V And The Mountain

The back room of the Golden Squirrel is a cozy place, a quiet little pub in the university district. Most of the students are gone for the day, but upon inquiring for "Dolan Donnelly" to the proprietress, a cheerful human woman with gray hair pulled back in a bun, you are shown to a back room where a cask of a reasonable wine and a reasonable ale each are provided. "Master Donnelly said he'd be back from the Temple in a little bit, you're welcome to wait here."

The albino Goblin is wide-eyed when she reaches the the back room, glancing around as if lost. Ignoring the wine and ale for now, Simony finds herself a seat, and settles down. In one hand, she carries a notebook, the other, a pencil. Already she is scratching away, drawing the back room and its decor.

The door swings open, admitting a somewhat careworn half-elven sorcerer. Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon is dressed in fairly nondescript (for him) garments, a linen tunic over trousers and boots, with a light cloak flung over his shoulders. His expression is carefully controlled, with just a hint of weariness to it, as he walks over to the wine cask and begins filling a glass. His eyes flick to the others, and he offers a small smile. "Anyone else want one?"

Having been following word of strange Book behaviors ever since one of them tried to swallow up Rune, Harkashan has been keeping his 'ear to the ground', as the Softskins seem to say. More importantly, he's stayed in touch in regards to what happened deep beneath the depths(?) of the Arcanist Guild in regards to a second book.

As such, he joins into the Golden Squirrel, and looks around for a seat that could actually offer him a reasonable possibility of seating. Deciding after a little while to instead just... stand near the table as Telamon steps in. There's a long bow of his head - a respectful greeting - followed by a shake of his head. "No thank you."

Instead, he draws his hands to a patch of Lavastones inlaid into his armor, and considers replacing the series with another large one for a moment. Seeming lost in thought for just a moment.

Verna arrives to enter a few moments after Telamon, dressed not in robes and accoutrements of her duties, but in a layered dress. While the green-accented earthen-tone attire is more colorful than gray, it could be considered less conspicuous in her own personal context. She does enter in time to catch Telamon's offering, responding with "I would not object to a half glass." The familiar Makari garners a nod and "Greetings, Death-Singer."

A hooded figure in travel gear arrives just behind Harkashan. A fair amount of the road seems to have accompanied Rune in her travels, with some mud stains across her boots and an unnoticed bit of dirt smeared across her nose. Delicate hands draw her hood back, seeming content to wear it down in somewhat familiar company. Not all of the faces are known, but they all do seem to have some connection to matters at hand.

"I'll take a glass if you're pouring. It's been a long journey." She offers Telamon a warm smile, tinged with only a bit of exhaustion.

She doesn't move to sit, perhaps expecting that there will be plenty of that given the nature of such a meeting. Instead, Rune seems to linger near the cask instead, her fingers fidgeting with a coin, almost using it as a worry-stone.

Having caught word that Dolan was meeting with people about books, Ous had made his way along to the meeting. Stepping into the back room, the big ranger grins and heads towards the beer as he waves to some of the others. Stepping around Telamon he grins. "Aye don' have much of a aste fer wine. but thanks anyways." Filling a mug, he heads over and kneels beside Simony. Resting on the balls of his feet, the big man seems perfectly comfortable. "Evenin' Simony."

Simony eyes Telamon, her head tilting slightly. "What is it?", she wonders of Telamon, "Wine, I take it? Is it good?" Her sketching begins to take Telemon into account, and then the others as they start to fill into the room.

The pencil practically blurs.

Blinking as Ous kneels next to her, she nods, "Hello again, Ous. How re you faring?"

Telamon draws a glass, and sniffs it before sipping. "It's not bad," he reports. "I've had worse. Some wines are really only fit for cooking." He draws a glass for Rune, before letting Ous get his. Passing the wine to her, he lowers himself into a seat. "Sorry, it's... been a tiring day. And I've still got more ahead of me." "Lady Verna." Harkashan answers to being called a Death-Singer. "I do hope this meeting will bring slightly less worisome need for minding words." A most cryptic of statement clearly based on a shared experience.

He ends up finally leaning his rump against the side of the table and for a moment considers warning Rune of books once more. But he decides otherwise. Instead, listening to others speak of wine.

