Session 37: Our Fathers Mercy Report
General Summary
"Do I need to call you a healer miss?" Ornable says as she just stares at this man, her quest basically at its completion.
Eleanor pulls herself out of her own mind, wiping her mouth one last time before standing tall, and letting out a tired chuckle. "While I appreciate the offer, this ain't nothing I'm not used to. Just... drank too much." She says dusting herself off. "Sorry ya had to see that." She says giving the man a once over. "Name's Eleanor Primrose, you wouldn't happen to be a mister Ornable would ya?"
Ornable shuffles slightly. "Well, based on my profession that entirely depends on who is asking, and why."
Hearing Eleanor talking, Ragia pokes her head around the corner, spotting the merchant as well, and piping up. "Just a couple adventurers who need some info, and who spent a whole day trying to find you."
Eleanor lets out another chuckle, "Well I certainly can understand that. A couple of my friends an I were lookin for certain items or at least information on them. We heard you were a real renowned trader of sorts."
"Well whatever items you may be looking for, I don't have on me... But yes, I am Ornable." He says dropping the sack from his shoulder. "What can I help you with?"
Ragia hobbles forward, standing next to Eleanor while she speaks up more. "Mostly artefacts, need info on them for an oversea collector, also, heard there's a big ritual coming up. You wouldn't happen to know what its going to do?"
Ornable gives an audible sigh, looking to the quickly fading light of the sun. "It is getting fairly late... and I should have dinner at this point. Tell you what, I'm more than willing to answer a few questions over dinner, but I must bring my last batch of goods to my cart so I can leave in the morning. Would you be wiling to meet with me..." he thinks for a few moments. "On the other side of the wall, a few blocks away at a cookery named Highgarden?"
Eleanor nods. "As romantic as back alley conversations are, I do like the idea of doin it over dinner. Seems like you're busy right now too so I'm alright with that."
Ragia nods in agreement. "Its a deal. You people are all about respecting deals after all."
Ornable gives a light nod. "Allright, also, I'm paying for myself, but if your questions are interesting enough, or if I help you in any way, I'm more than willing to pay for your meals as well." He says with a half wave, before slinging his bag back over his shoulder and making his way back down the alleyways.
The party confirms their findings, and heads over to Highgarden. An overwhelmingly fancy restaraunt, where even standing outside the door the smells of roasted meats, exotic vegetation and spices wafting throughout the street makes the mouth water. Feeling a little out of place in their day to day garments, save for the clerical vestments of Nahemah, they approach Highgarden, where a lithe elf appears to be holding a stack of menus.
"Oh wow..." eleanor says, eying the well polished structure, she sniffs at her underarms. "Okay, yeah I'm good to go in."
Ragia, seeing how fancy the place is, ducks into a nearby alleyway and quickly changes into more appropriate attire, while Ayame humms. "Yeah I think I'm fine."
Eleanor shrugs. "I could change into my fancier shit but there's no changing rooms nearby." She says as Ragia floofs up her clothing with a smile as she returns. "One of you should go get us a table, I'm pretty sure I look like a thug to these folks."
Ayame nods, stepping over and waves to the lithe elf, walking with linked arms alongside Nahemah.
The elf looks to Ayame and waves a hand, a piece of paper flying out from inside and being caught by the elf. "Reservation name?"
'U-uhm..." Ayame says nervously. "We don't have one.. but we are here for a meeting with Mr Onebal... he is on his way."
"Ahh, the Ornable reservation. Right this way." He steps aside and motions for the party to enter. Ayame looking back to Eleanor and Ragia and waving for them to follow.
The party enters to a very fine dining experience, with wlavish decorating the walls and tables alike. Eleanor even watches as a cake the size of someones torso, moving while lit aflame being carried by a tiefling with a pencil thin mustache and finely manicured and polished horns sets it down at a table with a robed stranger. Nahemah notices the tiefling eyeing her as he passes by, but the smells of food, though strong in the street, are mild and pleasent within. The elf leads them away from the prying eyes into a private room, already set up for five, and a private smaller table set for two, with one half of the second table having no silverware, and the other with a serving of fruit with a tiny chair, perfect for a tiny dragon. The chair without silverware having a small paper sign upon it, saying 'The undead one' on a little card in its seat.
Ayame blinks in surprise. "Well then... This place must be heavily enchanted..." She says, before smiling to Sebastian, as he takes a seat.
"Only the head chef," says the elf, "Who determines using mind reading and divination on what our patrons desire to eat... but the side table was specifically requested by Ornable himself. We don't usually cater to the undead... but... We made some exceptions for exceptional clientelle." He says before bowing to the party, and making their way back to the kitchen.
"What a... lavish restaurant." Nahemah says, taking a seat.
