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"Well," Emma says, putting one hand on her hip, near the pommel of her sword, while surveying the room, "If I were wanted for murder, I certainly wouldn't sit myself down in the village tavern waiting for the Knights of Rinder to come and carry me away."

She looks from Crayne to Canter and asks, "I assume you would recognize the man if he were here? Why don't you describe him to me so I can help you search the town, or at the very least ask someone if they've seen him yet?"

Crayne looks around the room and thinks back to the cheery man that he remembered. With an emerging smile on his face he thinks back to the time when Dire gave him advice over his spell casting. He looks closely around the room at the figures within. He smiles at the lone woman, thinking that anything is possible when you're a mage. Having read about the altering spells nothing is out of the question. He steps further into the light to show his face and to see if there is any sign of recognition from within.

Emma watches Crayne with a look of some concern on her face as he steps forward. Did the mage recognize someone? She leaned around his thin frame to peer past him into the room again. She certainly hadn't seen anyone that looked like a wizard...had she?

After a few moments Crayne looks back at Emma and rattles off the mans description keeping his voice low. Nodding, he says cheerfully, "Now we are here I suggest we rest our feet!" Crayne looks ahead, "If he is here he will find us I am certain for he is skilled in ways we can only dream of!" Crayne makes for the bar, offering to treat his friends to a drink if they so desire.

As the group enters the tavern, Storm looks around from the back of the party, taking in the room's scene. As the party decides to rest a while and Crayne offers to treat the group to some ale, Storm notices the Dwarf and Halfling sitting at a table. He suddenly perks up, happy to again see a member of his own race. He smiles and snorts a little, and then gets an ale with Crayne.

He takes the drink to the table with the two shorter creatures and a little rambunctiously introduces himself to them in dwarven. He asks if he can sit with them, and if he is given permission he loudly and a little annoyingly begins chatting with the dwarf (in dwarven), paying little attension to the Halfling (not caring if the halfling can understand what they're saying). He asks some basic questions and laughs his loud guffaw every once in a while and occasionally pats the dwarf on the back roughly as he answers. Throughout the whole conversation, Storm is his rude, annoying self, spilling a lot of his drink and being rude wherever the opportunity might present itself. Eventually, he asks the dwarf if he's seen a man fitting Dire Luthor's descriptions. Unfortunately, the dwarf answers "no."

Edryd shakes his head, not quite understanding how the dwarf and halfling can stand Storm's rude behavior, especially since they don't know him. "Must be a dwarven thing..." he mutters.

At the mention of a free drink, Hannibal is quick to act. It had been some time since the taste of a fine ale had touched his lips and he'd be damned if he was going to pass on this offer. Joining Crayne at the bar for that drink, Hannibal enjoys himself while stroking three days worth of growth on his face.

Hannibal then turns on his bar stool to face the room. "I sure could use a few extra silvers," he mutters to himself. Hannibal begins looking for a noticably drunken, and preferably wealthy, patron. Alone would be best, but not really a necessity.

Emma politely declines Crayne's offer of a drink, mumbling something like, "Only in times of celebration...anything else would only dull the senses of a servant of Anhur." In truth, her caste actually doesn't have that many rules governing the consumption of spirits...some members even drank to excess, claiming that it helped them experience Anhur's visions more clearly. All it usually did for Emma was give her a splitting headache.

"Maybe a glass of wine with dinner, tonight?" she tells Crayne, "That is, if you'd care to accompany me? And only if we still haven't found our missing friend by that time..." She smiles and then proceeds to approach the tavern's owner to inquire about lodgings for the night.

"Excuse me, sir?" she addresses the man, "Could you provide me and my fellow-travelers with rooms tonight? We've journeyed quite a ways, and haven't had a comfortable bed in several nights. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of coin at the moment, but as a priestess of Anhur, I depend upon your generosity. If there's any service that I could provide to you or your family during our stay, I'd be most happy to pray for my god's blessings on your behalf." She smiles as charmingly as she can.

The barman scratches his beard and looks straight at Emma. "I never been much for yer holy types. I seen me too many sad folks in here and lost souls. But one of yous did save me son a few years back. So I cut ya a deal. I usually go chargin' 6 silvers per room. Fer you I go chargin' only three? How'd that sound?"

Emma smiles, slightly disappointed, but still pleased to have procured the discount. "That will be fine, sir, thank you."

Cy orders something good for dinner and a light drink. He waits intently for Crayne to decide where they will go looking for Dire Luthor. He seems ill-at-ease with the situation and looks over his shoulder at the other patrons in the tavern every couple of minutes.

