Adventurers in Narmaren

[Chris1234]

Having finished training Ruehar, Cane nods farewell and to the latter and leaves the tiny, bustling place called Narmaren.
Ruehar continues to wait for his breakfast.
Looking once more around the common room of the Whispering Wind tavern, he sees Tren Tailor eating some oatmeal concoction a table away and chainmail-clad Cheff in the far corner of the room, puffing away of his ever-present meersham pipe.
The world outside appears to be grey. It's going to be another humid day.

The whole day stretches ahead. What will Ruehar do with it?

[TristenC]

[I'd like to investigate the deed left to Ruehar and grt polly's help finding Earnie. He will also hide the silver bunnie pelts in Earnie's tent so someone won't snatch them. will I have time to track down earnie first?]

[Chris1234]

Considering his options, Ruehar thinks that whatever he's going to do in Narmaren would be best tackled and finished before diving into the potential bureaucratic mire in Prompeldia.
The deed, or more to the point the debt with which he considers using the deed to pay off, won't even vaguely start to bite him for at least three weeks and possibly not for twice that time.
The bunnie pelts appeared to have been untouched in Earnie's tent for at least two weeks.

What next?

[TristenC]

Ruehar asks Polly if she'd accompany him and, if so, they set off to find/question the herders. He keeps his eyes alert abd bow ready.

[Chris1234]

While Ruehar's gaze wanders, looking for Polly, he sees only Tren, Cheff and now, just emerging from the back area, Freesha.
Freesha brings Ruehar's breakfast: oatmeal and a hot spicy drink, tasting faintly of fish, "Sorry for the wait. Had a bit of a spill."
When he inquires about Polly, Freesha replies, "Sure, she's got a small tent over thataway.It's the smallest one near the Traveler's shrine. But Polly won't thank you for waking her at this time of the way. She never rises until the sun is halfway overhead." {OOC: 10.30-11.00am} "If it's company ye be after, there's old Tren." She whispers, "If you got all day to listen" and then continues in a normal voice, "Or Cheff an' his pipe there." Again she whispers, "If you can put up with his animosity towards slavers. And hobgoblins. And ogres. And, oh, I don't know." She shrugs and heads back to the serving area.

What next?

[TristenC]

A spill? Everything ok i hope? he replies to Freesha. If everything is fine, Ruehar eats and afterwards approaches Cheff. Speaking quietly he greets him with general pleasantries After a minimal small talk he moves on to other subjects, speaking quietly. Have you heard of any illegal slaver raids around where the herders work? I'm looking for a local man who went missing... He will encourage Cheff to converse quietly if possible.

[OOC: What is the current time appx?]

[Chris1234]

Freesha flashes a smile and a wink back at Ruehar, "It's fine, thank you." She disappears from view.

Cheff replies with a minimum of words, "Yes, lad, you can sit there; it's a free world. At least, in here it is," "Glad you like the pipe", "Yes, weather is humid for this time of the year," "Lots of people move though 'tent city', staying a day or perhaps a week or two, never more. You can buy virtually anything there, but rarely from the same place twice."

When the conversation get on to more serious matters, the man makes a show of knocking his pipe out in the fireplace and refilling it." "Not that I've heard of, no pun intended. And I would hear, sooner or later. If such a thing has happened, it would have been in the last few days. So who's this man and what's your interest in him? And what's your connection to the slavers?" He spits into the fireplace, then leans back to light his long pipe, eyes fixed on Ruehar throughout.

{OOC: time is approx 7.30. Tren comes in most mornings around 7.15 leaving around 7.45. Most of the locals flex their sleep patterns according to sun up and sun down. I've added a bit more to the 'Places & People' thread - bit more detail on the Inn and all new on the shrine.}

[TristenC]

Ruehar speaks quietly enough they won't be overheard. You might know him, Earnie the trapper. His niece heard the man had gone missing and I told her i'd look into it. No connection to slavers really, I've heard there may have been illegal slaving raids and I thought he might have been caught up in one. That, and i'd like to avoid any such activity myself naturally.

[Chris1234]

Cheff nods, "I know Earnie by sight, but not much more. Haven't seen him for a few weeks though."
He studies Ruehar whiclst fiddling with his pipe for a short while, then leans forwards too, conspiratorially, "So how do you feel about slavery, then? Of whatever sort?"

[TristenC]

Honestly, this is my first real run-in with it. If a dangerous criminal or something was condemned, I can understand putting him to work for the community, but selling him off to someone else seems... I don't know, backwards... I would think it would be more useful to find another way to have them pay their debt to society than just turning them over so someone else. And illegal enslaving of good, honest folk? That's a new concept to me. Makes me sick to my stomach to think that kind of thing goes on...

========
All said quietly, watching his reactions

[Chris1234]

Cheff nods, "Some of the slaves that reach Prompeldia end up elsewhere with far worse fates. The hobgolbins and their halfbreeds are only here for the profit in trafficking. I could use some help allowing justice to win outover profit..."

[TristenC]

Hmmm.... what kind of operation is it? Are there a lot of cases of illegal abduction going about?

[Chris1234]

"Yes, there is a lot of that and it's doing something about it." replies Cheff. "But I can't say any more unless I know 'you're in'. Success gives no more than the knowledge of having done the right thing. Failure, well, dead, or slavery."
Ruehar gets the feeling that while Cheff is clearly looking for an ally, he could also be a good ally to have at one's back.

Decision time?

[TristenC]

I have some promises to keep and some things to investigate on my own. After I deal with those, I'm in.

[Ooc: I see him as more of a good-hearted rogue. He wants to make his fortune, but doing right is a big driver for him. Cheating at cards is just him earning money with his skill like any other tradesman. He is Neut Good, though, so he wants to help right injustices. Kind of robin-hood-esque. He won't cheat the poor or truly good people, particularly if they can't afford to lose some coin.

[Chris1234]

Cheff makes on odd circular motion with his pipe. "Fair enough. Wouldn't need you 'til tomorrow anyway. So where you going to go poking around for Earnie? Tis safe in town in daylight. But at night or any time out of town can be ..dangerous, so maybe you should think about having someone to watch your back. And I don't mean anything to do with slavers, although they're bad enough. You're heard about the disappearances?"