Kurinost Jam Session and Balifor Bay

18 Gildember 348 AC

Ornforithalas winces at the thought of Kender music. "For now, let's find rooms for the night. We can leave at dawn but if we don't find anything between here and Felinosti, we should head back to Silvanost. It is possible that the Dragonarmies are adhering to the letter of their treaty."

Cedron decides that a night of light entertainment and solid sleep will do him well before the voyage. The minstrel-priest completes his daily prayers and makes his way to the tap room of the party's accommodations. He plays a few rough songs on his flute and sings a couple of calming songs before heading to bed with a full belly.

Shadow will keep company with Cassidy and Cedron. Mostly to keep an eye on his little friend.

Kysek acquires himself a good meal and sends Bubo to hunt for himself. Before turning in, he takes stock of his equipment.

Cassidy sits and listens to Cedron play, his usually fidgety antics replaced with a serene, rapt expression. In between songs, he asks if he can join in.

“Of course. What’s your instrument of preference?” replies Cedron as he keeps a very watchful eye on the halfling and Ced’s own belongings.

The kender smiles and reaches into his pack and pulls out a beautiful rosewood lute, adjusts the tension on the strings and begins to strum, nimble fingers picking notes, combining them to create chords. Cedron realizes almost instantly that this "Butch" fellow must have either been classically trained at some point or is disturbingly talented.

“That is a fine instrument. I look forward to the accompaniment " Cedron tells Shadow's small companion.

"Thank you. It belonged to my Auntie Boonsatchel," Cassidy replies with excitement.

Ra’ziir takes the opportunity to restock spell components by visiting the mageware shop Grotto told the party about. Afterward, he ventures into to dining hall to take a meal and listen to Cedron play. He keeps a wary eye on the Kender, hopeful that his earlier warning will keep any curious fingers from finding their way into his belongings.

To further occupy the Kender’s attention, the Black Robed Elf suggests, “Master Greenbeans, you should join Cedron and let us all hear what musical talents you have to share…”

Cassidy's smile threatens to swallow his ears. "There is one thing I have been working on."

The kender begins tapping out a beat of his lute to establish the tempo before he starts playing in earnest. His voice, when he begins to sing, is surprisingly clear, almost pure and carries a joy that spread even to the patrons who, up until now, have been eyeing him with suspicion.

🎶 🎵 "Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings
of the bluebird as she sings.
The morning rooster's crow would never be.
But it calls and I rise,
wipe the sleep out of my eyes,
my shaving razor's cold and it stings...

Cheer up Sleepy Jean,
Oh, what can it mean
To a Daydream believer
and a highborn queen" 🎶 🎵

A second verse quickly follows the second and before long, one or two patrons begin surreptitiously singing along with the chorus.

As Cedron and Cassidy's impromptu set comes to an end, a round of drinks is delivered "on-the-house" to the pair of them.

Grotto asks various members of the group what has transpired since his shopping trip. After hearing that the group thinks the best course of action is to pursue the goblin thread, Grotto yells a hearty bellow of joy! "Praise Hanseath!" Grotto says with glee, "Let us leave none standing! The vermin in the wake of my axe will see no mercy!"

Grotto shudders with excitement! His hatred towards his former goblin captors is not well hidden. All that Grotto can picture in his mind is war, death, and revenge! No matter if these were the goblin that abused him many decades ago or not, they will taste his hatred toward their kind!

"I will die a happy dwarf slaughtering goblins in the name of Hanseath before that filth pollutes these lands further!" Grotto says loudly to the group. He looks to his elfin escorts, "Please lead the way kind elf! My axe yearns to meet a goblin skull!" Grotto kisses his axe and says a prayer to Hanseath to bless and guide the group. "Hanseath, I feel you in my heart. Let the filth feel you in my axe! Look over us in this forsaken land!"

Grotto has not felt such joy and excitement in years. His blood oath to Hanseath to rid the realms of goblins fills his heart with delight.

While the group rests for the night, Grotto works feverishly with his alchemical wares. He makes as many balms and salves that he can from his old recipes he knows from the old ways of his grandmother's healing methods. Grotto works into the wee hours of the night. The fumes and odors of his concoctions fill the air. "If only I could hear Hanseath. These brews would heal us much more quickly imbued with his grace!" Grotto says out loud. Grotto then cleans his lab and packs his wares away. "Hanseath hear me, keep us alive!" Grotto says with much worry.

