The four of them used to be regular miners. They would pan for Neptuup’s
Tot in the shallow parts of the lake, or dive for it in the deeper portions,
using long breathing pipes or, occasionally, breathing potions.
<Did they occasionally use breathing potions? (50/50) Yes>
All was normal until several weeks ago when, from the cave opening, emerged
a large creature. It looked like a giant lizard or shell-less turtle.
It had an elongated body, the back of which just broke the surface of the
water, and a long neck ending in a reptilian head. Some of the miners
believed it must be the Toknik they had heard stories about as a kid.
The monster swam about a bit before disappearing under the water.
Immediately, the foremen pulled all the miners out of the water and waited
to see if it returned. It didn’t, at least not right away. Mining resumed,
but mostly only close to shore.
The Toknik Monster
Things were quiet for a couple of days until it showed up again. They
began to question if it was safe to continue. A few miners quit
immediately, but most continued. To be safe, they did station a lookout to
watch for the monster, and diving in the deeper area of the lake was
discontinued. The work was already tough at a depth of approximately
30’, and retreating would be a slow process..
When it had been a week after the monster was first spotted, Bruno and
the three miners who were with him now were summoned by the foreman.
They went to the shack, but instead of the foreman, they were met by
several armed men, taken prisoner, and locked up. Two of the miners
had no families, so the kidnappers knew they wouldn’t be missed.
Bruno and the last miner did, but were told if they didn’t do as
instructed, they’re families would be hurt or killed.
Beginning the next night, after the normal day’s work was done and it was
dark, the four were taken by boat to the center of the lake, given magic
lanterns and the breathing equipment, and forced to mine throughout the
night.
“During the day,” Bruno said, “We were kept locked up in this
cabin. We had no windows, so we couldn’t see what was going on, but
after a day or two we heard a big commotion, as though they saw the Toknik
yet again. After that, we heard little to no activity and assumed mining
had either stopped, or was limited to only a few men. Our only guess
was that we were doing most of the mining.”
“Did you ever see the Toknik at night?” Kris asked when Bruno had
finished.
“No. Never. And the guards who watched us never seemed concerned
either.”
“Did you know Remi watched you mine at night?” Syl asked.
“I did see him a couple of times. I didn’t acknowledge him,
however. I didn’t want the guards knowing he was there.”
<After hearing the story, I wanted to determine if anyone might
have a guess as to what was really going on with the Toknik, the
kidnapping, and the secret mining operation. I had each
character make an INT SR. The higher level that was made, the
closer they would get to the truth. The only two who reached Level 1
were Syl and Nen. They’re able to deduct some obvious assumptions, but
that’s about all.>
Thinking about Bruno's story and what they knew from their conversations
around town, the party tried to guess what was going on. They were
clueless until Nen questioned if the Toknik actually existed in the first
place.
“Maybe someone just took a bunch of barrels and sticks, tied them
together, and painted them or covered them with leaves and grass to make
it look like a monster,” he suggested. “You only saw it across the
lake. Maybe you just couldn’t get a good enough look to see it was
fake.”
“Even across the lake,” Syl cut in, “I think they could tell the
difference between junk and a living sea serpent. I think it might
be real, but it may not be as aggressive as they wanted you to
think.”
Kris suggested there might be some answers in the shed next to the
cabin. They went over to check it out. It was primarily full
of the various mining equipment: ropes, breathing pipes, lanterns, repair
materials for the boats. There were some food supplies and a shelf
with several bottles of the breathing potion. They took several
<two each for each member of Kage Gordain, each allowing them to
breath underwater for 1 hour>
but left the rest so that the legitimate miners had some if they ever got
back to regular mining. What they didn’t find was any clues as to
what might have been going on.
<Both Dalen and Kris successfully made Saving Rolls to search for
secret doors, but when I checked to see if there actually was a door
to find (unlikely), the result was “No”.>
Convinced there was nothing more to do at the cabin, they tie up the
guards and lead them back to town, meeting up with Remi on the way. The
young boy was ecstatic to finally know that his brother was alive.
[Scene 2]
“I have some information that might tie the council to the rumors about
the Toknik.”
Syl had left the rest of the group with their captives back near the
secret exit. The elf hoped to find Cafir and make a deal. Her first
thought was the tavern they ate at the previous evening, and she was
correct.
“You and your friends are rather resourceful, it seems. What is the
information?”
“First, I need something from you.”
