nod as she complimented his brewing capabilities. For someone as talented as she, the centaur had no problem praising others. There was a humbleness and kindness to her soul that he'd admired from their first meeting, and here at the uncertain beginning of a new chapter in the firbolg's adventure, there were few he'd have counted himself as fortunate to be reunited with as Rahat. Returning his attention to the letter, Merris finally noticed the arrow indicating the backside of the paper, and he found that his writing attempts were more successful this time. Finishing his response, Merris set the paper down without much thought as he heard his name being spoken by Rahat again. "What do you have there, Merris?" She tilted her head at him. "Don't tell me you have a secret admirer here already." Merris considered the question, realizing his actions probably seemed rather odd after all. "Admirer? That remains to be seen. But certainly secret, yes. I found a greeting... and left one of my own." He shrugged, taking another sip of tea and turning his attention to the rest of the table, specifically Langtree, as the vampire grappled with the concept of a society that operated in such a foreign way. Far from put off, Merris found the vampire's unease at his words kind of amusing; and luckily, she seemed to enjoy the tea! "I'm glad you like it! Nothing terribly fancy; just something harvested from my garden back home. As far as how things get done... I guess the trick is just... respect... and flexibility." As he spoke, Merris happily slid a cup over to Goop to try, beaming. He had no intention of trying to guide the slimefolk on the "proper" way to drink and enjoy tea. He had no more understanding of her biology than she likely had of his, and whatever worked for her was correct. "There's a middle-ground between order and chaos after all, and the forest knows that balance well. For instance, one learns quickly of what territories and lands belong to who; where you can travel safely, and where you must be wary. The trees and the denizens within them all have an understanding of their neighbors, and harmony is found in that understanding." Merris paused, concerned that his explanation was fringing on overly-philosophical. "... in essence, there ARE rules to Wrenhollow, particularly as it involves those who watch over it... but at the end of the day, one must accept that a raccoon the size of a house isn't much concerned with concepts like administration." Merris shrugged, hoping he hadn't rambled on too much. About that time, he heard what sounded like... writing? Looking down at the paper, Merris saw... a new message! "Oh!" Lifting up paper, he studied it for a moment, mystery giving way to even DEEPER mystery. Was the writer someone far away using magic to send him a message? Why him? Maybe it wasn't meant for him. Was the magic tied to the person writing, or the paper itself? Oooh, was the PAPER the messenger? The bit about talking to scraps of paper might be more literal than he thought! Picking up the pencil again, Merris flipped the page and eagerly wrote another response: Note Random scraps of paper? No, this would be a first. But I definitely have a habit of striking up conversations with strangers... and today's a slow day. Who is it I have the pleasure of writing to? Merris paused for a second, thinking before he added another line. Note Speaking of day, you said "good evening". Is it evening where you are? Not long after, the young bearer of bad news from earlier appeared with a list: Khrysa's list of orders to be precise. As she handed it to the sorcerer, Celluey mentioned the 20 minute window, and Merris tilted back his cup to drain the last of his tea. "What a pleasant morning this is shaping up to be... alright, Merris is ready to help!" Grinning he stood up, making sure he had the odd paper and pencil still in hand as he prepared to follow the group on this errand.

Rolls & Actions Merris definitely takes the mysterious letter along! He will also keep a lookout to learn about the land and see what sort of natural resources the area has to get a better idea of where he might like to explore later. Nature: 13

[Homestarbaby]

Goop

She had intended to drink the tea like a normal person would, but Rahat suggests that Goop shouldn't behave as human as she is trying to be, which confuses the slime girl a bit. Weren't they all supposed to act "human" in order for people to accept them? But Merris slides a cup of tea her way and does not seem to want to tell her differently. So Goop picks up the cup and considers for a moment how she should try to consume the beverage. Then she shoves the whole thing, cup and liquid, into her face and lets it float around in her head for a bit as she consumes it.

"Oh my yes, the tea is very good!" she exclaims aloud, which is a little tricky since she has to make the air come out of her mouth while the cup is still in her head. "This has been a delight to consume! Though I think I understand why most people do not drink the cup as well. It has a very earthy taste that clashes with the beverage."