"There is always more ahead. Such is the blessing~ " and curse, "~ of the living."

Nodding to Simony as he takes a mouthfull of beer, Ous finally replies. "Aye'm well. Tried tha' stayin' out of trouble thing for a day or so. There may be some merit tae it. My ex-periments continue."

Seeing Verna, the Aesir born ranger offers her a wave and a waggle of his eyebrows in greeting.

It's at this time that the door opens again, and another human male walks into the room. Most, if not all, present know Dolan Donnelly on sight. He is much more simply dressed than most present are used to seeing him, an open-collar, unbleached farmer's shirt beneath a sleeveless sheepskin jacket that is open enough to display a pair of small scars on one side of his neck that could be old fang marks. A pendant of a stylized dragon hangs around his neck, and a tightly-lashed leather cuff encases his left shoulder, as before, a leather strap across his chest holding it to the other side.

The mobile half of his features betray worry and something else, but he surveys the gathering with a gaze that is half expressive and half scarred-blank, the golden gem in place of his right eye socket utterly devoid of expression. "Brightest of days," he greets, making straight for the table with the drinks and filling a mug of ale for himself.

"Oh, continuing your experiments in being a mortar?", Simony wonders with a toothy grin. "Though, won't you miss knocking people out, smoking, drinking, and cussing? Or is it fistfights only, that you're avoiding?" The Goblin sits up, patting Ous on the arm as Dolan arrives. "Brightest of Days", she intones, offering the man a little wave.

The notebook becomes her focus as she now adds Dolan to the sketching of the backroom.

Telamon looks over as the door opens, and his expression lightens. "Brightest of days to you, Dolan." His dark eyes sparkle, as he regards the others. "It seems there is no lack of friends and allies to help with these endeavours. That -does- make it easier to face the next day, and the next."

Accepting the glass of wine, Rune gives the edge of the glass a sniff before twitching her nose slightly. It's clear that she shares Telamon's opinion on the drink, but sometimes you take what you can get. She sips at the drink, though without the relish one might have for something more palitable.

Tucking her fidgeting hand into her pocket, if only to somewhat hide the gesture, she leans against the wall not far from Harkashan. His words about the blessings and curses of the living gets an only slightly repressed wince. Instead, she focuses on the interactions with others, "More friends from our mysterious book problem?" She asks, likely only having been filled in on some details and not others, it seems. "And you don't have to remind me not to touch anything." He may have been reminding her a lot latey, or she reads minds. Likely the former though.

At Dolan's arrival, she inclines her head, "Brightest of days."

There's a gutteral growl of appreciation when Rune seems to read his mind. Perhaps it was a tailflick too many. A way in which he held himself. Perhaps a glance too many in her direction. But it seems that the two have worked long enough together that this is hardly a surprise to him anymore.

"Peace upon your Nest." Harkashan offers to Dolan's Brightest of Days when the heavily scared human. There's a deep dip of his head, before he takes a step back and makes room for Dolan. His gaze following the man with the gem for an eye. Even without speaking, Dolan's body tells a history that, while perhaps not as long as Harkashan, feels far more ventured and storied.

Verna fetches herself a scan half glass of wine, which is lifted to Ous in return acknowledgement. "Indeed," she offers to Harkashan. Further words are precluded with Dolan's entry. Her free hand is lifted to him. "Bright days are ever welcomed." She moves to find and settle herself into a seat for the discussions.

"Yeah." Dolan looks over the gathering, and his eyes land on Simony, Harkashan, and Rune. "This is about Albus Kinkade and that book, isn't it." He doesn't seem to mind, quirking a grin at each of them in turn that brings just a little bit of laughter to his eyes. "Just as well, too. Gonna need all the help we can get. I'm off the blade for at least a week, Tel." There's something dark in his tone.

He leaves it at that, instead taking his ale to a chair in one corner, where he can see all present, and turning it backwards with one foot to sit in it. "Thanks for coming," he offers, taking a long pull from his mug. "So, guess I ought to start with the story about the book, and why that demon was after the golem in the Arcanist library."

