01.003a - "Drinking Buddies"

Sitting down, Able spent some time with a dusty old book he produces from his satchel and muttering to himself.

A'postrofae stared from the parapet as Frulan walked off with the dragonborn, her hands bunched into fists. When she could no longer see the cultist, she turned and walked down into the courtyard. Soon she began to lash out at anything she can find destroying supplies, tables and anything else she could get her hands on. Shocked bystanders noticed that she was now bearing claws and fangs. Exhausted, she finally sat down in a corner and sobbed.

Putting away his book, Able traded it for a bottle of murky looking liquor and two tin cups from his bag. He walked up to the sobbing druid and nudged her with the bottle. "I found this in a ditch last spring. Wanna see if it can kill us both?"

“Sure...I can't see this day getting any worse.”

Able poured them both five fingers of the thick liquid. "Tell me about your friend out there, Muddy. How bad is it?"

"Frulan was part of the group that attacked my village in the Forest of Wyrms about a month ago. They killed everyone....but me. I barely made it out and I have spent the time since trying to escape the forest with nothing but what I had on my back. While I hate her and want to kill her slowly I need her alive so she can lead me to who I truly seek. To see her tonight within reach but to be unable to get her..." A'postrofae's fists were clenching hard again.

"Needing her alive and wanting her dead are not mutually exclusive, my friend. You can have you cake and eat it too, as the saying goes. First we catch her. Then you get your information. And then..." Able pat his hand axe and smiled. "Then we clip her wings." He refilled his cup with the ditch Liquor, then held the bottle up towards A'postrofae.

"I look forward to that day," she said, and held out her cup. Able grinned, and gave her a refill.

Across the room, Brynne dragged a table over to a portion of the circular room, tipped it over onto its side, then lay down between the table and the wall, closing her eyes.  Not too long after that, snores began to issue from behind the barricade.

Able drags his bag over to A'postrofae and started reading to her from his evil book."Whaddaya think 'A Method for the Introduction of The Realization of the Futility of Mortality' means?"

"Hell if I know. Sounds interesting though." She replied

Able burped and talked through it "There's more. Look at this - this one is called 'A Message Into the Void Which Calls Forth a Servant." He turned and hollared over to Blak. "Hey Blak! Whadda these words mean? They make my soul hurt to read them." Blak comes over after speaking in private with governor Nighthill.

"Oh, oh my.  You two look like you're making the most of it."  Blak said, noting the channels now carved into the dirt on A'postraphae's cheeks like a river run dry.  Sitting next to Able, he pulled out his zither, and plucked out some soft background music before asking, "So, what do you have there?"

"Issa book. I gottit from ma Grandad. He was like a...shaman or wise man or something," Able told him.

"Shamatic grandfather huh? What words were you asking about?" asked Blak, leaning over to take a look. Able showed him the part of the book with the spell 'False Life' in it.

"Well, Able, this book looks to be full of wizard spells. Lucky you, if you're looking to study such things."  In a quieter voice he added, "Though do note, that most of what's described herein is of the darker arts, some outlawed in certain communities."  He seemed to examine the back of his hand as he spoke. "If this is indeed where you'd like to focus your studies, I'll not judge you. I know what that's like. But others? That's a different story. Tread lightly, Able."

"Thank you, my fren," Able said, offering Blak a swig from the "clean" side of the ditch bottle. "Me an Muddy are racin' to the grave. Join us?" Blak takes a swig from the bottle

"Reminds me of a song…" Blak said, grabbing his zither, and singing a tune.