Jenk surrendered the requested two silver pieces as he boarded the boat. "Jenk gotta get to Alandri's place before sun done rising." Jenk explained to the driver while settling in for the ride. "You get Jenk there in time, Jenk also give you this." Jenk pulled out the minor healing potion that the elders of his cult had furnished him with for the journey. Jenk hadn't needed it on his way to the Magaambya and he figured that now he was at the magic school, it would be pretty easy to get a replacement potion or two. "Potion worth four gold." Jenk said. "That twenty times more than two silver. Good deal, yes?"

Scene:

The crowds of craftspeople were busy tending to their regular tasks. Many opened up their semi-permanent stalls of wood paneling, others erected temporary ones made of animal skin and canvas, but all the occupants were surprised to be set upon by Alwin, Erastil, and Thornharp.

Salvidore, a small, balding man wearing a striped red robe held an enormous platter of flatbreads covered in cloth to sell at his nearby stall as he made his way across the avenue. From careful and tenatative steps in his thonged sandals, it was obvious to all that surveyed him that the man was carrying much too large a burden of warm and delicious smelling bread in an effort to beat the rush. Such an unwieldy gambit he'd played to beat out other vendors with the first and largest batch of fresh bread to sell to passersby. His face wore both expressions: worry and smugness. It was precisely at this moment, Sal decided to cross the street in front of our adventurers.

Alwin, having run at breakneck speed to catch up with Haibram, had little time to react, but his muscle memory proved true as he performed a pirouette on a single heel, dodging Salvidore's bounty of breads by ducking under the platter itself. Erastil, close at Alwin's heels, obediently kept up with his master, though his original quarry of Haibram had diverted paths.

Thornharp, the poor thing, was not so lucky. Our leshy hero, running after Alwin and Erastil, chanced a dash through Salvidore's walking gait, only to catch a knee to her shoulder, upsetting the stride of the man and sending the pair of them--leshy and baker--on a collision course with the dusty street.

Enter Saur. As the kobold hopped down from his vantage point, an indeed startled shopwoman cried out in surprise. Such commotion brought all eyes to bear on him as he lithely darted through the crowd to the slow-motion crash that would likely ruin someone's day. In the milliseconds that followed, several things took place: first, in a deft movement, Saur caught Thornharp's coat. Second, Thornharp, in a rush of good luck, avoided being caught up in Salvidore's legs. Third, Salvidore, seeing nothing beyond his over-sized platter, tossed the whole lot into the air before falling face-first into the street.

As Saur's momentum propelled them forward, Thornharp watched as she was carried away, how a cloud of flatbreads rose into the air in perfect harmony, then slowed, and finally plummeted to Golarion covering the baker in floured loaves and littering the street with his day's work. Beggars descended upon the sight like ravenous wolves, and a trumpet was blown to attract the guards.

Meanwhile, back to the elf...

Fleur strode through the sleepy city, finally coming to life like an orchestral overture. The sounds of people commuting to their places of work filled the air, of animals baying, and the peeling bell from a nearby place of worship. The older gentleman the elf had within her sights was non other than Mr. Gerard Kittyborough, a retired minstrel on his way to Ibex park, chess board and box under his arm. He looked up at the stunning elf and adjusted his spectacles.

"Why hello there, young lady," he scratched his chin, wholly enthralled by Fleur's request, having nothing better to do so early in the morning than play chess in the park. "Yes, yes, yes!" he nodded enthusiastically, "I know Alandri well. She always sells me the best catch of the day. I've even helped her fish a time or two. I'm retired you see," he patted the chessboard in the crook of his elbow. "I can help you get there--I know a shortcut even. Would you like me to show you the way?" The man looks hopeful, as Fleur is the most exciting thing that has happened to him in a goblin's age.

OOC: @patientbean If you accept Mr. Gerard Kittyborough's help, please roll another Diplomacy or Intimidation check, and I'll see if he takes this opportunity to regale Fleur with his life's work, uncomfortably, in chronological order.

Speaking of goblins...

The captain, Ms. Pi Carnbah, of canal taxi number three-zero-two-dash-"A"-"H" graciously accepted the offered silver pieces from Jenk, her latest fare. "Alandri's? Yes I know her stall," she said, before her eyes grew wide as the goblin brandished the shiny elixir. It was, as Jenk said, worth some sum of gold, which gave her pause. The woman, who appeared to be from Tian Xia, tucked her long dark hair into her beret before rolling up her sleeves. As she stole a glance at the dawning sky, she nodded affirmatively at Jenk. "Yes, I know a way, but it could be dangerous."