Eleanor takes a seat as well. "Did they just say they probe our minds for our favorite foods?"
Nearly as soon as Eleanor says that, there is a clatter of plates smashing against the ground, as well as some light screaming.
Ayame, ignoring the sounds takes her wseat, her tails swishing back and forth languidly as she looks thrilled to be in the lap of luxury.
The elf quickly comes back out with a tray of water, "Everything is fine, nothing to worry about!" He says, giving everyone a glass before leaning to Eleanor for a more whispered conversation. "The umm... cheft requests that you place a normal order... and to seek out an asylumn at your discression."
Eleanor stares back at the waitor for a long moment before realizing what happened. She coughs and looks between everyone then nods, only the slightest hint of embarassment upon her. "R-right... er... suppose whatever the most popular steak dish y'all have works."
Nahemah shifts awkwardly in her seat. "Eleanor..."
"Rare, ideally." Eleanor says, picking up her drink and very slowly sipping it, not looking at Nahemah staring at her worriedly. The waitor nodding and heading back to the kitchen, where the party can hear someone sobbing.
Nahemah just stares even more intently at Eleanor ignoring her. Yara is sat at the side table by Ragia, before she joins the rest of the party. Yara digging into the fruit, making small conversation with Sebastian on the irony of their birthplaces, but sebastian just sits quietly, staring at the fairy dragon.
It doesn't take long for the elf to return, handing each party member their drink. For Ayame, a fruit juice that tasted like it was freshed squeezed from the cherry trees in the forest near her home. For eleanor, an Ale. For Nahemah, a full collection of 10 shots of different liqours. For Ragia, a strange, spicy smelling wine.
With everyone starting to have their drinks, Nahemah stares at the ten shots before her for a long few moments. "I... Must have more issues than I thought." She says before downing the first one, taking note that it is pure alcohol, perhaps moonshine.
After a few more moments, enjoying the scenery and a painting of a oceanfront landscape, Ornable shows up, taking the last remaining seat at the table. He sighs with satisfaction before smiling to the party. "Sorry about the wait, My cart was parked at the north of the city. As you confirmed before, Yes... I am Ornable Frobisher. A pleasure to meet all of you. So! What is this you said about an artifact?" he says while Nahemah downs another shot, finding this one to be somewhat akin to a honeyed whiskey.
Ragia happily drinks her wine. "Yes, we're commissioned to find some info on old world artafacts, and your reputation makes you the best lead for that information. Judging from your latest purchases however... we can't be sure we can necessarily afford your highest prices." Ragia exhales slightly, a bit of flame pouring out of their nostrils, but she looks thrilled.
"There are other things that can be offered other than coin." Nahemah says, shaking her head from the strong booze. "I am the daughter of the famed Adventurer Rea Dai'Gishkin. Surely, trading some information for a favor can be negotiated?" Ornable hums slightly. "Well, I don't kno where you got that sort of reputation, as its more an obsessive hobby than a reputation that I collect relics and artifacts... But none of them are for sale." He says as the elf comes back to the table, a menagerie of food floating behind him as they magically lower before everyone.
For ornable, he is served a leg of lamb with some sort of red wine sauce and a variety of roasted vegetables. For Ayame, she has a beautifully seared fish with a flower made of gold foil atop it, along with puffy white truffle rice.
For Eleanor, a 62oz porterhouse steak with a side of Au Grautin potatoes. For Nahemah, a sheppards pie with a red velvet cupcake, and finally, for Ragia, Pasta Puttanesca.
Ornable starts to cut into his lamb while looking to Nahemah. "Information is great, but I think I have all of you figured out for information. You are a group of adventurers, mages, and..." he makes a strange wave towards Eleanor with his knife with wanton abandon. "whatever is going on over here... Not to mention a cleric of Rhamnasia given the holy symbol you have. So information, though appreciated and something I desire in droves normally, I doubt you could have more information than I."
Ayame listens, smiling while enjoying her fish and truffle rice. "I think we have all the information we require anyways." She says as she eats elegantly.
Eleanor looks to Ornable with a little surprise, expecting much worse to be said about her before she digs into her steak as civily as she can, still looking out of place and feral in such an establishment.
Nahemah leans in, looking at Ornable. "Well Mr Ornable, aren't you intelligent. I can guarantee there are things I know about you. About what you're doing. Things that you don't think we know. I'm sure things can be easy."
He looks back to Naomi with a smile, taking a bite of food to pause himself for a moment. "Your mother is well respected within many communities, but not here other than a symbol of hope from a world far away from where you found comfort. Beyond this, you also have feelings about the world being both not what you expected, and far exceeding your expectations in regards to what you have been told, and its overwhelming... Beyond that, everyone here might be wondering the same thing as I... Why so few are panicking about the potential end of our cosmos." He says pointing his knife skyward before taking another bite.
