A Night at the Old Skull Inn

[NoTrammeling]

Jain appears briefly stymied, but recovers quickly enough to grab the attention of a passing server. "Bring whatever they like." He motions to the group. "And for myself, warmed wine with sugar." Standing, he tosses his head in the direction of Seraphina. "Aye, you've the right of it Gimak."

He places a hand on Elianna's shoulder, tossing her and leans down to answer her question eye-to-eye so that he can include a far-too-presumptuous wink. "A number appear ready to join us, many a fair and pretty face among them! It might be that I am dead already and this is some private heaven." He straightens up. "Order what you like, but have a care for the price! A man like me has shallow pockets."

With that said the Longleague makes good on his name and covers the distance to Seraphina in the blink of an eye. "Lady Ashworthy," he adopts his business-tone, "we would be gratified to have your presence at our table. I'm sure you are dying to meet the others." He gestures toward the rest of the group.

Meanwhile, the serving girl watches the rest of the group with the impatient eyes of someone of her vocation on such a busy night. She's a young lass, dark-eyed and dark-haired.

[JadedDM]

"Just a small beer, my dear, if you please," Gimak says to the serving girl with a smile. Turning to the others, he adds, "Quite a varied little group so far. It'll be nice having people to talk to during the long days on the road for a change. Not to mention extra eyes to keep a watch out for brigands and other dangers."

[Faeryl Nhiikira]

With that said the Longleague makes good on his name and covers the distance to Seraphina in the blink of an eye. "Lady Ashworthy," he adopts his business-tone, "we would be gratified to have your presence at our table. I'm sure you are dying to meet the others." He gestures toward the rest of the group.

Meanwhile, the serving girl watches the rest of the group with the impatient eyes of someone of her vocation on such a busy night. She's a young lass, dark-eyed and dark-haired.

"Oh would ye now? Alright, I suppose I could join ya. Might be that you've need of a skilled locksmith in your little group. Why else would you have asked me to come all the way out here in the first place?" Seraphina joins the group at their table.

[Breila]

"A bowl of soup, please, and a mug of light ale." Eringard says to the serving girl with a smile.

[Jenara]

Elianna starts to react to Jain, but changes her focus in a moment, "A glass of white wine, and perhaps some fish?" She asks the young server.

"Indeed this group is more varied than I expected, perhaps that is a good thing." She suggests to the dwarf as she removes her quiver, and lays her sheaved sword across her lap. "You are a warrior?" She asks as she strokes the scabbard reverently, nodding to the new arrival.

[JadedDM]

Gimak nods to Elianna. "Aye, I've cracked a few heads in my time. Although I don't carry my weapons to the dinner table, nor stroke them lovingly--at least, not publicly, anyway," he adds with a grin, deeply amused by the Freudian implications of the half-elf's actions.

[Jenara]

"Was I?" Blushing deeply she puts the sword to one side, yet clearly in her eyeline. "Habit, perhaps."

"Rania is known to you, are any of the others?" She asks, changing the subject quickly.

[NoTrammeling]

Jain returns to the table with Seraphina just in time to pinch the buttocks of the exiting serving girl, who glares daggers at him behind his back. Seeming not to notice, he sits down with the rest of the group. "This is most of us I do believe, so let's have our discussion under way." He unfurls a map on the mostly empty table, sticking one if its corners with a dagger he produces from nowhere and holding the other down with his hand. It shows all of Daggerdale.

"A troubled land, Daggerdale. Split between the Zhents and the local people. The Zhents have Dagger Falls and not much else, but then there isnt much else to the place. The Zhents are stripping all they can from the people and the land, logging the forests to the north of Dagger Falls at a prodigious speed. Goblins of the Big Belly clan raid whenever they get their courage up. And now a strange sickness is spreading in Dagger Falls. Some reports say it's Randal Morn's doing, he's the rightful ruler and rebel lord doing some raiding of his own on the Zhentarim, but the sickness is effecting locals as well as Zhents." He pauses to stroke his beard.

"We,"he begins again, "or should I say YOU, are being hired to root out this business with the sickness. I have other business to attend to once we reach Daggerdale lands."

[Faeryl Nhiikira]

"A few things...

1) Will we have to worry about these Zhents at all?

2) Is this "other business" anything we need be concerned about?"

[HorizonsDream]

Raina quickly orders some ale, potatoes, and some soup. If someone else was paying, then she was going to take full advantage of it! "Thank you!" she calls out towards the retreating barmaid. The poor girl just didn't look happy, but then again, it was a busy night.

"I really doubt that the rebel leader would be killing his own people. That makes him worse than the Zhents," Raina said after giggling lightly at Gimak's remark. "But I am kind of curious about how the disease is spreading. We are going to have to be really careful so that we don't get sick ourselves."

[Jenara]

"Well first we should find out who has been affected, then try to trace the source." Tapping the table she pauses. "Perhaps making sure we have a supply of water and rations would be a good idea? Until we rule that out? Many a siege has been ended by poisoning the water supply. Why not here too?"

"Have anyone else had dealings with the Zhents? Or am I the only one who speaks the language? I have walked among them, as one of them..." She winks, her left eyebrow folding over, her long eyelash fluttering. "They are a cruel and viscous bunch."

"Speed appears to be of the essence.. perhaps we should find a carriage, or wagon heading that way first thing."

[NoTrammeling]

Jain raises his eyes from the map to look reappraisingly around the group. "Hmm, is it possible I've contracted a successful group? Fine questions, all." He leans back, planting a second dagger at the edge of the map to keep it unfurled.

"The Zhentarim should be no more trouble to you then they are to anyone. Though they are a spineless and greedy bunch I'd wager they're just as eager to see this disease sorted, unless they're the ones doing it. ~Try~ not to anger them, having a warrant for your arrest might make moving through the city difficult." He smirks.

"The other business? Well, that's my personal affair. It will not effect you so long as you don't attempt to effect it. " Shifting his gaze to Raina he gives her a helpless, ingratiating smile. "Not the faintest how the disease spreads, I've no reports of that only that cases only ever pop up in and around Dagger Falls."

Finally he addresses Elianna, something unreadable twinkling in his eyes, amusement? Approval? "We've got a thinker. I do suggest you follow Miss Troy's advice and secure a trusted source of victuals and drink." Jain pauses for a moment to tug at his beard, thinking. "I... could... purchase horses and resell them at Dagger Falls. Even turn a profit, most like. Horseflesh is in constant demand there. But if you lot were to damage or depreciate these animals in anyway it will come out of your pay. And you would have use of them only to Dagger Falls."

[JadedDM]

When the barmaid returns, Gimak tips her an entire gold piece by way of apology for Jain's behavior.

"I suppose we'll learn more about this sickness when we get there," the dwarf muses. "And I always keep my own stock of food and water with me, so that's not a problem. His eyes narrow a bit at the half-elf when she openly admits to having once been a Zhent. "Is that so..?" he asks, scratching his beard. "In any case, wagons are for carrying heavy loads, not speed. They'd actually slow us down further. Not much for horses, myself. I'd just as soon as walk, to be honest."

[Jenara]

"Yes, I have been among them, learning their ways, it was quite.. Dangerous." Elianna responds, blushing at Jain's comment. "Sorry if I was teaching you that you already know Master Dwarf."

"What do the rest of you think?" she comments, taking her focus from the dwarf a moment. "I can move better on my feet, but speed is of the essence."

[Breila]

"Horses would be good for another reason" Eringard remarks. "It is cold and wet out there, and there are no roadside inns. Not using horses would mean several very cold and wet nights in a row, slowing us down further during the day. And they might weaken our defenses against the disease."