...Not Common Caravan Guards

Hikawera and Quelenna had been at Ripa Daneo Freelancers for a full prime, and were starting to settle in.  The building was much fancier than the tavern in Cliffshadow on Duquesne, and it felt quieter, although that was more likely because the public tavern and the Freelancer tavern were at opposite sides of the atrium.  Then again, it did seem there were fewer Freelancers on the premises.

This morning, they breakfasted at a long table with their old crew that had spent a year together with at the Clifsshadow Freelancers.  "So, how does one go about taking a mission in this place?" Hikawera asked.  Fine Branch held up a clawed finger, and led them all upstairs to the lounge.

The lounge had a large fireplace, and windows offering a view of the street and the atrium.  Damakaios, the hanyou leader of the Ripa Daneo Freelancers, had an office attached to it; the door was such.  Chair and couches offered comfort, and various trophies adorned the walls.  A large space had been cleared suitable for the head of a minotaur.  In a corner near the door, was a detailed model of the Cliffshadow Freelancers tavern.

After a while spent admiring all of these items, the door opened and Damakaios waved them all into his office.  He had many chairs for guests, and a large mahogany desk that was entirely clear of clutter.  These all matched and had somewhat geometric patterns.  There were cases along the walls with various weapons - some were shortblades and some more exotic.  A couple cabinets were against the wall behind the desk.

Damakaios returned to his desk, pulling out some keys, while the 7 of them sorted themselves.

Terrance stood at the window
Tuala and Fine Branch found random appropriate chairs
Quelenna leaned against the wall
Dryali lounged on a chair in the darkest part of the room
Hikawera chose a sturdy chair that appeared comfy, in the back of the room
Tahu took a slightly smaller chair, and stretched his legs out in front of him

Damakaios unlocked a desk drawer, pulled out some crisp parchment, and laid them out fully across his desk.  He glanced at the first one, then spoke in a resonant voice.

• We have the next phase of clearing out the Amabel villa.  They acquired the deed to a nice villa in the southeast part of the city, but only looked at the floor plans; it's overrun.

"Some of you already looked, and were attacked by harpies," he continued.  "This is a long-term project.  They want to building; do not destroy it but wipe out the creatures.  If you find anything not nailed down, you can keep it.  250gp each, but we must show progress."

Tahu:  they have a floor plan, so then expect there to be walls.
Damakaios:  yes
Terrance:  the creatures running away on the roof indicates it's sturdy.
Damakaios:  please, no fireball or shatter on walls.
Tahu:  do we know which are loadbearing?

Damakaios' face was still for just a brief moment, as he spared an unkind thought for Arnari, the leader of the Cliffshadow Freelancers, and then he shifted to the next set of papers.

• This mission – there's something in Moana's Eye lake that is messing with the rice and flax growing.  The Mayor of Flaxton wants Freelancers to make it stop.  This also pays 250gp/person.
• Vathia Estia Tunnel Authority is having issues with constructs attacking random caravans.  They know roughly where.

Damakaios looked up from the papers, sparing a thought for the new arrivals.  "This tunnel is a wide road, and takes 2-3 days of travel from the base of the crater through to the south of the Cities."

Hikawera:  do they know where?
Damakaios:  not precise, but rough
Tuala:  what is attacking?
Damakaios:  constructs.
Dryali:  are they attacking at a predictable time?
Damakaios:  not that the Authority can predict

At that, Damakaios took up the next two pieces of paper.  They were very fancy and thick, with rose petals pressed in; the fragrance wafted from them.

• For those of you who helped with the garden party, you remember what happened.  House Hadid wants to know who cursed their tree, and placed assassin plants.
• A second mission:  Freelancers to hunt cheshire-beast hides.

"The investigation is 300gp/person," Damakaios continued, "The cheshire-beasts, 500gp per pristine hide."

Dryali:  tunnels.
Tuala:  will vote for tunnels, but interested in Flaxton, mostly because I've heard this tale of Ophelia from Duquesne.
Hikawera:  I'm fine with tunnels.
Terrance:  tunnels sounds like a pain, but interested in the overgrown house.
Tahu:  if tunnels, I can use my goggles!
Quelenna:  I'm just happy to explore Commerce, it is all new to me.
Fine Branch:  I'm fine with whatever
Hikawera:  I heard the most vocal interest in tunnels
Dryali:  if tunnels, I don't have to use my goggles!
Damakaios:  okay, if you are taking this mission, the Dayside liaison is Stathou Ragovir of the Truetunnel clan, a dverg.  I can direct you to the residence in Ripa Daneo; it is not on the surface of course, you must go below.