Nodding to Dolan, Ous offers another wave. still crouching beside Simony, he shrugs as he replies. "Weeeeell...Mostly Th'fightin' Aye dinnae know tha' th' drinkin' needs tae be stopped, an Aye don' cuss tha' much." Pausing for a moment, he adds in slightly haughty tone. "Th' word isnae Mor-tar. Ye tol' me yerself tha' Mor-tar is a darven thing-jobber. Aye believe the word ye are looking fer is mother."

Hearing Dolan start in, the ranger falls quiet and turns his attention to the man.

The door to the room *jumps* as a great weight apparently impacts on the bottom third of the door. There's the barely audible sound of someone groaning, almost exactly as if they're hit the door... about a third of the way up. After which, the door is ripped open, and a wide-eyed Magpie, bleeding from the nose, barrels in. "I'M SO SORRY I'M LATE," she yells... then stops, turns, and closes the door behind her. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry, seriously, what did I miss and were there any snacks?!"

Which point she sees Dolan in a classic storyteller's pose, all attention to be turned to him, and claps her hands over her mouth. Oops.

Telamon looks sympathetically at Dolan. "I know times are tough but you -have- to take care of yourself." He rubs the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I... there were some developments on our end. I'd have brought Lana but she's... wrung out." He takes a long drink from his glass, and nods as Dolan begins giving the briefing, letting the man talk.

The Goblin snorts and nods at Ous, "Martyr, not mother." Though when Dolan looks her way, she falls silent, pulling her notebook up. She opens her mouth to say something, when the door shudders and there's a groan. Simony winces, but then the door bursts open to admit a rather excited and excitable Gnome. Now the pencil moves again as the Gobbo attempts to draw, and keep notes on what has been said, so far.

Harkashan would be asking Dolan to please continue, when Magpie enters the room with much ado and violence to a poor and undeserving door. The Deathsinger slowly turning his horn-crowned head about to see her... bleeding from the nose.

He sights and approaches the small Gobbo and leans down, touching a finger to her nose to heal the nosebleed. "It opens outwards." He bids to the small creature, at which points he offers a hand in case she wants to get up on the table while Dolan speaks.

Though she doesn't get a direct answer from Harkashan, Dolan is quick enough to confirm that they are, indeed, here about the recent issues which Rune had gotten quite familiar with. As it seems that the meeting is starting in earnest, she steps forward to claim a chair. She sits awkwardly, with one leg propped slightly upward on the support, her hands unabashedly toying with that same worry-rubbed coin which is now passed between them now and again. For someone known for stealth and quiet, she rarely sits still.

"Any knowledge you have to offer would be good. I feel like I only know bits and pieces." She looks to Harkashan, as if he were partially to blame for that. And... then there is the bang to the door and Rune drops her coin, which goes rolling off along the floor before landing on tails right near the arriving Magpie's feet. Her fingers twitch, but she seems uncertain about going after it.

Frowning as Simony mentions Martyr, Ous leans in so as not to interrupot Dolan and says. "Aye dinnae think that is th' right word. Martyr is that stuff ye puts between bricks when ye build a wall." Hearing the Thump, Ous winces slightly then looks back to Dolan, sipping at his beer as he does so. when Magpie mentions snacks, he pulls a pouch of jerky from his belt and tosses it to her.

"Hope she's okay," Dolan frowns at Telamon but just nods acceptance, looping one arm over the back of the chair in front of him with the mug in hand, and resting the other in his lap. "She's been through a lot. Andie's on duty ton-"

And then Magpie crashes the door, the party, and everything else. He half-bolts to his feet at the crash against the door, but when the little gnome bursts through, he relaxes, a chuckle escaping him. "We're just getting started, Magpie, brightest of days." He re-seats himself. "Yeah, I know," he adds to Telamon, but shakes his head.

"That demon was probably trying to locate the works of Albus Kinkade," he explains. "S'pose it got distracted locking people in books for fun, but it had a purpose there. Albus Kinkade did a lot of research on fiends, and died a few months ago when he accidentally locked his soul in a book called Malice of Infinity. Magpie here's been working with the other work, and I'm going to ask her to talk in just a minute, because my oaths to the Sunlord's Temple mean I can't touch or use that book. Anyway, so that demon was probably a minion of a being known as V. It's the offspring of a demon and a devil and seems to be controlling both. The good news is that we know what it wants."

