Day 25 - 27 of Ready'reat CY 576
Gather 'round, or just lean in—my head is a bit like a drum today, and the light in Orlane is far too bright for a woman of my years who has enjoyed a few too many mugs of the good stuff. I was resting my eyes—passed out at the table, some might say—while the "Saviors of Orlane" stomped back into the inn, smelling of damp earth and the chill of the wilderness.
A Numb Arm and a Heavy Price: The poor dwarf, Sergius, came back with a shield arm gone all numb after their brush with the vile undead. They took him up to the Temple of Merikka, to see Misha Devi. It seems our Sergius is a follower of Dumathoin (just revealed) the keeper of secrets under the mountain, but secrets don’t pay the tithe! Misha asked for a "donation" of 350 gold pieces to fix that arm, and the poor lad only had a handful of silver and copper to his name.
The Girl Disfavored by the Goddess: But the real juice of the night wasn't the ale; it was that girl, Sirius. Misha Devi looked at her like she was a patch of black mold in a grain store. She told the group privately that Sirius is "disfavored by Merikka" and certainly no friend to the temple. There was a lot of whispering under the trees afterward. Sirius claims she’s loyal to the group, but she's got a temper as sharp as a barrow-blade and a hood she keeps pulled low to avoid the goddess’s eyes.
A Disappearing Act: By the time the sun crawled up the next morning, Sirius had vanished! The group went knocking on doors, only to find her room disheveled and her person long gone, even though she’d paid for the next few days. At least that scholar, Elowin, was still tucked away in his room, muffling his voice and claiming he was "studying" that ancient holy symbol they found. He’s a bit of a "nerdlinger," as the others say—always hiding in the back while the others do the hacking.
The Bouncer’s Grocery List: Before the group headed back to the barrow to face whatever else is lurking in the dark, they made a deal with our local bouncer, Myr. If you want a creature to guard your bags of gold while you're off playing hero, you'd better be prepared to pay in more than coin. Myr has quite the palate! He’s demanding river eel jerky, pickled wild leeks, and that thick dwarven brandy root from the Gran March. He even wants "contraband" cheese wheels aged in stone caves. A guard who eats better than the Mayor—that’s Orlane for you!
Spiders and Skulls: The lot of them have trekked back to the marsh now. I heard tell they stumbled into a nest of spiders—nasty things with white markings like skulls on their backs. Eleven of the leggy horrors! They say the spiders started eating their own kind as soon as they fell.
The world is a strange place, and the barrows are stranger still. But as long as the ale flows and the travelers keep bringing back stories, old Vilma will be here to tell them... once the spinning in my head stops.
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