Magpie Faces The Music

A bright Eliday finds sunshine beaming warm down, onto rain-soaked streets that are quickly drying where Daeus' blessing touches them. The fountain is chock-full and flowing cheerily, and amid the bustle, Dolan is standing near one of the benches by the fountain, while the other man, dressed in artisan's leathers, examines a leg that is split and cracked by winter's ice.

"See how that's coming apart? That's not a flaw in the wood that does that. Water got in here, because whoever crafted this didn't fit the join correctly, the fool. We'll have to take this completely apart and replace the whole side, yes, all of these are sloppily done."

With a little more grumbling, the artisan sets to work. "Here, think you can take this apart? Put your foot right _there_, just _so_, and I'll knock it loose." Dolan does so, placing a booted foot where indicated, and with a deft couple of taps of a mallet, the entire side of the bench in question crumples to the cobblestones. "Good," the artisan nods his approval. "Now I've got my instructions, you're not to pick that whole lot up, are you? Shame, normally I'd have my apprentices do all the hauling, but from the look of you, you're no stranger to all of that. I'll have that hauled back to the Temple, and we'll do this right."

Taking full advantage of the season's fickle weather, Verna descends the mountain road into the temple square. Cloak is worn as a precaution, yet hood is doffed to enjoy the clear day. As she approaches the central fountain, the artisan's audible critiques draw her attention to them, the bench and Dolan. One of the three may have been her goal, as she adjusts her path to intercept. Once near enough, and in a pause in the artisan's comments, she offers greetings, "Brightest of days to you.".

The bright sunlight seems to be at least appreciated by most, the albino is happy to be able to enjoy the warmth, but not the brightness itself. Her hood is pulled up and over her head and face.

She stands nearby, notebook and pencil in hand, sketching the fountain and the activity around it. A frown slowly crosses her face as one of the benches is dismantled, and the pencil practically dances over the paper in an attempt to capture Dolan and the artisan at work.

A breeze ruffles the Goblin's hood, and she squints, fussing with a pocket in her robes, freeing a small pince-nes to stick to her nose.

The doors of the temple of Eluna swing open, releasing a priest of said temple as well as one of its newer adherents. Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon and the priest both have slightly dour expressions, but there's no sign of animosity as the half-elf turns to shake hands with the priest, who claps Telamon on the shoulder in friendly reply.

Once the farewells are done, Tel walks out into the plaza, his eyes sweeping... catching sight of Verna and Dolan. His expression lightens, and he walks over towards them, his step becoming a bit more sprightly and cheerful, especially with the spring sun pouring down on him.

It's not often that Magpie's errands take her through the Temple District -- less so, in the days following an incident at the Temple of Eluna, though that *certainly is not at all the reason why* -- But when one has one of the better style of meat-and-gravy pocket pies from the Lower Markets to concentrate on, one often goes onto autopilot while eating.

Licking the last crumbs of gravy-soaked bread from her fingers, she looks up... and her face loses a shadoe or two of color, upon noticing just *where* she is at the moment. The motley-clad gnome lets out a short, nervous laugh, and promptly starts trying to put anyone and anything between her and that particular Temple that she can. Passersby, architecture, a bench that--

WHACK

--has just collapsed.

Stopping dead in her tracks, she slowly looks up, and up, and up, and grins unsteadily at the golden-eyed Inquisitor. "Aheheheh.... Hiiiiii, Dolaaaan."

"What are you doing?!" The artisan is fairly apoplectic, and opens his mouth to scream at the gnome. "Can't you see we're working here! Shoo! Go on! Get out of here!" He starts reaching to shoo Magpie off, while Dolan is distracted with Verna's greeting and Telamon's approach.

"Brightest of days, Verna-" He stops short. "Magpie, what are you doing? Here, Master Bergzin, she's a friend. I'll handle her, and come back to the Temple to help you, yeah?" He offers his right hand to pull Magpie to her feet. "We'll be wanting a cart for this much."

In deference to the bright sun, Dolan has eschewed the cloaks in favor of just the sleeveless sheepskin jacket he has taken to favoring, with the leather cuff over his left shoulder atop a amber-trimmed, unbleached shirt. "Come over this way, let's let Master Bergzin work. Brightest of days to you, too, Tel." He backs up several places, notably trying to pull the sudden crowd away from the crumbling and collapsed bench.

