Journey abroad (Jaela)

[Corwin]

"I don't think I've actually visited, but I did hear about the city," Jaela muses. "We can't cut loose for training, so what's left... caverns under the city, could do it tomorrow if our larecomer shows up." She tugs on her braid. "The elven mission, maybe, once we're slightly buzzed? No better ways of meeting people!" Jaela concludes, settling at the bar and waving the barkeep over.

[Anastasia]

"Something," Mirima agrees, the barkeep coming over.

"I may have a suggestion," A new voice offers. Quiet and thoughtful, a woman with pale blonde hair and rugged, almost raw features sits down. She's wearing a worn breastplate and carries an old spear. "Watered wine," she orders as she sits down at the bar, next to Jaela.

[Corwin]

"Go for it," Jaela agrees. "Ale for me! Unless the watered down drink was it?"

[Anastasia]

Drinks are given out, a familiar voice in your mind. 'I unfortunately don't have much time at the moment,' Antenora says, 'Being invested with the power of a proxy comes with duties, I have been given tasks to accomplish in Balmuria.'

At the same time, the woman takes her wine and sips it. "Yeah, there's some trouble to sort out. Someone's stirring up things out in the ocean."

[Corwin]

'You don't need to tell me about duty,' Jaela thinks with a mental grin matching the one she displays outwards. "Trouble, huh? Someone needs a justified beatdown?"

Not missing a beat, she continues her previous thought with, 'You might need my help to lighten up and relax, though, sounds like. Gonna have time to meet everyone properly?'

[Anastasia]

'I have plenty of relaxation,' Antenora replies, unperturbed, 'But duty must come first. This should keep you busy while I deliver messages to the faithful and smite the wicked.'

"Trouble?" Mirima turns, her ale forgotten as she focuses on the newcomer. "Do tell. Something exciting?"

"Yeah, one thing," the woman sips a little more of her wine, "Heard through the grapevine it's a devil. You know they don't much like Balmuria. It's prancing down there like the ocean's full of hellfire. Figure he could use a galloping case of the deads. Something a few adventurers could go take care of, since the Crimson Guard's tied up."

[Corwin]

"Tied up with what?"  Jaela asks curiously, drinking her ale. "The devil's on us, no worries."

[Anastasia]

"Classified," Antenora says, and in your mind, 'More fiends. They've been active lately.'

"The ocean?" Mirima rubs her chin, "Yes, that could be fun for all. A rousing underwater battle. I remember our last vacation and those waterfalls and tunnels."

[Corwin]

Jaela snorts. "Yeah, that was pretty great. How about it, Ellese? I can handle the breathing part, so wanna go kill a devil?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes," Ellese agrees right away, smiling slightly and taking an experimental sip of her ale. She grimaces and puts it aside. "I think that would pass a fine day."

[Corwin]

Stealing her ale, Jaela finishes it for Ellese in one large gulp. "No time like the present! Strange but somehow reliable looking woman, gonna be around here later? We'll be either at the inn or check out the elves, depending on state of cleanness."

[Anastasia]

"I'll find you," she says, standing as well. "Good hunting." With a slight nod she's gone.

After a beat, "So was that her?" Mirima says, "I doubt very much that was a random person giving us a perfectly time quest. The powers aren't so gauche as to be that obvious."

[Corwin]

"In a sense and given who she works for it is literally what happened," Jaela says with another grin.

let's go kill the devil!

[Anastasia]

As you prepare, you hear Antenora's voice in your mind again. 'I forgot to mention, look for the underwater city of Risem.'

Whoops, forgot to mention the location she had, otherwise it was really vague. My fault. Anyway, any notable prep to be done before this trip?

[Corwin]

We're good.