Ch. 1, Scene 1: Thin Lines Between Luck and Fate

The minstrel, if allowed, launches into hugging Jian-Roh as he approaches. "Thank you so much for looking after my boy," she exclaims, a deep gratitude in her voice. "It's a dangerous path through the woods to get to the crypts. Past Arbiters have faced goblin attacks, wild animals, even an ankheg once! Gods be good you'll keep him safe to do his duty, I'll be beside myself with worry the entire time but so many good champions volunteered this year, including yourself." She sniffles, glancing at where he's talking to the three human volunteers. "Look at 'im... not my little boy anymore." Adjusting her dress, she turns back to the young elf. "A lute, ey? Last night it was a sorcerer throwing up illusions... everyone seems eager to perform with me this week." She stands a bit more in the open, and begins to sing The Wonton Folly of Kastria Weedlebaum, Whore of Esternesse, her voice starting out diminuendo and slowly increasing forte as the story progresses.

"Raven, Aleister and Abigail," the young Arbiter repeats, punctuating the girl's name. "Well met to all of you. I'm Erwin... obviously, I guess. This isn't the way I expected to leave town for the first time, but it's kinda lucky in a way. Father was furious when I asked for a warrior's soul, he's always going on about giving the tavern to me when he retires. Insists that I'm too valuable to him there, and too soft for the town guard." He looks towards his mother as she starts singing, nodding approvingly, before focusing back on them. "But he couldn't keep me from doing this if he wanted to. Once the ritual is done, I'm Arbiter, and that's that. Doing this well will mean he has to admit that I'm suited for more than just doing chores all day and serving drinks all night."

Abigail regards the boy with a critical eye, fingers curling into the flounces of her dress as she studies his posture, his face, his aura. This isn't the shy young boy she had encountered just the night before, and yet she also cannot see the man he seeks to become as Arbiter. Regardless, she regales him with a soft smile, and an inclination of her head.

"I'm honored to assist you in such a significant endeavour, Erwin. With the blessings of our Lord, we are sure to succeed."

This said, she turns her attention towards the group as a whole, meeting the eyes of Aleister, Raven, and Erwin before next speaking. "According to the teachings of my mentor, the Ritual of Repose is meant to prevent the manifestation of malevolent spirits. Assuming last year's ritual was cast without complication, we should have little to worry about within the Crypts. However, there is the possibility hostile spirits wait within." Now her eyes find Raven and Aleister specifically, her tone becoming more serious. "Please describe your respective methods for handling such undead. Erwine, if you possess any relevant skills, you are welcome to make your contributions."

Raven looked at Erwin as the boy, or perhaps man was the better choice, described his situation with his father. It was not that many years ago when Raven had similar fights with his own adopted father about his choices around the soul ceremony. That had been a long year and Raven still did not think their relationship had completely healed. His father had been forced to accept Raven's decision but never agreed with it.

Raven gave Erwin a simple nod of support, "A man must choose his own path. Walk well the path you have chosen."

The open gray eyes turned to consider Abigail, there was a long pause before a measured response, which seemed to be Raven's way. Whether he was considering the question or the asker was unknown. "I have no experience with human spirits. Nature spirits are primal forces, but these will be different. Although I believe both are often driven by anger." The human shrugged, "I am better with living beasts than spirits."

Bru knocks back an ale in very, very short order.

It’ll be meh pleasure fer ta help yer lad, lady Arvorel. I may not have much height, but I’m strong enough fer ta protect yer son from mos’ anythin’ dat might wanna assail ‘im. Of dat, ya needn’t worry all dat much!

With a gruff and customary Hmph, our dwarven fellow gazes big brown eyes around the tavern. Finishing sizing up his new companions. Most are met with a nonchalant, dour dwarven fixation.

Hey!! Can I be gettin’ me annuder ale up in here?!

Jian-Roh smiled and bowed at Arvorel's kind words. "Rest assured, should I be able to prevent it, I would die before I let harm come to him." As the woman took the spotlight and sang, he strummed the lute subtly, accompanying her voice to enhance and amplify the performance to make the whole greater than the sum of its part.

By the end, even Jian-Roh was pleasantly surprised by his performance. He grinned and marveled with delight at Arvorel, and winked at Erwin.

Iskwe nods in understanding as Bruenor explains his plight to her, and it all sounds so wonderfully Dwarvish to her, a plight that few on the surface would really get.

Ahm Iskwe, Ah don't have such a noble goal, but yeh don't see so many Elves in the mines, Ah got a la'll curious about where Ahm truly from

She looks over to the small blonde. Gesturing a thumb over to her.