"Its probably a mix of being unable to do anything about it, and trusting in the heroes that defeated the Kainga." Ayame says, patting her mouth gently with a cloth.
"Yeah what she said!" Ragia says between bites.
Eleanor gulps down a big chunk of steak before speaking, "I second that, sorta just trying to live. Fixing the cosmos or whatever is a lil out of my reach. I'll just kill whatever comes from it if given the chance."
"Humanity has the uncanny ability toa djust to anything that isn't imediately, or apparently, going to end their lives. Humanoids are the most adaptable, and therefore, the most numerous of the forms of life on the material plane." Nahemah says in a scholarly voice. "And its quite odd that you'd ask that unless you had a good reason to believe something else is at hand. But you do, don't you Mister Ornable."
The merchant gives a nod, pausing to take another bite of his lamb before speaking. "I belive that the world has ended at least four times."
Nahemah takes another shot, this one giving a slight burn as she inhales and shakes her head. "And my mother has stopped that number from ticking up to five, then six. Given the fact that the Kainga is a creature that can just... exist... leads me to believe that existance itself is a lot more mutable than us mortals could comprehend."
Eleanor looks between Nahemah and ornable for a few moments chewing on her steak. "Oh right," She says with a half full mouth. "That thing that happened a while back. Still soundin wild to me that it happened just a decade ago."
"So mister Ornable." Nahemah says, her cheeks starting to get warm from the quick shots of booze. "Instead of speaking to us like we're incapable of understanding whats at play here, what the stakes are, I'd recommend speaking normally."
Ornable gives a smirk. "A confident one. Allright, what information are you looking to trade then?"
Nahemah takes her fifth shot, this one tasting like a brandy as her cheeks flush even more, but her confidence unwaveringly high. "Well. How about the location of a rather large amount of illicit substances that recently entered the city, who purchased them, for how much, and who distributed them."
Eleanor lets out a mouth filled "MF!-", gulping down her food suddenly.
"Im sure a man of your mercantile knowledge and connections could do well with that kind of info." Nahemah says before Eleanor leans over and whispers to her.
"What about info on that creature we fought in the sewers? Felt maybe related to things this fella might be interested in in terms of state of the world stuff." She whispers before giving a light cough.
nahemah listens before taking her sixth shot of booze, too drunk by this point to really taste anything, still not having a single bite of her food. "As well as some other... occult information." Nahemah says.
Ornable Frobisher humms to himself slightly. "Well, in regards to illegal substances, that would get me in big trouble if you told me, because I would have to report that to the authorities on who knew... but as for the occult information, I'm listening. What do you want in return?"
"Well~" Nahemah says, twirling a finger around her seventh shot but not quite taking it yet. "We've heard there is a merchant in the area that is either hoarding magical artifacts, or has the location of a trove of magical artifacts."
"Well that depends on your definition of hoarding... and artifacts." Ornable says, putting his cutlery down for a moment. "But... just the same, either one is me. I have a cove of pre-consumption artifacts that I have scoured the world for. Almost all of them magical, but its nearly impossible to tell that they were at one point."
Nahemah takes her seventh shot, wiping her lips for a moment. "Well what f I said I could get you in contact with our very wealthy and very powerful backer?"
Ornable chuckles, shaking his head and hand, stabbing a stray vegetable on his plate. "Look, if it wasn't obvious enough, I have little need for money at this point... Besides, I already gave you the information you requested, now its your turn. What is this occult business you speak of?"
"Oh well, I'm sure you have no need to contact Lady Espeaux then? What a shame. Anyways, well it would appear some unorthodox group opened a portal to the 7 Hells and unleashed a fleshy hell on earth in the sewer systems of a city we were in. Things are moving fast, Mister Ornable. And things are getting uncertain. It'd..." Nahemah says before hiccuping, moving a hand to cover her mouth a moment. "E-excuse me, what was I saying?"
Ayame flicks her wrist, the shots starting to slowly float away from Nahemah and landing gently at Sebastians table. "Perhaps you should lay off the drinks."
Nahemah reaches for the shots floating away almost in slow motion. "Nuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
"Which city was this?" Ornable says, looking about to just about anyone other than the barely cohesive alcoholic thats been talking the entire time. Nahemah pouting in response, starting to play with the food on her plate, looking a bit miffed. Ayame pets Nahemah gently with a bemeaused smile.
Eleanor chuckles at Naomi's pouty nature, but looks to Ornable. "It was Cinerosa, where I'm from. Also, to add to that Mr. Ornable, I can personally say that this thing was more than just a devil that we encountered down there. Not sure what, but it was half somethin else."
