Tests and Trials

[Dlover]

((Honestly, Lurn would try to follow predefined prayers, but there's no way he would actually have memorised them all, it's more like a "close enough to make the point." Though I've also considered whether the higher level spells he learns are from pre-learned prayers or if he does just intuitively feel "I can try this."))

[Rodgeir]

The horse majestically stands in the street. She acknowledges Kroshav with a nod accompanied by a mental,

► Show Spoiler

Hello Kroshav. I have been sent to help you in doing your things for Torm! My name is Ealucam. You can talk to me and I understand but I can talk back my mouth is wrong.

Ealucam whinnies, opens her mouth wide and does odd things with her lips and tongue before nodding her head at Jaq, Celus and Lurn.

► Show Spoiler

Who is the little person rubbing my leg nice? She is talking horse to me in my head. Who is Charlie? Oh the horse that is talking horse.

Charlie is making noises and sidling closer to the new horse and Yimi.

► Show Spoiler

That horse says Kroshav is his and I should listen to him and that I am pretty? Yimi is saying Charlie should be nice to me and that I am pretty. I am hungry. Oh my name is Ealucam.

The aunt simply shakes her head and mutters something inaudible before coming forward and gently placing her hand on Yimi's shoulder, giving it a squeeze before kissing the top of the girl's head. She looks at Jaq and says,

"Send her in when ya go please, I need to get back inside to take care of folks."

((Little Latin to make things classy?))
---
The books look to be technical guides to smelting certain alloys for different tasks along with schematics for different more complicated machine components. One book is a ledger with some values in a shorthand Cary doesn't follow.

Ghram shakes his head to Cary's question,

"No, no precious stones in her belongings. From what I understand she works exclusively in metals."

[spiderwrangler]

((Ha! Nice catch on the backwards Latin!))

"This is Yimi, she takes care of the horses of folks that stay here... and Bites, he's a donkey. Yes, this is Charlie, we've been together for a while now, I hope you two get along. And I agree, you are very pretty. Yimi, would we be able to get Ealucam something to eat?"

[Rodgeir]

Yimi nods then pauses,

"Aunties gonna get mad if ya don't pay for it though. Ya go give her money and I'll get food for Charlie and Ealu!"

She rushes off down the alley towards the stables.

[spiderwrangler]

"Oh, of course. Charlie and Ealucam, if you go with Yimi, she'll get you something to eat. I'll be right there."

He heads inside.

"Yimi is taking my horses back to feed them, how much do I owe you?"

[Quarg]

---
The books look to be technical guides to smelting certain alloys for different tasks along with schematics for different more complicated machine components. One book is a ledger with some values in a shorthand Cary doesn't follow.

Ghram shakes his head to Cary's question,

"No, no precious stones in her belongings. From what I understand she works exclusively in metals."

Cary nods, "Possible clan connection is all..."

Cary tries to remember any name of any members of Clan Adelsten who she met while growing up....((history check History Check: 1D20+4 = [15]+4 = 19
))

"Unless one one of you has any further interest in these things I think it's time to talk to our craftsman dwarf with the false impolite name...Any thoughts on how we should approach her, oh lady of the spinning stone..."

[Arch Lich Burns]

”We shoulda be soft ta her n hear her troubles. Tha guard shouldnae be near her when talkin ta ‘er. O she may get upset. If ye want Ah can try ta talk ta her first ta see if she be more willin ta share ‘er side o tha story ta ya.”

[Rodgeir]

The aunt asks,

"6 copper...but ya know what? Let's call it even for the show ya gave Yimi." Before she turns back to helping clear a table she adds, "An word of advice, don't be giving kids daggers without talking to their caretakers."
---
The Adelsten's don't have a strong political reach beyond the kingdom, most of the the dwarves Cary has met have been wealthy and well connected merchants and jewelers. The wealthiest of which being Masser Adelsten, whom attended luncheons and dinners Cary was at but mostly just sought new clients. The chances Opal and Masser, or his entourage, have ever met is, in Cary's estimation, exceedingly small.

[Rodgeir]

((@Kroshav, Jaq and Lurn - doing anything while the horses chow down?))

[spiderwrangler]

"Oh, ah, sorry about that, she seemed like atough kid that could use a real blade."

((Nope, just hanging out.))

[NotStickFigures]

Nope, was just watching the pony show.

[Dlover]

Nothing from me either.

[Rodgeir]

The four of you mill around the entrance to the Goat, people coming and going from having lunch, while Kroshav's two horses enjoy a meal carried in the arms of Yimi and placed proudly before them. Celus clears his throat and says,

"Well... I am gonna go get some lunch."