“Just let me know and I’ll see what I can do.”
“We need fast passage on one of your merchant caravans going north
towards Cyennanore.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Also, I don’t just have information. I have prisoners. Is there
anyone on the city guard you trust? Or do you have your own security
contingent?”
<Does Crafir have the means to help? (Likely) Yes>
“Not every member of the guard is loyal to the council. I know a
few that can help you.”
“Finally, I have some people I need to keep hidden till tomorrow
night.”
“What do you have planned, elf?”
“Can you keep them safe?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Here’s what we’ve learned.”
Syl then told the merchant about all that transpired over the past
several hours.
[Scene 3]
It’s the following afternoon and preparations are being made for Priest
Marin’s worship meeting in honor of the god Pokpu’naap. At least
that’s what Dalen believed. He and Nen hadn’t arrived yet, but were
walking down the streets of Habrycg, heading in the direction of the town
square to fulfil the obligation he made to the priest to share the story
of the town’s founding. Elsewhere, Syl and Kris were making
preparations of their own: an extra surprise to be revealed at the
evening’s festivities.
Rounding a corner, Dalen and Nen were approached by three individuals,
all men. Two of them were humans, Dalen assumed they were in their
twenties. The third was a long haired dwarf, much like
himself.
“You’re the dwarf who was telling stories in the town square a couple of
days ago, aren’t you?” the first man with wavy blond hair asked.
“That’ll be me, all right,” Dalen answered.
The second human, a bald man, viewed him suspiciously. “We heard
priest Marin talking with you afterward. Are you going to the
meeting?”
“I am,” Dalen admitted. “Marin invited me to speak. Are you here to
escort us?”
The blond man laughed. “Escort you? We’re here to stop you.”
<When Dalen was telling his story to the children, I rolled the
event Vengeance/Plans. As part of my Virgin Land game, the Tal,
a sect opposed to the worship of Pokpu’naap on the grounds that
Dioquiss invented the entire story, was created. The random
event meant they would try to disrupt the meeting.
Do the Tal confront Dalen on the way to the meeting?
<Likely> Yes. How Many? d4=3 Are any female?
<Unlikely> No + event Mistrust/Good (resolved later in the
conversation) Are they all Human? <Likely> No
I randomly determined the races based on human, elf, and dwarf.
Do they 1: Talk them out of it, 2: Threaten them with physical
harm, 3: attack them? Roll=1>
Even though Dalen didn’t see any daggers or swords
<Does Dalen see weapons? (50/50) No>, he stepped back reflexively and clenched his fists.
“Whoa,” the blond said, holding up his hands. “Maybe a better way
to say that is ‘talk some sense into you’. You told a good story the
other day, but you don’t believe it. Do you?”
“I believe it as much as any other story about the gods? I find them
fascinating.”
<Why don’t the Tal like people believing the Pokpu’naap
story? Complex Question (C.Q.) from RPGsolo
Inform/Prison>
“That’s the problem. A lot of people don’t just believe it is just
a story. They think it’s true.”
“That priest uses his religion to control people,” the bald man chimed
in. “He takes their money. He imprisons their thoughts and
ideas. The Pok’s are always trying to stop progress, claiming ‘it’s
not what the god told Dioquiss to do.’”
The first man held up a hand to stop his partner, who was starting to get
rather animated. “You’ll have to pardon Stu. His family’s Pok
and his parents were strict. He’s gone a round our two with them
over the church’s claims. Regardless, many of us believe Dioquiss
may have been a leader, but he used the idea of Pokpu’naap to keep his
followers faithful. He had no special connection to the gods. He
just used the story to get what he wanted.”
“But the sign of the sword in the stone?” Dalen pointed out.
The blond brushed it off. “Eh. A mere magic trick. And we don’t
like that the deception continues today. People need to believe the
truth.”
“Aren’t people allowed to have their own opinions?” Nen asked.
“Not if we can help it,” the bald man answered. “We don’t want you
telling any more stories and putting thoughts in their head.”
“And if you do,” the first man added. “You’ll be ridiculed off the
stage. We have friends in the crowd and they’ll do everything they
can to disrupt the meeting.”
“It’s just a meeting,” Dalen argues. “What harm can come of
it?” He turned to the third man, the dwarf, who, up to this point,
had said nothing. “And why are you messed up with this? Humans, I can
understand . . . or I can’t. That’s the point. They let their
emotions get the best of ‘em. But dwarves like us. We’re level
headed. We don’t get caught up in every whim. Talk some sense
into ‘em.” Dalen knew he was laying it on a bit thick, but hoped he
could tap into some sense of dwarven pride.
