The Quest of the Missing Quill

[Haahque]

Gaheris, Jasmine and Hihim
The barkeeper scowls as he searches for the correct words to explain his thoughts. "Rognic scumbag, as lies and self - deception in all its glory, as the right option to be honest Dubok. People say, Rognic won… win... favored"

However, like any good barkeeper, when Gaheris asks for an ale, an ale is produced without delay, indicating that the proper price is 5 copper per mug.

(Gaheris spends 5 cp on ale).

Ishan
While a town of this size doesn't have heavy traffic at all times, Ishan does notice a couple female orcs talking near a well closer to the center of the village. As is typical of orcs, they're well muscled and larger then typical human women in all ways.

Ishan finds the barracks open, there are no guards at the doors, but inside is a large, open room with numerous orcs training at arms, against targets and dummies but mostly against each other. On either side of the large room are closed doors, presumably leading into rooms further into the barracks.

[JadedDM]

Gaheris takes a drink from the ale and considers. He wasn't really getting anywhere with this bartender. From what he could piece together, it sounds like Rognic and Dubok had some kind of dispute. And it sounds like Rognic cheated or did something dishonorable. Was it possible then that he was saying that Rognic had been banished or even imprisoned? If so, reacquiring that quill wasn't going to be easy.

Still, in any case, it does seem like the bartender didn't think highly of Rognic, so there was no reason to hide the truth. "Honestly, Rognic stole something, and we were hired to get it back. A quill made from the feather of a manticore. Does that sound familiar?"

[Vrindlevine]

Ishan winks at some of the orc women as he passed by he'd certaintly love to assimilate them that's for sure.

As he enters the barracks he decides he needs to earn the respect of these orcs so he takes note of the training dummies before unleashing a war cry and running at one with his spear, he then proceeds to stab it in the chest before bringing his spear around and knocking its head clean off, as pieces of straw float lazily to the ground he leans casually on his spear and waits.

[Haahque]

Gaheris, Jasmine and Hihim
The innkeeper starts into saying something, then stops himself and asks: “You, dwarf tell him this.” At which point he starts into a speech which sounds sort of angry, but perhaps that’s just how orcish sounds? He says something about Rognic, but beyond that Gaheris and Jasmine can’t parse out what he means.

(Translation sent via PM)

Ishan
As Ishan winks at the girls over by the well, one of them just happens to be looking in his direction and notices him as he passes, and inexplicably decides to give him a small smile before turning back to her conversation with the other orc.

Entering the barracks Ishan savagely tears into a training dummy, scattering straw and managing to take off the head of the dummy, a piece of the wood that was holding the head on remains, sticking out of the straw neck. The other orcs continue their training exercises, but he does draw a few glances with his warcry and beheading of the dummy.

Most of the orcs decide to ignore him and turn back to their training. A couple watch him wearily, as if assessing how much of a threat he is and if he belongs in a place like this or not. One orc woman, wearing heavy armour that covers her from head to toe gives him a long glance, picks up her tower shield and wooden training axe once again and lets out her own warcry viciously assaulting the training dummy next to Ishan’s headless dummy, eventually managing to snap the wood in one of its arms, sending splinters and straw flying all over.

Ishan winks at some girls (their perception): 16, one notices him (his cha check): 19, she smiles.
Ishan attempts to impress orc soldiers through feats of strength (Str + Cha check): 19, impressive, for a human, but humans are puny.
Bonus luck check: 11.

[Chris1234]

"Thanks. Will do," Hihim says to the Innkeeper.

"He said: 'I’ve never heard of this manticore bird you speak of, but I don’t care what he stole. If you’re angry with him, by all means bring him down. He’s gone up north, to the Castle or to Achladder I don’t know, but either way you’re going to need to get past the mountains to get there, and outsiders aren’t allowed that far North unless they have permission. To get that, you need to talk to the Mayor here in Glash. Usually he agrees if you complete some sort of task to help out the orcs. Give and take is the rule. The task could be simple like helping build a building for a week, or it could be more dangerous like slaying a dangerous creature in the forest, he’ll give you a job fitting to how powerful you look. If you’re chasing that bastard, you probably want a hard and quick task, so make sure you look as impressive as possible. Usually though, the quick jobs are considered too hard for just three non-orcs, six might be able to do them, but you’ll just have to hope he can make an exception for you. And you better hope you don’t die. But, if you’re too weak to get permission to go north, honestly you’d be too weak to do anything effective to Rognic anyways.' ", translates the dwarf. "Any reply?"

[Vrindlevine]

Ishan grins at the surrounding greenskins (of course he would never use such a vulgur term out loud) The women didn't look to shabby in her armor but he was here for more important things.

"Can you please show me the way to a physician he says in orc, I feel my swing is a tad off centre due to straining my shoulder pushing through the armor on an imperial knight in a duel, you know those guys always wearing armor and starting fights."

When he sees the alchemist/doctor Ishan would like to inquire about liquid remedies, potions, herbal detoctions and the like to see if there's anything he can learn about the areas plant life or even pick up a new trick or two.

