"A whole tenday," Silhouette murmured sarcastically. "Well, I hope the libraries here are as legendary as their generosity is not. We'll need to act very fast to organize any kind of serious expedition in that time."
"The Keeper has already let you come into Candlekeep without all of the usual restrictions," Zorbath notes.
"If we stayed completely true to out traditions, you all would have been turned away at the gate. A fully loaded carvan of people cannot just roll up to this fortress and expect to be let inside. We do understand that change is coming to Toril and that change will likely be violent. If the library's tomes are going to be protected, or at least preserved, Candlekeep can't become a permanent hideout for freedom fighters."
"Yet you'll put out the children and the elderly too," Rodan replies indigantly.
"We are not an orphanage or a hospice, although the children could stay longer if they wish to devote themselves to Candlekeep as future acolytes of the order. There wouldn't be a guarantee of acceptance but bright minds will be given a chance to stay, if they so choose. We will not force them to stay and become monks."
"They won't survive on their own," Rodan insists.
"Then they must find permanent shelter elsewhere," Zorbath replies calmly.
"We are willing to help them find a safe refuge from this invading empire, but it won't be here. We will do what we can and that is all."
Shayuri said:
She looked around for a moment, orienting herself, then said, "Thrak, see about claiming us a room and some food. Hm. Maybe nose around and see who's here already while you're at it. Mercenaries. Quartermasters. Labor. We'll need people if we're going to caravan into the desert. I'm going to see a man about library privileges."
"Aye," Thrak nods.
"I will do my best.
"If you are seeking aid for your quest," the gatewarden says.
"Find a man named Firebeard Elvenhair. He's a mage of some skill and he travels a lot along the Sword Coast. His main trade is books, which makes him valuable here, but he dabbles in other items as well."
The goliath nods and heads into the inn.
Shayuri said:
The shadowy sorceress reached into her pouch, produced the tiny communication device that Yin-hun had been showing her, and delicately hooked it around her left ear so the bud poked just inside. The catch to turn it on would be just behind...yes, there.
Silhouette then turned and looked at the others expectantly. "What are the rest of you planning? Perhaps we can coordinate efforts."
"I was going to see about some food first," Soumral says as she looks around the keep grounds. "Then possibly look to see if they have any bows available for sale."
The gatewarden points Soumral towards The Hearth for food.
"And Winthorp should have goods for sale at the House of Rest. While he doesn't carry a wide selection of weapons, I'm sure he has something of value."
"I will go check on Haspur," Rodan replies.
"And make sure he is well taken care of." The raptoran bows to the gatwarden and then walks off towards the stables.
"Emiko, can you with Thrak? We can use the room as a temporary base of operations."
"Will do," Emiko replies to Yin Hun. She follows the big goliath. The two of them enter the inn together. The edifice is quite down to earth.
'A typical backwater hostel', Emiko thinks.
The place is quite clean, however. A bald, rotund man stands near a table and chats up a guest. The guest is definitely dressed like a noble, although he'd be laughed out of any noble court in the empire. Said guest seems to be complaining about something. The bald man diffuses the nobleman's anger with a well-timed joke and a free drink. Then he notices Thrak and Emiko. There are an odd pairing and they smell of the road. The nobleman holds his nose and gags through a silk handkerchief.
The bald man just smiles and greets them warmly.
"Yer are welcome in The Rest. I'm assuming ye are two of the guests that ol' Ulrant told me would be arriving from Baldur's Gate. Well met," he shakes both their hands, Emiko's first and Thrak's second.
"I am Winthrop. I've set rooms aside for ye and yer companions. While they aren't my best, the rooms are cleaner than an elf's arse! Har!" Then he whispers,
"A private bath is extra, I'm afraid. But I'll only charge ye a single silver each for use of the tub and changing the water, of course. You can choose to use the keep's bathhouse."
KainG said:
Turning to the rest of the group, Yin Hun says, "Before we left that forest, I managed to retrieve several useful items from the downed escape pod. It belonged to a member of a species called the Fraal. They don't have close ties to the Empire, and normally take a neutral stance in interstellar affairs. They're known to be geneticist; knowledgeable manipulating the nature of flesh, to put in simpler terms. They're always exploring; this one might have taken an interest in your world when its discovery was made known."
"Fr-hall," Belgeon tries to say. "I've never heard of them, which isn't surprising, I guess."
"Do you think these beings will help us?" Bentey Mirrorshade asks.
"Or are they just more invaders?" The gnome had had to give up several rare cookbooks to the monks in order to get his wife, Gellana, and their two children safely inside Candlekeep.
KainG said:
Glancing around at the guards nearby, Yin Hun leaned in closer to the others and lowered his voice.
"In any case, we've got some extra gear that might prove useful on our journey. Most of it is redundant for Emiko and I, so feel free to take what you want. We'll explain how to use them to you. Adn we have another item that these librarians might interested. I held onto it in case we need another bargaining chip. We need to make sure the salvage we got from the pod is secured as well. We can't use them now, but if manage to get our hands on a ship, they could be useful."
Before he heads of to check on Haspur, Rodan tells Yin Hun that he'll take a look at the items later if no one else claims them. The idea of getting a hold of a ship and getting off this planet plays through the raptorans mind and he looks towards the wagons where he knows Yin Hun and Emiko stored the pods components.
"I'd be interested in taking a look at what you got and learning more about this empire we're going to be fighting," Belgeon says eagerly but queitly. Yin Hun notes that without his Flaming Fist uniform, the soldier looks younger—a lot younger.
"Right now, all I want is a meal and a good night's sleep," Loranys says while stifling a yawn. She walks with Soumral towards The Hearth. The two of them enter the eatery along with a young refugee who is carrying a basket. The inside of the The Hearth is cozy and smell of food wafts out the door—freshly baked bead, slow-roasted chicken, and the smell of spices.
Soumral notices a happy petite woman who is taking care of everyone with a smile. She hugs several patrons that she obviously knows and pats the young boy on the head when he comes up to her with his empty basket. She rubs the dirt from his cheeks and fills the basket with bread, fresh vegetables, and cheese. He nods in thanks and rushes out with his treasures.
The young miss sees the two woman enter and she greets them warmly and offers them seats around a table with others. "I will bring you some plates," she says. "I am Elisabet. Welcome to The Hearth."
KainG said:
"After we're set up, I think Emiko and I will try to gather more intel about this desert we're going to, and if there's any record of any weapons or anything that can help up us fight against the Empire. If these monks' boasts are any part truthful, then there must be something we can use."
"I'll put together some notes on my experiences while I was there," Belgeon adds. "Since you had to give up your magical map, I can draw a map from memory. Well, the parts I saw, at least, and the route we took to get from Baldur's Gate to Citadel Adbar, and the road to Ascore too. That will get us to the edge of Anauroch. Of course, if we're going to take a ship up the coast, my map will only be good for part of the way. I'm sure the monks will have a detailed map, but whether or not they'll let us copy." Belgeon shrugs his shoulders. "I think I want some food first." The young man heads towards The Hearth.
"I'll join you all shortly," Bentley says with a wink and a nod.
"I have to go check on my kin and make sure we get settled in the tents." The gnome heads off towards the baths and he soon catches up with Rodan.
Gatewarden Sturon waits patiently for Yin Hun while Silhouette goes after the Keeper of the Tomes to discuss 'library privileges'. It doesn't take her long to catch up with them.
"You wish something, do you Miss Silhouette," Ulrant says plainly to Silhouette.
"Of do you prefer Lady Siel van Atsmiaan, or perhaps the name your sire 'gave' you at birth"