Great Haven - sup

>sup

So you figure a friendly greeting is as good as any place to start. You give the group an anxious, but friendly wave hello. “Heeyy,” you ask, “You guys don’t happen to have my spacebending bag, do you?” Getting to lead the conversation with these guys is a nice change of pace. “...My name is Raoul, by the way. I didn’t, uh, get to say that earlier.”

You sure feel out of place here.



The black one with the red vest stands up on the table. “...Alright. You can call me Rodell, then. I’m going to ask you a few questions.” His stare pierces your very being. From behind the table, he pulls up a familiar brown saddlebag, the very same that you had since leaving Loroni. The same that Maya had when she disappeared with Deline. “So, are we to understand that this was your bag, then?”

You quietly nod your head, and he goes on. “Can you tell me what was in it when you lost it?”

You respond to the best of your knowledge. Telling the truth got you this far, anyhow. “There was... eighty-seven hundred spice,” you say. The number is burning into your mind. “...And a couple of fruits, I guess.”

The one on the far left with all the piercings interjects. “Was that all you had in there?” His worn voice sounds like Rohan’s from earlier.

Before you can answer, Rodell snaps back at him. “Don't interrupt me, old man. I’m following a very specific line of questioning here.”

Rohan calmly shakes his head. “...It doesn’t matter, but fine..”

“Good.” His attention shuffles, and lands on the hawren. “Farragus, is our guest telling the truth?”



The hawren pulls some kind of device from his pocket, and begins to speak. “That’s... again, that’s not how this thing works, but yes, he appears to be telling the truth.”

Then, his eyes narrow in on it. “...Well, he could be lying about one thing, but I... I really don’t think it’s what you think it is.”

As he speaks, the other hiiri in the room look you up and down as if judging your ability.

Rodell demands your attention once more. ”Ahem. Raoul.”

“Yes sir,” you reply.

“What else did you have in that bag?”

It’s safer to tell the truth than to tell lies.

You stand your ground. “Nothing,” you say. “That was it.” You aren’t lying about anything.

Frustrated, Farragus just sets the device down. “...I don't think this guy has any reason to hide whatever you found in that bag. Didn't you have to talk to him about raid incompetence earlier, any which way?”



Rodell remains unsatisfied. “This is way more serious than the raid.”

“He clearly doesn't know what you're talking about.”

“You don't even know what I'm talking about, bird.”

“I guess I don’t, but I know Rohan only brought you here for combat expertise.”

This really seems to push his buttons. “I’m here for a lot more than that, you know. Do I need to remind you of your own situation here with us, mister Grand Magician Athenaeum?”




Out of nowhere, the last one brooding in the back of the room shouts out. “Oh for crying out loud, this is going nowhere. Just give him the scribbums already!”

Immediately, there is protest. Rodell jumps to his feet. “No. No, don’t do that. I refuse. Cease this.”

The others watch, while Farragus extends a single feather-digit. “Please,” he shouts. “This is ridiculous. Not in front of our visitor!”

Moe talks over him. “No, they’re right. You clearly need this right now.”

“No, you jerks. This is embarrassing. Aaaah..!”



With a few scratches behind the ears, Rodell is... distracted for a bit. “....fffffine, finefinefine. You win already, okay. N-nnno, s... j-just, get the left side please. ...Okay, now stop!”

Meanwhile, Moe gets back to business. “Do we tell him about the other thing?”



Rohan quickly responds with a decisive “No. But, we should give it back to him. And, Raoul?”

“Yes?” you respond.

“We heard your story from Rye when she sent you down, though you probably heard it too. And everyone else I guess.” He shuffles awkwardly under his cloak. “If you came here to see Felna, she was brought into Farragus’s office. Is there anything else we can help you with?”


“...Well, I really miss my friend,” you say.

Moe swallows a lump in his throat. “That... will be difficult. But we will do our best.”

“In the name of fate,” Rohan declares, “the services of the clan are at your disposal, free of charge.”

“WHAT?” shouts an exasperated Rodell. “Y-you can’t be serious!”