She "spits" the cup back out onto the table and looks around at the populace to see what sort of reaction, if any, her actions have gotten.

OOC Hee hee hee! ❤ Dice Insight Check on Populace: 1d20+2 (14)+2 Total = 16 .

[morgantha]

Langtree "Maybe my title should be 'Harbinger of Bad Luck' rather than 'Assessor'." "Odd titles you have here," Langtree said, thoughtfully sipping her tea. "I guess the trick is just... respect... and flexibility." Langtree's eyes widened and she cocked her head to the side. How could one know how to respect another without rules in place to do so? Were folk in Wrenhollow just wandering around, just deciding things at random? The idea of having to make decisions about what one person might want compared to another and how to go about measuring those wants and needs was giving her a tension headache, so much so that when Merris admitted there were some rules in Wrenhollow after all, she released an audible sigh of relief. "Oh, good," she said. "Your way sounds stressful." Shortly after Merris appeared to be drawn in once again by a scrap of paper, so Langtree hopped up to join Khrysa. "Whenever you're ready."

[Kaigen]

Rahat "It is never easy being the bearer of bad news," Rahat said to Celluey. "Not everyone has the stomach for it." As attempts at expressing empathy and being encouraging went, it wasn't one of her best, bur Rahat felt for Celluey's discomfort. "Few people appreciate how much worse uncertainty can be." Rahat let the discussion between Merris and Langtree wash over her as she observed the way Goop drank her tea. She had traveled enough by now to realize that every place had rules, even if they sometimes didn't make sense to her as an outsider. No place she had visited seemed to take hospitality as seriously as her homeland, but it was a poor guest who pointed out how their host's manners were lacking. Not that Rahat could take anyone to task over manners with the way she was staring at Goop out of her mask. "Yes, most only get a hint of flavor from the cup, if that. Most people don't notice any flavor from porcelain at all." The tea seems to have been absorbed into Goop's body much more readily than Sister Melody (and thank goodness for that), prompting Rahat to wonder how much of a slimefolk's diet is liquid. Rahat's eyes turn thoughtful. "I wonder. I once ate soup out of a hollowed out loaf of bread. Perhaps a more tasty, if shorter-lived, cup could be used." Rahat was intrigued by Merris's impromptu correspondence, but the firbolg seemed too absorbed in it to offer more explanation, so she was content to wait for now. "I will agree with Langtree on one point: whatever the merit in following the local rules, there is no point in attempting to hide what you are." As if to punctuate that statement, Rahat rose onto her hooves, ready to follow Khrysa, horse body unavoidably obvious. "A gracious host understands that people are different." As they all proceeded to the Little Lamb Eatery, Rahat drew her hood up to keep the sun off, but kept her eyes and ears open for any signs of the rumored wizard attempting to drown his demons.

OOC Perception check: 8

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 11:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)	🎼

Celluey shakes her head at Khrysa's question. "I would not think so, since Miss Elem has a delivery service just for that reason, though then again, she has been quite busy lately..." You get the feeling that while Assessor Celluey might know a great deal about the Critique and the comings and goings of adventurers, she probably isn't terribly familiar with the every day happenings of the town beyond knowing where things are.

As the group prepares to leave, Rahat and Langtree say a few more words to the shy Assessor, to which Celluey gives a weak smile in response to. "I guess you're right. Better bad news than to be left not knowing. Meanwhile, as for titles, you would be quite surprised at the ones some of the adventurers here come up with for themselves." she says, turning to each respondent in their turn. After which, she tilts her body forward in a respectful curtsy and returns to her work, seeming in a bit better spirits than when she had first appeared before them, though whether or not it was the group's kindness in reassuring her that caused this change, or it happened to be the promise of a forthcoming lunch, it was difficult to suppose.

༺ ───────────────────────── ◦ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ◦ ───────────────────────── ༻

As one might imagine, the town of Tradewinds is not all that large, and one could easily circumvent it within half an hour's time. There were, of course, other dwellings within its immediate sphere of influence outside of it gates, and so the population was larger than it really appeared, but even then, it was nothing compared to the larger cities of the Seven Kingdoms.

