JJ Doe

Dark Dagger

Yeah... But not much we can do without the GM. It seems like she logs-in every now and then, it's just she's been very quiet. Hopefully she's doing ok.

Well! If it is indeed the end, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Maybe we'll bump into each other again :)

Dark Dagger

Anyone hear from @pinkkoala321 recently?

Dark Dagger

I'm guessing @pinkkoala321 is busy at the moment?

Dark Dagger

All is well on my end! It's just hurricane/typhoon/cyclone season where I am so... that's a lot of fun :P

Dark Dagger

Arin von Astastel

Meanwhile, just as things were figuratively and literally heating up with the undead, Arin caught all the runway horses. Catching them got easier with each horse thanks to their herd mentality. Something about being near calm, familiar faces made them feel safe and calm in turn. In fact, the more pressing problem was that he had no idea where Arin and the horses were in relation to the rest of the group. He was half asleep when the ambush occurred and was too focused on regaining control of Rosemary to pay attention to his surroundings. At best, he could find his way back to the spot where she calmed down, but it would be a guessing game from there on unless his traveling companions decided to do something extremely flashy to give away their position.

Arin looked up at the sky to take note of the sun’s position before beginning his less than action-packed mini adventure to find either the group or the road that they were taking. The elf ended up finding the road within a handful of minutes with little to no trouble. It could have been an entirely different road, but he couldn’t imagine there being that many roads leading into and out of Timberholde. At least, he didn’t remember seeing one on his map. If worst comes to worst, he’d just have to go to Rosebriar on his own with the horses and wait for the group there.

He looked down both ends of the road, hoping to find something to tell him which way would lead him to the group. Arin turned his attention to the horses when he found nothing, “Suggestions?” His question was answered with blank stares. “I see that all of you do not visit this area very often, do you?” The horses that did not give the same answer as before were distracted by something else. The most skittish of the team jumped at the sound of a bird flying out of a tree.

Keeping a close eye on that particular hose, Arin walked slowly up the road, “Do you think they are this way?” The horses followed Arin’s lead without resistance. After observing them, he turned directions and started to lead them down the opposite end of the road, “Or this way? ” He felt at least one of the reins tighten, “Oh? Not this way?” He pulled harder on the taut rein and the skittish horse resisted even more. It was obvious that it wanted to avoid going that direction, which most likely meant it detected something threatening. “Well, you know that means we have to go this way, my friend.”

Dark Dagger

Arin von Astastel

Arin was more than astounded that the ragtag bunch of misfits were able to leave the village without being stopped to be questioned by the guards considering all that had transpired during their brief stay. He had hoped that the dragonborn used a bit of ingenuity to settle things amicably with the innkeeper. That hope was, however, immediately dashed the moment the potman ---all too excitedly--- asked whether Arin and his traveling companions were a group of man-eaters. When asked where in the nine layers of hell he got that idea from, he explained that the innkeeper was told by Vuthaternock that “his friend ate the body.” The potman didn’t have a clue what body the dragonborn was referring to, but this lead the innkeeper ---who knew nothing about Greenwings, Vuthaternock’s wyvern--- to believe that one of the dragonborn’s companions was a cannibal. Which, much to his dismay, included Arin.

Gods. Why did he have to word it like that?

It was almost as if the dragonkin wanted to cause more problems, sow chaos wherever he treads. Like it was part of his nature. The only reason he didn't cause more destruction was because he couldn’t be bothered to do so.

The elf questioned why Vuthaternock disposed the body without finding out what was going on first. All he had to do was talk to someone and this weird mess could have been avoided entirely. He was rash and lacked the most basic of communication skills. Then again, he didn’t strike Arin as an individual who put stock in savoir faire.

Arin regretted many things, and he was starting to doubt how well he’d be able to work with the members of the group. A deliberately ignorant princess who throws a fit when her view is challenged in any degree; a dragonborn whose diplomatic skills rivals that of a knife to the gut; a she-wolf who lacks self-control and is better off released into the wilds than being allowed to wander in civilization. At this point, Arin was just waiting for Callista and Ernestus to do something stupid or disappointing.

Despite all that, there they were, outside of Timberholde. Not a single guard in sight. Perhaps the innkeeper decided that it was more beneficial and less dangerous to let the wondering cannibals leave her home village as soon as possible than to report them to the authorizes and have The Dancing Badger forever be known as that inn that welcomed cannibals. A problem out of sight was a problem out of mind. They were someone else’s problem now.

---

Arin was struggling to keep his eyes open when the group got ambushed by the undead. He was spared being thrown off his horse like Rynn was because his horse ---Rosemary was her name--- was just barely composed enough not to buck. It did not prevent her from booking it, however.

Rosemary galloped quite a distance away from the ambush by the time Arin was able to slow her down. He petted and consoled her with a soothing voice until she was more receptive to his commands.

From behind, he heard the panicked noise of another horse getting closer to him by the second. It likely followed suit when it saw Rosemary dash into a random direction. Arin waited for the horse to appear before pursuing it with Rosemary. After a few minutes of chasing, Arin caught its reins and slowed it down. He spent time calming the horse down as he did before.

Just when he thought he could return to the group with the runaway horse, he caught sight of yet another one running off into the distance. The elf signed. The first chance they get, he is going straight to bed.

Dark Dagger

@Shadow Dragon Does Vuthaternock's wyvern have a name?