The albino grabs Ous' arm and squeezes, "Let them talk a bit.", she says quietly. A beat. "Mortar is the stuff between bricks. Martyr is the word you want. For the last time."

She snorts lightly, and turns to a fresh page in her notebook. The pencil scratches on, while Simony looks thoroughly caught up in Dolan's story, looking slightly pained as he leaves it hanging on a cliffhanger.

Verna takes a long pull from her drink as she listens, then coughs up a portion of it as Magpie rushes in. Just a small portion, some of which is caught in her glass. Perhaps that is enough wine for the day. After her sputtering ends, she looks from Magpie being tended to Dolan. "Do we have any inkling as to how many minions or lieutenants this V has, or only the one? We have some idea of what that one already possesses, and what it wishes." Now she frowns. "I would know more of what is known if them both." It was not a pressing matter of focus for her previously. This has changed.

Telamon gives Magpie a long look, before turning his gaze back to Dolan. Measuring him with a careful eye, his brow furrows. "This is definitely been one of those weeks," he remarks sardonically. "Keep going, Dolan. We know V's got his... appendages in a couple of other plots, but I think we need to lay out each one, one at a time so we don't get confused."

"Thaaaanks," Magpie sighs as Harkashan ever-so-kindly heals up her wounded nose. The coin rolling to her feet grabs her attention for a moment, and she stoops to pick it up, looking about for whoever dropped it?

...Which means she's distracted as the bag of jerky drops on her head. "Upm," she says with perfect eloquence, search abandoned in favor of jerky.

And then Dolan starts informing people! And she has someone's money in one hand, snacks in the other, and no way to take notes. ...And then she's warned that she'll be called upon to explain.

Few people encounter deer when riding as hard as possible, at night. But deer-in-torchlight is really the only way to describe the look in the gnome's eyes, right at this moment.

Taking another mouthful of beer, Ous frowns as he quietly whispers. "Aye thought ye said Mortars were dwarven things. Who builds a wall wit' dwarven explodey things?" Shaking his head in confusion, the ranger goes back to listening to Dolan. Patting hiimself down, Ous comes out with a small cheaply made booklet of velum and a stick of charcoal. opening it up, he writes in a surprisingly neat, if angular script 'Malus an infininintee' there's a pause, then he writes 'Vee'

Dirk comes trundling into the back room, wringing his hands. "Och, damn it damn it -damn- it all I'm so bloody late," he grumbles fretfully. He doffs his tricorne as he steps into the back room. "Hello everyone! Nobody panic! I got held up at the cabin. So sorry!" He beelines for the nearest available liquor and pours himself a mug, before finding himself a place to plant his hefty rump.

Harkashan rises slowly, and whispers to Magpie that; "I believe that's Rune's coin. The half-sil seated at the table." As he rises back up now that she's taken care of, and seems to be too distracted with food to be asking for uppies again.

Stepping aside, he bids a quick welcome to Dirk before remarking; "How many Demons do we expect are at this V's beck and call, and what kind of... abilities should we be on the watch for? We've already seen possession. I fear... I am not extremely familiar with their kind." He points out.

A flicker of worry passes Rune's features, both for Telamon's state but also the fact that his exhaustion seems to have extended to his partner as well. Questions on what they might be facing seem best left for another time, though. Instead, she tries to focus on the information at hand, but without something else to deal with that anxious energy, she starts to nibble at her lower lip instead.

With Harkashan asking what they should be on the lookout for, Rune takes the other track, "Or.. is are there things we should avoid?" You know, since someone keeps telling her not to touch books. Still, her brows furrow slightly as more and more pieces of this story fall into place. It makes a lot more sense when someone sits down and explains matters.

Dolan's entire face turns towards Telamon, and he listens, and nods slowly. He doesn't look so great, either, not tired, but worried and something else, "Yeah. You're right. V's minions are trying to shake people down for money across Alexandria. It's buying all sorts of debts and what they claim are debts. They're trying to gather money. One tried to lure Lady Verna here," he nods towards the woman in the earthen dress, "to leave with him, and nearly killed her wife." Both halves of his expression go thunderous, but he doesn't further explain.