Damakaios explained how the tunnel was a primary source of income for Vathia Estia because of the tolls, and ran just to the east of Vathia Estia.  Where the tunnel approached the dverg city, there were spaces and amenities to accommodate caravans stopping, storing, resupplying, etc.

Dryali:  will we need rations?
Damakaios:  might be a good idea, if you have to go off-route.
Tahu:  will we need a guide?
Hikawera:  I can keep us from getting lost.
Damakaios:  the tunnels are well-marked, but these questions are more for Stathou.

At this point, he gave the others easy-to-follow directions to the Truetunnel clanhouse, and the Freelancers took their leave, gathered their things, and headed out.

The Freelancers followed Damakaios' directions and soon found that Ripa Daneo had more layers than just the surface and Inky Agora.  They found themselves two levels underground and passing places in the tunnel.  Dryali and Hikawera were fairly at ease underground, the others slightly less so.

They got to an entrance in the side of the tunnel with nicely carved, wooden double doors, obviously the entrance to a clanhouse.  They were tall enough to accommodate anyone, but the door knocker was low and clearly more convenient for dwarves than humans, elves, or taller persons.

Well, elves other than Dryali.  He used the knocker.  The door opened relatively quickly to a dverg butler, who asked without preamble, "What business do you have with the Truetunnel clan?"

Dryali, not the most diplomatic of the group, cast a brief side-eye at Hikawera and Tuala before replying, "We're Freelancers, sent by Damakaios to see Stathou about some trouble with the Vathia Estia tunnels."

The butler opened the door to admit them and directed, "Please, come this way."  He led the Freelancers to a small parlour – still large enough to accommodate all – and said, "Wait here; I will bring you Stathou shortly."

Fine Branch cast about, then asked, "Do you have anything to read, while we wait?"  The butler was slightly confused, and offered, "Maybe a book in the parlour, but Stathou will be right with you."  He withdrew.

Not five minutes had passed, during which Fine Branch rather performatively looked for something to read, when the butler returned with Stathou Ragovir.  Unlike most dvergar, he was dark, but his hair was still pale, and his irises the colour of pink sapphires.  He rivalled Hikawera in portliness, and his voice was smooth and full.

"Ah, ah!  Freelancers, Freelancers!" he boomed.  "Glad to see you finally picked up this mission!  We had another instance last prime, and these attacks impugn the prestige of the Vathia Estia Tunnel Authority!  We simply cannot have caravans attacked mid-tunnel and these … things making off with goods!"  Hikawera, unimpressed as always, started making jerk-off motions, out of Stathou's range of vision, as soon as he started talking about prestige.

Dryali:  wait - we weren't told they were being robbed.
Tuala:  what's being taken?
Stathou:  crates from the caravans.  This one was flax.  <Paused, thinking.>  Last one was nutria pelts.  There has been wine…
Tuala:  so, not raw materials for constructs.
Stathou:  no
Fine Branch:  how often?
Stathou:  roughly every other prime, most recently last prime.
Fine Branch:  so, lots of variance.
Stathou:  has generally been happening between Vathia Estia and Ripa Daneo; not exactly in the same place, but roughly the same place.
Dryali:  does it matter which direction the caravan is going?
Stathou <thought another moment>:  mostly those who are coming up.
Hikawera:  no pattern with regards to owner, or guards?
Stathou:  no.
Terrance:  if on a cadence, maybe there's something happening.
Tahu:  do caravans generally have guards, or trust that it's safe?
Stathou:  generally a couple guards, the caverns aren't entirely safe.
Tahu:  are people getting killed?  Are you finding carts abandoned?
Stathou:  people are getting hurt, if they get in the way of the constructs.
Dryali:  how big are the constructs?
Hikawera:  we should make our own, mini-caravan.
Dryali:  why I'm asking.
Stathou:  from the description, they are medium-size; look like humanoids, but just the armour.  Some guards tried to follow, the constructs put the items down and bitch-slapped them until they went away.  Sometimes, they were stabbing.
Dryali:  with what?
Stathou:  sword.
Fine Branch:  held, or built-in?
Stathou:  held, otherwise how would they carry a crate?
Tahu:  are they taking everything, or pick & choose?
Stathou:  they are not stripping, but seem to be taking random items.
Dryali:  sounds like offer to guard an existing caravan, instead of make our own.
Hikawera:  agree
Tahu:  here's our name...