Without waiting for Jenk to agree to said danger, the woman lifted her gondola's steering stick high to push off from the canal's bank with some force. In no time, Ms. Carnbah had joined the steady traffic in the canal. "Here, the shortcut," she said over Jenk's shoulder as she pushed from the stern of the boat. The 'shortcut' turned out to be a very, very narrow side aqueduct of some sort, with towering walls on both sides, though the water appeared still and listless. Only after the expert canal woman had maneuvered into the passage did Jenk realize the smell.

This 'shortcut' must have served as some sort of latrine for businesses in the area. As he glanced back at Ms. Pi Carnbah, he noticed the closepin on her nose as she wiped her brow, not breaking speed until... Crunch! Something blocked the way forward and diverted the nose of their craft into the side of the narrow passage. No matter what Pi did, she couldn't budge the boat from the stern. At the bow, the black viscous water began to rise up the outer side of their boat as the blockage threatened to pour over the edge. "There's a oar there," she said, pointing to one tucked under the inside of the boat's bow. "Push, quick!" If someone didn't do something to free the boat or the shift the blockage, their boat might begin filling with foul smelling water! The walls on either side of the canal branch upward to slate roof tiles, the water below is rising, the boat may have some other resources.

OOC: @rush99999 You know the drill. Give me some sort of check. You seem to know your way around, so I won't feed you a stat to roll. Surprise me.

Back to the hullabaloo...

At the cacophony that was Salvidore's misfortune, Alwin, Saur, and Thornharp look back from a safe distance away. The man stands, all smugness gone from his face, only to be replaced by a mix of tears and disgust. "Guards! Someone, catch those no-good scoundrels! My whole day's work ruined!" His shrill voice was answered by three guardsman, halberds raised, which Salvidore points in your direction. The crowds are still thick with passersby who have no idea what just happened to the baker, and there are myriad streets and alleys which branch off from this spot. As your eyes scan, you spy a fresh pile of hay big enough to dive into...

OOC: @Cleveraptor @apheline @Digizel Quick, hide! Give me a stealth check, or come up with some other way to avoid the guards.

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

Sorry! I went a bit overboard with this one.

Fleur gave a warm smile despite her insides churning. While grateful for the elderly man's help she could not help but feel she walked on to a bear trap and would maybe have to chew off her own foot if she hoped to live. The man seemed like a nice guy, but Fleur has had experiences with "nice guys" before.

"Oh thank you sir. I will gladly receive your aid. Perhaps I can read your fortune as favor?" Perhaps if she could control the conversation it would mean peaceful travel.

"Jenk have better idea." Jenk said as he produced his flint and steel. "Clarion say poop gas also burny gas. Jenk light burny poop gas to burn the poop!" With that said, Jenk moved over to where the blockage was and set to work on igniting the sewer gas around the top of the refuse.

Scene:

The race continues!

"Guards!" came the cry over Saur's shoulder as he took Thornharp's hand. The two were away faster than a skittering scarab as they dart around a corner into an alley. Noticing a stack of hay, Saur leads them into it head first, which flops and fluffs around them. The large pile's width bridges two streets, and Saur pushes through to the other side. Emerging, he notices an alcove where he and Thornharp huddle and wait to listen for signs of the guards. The sound of the trumpet peels a second time, and Saur can see from his hiding spot as a group of guards poke and prod the hay bale with their halberds. After a moment, the three guards move on, down an alley and out of sight... Just in the nick of time, Haibram appears, having taken his own alley adventure. Thornharp points him out to Saur as the one they're following to Alandri's as he jogs past their alcove.

Saur and Thornharp leave the cover of their hiding spot to tail Haibram, who waves at the pair, then presses onward hurriedly. Hanging a quick left, all three of them see Alandri's home at the end of the road, bordering a canal. However, before Haibram, Saur, or Thornharp can close the distance, a rancher moves his team of hogs across the road blocking the path! The throng of hogs is nigh impassible, and Haibram hesitates as he thinks of a way to get through the tight grouping of herding pigs.

OOC: @digizel @apheline You can make a roll to try to get past the pigs, or perhaps to interact with the pigs to get them out of your way and make it across before Haibram!

To the elf at hand...

