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Post by moralhazard on Apr 22, 2019 21:53:17 GMT
Kara nodded in agreement with Solstice’s assessment, staring somewhat blankly at the building. It looked like the weight of the fog would be enough to topple it; it was astonishing to think it could possibly survive the heavy winds that sometimes pitched off the sea through the streets of Waterdeep. Either it was sturdier than it looked, or the street was somehow shielded from the worst of the winds. Kara guessed the street was shielded.
Kara followed Solstice across the street, hanging back a little, not quite at Solstice’s side so much as one half-step behind her side, but close enough.
“One moment!” A high-pitched, quavery voice called out in response to Solstice’s knock.
After what would be more like several moments, the door creaked slowly open. A small halfling woman stood in front of them. She was hunched over slightly, her crooked back making her look even shorter than she already was, with long extremely white hair neatly pulled back in a braid. Heavy wrinkles, especially laugh lines around her mouth and eyes, were deeply engraved in her face. She wore a floral dress which looked homemade, and had a pair of half-glasses perched on her nose, secured with a chair to the back of her head. She looked down at Solstice’s and Kara’s feet, then, slowly, stepped back and craned her neck up in what looked like a painful manner to take in all of Solstice.
“Well! Aren’t you a tall one,” her voice quivered. She looked from Solstice to Kara. “And what can I do for two lovely young ladies? Have you come to sell me a subscription, or some girl scout cookies? I’m not taking any more subscriptions just now, but I can always use more cookies!”
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 23, 2019 0:32:18 GMT
Having had others strain themselves to keep her in their line of sight, Solstice inwardly winced in sympathy for the tiny halfling woman who wasn't even half the firbolg's height. The world must be so different, from that perspective. It made her worry for the size of whatever they were crawling into; a 'gaping hole' to a halfling might be a much smaller place for one of her people. But she couldn't refuse a plea for help, especially before having a proper look with her own eyes. She crouched down enough to give the poor woman's neck a rest, shaking her head with a small grin at mention of cookies. Great, now that would be on her mind until she picked up some on the way home. Toby wouldn't protest, she was certain of that.
"Ah, couldn't we all? But no, we saw your notice posted at the Virgin's Square. I'm Solstice and this is Kara. We're here to see your cat returned to you." She gestured to her more reasonably-sized (to the halfling's perspective) woman, all confidence. If the job required bravery, she wasn't going to arrive with a distinct lack of it. Better to put their employer at ease from the start, if at all possible. "Might we come inside? I'd like to learn more about what's happened."
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 23, 2019 0:49:21 GMT
Kara extended the flyer towards the halfling, more than happy to let Solstice do the talking.
“Oh!” The halfling woman brightened. “Oh, my poor dear Fluffers! Oh yes I should have known, with your armor and your - er - sword stick, that you were brave adventurers!” She beamed at Solstice and Kara as if they were particularly delightful grandchildren. “Come in, come in!”
The woman turned and shuffled back inside. Solstice would have to duck to get inside, but the house seemed to be built more on a human scale than a halfling one.
The first room inside was a rather large visiting room, crammed with an assortment of chairs, stools and tables. There was a very large sturdy looking armchair, where the old woman stopped. “Better take this one, dear,” she told Solstice. Kara stood awkwardly at the door, and the halfling woman came over, shoving her into a smaller but equally squishy looking chair near Solstice. Carefully, Kara propped her glaive up and sat.
“Now just give me a moment,” the halfling called, shuffling out of the room. She returned a few moments later with an enormous tray, wider than she was, which she gripped quite firmly. It contained two tall – human-scale – glasses of cold white milk, plus an enormous platter which contained an assortment of cookies, from plain biscuits to chocolate dipped to strange colors and combinations that neither had ever seen before, including several with flowers pressed into them. She set it ponderously and heavily down on the end table between Solstice’s chair and Kara’s chair, then took a seat of her own, shifting her glasses so she could examine the two adventurers.
“Now!” The woman said, seriously. “First you two had better have some milk and cookies – I shan’t say a word about Fluffers until you do!”
Kara looked at her, then down at the tray. Slowly, she reached out and took a glass of milk and one of the chocolate covered cookies. Equally slowly, she took a little bite of it. Her face softened; Kara couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a cookie. She had to resist the urge to cram the entire thing into her mouth. Instead, carefully, savoring it – it was slightly stale but sweet and delicious, like childhood – Kara chewed and swallowed, and washed it down with a little sip of extremely rich milk.