The Freelancers discussed with Stathou a plan; they could drop down to the floor of the crater in a couple of hours, and catch a caravan headed south, or try their luck with one heading northwards.  They decided that even though it was less likely to be attacked, they could catch a caravan northwards and learn the layout of the tunnels, then just turn around and take another one back south.

Fine Branch sat in one of the parlour chairs, and again asked the butler for something to read while he was waiting for the caravan.  The butler looked even more confused, and everyone else kind of looked at the nekomata like he was crazy.

Stathou <carefully>:  you can go to the tunnel, and get a caravan.
Fine Branch:  oh not here?  That was my understanding.
Stathou:  no; we're sitting in Ripa Daneo.
Fine Branch:  my bad.  <plaintively>  can I still have something to read?

The answer to this was no, and the Freelancers took their leave to head to the tunnel entrance.  Well, everybody but Fine Branch, who headed back to Freelancers Tavern to retrieve Nighthawk from the stables.

As the Freelancers headed south on the skylith surface towards the tunnel entrance, Ripa Daneo became more and more about trades and industry.

Dryali <rubbed his hands together>:  this will be great!  There's … an artificer place in Vathia Estia!
Tuala:  now we know why you wanted to go!
<Dryali flashed a genuine grin, a startling sight to Hikawera and Quelenna.>
Terrance:  wait, are we going into the crater?
Dryali:  no.  go north, then south if we aren't attacked.
<Terrance was disappointed, since the crater was full of growing things.>

It took the group about half an hour to get to the tunnel staging area, with Quelenna looking around in wonder, trying to take everything in.  When they were about halfway there, Fine Branch started circling them overhead on Nighthawk, his burgundy hippogryph.  The staging area was very big, with caravans parked in seemingly random arrangement.  The tunnel entrance itself could accommodate 4 wagons abreast, and in the shade of the overhang were armed dvergar checking the entering and exiting wagons for tolls and proof of payment.  Light fencing lined the overhang and sides of the entrances, and guards with crossbows were strategically positioned, to stop any attacks from above.

The Freelancers started looking around for a likely caravan, to offer their services to as guards.  Dryali, Fine Branch, and Terrance did not bother to mention to the others that almost two primes ago, Damakaois had expressly said not to do this; Freelancers were not common hireswords; and an argument had resulted.  And so they all looked.  Quelenna was still very distracted by the tunnel entrance setup, but Terrance and Tahu located a likely caravan, and they all went to talk to the lead, a Rock sagani named Keoni.

The "caravan" was small – 3 wagons, 5 people: the drivers and 2 guards.  It was carrying leather to Vathia Estia, cooper supplies to the crater floor, and some musical instruments.

Keoni:  I do not have budget to pay you!
Hikawera:  it's okay, convenient for everyone.
Keoni <darkly>:  we're waiting half an hour for leather delivery
Fine Branch:  do you have anything to read?

Tuala, exasperated, handed Fine Branch an orbital mechanics book, written in Primordial.  The latter's ears pricked as he peered at the words he could almost understand.

Time passed, during which the Freelancers and the 5 caravaners chitchatted, and Fine Branch pored over the book.  Keoni explained that it would be 2 days to Vathia Estia, and they would spend the first night at a small settlement, Odikistas, that had mostly sprung up for use by the resting caravans.  The leather arrived, and Keoni paid for the tunnel passage.  They proceeded into the tunnel right at Daystar zenith.

Daylight receded behind them as the little caravan ventured down and to the north.  Soon, the drivers lit lanterns and hung them on sticks.  Fine Branch, riding Nighthawk on the ground, stayed near one of the lanterns so he could read the book.  Dryali took off and stowed his eyes of the eagle, rubbing his eyes in the welcome darkness.  Tahu put on his goggles of night.  Every once in a while, lanterns were mounted on the tunnel wall, sporting everburning flame.

All of the Freelancers looked around for side caverns.  Tahu and Hikawera were also trying to assess if this was normal usage for the tunnel road, but they really could not tell wear & tear.  Terrance was playing with the drums, and wasn't bad at it, but the sound echoed off the tunnel walls.  Dryali and Fine Branch were trying to keep an eye on the caravans in the other direction.  Had they been looted?  Fine Branch didn't notice much, because book, but Dryali didn't observe anything missing.

