Café de Nuit

in the plaza-

The old man answers Blaise,


''Oh, it's for our king, when he comes back again. ''

Immediately after saying this, the elder begins to fidget and look about nervously.


''Ah.....it's not for any of us to eat, you see. It's custom!''

ewancummins wrote: ''Work during the day? I don't think I'd like that. It's too bright and noisy for my liking. I've grown used to the nighttime. ''

Mara smiles, stands on her tip-toes and kisses Alain on his lips, ever so lightly. Her soft breath bears the scent of persimmons.

Then, suddenly, the girl is turning away, walking into her small house. The door closes behind her, but Alain doesn't hear a latch or bolt being thrown or a lock engaged.


Alain stands alone on the street, in a fog that has grown thicker since he made his slight detour to escort Mara to her home. Somewhere in the distance, a bell is ringing midnight.

As the toll of midnight ends, Alain feels the weight of the evening upon his thoughts, affecting him almost physically as his shoulders haunch. He feels colder.
The city has grown quiet, almost as if an entire room full of laughing people ran out of conversation in unison. He stares at the shack with a swimming feeling in his head, saying Did this just happen?

He turns a away, facing the the open streets, now thick with a fog so deep the last memory he could compare it to occurred a long time ago. Back when he and a group of adventurers wandered through it with a single rope tied to each persons waist to keep them from becoming separated.
He briefly wondered where some of those people had gone.

What a peculiar little girl.

He began walking, which helped lighten the imaginary weight he felt from the sudden and surprising sense of loneliness. He wanted to be a kid again. Free from what he would experience as an adult as he discovered how twisted the world could really be.

And with his memory fleeing back to better times, times in Port a' Lucine. Times with Marrielle, before he fled into the mist for the very first time, he began to make his way back to the Inn.

Alain, alone, the city at night

As the writer makes his lonesome way back towards the common-house, the mists about him grow very thick and clouds have hidden the moon, so it's become dark enough that he must go by feel more than sight to find his footing. The vapours eat sound, so that Alain can hear little but the noises he makes himself: his own beating heart, breathing that is a trifle quick, shoes scudding across damp cobblestones.

After walking for an inderminate length of time through the fog, Alain begins to discern vaguely familiar outlines of buildings and canal, street corners and shops. It's impossible to be certain, but he may be getting close to the Old Shell. Or perhaps the fog has confused his vision?

A new sound joins the selfmade noises- another set of feet, walking out of step with Alain's cadence. Then a voice-

''Allo there. Spare a copper for an old soldier?''

The footsteps cease- a new sound, the snicker of oiled steel sliding across leather.

Once again, Alain produces the quill pen from the pocket of his jacket and recites a poem, causing the feather to erupt with light.

"It isn't polite to sneak up on a gentleman of the watch, monsieur. All sorts of bad reactions could ensue."

If Alain is able to, he takes into account of anyone within the radius of the light, also considering any limitations brought on by the fog.

in the city
Alain hears a sharp intake of breath behind him.

Turning and scanning the fog, he spots the speaker standing several feet away, near the mouth of an alley.

The stranger stares at Alain- and at his glowing pen.

''Watch, eh? I...I wasn't sneaking, it's just this fog...''

The scruffy looking stranger shifts his right hand behind his back. Alain catches a glint of cold steel before the motion is complete.

''I'll just be going 'ome then.''

The man backs away, vanishing into the darkness of the alley.

ewancummins wrote:in the plaza-

The old man answers Blaise,


''Oh, it's for our king, when he comes back again. ''

Immediately after saying this, the elder begins to fidget and look about nervously.


''Ah.....it's not for any of us to eat, you see. It's custom!''

"Well, that's quite charming," says Blaise, reacting as the old man's verbal slip had gone unnoticed. "My homeland has odd customs, too, although they involve graveyards, not cheese. I like your custom better!" He looks to his companions -- and especially at Ironheart -- and says cheerily, "Well, friends, let us thank this man for his kindness and continue with our nighttime walk."

Threan, alone in the island settlement

The quiet little gnome has left his fellows and made his own way through town. He has found a path to the far side of town that avoids buildings with lights in the windows. It is a crooked path of alleys and tunnels, but not so indirect as to cause much delay. The path through town connects to a wagon trail heading west- straight towards Delthrin's home by the cliffs.

Archedius appears to mull it over for a moment then shakes his head and motions for his comrades to stay hidden.

He raises his voice to a normal and soothing level ,"You there, under the tarp. I am going to remove it and ask you some questions. I do not wish to alarm you."

With that he grabs a corner of the tarp and pulls it forth violently to reveal the cage as quickly as possible.

the lab

Archedius jerks aside the heavy cloth, revealing the contents of the cage: a man-sized figure strapped to a large swivel mounted surgical table. The creature has two arms and two legs- and the similiarity to anything human ends there. The head is like something out of a sailor's nightmare, like an octupus, but yet not truly like any natural being. A quartet of tentacles writhe about a tubular mouth that contains circular rows of serrated bone. Large pale eyes roll aimlessly in its pulpy head, the pupils pinprick small. The monster's mauve skin glistens dully with mucus. Someone has crucified it, nailing it to the table with long steel spikes. Its body bears marks of recent surgery- or recent torture. Surtures run down it abdomen. On it top of its head rests a heavy helmet-like contraption connected by wires to a copper plated box that's bolted to the table.

After finding a suitable route for the party to make it's way to Delthirins Lair he returns to the group to inform them of the route he has scouted for the group . Going up to Ironheart and whispering in his ear"I have scouted out a way for us to take that will make us less noticeable to the towns folk on are way through it ."

Shana whispers back to Blaise "I have no idea... about either!"

She nods to the Gnome as he returns and sets off briskly, following his route at a half jog

Inovidil always hidden looks the aberration.

"Holly Mystra a mindflyer! Archedius better step back, I don't know what they can do. We are not sure if is alive, but better be cautious."

"Sweet Lathander," the dwarf hisses. Turning to the others, she looks disgusted. "I think I've seen something uglier n an orc now, an that's it."

Of course she'd heard of these monsters but knew next to nothing about them. Though she was pretty sure they were evil in nature, this predicament it found itself in just went to prove how demented and perverted Delthrin really is. Though it is an evil creature, it didn't deserve this fate, noone did. She voiced her opinion to the others.

"I don't know anything about these creatures cept they're evil. But I don't think even it deserves its fate, no matter what its nature. I don't condone most of the time what I will say, but this time I will make an exception given the circumstances. I think you know what I mean, Arch." She looks away, then down, sure she was telling them to do the right thing. She gripped her holy symbol tightly and offered a silent prayer to her goddess.

Inovidil looks one more time the illithid and says:

"I agree, with Rardi. Nobody deserves this fate. But is it alive? If it is I guess we should do the right thing and fast, we are here to find if Delthrin has kidnapped a child. Also I need to check the laboratory a little better so I can understand what kind of experiments this necromancer does. We all agree that he is evil and we need to stop him I guess. We just want to gather more information possible."

Blaise watches Threan return and whisper something to Ironheart before moving again. Blaise then turns to the old man and says, "Thank you for your hospitality -- and the delicious cheese. A good night to you and your wife." He gives the man another coin, and then follows Threan and Shana on the route out of town.