Cyenannore: Chapter 12 - Habrycg: Pokpu'naap Revival

(Read the previous chapter here.)

System: Tunnels & Trolls  (affiliate link)
Tools: RPGSolo.com

[Scene 1]

Sylralei, Kristopher, Dalen, Nen, and the four recently freed miners gathered in the main room of the cabin.  Each person either stood or sat on one of the chairs or the couch that were situated about.  Earlier, they found the key to the smaller room on one of the guards and locked the two of them inside.  <The party also stripped the guards of the 22 gold pieces they had.> One of the miners confirmed that he was Bruno, the older brother of Remi, the boy the party met earlier that evening, and told them about the events of the past few weeks.

<Here it was time to roll on the rumor table to see if the stories about the Toknik were true.  Roll=7-Mstly False. Next, I need to know how much of the truth the prisoners actually know. I’ll roll a d10, and the higher the number, the more they know.  Roll=2. They know very little except what they have personally seen.>

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 Cafir, but steeled her will and headed instead for the exit.

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Psalm 40: 9-10 (It's been a while since I've shared why this is here.)
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Imagesource: Toknik Monster (Schlosser67 (CC)); Poknunian Meeting (15th century Mystery Play Lithograph)