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[Dwarmin]

”I could put a nice big smelly tail on him! A rat tail! I think he’d like that, do you think he’d like that? What’s your name?”

"I think he'd like that very much...Oh, call me Lady Fox darling-the beauteous and magnificent." She had said, patting the kid on the head.

After poking Toad-Bukkar with the butt of her crossbow a few more times and giggling, Lady Foxglove stands up from the counter she was sitting on.

"I suppose dinner would be fair enough. Though I'm more into white wine, personally...and we'll need at last a nights stay in this city anywho, and those kidnappers could come back tonight.

But for now, I've got an audience to attend. I'll meet the rest later.

Got to go find that useless Captain, get on with the job...anyone who wants to come with, Whiz has some fancy clothes to make you barely presentable. When it comes to Court functions, you're all as useless as screen windows on the bottom of a rowboat though, so feel free to let me do the talking-or, stay away and spare yourself the embarrassment.

That being said, anyone who has some guts can come and see what we can wring from the local nobility before they kick us out."

She said, departing.

And skipping a bit, after she left and thought no one was watching.

Action: Go find that useless Captain Mandro and get an audience with the local noble he mentiond.

[lawastooshort]

Action: Go find that useless Captain Mandro and get an audience with the local noble he mentiond.

Captain Mandro’s quarters are best described as… luscious. And purple – in the same way that a tropical rain forest’s undergrowth if it was entirely made of cheap purple velvet might be described as luscious and purple. When Lady Foxglove Vainglorious III is shown in by a stunty man – sorry, halfling-servant, Mando is sitting at a polished hardwood table, aided by a purple cushion, with a few documents casually laid out before him. He jumps off to welcome Lady Foxglove and offers his hand after a deep bow.

”My lady! I say, you look rather spiffing in the daylight. I thought it was the romantic moonbeams that gave you such a wondrous complexion, but I was clearly mistaken: your beauty is as lustrous as the finest pearl! Do you come to take tea? I am delighted. Metchley! Tea there! And sharpish! I say. Oh! But I forget myself – I suggested I might be able to introduce you to Lord Nirila in thanks for your efforts last night. Some queries about wizardly items, if I remember…”

…   …   …   …   …   …

Not too long after, Lady Foxglove is introduced to Lord Anarya of Nirila in what passes for the Lord’s court. The long stone room is reasonably tastefully decorated – not too much, not too cheap – and at the end of a rather clichéd long carpet Lord Anarya sits on a more than slightly immodest throne. It looks a little out of place, but quite imposing – like the man himself.

Anarya is tall, well built, with thick dark brown hair, thick eyebrows, dark brown eyes. His frown brightens into something approaching interest as Lady Foxglove comes nearer, the sun shining brightly on her through the large stone windows every couple of paces.

”Well… Lady Foxglove, apparently… Mandro sends you, which is a recommendation of sorts, I suppose. I must offer you my thanks for slaying some nasty little kidnappers fleeing my territory, I’m told, although I didn’t expect thanking you to be such an agreeable experience. Thank you, milady. Mandro suggested you might have a request?”

[Dwarmin]

"What a darling compliment. Pearls you say? They are the way to a woman's heart...in fact, I'd love if you bought me some...think how beautiful I would be then...oh, I'd just love that..." She commented, plucking a stray thread from a gaudy purple pillow and unraveling it's expensive weaving idly. Whereas beginning the process whereby Mandro would throw his money in a foolish attempt to earn her affections. She had much experience in this...

In truth, if he wanted anything from her he'd have to be a bit more interesting.

...

Lady Foxglove stood in court-in a casual but immodest stance, hands light on her hips, nose arced at a proper noble height. It was so good to be among her people again.

She had more or less rearranged her wardrobe on the fly by taking out some of the traveling gear-less heavy leather, more silk-less thick padding, more frills. Soft and inviting, warm and cozy.

"...Your thanks are appreciated, of course, but it was only a trifle on my end-mere vermin such as those posed no threat to me.

My full tile is Lady Foxglove Vainglorious the Third, but I do not stand on such flighty ceremony often. Feel free to call me by my first name.

It is likewise a great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Nirila. I was so enthused to meet and mingle with one of my own kind when your duly appointed captain informed me I had passed your lands borders-oh, how often when one travels abroad, do they miss the trappings of court life and pleasures of being one of the true Nobility, such as you and I. It can be quite lonely, dealing with but hirelings and minions, traveling the long roads....Oh, I've been so very lonely.

