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Waldhorn - Gathering and Sharing... What Now?

The group of friends listened to Ashja's disturbing report, delivered in almost a whisper to avoid the ears of other patrons of the Rusty Nail. There was a long moment of silence, as each considered this new evidence. It was actually only troubling and suspicious, when coupled past observations, and with the other information they had uncovered recently.

"We need privacy", Waldhorn spoke grimly, tilting his head toward the occupied table near the knife throwers. "I have items from Friar Rolie's bag of holding to share as well. Maps, research documents, jotted musings in the margins of a history tome. That is best not done in public."

"We have privacy assured on the ......," Curissa made bird wings of her hands, blue electrical sparks forming, to circle them in a manner informing each that she was referring to their Airship, the Windspyre Sparrow.

Kory nodded, and Ashja stood.

"An hour, then?"

"Bring what information you each have gathered so far, and we will start putting the pieces together." Ashja spoke, then made her way around the edge of the room, slipping in and out of the shadows, to disappear near the exit to Jester's Haunt.

The rest followed soon after, with Koryx rising last, due to an inability to leave his tankard with perfectly good ale still in it.

Waldhorn entered the airship tower at the north end of the Marketplace, nodding to the Lady at the wheel, Captain Anceia d'Lyrandar, and the untalkative First Mate, a Kobold named Ziksquik, on his way to the hatch leading below decks.

The young Paladin of The Sovereign Host had rearranged crates and boxes to form a small living space in the cargo hold in the airship bow. The area held a low slung hammock for a bed, with porthole above his reclining head, two lockable chests for clothing and personal items, a pair of armor racks, and a weapon rack. His quill and ink pot rested on a sturdy table, fashioned from empty crate lumber. His single chair was made from cutting away portions of an empty barrel, then padding a seat and backing with discarded cloth, covered in soft leather. Light was provided by the porthole, and a shard lamp with blackout hood that hung from an overhead beam.

He carried a cloak sling of scrolls, tomes, and assorted parchments up the narrow ladder from his 'room' in the cargo hold. These items were then carefully spread over the end of a long table across the passageway from Three Fingered Thad's 'bar', and their onboard traders on the first lower deck. In truth, Thad's establishment on the lower deck was not really a bar, but more of a general vendor in nature. Waldhorn suspected that Koryx had much to do with the fact that Dwarf approved beverages were available on the side.

Curissa and Koryx both had training and experience in worldly business that Waldhorn and Ashja lacked, so supplementing their income with Thad's friends, traveling traders in Armor, Weapons, and Clothing, seemed a good idea. Where the Sparrow took them on investigative missions, the Traders went as well, doing business and sharing the profits with them to offset the costs of owning an airship. It was working out quite well for all, if you did not consider the thrice cursed parrot that came with the deal.

Waldhorn settled into his chair at the long table, and carefully held a very old tome in quiet contemplation. The wooden covers were originally wrapped in leather, the front once ornately painted, and gilded in gold. There were only leather tatters now, with faded colors in spots to show there had been a painting illustrating the content. The gilded edges now held only miniscule flecks of gold, but where the leather remained, one could see the gilding had been very detailed, with twisted thorn vines and wickedly spiked leaves.

It was one of many scholarly references he'd found in Friar Rolie's bag. It appeared to be a tome published by the Host, dealing with techniques for eliminating evil entities. From use stains, wear, and margin notes, his friend... a Missionary of the Flame, who would be put to the question for possessing a Tome not approved by the Mission Board... seemed to have a particular interest in the undead, Vampires in particular, and in Demon kind. Unconsciously, the Paladin twisted the old Friar's Sovereign Host ring around his finger, drawing comfort from an emblem of the Host, strangely worn by a most devout member of the Silver Flame.

Lost in thought, he waited the arrival of his friends.

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