12. Foundry Tavern:

[Kayla Striegold]

Kayla is torn between continuing on with Weyna and standing with Kaska. After a moment of looking between them, her concern for Khonnir finally wins and she quick steps to catch up with her lifelong friend. As she goes, she calls over her shoulder, "Come on, everyone! No fighting in the streets! Besides, we have important work to do!"

[Taijun]

Seeing the gaggle already begin to split up, Taijun wonders what to do.  He doubts it makes any difference whether they stood in the street and talked or walked and talked.  "My name is Taijun." He bows to the stranger.  "As you can see we are heading to the Town Hall.  You may have heard as we have that there is a reward for whoever finds Khonnir Baine?  It appears we are in a hurry."  Taijun looks at Kaska, Raewyn, and Eva to see their reactions thus far.  Looking back at the stranger he raises one of his arms as if inviting her to walk with them.  "There is not much else to our story, but since our paths have crossed here, you could join us rather than follow us if that was your intent."  

- If Cin joins us now, great.  If not, Taijun will follow Weyna and Kayla.  

- OOC - I guess we should have all combined our backstories before hand like the player guide suggested, We'd be knee deep in gremlins, giant snakes, and chicken dragons by now.  Oops!

[Chrome Veneer]

Chrome never really stopped heading forward, not moving ahead of the group when they stopped to consider the confrontation with the follower; but trusted those around him to diffuse any confrontation. At least initially, he started to worry when several started preparing for combat. Still, when Weyna began moving ahead, he started so as well. They weren't far from the town hall. "Who is this Ursk" He asked, "I mean, specifically. I can presume the individual you speak of is another who wishes to join in the venture."

[Reawyn]

Reawyn nods back at Taijun, then turns and starts to walk up the street, following the others.

He calls back over his shoulder to both Kaska and the woman that had been tailing them.
"Come on then, it is obvious we are going to the town council, it is not as if our intent is a secret or at all mysterious. Follow with us if you wish, so we can all find out more about this call for adventurers."

With that he quick steps to catch up to Weyna, Kayla, and Chrome.

To Chrome he says, "Ursk isa rather burly dwarven warrior with an axe, he seems inclined to bury it in the Technic League, perhaps a bit too openly, but I sense he has his reasons. We only just met himm at the Copper Coin, but he looks to be the sort you would like to have stand between you and danger."

[Weyna]

Weyna nods to those who leave the confrontation behind. Agreeing with Reawyn's assessment, she adds "I get the feeling... Ursk makes more enemies than friends." And yet, her steps are swift to try to get him out of whatever trouble he may have gotten himself into.

((Moving to Town Hall.))

[Cin-Ezra Oovalli]

Since nobody seems at all concerned that they are being followed, even though it's known well enough that the Technic League has informers in town, Kaska acts. She turns back toward the woman and shouts.

"Hey! You there in the hat! I know you're following us! You might as well stop, we're not going anywhere you want to be!"

She places her hand on her dagger's sheath and pops the blade loose with her thumb for a quick draw if need be.

When confronted, Cin stops.  She shifts her body instinctively and takes a defensive posture so the side of her body faced the woman.  It made her a smaller target and allowed her to more easily flee if necessary. 

"How you know this?" Cin replies tersely in a strange accent while slightly tilting her head to crack her neck.  "Half world in front of you.  I could be travelling anywhere."  

OOC - A tumbleweed rolls by...

~So quick to confrontation, I wonder why?~ (He is new to the land and unaccustomed with Technic League spies) Taijun cuts into the silence before any blades are drawn, "Are you sure she doesn't want to go where we are going? If she is following us then she would follow us wherever we go."  He steps between the stranger and the group, a little closer to the woman with the hat.  Taijun spreads his hands open to show he has no weapons, his bow and quiver is slung behind his back, a bag hangs by his side. "Why are you following us?"

Cin tugs on the wrist of her cestus while another gentleman steps forward to talk.  She tilts her head slightly, as if she's sizing him up [Perception +6 Rolled a 9.    Apparently Cin got something in her eye.   ], and then says, "Heard the bounty back in the Coin.  Now traveling to Town Hall to learn more.  Since I'm fairly new to area, not sure where Town Hall is so following those who presumably do.  Are there laws which prohibit such?  Or are you people not the persons of sterling character I first suspected you to be and wish to keep bounty all to yourselves?"

[Kaska of Red Talons]

"You could be going anywhere, but you're not. I know because you're moving like a vulture."

Kaska moves her hand from her dagger and places both of them on her hips. "Torch is an open town and you're free to go where you please. But that doesn't mean anyone has to like how you do it."

"Since you're a stranger let me save you some future trouble. Trust matters here. If you want something, say directions to a certain place, state your business and ask for them. Directly. Don't presume things of people. Speak and give your reason. And don't creep behind people and then question their honor or motives when they call you out for creeping behind them. That advice will keep you from some grief."

"Now, do you want to know how to get to the Town Hall of not?"

[Cin-Ezra Oovalli]

Cin listens and when the woman describes her as moving like a vulture she can't help but smile slightly.  Her movement had never been described as vulture-like before.  An interesting description from someone so jumpy and confrontational.  One might describe her as a cornered rat.  But while Cin was a slave, she had learned patience in the face of ignorance and an uncanny intuition to which battles needed to be fought and which could wait for another day.  So Cin calmly accepts the woman's scolding and once she's finished, Cin bows deeply at the waist while simultaneously stretching her arms out wide in surrender.  "Of course wise one.  I graciously accept whatever schooling you have to offer." There was no hint of sarcasm or disrespect hidden in her words.

[Kaska of Red Talons]

Kaska squints slightly at the woman, then turns and walks after the others, shrugging internally. The woman seems to be constitutionally unable to identify herself or answer a simple question.

She doesn't think the woman is likely to be with the Technic League. Kaska still believes the League would do things more expertly, putting someone in Torch for the long haul so they can become familiar and know the town well. There is a Taldane word, "subtle", and Kaska thinks the woman is more likely attempting that. Subtle means the oily characteristic of seeming to be nothing in particular until one discovers what another likes, then becoming that in order to get what one wants. There is no particular word for that specific slice of two-faced behaviors in Hallit. "Liar" or "treacherous" covers it. Taldane makes a distinction without a difference to Kaska's mind.

[Taijun]

Cin listens and when the woman describes her as moving like a vulture she can't help but smile slightly.  Her movement had never been described as vulture-like before.  An interesting description from someone so jumpy and confrontational.  One might describe her as a cornered rat.  But while Cin was a slave, she had learned patience in the face of ignorance and an uncanny intuition to which battles needed to be fought and which could wait for another day.  So Cin calmly accepts the woman's scolding and once she's finished, Cin bows deeply at the waist while simultaneously stretching her arms out wide in surrender.  "Of course wise one.  I graciously accept whatever schooling you have to offer."  There was no hint of sarcasm or disrespect hidden in her words.

Taijun remembers a lesson from his master as he watches events unfold. "The tree stands tall until the wind blows it down, the reed beside it bends with the wind and remains." He had a gift for remembering the words of his master.

"You have a strange accent I have not heard before. Will you allow me to walk with you to the town hall, since we all have interests there?"

If Taijun sees her pistol/pistols he will ask Cin-Ezra about them and explain his backstory if asked.