“Brother, I wish I could do that. I really do. But we’ve got
people depending on us.” The rogue cast a quick look at his
companions, then leaned in close to Dalen and, in hushed tones, addressed
him in dwarven. “Now, if there was reason enough . . . perhaps we could
turn our eyes just this one time.”
<The dwarf is definitely fishing for a bribe, and it will take a LK
SR by Dalen to determine who much he will accept. (L0=40 gp;
L1=30gp; L2=20gp; L3=10gp) Roll: 5,2+18LK=25 L2 or 20gp>
Dalen nodded his head to the other two humans and responded, also in
dwarven. “How tough are yer friends? I’m not above a tussle when
provoked.” He laid his hand on the head of his Warhammer before
pointing out Nen. “And my friend, he might be small, but I’ve seen him
take out an armed guard with a wizard’s blast. Still, I can be reasonable,
and I sure hate to dirty myself up after already getting prepared for a
show. It’s worth it to me to give you 20 gold and be done with this
whole affair.”
The dwarf eyed Dalen’s hand on his weapon and assessed Nen. While
originally hoping for more, he decided agreeing to the 20 pieces was the
more prudent move. “Aye. Hand it over,” he says and holds out his
palm.
Dalen took out his purse and counted out the gold. “And you won’t
cause any disturbance at the meeting?”
“You have our word,” the dwarf said, now speaking common, so his friends
could understand. “C’mon,” he says to the group and they left. They
were barely ten feet away before Dalen and Nen could hear them laughing
amongst themselves.
“How much faith do you put in their word?” Nen asked.
“Not much, my friend. Not much.” <Which is good, because this is the resolution of the event
Mistrust/Good They hope they with do the right thing, but doubt
they will keep their promise, in other words, Dalen “mistrusts” their
promise to be “good”.>
[Scene 4]
The town square was packed with people gathering around the erected
stage. Some families had brought baskets of food and blankets to spread on
the ground. Children frolicked, tossing balls or playing tag.
It wasn’t just a meeting. It was practically a festival. Needless to
say, Dalen was surprised. He expected it to be a rather small
religious gathering. Apparently, however, Habrycg took any chance
they had to throw a celebration.
Or perhaps it was the entertainment. Playing in front of the stage was a
colorful group of minstrels: A lutist clothed in red; a fiddler wearing
green; a flautist draped in blue, and the percussionist sitting on a cajón
drum, wearing black. The crowd danced and sang as the four churned out the
popular tunes of the day.
People Were Gathering Around the Stage
“Do you see any?”
Sylralei stood next to Dalen who, along with Nen were scanning the crowd
for any of the Tal. The dwarf has shared about the meeting on the road
with Marin after Syl and Kris had arrived. The priest explained that
Dalen had probably run into members of the Tal, a sect that would do
anything to stop the worship of Pokpu’naap.
<The bigger the crowd, the more difficult it will be to spot the
Tal members. Dalen and Nen will need to make a LK SR to spot the
Tal members. The higher the level of the SR, the larger the
crowd, making it more difficult. Based on a d8: 1-2=L1; 3-6=L2;
7-8=L3 Roll: 8 Ugh! A large crowd (L3). Dalen:
2,2+2,6+18=30 Success Nen: 2,2+6,6+4,3+18=41 Success.
Do they see all three? (Unlikely, dwarf is hard to see in a crowd)
No, they only see the two humans.>
Dalen spots the
<d2>
bald thug and points him out to Syl, who makes her way into the
crowd. Moments later, she is next to the man and “accidently” bumps
into him. He turns to berate whoever ran into him, but instead of
the bumbling idiot he expected, he found himself face to face with a
gorgeous blonde elf draped in an exquisite deep blue cloak.
“Excuse me,” he said, suddenly willing to take on the role of the
offender instead of the offended. Syl smiled and assured him he did
nothing wrong. Instead of leaving, she lingered, making small talk,
even flirting a bit. The thug readily let Syl stroke his ego until,
as soon as Syl knew he had fully let his guard down, she bent close and
whispered, “My Wish, Your Command.”
<My house rules for the spell is a contested roll of d6’s,
weighted based on the difference between STR, LCK, and CHR.
