[IC] Chaos in Krioka: The Meandering Monk [Joshua Tamashii]

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

It has been a year since Delwin's passing...and a week since you left his home and place of study: The Monastery of the Kirin. The Monastery had been tucked away, hidden in the jungles of the largest island of Tumunzah, far from any outsiders who would wish to casually stride into the monastery. Only those who wished to learn the martial arts, or had someone willing to teach them the ways of the Monastery, could trek through the jungles and find the monastery.

The fact that it took you a week to find your way through the forest to Nalukkhar was a testament to how well the Monastery was hidden. Nalukkhar is the capitol city of all of Tumunzah, and happens to not only be the closest to the monastery, but also the largest city of all of Tumunzah. It is here where many people from Beoley and Lorenthia alike can come and trade with each other and with the citizens of Tumunzah. The capitol city is well marked with a large clock tower that always chimes on the hour. The clock tower not only functions as a decorative time piece and historic landmark, but also as a light house for ships who dare to sail at night, and a watch tower for the guards, so they may keep a vigilant eye on the city and beyond.

You just got to Nalukkhar last night, and found residence at the Drunken Mermaid Tavern.

A new day is rising and a scrawny chicken is now repeatedly walking into your window, making a rhythmic sound as it refuses to end its fruitless quest of entering your room. The smell of fish, eggs, and other foods wafts into your room while the sun rises. The staff is clearly making breakfast!

A new day has begun for you, hero. What would you like to do?

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna woke up with nary a sound or a start when the chicken began coming in and out of her room. Stretching as she rose from the bed, the water genasi glanced outside the window to the city beyond. It had taken her far more time then it should've to arrive there. It was not the first time she had left the temple, as she had gone on many a journey with Master Delwin before now, but it had been her first time doing it on her own. That being said, she had enjoyed getting lost as it had provided her with a challenge before even arriving in town and she would like to think that if it had been one of her Master's tests that he would've been impressed.

After getting ready for the day, the young woman would head to the dining area of the Drunken Mermaid. As a Genasi, she likely stuck out a bit from the majority of the folk in the tavern. She was about an inch or two shorter then the average human female, sporting a lithe build that made her look more fragile then she really was. Her skin was a light blue color and her eyes, which resembled those of most common races, were an iridescent sea green. Her hair was cut down to shoulder length and free-flowing. it's color starting out as a dark blue and fading to a sea green as one looked towards the ends. This very same hair seemed to float as she walked around, as it she was underwater despite no being around and when she turned, her hair was slow to move with her. For attire, the woman for simple, dark green garments with images of the four elements stitched in with dark blue, almost black, thread and was currently barefoot, enjoying the feeling of the wood under her feet.

Approaching the bar of the tavern, she gave whoever was manning it a kind smile as she took a seat.
"A glass of water please. And might I inquire about what meals are available at this hour?" She said, her voice mostly normal but with an undertone sounding like the gentle trickle of a stream rolling over several rocks that breached the surface of the water.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

A portly, bronze scaled Dragonborn is manning the bar, and he nods to Elaranna in response to her request for water. He slides a glass to her, and he answers her question, "Ah, yes. Today for breakfast, we have your typical eggs and bacon, we also have fried fish on a bed of toast with a sea of greens, and we also have the special of the day: clam chowder. We also offer apple fritters for the pastry of the day. So, what would you like ma'am?" His voice was a rumble, as expected of a male dragonborn. It sounded like he could roar if he wanted to, but was keeping his voice at a reasonable volume for a busy tavern.

The dining area was full of other patrons and the waitresses and waiters were busy helping bring orders to the cook in the back, and bringing out prepared food and drinks for the patrons. Along one of the walls is a massive job board for those interested in working to achieve some coin.

[Joshua Tamashii]

"Thank you kindly. I'll try the clam chowder then." Elaranna said after she caught the glass of water that had been slid down the bar to her. She took a sip of the liquid before getting up and making her way over to the job board, examining the options available. Coin wasn't much of a concern for her at this time, but she figured she might as well help out while she was in town, much like her master had before. Glancing over the jobs, she quickly dismissed any that involved pure hard labor and those that involved massive amounts of conversation. Her early life had left her fairly weak, so hard labor was better left to others who actually had muscle to go with the stamina required. As for the conversational jobs, she knew she could hold her own in a conversation but she was not the most adapt at it, a result of growing up in the streets then living with basically only her master for company. Best to leave those jobs for the merchants and diplomats.

