Diarmoc grunts and shrugs. "Don't rightly know what you mean." He looks up briefly. "Everyone knows they can't trust your sort, slinking about in the shadows," he finishes and retreats back down into his cups.

[Private to Aldaron Swiftblade: His accent is definately not local. Some kind of southron, most likely he's a Dunledning.]

Jari grins at Haldan and Perry. "Oh, me Great-uncle was a merchant and treasure-seeker without equal in his time, he was! Why, he entered into the lost Dwarven cities in the Grey Mountains, and who knows what fabulous gems and jewels he found there?" He turns to Haldan. "It's simple. We will head north and fetch the treasure!"

He looks taken aback at Aldarons tone and his smile falters. "I'm not sure I like what you are implying, good man. I think I might have enough stout arms without you, I think."

---

Sure Perry, go ahead and roll LORE.

Aldaron, I think you need to pass a personality skill (of your choice) test with -1d to have this approach be successful with Jari.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:58, Mon 05 Feb.

"You might... but then again, when the wolves come howling, you might not."

Aldaron straightens slightly in his chair, letting the cloak drop from the worn hilt of his longsword. His look contains little of mercy or softness, but much understanding of violence. (AWE: Success(Gandalf))

"Only you can decide how many swords is enough to keep you safe in the night, Jari. But it would be a fool who chooses to leave good ones behind when walking into danger."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:15, Mon 05 Feb.

Jari stammer his consent. "Yes, yes of course... well I have to withdraw for tonight, too much ale you see. We will all meet outside the east gate at first light then. Equal share for all who come." He swallows visibly and takes his leave. As he disappears out of the inn you can hear him mutter about rangers slitting his throat in the night.

Diarmoc takes his leave shortly thereafter, slinking out as silently as he entered.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:33, Mon 05 Feb.

Gert glances over her shoulder at the departing pair. "Should Jari's mood once more be lively, come morning, reckon an ambush awaits down the road."

Aldaron nods slowly. "You may be right, Gert." He pauses, thinking. "I will travel with him, if only to watch over Thomas."

Even as he speaks, the youth is bustling out the door, almost certainly to prepare for his adventure. Aldaron shakes his head. The lad may be about the same age as he, or even Gert, but he will have missed out on Orondil's instruction, and probably any experience of anything beyond his farm and the village.

"Who else will travel with Jari and Diarmoc, and who follows behind to watch for the ambush?"

"Count me in," the Northman says, "I'll go with the the main group."

[Private to GM: Hal has a horse stabled at the Inn. I hope you don't mind, it was a "prosperous" culture option. I changed it's name to Silvermane (Trotter sounded too much like a pig). I can leave him at the inn if he's going to be in the way, otherwise he can come along with us and help carry stuff. ]

"Takes a folk to understand a folk.  I'll be there at dawn, and Gert here knows my trail well enough to make it a cakewalk.  I'd like to have more time to provision, and you all probably want to set out before, maybe take up a watch on the north road first, and then watch around.  If I had to guess, I'd imagine the North Downs is where this treasure is..."

OCC: Provisions for travel?  Are we going to hand-wave some provisioning, or might there be a place that could sell hardtack, cheese, and cured meats at this hour?  Is it the Prancing Pony itself?

"He said to meet outside the East Gate at first light," Gert points out to Nór. "More likely heading into the Weather Hills."

Milton joined the others after making his rounds in the Pony, catching up on bits of news and gossip he'd certainly pass along in other places.

"I'll follow along with Gert," he said for his part in the planning. "I know the area somewhat, especially if they stick to the roads. I'm almost positive there's more going on here than meets the eye. Better to have a quiet little fellow like myself to hang back and pull the rest of you out of the fire!" The hobbit beamed at his companions conspiratorially. It felt good to be among the tall folk, made him feel a bit safer.

"Aye, East Gate, but out East then North is the road along the river.  Regardless, I've bits of crimson ribbon and brass buttons for you to find, should you lose my big old boots in this spring mud."  He winks congenially, feeling confident that the girl won't have trouble following them.

"I think between us we can make enough of a trail even Barnabas Butterbur would be able to follow it."

Aldaron takes a moment to consider his new companions. It's the first time he's travelled neither alone, nor with only rangers. Nór already impresses him with his demeanour, and looks ready to travel a thousand leagues; Haldan has the look of a man who knows the road like the back of his hand and would scare a wolf pack; Milton is skinny for a hobbit, but if anybody knows the goings on around Bree better, he can't imagine who it is; and Perry, who has a cunning eye and sharp memory.

Gert, of course, he knows and respects. But he's seen her working.

It's a good group. If this treasure exists, he's confident they'll find it. If. Diarmoc, he suspects, is a Dunlending. That fact needn't condemn him. Aldaron's known Dunlendings who have earned his respect. Good people. But Diarmoc has an ill-omened look, and a face filled with treachery.

...and Jari, he's concealing something more than just the location of he treasure.

Aldaron looks about for the dwarven travellers. They either knew Jari, or reacted to him so poorly for other reasons. It would have been nice to talk with them.

"Did anybody have a chance to speak with the two dwarfs who were here?"

---

OOC: If they've left, or we don't want to prolong the thread before going on (understandable), is there a roll we could use to see what was learned from any conversation with them?

The Northman shrugs, "The Dunlending is a poor liar, but what it was he was hiding, I cannot say."

The two dwarves look about ready to call it a night, casting long glances at the disappearing Jari while downing the last of their ale.

[Private to Perry Foxglow: You can indeed recall seeing repoarts that there was such a dwarf travelling about. He often stopped in Bree to trade and was known to be quite the treasure-seeker. He was from the Blue Mountains but seemed to have some kind of falling out with those dwarves and didn't go there much in his later years. Dwarves are notoriously secretive so you can't recall seeing any details. And this was, of course, long before you were born, you don't know anything about what happened to him the last 30 years or so.]