Verna starts at Berzgin's sudden outburst, only now aware of Magpie's arrival. She delays an acknowledgement of her and Telamon in favor of also stepping back from the bench and disgruntled artisan's. "Good day to you both...?" she offers with light inquiry at the end.

Simony's sketching slows significantly upon Magpie's arrival, red eyes following the colourful woman as she wanders through the square. The sudden change from distracted snacking to attempted nonchalance causes an eyebrow raise, quickly turning into a double eyebrow raise. A thumb flips the pages of the notebook, and rapid sketching begins anew. "Feigned Innocence.", she murmurs to herself, the Priestess of Navos begins approaching those around the dismantled bench.

As the group begins to drift away from the bench, leaving the artisan to grump and grumble by himself, the Gobbo's path veers away to follow. "Magpie.", she says, conversationally, as Simony draws closer.

Telamon actually recoils a step as Magpie... well, has a little mishap. "Ah... brightest of days, Dolan." He smiles at Verna, inclining his head to her before glancing at Bergzin before shifting his gaze back to Dolan and sundry again. "No shortage of carts here in the city." He eyes the disassembled bench. "And no shortage of smaller tasks, either."

Tel sighs, raking a hand through his platinum hair. He's dressed in a light-woven white linen tunic, simple brown trousers, and leather walking-shoes for city cobbles. "How's the shoulder, Dolan? Improving, I hope?"

The first major upside to being one of the literal smallfolk, is that one doesn't need *that* much help getting to one's feet. "Thanks," Magpie sighs, brushing off her robes and trying not to cringe away from the irate artisan. Then she looks away, to the growing crowd, and--

Oh no the worst possible thing that can happen to Magpie, has happened.

She is becoming a public spectacle.

"Y-yeah, let's... just like... be somewhere else..."

"Bah! Shoo! Yes, all of you! Get away!" The man makes shooing motions, to Dolan included. "I'll expect you back at the Temple in two hours. It'll take me that long to clean up this mess. Shame you can't help, it'd be good for you."

"Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can, Master Bergzin. I think I know what this is all about, and I need to deal with this." He takes another two steps back, turning himself so that the entire group is in view, and after an appraising look at Simony, fixes Magpie with the Redeemer's _stare_ that the scarred right half of his features in no way makes _less_ intimidating. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the reason why Auranar was under the weather yesterday, would it?"

Verna's countenance and eyes all pan to Magpie at Dolan's inquiry. She does not glare, per se, and simply regards her, one brow lifting inquisitively. "Indeed, I am rather curious of events, myself." She may or may not have received the abridged version.

The Gobbo peers back at Dolan, adjusting her pince-nes slightly. Her gaze flicks from Dolan, to Verna and then Telamon.

"Magpie.", she says again, with just a little more insistence. The pencil begins its dance once more, scratching across a fresh sheet of notepaper.

Telamon is perfectly all right to help move away with the group, smiling at Dolan. "Oh? Sorry, I was down at the temple, they asked me to look over something. Someone was trying to hawk 'anti-werewolf charms'," his face turns slightly sour at the words. "And the clerics had some hard words for him. Nothing outright malevolent, just a scam."

But then Dolan mentions Auranar being 'under the weather' and Magpie having some connection, and the starry-eyed sorcerer turns to -look- at Magpie. "You don't say," he says in a deceptively calm tone. "I'd be quite curious to know about something that had made my sister-by-adoption ill."

Oh, now it's *worse* than a public spectacle.

All of Magpie's friends are apparently upset at her.

And while she allows herself to be led away, she's gone from nervous to actively cringing, looking from person to person to person to person in a state of... well if it's not outright panic, the two are on nodding terms in a hallway.

After probably far longer than one would expect to find her voice, and with tears in her eyes, she stutters; "W-would i-it help... i-if I said it w-was werewolves...?"

Dolan isn't wholly immune to tears, and although he still wears a frown that can't help but be intimidating, he's not completely closed. After all, werewolves in the Temple of Eluna isn't exactly news to him. "I see. Auranar wasn't exactly forthcoming, either. Let's have the whole story, then. From the top, and no lies, please. I'll only eat you if you lie to me." He crosses his arms across his chest, a little carefully, but a glint of humor twinkles in the lone brown eye.

