Jaysen said, "Oh, Tinker Bell is bat-shit crazy, but tactically sound. As long as she is on your side, you've nothing to worry about."

"Bob thinks I'm crazy. Crazy. That's funny. Oh no. Jaysen. Bob Jaysen!" Echo looks at Lyra "We just met and this is crazy but I really..." She sits up "Really don't like getting insulted. Last guy that did it is gone. Gone. Poof. Splattered him. You want tah get splattered?" She grins evilly and looks at Jayson "The name is Echo. Echo Tinkerbell." And the smile comes back "I like it." Her attention goes back to the scowl and she stares at Lyra "Don't like you. Working it. But don't like you. Want tah push it? Push push push?" She raises her hands up, one holding the pick and lowers it before dropping back to the floor after pulling out her lute. The mouse pops out of it and scurries to her shoulder and does a depressing tune.


14:20, Today: Echo rolled 9 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 4.  Performance. – 9

14:19, Today: Echo rolled 17 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 12.  Persuasion-Splattered Man. – 17

Jaysen laughed, "Crazy isn't necessarily a bad thing Tinker Bell. It keeps things from getting monotonous and adds excitement to a bland situation. I meant no disrespect or insult. Perhaps you should ask before making threats. Something like letting the mouth borrow money the ass can't pay back. I have no ill will toward you, as long as you treat me with respect I shall treat you the same. Saying you are bat-shit crazy is just me calling red wine red and white wine white. So calm down and get some sleep, we are all going to need it." In other words, Echo should get a thicker skin and ask before flying off the handle.

"Another one bites the dust. Dust I say. You know what Bob Jay? I really don't like you. Nope not at all. All you do is insult me and laught about it. What a lovely bunch of coconuts. So how bout this? You keep that trap shut. An' I will stop calling yah Bob. Nifty ain't it? Course not like yah listen to me because I'm nuts. Bat shit crazy. So I go to sleep sou you can stare at my ass. Oh you like it. Or gonna kill me in my sleep. Course that would work. I wouldn't have tah deal with the Count. Be free! Free! No dispreect yet you keep insulting me. Bravo. Why don't I take that weapon and shove it so far up your....." She sits up "Apologize. That was uncalled for Bran. I accept your hospiticality but he's being rude." She gets up and bows to the dwarf "I'll see you around." She starts to walk out of the house "Quick the nut job is leaving! Lets talk about her even more. I was right. No one talks me seriously. No one." She throws her hand up to her forehead "The shame." She sighs. Perhaps a tear is forming. Hard to tell.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 12:10, Tue 02 Apr.

Jaysen chuckled. "Good night Tinker Bell."

"Whatever." The girl stares at Jay and then walks out of the house, obviously ticked off.

Night pretty much passes by without any real effort. You never do see Malleus in the area which makes you wonder where he went, specific Echo who headed back outside. The night was cold but overall other than the sound of Orcs in the far off distance you don't encounter anything specific outside that looks out of the ordinary. It appears the Bran is just a simple miner in the area.

When you all wake up and rally around the cabin Bran wakes up and starts making a very basic breakfast. Three large Griffin eggs that he cracks on a pot with the open flame. He adds a few spices in and within a few minutes before the break of the sun over the horizon, the smell is very appealing to your senses.

Bran greets everyone with a good morning.

Outside:
Grumbling under her breath, the halfling stretches as she stares up at the sky. Smelling the food, the urchin battles it out within herself-go in and get some grub and deal with Jay or stay outside and not bother with him. She remains outside, pulls out a ration and starts to eat out on the front porch. Echo casually looks around for a moment and once done, she pulls out her lute and leans against the wall right outside the window.

Lute Performance-
10:02, Today: Echo rolled 16 using 1d20+5 ((11)).

Perceptioon-
10:03, Today: Echo rolled 15 using 1d20+3 ((12)).

Lyra woke early, keeping quiet and mostly to herself in respect of those who were still sleeping. Lyra hated sleeping, it felt like she was wasting time. However, she always felt cranky when someone woke her early, so she wished not to do so to others. If she had to sleep, then she wanted the sleep to be as worth her time as possible.

When the others had awoken, Lyra asked to clarify. "What do you think about taking on the necromancer together?"

Jaysen nodded his thanks to the miner. He "accidentally" dropped a couple of silver where he would have to bend low to pick them up and grumbled about it not being worth the pain it would cause his back. He is clearly trying to pay the man for his hospitality, and allowing him to save face at the same time. If he picked them up, and offered them back, Jaysen would say, "Finders keepers."

He took as second plate and went outside he placed it on the ground near Echo and took a few steps away. "I was not mocking you. I honestly enjoy your company, but if I offended I am truly sorry. You may hate me if you wish, but do so for the right reasons. I was a smuggler. We, my team and I, did not smuggle people, it was our only rule. The Count tricked us into breaking that rule. I rebelled and was added to the slave roster for my transgression. So you see, I am a terrible person, untrustworthy, and the only person I loath is myself."