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 23, 2019 14:25:03 GMT
Fluffers? Solstice couldn't help but meet Kara's eyes at that, though she refrained from comment. The name was filed away for later use and stood up; not quite to her full height, so she could manage to get through the doorway. Fortunately, she was not at all claustrophobic and could only hope that some time within a tiny house and some tunnels would not alter that state of affairs. Upon being directed to the armchair, she sat down with a grateful smile. This would make it easier to speak at eye-level, without too much kneeling or crouching.
Further hospitality was a welcome surprise, and Solstice perked up milk and cookies came into view. She wanted to offer her aid, but thought better of it, realizing she wouldn't want to inadvertently injure the halfling woman's pride. Reaching over, she accepted her own glass and a chocolate-dipped cookie. Kara's own expression didn't go unnoticed, and Solstice made a mental note to bring sweets to share the next time she went job-seeking. Plans for a budget were warring with kind-hearted impulse, an issue for another time.
Caught between wanting to savor and wanting to get to the heart of the matter, Solstice settled for a pace that preserved some manners. She finished off her cookie and the most of her milk before deciding to finish off the remainder with just one more. That would give Kara time to snag another, as well. Only when her companion seemed sated did she clear her throat and smile at their host.
"Thank you for the wonderful hospitality. These are delicious. What's your name, ma'am? And what can you tell us about what happened? I promise we can finish of the last of this while we listen."
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 23, 2019 17:33:15 GMT
Kara ate the chocolate covered cookie with the same rapt attention she had paid to the meat pasty, the sort of focus typically reserved for life or death situations or unusually challenging math problems. The milk left a tiny little mustache on her upper lip, of which she seemed completely unaware. She watched, wide-eyed, as Solstice took a second cookie.
After a moment of what was visibly deep internal deliberation, Kara reached out and took a second cookie as well, this one what looked like gingerbread, shaped vaguely like a cat. She contemplated it very seriously, then took a deep and reverential bite, and looked up to see the elderly halfling lady watching her. Kara dropped her gaze to the ground and did her best to eat less conspicuously. It was a huge relief when Solstice started talking again, but she did have something to add, very important, as soon as she finished her current bite of cookie.
“Thank you,” Kara said.
“It’s no trouble at all, my dears!” The woman beamed at them. “Now, my name is Mrs. Mossrun. And yours are?”
Kara would let Solstice respond first, then chime in: “Kara Bellringer.” She ate another bite of her cookie.
“Bellringer,” Mrs. Mossrun repeated, nodding. “A very good name my dear - it reminds me of the Bellweather family, lovely halflings who used to live here in the southern castle ward back before the dock ward started to get so lively. I don’t suppose you’re related?” She seemed to be thinking of Kara’s stature.
Kara shook her head and ate the last bite of cookie. A sad, wistful look flickered through her eyes.
It didn’t take Mrs. Mossrun long to see it, and evidently to come to the same decision Solstice had. With a surprisingly quick motion she scooped up a particularly large piece of sweetbread studded with nuts and raisins and pressed it into Kara’s hand. “You’ll do me a favor and eat that, won’t you dear? It goes stale so quickly.”
Kara looked wide-eyed from the treat to Mrs. Mossrun, then nodded. “Thank you,” she repeated, taking a large bite. There was a little - not quite a smile on her face, but all the frowns seemed to smooth out, leaving a much less frightening Kara. She looked almost - nice.
Mrs. Mossrun beamed. “Now - my poor sweet Fluffers. I wasn’t worried at first, you know, he is a very independent cat and I don’t like to smother him. Much like my third son, really. But I started to get a bit worried, because there was that big hole in the basement and, you know, Fluffers likes to spend some time down there - he’s such a talented mouser - so I thought I had better call someone who might be able to see if he is down there! I thought about calling Reginald, of course, my grandson, but he’s just so busy these days and I hate to be a bother, you understand.”
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 23, 2019 18:20:27 GMT
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Mossrun. I'm Solstice, new to the city...no last name." Most of her kind didn't even have official first names, though she felt that was getting off-topic. Kara's last name was noted and though Solstice didn't quite get having a family name as well as a personal one, she had to admit that it could be useful in a city with so many other people.
Kara's milk mustache made her smile a bit, but she refrained from mentioning it then and there, not wanting to embarrass her friend in front of their employer. That reverence for food made her wonder just what Kara had been through to savor every bite, and she felt a pang of sympathy for her even without knowing the details. In any case, she gave an encouraging nod. Eat more cookies, Kara. It gratified her to know that Mrs. Mossrun appeared to feel the same way, and she flashed a grateful smile at the woman. She didn't have to be this kind to two strangers, but it was certainly welcome.
