Caerus and Sio Venture North In Search of Hidden Treasure

Rose would be try and hide how upset she was with Caerus choosing Sio. But would ask who Caerus was leaving in charge while they were gone.

Viasio grins at the rising sun, idly trimming his nails with a shaving razor.

"Ah, off to distant lands! See the world, ey? Ha, the land is like a copper siivat, yours to explore! Or, ah, you know, just the one city." Sio grins at Caerus. "I'm sure Orthos had plenty. Kept his coins like his affairs, ey? Ei, toen!"

Despite his cheeriness he shoots the horse a sour look. Ill-tempered beasts.

Virgil doesn't seem to have an issue with anything that was said, although he is curious how Caerus had any idea that it was his house at one point as saying he never mentioned it nor did he ever use his mothers family name,which is the name the house is listed under.

(Yes I could have sworn I posted it there but it was also like 3 in the morning so my bad.)

"Which is why we will check the banks first to see if he simply deposited everything..." Caerus muses, frowning at Sio's scarf display. "Well please refrain from strangling anyone this trip. We're after funds not blood, and if you see Arcas or the necromancers it would be best to not engage at all. You're not prepared despite your talents."

Brief fastforward:

GM: Alas you arrive in Corden. The road is familiar as it's the one you took down to goldport and there are a few incidents with bandits or wolves but that'd be a story for another day.  Snow falls fairly steadily as the days march closer to winter. The walls of the city are practically covered with it as you ride into town and a cool wind blows from the north. You arrive with the last of the merchant caravans of the season and are hardly given a second glance by the guards as you enter

Caerus wraps his cloak around him a bit more, not particularly inclined towards liking cold weather. We shall get settled into an inn depending on time of day and if not too late, consider attending to the banks in town.

GM: There are two in town, not nearly the amount that are in Goldport. There are also a few merchants in town including a bookseller an herbalist, and a silversmith. What kind of inn are you staying at?

Caerus completely disregards all pertinent information. Where's this bookseller at?

GM: Probably set up shop in the courtyard

Zwwwoooop! Detour!Caerus will go through the books (if allowed) looking for anything particularly rare, in stellar condition, or otherwise unique. More importantly for things he has not had the chance to read.

GM: There are one or two but most are in a small pile that another gentleman is making for himself to buy. In fact there is a particular book you want about translating old legends from their original language to drakarian or the trade language. It even contains some of the original scripts for said legends. The man snatches it up as you spot it and begins flipping through.

Oooh! So like an old fairy tales?
He half crosses his arms. "Sir - if you're uninterested I would be most thrilled to acquire the copy you just snatched up."

GM: Like an original fairy tales annotated with a focus on lingustics and translation

(Zomg - internal Caerus squee. *cough* Play it cool.)

Sio glances disinterestedly at the various scholarly works on display before swiftly moving his attention to the book-stacking gentleman. What a strange fellow.

GM: The man peeks at you over the top of the book. He looks pretty young, late 20s early 30s maybe but his age seems very hard to place "Hm? What was that?"

"The translating fairy tales. Are you wanting to buy it or would you be willing to part with it from your ever increasing stack?" Caerus eyes the stack with envy and a slight hint of disapproval that the man is behaving in a similar fashion to his own if given the opportunity.

"Do you think kids would like it? It's about fairy tales and they need to learn about linguistics sometime"

 Viasio looks between Caerus and the man, watching intently and eagerly.

"Precisely the reason I wish to acquire it."

"For kids?"

"Yes and for personal study."

"Are you counting yourself as a kid?"

"Most definitely." He agrees with mock cheer, not wanting to elaborate further on why he wants anything.

"You can take it then I have a better copy"

He will take the copy then with a thankful nod, flipping through to examine its condition

It's in a condition alright. Theres a few scribblings on the pages and the corners are folded over

It has character...

Definitely some character. Looks like it had a few owners before you

Good. It will be appropriate for little nightblade snots  my students to study from. Any other books nearby?
Of interest that is?

GM: Most of the others of interest are in the man's stack

Bummer...He gives a jealous eye narrowing, but will proceed to purchase fairy tale translation so we can be on our way to the inn.

"I hope your kids like that one." the man says

"Oh me too. If not I'll find someone to appreciate it."