Mr. Gerard Kittyborough agreed to Fleur's request to read his fortune as he led her through the city streets at a leisurely pace. "I'm a Lionhart sign, if you can believe it. The wandering star was near the thirteenth axis when I was born, too." His old eyes dart up the city streets as he relays the information, only partially interested in Fleur's reading. He's lived his life, you see, and it would take a lot to shock him for the future. He paused at a fork in the road, looking expectantly at Fleur. "Not far now."

OOC:@patientbean Make another roll when you're finished telling Mr. Kittyborough's future!

Jenk didn't start the fire...

As Jenk moved to the front of the boat and produced his flint and steel, Ms. Pi's eyes grew wide. "Oh no!-" she rasped before the spark struck! The flames rose quickly to nip at Jenk's eyebrows and ballooned out to cover about a foot above the surface, but the width of the fire rode past their blockage and up the canal. The flames licked the outer edge of their boat and, after a few seconds, Jenk was relieved to see that the blockage that had risen to the top roiled over, freeing the water taxi. "You did it!" Ms. Pi shouted as she pushed hard against the wall to start the taxi moving forward through the flames.

As the pair rode the passage to the end, the flames began to dissipate. The taxi-riding-rabble-rousers rode out onto the outer circle of main canals that surrounded Nantambu.

As Ms. Pi navigates the boat, she looks up at the sky to check the dawn. Jenk notices that a coin purse sits loosely knotted on the bench at his side.

OOC: @rush99999 To capitalize, or not to capitalize?

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

This is the last check for the race, so we'll slow things down a bit as the gang all meets up in the next post.

"WOO!" Jenk yelped in shock while stumbling back slightly as the fire singed his eyebrows. After taking a moment to recover, Jenk looked out at the canal of fire he had created through this act of arson. "...Wow." The goblin whispered in wonder. Though he wasn't as enthusiastic about fire as goblins with more extreme pyromaniacal tendencies, Jenk still appreciated a good bit of watching the world burn when the opportunity presented itself.

"You did it!" Ms. Pi's shout pulled Jenk from his admiration before the boat began to move again.

"Jenk did it?" The goblin asked, the words taking a moment longer than usual to run through the part of his brain dedicated to translating the other languages he knew into goblin. Once the process was complete though, and excited grin lit up his face even brighter than the flames that surrounded the boat. "Jenk did it!" Jenk cried out then before breaking out into a merry victory dance accompanied by a fit of triumphant cackling as the water taxi sailed through the fire. Once the flames began to flicker out and the boat made it out the other side, Jenk calmed down and returned to his seat.

"EEP!" The goblin exclaimed then as he felt himself sit down on something that decidedly wasn't a bench.

Jenk leapt to his feet and turned around to see a coin purse sitting where he had just tried to sit. "Hey longshanks. This your shiny promise bag?" Jenk asked Ms. Pi while gesturing towards the coin purse. "If yes, maybe not keep it on seat? Very unpleasant surprise for inattentive sitters."

Fleur could tell the man was humoring her, which was fine. People at the end of their life believed little in what was in store for them, despite it being equally as important as a young child. After all, one could still do great works at an old age or prevent catastrophe if they knew they could.

As they walked, Fleur focused her mind and recalled her gifts. This was her area of expertise after all. "Ah yes, Lionhart. Known for being strong in the face of adversity and not backing down. Be wary, Mr. Kittyborough, I see some hurdles blocking your path to your next goal, however small it may be. Your fortitude will be questioned, but so long as you follow your guiding principle, you shall persevere."

Fleur was happy to read the good fortunes, it was the bad ones that left a weird taste in her mouth. Still, wasn't it better to know something bad was going to happen so you can prepare for it?

They reached a crossroads and the man looked at her expectantly. She gave him a warm smile, hoping this journey will be at an end soon.

Scene:

Undeterred by the herd of pigs, Saur thought on his feet. He made leap onto the backs of the pigs, pulling Thornharp along with him. The pair nimbly jumped from the back of one pig to the other, as Haibram had no choice but to slowly wade through the herd. On the other side, Haibram approaches Saur and Thornharp waving, "I told ye I'd get ye here quickly if ye could keep up!" The dwarf huffs as he pulls something from a pouch at this hip. "What an invigorating way to start the day! Thank ye for the race, and take this for beating me here." Haibram holds out two bottles of glittering red elixirs (minor elixers of life) to Saur.

"Now, I'm off to help with Sharrowsmith. G'day!" The dwarf fully clad in plate armor gives a relaxed salute before turning to make his way back across the canal to Sharrowsmith Exports just across the water way.

The pair now stand outside of Alandri's shack.

