[IC] Death & Taxes (Session 2)

The man looks at Nera for a beat as the wheels turn yet again. "No archery. Knife throwing contest, though. Uh..." He doesn't seem used to talking in extended sentences. "Animal races. Greased pig. Pageant." He squints his eyes, confused. "You want to do an archery contest? We can ask..."

Nera doesn't really feel like wooing Rupert at all. Still, nothing ventured...

"It'll be fun, and what better place to hold a contest?"

Hildar, Tronus, and NeraThe man smacks his lips and sniffles before sticking out a large hand. "I'd better hold onto the bow. Folks might spook if armed strangers show up. We can ask Brother about the contest when we get there." The mayor's brother gestures toward the open manor door. "Wait outside," he tells the lot of you. "I need to tend the hearth fire. We can leave in a few minutes."

Bruv & Nekurr

With the ferryman closing up for the evening, you decide to rejoin the others back at the manor house. You realize you might have a chance to at least walk by the abandoned house others have mentioned, but without directions, you face the possibility of getting lost and being late for the festival.

Bruv looks to Nekurr, "Let's foind da others, hm? Er, if ya want ta do some pokin' aroun' da haunted place, maybe Oi just let you to it, as sneakin' ain't moch my ting..."

Nera is unhappy Rupert has decided to be responsible. Alas she does not voice such complaints, she's testing her luck enough as is. Oh no, I'm turning into Nekurr.

As Rupert wanders back inside Hildar mutters quietly to Nera but makes sure Tronus can hear as well "The map you found appears to be genuine....well, it would have been difficult to get as close a forgery to the documents we were given without an existing sample to work from at least. These locations" he points to the circled manor house, smithy-trading post, weaver's shop, and the ferry "Seem to have been of particular interest to our predecessor and from the smell it seems that someone rested a glass of brandy on the writ although I am not sure whether that is of any significance or not. We need to check in with the others and see if they have found anything else untoward in the settlement."

There's a lot of activity in the town square, so Bruv and Nekurr find themselves a bit distracted as they try to get a look at the rundown church. For one thing, there's an older woman leading a rather irritable pig from a pen behind the weaver's shop; it's squeals and her curses pierce the quiet as she eventually gets the beast to follow her toward the festival grounds with some sort of food in her hand.

Meanwhile, outside the trading post, the smith, Gauis Tabbins, seems to be embroiled in a heated exchange with the physician, Erfan Eswyse. The burly Human leans over the Gnome and gesticulates toward the ferry. "You know those taxes have been spread all over the gambling dens of Tamalir by now, Erfan, admit it!"

The Gnome hops up and down, nearly bumping his head on the bigger man's chin. "I don't know that, Gaius! As I said, I was sound asleep like most of the rest of the village, so I didn't hear that man leave like you did! But the taxes be damned. They're here for our pipeleaf... Too much coincidence they come on the night when the whole village up and smokes the stuff! We have to be careful..."

The two men notice you emerge from around the church. They both regard you cooly, the Gnome giving you a slight tip of his hat as you pass. You figure it's probably not the best time to interrupt whatever they were talking about, so you continue back toward the manor...