Chapter Five - Tides of Dread

[Trogdor]

"Good morning, Daerith," Avner says cheerily. "I'm glad to see you and your group return alive. I'm afraid to say that the most dire rumors were going about Farshore about your fate." He shakes his head. "But I assure you, I always insisted that you must still be alive. Having once been your adventuring partner, I knew that the Sea Wyverns could survive what the Isle of Dread could dish out."

[Vardaen]

"Yes I am happy to be back, wasn't in any real trouble you know, other than that touch and go moment when we were bartering with Volcano Gods of the Isles. Even then we had a clear plan, anyone can be defeated if you are true and honest." He smiles at Avner, "You know the others are just about to head out to collect the Sea Wyvern, why don't you go, I'm sure they could use your help."

[Trogdor]

"Volcano god?" Avner says. "Sounds like an exciting adventure. Did you save any virgins from being sacrificed?" He winks at Daerith.

Then, when the magus mentions the trip to collect the Sea Wyvern, Avner looks confused. "Didn't that leave yesterday? I thought that was what the hullabaloo at the harbor was about."

OOC

The expedition north left yesterday.

Interesting note: In my table top game, Avner came with the group to the tar pits and beyond. So, he got to see the volcano god himself in that game.

[Vardaen]

OOC

Huh I didn't think I wasted a whole day doing... well doing Lavinia. I thought it was the same morning they left?

Daerith nods, "It was rather hot, I'll say that, but no there were not virgins begin sacrificed, the locals are actually far more civilized than they are given credit for." He looks around where they are, "You seem to have settled in nicely, have you found yourself a favorite place to get a good drink and song?"

[Trogdor]

"Only one place to get a drink and a song here in Farshore," Avner replies. "The Last Coconut. It's a nice place, if not up to Sasserine standards. Malfus plays a good song. And the local drinks pack quite a wallop. You'll have to come there tonight. There's usually a good crowd there."

[Vardaen]

"I will be there, you can count on it. Well I guess I should be going. When you have time check in with Berek, he has some things he wanted to talk to you about." The Elf and the Dwarf have set up a little game to try and distract and detour Avner from spreading his word around town and perhaps it might slow the man down some.

With that Daerith heads to the local church to start his politicking with the locals to sway them to Lavinia's side.

[Trogdor]

Daerith moves down the hill to to the local church, one of the largest and sturdiest structures in the town, where he finds Father Vesserin Catherly, a firm Vanderboren supporter, sweeping up from yesterday's impromptu meeting. Being so large and having so much seating, the church was often used for town-wide meetings.

"Good morning, Daerith," the priest says with a bright smile on his face. "Lavinia was just here and she said she thought you might come here looking for a little advice for your politicking. Well, I've been thinking about it some, and here are my thoughts. I can think of several promising ways you could go about things."

"Professor Aldwattle, another council member, is currently undecided. His voice carries a lot of weight in town. If you could convince him to throw his support behind Lavinia, others would be sure to follow."

"Greffold Fiddlebitter - everyone calls him 'Redfoot' - runs the local clay works. As fine a halfling as you'd ever want to know. He's stayed out of politics so far, and no one knows exactly what his opinions are. But one thing is clear. If you could get him off the fence and into Lavinia's camp, other craftsmen would listen to him."

"Zane Lucas runs the Cliffside Farm. He's a strong voice among the farmers. Up until now he's tried to remain aloof of town politics. But sooner or later he has to make a decision. The other farmers respect him, and many would follow his lead."

"Then there's Quincy Raycon. He's the captain of the fishing boat the Grey Gull. The fishermen are an independent lot. So I don't expect they'll all rally around any one candidate. But his son captains the Exodus. So you might hit two birds with one stone if you convince him to support Lavinia."

"Finally there are the miners. Of them, I haven't heard Devin Osborn say one way or another who he supports. Might be you could convince him to vote for Lavinia. And his daughter Debbie's married to Quincy's son. You could even try to convince the kids and see if they can work on their parents."

"Plenty of options at this point," Vesserin adds. "Still enough undecideds to matter. But you'd better act quick. Avner has been sweet talking a lot of the town these weeks you've been gone. You've got your work cut out for you."

[Vardaen]

Daerith sits and listen to the priest explain all about the villagers and their various political bents. "This is most helpful." He goes about writing this all down so he has all the information and won't loose it. "I shall start right away. Might I ask you to aid me a bit? If any come here to you, steer them to Lavinia for us. I'm sure your voice carries much weight with the people."

He looks over the listen considering where to start. Standing he asks a few more questions about the whereabouts of said people and any things he knows they might be in favor for, political desires, hobbies, favorite foods or things, and armed with as much info as he can from Father Vesserin he heads first for the Professor Aldwattle to start at the council and work from there.

[Trogdor]

"I'll do what I can," Vesserin says. "But I fear that after years of having only ourselves to talk to, we've all made up our minds and don't really listen to each other's arguments anymore. It's you new people that can shake things up. That's mostly why Lavinia and Lord M have tapped you and Avner to help, I wager." He listens as Daerith asks some more questions, and proves to be a font of information about the other colonists. After being cooped up on an island with less than two hundred people, you got to know everyone pretty well - the local priest all the more so.

Then a lad of sixteen comes in from the vestry and bows to Vesserin. "Mr. Langley is here with a badly bruised hand. Says a rock slipped at the mine and nearly crushed it. He wants to see if you can manage a healing."

Father Catherly hands the broom to the boy and smile apologetically at the magus. "A priest's work is never done, it seems. Good luck to you, Daerith." Then he waves the acolyte to work. "Finish sweeping up for me, if you would, Quentin. I'll see what I can do for Morgan."

Daerith then takes his leave of the chapel and walks down the road to Professor Aldwattle's laboratory. It's not far - nothing is, really, in a town this small. When he arrives, the elf knocks on the professor's door and a voice calls out, "come in!" Daerith opens the door to see a large laboratory filled with boxes and jars and plant cuttings. Several pots line the walls, each with a different tropical plant; curious animals or parts of animals lie suspended in liquid in jars of all sizes; and on one wall hangs a large flat box with over two dozen butterflies pinned inside of it. Professor Aldwattle sits at a beautiful mahogany desk in the corner looking over some papers.

"Why, Daerith, good morning," the professor says, setting down the papers and rising to greet the magus. "I was just going over some lists of supplies. We're very fortunate to have had a great deal stored up already. It's made the defensive preparations go much more quickly. What can I do for you this morning?"

[Vardaen]

Daerith's eyes genuinely go wide at all the collected items, "What a wonderful collection you have Professor. Is that a Blue Speckled Lupus Butterfly?" He pauses as he weaves among the items looking at this and at that, putting all his university horticulture classes to work here, and not a few classes on magical reagents and material components to use.

He eventually reaches the Professor and smiles, "I wish this was more of a social call, I shall endeavor to make more of them, or perhaps some academia calls, I'm sure you must have a wealth of knowledge of the local flora and fauna beyond just what I can see here." He pauses and smells a flower, "I'm here to speak to you about the upcoming election."