"A lot of these are pretty strong," he turns his entire face towards Harkashan, and takes another pull of the mug in his hand. "There's a cult somewhere nearby summoning these bastards. They're probably doing so outside the city, and we need to track it down and end it. They're up to some other stuff, but far as I can tell, it's focused around one goal, and to explain that goal, I've got to tell you the half about the totems. Once I've explained that, I'll tell you how I mean to put a stop to it."

Simony squints at Ous. "Mercy sakes alive. I'll write out a list later.", she whispers, staring at the booklet. "You write surprisingly well."

She perks up a moment at the mention of possession. "Uh.. Dolan? I believe you should focus on the Felwood. Multiple creatures have been recently slain there, and they have droppled black gems. Opals, if I recall correctly. One arcanist was possessed by some demonic force, after deciding to try to remove the enchantment holding energy inside the gem."

Telamon nods sourly. "Our guess is that they're using the funds collected to maintain whatever cult or network is being used to call these fiends up. Summoning isn't cheap, even if you have some kind of arch-fiend patron." He exhales. "And just to make things -more- complicated, V is also in league with the werewolf infestation plaguing Alexandros. He's trying to take control of the Red Maw, a powerful servant of the dark god Caracoroth." His eyes flick to Ous. "This involves the use of totems that act as bindings upon the dark god."

"The good news is that he's had some setbacks. A large number of the totems have fallen into friendly hands. But now we need to push on." Telamon's face tightens. "One fiend actually captured a friend of mine's fiancee, spirited him away, and then was using his likeness for such deeds as attacking Verna's wife, or running this loan-shark debt scheme. They are not going to play fair, so don't even think about doing the same."

Dirk's shaggy white brows furrow, and he downs a swallow of his drink. "If it's demons, ye'll be wantin' weapons o' cold iron," he says. "If it's devils, then use silver. Ye can get alchemical silver fer platin' weapons wi'out havin' tae sell off yer firstborn. It's what I use, I've got a brace of alchemically treated silver bullets." He looks back over to Telamon and Dolan. "Do we have a list o' how many totems we're up to?" he asks. "If I'm rememberin' right, there's, what... three left tae track down?"

Listening intently, Ous makes his own notes as people speak up. Nodding to Simony, the ranger whispers. "Da learend me tae write." continuing on in the same angular, flowing script, he finally looks up at the mention of the Felwood. "Aye'm happy tae help where Aye can. Aye'm good in th' wilderness, an' Aye'm good at fightin' dirty."

Falling silent as Dirk speaks up now, the ranger finishes off his beer, set it aside, then reaches down and slips a metal flask from his boot.

"Oh here you go!" Magpie chirps, toddling up to Rune as Harkashan sets back down, and offering up the coin, and a nod of her thanks to the lavascale.

One hopes that Rune takes it quickly, because the moment Dolan speaks of Verna's wife nearly being killed, the gnome spin on one heel, thundering a horrified "WHAT?!" in the direction of the Daeusite. "OmigodsVernaissheokay?! Does she need reading material while she's recov--" She pauses, realizing that not only in Auranar a skilled mage in her own right, but that her wife is a veteran of Temple service. "...Give her a hug for me?" she finishes, lamely.

The lucky thing about having a mind that works at right angles to temporality is, conversations can braid, and without missing a beat she turns to Telamon and nods. "The problem is, though? It's said that the Red Maw's not just a servant, but an avatar. And for those of you who don't know the technical jargon, an avatar's the direct physical form of a god, walking the world. So if V can co-opt that, they've basically *become Caracoroth.* Which, obviously, needs to *stop.*" Verna looks to Simony at mention of the Felwood and possessions, making mental notes of this possible connection. Telamon's talk of funding causes a sudden blink and a shift of her frown to outright scowl. "Three remain, Dirk," she nods to him. "Two are held by the lycanthropes and one by the fiend that is masquerading as the mulniessa named Daechir."

She starts to turn to Dolan, but pauses at Magpie. "She is recovered, Magpie, but all could have been worse. I shall." That barely puts a crack into her scowl as she continues, "Dolan, I feel it worthwhile to note: from what the fiend stated at our home, I believe it may now also be in league with..." she pauses before finding the proper term " the matron of my birth House. If that is the case, they may have access to a great reservoir of funds."