---

Go ahead and talk to them, we can run the threads parallell.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:01, Tue 06 Feb.

With the group shaking their heads, Aldaron notices the dwarves yawning and about to take their leave. "One moment."

He quickly rises and heads across to the dwarves' table.

"Well met," he says, waiting a respectful distance from the two of them. He may be unused to the courtesies of towns and villages, but he knows well how wary travellers can be. He has no desire to cause them alarm. He indicates the table he has just left. "I am called Swiftblade hereabouts. A traveller, not unlike yourselves. My friends and I were debating whether to take Jari up on his offer, to seek out this treasure."

"I couldn't help noticing as he spoke, that his words landed badly with you. Before we walk unknowingly into danger, do you know of Jari, or this Diarmoc, or of the scheme he is pressing?"

The dwarf belches and stands up to leave. "I don't know what he's up to but I wouldn't trust that wretch. He was exiled from the Blue Mountains for theft and fraud," he says before he gather his things and nods to the other dwarf to come along.

"Theft and fraud?" Aldaron sighs. "Dwarves are known as people of impeccable integrity. He must have occasioned great shame on his family, and on his people. What did he steal, master dwarf, and do you know if the owner ever had it returned to them?"

A suspicion is forming as to what might be the origin of the treasure they are going to retrieve. He shoots his companions a concerned look. No doubt, they have stumbled into a pair of vipers.

Perhaps it is more important than ever that they accompany this pair of rogues, just not for the reasons the rogues imagine.

"That's none of your business, ranger" he grunts before turning to leave.

Nor had gotten another tankard at the bar, before turning towards the pair of dwarves.  The rangerman had already approached them.  Nor watched carefully, wishing he's acted sooner, or at least offered to the tall a drink and an opportunity to talk before action drove him.  "Another for my new friend" Nor mutters to the barman, putting his coppers down.

After the dwarves leave, Nor takes the tankard to Aldaron.  "Takes a folk, sometimes, to talk to a folk." He offers the tankard "Here.  To a journey." he offers as a toast. "What did they say?"

Aldaron looks at the tankard a moment, before lifting it and taking a long swallow. "My thanks, Nór," he says when the edge has left his thirst. "I think you may be right. Rangers are seldom popular partners for conversation, and I have been too long alone to lose the roughness of the trail."

He looks at the dwarf. "It would have been better to leave it to you. Still," he says, taking in the rest of the group with his words, "they did tell me more than I expected, and it is more than we knew before. Jari left the Blue Mountains under a cloud, exiled for theft and fraud. They didn't share what it was he stole, but from their reaction, I wager it was something important."

Another swallow of ale joins the first and he wipes his mouth on his wrist. "Gert was right. We should expect an ambush, or, if not something so obvious, some other treachery."

"Theft and fraud, you say?" Perry chimed in, "Rare is the dwarf who earns that charge from other dwarves.  It must have been over something disreputable indeed."

"'Tis a shame about old Bori, if Jari and he are kin.  That's a proud line of dwarves they say.  Very brave."

Perry forced a belch and wiped his chin as if realizing the hour was late, the ale was strong, and that he had spoken too much.  He nodded at Swiftblade and Nor, then rose from his chair and gave the dwarves his clumsiest bow.

"Forgive my loose tongue, Master Dwarves.  The ale is uncommonly strong tonight and I am tired."

Nor nodded calmly; "A lot more happened tonight than usual, friend-Perry.  No apologies needed.  Rest now; we've more of the uncommon tomorrow."

He holds his tongue a moment longer as Perry takes his leave.

"Tell me, Swiftblade.  If you were planning skullduggery would you recruit warriors to waylay or common folk?  Young Thomas certainly fits common folk. But you and I? This Haldan character?  There's more to this indeed than meets the eye.  Im not enheartened to hear about this fraud and whatnot, and Diarmoc seems a dour sort, but those two, even with eight more fellows, would be at risk against five of us.  And why rob a ranger, a homeless northman, or a farm boy? There's no gold there."  He takes a slow drink, and 'pup-pups' his lips as though he wants for a pipe.  "No, I think a Jari ambush is not our future.  Jari being ambushed might be though.  There are old places out there, Swiftblade, and old scores to settle.  That's my sense of it.  Time will tell."

"I think you're right, Nór. We need fear no ambush... before we find the treasure. And your insight is valuable."

Aldaron rubs his chin, considering the dwarf's words. "No, we are not a group I would choose to ambush. And if he had strength to do it, why not simply turn that strength to recovering his treasure? Your words are wise. He needs us to get whatever it is he's after, perhaps also for protection."

He claps Nór on the shoulder, grateful for his perception, and thinking about the long memories of dwarves. Would they come to settle scores with Jari? He can easily imagine they would. "It is after we find the treasure we should expect treachery. I doubt he means to share it with us so easily."

"And there is certainly more to it than I suspected. We will rely on you to know if what we recover could be the ill-gotten gains he took from his kinfolk." He turns his head to stare in the direction taken by Jari and Diarmoc. "This is an interesting dilemma, for certain. I am glad to have you're weapons are by my side, friend Nór."

"I may hope yet that all we've found is a wild goose chase, with an exuberant, if well-meaning, discredited old dwarf."  He sighs and finishes his tankard. "I'll see you on the morrow. I remain unclear as to how much they know about all of us, so I think arriving separately is a better course of action."   He smiles, putting his hand on Swiftblade's as his is on his shoulder; "As am I to have you by my side as well.  Hopefully our blades grow dull from inaction.  But sharpen tonight anyway.  Okay - I take my leave.  Good night!"

Nór retrieves his axes and gear & heads to room...the beginning of every great adventure!