Two dinners - one went well, the other…. not so much
Catching their breath the adventurers slowly get to their feet and start to discuss all that has so far transpired: they were able to seemingly retrieve the artefact that the bandits near Bastow wanted to acquire. After having seen what this facility, and in extension the tablet, might be capable of, the heroes deduce that they have done the right thing in following this lead. Even though they are not quite sure how to progress from this point onward.
Also: They have found a real Arkhenith facility! The myth of millennia is real! What a find. The party concludes that it best lay buried and they are very (!) unsure if the abyssal rift is still open and if they should blame themselves for it. But these are thoughts for another time. Making their way down the small mountain the party returns to the Lyari. They though are not amused that the adventurers braved Ki’iron Erberos, to them an unholy site. The Lyari insist that such evils should remain buried and not be uncovered. They revoke their welcome of the party and ask them to leave by morning. Bewildered the party leaves for Bastow the next morning and head straight to Thomaid, being sure that he absolutely is to be trusted. He makes big eyes at the recounting of the adventure and cannot contain his excitement over the tablet that Vinnoniel retrieved, which now seems to be inert. Thomaid is no expert on the ancient Arkenith and refers the party to a colleague of his in Carhyrst, Reward Sesk. Sesk is a scholar of some renown, especially regarding sunken cultures, and he is much more influential than and not as secluded as Thomaid. Thomaid assures them that the adventurers can trust Reward as much as him, but warns them to not overindulge on sharing information about their ordeal. Supplied with the address of Reward Sesk in the Braceworth district of Carhyrst, the party joins a trade carriage to Carhyrst, which they will arrive at in short of two days travel. Narvik seems a bit anxious to return to Carhyrst, were he was born and raised, since he neither is on the best terms with his family nor has the easiest relationship with them. His father Thorgrid, a local and valued smith, is kind enough but seems unable to hold the family together after his wife and Narvik’s mother Britha died eight years ago. Narvik has always been interested in magic and has indeed snatched up a trick or two from Cherish, but his family is traditionally very wary of magic: Narvik’s older brother Lasse, captain of Carhyrst’s city guard, only ever lost one fight in his life and only because his opponent had used magic. Ever since he has been mistrustful bordering on hostile towards magic users. Nonetheless the party agrees on visiting the Nyberg’s family home.
Arriving two days later the party checks into the Badger’s Inn close to Narvik’s home to first test the waters and to not overwhelm Narvik’s father with oddities: a purple Tiefling and a seven foot Firbolg would be the least of them. Seeking out Thorgrid Nyberg in his smithy, Narvik is greeted joyfully by his father, who hasn’t seen his son in weeks, and is invited along with his “new friends” to dinner tonight. An invitation for the group to stay overnight at the family home is also extended. That being settled the party seeks out an audience with Reward Sesk.
His is a beautiful mansion in the Braceworth district and the party is greeted by a manservant at the door. They are escorted to a beautiful solarium, lined with floor-length windows and equipped with tall plants and objects d’art. The party is unsure how to behave around such splendour but luckily are soon relieved by Reward arriving. He is a healthy looking man of 65 years, dressed in flaming red attire with a gold trim and his trimmed white beard and short-cut hair frame a strong-jawed face. His eyes are light blue and alert, his mannerisms deliberate and considerate. He seems like a man well experienced on the social parquet of the upper class.