[JadedDM]

"No reply," Gaheris tells Hihim. "Looks like we're off to see the mayor. Come on, let's get going." He finishes his drink and steps outside to head to the mayor's place to ask permission to hunt down their quarry. Maybe if the mayor dislikes Rognic as much as that innkeeper, this won't be too much of a hassle.

[Chris1234]

~He's so decisive,~ thinks Hihim, looking at his leader.

[Haahque]

Ishan
"You should keep your axe sharper so that doesn't happen." She replies, as she drives her shield into the head of the training dummy. "Third door on the left." She doesn't say more, but her instructions are enough for you to find your way to a small room with a small orc sitting at his desk, the entire room, desk, shelves and floor is full of small boxes and bottles, most of them unlabeled. He's wearing a belt of various sharp-looking metal tools and flipping pages in a thin tome.

Gaheris, Jasmine and Hihim
Without instructions and slightly confused at how the orcs lay out their town, it takes the three of you some time to find the mayor's office. The big central building... turns out to be the barracks. For some reason Ishan seems to be inside that building, heading towards a small room on the side of the main training area.

A short search after that yields that the Mayer's office is a small building not too far from the barracks, across the road on the north-west side. The office is small, but well furnished, especially by orc standards. The walls are lined with statues and banners, there's a desk on a small dais, two bookcases behind it. Behind the desk is a large, armoured (and armed) orc sitting on a wing chair with a tall back. Leaning over the desk is another orc, apparently talking to the first. Finally, there's a third orc standing guard in the corner.

Group perception check to see ishan: Natural 19, they see him as they pass by.

[JadedDM]

Gaheris stops short at the sight of Ishan in the barracks. What was he doing here? Had it not been his idea that only Gaheris, Jasmine and himself enter while the rest wait outside? Yet here he was anyway. The Imperial was up to something, and this worried him. "Jasmine, why don't you go see what he's up to?" he asks the warrior as they pass. "Hihim and I can handle the mayor." He had noted she seemed kind of bored anyway, so this would at least give her something to do.

He then walks with the dwarf to the mayor's place. He'll wait for the orc before him to finish before intruding, although he does ask Hihim what they are talking about.

[Chris1234]

Hihim will quietly translate.

[Vrindlevine]

Ishan would like to see if this orc has any medical advice on how to deal with manticore wounds also if their are any manticores in the area.

He also wouldn't mind seeing if this orc has any herbs to trade.

[Haahque]

Gaheris, and Hihim
Leaving Jasmine behind to talk to Ishan, Gaheris and Hihim proceed to the mayor’s office, where they patiently wait for the conversation to run its course. As requested, Hihim translates the conversation to Gaheris as it progresses. It appears that there have been a rather large group of goblins spotted in the western side of the forest recently, and they’re discussing whether this has any implications that they should deal with. One idea is to raid their fort and make them fear to stray too far from their home. One is to confront the army head on and show them some Orcish might to cow them back to the eastern side of the forest. One suggestion is that they preserve their strength until – at that point their voices lower so it’s hard to make out what they said they’d wait for-. There doesn’t seem to be any definite conclusion to the conversation before the Mayor notices Gaheris and Hihim and beacons them forwards.

The smaller orc, the one who was talking to the Mayor when you arrived asks “Why are you here?” In the common tongue. There’s a heavy orc accent, however his words are quite clear.

Ishan
The orc jumps as Ishan addresses him, apparently unaware that the imperial had entered the room. However, when Ishan starts his line of questions the orc is rather cooperative and surprisingly level headed. It appears that this one does not speak common, however Ishan is fluent in orc, so the conversation proceeds unhindered by the language barrier.

“How to deal with manticore wounds? Hah, from what I hear a six foot pit is a good way to deal with manticore wounds. Or it would be if they left any bodies. Manticores are known for only showing themselves when they know they can leave no survivors to tell the tale. As for if there are any in the area? I wouldn’t know, they don’t leave survivors so all I would have to guess from is if anyone’s gone missing recently. And orcs go missing all the time. Imperial patrols, goblins, ogres, spiders, lots of reasons for someone to walk out into the woods and not come back in the morning. Could be a mantacore, could be anything else.”

“I usually buy herbs to use for my remedies, not sell them, but if the price is right I might be able to part with a few, what are you looking for specifically?”
And as soon as this question is asked, Ishan notices Jasmine entering the room.

Ishan’s diplomacy for first impressions: 19, doctor is cooperative.
Doctor makes a knowledge check (for manticore knowledge): 20 (total); pretty good.

Jasmine
Agreeing to Gaheris’s plan, Jasmine leaves the other two at the barracks and enters it, slipping past all the training orcs with only a few glances her way (a couple glances of disapproval and one glance of too much approval).

Slipping into the room she saw Ishan disappear into, she finds the man in conversation with one of the smaller orcs she’s seen thus far. However, they’re talking in a language that she cannot understand.

[JadedDM]

"We're here to seek permission to go north, to find the war orc Rognic," Gaheris explains. "We were hired by someone Rognic stole from, and we seek to get that property back. I heard that he went north, to the Castle or to Achladder." He does his best to project confidence and assurance, and not to give any hint of what the orcs might interpret as weakness.

[Chris1234]

Hihim stands there, arms folded, trying to exude the same air of unconcerned strength as Gaheris.