Rolling up Baldy’s stats, he had a total of 38. Syl 49.
With an 11 point difference, Syl got 2 extra die, of which she chooses
the highest roll. Baldy: 1 Syl: 2,3,4. 4 beats 1.
Syl controls Baldy.>
“You know what would make me happy,” Syl asked the dumbfounded oaf.
“When the meeting starts, I want you to praise Pakpu’naap as loud and
emphatic as you can.”
Syl returned to the stage and a few moments later, the minstrels finished
up their tune. Priest Marin stepped to the front of the stage,
clapping.
“Everyone, let’s hear it for
Ground, Air, and Flame
and that great version of the song ‘Zephyr-Ember.’ They’ll be back later
to lead us in a round of traditional Pokpunian hymns, but right now I want
to welcome you all here in the name of Pokpu’naap as we celebrate the god
and his chosen one, Dioquiss, our founder.”
“You’re a fraud!” cried someone in the crowd. <How many Tal are in crowd? d8+3=8>
“Pokpu’naap is a myth,” yells another. “He is a dead god!”
Marin held up his hands. “I assure you,” he says at the top of his
voice. “Pokpu’naap is alive and he is watching over Haybrcg.”
“He’s watching over our purses,” the blond thug who stopped Dalen and Nen
cried out. “Or should I say, you are! You want to take our
money. Tell ‘em, Stu.” He looks over to the bald man standing
a few feet away from him.
Stu raises his hands up high, as though he is reaching out to the
heavens. “All praise, Pokpu’naap!” He yells, under the influence of
Syl’s
My Wish
spell. “He provides for us!. He cares for us. Though Him
Haybrcg was created!”
“Are you insane?” The blond thug said with surprise. “What are you
saying?”
“Worship Pokpu’naap and be glad,” Stu responded.
“Pay no attention to this man,” the blond man yells to the crowd.
“He’s been paid off by the . . . hey.” His body jerks down but he doesn’t
fall. Spinning, he yells at the person behind him. “Did you try to
pull my pants down?”
The accused protested, but still received a punch in the face.
<Nen, who cast his invisible spell, tried to pull his pants down,
a L1 DEX SR, target 20. 5,1+11=17. He failed. He also tries to
pickpocket both men purse with a L1 DEX SR, but failed both
attempts.>
Stu continued to cry out Pokpu’naap’s praises, while, throughout the
crowd, other Tal members lifted up curses against Pokpu’naap.
Occasionally, however, someone would cry out in surprise.
“Don’t fall for the church’s tricks!”
“The church's control is evil! . . . Hey stop yankin’ me.”
“Down with Pokpuuuuu . . . Eeek!” A Tal woman, having been goosed, turned
and slapped the youngster standing behind her.
<Nen is having a blast frolicking among all the commotion.
After failing another “pantsing” attempt, he decided to just pinch a
female Tal on her tush, causing further chaos. While he roamed
the crowd, he searched for the dwarf (L1 LCK SR) he found him, but was
unable to pickpocket him either. 6,2+11=19 He had hoped to get
Dalen’s money back, but I guess this teaches me not to send a
character with low DEX to attempt tasks that require good
DEX.>
Soon, chaos reigned throughout the gathering. The shouts of the Tal
and the Pokpunians intermingled in blessings and damnation. In several
places, fights had broken out. Marin stood paralyzed with
disbelief. Dalen knew he had to act fast. Across the stage,
Sylralei watched the pandemonium amusedly. The dwarf rushed over to
her and said something in her ear. The wizardess was mildly disappointed,
but followed him to the middle of the stage anyway.
“People!” Dalen cried at the top of his voice. “Citizens!”
The crowd began to quiet down and he continued.
“Hear the words of Pokpu’naap! Passage twenty-four of the seventh
scroll.
He stood strong like the mountain,
Voice roaring as the thunder.
Striking them with the fangs of a viper,
He struck down his enemies!”
As Dalen spoke, Sylralei raised her staff above her head and spoke the
words of the spell
Magic Fangs. The staff began to bend, then wiggle and writhe, as it
transformed into a long, black snake. She dropped the serpent and it
slithered toward the edge of the stage, causing everyone to back
away.
“Fear not!” Dalen called. “You are safe as long as you have not
blasphemed the name of the god Pokpu’naap. But if curses poured from
your mouth and you spoke ill, flee now, before his anger finds you and his
viper strikes!”
