Tests and Trials

[spiderwrangler]

"The dwarf seems decent enough. Tired, kinda think his plate is where stuff like this always lands. Don't think their trying to stick it on us, especially if he killed himself."

[NotStickFigures]

“Well that’s good to hear. It’s unfortunate but has nothing to do with our current task other than being a distraction.”

[Rodgeir]

((The dagger's glow is not the same as Jaq's bow or Ves' staff, which both glow with evocation magic rather than transmutation.))

Joe also follows along with Kroshav as he goes down the stairs and does her own inspection of the correct horse and gear. The horse itself is a fairly standard reddish brown, is not ready to be ridden, is well fed and has been well brushed. The area around it on the ground in the stall is pretty well covered in hoof prints so nothing can be distinguished. Outside the stall there are many, many boot and shoe prints of different sizes along with some clawed footprints. The man's saddle is also of standard quality and nothing about it is unusual besides some recent scuffing on the right side.

Ves returns the bag of mixed plants to the woman before heading down to the common area to meditate. The area is now pretty much cleared of people and most of the sound comes from Mena clearing up with Hok. They work around Ves.

Back upstairs Enrud snorts at Lurn's question. "We'll be putting him in the earth soon before he stinks things up most likely. Probably send a message back to this Mer Honal'Tinmal that his runner is dead. He'll know if the man has any kin to inform. Aye think yer friend was right and the fool killed'mself, got 'is hands on those plants somehow an' that was that."

Nezza picks up the money pouch, opens it and gives it a shake. "We can get a fast messenger to...Stenrek? With this and pay for a coffin." The medicine woman seems unconvinced and says, "Ya, Enrud's probably right but still how'd he get his hands on all those herbs? That don't make any sense, they don't grow 'round here."

Jaq doesn't recognize the name from the butchered version Kroshav gives him.

[Dlover]

"It could be that he had them from the last city he passed through. Odd as it seems, I can think of no other reason for him to have been in possession of the herbs. If there is more to it, we've no time to investigate if we want to hunt down those owlbears at the same time."

[Rodgeir]

Enrud looks up from the body and shrugs,

"Guess we'll never know. Owlbears? Did that Kroshav fellow talk with Brasla?"

To Nezza as he starts heading across the room and down the stairs.

"Aye'm gonna go grab a box for this fella and come back. Probably gotta tell Mer Alfin too."

[Arch Lich Burns]

Joe takes a closser look at the scruff marks, seeing if there is anything else out of the ordinary. If not, Joe gives a shrug "I cannae determ'ne if thar be foul play. What do tha guys do to 'is belongin's?"

[Rodgeir]

((Joe is out in the stables with Jaq, Jolly and Kroshav. Are you asking them? It would be just the saddle out with you.))

It looks like the saddle was scraped against the ground or maybe a rough tree or a wall. Nothing else catches her eye.

[Arch Lich Burns]

(Ah okay I thought one of them came with. She'll wonder it outloud though.)

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav wanders out of the stable and asks the first passerby, "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Bersalla?"

[Rodgeir]

The elderly woman Kroshav ask's face is blank, then confused,

"Bershalla? Don't rightly know'm my...boy? They staying at Bremdel's?"

[spiderwrangler]

"Yeah that sounds right. Do you know Brashla?"

[Rodgeir]

The woman stares at Kroshav and says Brashla a few times under her breath before something clicks and she says,

"Bralsa? You mean Bralsa?" She shakes her head slowly at the large dragonborn. "If want to talk to Bralsa the tracker she is gonna probably be in Bremdel's getting a bit or in her shack asleep. Her shack is the one looking like its gonna fall down long the north wall to the west of the gate." She points in the general direction before patting Kroshav on the arm walking away muttering, "Brashla" while shaking her head.

Inside the boarding house Hok has found a seat across from Ves and is just staring at her as Enrud clomps down the stairs. He gives Mena a smile and heads out past Kroshav down the main road.