As for the goblin...

Ms. Pi Carnbah had difficulty suppressing a smile as Jenk gave his victory dance-turned-cackle. After checking the sky, the taxi driver began rowing more vigorously. The main canal was busy with other taxis ferrying people to and forth.

Ms. Pi's brows rose in surprise as Jenk pointed out her coin purse on the passenger's seat in front of her. "Yes! It must have come loose while we were stuck, thank you Jenk," the human stooped for a moment to recover the purse, fastening it to her belt. Back at the stern, she guided the canal boat around the corner and came to a gentle stop at the water's edge.

"Alandri's is there," she pointed to an eccentric shack at the water's edge. Looking up, she clucked her tongue, "Though I don't believe I got you here before the sun." Her face fell as she wiped her brow.

When Jenk eventually left the water taxi, he would encounter two companions gathered out front of Alandri's home, and join them.

Just around the corner...

Mr. Gerard Kittyborough paid Fleur's reading little mind, yet was faithful to his end of bringing Fleur to her destination, though he took the opportunity to relive the glory days for a moment... "So you see, I've had many hurdles block my path in my life, and I wouldn't have written beautiful ballads like 'I shall be present for you' which appealed to the friends and family of the Lords of the Grand Apple in the North." He looked up from his ruminations for a moment, "Ahh, here you are my dear," Mr. Gerard points to Alandri's house, just across a foot bridge, "now I really must be off to the Ibex park! What did you say your name was?" As Fleur responds or not, he waves, then quits her presence. Though Fleur was never much bothered with arriving on time, after Mr. Kittyborough's delay, that is certainly not the case.

Fleur is left alone to cross the last foot bridge herself, and spies Jenk in a water taxi just in front of Alandri's. She also notices that the main road to the shack is filled with a herd of pigs passing through to the North.

Not far away from Fleur on the same foot bridge across the canal, another elf approaches in the dawning light.

Tanraeth, though he's going by a nom de plume of late, pauses on the bridge next to Fleur for a moment, surveying the sights of Nantambu. He sees the same slew of events as Fleur, with particular attention to the herd of pigs passing through the main road ahead. The rays of the dawn are upon them all, and the city appears to be fully awake and in full swing. Ranchers are out ranching, hawkers hawk, and more fortunate bakers than Salvidore proffer flat breads to passersby. The warming sun begins to show on the pair of elves as the quiet of the morning dissipates around them.

Eventually, the herd of pigs disappeared as they went on their way. As the pair of Fleur and Tanraeth approach Alandri's house, they would see their cohort assembled there waiting at the door: a kobold, a leshy, and a goblin.

After a moment for everyone to catch their breath and catch up, they take a moment to survey the house before them.

Alandri’s wood and clay row house sits near the canal bridge, a sign hanging over the front door displaying her name. The unusual front door is a mosaic of glass scales with the abstract image of a royal-blue fish swimming in the sky.

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

I have no rolls for everyone after this update, so let's have a breather as characters RP their arrival at Alandri's and meet each other yet again (or for the first time). Feel free to do some RP back and forth, and the next update will have Alandri explain what she has in store for you.

I have removed Alandri's greeting from the post because I want to take a beat here for a moment with the characters. How does your character feel in this situation? Please take a moment to engage with your character or other characters

"Come on!" Saur growled lowly as he pulled the Leshy's hand, taking her with him everywhere he went. He could tell at a glance that she wasn't as athletic or acrobatic as he was, so continuing this pursuit was likely to be on his claws. If he wanted to catch up to their prey, he couldn't afford to wait for her to respond to everything they did. Luckily she wasn't much bigger than he was for a change. And things only got worse when he heard that shout from behind him...and guards began to take to the scene as well. "You've got to be kidding me...." the little guy grumbled as now the hunter had quickly become hunted as well. Well, it was no matter. He absolutely refused to get in such trouble on his first day here. Luckily, he saw something perfectly tailored to their needs directly ahead.

"This way," Saur called to his companion before pulling her arm and half-dragging her along for the ride and straight into that hay bale. But he wasn't satisfied; only am amateur would fall for a hiding spot as obvious as this. And he was going to run on the assumption that these guards weren't stupid. No, more importantly was that it completely broke line of sight with every guard on the road. Thanks to that, they had no idea where he could possibly go, and thus was quick to duck into a nearby alcove and he quickly covered the Leshy's mouth to keep her quiet as well. He peeked out of his hiding spot to see the guards pushing their halberds where they likely thought he was hidden. And he couldn't help but smirk to himself. If he wanted to, he could turn the tables pretty easily, turning these hunters into prey. But no, as amusing as that sounded, he couldn't afford to cause trouble. And they had something more important to do.