"That's good. It should not go to waste"

"Not at all. You picking out books for your kids eh?" He relents to small talk.

"Not mine personally."

"Adopted? Want any more?"

"Are you selling them?"

"No money required unless guilt makes you feel obligated."

"Why don't you want them?"

"My physician says it's bad for ones health." He says casually stealing another glance at the mans book stack. "Why would you want them?"

"Molding a new generation is an important obligation no? Besides I like them better than adults all in all"

"Splendid. We're bound to get along with my maturity level. May I peruse your stack? Or are you attached to that selection?" He can no longer resist the call of the stack, and if he's forced to small talk there ought to at least be some reward.

"I'm just buying extra copies it's becoming extremely rare to find anything new around here"

"Pity. I take it you have a vast library then?"

"A fairly sizable collection"

"Quite envious of you then." Does he let me look through the stack?

He won't protest if you finger through it.

Finger. Touch. Smell. He will flip through it to see if there's anything cool.

Stuff on magic, medicine, religions, anatomy, a few on alchemy

Ooooooooooh. One day...  "Well thank you for letting me look." Check out time. Anything else interesting about fellow book lover?

Not much though the bookseller calls him lord when he purchases his books.

They charge you a sizable sum

Ack! My wallet! That bastard.  ToT
Almost as bad as the leeches students at home.

"Have a good day."

Inn Fast Travel

GM: You find a medium size in for travelers of your social standing called the green flagon. Its a big melting pot there so you guys only stand out a little

((Psh - we're the most indiscreet individuals I know.))

Nonetheless, Sio keeps his head down and attempts to go unnoticed

Caerus will speak to the innkeep to purchase a room - two beds - and dinner for them both. Cooking is for chumps.
Or for students who can actually manage to fry things on swords

Viasio shall harshly critique the food for entertainment. "We set out tomorrow then, hmm?"

GM: They serve a stew of mutton, potatoes, and onions with a thick gravy,

Caerus nods. "Yes. We'll start with the banks and see if our charm can lend to any information there. I'm a bit unsure as to how Orthos has anything managed, but I am banking on the idea that he would have left your name or some other indicator of an heir to his estates. We can masquerade then with you as his next of kin."
Huzzah mutton.

(Anything suspicious or anyone of note in the inn?)

GM: You get glances mostly for your dark skin, but otherwise people pay you little mind. The locals keep to themselves muttering out of earshot and the other travelers mostly keep to themselves as well a few are chatting and there are a few playing gambling games with cards or dice.

"Perhaps. He told me to assume the name 'Teo' if he ever passed. We could start there."

"Good. And I assume it doesn't require mentioning - but always try to gain more information than that which you give away." He swirls the stew with his spoon as he chats, wheels turning in his mind. "I keep finding that my presuming I should not mention things leads to mistakes, so now I will resort to being painfully obvious and patronising to some extent. I fully expect to return and find a burnt bakery or some other disaster from my negligence in some trivial detail. I digress. But keep answers short and sweet, and try not to elaborate more than you can remember lest we end up ensnared in some lie."

"Ei, Orthos said as much." Sio grins. "Te lishava. I hope the others can take care of themselves. They've all lived on the streets, ei?"

He raises a brow and shrugs, but the slight turn of his lips suggests little faith and some concern. "Living is different than surviving and thriving."

"Mmm. Still, a sishtasa wouldn't be a Nightblade, ey?"
(Sishtasa - street rat, guttershite)

"Good Blades have been made from worse material, and the worst blades from better."

"I suppose it depends on the craftsmanship of the tailor."

He lets out his dry 'heh' before looking a bit sullen, swirling the stew around again in lieu of actually eating.

Sio, for his part, wolfs down the food. "Not to your liking? I can go berate the cook if you like, a ha..."

"Ah no! It's quite all right." He takes a few bites as if to prove that, and that seems to stimulate him into actually eating the rest rather cheerfully as well. "Just got off thinking. Anyhow Teo, I shall be Silvius. We shall see to the banks first. Then retrace some of the safe houses. Make sure Orthos didn't bury anything. In the event either of us spot Galyn, Arcas, dirty whores, priests et cetera, et cetera - we will discreetly leave and regroup. As for now, rest and recover. Questions, suggestions, comments, jokes?"