Verna's lips purse at Magpie's obvious fretting, though the expression is not directed at Magpie in the most true sense. "You extricated her and delivered her to prompt care, Magpie. She is well because of your actions, for which I am ever grateful." Her eyes hsift briefly to Telamon as she states that assurance before they return to Magpie. "I would simply learn what transpired. If lycanthropes were involved, it is relevant beyond my personal interests and to our current efforts."

Simony's eyes widen slightly at the mention of werewolves, her gaze going to Magpie, and then to the others as they all seem to place Magpie into the hotseat. Looking to Magpie once more, her mouth opens slightly, and then closes with a little click of teeth. A thumb flips the notebook page, and once more the pencil goes to work, the Goblin eyeing people at length while she gets their likenesses down to paper.

Telamon lets Magpie snivel a bit, before his expression relaxes into something a lot less intimidating than that blank-faced stare. "What Dolan said." He heaves a sigh. "Damnable werewolves. Wait, here..." He fishes in his haversack, before removing a flask and offering to her. "First chilled tea of the season," he says with a smile. "Oh, and also..." He deftly draws a handkerchief from a cunning pocket in his sleeve, handing it to Magpie as well.

Tel's eyes flick to Verna, and he nods. "Sometimes all you can do is clean up the mess. I assume Auranar is recovered, or near to it?"

"Thanks," Magpie mumbles, taking the handkerchief and trying to not soil it too badly -- while cleaning the misery from her face, so, an impossible task destined only to end in more tears -- and compose herself. Looking around at the assembled again, she catches Simony's eye, and nods her closer. May as well make a *complete* protective ring.

Pausing a moment to regulate her breathing, she presses a sleeve against a reddened eye, takes in a deep breath, and begins.

"So a few days back, with that book? Figuring out the trick with the pages was guesswork, and before I even *began to think* about trying anything again, I needed to talk with the guy who created it. Who was also stuck in his own book, at the Elunan Temple, remember? So Auranar and I went to pay him a visit, bribe him with reading a new Crimson Pen series about just these two *adorably* wholesome and lovestruck sorcerers, it's just the best hot-cocoa reading time I've ever ever had-- wait. Right. Not important. Moving on."

The flask is taken, gulped at a bit, and returned.

"So while we were talking to Albus and he was trying his hardest not to tell us anything because he was worried it was a demon plot, this paladin walks in, says he has to test Albus for going evil. Which I mean, I get, but... Guy was a week shy of his last shave, and his *armor didn't fit.* And I mean--"

An almost accusatory finger stabs up at Telamon. "Seriously do *your working buddies* EVER look scruffy and ill-kempt? I've never seen it! I'd think it was a mortal sin *not* to at least have fabulous hair!"

"...Anyway he poisoned Auranar with Blood Leaf and tried to take her hostage, and I let Albus use me as a conduit for his magic, and then ran away with both of them. So, y'know... If I look nervous, it's because I stole a restricted artifact from a Temple and got one of my best friends really badly hurt meanwhile."

"Wait. You are telling me that someone claiming to be a paladin of Eluna used _poison_? If they're anything like the Sunblades at all, there's no way. But then, these furry bastards are above _nothing_, and that's not the first one I've seen pretend to be something they're not." Dolan's hand has migrated to his chin, his arms half-folded as he listens intently. "So. You got the book away from the werewolf, is what you _really_ did. Yeah, that lot are after Kinkade's works, and-"

Suddenly, he snaps his fingers. "I need to talk to Kinkade. One of V's shadow demons took over a golem watching the library in the Arcanist's Guild and started trapping people in a book. I want to know what he knows about The Book of Three, but that will keep a tick or three. Auranar's fine, Magpie, and it sounds like it's because of you. So - those little shits are still in the Temple."

Verna's lips upgrade to frown, that only deepends when Dolan mentions the Arcanist Guild. "This is one more target we must keep from them, then. They are within the temples. They are within the guild. We dare not presume that any known location is secure, in that case. I trust that you have secured the tome to the best of your ability, Magpie." It is statement, not inquiry, and she intentionally does not ask of details.

