Journey abroad (Jaela)

[Corwin]

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that!" Jaela cheers. "And I bet your issues with magic are gonna be manageable, now. Why don't you rest for now, and try to sort out your spells come morning? Those that don't fit your self image you could work on replacing."

[Anastasia]

Ellese smiles - a slow, shaky smile. "I feel more like myself than I have in years. Yes, rest and in the morning maybe..."

Good to skip along?

[Corwin]

Sure.

[Anastasia]

Did you re-Veil or are you looking normal now?

Jaela rests. Breakfast is Red Dragon Eggs, which in this case is eggs scrambled with spicy red pepper and a side of sliced, hot pepper-sausage. Mirima eats heartily while Ellese picks at her food. The three of you eat downstairs in the main bar, the inn already busy and bustling. Amid this you hear Antenora's voice in your mind, 'Out here or somewhere more private?'

[Corwin]

Re-Veil, of course. We're incognito! That said, I wouldn't have gone outside for the hour my magic needs to recover.

'Here's fine,' Jaela thinks back to her. 'If anything's confidential you've got your handy mind trick, or we could just up and leave then.'

[Anastasia]

Moments later the same woman from yesterday stomps up. "Heard you have fun underwater," she remarks, joining the party and waving over a server. She orders the same as the three of you with extra pepper.

"Why yes, we did," Mirima says after a bite, and calls, "Oh server, I'd like seconds."

[Corwin]

Jaela copies Mirima by flagging the server.

"I got to brush up on some rarely-used spells," she tells Antenora. "Nonlethal takedowns aren't really my specialty, so I liked the challenge." She fishes out the gold bar she'd kept unsealed, and places it on the table. "Plus we chanced upon this. Do you know if it's legitimately buried treasure or belongs to someone who misplaced it?"

[Anastasia]

Antenora takes a glance at it, "The Baronies' trade bars. Where'd you find them?" Antenora asks, "They've only come into use in the past few decades, so it's nothing old."

[Corwin]

"In a nondescript chest deep in the bay," Jaela responds. "Figured a sunken ship was the origin, if not someone deliberately burying them. But hey, sounds like it's our good fortune?"

[Anastasia]

"Unlikely," Antenora hands the bar back, your food coming. "The sea elves of Chyral salvage any sunken ships in the bay for the Baronies. So buried treasure or something that fell off a ship."

"I did think it strange for the gold to be lying there," Ellese adds, "One does not find a small fortune sitting on the roadside, waiting for the first lucky soul."

[Corwin]

"If anything it's less strange than a devil that powerful getting its hooks into a village this close to Balmuria," Jaela muses, asking Ellese, "Got any other possible leads to follow? If it's reasonable I'll give a hand."

[Anastasia]

"Not strange at all. They try and are routinely chastised for the error." Antenora eats smoothly, sampling the food before digging in earnest. After a few bites, "Only religious issues and nostalgia," she admits, "The Crimson Guard is largely skilled at taking care of the Baronies and surrounding countries. There are things to do, but Alicia's faithful need to do them, not us. For if we do it all, how can they grow and lead this generation of protectors?"

Looking over, "But there is one thing that we can do."

[Corwin]

"I'm all ears! Does it involve alcohol?"

[Anastasia]

"No," Antenora replies with a small frown, ""You need troops for your Crusade. There is a force here that owes me a favor."

[Corwin]

"No, this definitely calls for alcohol," Jaela insists. "Awesome recruits? That's cause for celebration! So who are they? Are you gonna introduce us?"