Yet with all the activity here, one would hardly be faulted for thinking otherwise. For every building in town, there are at least a dozen people to be seen walking its streets, the grand majority of which being foreign adventurers looking for work. In fact, there were so many to arrive in Tradewinds within recent months that emergency dwellings had to be set up on the southern edge of town in what had been something of a fairground prior to this event. Even now, a clamor of voices can be heard coming from that direction, and were one to walk that way long enough, they would come upon a veritable legion of tents.

Fortunately, our story takes us in a decidedly different direction; west, in fact, towards a continually climbing plume of white smoke that has been stretching up into the air since before daybreak.

As they press onward, the various members of the group chat leisurely, taking in their surroundings as they go. Khrysa, for her part, doesn't really sense anything out of the ordinary. There are a number of adventurers running around the town giving off some latent magical energy and aura, but she sort of expected that. After all, magical artifacts and tools were commonly used amongst people such as that. And as for what she knows about the magical scene in town, there isn't much to tell. Tradewinds is small, out of the way, and, up until recently, largely devoid of magical practice. It's certainly possible that that might've changed in the time since, but unfortunately, if it has, she hasn't heard anything about it.

Merris, on the other hand, being from a realm wherein learning the lay of the land was as tantamount in importance as figuring out what tea to brew for brunch, surveyed the region, checking over its resources. Tradewind, he had learned prior, is largely agricultural in terms of its exports, and the land beyond the town's gates is largely farm and ranchland. Where once might have stood large forests there are now only paltry outcroppings of trees that serve to separate the owned land, leaving little in the way of natural resources and more in the way of man-raised ones, such as field and croplands.

This trend persists almost all the way to the feet of the nearby mountains which, as far as he has heard, marks the end of civilization in this region. There might be some sparse resources here and there for those with a keen eye, but unless one is looking to pilfer some farmer's crops to chop down the few trees left, one would have to look outside the town's reaches for a true bounty.

On the other hand, the people of Tradewinds are themselves quite the resource, which Goop perceive as the group walks along. Being a small town, rumormongering ran rampant long before the arrival of the adventurers. Add to that that adventurers themselves tend to be quite socially outgoing and one ends up with a bubbling pot of news and gossip. At any given time, just about every topic one can think of off the top of their heads is likely going on somewhere, from sharing new developments, to the spreading of illicit hearsay. With this much information being passed around at a given time, it may be wise to take what one hears with a grain of salt.

Meanwhile, the ever-vigilant Rahat keeps a careful eye out for anything new and interesting, but finds that the town is much as she had left it before entering the Critique. For now, most of the adventurers who had been in town already are either preparing to leave on some new quest or are skulking around the town center, hoping to happen upon a job from the local residents. She does spot one altercation along the way--what looks like a small brawl between two adventuring groups vying for the same job--but it is quickly broken up by a large, brutish-looking half-orc wearing a gleaming star on his shoulder. The fight ends before it can really begin, which is probably for the best.

Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to spot the ailing individual drowning his sorrows, though those whom she had overheard speaking of it did say he was in a tavern.

༺ ───────────────────────── ◦ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ◦ ───────────────────────── ༻

The short walk seems like it had only just started when the group realizes they've made it to their destination. A quaint little establishment, the Little Lamb's Eatery looks like it was once a barn, but has been renovated into a small café. And just as Celluey had promised, there is a faint, regular bleating coming from within!

As the group enters, Reddish wood walls trap the amber rays of the sun, creating a mix of caramel and chocolate colors that turn the room into a brown-scale painting of a homey dwelling, more akin to that of someone's dining room than a place of business.

The far wall is dominated by a huge counter that is finely lacquered and polished to a sheen. There are no stools at this counter, but rather there are several tables lining the rest of the walls, leaving a good bit of room in the middle. Several of these tables are presently occupied, mostly by locals, adventurers, though one in particular seems to only have one occupant: a bearded man with a tall, pointy hat seems to be passed out across the table, cheek resting on a plate that seems to be empty save for the remnants of some sort of sauce. An old staff clatters to the ground as the door closes behind the group.