The chase was still on.

Once the coast was clear, Saur pulled the Leshy out of their hiding place and resumed the hunt. Luckily, his companion pointed out the armored dwarf emerging from up ahead. So, that was their target, was he? He saw the wave thrown in their direction...and he smirked. Now that he had eyes on his prey, this would be a simple task for sure. There was no way a man dressed in full plate armor was going to outrun him.

"No time to lose," he commented quietly to the Leshy beside him. "I'll show this guy what a Bloodscale can do."And together, they once again resumed their charge. However, it was only for a short while until there suddenly seemed to be a wall of pigs crossing their path...completely shutting off their way forward! But no...as he studied them for a moment, he realized something. They weren't blocking him at all. He smirked and cast his glance to the side. Sure enough, the dwarf seemed to be struggling to push through the herd himself. Good. This was exactly the kind of break he needed.

"Up," Saur said quickly and simply, taking Thornharp's hand again as he jumped upward, landing lithely atop one of the passing hogs. He made sure his companion was able to follow his lead and that his own balance was maintained before he continued leading her from pig to pig. He swiftly ended up leaping down and across the river of swine. He smirked as he and his companion landed perfectly and rushed ahead...turning on the spot and cutting the dwarf's path off completely. He watched the dwarf slow his pace upon exiting the wave of pigs himself and begin to approach. The crimson Kobold couldn't help but allow a cocky smirk to form on his face as he lowered his claws to his waist...although his left one was subtly planted on the hilt of his blade, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

The dwarf waved at the pair, and Saur maintained his confident expression. This Dwarf was acting friendly to be sure. But he was no fool. His guard wasn't lowering. His companion had been chasing after him, after all. He wasn't sure of the reason just yet, but whatever it was that caused them to go through that much of an ordeal must be important. And sure enough, as he watched the dwarf's body language, he saw him go to his waist and braced himself to defend should a blade be drawn or-

"Eh?" Saur mumbled. He blinked, completely bewildered as he saw what the dwarf produced. A pair of vials with a familiar red liquid inside. He recognized it immediately, of course. He hesitantly reached out and accepted the dwarf's gift...and blinked again, face lowering and staring at the pair of vials in his claws before turning back up at the dwarf's face. No shift. No subtle giveaways that he was lying or being deceitful. As far as he could tell, this seemed genuine.

In his shocked state, he failed to respond in any way as the Dwarf waved at them again, dismissing himself and took off in another direction. He blinked once, twice more as he watched the dwarf's back retreat back toward the nearby canal. And the Leshy no longer seemed interested in pursuing him any further. Which meant that....

"He's not lying?" Saur muttered, blinking twice more in exasperation. "Y-you're telling me that all of that...?" He trailed off for a moment, spinning around to look at the plantlike being beside him. "All that mess, all the commotion and...and the running and chasing and knocking that bread guy over and the guards getting called on us, that was ALL just a stupid race for the hell of it!?"

The crimson Kobold simply stood there in the middle of the path, staring in complete bewilderment at his new Leshy companion. He nearly missed the approach of another face that he could recognize with the descriptions he'd been given of who was in his new clutch....

The old man was true to his word as he led her directly to where she needed to go. It was just unfortunate that she arrived with the others, late.

Still, they made it. Perhaps their lateness could be made up for with whatever task Alandri had for them.

"So...who ended up winning the race?" Fleur wasn't sure if that was still a thing.

Fleur looked around at her companions, which was quite the eclectic mix of individuals. "So, shall we head inside and see what our task is? Oh I guess we should introduce each other since we hadn't yet and before we could most of you ran off. My name is Fleur. I am a fortune teller by trade. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Fleur dipped in a small curtsy, unsure if any of the others knew about polite greetings.

Her feet throbbed slightly. She definitely neede to rethink fashion over function in the future.

"Apparently it was me, though I had no idea it was even going on," Saur grumbled as he turned to glance back to the second newcomer that had approached. His gaze fell upon the goblin for a moment, but if they didn't seem particularly interested in speaking up, then he had no intention of forcing the matter. Rather, he would turn his attention to the elf woman as she finished her own approach. And then, he seamlessly transitioned into Draconic, averting his gaze and grumbling roughly. "Whoever's foolish idea this was to race through town and draw the guards' ire in the process should sit on an arrow...." She would even see his brow twitching a bit.