"Right. How bout you just leave? I like that idea. You think I believe any word that comes out of that mouth? So if I forgive you, you'll just end up doing it again. And again. So why waste my time? Go away." She plucks the strings, and doesn't move to get the food. She whistles a tune and the mouse looks up at her. She gets up and starts to hop around, and then looks at the ground. She tilts her head as she looks at it "Your still here?" She changes into Jay "Why yes I am."

When she bid him leave, he returned indoors. He would have to make sure not to say something she might consider rude again. This stopped him short. "I should like a list of forbidden topics. This way I will know not to speak in those instances. If you prefer I can simply remain silent."

Hop hop hop goes the Echo. She seems to be ignoring him and then grabs her mining pick from last night. The halfling grips the pick and slams it into the ground a few times. Right.

Jaysen nodded silently and went inside.

When the sun smudges the horizon, Malleus comes down from the ridge - or wherever it is he spent the night; [Private to GM: Inside his ring most likely!]he nods to Echo, following Jaysen inside, "Good morning. Nothing disturbed the night"

His eyes found the two strangers, assessing one as their host and the other as ... something else, "Good morning, miss. Malleus Murk - I'm with these three"

Jaysen made a face that implied he couldn't say anything and shrugged.

Lyra wasn't sure about the look of this new fellow, but he was polite, at least. "Good morning, Malleus. I'm Lyra - not currently with those three, though the offer has been made as we seem to have common business."

Muirryl, quiet, let Echo natter.  Later he came up to Jaysen and spoke quietly to him.  [Private to Jaysen Clove: "She's a thorny one.  It's often best to let her come to her own conclusions.  She'll decide whether she can trust you when she sees what you true motives are.  I suspect she's been abused or betrayed too often."]

Then he looked to Echo.  "We have a bit longer to travel with these others.  And the end is in sight.  I think we need to consider how we can deal with Nym."

To Lyra, he added.  "I had a lot on my mind.  I'm sorry I didn't speak more on the matter before.  I like the idea of working with you, but should you show up in our number it might set him on edge.  Echo can take on other guises.  Do you have the ability to skulk about or disguise yourself?  Anything that might give us the advantage of surprise..."

Outside-
Bored now, the halfling sits back down on the steps probably ignoring the world. Hard to tell. She stares at the pick and slides it into her backpack. Finders keepers. The mouse climbs up into her hair and she sighs. She pulls out the lute and fiddles with it. The girl glances at the food and grumbles. She hasn't live this long by taking food given to her by strangers even if its okay to eat. The mouse climbs down and sniffs the food before grabbing a piece of it and eating it up. Echo goes all wide-eyed! "What? Give that back! Spit it out!" She goes to grab it but the mouse side steps her.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:52, Thu 04 Apr.

Jaysen just nodded, keeping  quiet as he had promised.

"I have ways to avoid being seen when it is needed. Distractions, disruptions, and stealth. He knows nothing of me, has no reason to fear my presence with you. You've seen him yourself?"

OOC: If you guys are ready to move on then we can begin the next Chapter. Let me know if this works and we will start down that road.

Muirryl shook his head.  "We've not, to our knowledge, met him.  But with a spy in our group for a time, I suspect he knows something about a few of us.  Probably myself and Mall.  Hopefully what he knows about Echo is wrong, and even more hopefully he will know nothing about Jaysen or you.  At first I wanted to try and enter his home and surprise him, but he's likely to expect subterfuge like that.  But if I go right up to the door and actually engage him as the Count asked, I suspect he'll at least pretend to consider the offer.  And maybe he'll take it.  But I think that's a very small likelihood."

Muirryl ran a hand over his chin, picking out the many white bristles.  Cursing, he pulled out his shaving knife again.  There was never an end.  Short, vicious, and dry shaving took moments, but left some red, irritated skin behind.  He put the knife back into it's pouch.

"Some weapons you carry out in the open," he said, holding up his warhammer.  "Others you keep hidden." He patted the pouch.  "That way you have more options.  And folks will watch the hammer, and maybe miss the razor."

Popping up outside, the halfling pokes her head up through the window "I'm the hidden weapon. Trust me. An' he'll kills us all. Oh and the Count will too. We...sorry. I cannot win. Oh the shame! Shame!" She places a hand to her forehead "Wait doesn't know anything bout me? How rude! Well not rude really. Don't know much about myself but hey was a bit rude. Oh its you! Carry on my wayword sun!" And she falls to the ground outside. Out of sight, out of mind? Sorta of.

OOC: To be Continued in Chapter 4: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail