12. Foundry Tavern:

[Man in Black]

One of the more popular hangouts in Torch, the Foundry Tavern is aptly named. Its owner, Khonnir Baine, makes frequent appearances to demonstrate new inventions here—whether mechanical or magical. The tavern itself is always packed, and Khonnir rents out space in his neighboring foundry for visiting smiths and metalworkers to use.

[Chrome Veneer]

Chrome had ran back to his little home on the west side of town upon discovery that the Torch's light was no longer erupting. He scoured to find any sort of signs that this had happened in the past, but alas his library of information on the phenomenon was small... even less so than many others that weren't so scholarly inclined. He had been in the town for a little over two years, so he knew people now-- but he was by no means a native... so to speak. He'd moved here to learn more about the numerian technology, and this place seemed to have a perfect balance of adventurer, knowledge sharing, and minimalist intervention via Technic League to suit his studies. Still, with no information himself, and knowing the entire town was likely too much in a panic to have anyone that might know anything bother with his inquiries, he decided to simply head for the Foundry Tavern. He'd think on it with a drink, and maybe hear some rumor-mongering while there.

En route, Chrome decided to detour to the east, and through the market. Not particularly of mind to buy anything, as most of the items here he'd seen before-- but at the same time he could never see certain ones enough.  The fantastical devices he's come to study and respect over his time here that sometimes appeared fed his motivations even on the most dull of days. Today, though, the market while still busy had a gloomy feel to it. The entire town did; not that those that were not from here would be able to tell. Stopping briefly to look up at the mountain, past the rancid Crowfeather lake he stared for a few minutes, hoping to witness the light inflame again. He worried for the town's future, and his own thereby, if this didn't turn out to be more than a temporary and more extreme recession of the flame. He also hoped for the sake of Selantha, a councilor he'd come to know shortly after his arrival. Barely after he'd come to know her, he'd heard of her husbands mugging. She'd put her life into this town even more since then, and if this town were to lose its namesake... well, he certainly would intend to help her any way he could after people started thinking rationally again.
Breaking away from his mind's entrapment, Chrome continued back to the west and to the tavern, his original destination.

While others less versed in the true allure of Torch tend to be more amiable to the Copper Coin, those that see past the idea of a cheap drink are more in favor of the tavern of Mr. Baine. While not as cheap, and the drink not inherently better, for the price increase anyway, the patrons were far more amiable to intellectual conversation. Discussions of how their working of the metal had been going, or recent advances in projects they'd been working on. For a scholar such as Chrome, this was the place to be. He'd learned this over the time that he'd spent in Torch. Plus, on a day like today, he'd hoped that he'd heard some discussion, even if only rumors, as to why this might have happened. While there were still many people here today, it wasn't a day of merriment where people would critique each others' inventions as it normally was.


Gathering Information: 1d20(11)+4 = 15

[Kayla Striegold]

Kayla waves at Chrome when he enters. Over the past year she had grown to know and respect the man, whose intellectual curiosity matched her own but in completely different ways. While Kayla just wanted to find the odd technical things and figure out how to make them work, Chrome was always wanting to figure out WHY and HOW they worked. So they worked out puzzles together from different aspects, but each provided insights to the other that helped them both learn more.

Plus, Chrome didn't get all handsy with her like many of the other travelling men who came through town. Not that she wouldn't mind him trying a little something, but it was nice to be treated with respect for once....and Kayla's way of correcting behavior usually left the men with a few additional scars.

So when the flame went out, Kayla knew that Chrome would want to figure out why, and she was interested in tagging along with him to discover whatever she could!

[Chrome Veneer]

Chrome may have very well missed Kayla's friendly gesture to him,  Brighs knows it wouldn't have been the first time. Today though, half of his attention was specifically out to seek out others and their own input on the matter. Seeing her enter the tavern, he matched her gesture with a friendly wave, pulling out a seat next to the table he was sitting at. Admittedly, he was taking up a lot of the table space so if she'd intended on ordering something substantial he'd have to make room for her. The table itself held a couple maps of Torch and a pair of books. One was a personal journal with details on everything he'd been able to learn about technology over his time here; nearly full it was about time he'd started a second. The other book was of a more generic topic, relating to the broad concepts of fire, from starting one to advanced magics that use the element as the basis.

Kayla was a woman who'd been here long before Chrome had, and had actually been the one to get him his first gadget to get his research going. He'd held a hearty amount of respect for her, and also an understanding over time that while they both held a desire to find more about these devices, their means of archeology differed greatly. Chrome enjoyed studying recovered works, performing tests on them rigorously to determine how they worked. Kayla was one who took a more hands on approach, often even braving the fields herself for the sake of getting a first crack at seeing something new. He hardly knew how to protect himself, only knowing very basic magics taught by his family. He never felt the magic the same way they did, but he still got the principals from them. Still, he'd never boasted of any usefulness out in the field. With the current predicament... that might change.

As though expecting her to know exactly where he'd been in his thoughts before her arrival, Chrome began, "So while most rumors seem to indicate the idea of a loss of a fuel source; like someone setting a large bonfire and letting in run until dry... i disagree." He considered, merely feeling her presence and not directly meeting her gaze. Moving his hands across the map where a loose circle had been drawn in, he continued "With the caves our very own Mr. Baine discovered, the timing feels too coincidental. We both know how finicky the objects of this land can be. What if it were some large device simply triggered to stop?" He looked at the map for some more time before sitting back down. He cursed himself lightly for not looking into Torch's namesake sooner. He'd taken for granted it would always be there to focus his studies when he'd got himself more up to speed with what the locals already knew. He feared now that he'd dallied too long. He'd always been so obsessed with the innerworkings of things rather than the products of their use.

[Taijun]

Taijun had been watching the Foundry from across the street for some time now. He had heard that the proprietor of the tavern had one of those automatons stored inside and he was concerned for the people of this town. Having faced one out on the road, he knew the damage one could wreak upon the common folk. Recent events here seemed to have put the locals on edge as well. He had arrived only three days ago but in that time Taijun managed to walk down all the streets, see the amazing inventions, and hear the gossip of the locals of Torch.

This morning was much like the one yesterday. Taijun rose early from his bed roll by the lake, he didn't have the gold for a room at an inn, even the cheapestl, and strolled the lake by the market to practice his stances while the sun rose, warming the chill air with it's amber glow. Then the people came out hurrying this way and that. Inventors showed off their contraptions, shop owners opened their doors, and everyone talked. They talked about the torch going out, they talked about the Technic League, and they worried about their future lives. Today, the with the flies, buzzing about his head, Taijun decided to go inside and give up a few coins for a drink and food.

Entering the Foundry, Taijun waits a moment for his eyes to adjust and recognizes a few of the patrons he's seen come and go, including a finely dressed man pouring over a map with a female half-elf. He could feel the eyes upon him immediately, there weren't many others in the room carrying a shortbow and all their belongings on their back, but that didn't bother Taijun in the slightest. He was here to find out more about the automaton and grab a simple meal so he headed to the bar to order some food and keep his ears open.

[Kayla Striegold]

Perception [1d20+8] = 8+8 = 16 (+1 vs traps)

Kayla notices the newcomer enter the tavern. She usually did...and that had helped her out on more than one occasion. He didn't look like Technic League trouble, but maybe a new Ropefist goon. He was rough like them, but didn't have the mean eyes or a mouth that looked like it was full of piss and vinegar.

Still, her hand drops unobtrusively down to rest on the hilt of her shortsword...

[Chrome Veneer]

Chrome was far more unperceptive to the newest arrival. He might have been, given today's gocus on gossip gathering, but he'd finally found someone to start spouting off thoughts to. Even if that person were merely a bouncing board so he'd have an excuse to talk to himself out loud and sounding insane. "Though i do see the valid points on the fuel argument. Hell, thinking about it now it's a bit scary to think that there was enough energy causing that flame to keep it going for as long as it did. Some solace to consider such a thing finally burnt itself out... Not that such an answer would bode well for the future of Torch." He thought about the idea of a larger more explosive scene engulfing the town but quickly shook it off. "Then again, the properties are so much different from fire as we know it... who's to say it could even project itself from some sort of compression..."  He tapped his forehead a few times to remove a minor headache forming.