After perhaps eight hours (time was fluid in the tunnels), the frequency of the mounted lanterns increased, and the tunnels became well-lit; they were arriving at Odikistas, which was a thriving community whose income rested on servicing the caravaners and facilitating opportunistic trade.  There was a large, reasonably lit trading area and two well-maintained inns, The Traveler's Way and The Cave Inn.  Keoni's caravan stayed at The Cave Inn.

While the Freelancers were eating breakfast, Keoni had gone to the trading area, and (no doubt leaning on the Freelancers' prestige) by the time they left Odikistas, two more wagons and guards had joined the Rock sagani's caravan.  Pragmatically, the Freelancers redistributed themselves to ensure all 5 wagons were covered, with Dryali in front and Hikawera in back.

The tunnels had turned northwest out of Odikistas, and the morning passed without incident.  Keoni was starting to look for a side cavern to use for rest and the mid-day meal, when seemingly out of nowhere, three constructs landed next to the 2nd, 3rd, and last wagons with a gentle thump, and grabbed a crate or barrel.

Northbound tunnel traffic paused.

The constructs looked like humans in ornate plate, except without the human.  A shield was bolted to the left forearm, and they had longswords at their sides.  The one next to the last wagon had a red cloak, and the one next to the 2nd wagon had a green cloak.  Helm detailing differed, but otherwise they appeared the same.

Tahu circled to the construct in back and attacked it with his magical shortsword, just to have it clang on the construct's shield.  He drew his magical daggar and struck, but it glanced off the thing's bracer.  Tahu frowned, then said, "Can you put the barrel down and then fight me?"  He looked at its face, but there were no eyes.  Nor face.

• Quelenna, witnessing that, was sad for a moment.  Then she drew out her fans and attacked the construct lacking a cloak.  She missed with the first strike, but sliced through with the second one.  Burning ki, she attempted to stun it, but failed, so she burned more ki to employ flurry of blows, which both missed.
• Terrance, closer to the front, drew her magical rapier and attacked the construct with the green cloak, piercing past its defenses.  Then the firbolg disengaged and put the wagon between herself and the construct.
• Fine Branch closed his book, put it away, hopped on Nighthawk, and flew up, chanting "Cats cats cats cats cats!"  spirit guardian cats started swirling around him and Nighthawk.  He then cast spiritual weapon in the form of a toy-sized prison wagon next to the cloakless construct.  The weapon struck and… actually went through the construct, with no effect whatsoever.  Nighthawk flew to where the spirit guardians could affect that construct and the red-cloaked one.
• Dryali cast grease under the green-cloaked construct, and moved towards Fine Branch.
• Hikawera hesitated.  "Are we stopping, or pursuing?" he asked Tahu, who replied, "Save the stuff?"  The Fire sagani said, "Okay.  Wanna be invisible?  Don't attack it.  Then, let this one go, and follow."  Hikawera then cast invisibility on Tahu, gave bardic inspiration to Terrance, then moved into melee range of the red-cloaked construct.
• Tuala was taken aback at the result of Fine Branch's spiritual weapon, and what that implied for magic missile.  He cast web on the cloakless construct.

The cloakless construct, in the web, and somewhat burned by the spirit guardian cats, broke out of the web and stepped out of it.  It set the crate down.  Despite having no face, the body language was of intimidation.

• The construct with the green cloak was not bothered by grease in the slightest.  It simply flew over the wagon at Terrance.  It set the crate down, then drew its longsword and attacked Terrance twice, missing both times.
• The construct with the red cloak, also burned by the spirit guardian cats, set the barrel down, and moved away from the cats.  It drew its longsword and attacked Hikawera twice.  The first swing missed, but the second swing drew a long slash on the Fire sagani.
  • Because it moved away, Tahu crit when he attacked it with his magical shortsword.  A gash in the construct's chest revealed a flickering, magical light.

Tahu, no longer invisible, ran back up to the red-cloaked construct and attacked again, entirely missing.  "Sorry, Hikawera," he apologized, for breaking the plan.  Hikawera was philosophical.  "Still, you've done the most good so far."