Instead, she looks to Dolan, Telamon, and back to Dolan. "I sought to inform you that we will be prepared for that venture shortly. It may be even more urgent than you believed. As well, we may wish to travel in force."

Finally having Magpie's attention for the briefest of moments, Simony attempts to get a word in, before resigning herself to listening to the story, and to sketching the participants of this interesting affair. A talking book, werewolves, and an evil Paladin. Oh my.

"I wonder if the monastery can be completely sealed... from the inside?", the Goblin mutters, now jotting down notes next to the people in her sketch. Feigned Innocence. Grumpy Uncle with the EYES.

"Magpie."

Telamon turns his eyes momentarily to Simony, fixing the albino goblin with a stare, before shifting his gaze back to Magpie. As she lays out her tale, Tel heaves a sigh, and says something remarkably rude in oruch.

"No, they don't, Dolan." Telamon says, as Magpie returns the flask. "The Silverguard patterned their code of conduct off the Sunblades. Using poison -- especially Blood Leaf -- would be anathema." His lips quirk. "And to add to that, Silverguard try to represent themselves well, as a reflection of Ni'essa. Unshaven and ill-fitting armor? Maybe if you had -literally- just come back from a crusade. But not in a routine temple visit."

He scowls, though it's clearly not directed at anyone. "They just keep slinking in. And it's starting to get tiresome. Although that explains why the temple was a little tense today..."

"And it was, like, *empty* when we came in," Magpie says, knuckling a spot between her eyebrows. "But I showed *that* goober. On our way out I found the grease-pencil stylus I use to make notes on things that shouldn't be used for note-taking, and wrote a big fate FAKE on his forehead. Hoping he got locked up *real* quick with that on his face."

The gnome allows herself a moment of spiteful triumph, before nodding to Dolan. "Yeah that shouldn't be a problem! Just go to the library wing at Arcanist's, and tell the front desk you need to talk to me. Make it sound Temple Investigation-y, that ought to be enough for hem to give up my room number."

Pausing, she blinks, remembering a use of her name much closer to the ground than she's used to, and wide eyes turn to Simony. "Hm?"

"_Starting_, Tel?" Dolan pinches the bridge of his nose wearily. "I'm long past sick of it. That reminds me, though, Tel, I meant to ask you," he turns his entire face towards Verna. "I talked to Lana a little - we need to go back to Quelynos. You remember that mountain we saw at the lake? It looks just like Tanith when you look at it magically, which means it's got something to do with something those furry bastards probably want. I don't know shit about that Realm, though, not beyond reading. Lana said she'd be willing to come. She talk to you at all?"

He ignores the exchange, for the moment, between Magpie and Simony, beyond a, "Yeah, I'll do that, thanks, Magpie," and turns back to Telamon and Verna. "I had a feeling it might be important, Verna. Let's get out of here as soon as we can."

Verna is not ignorant of Simony, noting, "If the monastery can be secured, and is not already infiltrated, it could become a bastion, if necessary." She returns promptly to the topic Quelynos, however. "Your expertise on the realm, and Cor'lana's would be most welcome," she assures Telamon. "Your magical talents, as well. As a matter of prudence, I do not wish to be the sole means of ingress and egress and take steps to ensure this. Our first group venture to Quelynos yet weighs upon me."

Simony stares right back at Telamon, before turning away to look to Magpie. "Hello. Could... could you tell me where you got that pie from?", she wonders, her voice lowering the longer she speaks. "Hopefully before something else happens?"

A loud gurgle is heard.

"Also. If you want assistance in looking for information regarding..." She gestures with a hand. "Whatever is going on here, I'm willing to help with research or clerical duties."

Telamon snorts. "Figure of speech, Dolan. In any case..." He tilts his head, looking at Dolan, and his eyebrows rise. "Ah. No, she didn't initially but she let me know now. Yes, if you plan to go to Quelynos you're going to need a guide. And possibly someone to talk you through some of the environs." His eyes twinkle merrily. "So we'll have to tackle getting back there."