Hannibal, locating a good target farther down the bar, slinks off his stool and begins to casually amble down the bar. As he walks, he begins flexing his fingers and licking his lips as if finally in his own, natural habitat.

Looking down the bar, Cy addresses his friends. "If there be justice to be had here, let's be at it. Our true work ain't here. We find Luthor, talk, and travel."

"Patience, Cyvieliog," Emma says, patting his arm, "It's a virtue that deserves some practice. Justice should not be rushed. It clouds the judgement, you know?"

She smiles and takes his hand in her's, continuing to speak quietly to him, "Besides, Anhur has led us here. Of that I am sure." She pulls the big warrior further into the tavern, urging him to relax a little bit with her by his side. Taking a seat at one of the tables she quotes to him from the writings of her temple, saying, "Within his will, there is always enough time to win the day. Anhur will provide a way for us to find what we seek...

"Is there not an Elven or Dwarven saying along the same lines?" she asks, a twinkle in her eye, "Where are your pretty words when they should be applied to yourself?"

Cy is about to respond when something catches his eye. The lone woman rises from her seat, leaving the empty bowl on the table in front of her. She slowly glides past Emma and Cy's table toward the bar. Emma sees quickly the change in Cy's face, and watches the warrior's eyes while he observes the woman.

"Is it?" Emma whispers.

Cy shakes his head ever so slightly, instructing the priestess not to say a word, lest she interfere. He sees the woman reach the bar. She taps Crayne on the shoulder, brushing her hair back with the other hand.

"Good Sir," she says to Crayne, her voice smooth and pleasant, "might you and your friends join me outside? I do believe I have something to show you..."

Storm looks up from his conversation with the dwarf and halfling, grumbling to himslef, "Arr, Crayne be gettin' the ladies!"

Crayne blushes brightly, turning to look at Canter, and Edryd next to him. Edryd does not smile in return, but simply raises his eyebrows. This quickly refocuses Crayne's concentration. Perhaps the ale was having a little effect. Turning back to the woman, Crayne replies, "But of course, my lady. We would be honored..."

Crayne reaches into his pocket, slapping a bunch of coins on the bar to pay for the drinks and his meal. He then rises from his stool, with Canter and Edryd in tow. They follow the woman to the door. On the way, Canter winks to Hannibal and motions to Storm, who rudely leaves his table in mid-sentence. Edryd points to Cy, who grabs Emma and moves toward the door.

Once outside, the cool night air surrounds Rinder's Six. The woman emerges from the tavern, followed by the rest of the party. "Do let's keep moving this way," she says, "I know just the spot."

She leads the party through the street past a small temple, the blacksmith's shop, the baker's shop, another tavern, a tanner, and then into a side alley. Edryd sees her pass into a dark shadow as she turns down the alley. Following her into the alley, his eyes widen in disbelief when he sees the tall, cloaked figure of a man emerge from the shadow!

The man then spins around, his long gray hair brushing against his shoulders. He plants his staff on the hard earth and casts a cold gaze over the party. He looks at each member, peering into their eyes. He steps forward, passing through the party members, who stand motionless, as if they sense the greatness before them...or is it the danger?

He stops in front of Hannibal. "I do not know you." Then, without turning around to face her, he addresses Emma. "Nor you." A pause. "And where is the entertainer?"

Crayne clears his throat as if to answer. The man quickly raises an opened hand. "No matter." He then walks back to the front of the party and turns to face everyone.

"Thank you for coming. I am, for those who know me not, Dire Luthor. Formerly advisor and mage to Sir Logan of the Knights of Rinder. It was, indeed, I who contacted Crayne and bid you help me. This may be my darkest hour. I believe--"

Suddenly, Dire stops talking. Voices can be heard in the street, five yards behind the party. The flickering amber light of torches and lanters can be seen, and a couple of footsteps can be heard. Then voices: "I think they went that way!" and "Dirty, petty, bastard! Nobody robs me. Nobody!"

Quickly, all eyes in the alley fall on Hannibal. "What have you done?" Emma seethes.

"Let's deal with that later," Edryd barks under his breath. "Right now, the question is: What will we do?"

1. Healing: Emma cast Cure Light Wounds on Cy and Storm, one each, before the arrival in Jilten.

HP Status: (All at full hp except those marked with a *.)

*Canter: 20/22, *Storm: 31/32, Edryd: 21, Crayne: 9, *Cy: 31/32, Hannibal: 14, Emma: 24

2. Hannibal successfully pickpocketed one of the men on the other end of the bar, gaining 2 gp and 7 sp.

3. Crayne paid the bartender 4 sp for the drinks for the party. Cy, you paid 12 cp for your meal. The rooms have not yet been paid for.

4. What now?!

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