Ahh, but as my brother always says-business, before pleasure.

As for my request-have you by any chance heard of the Magical Mandolin of Lumithos?"

[Harry Baldman]

"So, your child is both exceptionally talented and the target of a recent kidnapping. By any chance, have you ever heard of two brothers named Gerty and... Respectable, I guess? They sound like fairly unusual names to me."

Question the armorer, still holding Bukkar.

"That being said, anyone who has some guts can come and see what we can wring from the local nobility before they kick us out."

"Not me. I suppose I'll look into this whole kidnapping thing a bit, see if something overtly sinister turns up. Maybe there's a whole lot of thugs we could safely eliminate and loot for the practice and moral superiority."

If the armorer fails to provide any viable hints, look for a place to buy bandages - buy 10 for personal use. Then head to Crikeyface Jack's, if that is indeed a place I can find. Deposit Bukkar there and buy him about a gallon of ale in a large bowl.

"Now, I hope that's enough to keep you happy for the next few hours until you turn back to normal. I trust you'll be able to fend off any unfriendly drunks without my rather dubious help?"

[lawastooshort]

”As for my request-have you by any chance heard of the Magical Mandolin of Lumithos?"

”The Third, eh? Excellent… excellent. You’re looking for a magical instrument? Hoho. Well…”

Nirila looks seriously at Lady Foxglove.

”Look, I don’t know about mandolins, but the kobold tribe that you came across with Mandro is said to be led by a shaman, a shaman with a magical drum made from an artefact from another world. Nonsense, probably, but I’m not exactly a scholar and that’s the only magical instrument I’ve ever heard of. Where is this Lumithos? Your land? Say, you and your followers – you are mercenaries? Adventurers?”

"So, your child is both exceptionally talented and the target of a recent kidnapping. By any chance, have you ever heard of two brothers named Gerty and... Respectable, I guess? They sound like fairly unusual names to me."

”Not so unusual as that, no sir! You must not be from round ‘ere, although I’ve a feeling we already mentioned that… No, Gerty is fairly usual – let’s say the less skinny boys often get called Gerty, ‘cos they’re right gert fat, yer see, and the name tends to stick around even if the chub doesn’t… Anyway. Gerty and Respectable, eh? Sound like a right pair of eejits. If you were looking for clean eejits round here I’d suggest Crikeyface Jack's place, it’s right full of eejits and I’d go there more often meself if it weren’t for the wife. But for dirty eejits I’d go, well, I wouldn’t meself, but I’d suggest going to Two-bob Bob’s place near the docks. Full of feckin’ filthy eejits, that one.”

Jack the Armourer seems a fairly honest man, and his law-abiding dislike of Two-bob Bob’s place seems entirely genuine.

After thanking Jack, Gervedder carries Bukkar first to a bandage shop and then to Crikeyface’s inn. When Gervedder puts down a gallon of ale in front of Bukkar, he can’t tell if it’s Bukkar the Toad or Bukkar the Human who’s in control when the toad leaps face first into the bowl…

[Harry Baldman]

Find a barmaid or similar person. Explain to them certain things.

"May I ask you to watch over that bowl over there? The one with the toad in it. It's a buddy of mine, got transmuted. Make sure nobody pours it out or steals it, will you? The toad is likely to turn into a man in some time."

Then look for Cadge-ear or Deafarse among the crowd. They shouldn't be far off. If I can't find either of them, find somebody who is not too inebriated. Greet them.

"Hello, I was wondering if you know somebody - two people, brothers, actually, who go by the name of Gerty and Respectable, I believe. Do the names and associations ring any bells?"

[lawastooshort]

"Hello, I was wondering if you know somebody - two people, brothers, actually, who go by the name of Gerty and Respectable, I believe. Do the names and associations ring any bells?"

”Ha – it’s the milord! I told you Crikeyface has a lovely establishment, dint I, eh? Gerty and Respectable? I had a fight with an ugly looking feckin’ eejit whose brother I think it was called him Speckable, that was after I smashed his face in, see, couldn’t speak right. Speckable Gettim, he said. Haha. Months ago. Years ago? Dunno. Down by the docks like. Disreputable feckin’ eejits. Tried to steel my hat. When I last got thrown out of Two-bob Bob’s, but I’m more respectable than that now. More respectable than Receptacle. Repseck- Repfeck. Able. Him.”