Dark Dagger

Arin von Astastel

One thing Arin learned about Rynn was that she would make a terrible investigator. She was obviously biased and would rather blame “outsiders” sooner than what she considered “her own people” ---it was facile for her to assume the culprits were from the Underground and were, in no shape or form, affiliated with the crown. Arin thought she would become the type of leader who would be loved greatly by many of her subjects and easily assassinated by the remaining few due to the blind trust she willingly reserved for “her people”. He did, however, agree about exhausting every possibility: Arin just made sure to include everyone and not play favoritism. If that made him a bad person, then so be it. He never was a good person to begin with.

"We set out for Rosebriar in an hour. I suggest you start packing your things, because I am not going to be as lenient with extra time as I was before."

Arin couldn’t contain a laugh, “Oh, how magnanimous of you!” Every word reeked of sarcasm. Rynn may not have realized it, but what she demanded of the volunteers in terms of time was unreasonable: she never gave them a chance to plan the proper course of action as a group, she forced them to investigate the vault within an hour ---something that wouldn’t have happened if Arin and Callista hadn’t voiced their opinions---, gave them no time to digest or scrutinize what they found, and dragged them out onto the road. All in one night. Quite frankly, Arin wouldn’t have been surprised if the only reason why they stopped at The Dancing Badger was because Rynn and the horses were tired. Not for their sake. Maybe she never cared about the investigation; maybe there was something else she wanted from them.

He made a grand gesture of bowing deeply as he said, “As you wish, human princess.” That was for calling him elf. Typical. Did she realize she never once called the volunteers by their names? Does she even care to remember their names? It felt as if they were pawns to her: something to be used and discarded as soon as she got what she, and only she, wanted.

He held the position for a while longer, standing up when he didn’t hear Rynn’s door close. The side of her face showed an expression of deep concern. She confessed about Callin and his proclivity for trouble. Something about how she talked about him made Arin think that Rynn considered Callin to be an accessory to the thefts. It was her protectiveness of “her people” that prevented her from taking her theory one step further: that Callin was a collaborator and maybe even the perpetrator.

Arin wondered if she told this to her father. Would he have allowed her to leave, let alone travel to a dangerous territory with complete strangers, if she did? By the sounds of it, something happened to Callin which caused him to run away from the kingdom. In fact, he might have even been exiled by the King himself depending on what transpired.

"I don't want to believe it was him, but my brother was in a bad way when they . . . when he left.

@pinkkoala321

“They,” huh?

"That's why I've come with you all. In the end, if it does end up being Callin . . . I'm not going to lose my brother a second time. Not when I can actually do something about it."

“That's why I've come with you all”? Is she using this investigation as a means to reunite with Callin? I suppose Rynn did not tell her father of her true intentions, then. Which probably also means Silas really did cut ties with his son. What could he have done to warrant the King’s ire? Arin rubbed his chin. No, it could much simpler than that. Callin leaving alone may be sufficient. He knew some families can be like that.

“To make my opinion abundantly clear, I could care less if your people are good or bad. It is irrelevant whether they or Callin are one or the other, or a mixture of both like a vast majority of the world’s population. What matters is we find the people who were involved in the thefts. Get the dagger back and return to Eastormel Castle. We may disagree with each other on a lot of matters and you may not want to listen to what I have to say, but I will promise you this: I will see this through.” As if he had any other choice. “As long as you do not obstruct the investigation… I have no intention of getting in your way, if your ultimate goal is to find your brother.” Arin’s thumb rubbed against the silent wooden ring. “Conversely, if you hinder the investigation for any reason, even if it is because of your blind love for your people, brother included, then understand that I will no longer be traveling with you.” The contract demanded him to follow every word of the deal. Since Rynn did not sign the contract, she could literally do anything and everything to hamper the investigation and would not suffer the consequences of a deal unfulfilled. Arin would, though.

He bowed, less mockingly this time, and walked away to make final preparations. He called out to Rynn from the hallway, “By the way, I advise you not to eat the porridge or the soup. I have seen what they do… or rather do not do in the kitchen.”

---

Arin made adjustments to the wooden ring as he waited for the potman to return with the items he requested. He avoided eating the cooked breakfast provided by the inn, partially because he wasn’t hungry and largely because the food was less than appetizing once you spent time in the kitchen. He instead opted to take four apples for the journey.

When the potman returned, Arin put the ingredients away and changed into less conspicuous clothing. Once done, he made sure to pay for the potman’s services.

“What did you people do?” The potman asked.
“You will have to elaborate the question for me to answer.”
“Mrs.---, sorry, the innkeeper was so happy when you and your friends came yesterday. Now she seems like she can’t wait to kick you out. ‘More trouble than they’re worth,’ she said. Even accused you guys of being a bunch of scam artists, threatening to tarnish The Dancing Badger’s good name… so what did you people do?”

She must have been referring to the body. From the innkeeper’s point of view, she was forced to wake up in the middle of the night to be told that a man, a potential thief targeting customers, was killed, lying dead in the hallway. Then when she looked and saw that the body was gone without a trace ---or maybe one of the others told her before she had a chance to look. Why wouldn’t she think that it was some elaborate prank or ruse to demand compensation for the customer’s terrible time at the inn? A thief stealing from customers, bad. Someone dying ---especially if they were killed--- in the inn, also bad. People spreading the word that either of the aforementioned happened in the inn, regardless of their veracity, very bad. No respectable customer would ever want to set foot in such an inn. To the innkeeper, the group became unwelcome company overnight.

Speaking of the body, Arin wondered what happened to the handkerchief he draped over the man’s face. Did Vuthaternock take it? Maybe it was charred by the wyvern’s fire. He should ask him later.

“I have not the faintest idea.”

Dark Dagger

@pinkkoala321I have a post ready to go once someone else posts.

Dark Dagger

@Shadow DragonI feel like we haven't heard from you in a hot minute, everything all right?