Turning her attention to the task at hand, Solstice nodded sympathetically as she listened to the details. "Cats do as they will, it's hard to contain one that wants to explore. What can you tell us about this large hole in the basement? Have you always had it, or is it a recent thing? And have you seen anything emerge from it before, aside from Fluffers?" At least part of the city sat atop one mad mage's dungeon, so Solstice already wondered how weird this could get. On the other hand, there were plenty of ordinary subterranean cave creatures that could cause a cat to delay a return home.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 23, 2019 21:27:24 GMT
“It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Solstice,” Mrs. Mossrun smiled at the firbolg. “And isn’t that a lovely name as well! So peaceful and calming.” “Oh, the hole! Well,” Mrs. Mossrun shifted in her chair. “No, I certainly haven’t always had it! As if I would raise little halflings in a home with a hole in the basement – no, dear, I’m not saying you meant such a thing, it’s just the thought is – well, I’m sure you two know how children are, or you will in a few years. They’re nearly as bad as cats for getting into things, particularly the things you want to keep them away from. My second daughter, Rielle, I swear she could find anything you’d left on the floor, no matter how long ago you’d lost it! Let me tell you, Mr. Mossrun and I kept the house very clean while she was small.” Mrs. Mossrun paused. “Now, where was I…? Oh, yes, the hole. No, we didn’t always have it, and thank goodness for that. Now, I certainly remember the night when the hole came, because the entire house started to shake. It woke me right up, and Fluffers too – he isn’t allowed to sleep on the bed, of course, but you try telling a cat that. He yowled and leapt straight up. My goodness, it was a job and a half getting him off of the lamp! Now, I was just so relieved when he came back down that I didn’t even think to check the rest of the house, but I looked the next morning, and, sure enough, there was that enormous hole in my basement. Let me think, that was… a few days after Rielle’s visit with her little ones, although they’re not quite so little these days, and the eldest has a darling little girl of her own, because I remember being so glad that they weren’t in the house when we had that terrible shaking, as it surely would have woken the baby up. So, that means it must have been… about a month ago, dears.” Mrs. Mossrun beamed at them both. Kara, slowly, took another bite of her sweetbread, doing her best to process the rapid flow of information.
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 23, 2019 23:30:23 GMT
Solstice was trying to do the same, though she refrained from taking more cookies so that one of them could continue to converse. The firbolg woman leaned back in her chair, fingers intertwined as she absorbed the news. She didn't cut off Mrs. Mossrun from rambling, not when the woman had been so kind to them both, and sorting out the relevant details wasn't difficult. Mention of children had her smothering a smile, grateful that Toby was well-behaved and not so young that she had to worry about his every movement. But she didn't let her mind wander much, keeping centered on the task at hand.
"A month ago...so before my time, I'm afraid." She spared a curious glance at Kara, silently asking if she'd heard about any such thing happening in the area before. "Did you mention any of this to your neighbors? Has something similar happened to them?" The surrounding structures seemed more stable, but that doesn't mean a determined burrower couldn't create trouble. She had to wonder just how far this might stretch, in that case. But it was best not to say such aloud, she didn't want their employer even more anxious at the thought of what could have happened to her beloved pet.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 24, 2019 0:48:58 GMT
Kara didn’t quite know how to interpret Solstice’s glance; she shrugged in response, hoping that would convey either confusion or lack of knowledge. Both seemed appropriate. She was still chewing anyway; she refused to rush even one bite of the treat.
“My neighbors?” Mrs. Mossrun pursed her lips, thoughtfully. “No, I didn’t mention it to them! You know, the neighborhood has changed – well – rather a lot since Mr. Mossrun and I moved here years ago. Mr. Baklin, the lovely young dwarf who owns the Quaffing Quaggoth – he’s really a rather nice man – I was just chatting with him a few nights ago. I can’t stand that ale he makes, I’m afraid! He calls it a hair-curler and I’m afraid he’s all too right. It’s much too much for a simple old lady like me.”
“But,” She brought herself, heroically, back to the topic at hand, “I was just chatting with Mr. Baklin, and he was telling me all about the casks of stout he stores in the basement, so it mustn’t have happened there, don’t you think? Otherwise I’m sure he wouldn’t store ale there! Not when so much of his business is depending on it. Now, the house to the right is empty. Well, it used to be a house – they renovated a bit, thinking some business people would want to move in, but I suppose that hasn’t worked out so well. So I couldn’t say about their basement. On the left is Mr. Tarsap, of course. A very kind elf, so courteous – well, you can’t tell their ages I suppose. He’s been here longer than I have, hasn’t aged a day! I did mention the shaking to him, before I knew about the hole of course, and he said he hadn’t felt a thing while trancing. So, I suppose – just here, unless of course it happened in the house on the right.”
