Brokk again looks at the Elf, "Xander, right?  Sorry, it's been awhile.  So, I'm delivering this to Bucko?  Bucko, this would appear to be yours then." Brokk points towards the floating wheelbarrow.

Bucko shakes his head no
“I have not seen very many goblins at all, I think they do not like it much in the wide open spaces..”


Bucko considers the thing being delivered….
“Too small to be a boat… who sends it?”


“Hard to keep any powder at all around goblins they can’t keep their hands off the stuff….”

“The gnome at the shop said it was paid for by the library.  Can we’re get out of the rain and get some grub and ale,” Brook ask’s getting wetter by the minute.

 "The Beef Stew would be fine, thank you."

 Vermina has been doing alright, but still was hitting harder times. This payday was a godsend and Actually being able to eat a warm meal today was going to be fantastic.

NEAR THE TAVERN

The wet mage thinks he's been completely ignored by Bucko as he did say who bought him what is within the floating wheelbarrow and he nods to Brokk then looks at Bucko "Again yes it was paid for by the library that I am a member of for Bucko. Do you understand?" Seems time has done something to the goblin. He puts a hand over covered something and pulls it to the side revealing...

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f6/c...teampunk-gadgets.jpg

THE TAVERN

The waitress bring out after a few minutes some beef stew and water for Vermina. The keep nods his head and goes back to work "No charge. Enjoy." Seems like a good fellow, helping out whomever needs it. The bard keeps playing, people are conversing.

OOC Vermina make a Perception check if you want.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:17, Mon 13 June 2022.

"Aye! the mount I have been waiting for.  Best way for me to be able to get to the good places and go see to what I needs to see about....Yes I understand this and what it is about....."


Bucko has never understood the races compunction against being rained on other than the challenge of  keeping the powder dry.....

"Grab a fish and we can throw it on the fire....inside."


Bucko dumps the remaining fish into his crate under the table...which he has scrawled the word "B A I T" on the side of.....apparently his letters are improving....


He leads the new mount with him as well,

as the group heads indoors....

"Some boys will steal half of my bait, I pretend to care and they pretend to be afraid....."

 Vermina was a bit surprised at the free meal, but was not about to complain. She got to eating, but also took a quick assessment of her environment.

11:57, Today: Vermina Longtail rolled 16 using 1d20+3.  Perception.

Brokk shakes his head, "Good!  My task is completed!  Now, it's time to relax."  He takes the fish from Bucko and heads inside the tavern.

Walking into the tavern is the goblin, half-orc and elf. They haven't been seen together in months. Upon seeing the witch, Xander smiles. He goes up to Vermina and gives her a hug. His face looks like he's a bit tired and the three of them are covered in rain "Vermina..." The elf sits across from her and motions for Bucko and Brokk to sit, the construct given to the goblin sits down next to him "I need your help. Bucko agreed as well. And I need your help as well, Brokk." He pulls out a picture and places it in front of the ratling. He lets her know she is missing and lets the half-orc and ratling know she was concerned about her well being and about a plague he knows nothing about and that he doesn't know where she is and that its not like her to let him know. He tells her she was a libarian as well and that some people turned up dead ranging from nobles to regular people. The elf places his hands down in front of her, waiting for them to respond. Xander's cat sits upon his shoulder and seems to mimic him, both of their blue eyes seem to shine slightly and its white coat.

Two waitresses walk over, asking if they need anything. The tavern keeper watches them for a moment, a odd variety gathered together. He then goes back to his nightly duties. The bard keeps playing a tune, others seem to converse.

Bucko takes in the picture as it is laid on the table.....

Bucko starts talking and just as suddenly stammers himself to a halt...

"Pretty precious, too much to be in bad places where bad things......"

He recovers...
"Bet she found some super interesting runes carved under the city somewhere an is just not done looking yet....."

He grabs his hot drink and sips on it before he says something else stupid.....

"Librarians some got skills to get themselves out of trouble, is she an investigator or got some tricks and wiles that can get he out of trouble?  If so we might want to bring a weapon for her when we finds her..."

Bucko casts his fish onto the iron grate over the fire....
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:44, Tue 14 June 2022.

The elf watches the goblin start to cook. He goes to say something."Under the city? We're way up from the ground. Thousands of feet or more..." He shakes his head as the goblin just spits out something about librarians yet he is one. Who'd be the one to ask? A librarian "You believe librarians are the best right, Bucko? You are talking to one. I just like simple things like painting. Reading and writing. Not all librarians are the same, Bucko. She's a good..." Xander puts his hands together "A good friend. If something happened to her, it must be something bad. Selena is her name. Quiet, always polite. Never harmed anyone. I hope nothing happened to her."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:39, Tue 14 June 2022.

In reply to Xander Xalus (msg # 21):
Brokk sighs.  "I usually don't get much a call for help, for too much these days.  Especially from a Librarian, even more so, from an Elf!  I'll clear it with the Gnome where I work.  He seems to have some respect for you Librarians so it might be an easy sell.  Plus, it gets me out of that shop for a little but.  So yeah, I'll help you find your 'friend'."

The keep stops as Bucko throws it into the fire and starts to cook. He doesn't seem happy and yells out "Hey! Yah trying to take my customers?" The bard stops as he hears the tavern owner yell and all the other customers seems surprised. Trying to hold back, the keep grumbles something under his breath "I'll let it slide and stop taking drinks!" He noticed the goblin grabbing a drink from another table. He walks over and takes Bucko's drink and bring it back to the bar, empting it out.