Reward greets the adventurers warmly and is overjoyed at knowing his dear colleague Thomaid in good health. He then asks what he can do for the party. The adventurers silently look into each others faces, a bit insecure on how to proceed. Vinnoniel decides to be straight forward and shows the tablet to Reward, who makes big eyes at such a treasure. His interest seems to be purely academic and he enthusiastically asks about the object he immediately identified as Arkenith. His curiosity then is quenched for the time being and he extends an invitation to dinner on the next day at his mansion and he promises to invite an art dealer and friend as well, who is a bit more…worldly concerning old artefacts. His name is Meraús Dhaka. Taking their leave the adventurers begin to head to the Nyberg’s home for dinner. It is still late afternoon though and the shops are still open. The party discusses whether they might need to improve their garb if they do not want to seem out of place for tomorrow evening’s dinner at Reward’s. Either disregarding these thoughts or in the case of Cherish feeling no need for improvement only Vinnoniel would like to invest in finer clothes. Since they are in one of Carhyrst’s more wealthy districts, a store selling refined attire is quick to be found: The Golden Needle. Upon entering the party is skeptically eyed by the young woman behind the counter and her attitude towards the new customers is unmistakably one of doubt and contempt. Assistant Alyn though has no say in the matter and brusquely tells the party to wait while she gets the seamstress. Looking around the store, the adventurers are enchanted, for the garments on display are a marvel: Not only are they crafted with the utmost care out of the most refined fabrics imaginable, they oftentimes also are literally enchanted. There is a mannequin, encased in glass, dressed in an emerald robe of such elegance, that it is hard to take your eyes off of it. It is subtly glittering and every so often a wave of tiny twinkling stars would work its way from the hem of the dress up towards the shoulder straps where a flock of the tiniest emerald hummingbirds would emerge and playfully fly around the head of the mannequin, then dissipate. How exquisite! Another item on display is a midnight-blue fascinator whose main piece is a tastefully arranged pheasant feather. From time to time a small illusion would appear at the base of the feather: A huntsman blowing his hunting horn. How charming! Then the party is pulled from their rapture by the arrival of the proprietor: Genna Glosk. A genuinely friendly woman of advanced age, who does not show any animosity of any kind towards the customers. She is attentive and helpful, her movements as she is taking measurements of Vinnoniel precise and elegant. She lets Vinnoniel know that she will fashion an elegant garment for a gentleman of Vinnoniels size by tomorrow afternoon and that he will be very pleased by the end product, which is now paid for in advance. Satisfied the party leaves the shop. It is now time to have dinner at the Nyberg’s. Entering the Nyberg’s home the party is greeted by Narvik’s father, who is calling from the kitchen, where he is busy preparing dinner. A task he is obviously not used to. You can hear steam hissing, plates and pans clattering and at one point a glass shattering and subsequent angry muttering. Thorgrid Nyberg emerges from the kitchen rubbing his hands in his apron and stops dead in his track at the sight of the diverse party. His surprise over the unusual guests is soon dwindling though and he shows himself to be a forthcoming, if awkward, host. Topics stay clear of sensitive matters and the evening is going well. Then the front door opens and Captain Lasse Nyberg of the Carhyrst city guard enters, still in his workwear. He is tall and handsome but his attractiveness is diminished by his aloof and stoic manner. He wordlessly enters the dining room, takes in the scene, looks Narvik dead in the eye and then greets his father: “Father.”, who nervously answers: “Lasse, my boy. Come, ditch the armour and have a seat. I have prepared dinner, can you believe it? Well, I tried at least. I think the fish turned out fine. I overcooked the venison though.” *nervous laugh* “Wont you greet your brother and his…erm, acquaintances? Colleagues? Friends?” *stage whisper to Narvik: “What are they, exactly.” “They are….my friends.” Narvik replies. “Friends. That’s settled then. Lasse?” Clenching his jaw Lasse replies: “I’ll be there in a minute, father.” He leaves the room to change his attire and an uncomfortable silence follows and meaningful looks are exchanged. Cherish though, who is most of the time unawares of awkward situations manages to lighten the mood with an offhand comment, the mating rituals of the flame-dotted Vicuna probably. The mood for the remainder of the evening is jovial and relaxed until Narvik makes the mistake of addressing his brother on how his work is going. One flippant reply follows the other and soon old family dynamics run rampant at the table, leading into a shouting match between the two brothers and culminating in Lasse jumping up from his chair, pointing an angry finger at Narvik. Vinnoniel though cannot take the arguing any longer and displays a rarely seen facet of anger by likewise standing up to his full seven feet height and engaging in a stare down with Lasse. In the following silence you can seemingly cut the air. “I can burn him with hellfire, if you like…” …That was Cherish, the Tiefling Warlock. Lasse shoots her a glaring look as Thorgrid buries his head in his hands and Narvik cooly stares ahead. At last Lasse storms off, slamming the front door. “Well, I think that went ok.”, Narvik says. “Oh, my dear boy….”, Thorgrid answers. Having the day for themselves the party gathers in the late afternoon to fetch Vinnoniel’s new outfit and then attend the dinner at Reward’s. Excited they make their way towards Braceworth district and the Golden Needle, where upon entering they are greeted warmly by Genna Glosk and dismissively by Alyn, the assistant. Vinnoniel is guided towards a dressing room to change into his new apparel and soon emerges, fully transformed. Instead of his earth- and leaf-coloured leather armour he is clad head to toe in the most impeccable outfit: A light grey vest and matching pants of fine cloth along with a midnight blue shirt of purest silk. The ensemble is rounded up by calf-high, fine, brown leather boots and a matching brown fedora, which at this point Genna is delicately placing atop Vinnoniel’s head. For a finishing touch she rolls up the sleeves of the shirt. “Now. That’s a dapper gentleman, if ever I saw one.”, she says as she regards Vinnoniel in front of a large mirror. Vinnoniel is lost for words as are his companions. “I take it you are satisfied.”, Genna says with a smile. Overjoyed and confident the party sets out for dinner at Reward’s.