Deaf-arse is quite drunk.

[Dwarmin]

”The Third, eh? Excellent… excellent. You’re looking for a magical instrument? Hoho. Well…”

Nirila looks seriously at Lady Foxglove.

”Look, I don’t know about mandolins, but the kobold tribe that you came across with Mandro is said to be led by a shaman, a shaman with a magical drum made from an artefact from another world. Nonsense, probably, but I’m not exactly a scholar and that’s the only magical instrument I’ve ever heard of. Where is this Lumithos? Your land? Say, you and your followers – you are mercenaries? Adventurers?”

"Other worlds? Balderdash...but it's worth checking out, all the same. Perhaps they bought it from someone...and maybe we'll wring some Kobold necks while we're at it.

And, Lumithos is my homeland-a darling country, really, but it's quite far from here. I doubt you could even find it on a map!

Anyway-about the Mandolin. We're trying to get it back in one piece-it's quite valuable, for all sorts of reasons. It's sort of a potentially dire quest-the whole of Istria could be at stake if it fell into the wrong hands, etc, etc. You know how it goes. Standard adventurer stuff-have to quest for a reason, right? As for me, I suppose adventurer would be an appropriate term. One should travel the world while they are young, yes? Looking for danger, riches, romance-it's really quite exciting. You meet the most wonderful people on the way, assuming a Dragon doesn't eat you...I don't suppose we would run into any Dragons around these lands, would we?"

[Harry Baldman]

"Thanks, Deafarse, you're a peach. I'll be going now - the seedy parts of town are a-calling."

Run over to the docks, find Two-bob Bob's joint. Watch out for any undesirables on the way. Find the proprietor.

[lawastooshort]

"Other worlds? Balderdash...but it's worth checking out, all the same. Perhaps they bought it from someone...and maybe we'll wring some Kobold necks while we're at it.

And, Lumithos is my homeland-a darling country, really, but it's quite far from here. I doubt you could even find it on a map!

Anyway-about the Mandolin. We're trying to get it back in one piece-it's quite valuable, for all sorts of reasons. It's sort of a potentially dire quest-the whole of Istria could be at stake if it fell into the wrong hands, etc, etc. You know how it goes. Standard adventurer stuff-have to quest for a reason, right? As for me, I suppose adventurer would be an appropriate term. One should travel the world while they are young, yes? Looking for danger, riches, romance-it's really quite exciting. You meet the most wonderful people on the way, assuming a Dragon doesn't eat you...I don't suppose we would run into any Dragons around these lands, would we?"

”Oh, dragons… Not round here, not any big ones, anyway. Maybe small wild dragons deep in the mountains but none that I’ve ever seen for a very long time. In the Extremities though, yes: vast dragons in the cold south; when I was a nipper the old folks still told tales of Kanaj the Evil Dragon of the North… Don’t know if that’s any truer than this stuff about magic and other worlds though, some say only the gullible believe in that kind of tripe. Hmm...”

Nirila strokes his stubbled chin.

”If you do want to explore in the kobold mountains then let me know before you set off. I’ll write you a pass to cross my lands without interference, since if you do cause them a problem you’ll be doing me and my peasants a favour. They raid and carry off the young ones, sometimes, it’s said. Well, not just said, it’s been seen, damn the runty scum… Forgive me. Uncouth of me.”

Run over to the docks, find Two-bob Bob's joint. Watch out for any undesirables on the way. Find the proprietor.

((I’ll wait to see what the others do before continuing with this. Just in case.))

[Toaster]

"Seedy parts of town, huh?  You might need some backup."

Follow the messenger.

[Dwarmin]

”Oh, dragons… Not round here, not any big ones, anyway. Maybe small wild dragons deep in the mountains but none that I’ve ever seen for a very long time. In the Extremities though, yes: vast dragons in the cold south; when I was a nipper the old folks still told tales of Kanaj the Evil Dragon of the North… Don’t know if that’s any truer than this stuff about magic and other worlds though, some say only the gullible believe in that kind of tripe. Hmm...”

Nirila strokes his stubbled chin.

