Chy has never even heard of coffee and she feels like a bit of a rube in this gnomish corner of civilization. She follows Baylor's lead and asks for tea with honey. At least she knows what to expect.

When Kylen introduces himself she follows his lead, a bit shyly.

"Chyresia, me," she taps her chest. "Chyresia Swift. Hunter."

Even this small amount of talking is enough to fluster her and she steps back trying hard not to knock things over with her elbows in the rather tightly packed shop.

“There are people in here, there are people out there. I am a bit baffled about the crowd and their role or roles,” says Twylyt to Kinder, reverting to gnomish. “If they are friends to Moradin and Glittergold, I will be relieved and pleased to include them in our conversation. But I hesitate to discuss more without such assurances.”

"You seem nervous sister, please have a seat. Terry will deal with the customers. I sent for two who I suspect may have some answers for you. I am trying to understand why you suspect the Underway has been breached."

Terry smiles again at the group in the shop "One minute please!" and heads out to the back room. He walks to stand next to Kinder and says in Gnomish "A gnomish lady, Mistress Baylor Thistleberry and her companions Kylen Nyteshade and Chyresia Swift are here with urgent business but when I tried to pry ms Baylor said she was happy to wait. I've offered them tea, would you like some?" He also says in Dwarvish to Twylyt "I'm making tea, would you like some?" He then takes a large copper kettle with its own camp stove out of a cupboard and takes it out to set up on the front counter.

Terry shows the group that there is nothing in his sleeves and then with a click of his fingers a six inch purple flame extends from his pointer finger. With this small prestidigitation active he lights the camp stove to start boiling the water in the kettle. He then waves his hands like a conductor and a small plate spins from under the counter to sit on the table top. Then one by one six biscuits float spinning out of a jar under the counter to rest on the plate. He then carries that plate to Kylen "Please enjoy an oatmeal cookie or two while we wait for the tea, my Ma made a batch a few days ago, you won't find better in all of Glitterhovel."

Terry casts Prestidigitation.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:04, Wed 15 May.

"Thank you, they look scrumptious! I am sure they will be delicious. Chy, would you like a cookie."

Kylen tries to involve his new companion in the conversation. She seems a little uneasy in this environment.

Chyresia smiles tightly at Kylen, knowing he means well, but the sense of being contained is not sitting well with her. She does take a cookie and nibble at it, more for something to do than for hunger.

"These are delicious", she nods at Terry. "Please tell your mother I said so."

The small morsel seems to calm her down a bit and she finds a place to stand where she's not going to knock anything over and waits to see what comes next.

Gnomes are a bit flighty, Twylyt reminds herself. She also is in someone else’s space, so she decides to abandon her expectations and answer Cobble’s sensitive question.

”My apologies, Master Cobble. What I know is the following. The bishop at Deep Gate has heard a rumor that the Underway in Glitterhovel has been breached. As for the source of the rumor, I only know that it is unreliable. She hopes there is no truth to the rumor, but knowing for certain would allow her to sleep better.”

“I also know the great value the bishop places in the alliance of dwarfs and gnomes. She hopes that my presence, as minor as it is, might reassure all gnomes of the steadfast support of dwarfs for gnomish safety. While it is well-known that gnomes can protect themselves, having allies is always beneficial. Therefore, if there is assistance I could provide on the above-ground kobold nuisance, then I would be pleased to provide it, in addition to being able to provide a report to the bishop on the Underway.”

“Speaking of which, I would be grateful if you could pass word to my father of my safe arrival and of your hospitality. Priest Holgart Stonebeard is his name. That would warm my heart more than even the tea would,” Twylyt concludes with a smile and shake of her head to Terry to refuse his kind offer.


DM note: Nice post.

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:43, Wed 15 May.

Kinder nods and gets a contemplative expression on his face. He smiles then addresses Terry,

"Thank you Terry. She is a friend. After attending them, allow them to wait while you fetch Talya and Myrcury. Tell Baylor I wont be long."

Once Terry has left the room, he turns his attention back to Twylyt.

"A rumor eh? Unreliable? Hmmm. You know what they say about rumors. They often have a kernal of truth. The gnomes of this village are happy and content and decidely not adventurous. The Underway has not been a thing for over a century.  Its hard to imagine most gnomes here taking any interest in it. Most."