So, that left her with monster extermination and other more minor jobs. She took her time to examine and gauge the jobs that fit her abilities better, while taking the occasional sip from her glass and keeping an ear open for when her breakfast was ready.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

The bronze dragonborn nodded and answered her order, "Excellent choice, ma'am," He then called to the back "ONE SPECIAL OF THE DAY!" He then went back to work, cleaning the glasses and pouring drinks for the other patrons who came up to the bar.

As Elaranna looks over the board, she notices that there are a lot of jobs posted. It's almost overwhelming. Most of the ones she saw are more for heavy labor or diplomatic missions. The exact jobs that she was not looking for. However, she does manage to catch one job posting that seems like it might just be a perfect fit for her.

"Help Wanted!
My pet monkey, Buttons, is out on the loose somewhere in Nalukkhar. Please find him!
The reward will be 1,200 gold and a magic item of your choice.
You will receive the reward when you bring Buttons to my shop, Trina's Trinkets, in the town square.

-Trina"

This certainly looks like a well paying job despite how simple the request is.

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna frowned as she saw that there was only one job available that might be to her talents. It was a simple pet retrieval job, but for a highly unusual one. She was aware of monkeys and how hard they could be to catch. Since the temple had been in the middle of the jungle, monkeys coming around to grab food or simply watch was not unheard of. Given how agile monkeys were and with their ability to climb, it made sense that the reward might be a bit high. With that in mind, she took the paper with the job details on it and returned to her seat at the bar.
"Excuse me, bartender. Do you know anything about this shop? It's location in the town square and maybe a bit about it's owner?" She asked, showing him the paper. She knew from her journeys with her Master, it was important to gather information, especially about the person requesting the job.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

The bronze dragonborn looks at the notice, and he answers after reading it, "Trina's Trinkets...Aye, that should be in between Peony's flower shop and Ned's grocery shop. You can't miss it. You should be able to see it from the water fountain in the center of the town square," He then sighed and he commented "Trina herself, well, she's well spoken and beautiful, but quite honestly, she gives me the creeps..." He then adds "Not to mention there are some pretty creepy rumors about her going around,"

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna nodded in thanks when she got the directions to the shop she was going to be visiting in concerns to the job. However, at the bartender's comments on the owner of said shop, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. So, the woman who owned the shop was learned and beautiful but seemed to have something off about her. Her curiosity growing, Elaranna leaned forward.
"So, she's beautiful and knowledgeable but also creepy? What do you mean? What has she done to unsettle you and what kind of rumors are being spread about her?" She asked, keeping her voice in a low whisper so no one else could hear, incase the dragonborn was not comfortable speaking about this subject out loud.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

The bronze dragonborn looked around and he leaned in before whispering, "It's not really anything she's done per se...It's just...the way she looks at you while she speaks is unsettling. It's like she's studying you, considering something, while she speaks to you. Plus I have heard that those who steal from her or cheat her, they are never heard again. But that's just what I've heard. Some people say that they've seen the guards arrest the thieves, but other than that, they seem to disappear off the face of Krioka,"

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna frowned as the dragonborn spoke to her about the shopkeeper. It wasn't much to go on, just word of mouth and the possibility of superstition. But the barkeep seemed to be telling her as much as he knew and nothing less, so she would push those thoughts aside until after breakfast, which she was still waiting for. So she gave the barkeep a kind smile before sitting back in her chair and sipping her water while she waited for her clam chowder.