”If you do want to explore in the kobold mountains then let me know before you set off. I’ll write you a pass to cross my lands without interference, since if you do cause them a problem you’ll be doing me and my peasants a favour. They raid and carry off the young ones, sometimes, it’s said. Well, not just said, it’s been seen, damn the runty scum… Forgive me. Uncouth of me.”

"No offense taken, Lord Nirila. Honeyed words do not suffice when a certain amount of wrath is needed. If we encounter them, rest assured they shall feel the full might of your judgement.

So, your assistance is most greatly accepted...might you also provide some maps of the local area, as well? It'd be nice not to have to rely on the local...ahem, bumpkins...for directions." She said with a sheepish look.

She then tapped her chin.

"And in other matters, might I inquire if you enjoy the occasional glass of white wine with dinner, Lord Nirila?" Lady Foxglove said innocently. Though her smile was far from innocent.

Given the choice of black and mild (and a horrible hangover) and bumpkin stew, or a nice meal with fine company, well...

She hadn't really eaten since yesterday (breakfast pastries did not count into her diet) and even watching her figure occasionally, she was quite hungry.

[Xantalos]

The toad seemed angry as it poured the drink down it's throat, and the more angry it got, the more it drank, and the more it drank, the angrier it got.
Croakacroakin croak croak croak, what used to be Bukkar muttered as it stared down into the bowl of ale. However, all of a sudden the warty thing perked up, for one reason - it had resolved to do something! He could not tolerate being beaten by a magical progidy, of all people, and he'd be damned if he'd let that rest! He may be bound by contract not to kill the scuttling wretches called 'the party' (though a more dour - and sober - party Bukkar had rarely seen), he was under no such obligation for, oh say ... anyone else.
Course of action resolved upon, the toad hopped out of the now-empty bowl, sloshing with rage and alcohol.

Hop outside and onto Gervadder's back. Croak warningly if he tries to pull me off.

[lawastooshort]

"No offense taken, Lord Nirila. Honeyed words do not suffice when a certain amount of wrath is needed. If we encounter them, rest assured they shall feel the full might of your judgement.

So, your assistance is most greatly accepted...might you also provide some maps of the local area, as well? It'd be nice not to have to rely on the local...ahem, bumpkins...for directions." She said with a sheepish look.

She then tapped her chin.

"And in other matters, might I inquire if you enjoy the occasional glass of white wine with dinner, Lord Nirila?" Lady Foxglove said innocently. Though her smile was far from innocent.

”Ha! White wine… I certainly do, milady, I certainly do, and you can come and enjoy one with me this evening, if you’d do me the honour. As you say, it’s not often one comes upon such… quality. I shall have you drawn up a letter of passage and see what we can get you for a map. There’s merchants head that way sometimes for mining, so it’s not easy to get particularly lost. Anyway – I think that might be enough business for now? I have some things to do, you know, business affairs, that sort of thing: one of the down sides of having such power is having to exercise the blasted thing. And where are you staying? I can get a servant to accommodate you in the castle, if you’d wish… I’m not sure I can offer the same for your… followers though, I’ll have a clerk enquire.”

((Hahahah, a map! Very good. If it’s not photoshopping flames and t rex heads then artistically I can’t do it. But I’ll do the next best thing and pretend you have a map. I have a mental map, of course. Or I could do one with lightning representing rivers, flames representing forests, and dinosaur heads representing the mountains))

"Seedy parts of town, huh?  Oh yeahhhh."

Tackov ((and anyone else)) follows Gervedder out of Crikeyface Jack’s homely pub, the messenger wearing the drunken giant toad like an angry parrot. The dock area is just as Tackov hoped it might be: seedy, getting seedier and stinkier the nearer the river Immor gets – a slow and putrid mass of dirty water even in the cold season.

…There’s enough of the out of towners, looking strangely tougher than they did this morning, to put off any of the more active undesirables, but they attract a great many glances on their way over to Two-bob Bob’s considerably less homely establishment.

Gervedder pushes the door in.

”What the feck is that feckin’ thing on your shoulder? And what the feck you want: bitter, mild, or a pint of get the feck out?”

Two-bob Bob is known for his cheap beer, cheap rooms, and sturdy approach to undesirable undesirables, rather than for manners and hospitality. People don’t come down the docks for manners and hospitality in any case, he’d point out, without adding that his pub might well be one of the reasons for that.

[Chink]

Hunt for a source of money.