Saur pulled his attention back up and to the elf as she continued and moved on to introduce herself. He straightened himself out as he listened to her introduction. Right, right, he shouldn't be sounding spiteful or frustrated right now. This was his first introduction to the group and he should probably try to make a more positive first impression.

Once Fleur had finished, he stepped aside so that he could face the full group. He then stiffened his body, straightening himself out and bringing his feet together. He then folded his left claw over his torso, clenching his fist and tapping it up against the upper right side of his chest before he lowered his upper body, allowing his head to dip down lowly in her direction.

"Apologies for the delayed introduction. I thought I should rise early and learn the layout of the city, but it was a more daunting task than I had originally anticipated," Saur added, shifting back to Common at this point. "In any case, my name is Saur and I hail from the Bloodscale clan. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can become powerful allies." He finally rose back up again, returning to a more relaxed posture, although it was still noticeably stiff, his arms folding behind his back. "Feel free to rely on me when it comes to scout work, tracking and traversing the wilderness."

"Yes! It must have come loose while we were stuck, thank you Jenk,"

"Ah there no need for thanks." Was Jenk's humbly bashful reply. "Jenk just doing what anyone else would."

"Alandri's is there," Ms. Pi directed as the boat came to a stop. "Though I don't believe I got you here before the sun."

"Ah. Well. You tried real good." Jenk said reassuringly. "And Jenk had fun on the way, so that earn you something extra." Jenk fished out his third and final silver and handed it to Ms. Pi. "Jenk give you Jenk's last silver. And Jenk also promise to tell everyone Jenk meet that you best water taxi around."

Shortly after parting ways with Ms. Pi, Jenk came upon his companions. Among them was a fresh face who seemed to be ranting about the race.

"Y-you're telling me that all of that...? All that mess, all the commotion and...and the running and chasing and knocking that bread guy over and the guards getting called on us, that was ALL just a stupid race for the hell of it!?"

"So...who ended up winning the race?" Another one of Jenks companions, this time a more familiar face, spoke up after seemingly not noticing the kobold's tirade.

"Jenk have no idea." Jenk said as he made it into talking distance of the party. "Jenk not even part of race."

"Apparently it was me, though I had no idea it was even going on," The kobold said.

"So, shall we head inside and see what our task is? Oh I guess we should introduce each other since we hadn't yet and before we could most of you ran off. My name is Fleur. I am a fortune teller by trade. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Fleur introduced herself while the kobold grumbled something draconic.

"Jenk is Jenk." Jenk introduced himself in kind. "Nice meet you too."

"Apologies for the delayed introduction. I thought I should rise early and learn the layout of the city, but it was a more daunting task than I had originally anticipated," Saur added, shifting back to Common at that point. "In any case, my name is Saur and I hail from the Bloodscale clan. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can become powerful allies." He finally rose back up again, returning to a more relaxed posture, although it was still noticeably stiff, his arms folding behind his back. "Feel free to rely on me when it comes to scout work, tracking and traversing the wilderness."

"Yeah, Jenk do that." Jenk said with a happy nod. "And you feel free to rely on Jenk if you need angry mob or need something reeeaaally far away stabbed with pitchfork."

Scene:

Alandri’s wood and clay row house sits near the canal bridge, a sign hanging over the front door displaying her name. The unusual front door is a mosaic of glass scales with the abstract image of a royal-blue fish swimming in the sky. As Saur, Tanraeth, Jenk, and Fleur stand at the entrance of Alandri's home, another member silently joins them, a Tripkee by the looks of it. His bulging eyes oscillate between the member closest to the door, and the ornate mosaic glass. Without prompting, the door opens.

A gnome wearing a suit of dark scales like a second skin opens the door and assesses your group, her wry, scrutinizing eyes peering from beneath wild purple locks. Alandri cracks a dimpled smile and casually says, “You’re late.”



With a wave of her hand Alandri invites you all into her home. "Did Teacher Ot mention what you'd be helping me with this morning?" Her sly eyes slowly move from one face to the other as a smirk plays on her lips. She claps, "We're going fishing! I need your help with the catch of the day to sell at my stall later today." Closing the door to her shack behind the group, she gestures to the now cold breakfast.

