Chapter 1: Burnt Offerings

Xandak absolutely notices Urthask staring.

He fights a grin starting to creep on to his face as Urthask tries to find something else to look at. Shalelu is certainly attractive, yes, but the ease with which she is able to use that fact to unnerve such a might warrior as Urthask is highly amusing to the monk. He nudges Urthask with his elbow and raises his eyebrows playfully.

Urthask blushes, embarrassed, and tries to hide it by scowling.

Urthask rises to his feet. "How may we be of assistance, good woman?"

"Damn, what a hot mess of a family... And I thought I had it bad with mine." Gongar looks around at the rest of the group. "Since Ameiko hasn't returned can we assume she either didn't make it to the meeting or she decided whatever she learned at the meeting was worth striking out on her own with it? In any case I think we should investigate the Glassworks to make sure nothing befell her there." He waits for the opinions of the others to decide on the course of action, though he has suspicions that Tsuto doesn't have the best intentions.

"Family is a priceless treasure. We will do what we can to help you restore yours."

The day before, at the White Deer...

The Amazing Archibald Astorious, Alchemist Extraordinaire, awakens a bit early this morning, taking his breakfast with other gnomes to argue the finer points of his craft, as per the usual in his visit to the fine town of Sandpoint.

No no no, you don't put the guano in AFTER turning up the burner...that's how you get blown up!!

Penguinone is far superior to potassium nitrate, in that it ABSORBS heat, rather than expelling it...

If you add in a dash of pikachurin, you'll get a compound capable of delivering an electric shock instead of a fiery blast...quite useful in the right applications!

After an hour or so of debate and discussion, and a fine meal from the cook of the White Deer, Archibald returns to his room to check on his current concoctions. Making a few extras of his favorite alchemical solutions is always worth the extra time and effort, as any he doesn't use on his excursions can be sold for a tidy profit, something he's already done with his latest excursion out of the town to hunt for ingredients. Thus far, a very successful venture. He even got to test a few of his experiments on some goblins that happened by...how exciting!

Spending the rest of the day cooped up in his room, mixing this and adding a dash of that, Archibald soon realizes, as he reaches into the case for his portable lab, that he has run through his stock of vials and flasks. Oh, dear... he mutters to himself. This will not do at all. Looking out his window to see the dim light of dusk falling over the town, he sighs. Damn. The glassworks will surely be closed by now. The rest of my experiments will just have to wait until tomorrow!

Heading down to the common room, Archibald takes a pleasant meal with the innkeeper, taking in the gossip of the town he will soon be leaving...well, after he goes to get his hands on a bulk order of vials. And flasks. And beakers... maybe I should write this down... he thinks to himself as he wanders back to his room to turn in for the night.

His face brightening when he sees others walking down the road, Archibald hops down to the ground and approaches the group.

I say, chaps. If you're here to acquire some various pieces of glassware, I'm afraid you will be sorely disappointed. They do not seem to be open for business today, even though I can clearly hear the kilns and furnaces burning.

As hot as it gets inside, you'd think they would have opened the door for whomever is minding the furnaces...but alas, it appears to be stuck fast.

Shaking his head, the eccentric little gnome extends a hand to the nearest member of the group. Oh dear...where are my manners. The Amazing Archibald Astorious, Alchemist Extraordinaire, at your service! And you are?

As it happens, the nearest person is a hulking figure in heavy armor mounted on a huge white Ghost Bear. The pennant flying from the tip of the lance mounted at the rider's stirrup depicts a snarling bear's head. The large man dismounts and removes his helm, revealing a young, thoughtful, half-orc's face. The half-orc pulls a gauntlet off and returns Archibald's handshake. "Well met, Archibald Astorious. I am Urthask, son of Galazur." he says in a deep voice, mild of speech for one of his race.

Stepping back a bit:

Xandak's brow furrows as he reads the letter. It would seem his earlier suspisions had been correct - the old man was up to something more sinister than making a scene at a bar.
We should have asked Ameiko about him while we had the chance... He considers, before brushing that thought away. Regardless, they were in it now, and they needed to find her. For a passing moment he considers bringing this to the attention of Shalelu, but if this letter is true, then people might be quick to judge Ameiko for being a part of that which she was innocent of, and he wasn't sure how the elf would respond to that. No, they needed to find her first.

It is in this manner that he finds himself with the rest of his recently thrown together group of comrades at the Sandpoint Glassworks, speaking to a rather eccentric gnome. As he asks for the party to introduce themselves, Xandak (played by Gerard Butler) steps forward to make himself seen. He is a human male, just a few inches shy of 6 feet tall, with a shiny bald head and a short stubbly beard. He has deep green eyes that betray his age - no older than late twenties - but there is a wisdom and experience behind them that suggest he has seen more than someone of his age should have. The most outstanding feature of the man is his attire, though - he is wearing the simplest of clothes. Long, loose, dark pants that covers his legs but does not restrict his movement, and couldn't offer much physical protection. A simple shirt, beginning to wear thin in places. A worn and thin hooded robe, the hood currently pulled down so his full head is visible. An old pair of sandals. Strips of cloth wrapped tightly around his hands, stained a faint red in places. And finally, slung over his shoulder is a small bag that didn't look like there was hardly anything inside.

Xandak points to himself meaningfully, and without uttering a word brings a hand up to his mouth and makes a zipping motion. Gongar could explain a little bit more than this simple gesture could entail, but for now it will suffice to show the gnome that he does not speak. Xandak then extends his hand out for a handshake before glancing back at his dwarven friend to see if he would speak for him.

Well met indeed, Urthask! replies the little gnome, enthusiastically shaking the half-orc's hand. He is immensely pleased to find one of the brutes so well mannered, even if he dare not say the words aloud. You have yourself a magnificent bear! If only I shared the proclivities of my kind, so that I might converse with him! Alas, that is not where my heart is, I'm afraid... He looks at the human in beggar's clothes, and his enthusiasm diminishes somewhat as his brows furrow, obviously deep in thought.

Is your human friend mute? I might be able to come up with something that can help him retrieve his voice...