The half-sil reaches up to rub his chin. Glancing at Simony, he grins at Magpie. "Might as well. But in the meantime, I suspect Verna, Dolan, and I have a trip to plan." He pauses, considering. "We might task Andelena with keeping an eye on things here. I know she's... uncomfortable with the fey."

"The-- Oh! Right! Oh wow okay, go to the Lower Markets, ask for Padraic, he'll be a half-orc with a cooking-cart setup. He does sweets too, but the pork-and-apple pies always sell out first."

Clearly, Magpie must handle her information-granting by order of personal priority, and that means *never pass up a chance* to sell Padraic's pies for him. "And yeah, definitely the more book nerds the better. *Something's* gotta get done while the bigjobs're off saving the pick-your-preferred-land-grant-size," she chuckles, hoisting a thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of everyone surrounding her.

"I won't repeat what she said when I mentioned the idea." This time, the latent humor in Dolan's lone brown eye bursts into full bloom, along with a warm, cheeky, affectionate grin with a softness that only appears when the topic is the Sunguard. "Your mother would have thrown her into the street for language like that." When Verna mentions a bastion for Simony as well, he finally looks down at her, as if seeing her for the first time, and raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"I'll try to get Andie to feed both her cats and Hunter while we're gone. We need to figure out supplies, Auranar says it's dangerous to live off the land in Quelynos, and I'm limited in how much I can carry."

"I am reasonably confident that we shall not starve, Dolan," Verna assures him. The cross-topic of food brings her attention to the (only slightly) smaller pair of Magpie and Simony. "Information, or the lack thereof, is an ever-pressing disadvantage; any research or insight that could be provided would be most welcome." After a slight pause, she adds, "Perhaps some of those meat pies would be, as well."

Returning focus to Dolan and Telamon, she advises, "The scrolls I am scribing for the trip will require another few days. This should provide time enough for the other logistical concerns, I expect? I will not risk the rest of you becoming stranded should I happen to become ... indisposed."

The Gobbo grins at Telamon briefly, before turning to eye Magpie. Simony takes the time to write down the Gnome's instructions, her stomach protesting once more as she does so. She blinks at Magpie, "Book .. nerds?" Her head tilts ever so slightly. "Are you a book nerd, or a bigtype? Off to save the shire, county, duchy kingdom?" She blinks again, and looks to Verna. "What, exactly, would I be securing the monastery from, out of very idly curiosity? Actual werewolves?"

Dolan's skeptical glance has Simony shrugging her shoulders. "I haven't run screaming yet, and I suspect that will be in short supply in near future, judging from the uhm.." Simony gestures to the group in general. "Doom and gloom feeling you're putting out." Looking to Verna again, the Gobbo huffs and nods. "Fine, I'll bring extra meat pies back with me. And if you care to give me a few starting suggestions, I can start grinding the libraries and the monastery."

Telamon furrows his brow thoughtfully at Dolan. "Probably wise on all counts. We really -can't- depend on living off the land there -- it's not poisonous, just... you might wind up addicted to it and not be able to -taste- anything else. Which wouldn't be good." He spreads his hands. "We'll work it out. It's not the worst place to go by far, and there -are- friendly faces there. You have to watch your step, but what -else- is new?"

At Simony's inquiry, he turns his gaze on the goblin again, a fathomless stare. Then he says with a faint smile. "Oh yes. Werewolves in the service of the Red Maw, so not just werewolves, but -religious fanatic- werewolves. No pressure, hm?" He chuckles grimly. "My advice? Bring friends. Bring silver. And don't miss if it comes to a fight."

"Worse," Magpie says to Simony's question as to what they're up against, nodding at Telamon. "*Culty* werewolves, like he says. It's like roaches, you do everything you can to get them out, but sooner or later you have to spray *again.* Only with, y'know, more face eating."

Trying to grin to add to the humor -- because face-eating cultists who also turn into facer-eatinger rage monsters is funny, right? -- Magpie pats Simony's shoulder. "As for *what* to research? Well... Soon as Dolan and I talk about this book at the Arcanist's, I think we're gonna be close to having a target. Moment I'm done, I'll get back to you, and you can join Team Nerd! No what they're planning is like *miles* beyond what I'm anywhere near prepared for, I've just got books and reports and myths and stuff to chase down. I'll introduce you to Auranar, it'll be fun! Also; there'll be snacks."