After a moment, a tuft of white wool can be seen trailing along the corner of the counter, heading towards the table of the lone man, and suddenly a hoofed food kicks the chair hard, startling the gentlemen awake.

"Bla-a-ast it, Gundhevir!" comes a small, but rather loud voice, "Ye' be makin' a right me-e-ess o' yerself! 'ave a lit'le decency why'don'tcha? Up! Up!" Two more sharp kicks highlight these final two words, both of which cause the human to jump a little and wheel around.

"A-ah! Oh! Sorry, Miss Elem, I um...I was just resting my eyes..." he sputters, trying to regain himself, though his speech is clearly slurred.

"Don' eve-n try playin' innoce-e-ent wit' me, I can smell wot ye've been doin' all 'a way from the kitchen! Ye've been down at the Crooked Corner, ain't'cha? 'At wasn't even yer plate!"

The old man sighs, nodding, to which the voice, whose origin was still obscured by the counter blocking it, responded it, "That's wot I thought! Now clear up or clear out, I a-a-ain't got no room for customers wot ain't payin'! I'll bring ya a Marnin' After, so get ta cleanin' yerself up!" Sharp as the tone was, there wasn't any obvious air of animosity between the two speakers, and the man named Gundhevir slumps a little in his chair like a chided toddler, his gaze briefly glazing over as he stares out the window.

Meanwhile, the other voice finally reveals herself, coming around the counter holding a pad of paper under her arm. A squat, stout individual that can't be more than three and half feet high, she bears the features of a bipedal sheep, with a brunette face and a pair of thick horns that begin and end buried buried in white wool that covers most of the rest of her body save for what is covered by the clothes of a chef. Despite her previous tone, she gives a bright smile and greets the group at the door.

"Top 'o the marnin' to ya!" she says jovially, "We-e-elcome to the Little La-a-amb's Eatery. Name's Elem, an' I run this here esta-a-ablishment. Table for five? I got a bran' new pitcher of Milktea ready for servin', else there's water or milk. What's yer ple-e-easure?" She doesn't so much as bat an eye at how diverse the party appears to be, suggesting she's probably seen stranger groups of folks.

GM's Notes Welcome to the Little Lamb's Eatery! Feel free to skip the pleasantries and get straight to business, or sit and get comfy. Your choice!

[Xyza]

Khrysa

Khrysa looked on stunned as Goop ingested the entire teacup, but then watched with fascination. Perhaps this was another form of culinary appreciation?

"This has been a delight to consume! Though I think I understand why most people do not drink the cup as well. It has a very earthy taste that clashes with the beverage."

"I wonder. I once ate soup out of a hollowed out loaf of bread. Perhaps a more tasty, if shorter-lived, cup could be used."

"Ohh! I've heard of soup being served like that before. Making a cup like that for a drink...or maybe a dessert?" Ideas ran through Khrysa's head. She did have the ability to manipulate and freeze water, so if she were to go for a shape like that...

She continued to brainstorm along the way to the tavern, perhaps too distracted to pay much attention to what was going on around.

---

Khrysa snapped back to attention upon hearing bleating and detecting the faint smells of food cooking. "Ahh, I think we're here!" she called out to the group.

Taking a step through the doorway, Khrysa froze up upon hearing the staff falling and the yelling voice from behind the counter. "Um..." she had some instinct to try to calm things down, but it seemed the proprietor had things under control already, so Khrysa followed the unofficial code of conduct between professionals and let her handle it.

Eventually, the apparent boss came out and introduced herself. "We-e-elcome to the Little La-a-amb's Eatery. Name's Elem, an' I run this here esta-a-ablishment. Table for five? I got a bran' new pitcher of Milktea ready for servin', else there's water or milk. What's yer ple-e-easure?"

"Hello Miss Elem! I'm Khrysa! Ooh, I do want to sit down for a meal...but actually, first I need to give you this from the Adventurer's Critique!"" she handed over the slip of paper Celluey had drafted. "They said nobody came to take their order like usual?" she inquired, followed up by a couple more questions unrelated to the not-quest. "Also, how do you cook your Salt South Cod? And is it true that you use milk for frying?!" she latched onto some of the interesting entries on the order list.