<The Tal need to make a Morale Check. Because they are only common
people or slightly higher, plus the added fear of snakes, each will
need to roll 3 or less on 2d6. All but one scram.>
Immediately, several people turned away from the stage and ran to escape
the crowd. Dalen suspected more than just the Tal left, but that was
to be expected. Most of the Tal left, but the last lingering member spoke
up. “I’m not afraid of a trick. Don’t be fooled by this . . .
Eeek! It’s on me! It’s on me.” The man frantically
swatted at his legs before rushing away. Unseen, Nen, who had simply
ran his fingers up the man’s leg, chuckled silently.
“You know,” Marin said to Dalen as the Tal were fleeing. “That
verse was in reference to an enemy king who opposed Pokpu’naap.”
“It was?” Dalen asked. “Oh well. It’s the only Pokpunian
scripture I could recall that had to do with snakes. Besides, I
doubt those hooligans would know any better.” <Does Dalen know any scripture about resurrection? L2 INT SR
+ Literary Knowledge Talent (+4): 3,2+4+15=24 No, but he could always
ask.>
Then Dalen thought of something. “Speaking of scripture, do you know
any that deal with resurrection?”
<Is there Pokpunian scripture about resurrection?
<Likely> Yes, and . . . Marin had just taught on it at the
last church meeting.>
[Scene 5]
Dalen Dimflayer, the Hunter of Tales, enthralled the crowd with his
history of the town of Haybrcg. For the most part, it was the same story
the dwarf told the children two days earlier, except more embellished and
geared toward an older crowd. No one spoke but listened with rapt
attention: ‘oohing’, ‘ahhing’, and gasping whenever Dalen came to a twist,
turn, or surprise in the story. This wasn’t an unfamiliar tale for
most of the citizens, but Dalen doubted they had ever heard it told like
this.
When the main narrative was complete, Dalen transitioned to what would be
the biggest surprise of the night.
“If you are a regular attender of the local church of Pokpu’naap,
presided over by tonight’s wonderful host, Priest Marin, then you are
probably familiar with the battle of Crowhaven. Just before the
meeting, the priest was telling me that it was the topic of his latest
sermon. If you heard him, you heard a fantastic tale. If not,
you missed a treat, one to rival the story I just finished.
“In the course of the battle, many of the Pokpunian army fell to the
waves of ogres storming the city. Crowhaven’s last defence were their
thick walls, and they were being chipped away bit by bit. The great
god, Pokpu’naap, not willing to let his city be overrun by the horde,
resurrected the fallen soldiers, who then formed a line, trapping the
ogres between them and the still standing city walls.
“Why do I bring up that story tonight? Because I have another tale
of a resurrection of sorts for you. It may not be as miraculous as
that day long ago on the battlefield, but it is still amazing all the
same. Many of you may have heard of the four miners who, while
working out on Lake Netnuup several weeks ago, were attacked and eaten by
the Toknik, that ferocious dragon who had returned from the depth of the
dark lake to terrorize any who would come too close. Well, citizens,
tonight I bring you good news. Those miners have returned from the
dead! Let’s welcome them home!”
From a hidden location near the back of the stage, Bruno and the three
other miners emerged, flanked by Kris and Sylralei. Also with them
was Remi, Bruno’s young brother. The crowd gasped, and then cheered.
Bruno, the designated spokesperson of the group, raised his hands to
quiet the crowd. He then thanked them before relating much the same
story they told Kage Gordain upon their rescue.
<Were Crafir’s guards able to extract any information from the two
prisoners? I’ll roll on my 2d6 Reaction Table and interpret the
results based on the situation. Also, I’ll give a one die
advantage and take the best two-of-three to account for being in
custody and possible threats. 1st prisoner: 9=Good, Better than
expected 2nd prisoner: 12 Great, unexpected
perks>
Syl knew from talking with Cafir’s guards when she and Kris went to
collect the prisoners for the meeting, that, through some very
“persuasive” interrogation techniques, the guards were able to extract
from the two captured men most of the story of what was going on at the
lake. There never was a Toknik swimming around Lake Netnuup, at
least not in recent days. The “sightings” were actually illusions
cast by a wizard working for a group who, it was strongly believed,
ultimately answered to the three majority council members. It was
all a plan to control the Tot market and line the pockets of the council
members and their most influential supporters.