_Huh_. Dolan blinks his lone flesh-and-blood eye at Telamon at the mention of becoming addicted to the food. That's a danger that he quite clearly hadn't considered. "Good to know, but yeah, that's everywhere. You have to watch your step on Ea, too, no news there." He shrugs expansively, seeming to relax some at the reassurances.

"Who's this?" he asks keenly of the group in general, turning his stare again on Simony. At least it's accompanied by a cheeky grin, even if it holds something serious underneath it. "Someone I ought to know? Dolan Donnelly," he offers to the albino goblin. "I may look mean, but I don't bite, unless it's my woman, and then only if she wants me to." If anything, the grin broadens and takes on a wicked note. "So what did you want to talk about about the book, Magpie? May as well make sure Tel and Verna know, too."

"Religious, fanatical werewolves. I would posit that you are messing with me, somehow." Simony reaches up a hand to pull back her hood, that hand then running through her uneven hair. "But I suppose if I take that at face value... How do you check? I can see the issue for temples, you have all manner of adherents and pilgrims coming and going all day. But how do you know?" Her expression falls a little. "You're waiting for them to show themselves, aren't you?"

The albino eyes Magpie's hand on her shoulder, and carefully the Gobbo reaches up to take Magpie's hand... and shakes it carefully. "Nice work with those imps, by the way. Please, come and find me at the Navos monastery. Go up the mountain road, and keep going north, past ol' Deathlady's place, til you find it." She makes as if to leave, until Dolan's voice stops her. Simony offers the man a bow. "I am Simony, priestess of Navos." Her mouth opens and closes with a click, not quite sure what to make of his take on biting. "I only bite if I'm cornered or mad. I don't get permission."

Telamon raises his eyebrows at Simony, looking her up and down. "Navos. Hm. Interesting." He does offer her a welcoming smile, though. "This is indeed the deep end of the pond. But since you ask... silver. Silver coins for those seeking entry, and silver blades for those who want to force the issue." He winces. "It's easier than it looks, though."

As it seems Simony is about to leave, Tel turns back to Dolan and Verna. "The talk about the book, with this fellow Kinkade's voice from it, reminds me of stories -- a couple close to home. I wonder... I need to talk to Lana about it first though. She might have some insights."

"Tell Padraic I said hi~!" Magpie says, waving hard enough to lift her onto her tiptoes. "And try the rabbit! *I think he cooks wine in the gravy!*"

Looking to Dolan, Magpie loses a bit of her good cheer, some of the nervousness coming back. "Well uh... Not... so much to discuss, more like... introduce?"

Dolan fixes that one-eye-and-one-gem stare on Simony at her introduction, wearing an expression that suggests that several possible responses to her pronouncement came to mind. "I'll be sure not to corner you, then," he finally decides on, with a warm and amused grin. "Brightest of days." With Simony clearly preparing to leave, he turns his attention instead to the others, his eyebrow and blasted eyebrow ridge ascending in interest. "Introduce? Sounds interesting. Maybe we can learn a little more. The list of things that I want to pay V back for is growing by the gods-be-damned day."

"A good idea. Considering my height compared to yours." Simony nods at the suggestion from Magpie, and the albino writes something down in her notebook as she strides off in search of Padraic and his meat pies."

"...Wait," Magpie says after a moment. "...You met Albus already, didn't you?" The gnome smacks a hand against her forehead, then hisses in pain. Apparently, she forgot the full range of her head-piece, for a moment, and a bright red welt starts to form under the amethyst pendant over her brow.

"Ow, hssssss... Um. Anyway. Yeah I figure this book you were talking about, you may as well go to the source? And he's hanging out in my personal... well not a *library,* but, collection... Um. Right. So yeah."

A sympathetic wince crosses Dolan's face when Magpie smacks herself, followed by an offered hand. "Careful. Don't hurt yourself. Yeah, I was with you when we first met him, remember? Anyway, yeah, this last book - I'd like to ask him about it, and about why V or her minions might be after him. He fits somewhere in this, and I don't know where yet. I'll come by some night before we leave for Quelynos, and see what we can find out."