"It was like a parasite... an undead parasite." Ayame says.
Ornable gives a slight nod, bringing out a small letherbound notepad from his coat and writes down a few things. "Any idea where this may have happened? I can look into it when I get back to Cinerosa in a couple of days.
The party regales him with their tale of the sewers, the creature, the people they met and the effects of the creature on its environment. The entire time, Ornable Frobisher writes away in his notebook, absorbing each and every detail.
"Interesting... I wonder how it ended up so close to the center of the city... I'll make sure to send my condolences to the family as well, I have some trade goods in the form of incense to sell them for a decent profit that should get them back on their feet." He says before putting the book away.
"Speaking of, you told the merchants you visited it was for a ritual. You sure it won't bring similar results to this city?" Ragia says, licking her plate clean.
"Well, I lied to the merchants, I wanted to find a supplier that had a very large stock of various goods, instead of a lot of one little expensive stock."
Nahema gives another hiccup, but finally starts to eat as Ragia nods. "Good to know, while trying to find you, we found some dead cultists in a murder scene blocked off by the local guard." Ragia says putting down her cleaneed plate, Yara, done with her own dish fluttering over and landing on Ragia's head.
"Hmmm... I heard about that. A dragon cult lost its mind and started stabbing each other."
"Like I SAID," Nahemah says before hiccuping. "Things are gettin... Uncertain!"
"Hopefully an isolated incident." Ragia says before reaching a hand up to pet Yara.
Eleanor blinks as things click together. "Wait, that was a cult?! We're meetin too many of those."
"Thats what I heard," Says ornable. "But most of them fled the city after the stabbing started to who knows where... It wasn't the sort of demon cult im sure experienced adventurers like you know of, they simply worship types of, or a specific dragon."
"Well, hopefully we have earned our meals Mr Ornable?"
The merchant gives a light smile and nods. "At best, the remains of the creature will be worth exploring what happened, at worst, there will be a trail of the weave I can follow to its source... See if it happened because of an artifact or not."
"THE WEAVE!" Nahemah starts shouting. "Don't get me STARTED on the WEAVE!" She yells out, causing a small scene in the pivate room, looking furious.
Ornable points to Nahemahs plate. "Your food is getting cold, better get it while its good."
Eleanor, finished with her steak wipes her mouth clean. "Is the weave a spider thing we're talkin about or is that another magic thing?"
Ornable sighs, looking to Ayame and Ragia. "You two could explain it better than me by far."
Nahemah looks to the two spellcasters of the party, nomming down happilly on her sheppards pie.
"Ah...The weave is the fabric of reality that permeates all of creation...magic is simply pulling at the strings of the weave to manipulate reality to the whims of the caster." Ayame says, sitting tall and proud, and speaking as if reciting a well taught lesson.
Eleanor squints and shakes her head. "Huh.. Magic continues to be really strange to me." She mutters before turning to Ornable. "It'd certainly be some comfort to have someone like yourself investigatin things though. Thing gave me the worst vibes I've felt in a while."
Ornable gives a nod before giving a satisfied sigh. "Well, I'm certainly full." He says with a chuckle and standing up. "But, if you wish to continue eating, my tab is open for you all for the night. I myself need a little rest, and then head out first thing in the morning." He says with a warm smile.
"Ah, actually, I have a question for you." Ayame says, ornable looking to the kitsune. "I have been chasing an artifact of my own... Its a pipe, created ages ago that harnesses the power of wind and fog... Do you have any information about it?"
"If there is a record of it being created, then I'm afraid I don't have any information about it. I'm sorry." He says giving a nod to Ayame.
Eleanor looks to Ayame. "Er... Do we have a method of gettin back now easily or are we doin things the hard way?"
The tiefling waitor that Nahemah saw before comes to the table and whispers something to the aasimar, handing them a piece of paper.
"Well, with that, it seems like my cue to leave you all, but... It's been a joy. Next time we meet, we should have dinner again." He says with a smile, before leaving the party to their own devices.
"Sounds good to me, Thanks for the food!" Eleanor calls out, raising her ale in appreciation before chugging down the rest of it.
Ayame smiles and waves at him, but just as he gets out of sight, Ayame leans over to Sebastian and whispers something to him. To which the skeleton nods, and stands up, starting to tail Ornable at a distance, as Ayame finishes her meal. "Well... Quest complete."
"Time to send a message to get your enchantment lifted?" Ragia says.
"Indeed... and no," Ayame says looking to Eleanor. "I dont think we have an easy way to get back."
Missions/Quests Completed
The party confirmed the existance of a hoard of magical artifacts, owned by Ornable Frobisher
Character(s) interacted with
@orn
