Lots to Talk About - Waiting for a Crowd

[Timmean]

The day after Horn's escape, Timmean sits in the bunkhouse, just finishing an early lunch. A lot has happened recently, and he has some important things to on his mind. After taking 24 hours to mull things over, it's time to talk to everyone and start making plans.

[Degren Brightforge]

Degren walks into the inn, draws a pint, and sits down, "What's on the go?"

[Pierre]

Pierre enters the inn, pays for a bottle of wine and sits among his friends whilst giving them a acknowledging nod.

[Zar/Herr]

Herr enters and heads straight for some delicious fire bread, mildly intruiged by a thoughtful Timmean.

[Timmean]

Timmean nods as each person enters; "It's been a busy few days, much has happened. There are a few things I'd like to discuss, once a few other people arrive."

[Gerogie]

Opal appears out of thin air and giggles in the corner

[Ivy]

Hugo comes in through the back door with a grumpy look on his face. He sits down on the floor beneath the Inn's back window and takes out his notebook.

[Lady Val]

Lady Val gracefully enters the Inn, observes the surprisingly large crowd, and cocks her eyebrow questioningly at Degren and Timmean.

"Am I interrupting something?"

[Quintessence]

Quin makes her way to the Inn, entering quietly and eyeing the table for firebread, she picks up a piece and glances around a moment for an empty seat before settling down with her snack.

[Ivy]

Hugo scribbles out a note and lays it down in the floor in front of him: " I BELIEVE SOMEONE INTENDS TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT"

[Malva]

Malva enters, pours up a drink, sits down, and begins nibbling on some bread.

[Horns]

Max walks into the inn, and quietly stands in a corner, out of the way. He puts his head down, but his ears stay up and flick between sources of noise.

[Timmean]

Timmean glances around, quietly nodding.

"Alright, there are still plenty of people missing, but I might as well get started. After the past few days, there are two big things on my mind: First, how are we going to find that sea witch and break her hold on Horns? Second..." He holds up his right hand, wincing as he flexes his fingers. His voice drops to a whisper as he continues, "...what's a blood pact?"

[Lady Val]

"In answer to your first question, I assume it will involve using live bait of some sort, and as for the second I am going to hazard a guess and say 'dark magic'?"

[Ivy]

A second note: "I second the motion for live bait."

"Also, probably not a good thing."

[Timmean]

Timmean shakes his head; "I suppose live bait is an option, but I can still search the oceans. I was hoping Bikbun might be able to give us a little more information on what the witch's cave is like, to help me find it. That ocean is big, but the cave can't be too far; we should be able to find it eventually."

[Borin Ironhammer]

The door bursts open and gilmore strides in, flaring his cape. He closes the door and walks across the inn and sits on one of the long benches by the back table. He places his feet on the table and begins lightly playing his drum and homing quietly to himself.

[Gerogie]

"I can help" Opal exclaims, "Anything to protect our Horns. I can come with you - I have a necklace that lets me breathe underwater. I don't mind serving as bait as long as you stop the witch before she tears me limb from limb."

[Timmean]

Timmean raises an eyebrow, thinking. "That could certainly be useful. I was planning to search by blending, so only other creatures blended with water would be able to see me. Unfortunately, if you did get into danger, I wouldn't be much help, and breaking the blend would leave me unable to breathe. But it's certainly a useful option, especially if someone else could be with you to help with security."

Timmean glances around, thinking for a moment. "The other problem is what to do once we find her. We could corner her in her cave, but only some of us would be able to get there. And we don't know much about the conditions in the cave itself. Speaking of which, has anyone seen Bikbun?"

[Ivy]

"Not since some time ago, while he still had no arms."

Hugo turns over the page and keeps writing.

"Another benifit to baiting out the witch is that we can bring all of our forces to bear on her, rather than just you and whoever else can follow you."

[Lady Val]

"This is true, she is likely at her most vulnerable point when she is out of the water. If we fight her in her own cave she will have the advantage," says Val calmly.

[Degren Brightforge]

"If we're looking for bait, I would like to volunteer. I wouldn't feel comfortable sending someone without a weapon into the jaws of some nasty ass hag, and, you've gotta admit. I'm plump enough to entice her out."

[Borin Ironhammer]

The humming stops but the drumming continues. "I must have missed something major because last I checked the generals grandmother was the big issue that needed discussing. Whatso all this about a sea witch?

[Ivy]

Hugo turns to another page.

"That's the other thing."

"Are we going to hold Volk accountable or are some people above the law around here."

[Degren Brightforge]

Degren chuckles, " I think there's quite a bit of irony, considering Volk's past position as Sheriff. I can't express how much I wish that night had gone differently. But, I think that we need to hold the people who took part in it accountable, myself included. That night we planned, and schemed to attack the Inn and take the old woman captive. We knew she had people under her control, protecting her, people who were our friends. So, when the plan was finished, we learned she had gone to bed, with Marcus as her guard. Volk went on, and told him that he'd take watch. When the centurion was gone, he killed the woman,and hid her body in the woods. When it was over, Marcus came to us near the latrines and confronted myself and Volk... foolishly, he did so unarmed. Volk put him down in a few swipes of his sword, then stood over him, exclaiming," I knew it would end this way." After some talking down, I convinced Volk not to kill him for simply being loyal... Stupidly loyal, mind you, but loyal nonetheless. Then we lost track of the body. A massive search, lead mostly by Horns after her suffered more and more withdrawals from whatever drug she had used on him, ensued, but we found nothing. I suggest we lead a more detailed search for her. I wish to put things right, and maybe return her to life so that we can learn more about what was really happening that night. After that, we can put her to trial for poisoning over half of our fair town. That's all I recall of it. I do believe we should settle this, though. At least to ensure that we don't have Marcus coming back to exact revenge on Volk."

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