Once she finally got and finished her meal, likely with a second glass of water, Elaranna would pay her bill before heading out. She didn't head straight for Trina's Trinkets though. She instead decided to ask around town to find about as much about this shopkeeper as possible and possibly learn some facts about these rumors to dispel any false information in them. She would try to be discrete though, since she got the feeling most people would be unwilling to talk about this topic openly.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

The clam chowder was well made. The clam meat was perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were soft. The broth was creamy and had a good mix of seasonings. You also tasted some bacon in there as well as some celery and cilantro. After breakfast, Elaranna begins her investigation into Trina. She asks around discreetly, and most people give the same thing that the bronze dragonborn barkeep gave her. However, she does find a couple of friends who had...criminal friends, to say the least.

One was a halfling beggar girl, who informed her that her best friend, Calal had pickpocketed a couple of gold pieces from Trina. She caught him in the act, and she dragged him to her store. A few moments later, the girl saw the guards come to the store and take Calal away.

"I'm so worried. Calal has escaped from the prison before, but I haven't heard anything from him. And when I asked the guards about him, they acted as though they knew nothing of him..."

Elaranna would also find a tiefling shopkeeper and he talks about his twin brother who was a charlatan, who had a penchant for selling things that were worthless for a pretty gold.

"My brother sold some honey that was dyed green to Trina, and said that it was an Ancient Dragon's urine. He was bragging about it that night. I don't know what happened after we parted ways, but the next day, he wasn't at home, nor was he in the streets. I'm worried about him. It's not like him to just up and leave without his belongings,"

[Joshua Tamashii]

In the end, her search turned up little more then two more instances of people going missing after doing less then pleasant things to Trina. In this case, it was a beggar and a charlatan, one who had been arrested then vanished while another had simply done so without any sign of other forces at work. Everyone else just reinforced that the bartender had said to her.

With her investigation done, she found a place to sit down and consider her options. The first was to go to Trina and see about the request, see if things were directly on the up and up. The second option was to check the prison for the beggar who had been jailed and vanished. However, it seemed as if the guards knew nothing of said beggar, if what the girl had told her was true. But there was a chance someone from the prison remembered them. Worse case, no one did or someone was hiding some and she would have to break in. She didn't fancy this option, as she had no skills in breaking into places, as she was no rogue. The third option was to investigate the charlatan who had vanished. This might be the easier option compared to the beggar, unless the home of the charlatan was locked. Also, time was a factor, as if too much time had passed, most of the evidence was either gone or in no condition to tell her much.

After several minutes of thought, she got up and made her way to Trina's shop. It was by far the easiest option and she could pursue the other two after she had checked out the details of the job. With that in mind, she made her way to the town center and examined Trina's Trinkets from the outside before slowly entering the store and looking around at it's interior to see what kind of wares it sold and if it's owner was anywhere in sight.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

From the exterior, Trina's Trinkets seemed like any other shop. The shop sign itself was wooden, dyed purple with carved cursive writing that read '[i]Trina's Trinkets', finished with a wand underneath the writing, as though it had conjured the words onto the sign. The interior of the store was well wit, and it seemed to be cooler in here than it did outside. Was there some magic involved in cooling the store? Numerous items and potions were placed on shelves behind the counter, or were locked in the display case in front of Elaranna. A lot of these look expensive!

As you enter, the sound of a bell rings above you, and a woman wearing robes of blue, purple, and black appears. Trina appears to be human, with her black hair done up into an intricate bun with long pins poking out from them. Her green eyes look to Elaranna as she greets, her voice serene, "Welcome to Trina's Trinkets. I am Trina. How may I help you today?"

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna examined the items in the store for a few seconds, wondering what it was that the store sold in particular. She noticed several items where stored in or behind what looked like glass... or really well crafted sugar. Resisting the urge to lick it, both because it was impractical and also because she didn't want to look like an idiot if it was glass, she turned to face Trina when the woman came into the storefront. Elaranna would grace the human woman with a smile before speaking.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Trina." She said, placing the palms of her hands together and giving a slight bow. When she straightened up, she would pull out the sheet of paper with the job request on it. "I came here in concerns to the job you had posted. I was hoping to ask some questions about your escaped pet. For example, what breed of monkey is it? Where do you think it might have gone? Can you think of anyway of luring it out so that capturing it might be easier? And how long has your pet been missing now?"