[Kaigen]

Rahat Tradewinds was not a large town, to be sure. Rahat had been through many larger, even a few nomadic encampments which would have rivaled for size. It was very tempting, in fact, to think that she had already taken the measure of the place, and that there was not all that much more to see. She pushed back on that sense as much as she could. Even the tiniest of towns held layers which would only unfold if she kept her eyes and mind open, and that was before she took into account the influx of adventurers. As they made their way to the Little Lamb Eatery, she took note of the scuffle, and of the half-orc who broke it up. It wasn't clear whether he was peacekeeper or enforcer or both, but it was always helpful to know someone who took an interest in prevent violence in an area. As they entered the eatery, Rahat took note of how well kept the place was. Clearly the proprietors took pride in it, to keep it in such good polish. She also took note of the lack of stools by the counter and wondered if that meant it was not meant for customers, or if she could make use of it instead of settling herself down at a table if she chose to eat here. That was perhaps something to investigate at another time, as Rahat's eyes fell on a lone, apparently hungover man being chided by one of the servers. Could that be the unfortunate man she had heard about? Beards and pointy hats were traditional for wizards, and he did seem rather downcast. Rahat put a hand on Khrysa's shoulder. "Call for me if you need assistance with lunch," she murmured before heading in Gundhevir's direction. About halfway there, she hesitated. It dawned on her that she was about to meddle in some stranger's life, uninvited, based only on rumors. There was a spike of anxiety as she contemplated how to approach the man, or even if she should. But, she rationalized, if he's an itinerant adventurer, and his comrades are convalescing elsewhere, then who else will help him? Steeling herself by becoming the jackal mask on her face, she closed the rest of the distance and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but are you alright?"

OOC Finally getting a post in. Let me know if I need to make some sort of roll.

[Touketsu]

Merris Merris beamed at Goop's enthusiastic response. "So happy you enjoy it! And that's an interesting thought Rahat.... edible cups? Must admit that seems less useful if you're the sort of person who sips tea instead of absorbing it though." The firbolg rubbed his chin, smiling and thinking on the concept for a moment. "Ooooh, but if you made the cups from some kind of biscuit; give it a bit of an outer crust to keep the tea from soaking through. It could infuse with the biscuit and make for quite a tasty snack to finish off the experience. That sounds absolutely decadent now that I think about it! I'll need to consult someone more versed in baking." When everyone had finished and was preparing to leave, Merris carefully arranged the soiled cups for easy collection, humming to himself as they departed on the mini-quest. The walk through Tradewinds was brief, but it gave Merris time to take in his surroundings. For such a small town, it certainly bussled with life; clearly a large part of the economy had been shaped by the existence of the Adventurer's Critique. Many of the folk they passed were fellow adventurers, and many of the businesses he saw catered to such clientele. He imagined the farmers of the area likely did quite well for themselves, providing foodstuffs and other resources to the huge influx of constant visitors. Merris wondered what awaited them at the Little Lamb's Eatery. It must have been quite popular to be the Adventurer's Critique's default option for lunch. Merris was somewhat familiar with the business of hospitality, but he doubted very much he'd be able to relate to the kind of fast-paced operations a restaurant in this town would maintain. Occasionally as the group walked, Merris checked the strange paper he'd found to see if his mystery pen pal had written back. He was in no rush to get to the bottom of the mystery, but his curiosity still made it difficult to forget. As expected, Little Lamb's Eatery was quite the busy spot this time of day. However, the aesthetic was far more appropriate to the name than Merris had expected, and he found himself enamored with the place's rustic charm, and was eager to meet the owner. They didn't have to wait long on that, as it turned out. Merris watched with mild concern as Elem, the establishment's eponymous little lamb, laid into what appeared to be a drunken patron. The exchange was revealed to be less inflammatory than it appeared over time though, and as Elem left the embarrassed-looking gentleman to focus her attention on their group, Merris smiled warmly at her. "This place is so... comfy. I love it," he said to nobody in particular, continuing to look around. As Khrysa explained the reason for their arrival, Merris considered offering a hand to the poor bedraggled fellow, but Rahat already seemed to be on that particular thread. Merris chuckled to himself; such was her nature, of course. Shifting focus back to Elem, Merris stepped forward after Khrysa had finished speaking and gave the lamb a small bow. "I'm Merris; good to meet you Elem." He cocked his head, looking out at the largely packed room. "I'm impressed; do you run the front of the house AND the kitchen by yourself? That's a lot of work with so many customers here. Anything you need help with?" He doubted she would take him up on it; he found that busy business owners weren't quick to trust strangers offering help out of the blue. Still, if there was indeed a delivery service available and the entire group was taking up space in the service of putting in a mere food order, it felt wrong not to try and ease the burden a bit, rather than standing around.

