Story I: The Rift

Luckily, as Baric goes to approach the bar, one of the patrons is getting up. The tall stools take a bit of effort to mount. One the other side of the bar is a halfling, obviously standing upon some sort of raised platform. He's chatting away at his customers as he moves back and forth, filling drinks from tapped kegs and open bottles. At the moment, he is chiding the performer whom Baric sat beside, "You know, Mialee, you don't need to sing about halfling thieves every time." He speaks with a big grin, though, deftly pouring a mug to the brim before sliding it to her. The performer, Mialee, just laughs, taking a swig of her drink. The halfling then turns to Baric and asks, "What can I get for you, friend?"

Back at the table with the others, Brynn seems content to listen in on the conversation. To Ameera, she simply nods, but the look in her eye shows that she'll remember it.

To Pyrrah, Brynn waves her hand dismissively, "Words are easy." At the offer of a drink, however, she gladly has another. "Say," she starts, staring into her mug, "I lost a friend of mine that night. Her name is Chella. If you can find out anything about her, I'll pay." She pats her leather armor a moment, searching for something within it before her hands find the pouch attached to the waist of it. She pulls a folded piece of parchment out of it, and smooths it over the table. It shows an impressive charcoal drawing of another female half-orc.



Brynn will give each of you enough time to take a look at the picture before she folds it back up and tucks it away. She gives Erran a nod before he departs, and then returns to her drink.

Meanwhile, at Ameera's new position there is a seated Half-Elf. he is thin-faced, with a slightly crooked nose. His black hair is receding from his brow, but otherwise long and tied into a thick ponytail on the back of his head that reaches down to the base of his neck. He is wearing leather armor, with a pair of knives at his hip. He eyes Ameera warily as she approaches. Even as she makes the gestures on the table, those practiced eyes never glance. Even still, he brings his left hand upon the table, and for just barely a moment, he returns the gesture of three fingers pressed tightly together before spreading his hand wide. "Depends on the buy-in you've got to work with. No one here plays for free, but I can introduce you to a few card tables."

"See you soon," He says quietly. His attention then turns to another fellow that sits down at the table once Ameera leaves.

Ameera finds Callie quickly enough, as she is within her office as one might expect. The office itself appears to be a re-purposed closet space. A lower ceiling and narrower walls might make it uncomfortable for many, but it is a fine fit for halflings and gnomes. Callie sits behind simple desk that nearly spans from one wall to the other, scribbling away with her quill. Other than the desk, the small space contains a small, locked chest and a clay urn with a series of scrolls stuffed inside. Callie looks up at Ameera and smiles, "Oh, hello. Can I help you?"

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Pyrrah takes her time, stepping toward the large opening in the center of town. Eventually she is close enough to get a good look, without risking herself further. She peers over the lip of the Rift, and into the darkness below...

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Meanwhile, Devanis ascends the hill on the mountainous side of the town, heading up the trail to his temple. A taller-than-wide stone building, the Bracklewhyte Pantheonic Temple is a jewel in comparison to the otherwise shoddy construction of the town itself. As white as the snow around it, the temple has a series of clean-looking pillars and an intricately carved facade of the Gods and Goddesses of Auwra. Within is a series of nine small rooms; eight of them consisting of a specialized shrine to one of the deities, and the ninth housing a small lodgings for the priest.

The candles in the front were already blown out, showing that Father Morgan was already getting things cleaned up for the night. He was just inside the main hallway, between the shrines to Yna and Cenerine (which are closest to the entrance to the temple), sweeping the floor clean. He looked up at Devanis as he approach, smiling softly. Morgan had a tired face, with bags beneath his eyes, deep frown-line wrinkles, and dark, aging spots here and there on his balding scalp and face. He was human, and likely approaching the end of his long life. He wore layers of plain, brown robes that made him look somewhat round despite being a frail man. However, despite the weather, he remained barefoot. "I thought you were going to be too busy to come today, He said at Devanis' approach.

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Callie smiles back at Ameera, nodding her head, "Of course! I was actually just logging them out right now. I was going to go up and get them. Care to help me?" She starts to scoot back in her chair and round the table, "They're fine kits; brand new, actually!"

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Both the bartender and Mialee give Baric their full attention as he boasts of his bardic prowess, smiles growing on both of their faces. The tender never stops working, but orders do cease to come in as many gather around to see the dwarf's posturing and hear his bold words. By their end, Mialee claps, and several others follow suit.

"Well, Baric," the bartender says, "My name is Garrett. A pleasure to meet you." He makes sure to top off Baric's drink, not requesting any payment for doing so.

Mialee speaks up, "Let him take the stage!"

"I'm going to!" He says with a laugh, turning to Baric, "All you need to do is talk to me and do precisely what you just did. Feel free to take the stage and see what you can make in tips. I can't pay you a wage or benefits so soon, but you can certainly earn the lodging fee with a couple songs here."

The songstress beside Baric nods her head in agreement, "I almost wish I was still singing for the tips. I think I made more in the long run. Still nice to be guaranteed a room on slow nights, though."