And goes inside as well. Ealucam confirms to Kroshav the food is good. Yimi confirms, on Ealucam and Charlie's behalf, to Kroshav that the food is good while also trying to simultaneously brush both of them. Soon enough both horses have eaten their fill and Yimi has gotten both water. The lunch crowd is mostly gone and Celus exits looking between the horses and the others.

"We ready? Probably gotta decide what we're doing. We can maybe still catch up with the lunch group of deconscripts if we hurry but we wait much longer and we'll need to wait till tomorrow if we want to go with a larger group."

[Dlover]

When Celus mentions lunch and goes inside, Lurn hums to himself, "That reminds me, I want to try something." Fishing his amulet out from the neck of his shirt, the large man holds the chain between two fingers, so that the scales on the amulet dangle just beneath his hand, with his palm upraised. Closing his eyes, Lurn quietly chants for a moment, casting Goodberry.

((Can we flavour this as conjuring beads of holy magic, rather than growing magic berries?))

[Rodgeir]

((Sure))

Lurn finds, upon opening his eyes, a handful of shiny, purple marbles. They don't really look like food but Lurn is confident they are, in fact, food.

[Dlover]

Excited, Lurn bounces from foot to foot, a broad smile on his face as he hurries over to Kroshav, holding his hand out, "Look, look! I did it! I conjured the power of my Lord into edible form! If I'm right, just one of these beads should be enough to sustain a person for an entire day! It should have a little tiny bit of healing in it too!" The large man's expression can be called nothing short of childish glee, "Your average cleric doesn't learn this sort of thing, you know? It's like the magic rocks and the grave digging magic, something only some of us can do. My Lord truly has blessed me!" Practically dancing about, the firbolg holds the marbles out to anyone in the group who'll look, and anyone who wants to try one, carefully tucking the beads away after showing anyone, then taking one and biting into it. "Real food is good, of course, but a single bead should be enough to live on."

When Celus gets back, he'll still be grinning, and slightly bouncy, "Right, that's a good point. Kroshav, were you set on meeting that high priest before we go? I doubt she'll have learned any more than she left in that message, being busy and all, and you've done all you can to help that man." To Celus, he'll mention, "Not to worry even if we can't catch up with the deconscripted group. With our group there shouldn't be a problem."

[NotStickFigures]

Jaq takes a look at the magic food and smiles, happy that Lurn is that happy.
"What does it taste like?" he asks.

"Yeah, let's get a move on moving out, so we get to another town by nightfall."

[spiderwrangler]

"Ooo, can I try one?"

"I don't think I need to go back, it didn't sound like she knew any more than when I talked to her last, and the poor fellow left town."

((I guess I need to find another saddle for Charlie, were there extras in the stables that Yimi's aunt might sell?))

[Dlover]

"Sure, go ahead and try. I'm actually quite curious about how it tastes myself."

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav pops one in his mouth and bites down.

[Rodgeir]

The little smooth balls are heavier than they look but just sit in the mouth tasting like nothing until bitten down on. The process of biting down is surprisingly easy, the outer shell proving no more difficult to get through than a grape skin. Once the outer shell is gone the little ball expands rapidly to near twice the size into a squishy and vaguely gummy form, sticking loosely to the teeth. Then the flavor experience begins - waves of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and savory assault the palate in confusingly random combinations. Some sticky chews are vaguely cake or pie like, others nearer steak or fried meats and others are like spicy sour steak cake. As the mouth fills with saliva the flavors only become more varied until they mix into something undescribable, but not all together bad. The chewiness doesn't go away though and it takes a few minutes of determined chewing to get it all down, where it seems to expand yet again and provide a pleasant sense of fullness.

Celus watches the determined chewing and the expressions on Lurn and Kroshav's faces. He says while they chew,

"Kroshav and his new horse would be able to get to Narmyr today but we'd only get halfway to the mid-camp. I could go either way honestly, but Narmyr got burned to the ground so we ain't gonna find much there welcoming."

((Kroshav saw some tack in the stables but no extra saddles, he could ask about some or the 'Skirt markets aren't far off either.))

[Dlover]

Lurn will be chewing away as well. Jaq's question of how they taste, if he doesn't want to try for himself, gets a thumbs up in response.

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav gets concerned as they all swell up blue and round, and some orange skinned gnomes appear, singing as they roll the party off to the juicing department.

Kroshav will inquire here, since they are here, and if not, look about getting a saddle at the 'skirts.

[NotStickFigures]

'That's a heck of a lot of chewing. What if you just swallow it as the little marble?"

[Rodgeir]

Yimi's aunt indicates she doesn't have any saddles to sell but Kroshav, followed by Celus, finds a stall selling them. They are all clearly second hand but most look to be in good enough repair.

The saddles in better shape are marked at 9 gold and 5 silver. A few of the older, more worn saddles are listed as "ask".

Yimi will keep taking care of the horses, happily.

((Wasn't picturing Willy Wonka, but it fits!))