CH. 3: Mages, Mages Everywhere

[JadedDM]

Kendra Synclair, 2723 Crooked Road
Whatever argument her parents were going to provide die on their lips at Kendra's announcement. "You're marrying, Norris? Honey, that's wonderful!" Garnet says, throwing her arms around Kendra (and accidentally sending shockwaves of pain through the warrior's body, thanks to her injuries).

"Huh, well it's about time," her father says. "Now you can quit the Holy Guard and this goblin slaying nonsense. When's the date?"

Haahqae and Darga, Steel Tankard Common Room
The innkeeper returns from upstairs with a rather pregnant woman, prodding her down the stairs. "C'mon, let's go! Yer silver is worthless!"

"But you said--!" the woman protests.

"Cough up some steel, an' I might reconsider. No? Then off ya go!" he says, giving her a light push.

The woman stumbles, but grabs the rail to steady herself. When she gets to the bottom, the innkeeper pushes past her and approaches Haahqae with a key in his hand. "Yer room's ready, sir!"

[djhyland]

Darga thinks on the man's words and furrows his brow. "He's gonna give th' refugees food an' a place ta sleep? Has he done that yet? I mean, th' folk around here sure do look like they need somebody ta do that. An' what's this "promised land"?

Darga appears to weigh more questions, but the loud ruckus of the innkeeper evicting the pregnant woman catches his attention. Frowning angrily, he hastily excuses himself from his conversation, he squeezes through the crowd to the foot of the stairs. Scowling at the innkeeper, he says, "Ya'd throw out someone who's already paid hard coin fer a room? Among my folk, that's a cryin' shame!" Turning to the woman, he nods towards the door. "If yer coin ain't good enough fer this place, it ain't good enough fer mine, either. C'mon, I'll get ya somewhere else ta stay fer tonight." With one last sneer for the innkeeper, he adds, "Mebbe th' other inns in this town know better how ta treat folk."

[HorizonsDream]

"Ow ow ow!" Kendra says through her teeth as her mom hugs her. "A date hasn't been set yet. We haven't talked about details." Which she really wasn't looking forward to doing at all. "So listen, I only came over here to let you all know that I'm okay, that I'm marrying Norris, and to give you this," she says as she pulls out the pouch holding all the steel that she made. She keeps 80 for herself, but gives the family the rest of it.

[mgbevan]

"well it's good to hear you still have your wits about yourselves, not sure what I would say if you joined up. That's interesting about the intake is refugees rather than local residents. All this fanaticism could be avoided if the city could provide the basics to people in need, but resources are just too stretched... Yes I had been thinking I would do something a little quieter now, I almost got others killed too, but the ideas is the money will help us all in our time of need... There's some bad feelings between humans and the elves after the cataclysm, still, much time has passed since then..."

[JadedDM]

Haahqae and Darga, Steel Tankard Common Room

"He's gonna give th' refugees food an' a place ta sleep? Has he done that yet? I mean, th' folk around here sure do look like they need somebody ta do that. An' what's this "promised land"?

"I don't know the specifics," the man admits. "I know that once he is freed from jail, his plan will be put into motion. He told us of a promised land of milk and honey, where there is no death or violence and everyone can live in peace and harmony. He has the power to send people there, but only a few each day. But once the whole city converts, he'll have the power to bring us all there."

"If yer coin ain't good enough fer this place, it ain't good enough fer mine, either. C'mon, I'll get ya somewhere else ta stay fer tonight." With one last sneer for the innkeeper, he adds, "Mebbe th' other inns in this town know better how ta treat folk."

The innkeeper laughs. "Good luck! Ain't nobody else got any room at all. Every inn in the city is filled. Yer free to camp outside, of course, if ya ain't worried 'bout the weather or someone slittin' yer throat in the middle o' the night."

The pregnant woman frowns. "He...he's right. There's nowhere else to go. I'd rather sleep on the floor here than out in the streets," she admits.

Kendra Synclair, 2723 Crooked Road
"Kendra...this money could feed the whole family for years," Garnet says, shocked. "We can buy winter clothes for the children...no, for all of us!"

"We could even get a good education for them," Rangle notes, carefully considering the possibilities. "Even hire a tutor."

"Between this and you marrying Norris, we'll never have to worry about money again," Garnet says, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Kendra."

Gregeddin, 15 Market Street
Rye nods. "Now both the dwarves and elves have retreated away into their homes, refusing to have anything to do with the outside world. Now if only the ogres and goblins would do the same."

"And the kender!" Civila jokes.

"If only, if only," Rye says with an over-exaggerated shrug. They both break out into laughter.

===============

Kendra gives 500 STP to her family. She is no longer encumbered.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra forces a little smile at her mother. Honestly she was glad that her family was happy at this point. She was doing what she had to do to keep them afloat. "Just, don't spend all of that at once," she says. "Be careful with it. I might be marrying Norris, but that might not be for a few more months," she says.