<The wizard creating a fake monster is the result of the
“Violate/Nature” random event that was rolled in Chapter 11, Scene
3>
Much of this still needed more careful investigation, so Syl knew this
was not the time nor place to reveal all this information. However, the
freed men did let the crowd know that the existence of the lake creature
was nothing but a rumor.
Despite the crowd buzzing with interest and curiosity, Marin was able to
regain their attention once the miners finished their story. As
promised,
Ground, Air, and Flame
returned to the stage to play some Pokpunian hymns, but finished their set
with a couple of their better known jigs: “Radiant Star” and “Baroque
Wonderland.” While they were playing these last songs, acolytes roamed
through the crowd, taking up an offering. The evening ended and Marin
invited everyone to the next service before wishing them a good
night. All-in-all, despite the hiccup with the Tal, the priest felt
it was a successful meeting.
<Offering 2d10x10 gold = 9+4 = 13 or 130 gp. Dalen earned 5%
of the take for his storytelling (rounded up to 7 gp.)>
[Scene 6]
Once again, Syl found herself at
The Scout’s Bush,
enjoying a late night meal with Crafir. The plate before was empty except
for the scraps of another fine meal. This evening, she enjoyed pasta
topped with small spheres of Mupmet meat and covered with a red
sauce. The wizardess was thankful she decided to wear the red dress
she purchased a couple of days ago, as it helped to hide any stray drops
or splatters. What wasn’t empty was her wine glass, having just been
refilled by the merchant.
“I hope you enjoyed your meal,” Crafir asked, offering Syl the last slice
of bread.
She waved it off. “It was delectable! We just don’t have this
quality Mupmet in Baybrook.”
Syl took a drink of her wine, and the dark haired elf sitting across from
her directed the conversation to politics and recent events.
“I am impressed. You and your friends are rather capable.
Your actions last night will help the town immensely.”
“Have the prisoners told you any more about their employers?”
“Not much more than you already know. They haven’t named any of the
council members specifically, but it shouldn’t be too much longer before
our interrogators draw it out of them . . . that is, if they even
know. If they don’t, that shouldn’t be an issue. The names
they have already provided will lead to them eventually. A lot has
happened since the last election. I admit, I would love to know how
Arndell ever got elected. I’m convinced he couldn’t have done so through
honest politics. However, I’m much more happy to stay away from the
really dirty
work.”
Sylralie thought back to the conversation with Jonik at the crypt and
thought she might have an idea who helped get Arndell elected.
“We had a job there a while back and, let’s just say, not everyone
appreciated our work.” But she kept her thoughts to herself.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I think handling this whole lake situation
is part of the
dirty work.”
“Oh no. I just helped direct you to some ‘honest’ officials.
They're the ones
doing the ‘dirty work.’ Information and a little financial backing, that’s
all I wish to offer, that is as long as it’s favorable to my businesses.”
He cast Syl a conspiratorial wink, and she smiled back knowingly.
“Speaking of business,” Syl said, “I can still trust you will hold up
your end of ours?”
“Of course. I have a shipment leaving the city tomorrow morning and
they are already expecting you and your friends to ride with them.
You should be able to secure passage at least to Faford, if not to the
university itself. And, depending on the timing of shipments along
the way and the availability of drivers, you’ll be able to save three or
four days of your journey. But enough of that. How about we move
this final night to someplace a little more . . . private?”
Syl lifted her glass and took a long sip, her eyes never making contact
with the man. “I think I should go back to the inn. If I remember,
the caravan leaves rather early.”
Crafir reaches over and clutches her hand. “Not too early for us to
have a last bottle of wine. I’ve already secured our room,
Syl.”
Syl thought back to Kris’ words just the previous morning:.
Whatever you steal can be replaced,” he said. “But there’s one
thing that can’t.”
“A person’s ‘inner self’?” Sylralei speculated.
“Yes,” he answered. “If you took it, even from someone willing, it was
the same a s theft from the one for whom it was truly meant.”
“Crafir,” Syl looked up to hold his gaze. “We had an enjoyable night when
we met, and I would be lying if I told you your offer wasn’t
tempting. But I think it’s best we leave it as it is. You are
already one with someone else. Go home to her.”
The red-clad wizardess gently pulled her hand from the merchant’s and
stood. She came close to recanting everything she just said as she took
one last look at the confused, rejected, but rather handsome Crafir, but
steeled her will and headed instead for the exit.
==============
Psalm 40: 9-10 (It's been a while since I've shared
why this is here.)
-----------------