• Quelenna again attacked the cloakless construct with her fans.  Her first strike missed, but she used ki on her second strike to slash it.  She used ki again to stun it, to no avail.  Thinking perhaps she couldn't stun something that lacked a face, the Wild elf hit with an offhand attack, which got through its defenses – but did not seem to hurt it as much as she thought it should.
• Terrance had the green-cloaked construct in front of her, so she made use of her bardic inspiration to pierce it with her magical rapier again.  Then she drew her magical scimitar with her offhand and slashed the construct.
• Nighthawk flew towards the red-cloaked construct, so the spirit guardian cats could menace it.  Fine Branch cast toll the dead on it, to no avail.  Nighthawk then closed and attacked it, missing with his beak and striking with his claws, which did less damage than normally would be.
  • Nighthawk flew back up and the construct slashed with its longsword.  Hikawera used cutting words to mitigate it but Nighthawk was still badly injured by the longsword.
• Dryali made a protector eldritch cannon, which bolstered himself, Tuala, Terrance.  He was very unhappy about how useless grease was.
• Hikawera tried suggestion on the red-cloaked construct.  "You know we don't have a quarrel with you, we just want to know where you're taking the stuff!"  It raised its sword at him, and he gave Tahu bardic inspiration.
• Tuala moved away from the green-cloaked construct and sent a firebolt at the cloakless construct, but it went a little wide.

The cloakless construct attacked Quelenna twice with its longsword.  The first swing missed but the second crit, slashing her open from shoulder to hip.

• The green-cloaked construct attacked Terrance similarly: the first swing missed, and the second hit.  Terrance dodged uncannily to avoid much of the blow.
• The red-cloaked construct was in the area of the spirit guardian cats again, and Tuala did something with his sorcery to make sure it bore the full weight of their holy radiance.  It turned and slashed Hikawera twice with its sword.  The tunnel echoed with the bard's extremely colourful string of expletives.  I guess Hikawera now did have a quarrel with the thing.

Tahu said, "Hikawera has chosen Death."  He used his bardic inspiration to stab it with his magical shortsword, and the armour clattered to the ground, no longer animated.  The Wind sagani picked up the helmet, frustrated.  "See?  See what you gonna get?!" he yelled, moving towards the cloakless construct.  He threw the helmet at its feet.

• Quelenna attacked the cloakless construct twice, and missed.  She used ki for another flurry of blows, which missed… and actually critfailed.  Triggered by the ki, a pool of grease spread out from her feet, making the footing slippery but not awful for either of them.
  • Dryali became even more unhappy that there was now a second manifestation of grease which was equally useless.
• Terrance slashed the green-cloaked construct with her magical scimitar, but missed with her magical rapier.
• Fine Branch had seen the magical light in the now-defunct construct's chest, so cast dispel magic at the green-cloaked construct.  Dryali thought that was brilliant, and augmented it with a flash of genius.  The construct started moving more jerkily.
  • Nighthawk attacked the cloakless construct.  He missed with claws but struck with his beak, but again did less than expected damage.  He flew up out of range and the construct slashed the hippogryph from below.  Nighthawk screamed defiance.
• Dryali moved the protector cannon to be in range of Quelenna and Nighthawk, which earned it a reflexive slash from the green-cloaked construct.  It was built sturdily so was not impeded by the damage, and bolstered Dryali, Quelenna, and Nighthawk.  Then the Dark elf pulled out his arcane firearm and sent a firebolt at the cloakless construct, which left a smoking hole in the metal.
• Hikawera moved towards the front of the caravan, using vicious mockery to call at the green-cloaked construct, "Hey, buckethead!  Fuckoff!"  The construct, faceless and suddenly afflicted with a headache usually reserved for the living, still managed to glower at Hikawera.
  • By now, southbound traffic in the tunnel had stopped, with those nearest watching the altercation.
• Tuala sent another firebolt wide of the cloakless construct.

The cloakless construct was somewhat burned by the spirit guardian cats, and attacked Quelenna twice with its longsword, missing.  It moved out of the grease at their feet, and Quelenna slashed with her fans as it moved away.  That slash was the last straw; the construct collapsed into a pile of armour at the edge of the grease.  "That's what you get, you pile of metal!" Quelenna cried.

• The green-cloaked construct was fully burned by the holy radiance of the cats, but soldiered on, jerkily slashing at Terrance, who easily avoided the blows.

Tahu ran straight through the grease to catch up to Terrance.  (Seeing that, Dryali died a little inside.)  "Hi, Terrance!" he said cheerily, then sent his magical shortsword right through the torso of the remaining construct, and it collapsed into a pile of armour.

The caravan drivers cheered.

Quelenna and Tahu were tending to wounds, but the other Freelancers did a thorough check of the armour.  Tuala and Hikawera saw it was rather ornate, with spiked and menacing scrollwork.  Fine Branch pointed out there was a recognizable style.  Terrance and Dryali noticed a set of repeating motifs which… could be a maker's mark.