He pauses, and paces.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:46, Wed 15 May.

Baylor accepts the tea gracefully and offers gratitude.

"Thankyou Teriadoc.  Have you worked here long? I see you've studied. With that old hermit? You must be his prized new graduate?"

Terry blushes at the compliment and hides his face by becoming very interested in the shelves. Passing the Longbottom Leaf he takes down a box labled Earl Grey and then from a shelf of viscous liquids a jar of beautiful golden honey. Scooping leaves into the kettle he sets three earthenware tea cups on the counter and a very high quality strainer over the first. "Master Pumblechook and Master Cobble have done me the incredible honour of imparting a little of their knowledge of the arcane and alchemical arts, if I have achieved as a student it is only through their exemplary teaching. I've only worked here for a decade or so, soon I would like to take a more active role in the shop and start expanding what we offer here though lately I have been helping more capable locals deal with some rather aggressive pests."

Barely looking at the cups he deftly pours tea through the strainer and then adds an identical portion of honey to each. He then hands one to each of the new comers before adding a measure of honey to a carrot and offering it to Wilda. As he gives a cup to Chyresia he nods at her weapon. "That's a very well maintained bow, has there been a target you have been especially proud of striking?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 14:41, Wed 15 May.

"Humility is a strength you have in abundance. However, great teachers dont produce great students.  Great students produce great teachers. Pumblechook is counting on you to be a great success. No pressure."

She winks at Terry and giggles. She sips and enjoys the tea.

Detecting that Chy may be a little uncomfortable with even simple enquiries, Kylen intersects.

"Terry, this tea is so refreshing. I have not had a cup this good, since I left home. My mother may have grown many of the herbs you have in this shop and she could work wonders with a tea kettle."

Chy smiles and takes the offered tea cup, all the while watching the others out of the corner of her eye to see how they act. Table manners were something her mother tried to impart to her as a young woman, but the lessons never really took. She wishes now that she had paid more attention, not wanting to appear as a boob in front of all these strangers.

"The bow was left to me by my grandfather," she replies. "He had it made for him before I was born, and it was to have gone to my father. But they quarreled before my grandfather died and he left the bow to me. I have certainly used it well in hunting, but today was the first time I ever shot it at another . . . person."

She falters a bit over this last, not sure where kobolds fall in the great scheme of things. Are they people, or monsters, or just clever animals? She's not sure.

Terry smiles warmly at Baylor "Well then I'd better succeed so I'll aim for greatness, it's nice when everyone wins, especially when everyone wins from me becoming wealthy and powerful!"
Terry nods to Kylen "I must admit that I have a sweet tooth, hopefully one day I'll be able to become trade partners with someone kind and resourceful and I now know which gift to commission to sweeten the deal, I'll definitely keep that in mind."
Terry then gives Chyresia the warmest smile though one touched with sadness. "This world cruelly separates us from our loved ones too soon but I can tell that you are righteous and if you had cause to defend yourself that your forebears would be pleased to have given you the means to emerge victorious. I for one am very glad that you are all now here enjoying a cup of tea, may they be the first of many. Please feel free to finish the biscuits and tea, master Cobble has asked me to fetch two others whose recent experiences might shine a light on the issues he now faces. You shouldn't be waiting too long, but if you have pressing business elsewhere it won't take me too long to find you, you are rather big noticeable fish in our small pond."

Without further ado Terry heads out with Wilda, first to Talya's shop then off to find Myrc.

"While we wait for Myrcury and Talya,  please join me in greeting my guests. Baylor is a druid of considerable ability. She is also a friend who rarely pays visits. Oh but one thing, I should warn you, before Myrcury arrives. He looks like a child, even seems like one at times. I assure you, he is very capable. He may shed some light on your inquiry."

Kinder gestures for Twylyt to join him.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:22, Thu 16 May.

Kinder escorts Twylyt back to the front of the store. He greets Baylor warmly, it is obvious they are old friends who have not seen each other in some time. He then proceeds to introduce himself and Twylyt to everyone present. He offers tea to Twylyt and invites everyone to ha e a seat. There are several chairs about the shop.