As morning approaches and the party stirs, Grotto asks Raz if he can hear Raven in his mind yet. "Any word of the black bird?" He asks. Worry and concern is plainly written on his scarred face.

19 Gildember 348 AC

The next morning sees a shift in the weather. The temperature drops dramatically as a light wind begins to blow in off of the Bay, bringing with it fog and a steady drizzle. Breath condenses in the cool air. Condensation from the mist drips from hooded cloaks. Sheltered parts of the trail that are away from the water show signs of light frost that formed overnight.

Grotto scans either side of the trail, looking for mushrooms and herbs as the party walks.

Ra’ziir remains alert for any threats. He continues to keep a wary eye on the Kender, giving non-verbal cues, a raised eyebrow or curt wag of the finger, whenever he notices Master Greenbeans looking intently at any of his belongings. He’ll occasionally follow it up by pantomiming an explosion with his hands and giving a vocal “Poof!”

Mr. Greenbean smiles and laughs every time and Ra'ziir begins to suspect that Cassidy a.k.a. Butch finds it wildly amusing and may actually be doing it on purpose.

As they walk Shadow asks, "Butch, you ever have to fight goblins? You know if there's any in the area?"

Cassidy nods. "Oh, yes! A couple of times! They aren't very nice. This one time, in South Erstwilde, these goblins were being mean to these farmers. I told the farmers that I would talk to the goblins for them and the farmers were extremely thankful. So, I went out to find the goblins and the goblins started throwing rocks and sticks at me and I had to tell them Very Firmly that they needed to stop or they would get in Big Trouble."

Shadow tries to interject, hoping to steer Butch back to the original question but Ornforithalas looks at Shadow and shakes his head, "You put the steel piece in, you have to let the whole song play out."

Cassidy continues his rambling tale as the guard captain moves ahead to check on his scouts as the Kender keeps telling his tale.

"But they didn't want to so I kept talking and talking, explaining very calmly that what they were doing was not nice. And the goblins STILL didn't want to stop and went from throwing rocks to throwing spears but they weren't very good at throwing. So I kept getting out the way and talking and trying to explain how what they were doing was hurting the farmers' feelings. Well, they, the goblins, not the farmers, got mad and started chasing me with swords so I had to use my hoopak to throw rocks at them. I beaned the main goblin in the head and then these humans showed up and they had a fight with the goblins. After that, the humans told me that I should move along so I went with them for awhile and we became good friends but one morning I woke up and they were gone! I never found out what happened to them. Anyway, wait, what were we talking about? Oh, yes. Um... I haven't seen anything goblin-related since I got to Silvanesti but I did overhear some elves that were looking at me and talking about how they were worried that their forest was becoming infested with little pests so there must be an increase in the mosquito population. Lucky for us, we have this breeze and rain which always seems to keep mosquitoes from bothering people, at least until the rain stops. But them, there's puddles everywhere and you end up getting even MORE mosquitoes in the end. And really, that's like a whole cycle of biting and sucking blood and laying eggs and then more biting and sucking blood and laying eggs. Wow, you sure know a lot about mosquitoes! Did you have to go to school for that? I went to school for about five minutes once. The maester didn't seem to want me to answer the questions he was asking the class and to Sit Still and Be Quiet. So I did that for almost a whole minute." Butch goes on talking for what feels like two eternities and in the end Shadow has no idea what he had asked to Kender in the first place.

Looking out toward the Balifor Bay reveals a broad, gray expanse of mist and wispy fog. The wind blows steadily, with stronger gusts churning up whitecaps and carrying the smell of a fast-approaching winter. Gulls circle above the foam green waters, occasionally diving to strike at some hapless fish beneath the surface. Red and yellow leaves are ripped from their trees and are carried away on the wind.

Ornforithalas' scouts scan the ground, looking for signs of creatures coming ashore. If goins have landed, the combination of surf and wind have done a thorough job of erasing any trace of them but the search continues.

Close to noon, the sea begins to churn violently and a pair of giant, barnacle-encrusted purple lobsters explode out of the water.