Rolls & Actions Merris offers to help Elem while they're there, if she needs anything done around the place. Let me know if that requires a roll.

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 11:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)	🎼

Owner of the Little Lamb's Eatery

Elem absently flicks her ear as she listens to the enthusiastic Khrysa explain their purpose, and the additional introduction of Merris. She also casts a curious, if a bit wary, glance towards Rahat as she moves away towards 'Gundhevir', but makes no effort to interrupt or stop anyone.

Taking the catering list, she unfolds it and takes out a pair of large, round spectacles, holding them up before her eyes, which appear even smaller through the lenses. Oddly enough, they don't seem to sit on her face, and she has to hold them the whole time she is reading.

"Aye-aye, a ta-a-all order, but doable, methinks," she says in a low, but energetic voice, nodding and mouthing words as she goes.

Though at first glance they may look like
tiny insects, the truth is that they're
actually miniature fey creatures!

After a moment, she nods and lets out a shrill whistle, which is followed by a low rumbling from the backroom. Suddenly, a veritable cloud of fluff and fuzziness errupts from the same door that Miss Elem herself had once come from. This floating mass turns out to be a number of tiny creatures, all with a similar form: a teensie, humanoid figure no bigger than a human-sized finger each, enveloped almost entirely in wool-like fluff and sprouting tiny, leaf-like antennae. They chatter in a cacophony of tiny voices as they race up to the sheep-lady.

"Miss Elem, Miss Elem, we're here! We're here! What is it, what is it?! Is it a new order? A new order?"

Elem grins, passing the note towards them. Several of them work together to grasp the paper, and though even something so light is much to heavy for one of them, working together, they heft it with as much ease as any other might. "Start ove-e-en number three, if'n you all don't mind; we've got our work cut out for us this marnin'~"

"Yes ma'am, yes ma'am! We're on! On it!" they proclaim and swirl around again, drifting once again towards the back room door once again.

Elem turns back to the group, "Those are the-e-e Kerfluffleas, by the by, and they're the whole reason I'm able to fill an order this big."

After the clatter of activity dies down in the back room, she continues,"I was just beginning to wonder if the-e-ey were gonna place an order, though I was expe-e-ecting little Clancey to deliver it." She piques a brow at Khrysa's question, "Mm? The porter? Ca-a-an't speak for the-e-em myself. The Critique employs 'e-e-em, not I. An yup! Its as you say, but not just any milk! Honey-milk is something of our specialty, made from all natural goatsmilk! And b'fore ya ask, no, it isn't my own milk, neither!"

She seems a little confused at the other question, "You fry South-Sea Cod, of course. How e-e-else? Although I suppose you could do a fi-i-ish stew..."

The little lamb squished the fluff next her face with one of her clawed fingers, drawing her eyes towards her surroundings with an affectionate gaze as went went to answer the rest of the questions. Meanwhile, the Kerfluffleas are seen now and again, bringing out orders or retrieving left-over dishes before racing to the back again.

"Aye-aye! This place is my pride 'n joy, opened her up all by me lonesome a long spell's past, though it were-e-en't nearly so popular till all the hubbub with the Adventurers and their Critique. They're my be-e-est customers, so I try to treat the-e-em right."