Also: They have found a real Arkhenith facility! The myth of millennia is real! What a find. The party concludes that it best lay buried and they are very (!) unsure if the abyssal rift is still open and if they should blame themselves for it. But these are thoughts for another time. Making their way down the small mountain the party returns to the Lyari. They though are not amused that the adventurers braved Ki’iron Erberos, to them an unholy site. The Lyari insist that such evils should remain buried and not be uncovered. They revoke their welcome of the party and ask them to leave by morning. Bewildered the party leaves for Bastow the next morning and head straight to Thomaid, being sure that he absolutely is to be trusted. He makes big eyes at the recounting of the adventure and cannot contain his excitement over the tablet that Vinnoniel retrieved, which now seems to be inert. Thomaid is no expert on the ancient Arkenith and refers the party to a colleague of his in Carhyrst, Reward Sesk. Sesk is a scholar of some renown, especially regarding sunken cultures, and he is much more influential than and not as secluded as Thomaid. Thomaid assures them that the adventurers can trust Reward as much as him, but warns them to not overindulge on sharing information about their ordeal. Supplied with the address of Reward Sesk in the Braceworth district of Carhyrst, the party joins a trade carriage to Carhyrst, which they will arrive at in short of two days travel. Narvik seems a bit anxious to return to Carhyrst, were he was born and raised, since he neither is on the best terms with his family nor has the easiest relationship with them. His father Thorgrid, a local and valued smith, is kind enough but seems unable to hold the family together after his wife and Narvik’s mother Britha died eight years ago. Narvik has always been interested in magic and has indeed snatched up a trick or two from Cherish, but his family is traditionally very wary of magic: Narvik’s older brother Lasse, captain of Carhyrst’s city guard, only ever lost one fight in his life and only because his opponent had used magic. Ever since he has been mistrustful bordering on hostile towards magic users. Nonetheless the party agrees on visiting the Nyberg’s family home.
Arriving two days later the party checks into the Badger’s Inn close to Narvik’s home to first test the waters and to not overwhelm Narvik’s father with oddities: a purple Tiefling and a seven foot Firbolg would be the least of them. Seeking out Thorgrid Nyberg in his smithy, Narvik is greeted joyfully by his father, who hasn’t seen his son in weeks, and is invited along with his “new friends” to dinner tonight. An invitation for the group to stay overnight at the family home is also extended. That being settled the party seeks out an audience with Reward Sesk.
His is a beautiful mansion in the Braceworth district and the party is greeted by a manservant at the door. They are escorted to a beautiful solarium, lined with floor-length windows and equipped with tall plants and objects d’art. The party is unsure how to behave around such splendour but luckily are soon relieved by Reward arriving. He is a healthy looking man of 65 years, dressed in flaming red attire with a gold trim and his trimmed white beard and short-cut hair frame a strong-jawed face. His eyes are light blue and alert, his mannerisms deliberate and considerate. He seems like a man well experienced on the social parquet of the upper class.
Reward greets the adventurers warmly and is overjoyed at knowing his dear colleague Thomaid in good health. He then asks what he can do for the party. The adventurers silently look into each others faces, a bit insecure on how to proceed. Vinnoniel decides to be straight forward and shows the tablet to Reward, who makes big eyes at such a treasure. His interest seems to be purely academic and he enthusiastically asks about the object he immediately identified as Arkenith. His curiosity then is quenched for the time being and he extends an invitation to dinner on the next day at his mansion and he promises to invite an art dealer and friend as well, who is a bit more…worldly concerning old artefacts. His name is Meraús Dhaka. Taking their leave the adventurers begin to head to the Nyberg’s home for dinner. It is still late afternoon though and the shops are still open. The party discusses whether they might need to improve their garb if they do not want to seem out of place for tomorrow evening’s dinner at Reward’s. Either disregarding these thoughts or in the case of Cherish feeling no need for improvement only Vinnoniel would like to invest in finer clothes. Since they are in one of Carhyrst’s more wealthy districts, a store selling refined attire is quick to be found: The Golden Needle. Upon entering the party is skeptically eyed by the young woman behind the counter and her attitude towards the new customers is unmistakably one of doubt and contempt. Assistant Alyn though has no say in the matter and brusquely tells the party to wait while she gets the seamstress. Looking around the store, the adventurers are enchanted, for the garments on display are a marvel: Not only are they crafted with the utmost care out of the most