The two waitresses look surprised as the goblin throws it into the fire on the grate. They stand there and wait for orders from the elf, ratling, half-orc and goblin. Noticing Vermina eating and drinking, they keep waiting on Xander, Brokk and Bucko and one of them speaks out quietly "Excuse me. Drinks? Food? Wait. No just drinks?" The keep throws a towel over its shoulder "Three ales?"

The elf looks at the keep and then to the waitresses "Two ales. Cider please for me." He then looks at Brokk and nods "I'm your friend, Brokk. Not a elf. Or a librarian. Your friend. And thank you, its appreciated. I know each of you are busy and I don't want to intervene, but I trust all of you and I wouldn't have asked but its important to me. And I'd do it for you as well." He takes the picture, pocketing it.

Nodding their heads, one of them goes behind the bar and starts to get the three drinks. The other wanders off, going table to table and everyone goes about getting the food and drinks. The bard starts to play again as the barkeep nods his head.

With the undue attention of the owner, Bucko promptly stacks 4 silver coins on the table and waves to the barmaid....

"What you says Xander?  I just asked if she had some good skills o gettin by one her own, I mets the librabrians, and you helps me know letters, so I understand very little, but hopes she is maybe mage or wizard or is ok and does well enough for us to finds her, and brings her home.   Not say anything bout all librarians....

Once the barmaid arrives....
"2 silvers for cooking fire, and 2 silvers for drinks?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:11, Tue 14 June 2022.

"Yes we are Xander.  Not many people like me can claim a friend like you.  Do you have any idea why she might've left?" Brokk asks waiting for his ale and food.

 Vermina looked up to see some people She recognized. Either they say by her or the little rat girl in ratty old clothes took what was left of her stew and came to join them. A soft smile rose on her face for the first time in quite a long time.

"I know you... It's been a long time"

Upon seeing the goblin with the money, one takes the coins and nods. She gives the barkeep the money and he grumbles and nods as well.

Once the waitress comes over with the two ales and cider, it then leaves. Xander sips his drink and stares at it it as Vermina speaks up. He smiles "Will you help?" His eyes dart back to Bucko trying to understand him and he gets a nod "Not sure but she loves knowledge. She could find it in the libary. But she chose to go look elsewhere. It makes little sense." Xander puts his hands on his drink "Maybe the slums?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:33, Wed 15 June 2022.

Brokk nods to the ratgirl, "Hello Vermina!  Might as well join us in a meal while we discuss business."

Bucko perfectly times the flipping of his fish on the grate, and effortlessly flips it, the skin and scales of the fish protect it from the heat.....


"Bucko will help look for girl.  Hope she is ok."

Once again Bucko clams himself up and stops talking as suddenly as he started.....

"Do we want to ask around and see who maybe has seen her on the day she was last seen going?"

 Vermina continued eating, glad to be around "Friends" again. She at least knew them and was more than happy to try to get closer. She had heard of this discussion about the missing girl, but didn't really have anything to contribute, so She jut kept eating and listening for now. She would be happy to help her acquaintances as best as She could. She almost wished her fortune-telling was real so She could divine where this girl was.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:19, Thu 16 June 2022.

"Maybe a good start Bucko.  Have you checked into her room to see if anything was missing or why she left?  Do you know if she was researching anything for herself or someone else?" Brokk asks Xander.

Bucko satisfied his fish has cooked through brings it onto a platter and splits it open, carefully removing the spine and thin ribs.....

"Have some!  Yes have some.  Bucko likes fish to not be raw and wriggling."

He carefully removes what is obviously the fish eggs and eats those as well....

In true goblin fashion he ends by crunching on the tail fin....

"Xander has her notes and papers knows what she say she was looking into, might tell us lots if some reads her secrets in her diary?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:43, Fri 17 June 2022.

Taking a deep breath, Xander looks at Bucko "You make it sound like I know where she is, what she is doing and why. I don't. Her notes that I do not have are in her room. There is no rhyme or reason and doesn't say where she is. Just random notes. With enough time I might be able to piece together something but there is no location. I do not know where she is." He tries to make it known to the goblin but its a lot of words for Bucko to swallow. He ponders something and he looks at his friends "Always wanted to find something other then the library for knowledge. Some place for knowledge to dwell. Maybe a seer? I could ask at the library. Maybe the slums. I don't know. We should head to the gear shop as well. Maybe we can get some help there. Ideas?" He seems saddened.

Bucko holds up one finger...

"We ask around and canvas the whole city individually or groups and see if anyone says they sees her and when,make notes....or try to make notes."


Bucko holds up a second finger...
"She tracks plague maybe, so we find patients who dies and maybe they all dies in some place that narrows where we look.  The part of town where mystery is."

Bucko holds up a third finger....
"Bucko out of ideas......"
He grabs another pieces of fish....

Bucko looks at Xander...
he is  confused but not saying he will puzzle it out later on....

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Why would Xander think that Bucko thinks he knows where girl is, and asking for help to find......Xander Must be upset...that is it he is acting calm, but very concerned, he is.....

---

This message was last edited by the player at 22:12, Fri 17 June 2022.

"There is no plague I know of. Yet where did you hear of it? It a longshot but if she is trying to find this plague, going to the slums is a idea. Not sure why she would go alone, could be dangerous. So much to do...so much..." Xander looks at his mug, and sips it quietly "I am sorry if I berated you, Bucko. It was not my intent. Forgive me alright?" His eyes go to the goblin and then to the half-orc and ratfolk.