Curiously, Dolan turns his face back to Telamon, fixing the man with a look that is pure gratitude. "Yeah. Three left. We know where the other ten are." He finishes off his mug of ale, and rests the empty mug on his knee, just as Magpie speaks up. "Yeah, she's okay, the holy Sunlord be praised. We got to her in time." _We won't discuss how close that was._ "Yeah. We can cut that thing off at the knees, though. There's a portal in the Vast, feeding its power from the Nightmare. If we can shatter what's keeping that portal open, we should be able to weaken it enough to destroy it."

Curiously, Dolan turns his face back to Telamon, fixing the man with a look that is pure gratitude. "Yeah. Three left. We know where the other ten are." He finishes off his mug of ale, and rests the empty mug on his knee, just as Magpie speaks up. "Yeah, she's okay, the holy Sunlord be praised. We got to her in time." _We won't discuss how close that was._ "Yeah. We can cut that thing off at the knees, though. There's a portal in the Vast, feeding its power from the Nightmare. If we can shatter what's keeping that portal open, we should be able to weaken it enough to destroy it."

He turns then to Verna. "It would not be the only noble house it's tying itself to," he scowls. "Wouldn't surprise me. As for the gems..." He balances the mug on his knee and drives the heel of his hand into his forehead. "I've seen one. I don't know what became of it - right after that was when-" He stops short, a shudder rippling through him.

The expression on the Goblin's face has slowly sourced too, moving into 'What the actual HELL am I doing here?' and then on to 'what the hell is even going on?. The Goblin frowns, "Oh, it gets worse. Apparently people are /eating/ these things, and becoming addicted to whatever power they're getting from it." Her pencil scratching stops and she stares at Dolan. "Please... what was right after? A gem has been misplaced?"

With Magpie offering out the coin and then suddenly turning in the other direction, Rune is left scrambling to grab it out of the air. Thankfully, she's reasonably adept at such things, but she does succeed in spilling a bit of wine in the process. Probably best to set the wine down for now.

Her eyes shift from Dolan to Telamon to Verna, adding more pieces to the puzzle in her mind and connecting some recent events that she had previously thought unrelated. However, some measure of Rune's expression likely mirrors that of Simony, as much of this is new information and likely a bit overwhelming. "This... all sounds like powerful magics and creatures. Likely beyond the scope of some of us." She means herself, most likely. "So what can we do?"

"Whatever you can, Leirune," Telamon's voice is calm and firm. "Sometimes all you can do is watch -- and pass along information. And then sometimes, you get the opportunity to do a little more. Understand your limits, play to your strengths."

"I won't pretend this won't be hard. But I can assure you it isn't some piddly spat over grazing rights or some bandits with less sense than a brick. It -is- serious. But we -can- win this."

Harkashan has no particular insights to give on the matter. Much of this is so far out of his wheelhouse. He can understand where Rune is coming on this. What can some of them even do against a demon that is gaining support from powerful and rich noble houses, and is capable of inhabiting people and taking them over?

He supposes someone needs to act, and indeed sometimes, even just information is power. "I believe we are seeking something more... actionable than that." He bids to Telamon. "Areas to sweep. Doors to knock on."

Looking around the room, Ous frowns as he sees the state of so many of the people inside. Pulling the stopper on the boot flask, the mixed scents of Apples and strong alcohol slowly filling the room, the Aesir born ranger takes an unhealthy swig, then offers it over his shoulder to Dirk without looking, unaware of who is behind him really.

Thinking for another long moment, Ous finally speaks. "Ye lot are takin' a heap on yerselves. Aye dinnae wish tae be in yer shoes fer anythin' in th' world. Aye do thank ye lot fer doin' it though. Aye think Aye can help ye most in th' Felwood if tha' is where ye need people. Aye can head tha' way as soon as ye say th' word." Verna nods with Dolan's and Telamon's words, forcing an inhale and slow exhale. "Indeed. I agree that closing the portal should be a focused goal. The Red Maw is not a foe any can face without weakening it, first."