At Merris' question, she shrugs, "Nah, the Kerfluffleas and I have everything covered here, and I have a rollin' agreement with the folks over at Tatter's House who do my deliveries fer me." Once again, it seems the group has come up empty for work, though Miss Elem gives an assuring smiles, "Y'must be new adventurers, ne-eh? Don't worry yerse-e-elves too much, I'm sure something with come along. How's about you have a seat, I'll ge-e-et ya all a nice pitcher of milktea to share. My treat, since you bro-o-ought the Critique's order all the way over here~" She motions to an empty booth, which happens to be within eavesdropping range of Rahat and Gundhevir.

༺ ───────────────────────── ◦ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ◦ ───────────────────────── ༻

Down-On-His-Luck Wizard

"Ugh...." Rahat hears the gentlemen in question groaning as she approaches, and seems to be oblivious to her until the centaur is practically right on top of him, at which point he starts a little. "Goodness gracious!" he shrieks, quickly clutching--of all things--his long, thin beard as he looks straight into the black jackal mask that she is wearing

A moment passes before the jumpy individual realizes that Rahat is, in fact, not a specter, but flesh and hooves, and seems to be inquiring about his well being.

"A-ah...my apologies, I did not mean to offend, truly" she says, bowing his head a little so that the point of his hat flops over. It straightens up again when he does. "I have certainly been in better spirits, I must say, though at present I can't tell the difference between the lingering affects of that drink I had, or those of my own folley."

And without any provocation whatsoever, he continues. And boy does he have a lot to say. "Y'see, I'm an adventurer, a wizard, if you can believe that. Can you imagine, at my age? If my wife were still around, she... Insert a windy tangent where Gundhevir talks about his wife, an overbearing woman who obviously only got with him because he had money, then left him when he ran out... ... ... ...so then joined up with the Critique, however... Insert a second, similarly lengthy tangent about his struggles with learning magic, a callous master that obviously really did not want an apprentice, and several long months of not being able to get a job for much the same reason that Rahat and her companions are experiencing.... ... ... ...and then I met them!"

At this point in his story, Gundhevir actually smiles, obviously remembering Since Rahat chose to allow the man to talk about his adventuring companions, I've added a few examples, however since this is supposed to take ten minutes of in-game time, I've only added a few for the sake of brevity. Assume that he tells you more than just those. fond memories, "Those energetic youngsters didn't even think twice about bringing an old man like me with them, and oh the times we had... Why, I remember a time or two just after we started adventuring together. The young ones and I were working out of a river town in northern Rouge when the ferry that we were on ran aground near the nest of a wyvern! Back then, we were all very inexperienced, and the creature proved too much for us to best in combat, so we had to lead the creature into a swamp and cover ourselves in mud until it lost our scent! Hah! Ah, and then there was the time that we discovered a ruined city in Maer and managed to get ourselves trapped inside one of the sunken buildings. We ended up having to spring half the temple's traps in order to bust a hole in the side and swim to the surface! But no matter what happened, everything always seemed to work out in the end ...That is, until our last quest. I still don't really know what happened."

The smile fades, and his eyes drift over to a dusty, purple tome that sits on the seat beside him, "I was trying to cast a spell, but in the midst of the incantation, the words on the page suddenly became very blurry, and instead of granting me a blessing of wisdom, it...ugh...I am almost too embarrassed to recount it..." The anguish on his face doesn't reveal the conclusion to the long, winding story, but it does speak volumes of his mental state.

"By my old, gray beard, I hope they're all okay..." he says, slumping a little in his seat again.

GM's Notes The gaps in the dialogue above represent points wherein Gundhevir will be prone to going on tangents. Rahat can listen to them in their entirety if she so wishes, or she can make an Insight (WIS) or Negotiation (CHA) check (DC 10) to subtly get him to summarize or skip the tangent. Each tangent takes about ten minutes of extra time that the story takes to tell, so you could be waiting up to thirty minutes extra for him to finish, though it isn't like you have any other pressing concerns, right? So realistically, its up to you if you let him talk or cut his story shorter. Meanwhile, the group is welcome to chat amongst themselves, evesdrop on the conversation, or continue interacting with Elem, though the sheep-lady seems eager to set to work, so she likely won't remain out of the kitchen long. You can also attempt to address the Kerfluffleas if you like, as they regularly come out of the back to check on customers, clean up dishes, and bring out plates.