The Scratching Post #43685

As Cordelia and I were taking a breather from the bar, which in hindsight was a poor choice as we left it completely full of customers, we stumbled upon a hell of a sight. Dwarves from the Mordrin Theocracy funneling out of a portal in the middle of the alleyway. Kahla was taken aback and immediately hid in the shadows nearby. As Kahla studied the dwarves, several other non-dwarf creatures came through:
A halfling, with a scythe attached to his back. (Sam Talbot - a cleric?)
A gnome, with an axe fit for an individual 4 times his size. He has 5 pairs of shoes on at the same time. (Borris - fighter? Barbarian? Weird either way)
A half-raven, half-woman mix. She seems very worn down. Has a raven on her shoulder. (Noelani Bizrel)
A blue-skinned tiefling, musical instrument strewn across her back. Maybe a flute? Cornelia will be a great way to get to know her. (Aerilyn Faeyth - Possible connection to Mr. Faeyth?)
A female referred to as K multiple times. Possible nickname? (K is literally her only name)
As they are pushed through the portal on a floating rock (which btw, what in the hell is the importance of that?), the portal closes and the dwarves are rushed by.. More dwarves? All seems to be friendly, but tense. Maybe a time crunch on the portal? A head dwarf comes through. He reveals himself to the party as Gross Uck, a head priest of the Mordrin Theocracy. After brief introductions, he invites them into the city to be fed and get rest.
Seeing a moment present itself, I emerge from the shadows with Cordelia close behind me (she really has learned to read me over the years, clever girl). I forgo an introduction in the name of protecting myself and myself, but identify my inn and that it is a safe haven for their kind. Kahla has never seen a member of the Mordrin Theocracy up close and personal before, so while Kahla is mesmerized by the people who are freeing his city, he still needs to get to business and keep these people safe. Kahla informs the head priest of where the bar/tavern is located and instructs him to let 2 guards follow at a distance. The priest hesitantly agrees, and the party follows Kahla and Cordelia to the tavern.
At the tavern, Kahla realized his mistake of leaving patrons unattended. Judging by a few tankards, we were gone for only 30 minutes, which was 30 minutes too long. Kahla immediately launches into pouring more drinks and reclaiming the time lost. Cordelia entertains the guests, both new and old, with her lute. We sit the newcomers in the corner. Unfortunately, the halfling (who revealed the name of Sam to me, unknown if this is his code name or, gods forbid, his real one) revealed they had jumped through a portal a little too loudly.
I noticed a full elf with blonde hair take notice of it. I make a note of everything about them from that point forward and go about my business pretending to not have heard it. Kahla prays he was successful in deceiving her, but alas I don’t believe I was.
The night was thankfully less active than normal. I finished serving the existing customers and sent them on their way. Cordelia sent the new folks into one of the rooms for rent and, literally, crammed in there with them. Although it was pretty funny watching them spill out from time to time. The elven woman ended up renting a room with us. I spaced her away from where I planned on letting the others rest for the night. The one named K helped me clean up the bar in the hopes she could talk to me later. On one paw, I feel horrible that this is their first introduction to our city. But on the other hand, I know it has to be this way. As the last customer left the bar, I guided K into the kitchen under the verbal guise of doing dishes and started to try a conversation in Dwarvish. No luck. Thieves Cant; no luck either. She tried to speak in a different language to me which I didn’t understand, so no dice there. I eventually just let us whisper in common to get the point across of all we have been dealing with here. I didn’t go into full detail, as even a whisper could be heard if someone wanted, but I made her aware at least. Did she mention something about meditating? Apparently, she will be able to help us see something if I meditate with her. At this point, I’ll try anything.
K eventually went off to bed. I ended up dousing the lights in the tavern and placing myself on center stage in the dark with my crossbow in my lap, just staring at the elven woman’s room. I didn’t notice anything all night, but then again I nearly dozed off a couple of times. I eventually saw the first patrons of the next day come down for breakfast, which I quickly made thanks to the local waffle wizard, Samson (I picked this name, don’t know if it is correct). As the rest of our new friends started arriving for breakfast, I noticed 2 things. First, the elvish lady didn't peep all night. Second, the blue tiefling child named Aerilyn can scream for their party cleric (Sam, as it turns out) pretty loud. The raven lady had a dream that affected her so much that apparently her neck was cut? Who knows. But as soon as I heard that I figured the elven lady was to blame, I busted into her room.
I hate people who destroy rooms. Her room had a huge sigil drawn on the wall in the blood(?). I hate her now. She is the worst. I have no idea what kind of magic this is, but it seems powerful. I don’t know if she caused the incision on the raven lady's neck, but it seems too coincidental to be anything else. I’ll note her name and put it in my collection of signatures to eventually learn to reconstruct from my sign in the book.
Upon seeing this, Cordelia helped me shut down the bar. I think a family’s child was crying on the way out about something super scary. I wonder what he saw? Nonetheless, I have other larger things to focus on. So, upon closing down the tavern, we brought the entire crew down to our work area and explained in detail what the hell is going on here in town. After I dumped all the information on them, my sleep deprivation caught up with me and I had to go to bed. So, I'm writing this down now before I inevitably fall asleep with strangers in my most intimate workspace. Am I doing the right thing by trusting complete strangers? Will they help me overturn the remnants of corruption here? Why the hell are the ships heading into the sea with captives? Only time will tell.
 
Remember Kahla, Cordelia and you are the only thing keeping this resistance alive. Be crafty, cunning, and quiet. Remember the sacrifices your mother has made to allow you to get this far. Do not let her down.
 
PS; Need to find more on Orson Kaylock, Ms. Avril Adams, and Berrian Caphaxath.