Café de Nuit

Alain

Alain dreams of the afternoon's search...

His patrol had turned up no demon-children, only a cellar full of dry goods, the shared storage area for several local shipping companies. He did find a child's shoe, sooty and with an old bloodstain on the heel.

In his dream, things are different. The cellar is full of shifting shadows, always just at the periphery of his field of vision. One by one, the shadow-figures grab the others: Rask, Talbot, Jamethon, dragging them screaming into the deeper darkness...until Alain is all alone in the middle of the cellar . The sunlit doorway seems impossibly far away, across a maze of wooden crates. Through the rows of boxes, he sees them coming for him: the red-eyed children with twisted bodies the color of dead-fish and charred rags for clothing. Their fangs glint in the failing light of his lantern. They crowd in to touch him....


''Wake up, Master Gusichard! There's a message for you from your captain.''

Morning of the 25th, the day after the trial-


Alain opens his eyes to see Nelly, the young bar-girl, leaning over him, prodding his arm with a skinny index finger.

''It says...URGENT. Is that bad?''

Shrenan Bros' shop, a back room [Ino, Glim, Threan]



A cluster of gnomes sits around the floor, backs or bottoms on big cushions. Inovidil is easily the tallest person in the room. The gnomes' meal is served out of a series of wooden bowls arranged in the middle of the very clean floor. Big disks of soft, flat bread are stacked in the middle bowl. Other vessels hold spiced meat morsels, crumbly white cheese, onion slices, greens, etc. There are no utensils- the gnomes eat with the dainty hands, or by using pieces of the bread as scoops. A tall samovar rests near Ino, with tiny silver cups ringing the central 'kettle.' It is filled with hot and sugary tea.

Glim asks Ino-

''How do you like the food?''

Blaise's room, The Old Shell

If Blaise slept in his own bed last night, he'll awake to the sound of someone outside the room pounding on his door.

''Get up! We have to report.''

Jamethon, of course...

Despite she is tired and maybe wanted to stay some more time in bed Inovidil wakes up really early next morning. She was eager to go to the smithy shop. When she gets there follows the gnomes example and sits down as they did without making any comment. She knows that many races have different ways of eating and also eat different things. The evoker still remembers the flowered flavour soup she has tasted once in her friend's Thalar house!

"I have no problem in anyway Glim really. I just enjoy all kind of food, everything that isn't burnt is fine with me! Don't worry about me everything seem delicious."

Morningmist Hall, Shana



Shana had arrived in time for the dawn ceremony. The main ritual chamber of the temple is more than half full of priests participating in the 'sun-rise rites', youthful acolytes carrying burnished brass censers charged with incense, and a smaller crowd of pious souls who seek the favor of Lathander. She doesn't see Thumast Alfane anyplace in the assembly.

Now, the ceremony has ended...

Inovidil, with the gnomes-

''I am glad you like the food. Would you care for some more tea? ''

The other gnomes are not unfriendly, but are less talkative and outgoing than Glimzine. Most just sit and eat quietly. A few converse in strange sibiliant language that Ino doesn't understand.

ewancummins wrote:Blaise's room, The Old Shell

If Blaise slept in his own bed last night, he'll awake to the sound of someone outside the room pounding on his door.

''Get up! We have to report.''

Jamethon, of course...

There is no response for a while. About 30 seconds later, Blaise's head pops out from a different door further down the hall. Rubbing a hand over his tired face, he says, "Mmmm? Oh yes... that. I'll be down shortly." Disappearing behind the door, he mumbles cheerily, "No rest for the wicked!"

Threan gets up after eating quickly and efficiently . Then bows to Ino saying as in a farewell"Well I will leave you to the tender care of my brother in your work ."With that he moves quickly to his room to gather his equipment(1) for his excursion into the City Proper .






1. Standard Adventuring minus Back pack stuff and lots of Daggers as usual .

Still with the smile that has been on her face since she arose, Shana will head back to the Old Shell after the service and breakfast. Assuming nothing happens, she will return to the temple for her "about Noon appointment.

Inovidil has really enjoyed the breakfast with the gnomes. Was good change from time to time. When Glim offered her more tea she nods and says:

"Yes please, this tea is lovely."

When Threen leaves Ino smiles at him and says:

"Have a good day Threen."

Ino, in the gnomes' shop

After breakfast, Glim takes Ino into the back workroom. The space is ample, though the ceiling is a bit low [for Ino, anyway]. The room holds a workbench, a chest of drwers, and a couple of open shelves. A handsome blue cloak, simple in design but of good quality material, hangs on the wall. It's far to long to be worn by a gnome.

''I have been commisioned to imbue that cloak with magic such that it should protect the wearer from harm- be it spells, poisons, traps, etc. The buyer is willing to pay more- and wait longer- for a greater degree of resistance to harm. You ought to be able to make it even more potent than I can manage, Ino. You work on enchanting it, and I'll handle the business end- including renegotiating a higher price and longer wait period. I'll bring you any necessary materials, too, of course. We'll split the profits fifty-fity. ''

Blaise


Jamethon says-

''We have to bring Alain along, too. ''

He points to Alain's open door.

''I'll see what is taking him so long. You have a little time to get ready for the day. ''

Blaise exits from the other room, naked except for a towel around his waist, and carrying a bundle of yesterday's clothes under one arm. He says to Moorcroft, "All right, you do that, and rouse him." He walks down the hall to his own room and opens the door. "By the time you rouse him, I'll have my armor on. All smiles today."

Alain sits up, his eyes barely open. He looks at Nell disbelievingly and seeing the note in her hand, somewhat perturbed.
He takes the note from her and with what possibly passes as a smile, he dismisses the girl with a gesture. He drops the note on his lap and rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands while letting a yawn erupt from his limber frame and out his wide open mouth, after which he simply slouches in his seated position. Head down. Eyes closed.
After some time, his eyes open to see the note in his lap. He lets a sharp exhale exit his nose, as if being woken up by a letter was a horrible inconvenience. Inconvenient that is until he remembers the horrors he experienced in his sleep. Didn't the girl say the letter was urgent?
As quick as a cat, Alain snatches up the post, tearing it open and frantically reads the words contained within. Perhaps Rask knew something of the demonic children?
Somewhere, like a whisper in the back of his mind, he wondered how Mara was faring.

The Old Shell, Alain

The note reads as follows:



Alain, Jamethon, Blaise- you are to report to militia HQ. We have another lead on the undead children. Inovidil need not be involved at this point- I know she needs to work on getting her fine paid. Come soon.

W-C Rask

When Alain has finished reading the note, he realizes that Jamethon is standing in the open door.

''Come on, we need to get moving. I've packed some food and a full wineskin- you can eat breakfast in the skiff.''