Dryali had the protector cannon bolster Hikawera as they did this.  When the possible maker's mark was pointed out, Hikawera said, "That's a few points in favour of the armourer being the construct maker themselves."

Dryali pulled out his eyes of the eagle, removing the darkened lenses, and donned them.  He started scanning the stalactites for where the constructs could have been hiding.  Hikawera gave him bardic inspiration for his search, and Dryali announced, "Looks like this is a place of hiding.  They were standing on the stalactites like a pogo-stick."

Dryali started peering down the tunnels to see if it was obvious where they'd been going, and the other Freelancers joined in.  There wasn't much to see.  Terrance thought maybe she found the right tunnel.  Dryali found where someone had taken a leak.  He thought about how they could fly and how the attacks were every 2 weeks, and said, "They can fly, they probably flew off.  Tracking is hard."

Hikawera:  well fuck
Terrance:  we need to investigate where, if we're to recover stolen goods
Hikawera:  we can investigate the maker's mark
Tahu:  we can issue general warnings
Dryali:  we should check for the maker's mark at Vathia Estia

Consulting with Keoni, the Freelancers piled the armour into the wagons to bring with them.  Because of space, that meant they would have to walk, and they proceeded to Vathia Estia.

That evening, the 5 wagons pulled into Vathia Estia, the city that was always awake.  The caravan headed past the glowing lichens and glittering shop signs to the holding and trading area, and the Freelancers parted ways with Keoni and the drivers.  The group secured rooms in The Effervescent Rose, which played up its name in multiple ways, starting with the sign which depicted a dverg with a rose in front of his face, matching the colour of his eyes, set in glowing rose quartz.

Once in their rooms, Fine Branch cast detect magic to examine the armour pieces, but all he detected was traces of the animating spells.  It was short work to get a tracing of the maker's mark, but the Freelancers ate dinner in the tavern, which was also lit by large rose quartz glowing at every table, and served a signature sparkling rosé apparently produced in the crater.

After a rest in their rooms, the Freelancers fanned out across the city trying to find any armourers who knew of this maker's mark, but they had no luck.  Dryali also went to the Great Workshop of Eternal Refinements, and spoke to the Head Artificer, a female coblygnome named Arcutela Jorni Lonberiso Lilyore Ufelin.  While intrigued by the constructs, she knew of nobody associated with the Great Workshop that specialized in such things; the Great Workshop here specialized more in science instruments and agricultural tools – and, of course, in producing the glow in the semiprecious gems which kept Vathia Estia lit up.

Disappointed, the Freelancers decided to retain the armour pieces and escort another caravan back.  Finding a caravan headed south was no problem; the drivers were more than happy to have a squad of Freelancers as guards in exchange for wagon space for three disassembled suits of armour.

On the way back, Dryali wore his eyes of the eagle, and the others also looked carefully, and they located multiple places in the tunnel roofs where constructs had been hiding.  Always in threes, always empty.  The return trip experienced no incidents of note, and as the Daystar was setting on the eve of the 5th day, they found themselves back at the tunnel entrance, to the visible relief of Nighthawk.

They reported their findings to Damakaios, who was visibly intrigued by the maker's mark, and paid them 225gp each for mission completion.  When they showed the armour to Alvyn, the Maker gnome battle smith who was a fellow Freelancer, he also did not recognize the maker's mark.

However, since they were in the Freelancers-only part of the tavern, Alvyn wasn't the only person present, and news of their courageous defense of a caravan had already returned to the tavern ahead of them, courtesy of that stopped southbound traffic.  In particular, Naranjos wanted to know if Tahu had been quite as dashingly handsome as the reports portrayed him, and loudly asked this question while standing in the middle of the tavern with as many people as possible around.  "If so," Naranjos declared, "I would like you to sign this copy of Swept off my Feet that I managed to dig up!"  Whereupon Naranjos produced said book with a flourish.

The more observant Freelancers saw Damakaios, looking on from the side, hide a snicker.

Terrance confirmed to Naranjos that she had a front row view and that he was acting most courageously and selflessly, albeit without nearly as loud a voice as Naranjos, who was used to shouting whilst in battle.  However, when pressed about his looks, she declined to answer about Tahu's handsomeness per se, and wandered off looking confused and muttering about how he looks nothing like a sequoia.

Tahu handled this tableau with only slightly forced panache, and indeed signed the book for Naranjos, with an extravagant flourish.