Chapter Two: The Hippocampus on the Cracked Lintel

Mordred gnaws politely on the plant matter Shamush has distributed, but quietly picks a few crickets and grubs out of the scattered hay for real sustenance. "Seems we are all on the run from something or another, and perhaps the less said about that 'something' the better. If you are looking for... odd jobs in Sthombo, mention my name - Mordred Kaliban - at the Thieves' Guild. We are, in fact headed south, so I suppose we must part ways at first light, assuming you plan to continue north?"

They seem like good people to Mordred, but he is hesitant to bring more strangers into the search for Zora.

"I feel I must ask you one question, though. Does the sigil of a six-pointed crown mean aught to you?" He glances at Vad, Leth and Felor.

Felor hopes no-one notices when he tenses at the mention of the six-pointed crown. These fellows at the campfire seemed friendly enough, but who knows who they were in league with. The barbarian had mentioned a cult. Felor was suddenly very aware of his hammer, still strapped to his side.

Zangua pauses in his eating at the description of the icon, and it seems fairly obvious he is both picturing the crown and trying to recall its significance.

Leth's eyes dart over to Mordred when he mentions the sigil, though his head does not move, and he continues eating silently. It was a risky question, although at this point Leth was fairly certain that anyone who was hunting them would have been given sufficient information to recognize the group... the fact that Shamush and Zangua had invited them in was working in their favor. Odds were they had no connection to the witch men.

Unless...

Unless they were luring them into a false sense of security, waiting to strike once they dropped their guard! Leth shifts uneasily in his seat, once again uncomfortable. Easy, Leth... no need to over analyze the situation. He didn't like this - being on the run, not knowing who to trust or how much he could say. At this point, any line of conversation is potentially dangerous. Anyone they run into on the road would be curious enough to ask what their group is doing, and their story would need the full telling to make any sort of sense. They needed an alibi; some reason they were on the road that wouldn't lead back to the sphere, or Zora, or the witch-men, or the fact they they're now wanted men in Sthombo... but this isn't something he can freely discuss with his companions; not with the strangers eating with them. Leth gives them a more thorough look, thinking back over how they had introduced themselves, and tried to decide if they were indeed trustworthy, or if they had an ulterior motive.

I believe that's an insight check?

Edit: .... with the DM gone, I can fudge my die rolls, right??

"Never heard of such a thing." Vad says with barely a pause between bites.

"Maybe," replies Zangua. "What's your interest in it?" His eyes are narrowed in thought as he waits for the answer; it might help him decide whether or not to be more forthcoming.

"We have been warned that the bearers of that mark are a danger to us, though we do not know why. Nor do we know who they are, or what the sigil represents." Mordred leaves out the legal trouble that chased the party out of Sthombo. "If you know of it, I would pay a modest sum for that information."

Zangua looks at Shamush, then to the new arrivals. He weighs something in his mind as he studies them.

"No," he says, finally. "But perhaps you could find out for yourselves." He waits to see their reactions.

"I'm not sure what you mean. Do you know where we can find such people?"

Shamush chews thoughtfully and looks back and forth between Zangua and the strangers. He's interested, but clearly lost. He then squints at the subdued dog-man. "Did the dogs have a crown on them somewhere? That why you straight out went for blood? Is this some sort of divine vision quest thing?" He grins, "They're right up my alley and good fun." As an afterthought, he asks, "Don't suppose any of you fellas has some booze on you, huh? I find it helps lubricate the mind when philosophy and mysticism get chucked into a conversation."

Don't suppose the crown has any religious significance? Shamush will try to dig through the muddy tunnels of lore in his head...

Felor looks at Zangua.
"Friend, I sense that you know more than you are letting on, but I would warn you that these men are not to be trifled with. They have only ill-intent towards any innocent man or woman they might meet. If you do know where they can be found, we ask only so we can avoid that place."

Zangua shrugs. "It's possible I saw that mark down south," he says, "though I didn't pay close-enough attention at the time."

He takes another bite from the cob. "If you're avoiding them, I'll tell you the name of the village to skirt past... But really, if you play it cool you'll probably go unnoticed. They were looking for a woman at the time."

"Any particular women?"

Mordred sits up straighter on his hay bale. Zora told him that the Six-Pointed Crown meant danger, but he didn't realize it might be dangerous to her. It was time to level with these men, now that it seemed they might have even a snippet of information. "If it is the woman I assume it must be, you should know I owe her my life, and I must do anything in my power to protect her. Her father was wrongly accused of a crime and executed, and now I worry she will face a similar fate."

"I don't know, was she [gives description of woman provided by shadowy man]?" asks Zangua, splitting a glance between Vad and Mordred.