Mrs. Mossrun beamed at Solstice. “Does that answer your question, dear?”
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 24, 2019 15:09:39 GMT
Not wanting to prevent Kara from finishing her treat, Solstice just nodded and focused again on Mrs. Mossrun. She smiled a little at mention of the Quaffing Quaggoth and its owner, making a mental note to try his ale sometime. What was too much for an old halfling woman might be just right for a robust firbolg. "I'll keep Mr. Baklin in mind, though I expect that will just be a social call. If his business is doing just fine, then it doesn't sound like his basement has been affected. And if your elven neighbor didn't feel anything that narrows it down as well. I do wonder about the empty house but first we can inspect the hole and see how far it goes. Um...how large is it, by the way? Large enough to handle one of my size? I should have asked that from the start, sorry."
Hopefully so; while Solstice could disguise herself to appear smaller, that was only illusion. Her full size was always going to be a factor, without some spellcaster to help her out...and from what she's seen of Kara, it seems unlikely that her companion could help out in that department. It was a point to ponder over later, though she didn't want to put the job on hold to find someone. The cat has been missing long enough, and if they waited, their chances of finding him alive and unharmed grew slim.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 24, 2019 15:53:37 GMT
“Oh! A very smart question, dear,” Mrs. Mossrun squinted at Solstice, adjusting her glasses up and down, then got up to survey her from the side.
“You might have to hunch a bit in the basement, I’m afraid,” Mrs. Mossrun said, ruefully. “The ceilings are a bit low down there! It was never a problem for me or Mr. Mossrun, naturally. In fact the whole house is a bit too - well. Mr. Mossrun made some lovely step ladders for us but I’m afraid it’s a bit much for me now, having to get up on and off them to dust in the corners.”
“But,” Mrs. Mossrun said, “I couldn’t really say about further down, but the hole is - well - it is really rather large! I think you should fit just fine, Miss Solstice.”
Kara ate the last bite of her sweetbread. She would have liked to linger over it, but it didn’t seem nice to sit there eating for too long when they had a cat to find. She stood, surprised by how much force it took to escape the squishy chair, and looked squarely at Mrs. Mossrun.
“Thank you,” Kara said again. “The cookies were delicious.”
Mrs. Mossrun beamed proudly at her. “My pleasure, Miss Bellringer. And thank you!”
Kara nodded. “The hole?” She asked.
“Oh, yes, I had better show you,” Mrs. Mossrun nodded, making her way out of the room, leading Solstice and Kara down a hallway just - just! - barely wide enough for Solstice in armor. She opened a creaky door, and started down a series of precarious wooden steps with a surprisingly lovely carved railing. Kara followed easily enough, although Solstice would need to be a bit cautious.
The basement was really more of a cellar, with packed earth floors and a relatively low roof, as warned. The steps went down along one wall, with a neat turn at the bottom. It looked like it had been nice, before about half of it had dropped off to become a gaping hole into the heart of the earth. The remaining floor was, at least, perfectly swept, with a few boxes and such stacked neatly and dust-free against the wall beneath the stairs.
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 24, 2019 17:57:57 GMT
"Hunching a bit is fine, I just want to be sure I can make my way back out." Solstice responded with a good-humored smile, her confidence easily returned as long as there's the slightest reason for it. Following Kara's lead -and a little surprised that she'd managed to free herself first- Solstice stood and brushed herself off. "Yes, thank you again. Nothing like a sugar rush to start an adventure!"
As they followed Mrs. Mossrun, Solstice did as much as she could to protect herself and her surroundings, feeling like a bit like a bull in a china shop. It was worth the extra time taken, tough; she didn't want to be responsible for the destruction of a staircase, after all. So, steady steps throughout rather than just bounding down without a care. Spotting the gaping hole, she whistled and paused at the staircase to set down her backpack. As she couldn't see in the dark and doubted Kara could either, it was time to take out her lantern and light it up.
"Well, I can see why that forming would awaken anyone. Gods, what a sight.
Your cat, does he respond well to a certain treat or toy? Something we can lure him out with?"
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 24, 2019 18:10:33 GMT
“Oh yes, of course,” Mrs. Mossrun beamed at them. “He likes a bit of dried fish, naturally, and he’s very fond of raisins. I’ll fetch some for you before you go down. Do be careful down in that nasty hole, dears.”