As fer our la'll quest here, Ahm mostly helpin' that one, just so happens she has a thing for the wee ginger

She flicks her long red ponytail over her shoulder. Eyeing the bard and singer who had begun their performance. It lacked the structured rigidity of Dwarven music, with its pounding, rhythmic drums, and the horns that brought a regal, monumentality to the music, all balanced around deep, voices of bass that would resonate through the body. The music she had grown up with had always had a physical impact on her, which had always been attributed to her Elvish nature, a thing of endless frustration. The music of the surface tended towards more gentle and peaceful, with fragile instruments that took incredible care and finesse to play and master, and she was developing a rapid appreciation for it, knowing it could be listened to without feeling as though she was about to be crushed under the weight of a mountain. Had she been a more generous soul, she may have even considered tipping the artists.

After downing more ales than any man, ol’ Bru excuses his dwarven self from the tavern.

Well now, I’ll be goin’ ta find a smithy, if there is one. I might be able fer ta talk shop wid someone who knows ‘bout all dat!
Making kind inquiry, Bru waddles around asking locals where the local smithy might hold proper court.

Hey! Where might de town smithy be at?! Anyone dat can help out an ol’ dwarf?!

The jet black haired human stood looking out across the town square silently watching Erwin as he worked through the petitions. Raven had not seen much of the town when he arrived. It was far larger than the farming village of a dozen or so families he had grown up in. He supposed that many people would find the town pleasant enough, but it really was of no interest to him as he did not particularly enjoy towns. Putting his pack down on the ground he considered if there was any other supplies he might need. Honestly, he could live with almost nothing and easily half of the items already in his pack he had never truly needed.

Hearing the dwarf Bru head for the smithy, if there was one, Raven watched him leave and then turned his attention skyward to consider the overcast sky and watch the clouds as they gathered and floated on without a care for what mortals were doing on the ground below.

Aleister not really fond of early mornings, is however fond of pastries. Following his nose he makes it over to the bakery for a sack of the good ones before they are all sold out.

Aleister then makes it over to the spice market, intent on finding the hottest chili peppers the town has to offer. Road rations are just way too bland.

Jian-Roh woke up with a smile on his face, last night's musical performance still filling him with happy thoughts. He went through his morning routines, running through his katas and exercise drills at a clearing where he met dawn's early light. He'd always traveled light, and so he was ready for the mission before many folks were even awake yet.

After a meagre breakfast, he walked to see Erwin hear out petitioners, hoping to get a better measure of the young man.

When she rouses from her trance and is greeted by the warmth on the morning sunlight when it gets the chance to peek through the grey clouds, she feels quite at ease. If there was one thing that she appreciated about the surface above all else, it was the sunsets, and even though it involved waking up, the sunrises were alright too. Yawning, she stretches and gets ready for the day, gathering her few belongings and heading down into the inn. For a few minutes, she looks around for an annoyingly charming little kid with blonde hair who should be up and about, offering attention to anyone willing to grant it, but finds no success with the task. Brushing it off, knowing they are to meet later, the Dwarven Elf wanders out of the inn, running her fingers through her hair as she walks, trying to untie the knots. The day is young and grey, but the moderate warmth helps her wake up and to even her own surprise, she is feeling quite positive this morning. Stopping as she walks through the market, smelling all the different kind of smells, but stopping at one particular stall selling a bitter black liquid served fresh and hot that served as a jolt to her system. Energized and with no plans ahead, she wanders until she finds a bath house, which instantly lights up her eyes in excitement. This was the first of its kind she had encountered above the surface.

There had been hot springs on her travels and even fresh water pools that had been warmed by hot summer days, but nothing could compare to a good old fashioned bath house. Shoving the door open, she climbs the stairs, already feeling the warmth from the hearth. The woman at the desk welcomes her warmly and she points the Elf to the changing room and the shared room, but the red haired spellcaster is already walking past her undoing her bandages and stepping out of her pants and she pushes open the door to the bath and throws her clothes in a crumpled pile in the corner. Stepping into the water is rejuvenating, and soon enough she is submerged up into her chin, letting her hair float all around her like an aura. Perhaps it is because it is so early in the morning, but she's currently the only one sitting in the water, which is boring, but mostly fine for her. The coiling of the steam from the hot water dance around her as she tips her head back against the edge of the pool, spreading her arms out against it too, stretching her back out, letting all of the past two years of adventure slowly be soaked away. The noise of the street below is muffled but still audible, adding to the relaxing ambience. She could spend the whole day here just unwinding before the quest began. Though she would be so unimaginably pruny the others would only mistake her for one of the undead.