"The students from the Magaambya are usually early when they come to help--" the gnome clucks her tongue, shaking her head, "It doesn't reflect well on Teacher Ot." Approaching Jenk, Alandri reaches for his seeking bracelet, given this morning by Teacher Ot. "Not well at all," in her grasp, the gnome crushes the red bead to summon their teacher to the house. After crushing the bead, she takes a step back from the group, arms folded, tapping her foot. After several minutes, Teacher Ot is nowhere to be seen.

With the day still ahead of her, Alandri shrugs, "If you'd been here on time, these would have been fresh and warm," the breakfast table she points to is modest fare for a fisherwoman: eggs scrambled with roe, white meat fillets of fish over craggy pan-fried muffins, and pickled vegetables--not to mention the strongest smelling coffee Saur, Jenk, Tanraeth, Fleur, and Starfinger have smelled in a fortnight. "As it stands, you'll have to wait," as Alandri re-heats the food on her stove, she espouses, to no one in particular, the importance of punctuality.

Alandri's hut isn't large, but the modest interior includes several wicker looking woven chairs and a solid bench. More ornate mosaic windows allow brightening light into the space on each of the four walls. You notice a bed in one corner, mostly of straw. The cast iron stove on which she cooks now is the largest piece of furniture aside from an oak armoire. Hanging on the wall, several drawings appear to capture Alandri with a grinning gnome man in the similar glittering scales that she now wears. In one such image, the gnome man is leaning on an ornate cane carved with the same fish swimming through the sky.

One of you spots the same cane, hanging above Alandri's cot, with no sign of its owner to be found.

"Now, sit," Alandri says as she corrals the group to be seated on the wicker chairs surrounding her table, placing a plate of food and a mug of coffee in front of each of you. Before anyone lifts a fork, the gnome presents each of you with a shiny black scale that shimmers with different colors under the light. "It's advisable to eat this with your meal--it'll go down easier."

End Scene

Storyteller's Aside

Since this is a gnome's home, @vertigo, Tanraeth may find the chair a bit cramped and the cutlery a bit small. Think tea time with those little plastic cups and teapot. Tanraeth isn't large, but this place wasn't built for a creature of his size.

@rush99999 - Ms. Pi says, "Thank you, thank you!" She pockets the additional silver with a big smile. "You saved us back there--you come back any time!" Jenk can tell he's got a fan. Just one more fan to fan the flames of the mob.

OOC: I'm going to wait to have Fleur be occupied elsewhere until after the group leaves Alandri's.

Saur turned his attention to the goblin as he approached...and hesitated. Angry...mob? Why would he ever need a-? But then he shook his head. No, he shouldn't say that out loud. His first impression of this one was that he was...strange, to say the least. But he couldn't judge his abilities by that alone. "I see..." he murmured in response. "It's a, er...pleasure to meet you as well, um. Jenk." He unintentionally stressed that last part, clearly feeling awkward about saying the name aloud. "I will keep that in mind, however...I doubt I will require assistance with ranged combat." As he added that last part, he gripped the wooden arch hanging around his shoulders and across his back and fiddled with it slightly, demonstrably shaking the shortbow to emphasize its presence.

He opened his maw to continue speaking and explain his skill with a bow, he stopped as he suddenly realized that they had a fifth member joining up with them. This one seemed to resemble a frog, and he had to take a moment to process their presence; he was surprised to actually see one of their group actually smaller in stature than himself. However, before he could inquire about their presence, the door of the building they had been standing in front of began to open.

Saur was caught off-guard by this gnome woman's stark appearance, but he was almost equally as shocked to hear that she was expecting them. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to start piecing things together, especially once the name "Teacher Ot" was mentioned. He absolutely knew the name of the instructor he had been supposed to meet up with. But there was one thing in her words that caused his blood to run a little colder.

"It doesn't reflect well."

Saur's eyes widened at that. He wasn't surprised that they were late, however, considering he had to stop and actively hide from town guards not even a couple minutes ago. He didn't like the idea of making such a bad first impression during their first task, even if he didn't even know what they were doing in the first place. He swallows hard as he nervously watches Alandri break the red bead that he realized was meant to summon Ot to their location.

During the few minute-long wait, Saur remained silent. He considered attempting to apologize, but decided against it. One look at Alandri's face told him that she may not take well to excuses in the moment. He considered apologizing later, once their task was complete.

Luckily, it seemed like their meeting with a no-doubt-disappointed Teacher Ot was going to be put off, as even after several minutes, there seemed to be no sign of him. Perhaps this would give him more time to figure out what he was going to say....