[Haahque]

Seeing the lady's plight, Haahqae intervenes, unaware of how his words could be received. "I'm terribly sorry for taking my room back miss, but a gnome's gotta sleep just like everyone else, and I had a room here first how I hear it. However you did pay silver for it, and if the rooms like I remember it, there's a little extra room for a second person if you try hard enough. What I'm saying is I could offer you a place to sleep tonight, if you haven't found another." He pauses only long enough to catch his breath before adding an afterthought. "The thing is I have busywork to do in my room alone today, so you'd have to come by only when you're ready to sleep."

[mgbevan]

"Haha keep dreaming you too, sooner the old gods return sooner than the kender stop winding you up!"

[JadedDM]

Kendra Synclair, 2723 Crooked Road
"Don't worry, dear, we couldn't spend this much money in such a short time if we tried," Garnet assures her.

"It seems everything has worked out well," Rangle says thoughtfully. "I hope now you understand the decisions I've made, and how they had your best interests in mind."

Haahqae and Darga, Steel Tankard Common Room
The woman carefully considers Haahqae's offer, likely weighing the pros and cons of agreeing to sleep in the same room with a strange man she didn't know. Ultimately, she decides against it. "I thank you for your offer, master gnome, but the floor is good enough for the likes of me and the other refugees, I'm sure."

Gregeddin, 15 Market Street
The rest of dinner passes by quickly, as the family discusses their day and laugh at each others' jokes. After they finish eating and clean up, they retire for the night.

(End scene.)

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra looks over to her father, but decides against saying anything. She didn't want to get into another drawn out argument. "Well, I'm glad I could make your lives easier," she finally said as she stands up from where she is sitting. "I'm going to go," she finally says as she makes her way for the door. "I need some rest." Though, she has every intention of going to get a couple of drinks before heading home to get some rest.

[djhyland]

Darga studies the woman for a long moment, then shakes his head. Fishing out a steel piece, he presses it into her hand. "Suit yerself, then. An' if ya would, tell th' barmaid Cassandra that she kin keep th' rest of what I paid ta her, as I ain't stayin' around here ta spend it." With one last sneer at the innkeeper, he pushes his way out towards the door. If he can find a place at one of the other inns in town, so much the better. If he can't, well, he's slept rough in the cold enough times before, and it won't hurt to do it again.

(OOC: Darga will head to whichever of the other inns in town is closest, and see about finding a place to sleep there.)

[Haahque]

He hadn't really fancied sharing his room all that much, it was his strange sense of needing to help that had made him make the offer, so Haahqae is somewhat relieved when the woman turns him down. With a: "Very well miss, good luck to you anyways." Haahqae turns and ascends the stairs to reacquaint himself with his room. And his new book.

[JadedDM]

Kendra Synclair, 2723 Crooked Road
"Stay safe," Garnet says. "I'll visit Norris tomorrow, so we can start working on the details!" she adds, clearly excited about the upcoming day.

Haahqae, Steel Tankard Common Room
Having reclaimed his old room, Haahqae returns there and spends the rest of the evening going over Sekla's spellbook and scrolls. He finds that Sekla was not very advanced in her studies--she probably only recently took her Test. Perhaps that explains why she fell so easily.

However, the gnome finds he cannot learn any of the spells in the book. Not yet, at least. Some of the more advanced incantations may become available to him, once he learns more and grows in power. As for the scrolls, two are simple protection scrolls--one for water, and one for fire. The third scroll is full of spells, but they are encoded in the ancient language of magic, and will need to be unlocked first.

Darga, Haven Arms Inn
Darga steps outside, and sees it is beginning to rain lightly. Pulling his cloak tighter around him, he hurries to the next closest inn--the Haven Arms.

Once there, though, he's quickly told that they have no room at all. In fact, the barmaid there tells him that every inn is filled up, every spare room rented, and even the warehouses are stuffed to their limit, thanks to the 10,000+ refugees that have recently flooded the city. Ironically, she recommends he try the Steel Tankard, as it's the only inn left with any room, and even then, just on the floor of the common area.

[HorizonsDream]

"I don't even get to plan my own wedding," Kendra mutters to herself as she walks out.

OOC: The scene can end here. She'll go get a couple of drinks, then go home to get some rest.

[djhyland]

After exhausting every inn in Haven, Darga shrugs and looks to the streets, sure he can find an out-of-the-way place to set up for the night. With so many refugees in town, he looks for a friendly-looking group to join--perhaps a family or the like. Finding one, he holds out his hands non-threateningly. "I don't want no trouble, but would ya mind if I join ya folk at yer fire? I don't have much ta give, but I kin share what I have."