“Description?” Kara asked.
“Oh...?” Mrs. Mossrun paused. “Oh! Of Fluffers, yes. Well he’s a good sized tabby, a very handsome tan and brown color, with a lot of white fur under his chin. He’s very friendly, you’ll know him straight away! Usually he just won’t stop purring with strangers. His tail is quite fluffy - that’s where his name comes from, you know. He knows it too, he’s very responsive. I do hope he’s all right down there. Even if you can just - let me know that he’s - not, my dears, that would be very helpful. It’s the worrying that’s hard, you know.”
Kara nodded slightly; she understood.
Mrs. Mossrun climbed back up the stairs in search of dried fish and raisins.
Kara turned to Solstice, looking down at the hole. It looked very far down, and very dark, but Kara wouldn’t back out now. Her hand tightened on her glaive, and she lifted it to her back, tying it to the same makeshift halter Solstice had seen her use before, wanting her hands free for the descent.
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Jarovbees
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 24, 2019 20:09:39 GMT
Having felt as though there was something she had forgotten, Solstice was a touch embarrassed yet grateful that Kara had thought to ask about the cat's appearance. It would defeat the purpose of a cat rescue not to have that information at hand, especially if there were any others below. The firbolg paladin doubted they would get compensated for returning the wrong cat, and rightly so. She smiles sympathetically at Mrs. Mossrun, not wanting to directly touch on the possibility of Fluffers not being alive any longer, and hoping the sweet old woman's fear would not come to pass. It was too early to promise anything, however, so she focused on what could be done.
Setting the lantern aside, she spoke up while rooting through her backpack. "The lantern will be good for six hours at a stretch, so we should be fine there. Not that we should need that much, but I'll bring an extra flask of oil to be on the safe side. Most of this can stay up here -Toby's pasty and cookies aren't getting squished- but I'll take the rope and grappling hook, too, just in case. And I can heal us, but if I get knocked out, there's a healer's kit in here to help with that."
Pausing in her rambling to light the lantern, she then glanced over to Kara and raised an eyebrow. "Nib for your thoughts? What kind of beastie can make a hole that big...and is it likely to still be around? It hasn't come through the basement yet, so that's a good sign, but still...."
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 24, 2019 20:38:15 GMT
Kara glanced at the lantern, nodded at Solstice, then set her own pack down. She slid the halter off of herself, and set that and her glaive to the side. From the pack, she took two javelins, a heavy coil of rope – better to have too much rope than too little – her tinderbox, two torches and her waterskin. She knew Solstice had her lantern, but if it broke Kara didn’t want to be caught without a source of light. She tied the javelins, tinderbox, torches and waterskin into the rope, then wrapped the rope around her torso, crisscrossing it to keep it in place and tying it off. The halter with her glaive went over everything, to keep the glaive accessible; Kara wanted to be able to draw it at a moment’s notice. Once prepared, Kara went to the edge of the hole, squatting down and studying it. “Edges are crumbled,” Kara noted. She lay down on her stomach, looking down into the pit. “Looks deep,” she glanced around; of course Mrs. Mossrun’s basement didn’t have any handy rocks. Kara pulled one of her torches free and dropped it, hearing a quiet thunk as it hit the ground a few moments later. “Not too deep,” she amended; it hadn’t taken so long for the torch to hit that she’d be afraid to slid down. The torch had hit and hadn’t rolled, so hopefully they wouldn’t slide further down. Kara stood back up, rubbing the shaved part of her head, rough fingers brushing the prickly bits of growing-in hair. “… Maybe a small hole caused a cave-in. Otherwise – a big one.” She looked at Solstice, her tone probably somewhat calmer than the words might have suggested. Mrs. Mossrun would be back down the stairs a few moments later. “All right, dears!” She smiled at Solstice and Kara. “I hope you won’t be gone too long – please, I want to know that Fluffers is all right, but I also want you two to take care. I’ve packed you two little baggies,” she held out two handkerchiefs, one wrapped around something much larger than the other. “This is some cookies, in case you get hungry while you’re exploring,” Mrs. Mossrun gestured to the larger handkerchief. “This is dried fish and raisins, for Fluffers.” She held out the smaller one. Kara left the larger to Solstice, tucking the smaller package into one of her tunic’s pockets. “Thank you,” she told Mrs. Mossrun. “Good luck, my dears,” Mrs. Mossrun would retreat back against the stairs, once any other questions were answered. “And please, stay safe!”
((Word count: 5,403))
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