[Taijun]

These people were strange, Taijun thought, everyone seemed to move at a dizzying pace.  Even their conversations jumped around and no one really listened to each other.  Taijun brought another spoonful of broth to his lips.  At the monastery everything was methodical, paced, and purposeful but here in Torch there seemed to be a fire in its very citizens.  Like a fire they move, consumed by their own lives, he pondered, and now the fire is out.  

Perhaps it was one of the locals sitting next to a lithe half-elf talking of fire that conjured these thought in Taijun, the man seemed very consumed by the town's dilemma.  He took a another sip of his soup and realized it was near the bottom of his bowl.  Just as the people of this town do not sit idly about, Taijun came to the realization that the time for waiting and watching was over.  Now was the time for action.

Gathering up his pack and stick Taijun approached the two that had caught his attention.  "Greetings, I am Taijun." He said with a slight bow to the two.  "Pardons if I am intruding.  I could not help but overhear your conversation.  I too have concerns over these recent events.  May I join you both?"

[Kayla Striegold]

Kayla is smiling at the stream-of-consciousness rambling of the mystic sitting next to her. At first, his verbal ramblings had worn her out and frustrated her with technical jargon and theoretical musings. But eventually, she stopped trying to comprehend what he was saying and just enjoyed the motion of it all. Like trying to follow the rapid walking of a bird over the ground - it was better not to try and comprehend the meaning of it but just revel in the random directions the bird went and enjoy the beauty of the chaos!

But today, Kayla was anxious. "Chrome.  CHROME...I'm worried that Khonnir hasn't come back from his latest trip under the pond! I know him...he wouldn't leave the Foundry this long without letting us know. Without letting ME know. He missed my Androffan lesson today, and Khonnir never misses my  language training. We need to go look for him!"

She blurts this out right before Taijun steps up to the table, and she looks at him in surprise. She had been so preoccupied in getting Chrome to pay attention to her that she had lost track of the room. "Oh! Ummm...sure. Sorry - I'm a bit worried about the owner of the Foundry...he went to find out why the torch went out and has been gone longer than he should. I want to go look for him - he might need our help!" she says in a single breath. "I'm Kayla, by the way. Are you new to town, Taijun? Don't want to draw you into something that is not your concern..."

[Chrome Veneer]

"Still... it's hard to imagine anything non-magical being susceptible to physical pressures that could be put on it, but if the flame had actually been m-~~" Chrome was finally freed from his ramblings by the repeated shout of his name. "Wha~?" He asked as he pulled himself back into the reality of the room. He knew she was right, about Mr. Baine, anyway. He would never leave the tavern at a time like this, when there's so much need for discussion. Without him here to guide it productively, all that filled the rooms were worries and speculations... something he'd certainly helped contribute to. Before able to answer, he heard another voice, a foreign masculine one.

Changing gears a moment after registering the conversations change of topic, he followed along. "A pleasure to meet you, Taijun. I am Jeremy Veneer, but everyone here knows me as Chrome." He introduced himself between Kayla'a own, after she stopped to draw a breath. "Kayla, you've heard of the parties that also went out to search those caves correct? We have yet to receive word of any of them returning from more than a few minutes in. I'd say it's more than just Mr. Baine that needs out assistance." He thought for a moment. "Hell, we're losing volunteers, not everyone is so gung-ho about this as you are-- though your reasons are more respectable than anyone elses' up to this point." Turning to once against direct himself to Taijun he continued, "To that note, I think that given he already addressed his own concerns, so we needn't dismiss him so immediately. If you're seriously considering about heading in yourself, I won't leave you alone to such an endeavor but it would be foolhardy not to go in with a large excavating group.  Still, i don't recognize you. Could you elaborate your concerns?"