She then looks to Rune and others holding looks of concerns regarding fiends and lycanthropes. "The fiend is singular. It is powerful, yet it cannot be in all places at once. The lycanthropes are numerous, but they are chaotic and prone to their own nature if not guided by a powerful leader. We," she stresses, " as a whole, are both many and focused. Their minions can be stopped, their plans slowed or thwarted. There are many ways that many can halt them that do not involve direct use of powerful magics against powerful foes."

Looking around the assembled faces, Magpie notes that a lot of them seem to be about as uncertain as she usually feels. Pursing her lips together, she totters to the wine keg, grabs a full-size ale mug, and fills it up, making her way to Dolan's side and facing out.

"So uh... How to put this. I'm neck-deep in all this nonsense, and while I get how that may not *seem* like a lot, aheheh... There's been a lot, a *lot,* that I've been able to do to help. Auranar and I both, we've been spending a lot of our time in libraries, doing our best to find all the little scraps that add up to something the hard-hitters can do something with. But I mean... We've just been doing that because we're book-wyrms at heart, and that's how we know to help. But books aren't the only way to learn things."

Pausing, she frowns down at her mug, then tips it back for a long pull of wine, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "...So I guess my point is, if you want to help, but you don't know how? Find things out. Come talk to me, I've got a reference and you can ask questions I didn't think of. There's a lot that I don't think of. Like why I got all this wine. ....Oh right, snacks."

And on the spot, she plops down on the floor, digging the bag of jerky open and jamming a shard of dried meat int the corner of her mouth. "...So if *I* can be useful, *definitely* actually competent people can too!"

The gobber's question causes Dolan to stop short. His gaze turns off towards the middle distance, and he's quiet a minute, but after a breath or two, he turns back to her. "Right after that, I went on a fact-finding mission that put me in the care of the Temple for several weeks. The Temple of Daeus might have it. I don't know for sure. It's been a while since I even thought about it." The full stare is clear and detached.

He drops that, then, and turns back to Harkashan and Rune's question. "It's a fair question. A lot of these assholes can't be taken on directly. I can't do it, either. I'd say there are two things we need. One is to take some of the Guild jobs based out of that camp in the Felwood. I dropped most of the palisade myself." A flash of a grin ensures, a wide thing for a moment. "The other is to see if you can pin down any names or locations where there might be a summoning cult. They're probably outside the walls, so I'd check out Wilderness Pointe and maybe some of the nearby villages. Don't try to take them on yourself. Just pin down where they might be and tell us, yeah?"

Dirk reaches up to take the flask Ous offers, tipping back a hefty and perfectly healthy swallow for a dwarf. Booze is good for you. It makes your beard grow, ask any dwarf and they'll tell you. "Do we have a location on the lycan camp?" he asks. "If I can get to it, I might be able tae keep eyes on the place fer us. An' maybe even snag us another totem while I'm at it." He puffs up his burly chest with a grin. "Long as it's in the forest, they'll never know I'm there."

It takes people of all strengths to address an issue like this, and Rune is wise enough to realize that many here are far more experienced in such matters. So, her looks between them are attentive, taking in information and nodding her understanding. "We'll see what we can do. If nothing else, it's more eyes and ears watching for strange happenings that could be related."

With that, she starts to flick her coin between her fingers again, mind clearly sorting through all the information and trying to make sense of it all. "Don't knock picking up lore and info. But take care when you do. I'd rather get your reports in person." Telamon offers the group a smile. "I know some of you are worried. It's all right to be wary. But if you keep your wits about you, you can stay alive."

He gets up, moving over to stand with Dolan. "In the meantime, Dolan, we will need to talk more. Preferably over drinks. I've got some things to attend to outside the city."

Verna looks to Dolan at his long lapse, her expression softening, or at least shifting from ire to concern. She stops short of interrupting him verbally, though does spare a lengthy look before the subject moves on to more relaxed topics. Any further comments on matters are then suspended as she looks to Telamon and his perceived impending departure. "Cor'lana -is- alright, yes?"

"Yeah, talked to her the other day. I hope everything's okay." Dolan stands up, and turns his face towards Telamon, eyeing the man carefully. "Have all you want and talk among yourselves. It's been a long day. Drinks sound damn good, Tel. I'll come with. Andie isn't off for hours yet."

Talk goes for a while longer, but winds down in the end, leaving those present with a good many more answers than they had.