For now, however, he focused his attention on the task at hand. He nodded along with her words while his eyes instinctively darted around the room, taking in every little sight that he could. Still, he made sure to keep his attention mostly on Alandri, even stiffening his body to make sure it was clear that he was standing at attention; not paying attention during this lecture was no doubt going to come back to bite him in the tail, after all. Not that he needed the lesson. The importance of a warrior or hunter being in the right place at the right time had long-since been drilled into him...not that he planned to share that information right now. Though thanks to that, he felt more comfortable turning a little bit more of his attention to their surroundings...including the pictures of an individual sporting similar attire and an interesting-looking staff that he was quick to spot hanging nearby. The lack of a similar-looking gnome in the area was curious, however.... He wondered if he should assume the worst.

Soon enough, the food seemed to be finished preparing and was now set out for them again. However, at this, a look of genuine confusion seemed to cross his face. The strong scent of the coffee caught his nostrils and caused him to actively recoil for a moment. But he quickly recovered and focused on the meal itself...as well as the strange, black scale presented to him.

"Erm...excuse me, Miss Alandri?" Saur spoke up, raising his arm. "I...apologize, I do not intend to sound ungrateful or anything, however, I feel the need to ask: Is this appropriate...?" he asked. After waiting a moment to allow her to process the question, he began to explain his question. "What I mean is that we were, evidently, late for our meeting with you; late enough that you clearly felt it a worthy enough slight to summon Teacher Ot. Wouldn't an infraction of such importance usually be reprimanded with the loss of rations like this, considering we are not in an active battle zone where maintaining our strength would be of the utmost importance?"

The expression on the small Kobold's face was of genuine confusion, clearly legitimately questioning their situation, as though he thought this act was being overly generous....

Alandri:

Alandri watched the plucky kobold as he spoke, her eyes traveling over his displayed weapons, bearing, and posture. As Saur's explanation was spoken, the gnome nodded. "Teacher Ot expressly requested to be apprised of your progress, though... I admit, I'm more concerned with catching fish while they're less active!" She gestures to Saur's plate, "I need you bright-eyed and sharp!"

The gnome strokes her chin for a moment, brow furrowing, "It's curious that Teacher Ot didn't respond to the summons; he's always been very prompt." Her expression changes as she points again to the glittering scale, "Besides, the after taste is a bit strong. You'll be glad to have something to to wash it down with."

Saur listened attentively to Alandri's response and nodded his head at her explanation. "I see. If that's what you've decided, then I will do as instructed, ma'am." However, just as he was picking up his utensils to start eating, he paused again. Something she had said had just registered and finished processing. He put his fork back down for a moment and looked back over at Alandri yet again.

The fact that this behavior was unusual for Teacher Ot was curious to him. He wondered, then, what could be keeping him...? Was something happening elsewhere right now, or was he just thinking too deeply into it?

"Is it possible he's just caught up in some kind of work at the Magaambya and can't afford the time to come down here...?" Saur asked. If that were the case, no doubt he would have some words for them when next they met. And he wasn't eager for that...though it was bound to come eventually.

Alandri:

Alandri considers Saur's words, "It's possible," she scratches the back of her neck as her eyes wander, "Until now, he's showed up immediately when the bracelet called. There could be an explanation, but this is the first he hasn't shown."

Alandri holds up a glittering scale to Saur and the others before popping it into her mouth and chasing it with a forkful of scrambled eggs with roe.

@Vertigo Tanraeth recalls the following regarding the scale:

Tanraeth knows the object is as a 'bubbling scale' and this dark, iridescent scale is about the size of a small coin. He recalls that when one swallows the scale, one immediately begins to grow a patch of scales that cover the majority of one's body. For one hour he remembers, the imbiber will be able to hold their breaths for an extended period of time. After this time, the scales wither and fall off one's body.

Jenk was somewhat miffed by the fact that Alandri deemed the party being slightly late to be something worth summoning Teacher Ot via the beads when he had specifically told them not to let that happen. Why did them showing up a little bit after the sun had finished rising matter so much? Did it really matter enough to warrant the beads being used? It all very much got on Jenk's nerves. This annoyance quickly turned to dismay when Jenk learned that their late arrival meant that the breakfast prepared for them had gone cold. Thankfully their host was gracious enough to heat it back up again, though at the cost of having to endure a lecture regarding the importance of being on time. When breakfast was finally served, Jenk eagerly dug in. Upon receiving his scale, the goblin dropped it into his coffee and washed it down with a quick sip before continuing to eat heartily.