Chapter One, Part One: Fires over Brinestump

[TheTick]

The sun is bright this morning, and the day is warming rapidly.  As each of you make your daily preparations, there is a polite knock at your door.  Standing outside is someone you recognize as one of Ameiko's servants.  "The Lady Kaijitsu invites you to dine with her at her estate this evening.  Though she wishes me to tell you to 'please dress comfortably'."  He smiles at that part, knowing how much the show of nobility irked Ameiko.  He will await your reply and then nod and move on to the next house.

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway stands from rolling up the bedroll on the floor (never could get used to sleeping on soft beds). He shrugs, pulls on a loose shirt.

"Lead away."

The druid follows the servant out, his bare feet slightly slapping against the wooden floorboards.

[TheTick]

(it's morning - he'd look at you askance if you followed him now) :)

[Lotofsnow]

"Excuse me."

Faraway finally catches up to the fleeing servant.

"Have you spoken to Owen yet this day? If not, I will accompany you to his abode as I must speak with him."

[TheTick]

"No sir, I have not.  Let us head there next."

[Lotofsnow]

Arriving at Owen's house, Faraway and the servant are told they must wait while Owen complete's his prayers. Faraway suggests the servant continue on with his task.

"I'll wait here, friend, and deliver your message. I think we can safely say Owen will accept the invitation," Faraway says with a wink. "Though I can't promise you he'll dress comfortably."

[TheTick]

"I appreciate the offer, but the task is mine, and I will carry it out."  He waits for Owen to greet them and gives him the same message.  Barring any additional questions from the Paladin, he will nod and continue with his business.

[Phil]

Owen sees the servant approaching, followed closely behind by a very annoyed looking druid.  Curious.

"The Lady Kaijitsu invites you to dine with her at her estate this evening.  Though she wishes me to tell you to 'please dress comfortably'."

Yes, I suppose it is her estate now.  Such senseless tragedy.  Owen hadn't had nearly as much contact with Tsuto, but he has spoken with the boy from time to time, and Ameiko talked of him often.

"Of course I will."  Besides his armor, Owen has little in clothing besides his temple garb, which is hardly comfortable.  He makes a note to borrow something from his uncle Gaven.  Maybe he has something around from when he was younger, and not so round in the mid-section. 

When the servant leaves, Owen asks Faraway.  "I presume you will be in attendance as well?  Or are you leaving town already?"

[Lotofsnow]

"Oh, you know me. Wouldn't dare miss a well prepared meal," Faraway jokes to his friend. Anyone who knows Faraway knows that complex dishes give him heartburn. Rabbit on a spit or crushed nuts and berries on hard bread are more to his liking. "I'll be there.

"I actually stopped by to ask for assistance. I noticed the fine blade you purchased yesterday. And, well, you've always had a better eye for that stuff than me. Any chance you would accompany me to the smithy to help pick out a replacement?"

Faraway holds up his scimitar. Several new nicks are apparent on the blade, which is now slightly bent near the middle, likely from the encounter with those skeletons in the swamp the day before.

[Phil]

Owen takes a look at the blade.  "Indeed.  You'll be wanting Das Korvut's steel.  He is a mean old coot, but does fine work.  I would wager that he has scimitars in stock.  Not a weapon employed by the town watch, but there are enough worshipers of Sarenrae in town to warrant keeping them on hand for those few with the coin."

At the temple, Owen had some training with the quick little swords.  But his father had preferred the greatsword, and consequently Owen had little interest in other blades.

[Porteiro]

Jeddy gets out of his bedroll, reflexively putting his hand on his sore back.  It's always sore when he gets up, and has been for decades.

Except it's not sore this morning.   Koya's healing last night, healing that he himself could do now, now made him feel younger than he had in over a quarter century.

If only I had learned how to do this when I was young, I could have saved myself a life of pain.

And then Jeddy remembered what it was that gave him this "gift".  The destruction of his life's work.  The death of his entire family.  The loss of the companion of his heart.

Shocked that he had so easily forgotten them in the excitement of these new experiences, he drops his shoe, and if flies across the room, propelled there by one of the unhappy spirits of his family.

They are angry, Jeddy thinks.  And they have a right to be.  I have dishonored their memories.  I am not a puppy to bound here and there, oblivious of all else.

A more somber Jeddy finishes getting dressed and goes to answer Amiko's summons.

[SpamHead]

Horcrust is up later than anyone else, grumbling at being interrupted in his spell preparation. He is not actually grumpy however, the place where the energy of his magic comes form somehow had... more. So grumbling but cheerful, he starts the day.

[TheTick]

The Kaijitsu estate is beautiful, and well kept.  Ameiko kept on her father's servants, as many of them had known no other life in Varisia.  For their part, they seemed happy to be entertaining.  Looking around the informal dining room, you see Shalelu, Sandru and Koya are also present.  "Welcome, please, sit anywhere," Ameiko greets each of you and ushers you in.  There are fingerfoods and glasses of wine set out, and Ameiko, for her part, looks stunning in one of the long, flowing dresses she favors when singing and playing music.  She could almost fit in Sandpoint's polite society perfectly, if you ignore the serpent tattoo.

Dinner comes, and the conversation dies down a bit.  Your host eats little, and seems to be steeling herself for something.  As the dinner plates are taken away, she clears her throat and addresses you all.  "You're probably wondering why I've called you here.  I've been thinking a lot about the note found in the cave - wondering how it got there, this mysterious 'warding box', my family's history in Brinewall.  I've come to a decision:  I'm going to Brinewall to find out, well, to find my heritage.  With my father and brother gone, I've been wanting a connection to my past.  I need it, and the only place I can find it is Brinewall Castle."  She seems relieved to have gotten all of that out.  "I've been speaking with Sandru since the morning, and he's offered his caravan to me to take me there." Sandru nods to Ameiko, and she continues.  "I'd like to invite all of you to come with me.  Sandru, Koya, Shalelu, you are the closest thing I have left to family.  And you, Faraway, Owen, Horcrust, Jeddy, and S'Vith...you've shown courage and skill, something Sandru tells me is sorely needed on long caravan trips.  I won't think less of you if you choose to stay behind, but I think I'm going to need some trustworthy companions along if half of what they say about Brinewall is true."

Sandru can't resist quipping, "Only half of anything a Varisian says is true - but which half?"

Koya laughs, and says, "Count me in.  I've long wanted to see the world outside of Sandpoint, and my Sandru had promised to take me before I got too old.  I reckon I've got one more trip in these old bones."

"Sandpoint is safer than ever, especially now that the Licktoads have been dispersed.  Of course I'm going!" Shalelu also seems excited at the prospect of a journey.  At this, Ameiko looks expectantly at each of you in turn.

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway speaks up:

"With all due respect to Sandru, don't you think a caravan might be a bit cumbersome and slow, Ameiko? On horseback, we would likely make the trip in a fraction of the time it would take by caravan."

[TheTick]

Faraway speaks up:

"With all due respect to Sandru, don't you think a caravan might be a bit cumbersome and slow, Ameiko? On horseback, we would likely make the trip in a fraction of the time it would take by caravan."

Sandru starts to speak, but Ameiko beats him to it.  "It's more than 500 miles from here to Brinewall by our reckoning, and we don't know what we'll find when we get there.  The caravan makes sense as a base to work from."

Sandru nods.  "There's another kind of safety, too.  On horseback, Ameiko is plainly visible to her enemies, if indeed there are any enemies still watching.  Together, we appear as exactly this:  a Varisian caravan, heading north in search of profit.  Security in obscurity."