[thinkslogically]

Without opening her eyes, Ves says to Hok:

"Did you need something?"

[spiderwrangler]

"Bralsa...Bralsa... Bralsa...", Kroshav mutters to himself as he heads inside.

"Pardon me miss... Mena was it? Do you know if Bralsa is around, or out at her shack?"

If the answer is shack, Kroshav heads out looking for a rundown shack.

[Rodgeir]

The kid startles.

"No...just thinkin' ya'd died like that other guy. Watching to make sure you wasn't!"

He doesn't leave.

Kroshav wanders in muttering to himself and walks to Mena who is scrubbing a table. She drops her rag on the table and makes a show of looking around the nearly empty room. "Don't look like she is here. Unlike me she can go where she wants. Could be at her place could be on the gods damned moon." She whirls around and grabs her rag and scrubs at the table angrily.

Hok adds helpfully from his spot across from Ves, without looking away from Ves, "She was here for breakfast, snuck a couple extra loaves out."

Jolly walks in, looks around, and sits next to Hok. He looks between Hok staring at Ves and Ves with her eyes closed and just sits there silently munching on a loaf.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Joe follows Kroshav and makes sure he doesn't accidently loose his way or something similar, if his tendency to forget names sets any presedent.

[thinkslogically]

Ves opens her eyes and sighs.

"Why are we looking for Bralsa? Kid, can you show us where she lives?"

[spiderwrangler]

Before he departs in search of the tracker, "The dwarven fellow by the gate said that she'd be the one to talk to about those owlbears."

[thinkslogically]

"Oh. Did the dead guy get sorted out then?"

[Rodgeir]

Hok hops up,

"Yeah I can show ya! Isn't far."

He heads out and runs to get ahead of Kroshav, guiding you between houses in a zigzagging path to a small, ramshackle cabin. A not entirely human looking woman with short hair brown hair, a trio of thick scars run from her left eyebrow up her forehead and into hear hairline, sits inside the door sharpening the tips of arrows as the group approaches. The woman doesn't look up from her work and says with a cherry tone,

"What's this about Hok? Nezza finally got some toughs to get her bread back?"

((Sorry Thinks for cutting you off a bit there!))

[spiderwrangler]

"Far as we can tell, he killed himself, and no clues on his horse."

---

"Hi there, you Bralsa? I'm Kroshav Xjindraakvar, and I'm not here for bread. That dwarven fellow at the gate said you were the one to talk to about our adventures last night. Ran into... and through a trio of owlbears not too far west. We're planning on seeing if we can't track them down and either run them off, or put 'em down. You want in?"

[thinkslogically]

"Have you enough people to handle this task yourselves?

I ask because I'm en route east with a client. My responsibility is to him and I won't put him in front of those creatures again. His say on this will decide where I go today."

[spiderwrangler]

"I understand. I've taken the Cap'n's coin to run protection for you lot, but I'm not willing to leave owlbears to prey on others, and from what I've seen, this group is better able to handle them than the locals. Lurn seemed like he was of a similar mind... I'd like to have you along, if Jolly is open to staying here, we can ride out and back in a few hours. I at least want to talk with this Bralsa."

[Rodgeir]

((Assuming this is when Jolly was nearby.))

Jolly looks at the floor and says tonelessly,

"Don't stop being a hero 'cus ya are helping me... But don't expect me to be one. Kill some monsters if ya think it will help someone and ya won't get ripped up. Been waiting years, I can wait another day."

---

Bralsa sets the arrow tip aside and picks up another without looking up,

"Well that depends doesn't it? How many are ya? Have ya got any experience in a hunt? What ya planning on doing with the hides, claws and beaks after?"

[thinkslogically]

"There'll always be more monsters to fill the space they leave behind... This isn't hero work. This is trying to fight a storm."

She sighs and heads out with Kroshav.

"Yeah, I got experience. I've just also got a really bad feeling about today."