"Kinder, I was coming to see you because I have nearly run out of salt. However last night there were at least two known kobold attacks along the river involving these. I fealt certain this was something your priesthood would want to know about."

She produces to wooden Kurtulmak idols from a pouch at her waist. She lays them on a table for display to all.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:27, Thu 16 May.

"Please forgive my interruption. I am Kylen Nyteshade and my employer Mr. Remington and I also encountered a small band of kobolds squatting in hovel the night before. They also had one of the idols, but we burned it before we left."

Kylen immediately takes a step back in deference and hopes he did not offend with his interuption.

"Serendipity-du-da-day! Our Watchful Protector certainly loves synchronicity. It would seem we have a matter worth investigating. "

He turns to look at Twylyt, gauging her response carefully.

Twylyt takes a look around at the crowd. She is particularly interested in the females present since, at the end of the day, and particularly at the end of the day, handsome men are more predictable than women. The female gnome with wild clothes who brought the idols seems quite at home in the wilderness and the shop - she would be someone to learn from, if time permitted. The human female, while being attractive enough to stir Twylyt's jealousy, appeared less certain of herself but clearly had some abilities that brought her here. Twylyt recalled the priests yammering about destiny and duty and blah blah blah, but pushed out of her mind the thought that Moradin might be playing any role in these ongoings. What happens on this plane is for us to determine, she mentally reaffirms to herself.   

So she responds to the news. "Thank you, Mistress Thistleberry and Master Nyteshade for the unwelcome news," nodding at both. "I trust no one is injured from the encounter.  If I understand you both correctly, both the encounters and the presence of these idols are not normal." 

Upon receiving the expected affirmative nods, she turns to Kinder and continues. "That being the case, I would be curious what the people of Glitterhovel think about this apparently growing kobold presence. Is this something the people of Glitterhovel would want to investigate themselves or would it be better if others did so? I would be pleased to accompany any group that does go out to investigate." She deliberately excludes the possibility of doing nothing, for both her instructions from the bishop through her father and her personal desires would not favor that option.  

She does not raise at this time the rumors about growing unrest in the Underway. Twylyt decides that she could ask that question of Mistress Thistleberry in a quieter place and time.

Chyresia returns the dwarf warrior's bold look of assessment with a smile and a nod. She's a pretty girl and while she's not been away from home for very long, she's used to being checked out whether as potential competition or potential company. She keeps quiet and in the background, however, as the others speak. She knows little of the tensions that grip the new world she has literally drifted into, but she trusts Baylor and will back her move when she makes it. For now she sips her tea and nibbles her cookie -- what did Terry call it -- a biscuit? Her mother used to make biscuits but they were lumpy doughy things, not crunchy and sweet like these.

While she keeps quiet, she listens carefully. The gnomes are having problems with the kobolds, it seems. And these evil little totems are connected to the lizard creature's attacks. Some shaman perhaps using false religion to promote violence? That's an old tale.

" I would also like offer my services in rooting out this issue. I feel that I have been put on this path for a reason and helping good folks such as yourself seems like as good a path as any."

Kylen refrains from expressing his personal curiosity in this cult and the ability to personally gain some new experiences as well as the possibility of gaining a little notoriety. These do not seem like the folks who tolerate his expression of help being for personal gain, so he decides it would be best to keep that to himself.

Kinder picks up an idol and examines it closely.

"Definitely Kurtulmak. Havnt seen the gnome slayers in over a century. This certainly doesn't bode well. Have any of you witnessed any divine casting by a shaman? Kobolds in the forest does not in itself constitute a breach of the treaty. If Kurtulmak grants favors in the forest, that would. Kurtulmak is banned above, Glittergold is banned below the sewers."

Terry has no trouble finding Talya and Myrcury and once they hear Kinder Cobble needs to speak with them they put a sign on the shop which states "Snacking, back soon" and quickly make their way back to the Apothecary.

"I can't say that any ritual magic was performed, but I targeted a kobold wearing a purple Turbin. He seemed to be the leader, so I shot him through with an arrow first hoping to disrupt the morale of the others. Not to mention I thought it was a poor fashion choice and deserved to be criticized."

Kylen, letting his insecurities get the best of him tries to introduce a little levity into the conversation.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:17, Yesterday.