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Trina's smile seemed to widen ever so slightly. She answered Elaranna, "You're here to help me find dear Buttons? Oh, bless your soul, young lady," She then answered her questions, "Buttons is a capuchin monkey. I'm not quite sure where he would go, as he was kept here for a large part of his life. He is a monkey, so I'm sure you can lure him out with fruit. He has been missing for a couple of days now. Quite honestly, I would not be surprised if he is still in town, but I don't think it would hurt to search the jungle either,"

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna would listen to Trina as she gave her answers to the earlier questions. She would nod at each answer given, making mental notes for use later and planning out her next move. All the while, she couldn't help but feel as though something was not quite right. This feeling coupled with the previous things she had heard about this woman, she couldn't help but feel uneasy, but she hid it behind a kind smile. Once Trina had answered all of her questions, she would give the woman another bow.
"Thank you very much for your time. I'll set out to retrieve Buttons as soon as I can, though it might take some time. Once I have him though, I'll be sure to return." She said, before turning to leave the shop.

Once she was outside and a good distance away, she took a deep breath and let out a sigh. She didn't like this feeling she was getting and she had been taught to trust her instincts. She wished she had Ander or Ielenia with her, as both were better with people then she was. Even Shadowpaw would be nice, since he would probably me more then happy to stay behind and watch the shop. Her other friends might've been helpful as well, except maybe Sorvenek, but they were no longer with her and she had to do this on her own.

With nothing better to do, she set out to ask around town to see if anyone had seen a capuchin monkey around town, assuming they weren't common sightings. Assuming nothing useful came from this investigation, she would make her way to the local prison, aiming to do another investigation there, looking into the beggar Calal.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Trina nodded and she slowly waved to Elaranna, "Oh no. Thank you, dear. Do be careful though. Buttons is a crafty little one. Best of luck to you," She watched as Elaranna left the shop, her eyes never blinking and never leaving the monk as she left.

When Elaranna set out to begin her investigation, she found that the people hadn't seen any of the capuchin monkeys. Evidently, Elaranna finds herself at the prison. The prison is a large stone building, with some mold and other plant life growing on the outside. This was clearly once was a set of ruins that Nalukkhar clearly utilized fully as a prison. The guards are standing outside and other guards are posted about the keep.

At the front, there was a guard posted who looked at Elaranna as she approached and he called to her, "Halt! Who goes there?"

[Joshua Tamashii]

Elaranna couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she approached the prison. Even at a simple glance, it was clear the prison was just a repurposed and very old building. Part of her had to wonder what it had been before now and what kind of acts might have occurred inside it's walls. She also had to ponder what kind of acts happened within them these days as well.

When tone of the guards stationed at the entrance of the prison out to her, asking for who she was, she stopped about ten feet from him before replying.
"My name is Elaranna. I am an adventurer and I was investigating a disappeance that happened within the walls of the prison here. A prisoner by the name of Calal, a beggar on the streets, who was imprisoned after stealing some coins from a local shop keeper. Might I allowed in to talk to someone who might know have knowledge on this matter?" She said to the guard.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

The guard nodded to Elaranna and he answered, "Of course. The Head Warden will be inside. He should have all of the records on all of the prisoners. Just go down straight down the hall until you reach the desk at the end. He should be there," He then nods towards the entrance and stands aside to allow Elaranna passage into the prison. He then warned her, "Make it quick," He was still watching her as are the other guards who were nearby to hear and see Elaranna.

[Joshua Tamashii]

"I will try not to overstay my welcome. Thank you for understanding." Elaranna said, giving the guard a slight bow before heading inside. Once inside, she made straight for the warden's office while staying away of the guards around her and the rest of her surroundings. Nothing seemed to be off and the guards were simply doing their job from what she could tell. When she arrived at the warden's office, she would knock on the door before waiting to be called in to enter.

"Pardon my intrusion into your office sir. My name is Elaranna and I was hoping I could ask you for some assistance. As I'm sure your time is limited, I will get straight to the point I'm looking into a prison who was said to be residing here, one Calal. They were a beggar on the streets and one of their friends is worried about their wellbeing. Do you happen to have any records on this individual?"