refined fabrics imaginable, they oftentimes also are literally enchanted. There is a mannequin, encased in glass, dressed in an emerald robe of such elegance, that it is hard to take your eyes off of it. It is subtly glittering and every so often a wave of tiny twinkling stars would work its way from the hem of the dress up towards the shoulder straps where a flock of the tiniest emerald hummingbirds would emerge and playfully fly around the head of the mannequin, then dissipate. How exquisite! Another item on display is a midnight-blue fascinator whose main piece is a tastefully arranged pheasant feather. From time to time a small illusion would appear at the base of the feather: A huntsman blowing his hunting horn. How charming! Then the party is pulled from their rapture by the arrival of the proprietor: Genna Glosk. A genuinely friendly woman of advanced age, who does not show any animosity of any kind towards the customers. She is attentive and helpful, her movements as she is taking measurements of Vinnoniel precise and elegant. She lets Vinnoniel know that she will fashion an elegant garment for a gentleman of Vinnoniels size by tomorrow afternoon and that he will be very pleased by the end product, which is now paid for in advance. Satisfied the party leaves the shop. It is now time to have dinner at the Nyberg’s. Entering the Nyberg’s home the party is greeted by Narvik’s father, who is calling from the kitchen, where he is busy preparing dinner. A task he is obviously not used to. You can hear steam hissing, plates and pans clattering and at one point a glass shattering and subsequent angry muttering. Thorgrid Nyberg emerges from the kitchen rubbing his hands in his apron and stops dead in his track at the sight of the diverse party. His surprise over the unusual guests is soon dwindling though and he shows himself to be a forthcoming, if awkward, host. Topics stay clear of sensitive matters and the evening is going well. Then the front door opens and Captain Lasse Nyberg of the Carhyrst city guard enters, still in his workwear. He is tall and handsome but his attractiveness is diminished by his aloof and stoic manner. He wordlessly enters the dining room, takes in the scene, looks Narvik dead in the eye and then greets his father: “Father.”, who nervously answers: “Lasse, my boy. Come, ditch the armour and have a seat. I have prepared dinner, can you believe it? Well, I tried at least. I think the fish turned out fine. I overcooked the venison though.” *nervous laugh* “Wont you greet your brother and his…erm, acquaintances? Colleagues? Friends?” *stage whisper to Narvik: “What are they, exactly.” “They are….my friends.” Narvik replies. “Friends. That’s settled then. Lasse?” Clenching his jaw Lasse replies: “I’ll be there in a minute, father.” He leaves the room to change his attire and an uncomfortable silence follows and meaningful looks are exchanged. Cherish though, who is most of the time unawares of awkward situations manages to lighten the mood with an offhand comment, the mating rituals of the flame-dotted Vicuna probably. The mood for the remainder of the evening is jovial and relaxed until Narvik makes the mistake of addressing his brother on how his work is going. One flippant reply follows the other and soon old family dynamics run rampant at the table, leading into a shouting match between the two brothers and culminating in Lasse jumping up from his chair, pointing an angry finger at Narvik. Vinnoniel though cannot take the arguing any longer and displays a rarely seen facet of anger by likewise standing up to his full seven feet height and engaging in a stare down with Lasse. In the following silence you can seemingly cut the air. “I can burn him with hellfire, if you like…” …That was Cherish, the Tiefling Warlock. Lasse shoots her a glaring look as Thorgrid buries his head in his hands and Narvik cooly stares ahead. At last Lasse storms off, slamming the front door. “Well, I think that went ok.”, Narvik says. “Oh, my dear boy….”, Thorgrid answers. Having the day for themselves the party gathers in the late afternoon to fetch Vinnoniel’s new outfit and then attend the dinner at Reward’s. Excited they make their way towards Braceworth district and the Golden Needle, where upon entering they are greeted warmly by Genna Glosk and dismissively by Alyn, the assistant. Vinnoniel is guided towards a dressing room to change into his new apparel and soon emerges, fully transformed. Instead of his earth- and leaf-coloured leather armour he is clad head to toe in the most impeccable outfit: A light grey vest and matching pants of fine cloth along with a midnight blue shirt of purest silk. The ensemble is rounded up by calf-high, fine, brown leather boots and a matching brown fedora, which at this point Genna is delicately placing atop Vinnoniel’s head. For a finishing touch she rolls up the sleeves of the shirt. “Now. That’s a dapper gentleman, if ever I saw one.”, she says as she regards Vinnoniel in front of a large mirror. Vinnoniel is lost for words as are his companions. “I take it you are satisfied.”, Genna says with a smile. Overjoyed and confident the party sets out for dinner at Reward’s.
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