Session 11: Languages and Legwork

We started off by finding out about languages! Check #peens for up to date notes, pinned.
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Sidna may have a teacher? What the fuck is up with that. Potion maker?
Svenna has a pouch in the bandit camp we can loot to make up some of what we've lost on her.
Zeal called me Vorach the Pale and that's a really cool name
 
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As Zeal heals Vorach, burning his wounds closed, both are shocked: the former remarking to Sidna that he'd said he wanted to be able to do that this morning while the latter was shocked that he didn't just get burned to death. His mind racing, Vorach made himself useful and went to inspect the bandit's body while Zeal turned to the strange fiery woman without a face [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1086927670178238486/1121755715661467658/elemental_of_the_frenzied_flame.png] that he had summoned. A comforting cinnamon scent lingers near her.
 
Vorach loots a scimitar, a bag of Beans', and gives a gold to Zeal to make payment on his debt. Beans pipes up and is happy that his bag was recovered, and Vorach hands it over. Though some were broken inside, he reveals some potions! One's a potion of healing, but only Serafina notes the other to be a potion of growth! (It's a potion of enlarge person, I think) Beans is a trader, Sidna asks about where he got the potions, and he answers that the healing potion came from Moonspring, the other from Burakrin. He confirms that this isn't made by Sidna's...teacher? Interesting. Investigation reveals that it's someone named 'Poppy' who made this, and her eyes widen and she asks for it.
 
A little bartering (with help from Vorach's lie) later, and Sidna is offered 100g for the potion. Sidna is aghast at this, and continues to haggle - wagering her own connections with the supplier as an upper hand, and Beans says if she can get him a discount with her, she'll get a discount. 100 gold. Then 90. 80. She refuses to budge, and Zeal attempts to help, saying that he can help get Beans into town without an entry tax. "Man with open shirt make good point." Beans is willing to trade, though, so Vorach offers to sell a scimitar, dagger, and a holy symbol of the Dragon of Fire. Serafina also realises she has offers to make, so she lines up, ready to sell as well. As they do business, he comments that the goblins robbed him and he hid, and the goblins came back the second time (which was when we found them). Sidna asks how long it took them to go and come back, and Beans guesses it was about 10 minutes. Beans pays 11g1s for the lot, and starts spit-shining the symbol as he turns to Zeal, who tries to get his fire lady to haggle. The price gets to 3 gold, freshly spit shined, but Zeal refuses and Beans put it on himself instead.
 
Serafina steps up next, and Beans remarks he's never seen a purple dragonborn. She remarks they come in all shades, and he says he's shady, too! She pulls out a particularly fancy flute, and she pauses when he asks her for a price, she says she believes it to be worth about 200g. Unfortunately, they can't seem to strike a deal, so we decide to start moving out. Vorach helps Beans load up, though Svenna is quite irate at first that we helped the person who called out for help. We talk plans and agree to move on to Clearwater before taking out the bandits and goblins, then heading on to Moonspring from there.
 
Heading out, Serafina takes shotgun (lancepost) from Vorach and sits in the front while the half-orc promptly curls up in the wagon, spooning the overlarge egg, and passes out. Beans asks if Serafina laid the egg, and then she gets so annoyed she successfully tricks him into playing the quiet game. Sidna is *very* appreciative of this. Two hours pass and we reach a small fishing hamlet, passing through some houses and people just living.
 
Continuing on, they find a new hole in the path that wasn't there after some more time and Svenna recognises this as a bandit trap and warns us to just go around after Sidna spots it and pulls to a stop before. Fortunately, it's easy enough with Serafina hopping down to provide a visual deterrant as we make our way around and then continue on. Greg takes the scenic route. Zeal knows that he once had a romantic love affair with a narwhal.
 
We get to Clearwater, and Zeal immediately looks out to see a poor homeless person sitting on the road, someone who he feels he might recognise, but they continue on past an outer stables and inn (the Spooky Bird). A human and orc corpse both hang at the side of the road, and Sidna takes a closer look to see that it's the one Willow interrogated in prison. Both of their hands have the inner scar of the bandits, thankfully, and means it wasn't the orcish trader that Sidna met in the tavern. Sidna glances over at Svenna, who's giving a very clear 'good riddance' look.
 
We continue on towards the gate, Serafina waking up Vorach who was absolutely a teenager who just woke up and groggily pointed out the guards who were starting to notice the carts. Especially since one is an open air corpse cart. We stop, and the guard asks what our business is. Zeal explains in a bit of a mockery of his accent that they're the bandit/goblin corpses they're here to turn in the hands of, though Zeal intends to mulch the bodies for life. There is a disagreement, and the guard bans the bodies from the town - it might spook the guards!
 
We decide to stay at the inn just outside of town and keep the carts in its stable so that way Zeal can head into town and discuss getting the hanging corpses for his mulch garden with the Lawkeeper. Vorach buys a ratty blanket from the stablehand to put over the corpses on the cart, and we head into the Spooky Bird, which is a bit more rundown than the Measly Hag was. Svenna abashedly admits she's a little broke at the moment, and the entire party assures her she's covered. We approach and figure out rooms: the group will chip in for shared bunks, anyone who wants their own room has to pay.
 
We all pay (Svenna covered by Sidna and Beans by Vorach), and find out we have to buy our food at the adjoining tavern. We ask about nearby things to see after finding out the Lawkeeper keeps late hours (the innkeeper is VERY impressed with Vorach's attitude and insistence on politeness and manners). Serafina asks after local landmarks, and we learn that cafes have been opening! We agree to check it out after (or on the way) to town and make introductions with the innkeeper (her name is Edaline!).
 
Svenna and Beans stay behind, Sidna and Zeal team up to go talk to the Lawkeeper (since they already know each other), and Vorach and Serafina head to check out the cafe (getting drink orders from everyone, black for Sid/Sven and sweet for Bean/Zeal). As we leave the inn, Sidna suddenly stops, turning bright red and clutching her chest where her family crest is. She whispers a response that only Zeal can hear, as Vorach turns awkwardly away and quickly walks to give her space. Unfortunately, she runs to get her space, and they just end up woman chasing kid meme until she speeds past him when he stops at the cafe.
 
She finds an alley to compose herself while Zeal catches up to her, and Serafina shows up after 10 minutes, finding Vorach looking at his feet and apologising for not grabbing her when he ran. They head into the coffee shop, and that's where we'll pick up next time!