Morning at the Riptide Ranch (Everyone)

Glen's eyes light up at the presence of the gruff paladin. Something about life-or-death situations bringing people together. "Father!" Glen grins at him, walking over and giving him a friendly, light pat on the shoulder. "How are you feeling, my friend? You're not late at all. We're still waiting on most of us. Can I get you some coffee? Some food?"

Elen obediently follows his ranger, sitting down at his feet and sniffing at Rik's ankle after hearing that he, too, is a 'friend' and not a 'critter I am allowed to pounce.'

There is a quiet knock at the door, Ellowyn is wearing an outfit that is unlike anything anyone has seen them in this far. (OOC description in rogues and revelries)

Its understated and obviously slept in, upon closer inspection there are dark circles under their eyes and their hair is a messy single plait flatter on one side that the other.

"Sorry I'm late folks" they say gently when they arrive.

Sunrise looks up, frowning, at their arrival. "Ell? You okay? We got your message last night, but... what happened?"

The group sees them physically flinch at that nickname before they continue.

"I'm ok, Physically I just I don't know a lot of things happened and he was not what I expected. I've dealt with relatives or family being abusive they in my experience don't have to be nice they have the bonds of blood to keep their victims stuck but he ... Romance must mean they have to change their M.O. must have to charm folk some how. From the information we had so far I was expecting someone else someone who looked the part but he was so nice he made sure to help me with my cane..."

They trail off looking so confused and forlorn.

Sunrise knows how rare it is for anyone to pay attention to the fact the Ellowyn has a cane, Much less make sure they have help and support.

" I had to be safe and Ehlonna was close by and I didn't know what else to do what if someone had been watching I couldn't have brought them to veshti's not after the way she's looked after you and after these clothes look at them aren't they beautiful?" They finish weakly still looking confused but this time doing a small dazed circle showing of their outfit.

Thimb had been busy petting the new kitten friend (because a panther kitten is still a kitten, and therefore friend) and let out a sad noise when he went to investigate the new person, but was quickly distracted by Ellowyn's entrance. She frowned, unsure how to approach here.

"You look lovely," she agreed, glancing to Hamish who took the hint and fluttered down in easy hugging range for Ellowyn.

While his ranger is distracted and when Elen sees that the brooding paladin is unlikely to give him pets, Elen gets up and moves back over to Thimb. He looks at her for a moment, cocking his head to the side, then leans over to rub his head against her hand, asking as politely as firmly as he can for more pets. He also takes the opportunity to look at the other gnome who has entered, sniffing in Ellowyn's direction.

Ellowyn looks up and blushes at thimb,

"Thank you, I've never worn something so beautiful before."

They absently reach out to Hamish unaware their hand is there until it connects with hamish's new shape.

Their eyebrows knit together mildly confused "Hamish you've changed, I feel like I knew this but still it's impressive. One day I'm going to figure out how to build you." They mutter that last bit distractedly and mostly to themselves.

Sunrise softens, although her frown doesn't fade. "It's beautiful." Then she sighs. "I met him too. He's smooth. The kind of manipulative bastard who can be so charming, so when he is abusive you don't see it coming and nobody else believes it. I'm sorry he got in your head, hon." She shakes her head.

"Well. When everyone else gets here maybe we can compare notes on him? Where is everyone else, anyway?"

Glen finishes chitchatting with the baffled but grateful paladin, stuffing a cup of coffee into Rik's hand. He overhears Ellowyn and Sunrise talking about meeting Betreygis and his face falls a bit. He walks over, passing Elen, and sits down on the floor with his back against the legs of a chair, setting his own cup of coffee on the floor beside him.

Elen, seeing his ranger down on his level, comes happily jogging over and climbs into his lap, even though the kitten is almost comically too big for it. Glen pets him, and the baby lets out a tiny rumbling purr, still a little nervous at all the strangers.

"You're very brave to have gone to meet him, both of you. Ellowyn, this is my new friend, Elen. You can come say hello if you like. He's friendly." He smiles, hoping kitten pets might help the small cleric feel a little better. If Ellowyn doesn't wish to pet him, he happily stays in his ranger's lap, and Glen watches the others carefully to see how they're doing while absently scratching behind Elen's ears.

Ka'Ri is panicking a little this morning. Not only did the late night leave her fully sapped of strength, but she also has found it almost impossible to leave the house. Sure, she told herself she was just taking a long time because of how much care the sleepers needed and how unused to she had become to preparing herself with her belt again, but deep down she knew the real reason.

Today's meeting was at the Ranch and Ka'Ri was at flop-sweat levels of nervous about it, especially as she had been taunted by a particular thought as she had been dreaming and was now freaking out about the possibility of asking one of the many brilliant beautiful magic users around her to help her out with it... with an eye towards one in particular.

Still she felt chastised as she ran in to the sound of Sunrise wondering openly where everyone was. Especially as she found herself stopped for a second looking in to a plethora of cats of various sizes sitting around. Perhaps these were the barn cats Thimb had talked about. Well, best to make a good impression.

She knelt before the large black one and offered her hand. "Well, hello sweetie, would you like a pet? And one for Hamish too as well."

Her other arm offered Hamish a pet as she hoped her entrance would not be taken too amiss.

Glen looks up as Ka'Ri comes in, and notices that she looks a little shaken. He cocks his head to the side very slightly as she kneels down.

"Hey Ka'Ri. This is Elen. Elen, this is Ka'Ri, a friend."

Elen's rumbling stops as a new stranger approaches and gets close to him pretty quickly, but he does not shy away. He leans forward at her outstretched hand and gives her a good once-over with his nose. He looks up at her, calm but curious, and then rubs his warm nose against her hand, inviting her to pet her further.

"You alright, Ka?" Glen's voice is even and normal, but with the tiniest touch of concern.

Sithani turns up shortly after Ka'Ri, knowing full well that whenever she herself arrives is the best time to arrive. Or at least she knows that until she realises Sunrise got there first, and then it occurs to her that everyone else has cats. She's unsure if these facts are connected.

"Did, ah, did I miss something? Did Laerdya come up with a new animal-based bad plan?"

Glen chuckles. "Hey Sith. Sunrise, Jarek, and I made, uh, some new friends yesterday in the slums. This is Elen." The large young cat looks up at Sithani with wide, emerald eyes, sniffing in her direction curiously.

"You should have come with us after all," Sunrise teases with a smile. "Cats for everyone. The, uh, the lady who led us to Thorn and the babies insisted."

There's no knock as Jarek kicks the side door open.  He's far too laden to do anything more subtle, with a heap of netting under one arm, a bundle of wooden slats under the other, a towel around his neck, and a grey kitten in his pocket trying to grab his face with both paws.  His hair is something of a bird nest, and still damp from a recent soak.

"Morning everyone!  I guess you all found the way okay, yeah?  Make yourselves comfy; none of the critters should be hiding in here."  He tilts his head slightly further out of reach of the grasping paws with their needle claws.  "Uh, save the ones we brought with us.  Down, Mote.  Glen, Sunrise, Rik, glad you're not feeling too worn.  How are Thorn and the little ones?  Sith, you have a good night, uh, out?  Oh, Thimb, think I should I go help Uncle Zaz?  I'm not sure how much he's been stung yet but if he goes too numb he might not notice he's hurt himself, but I'd hate to harsh his morning groove."

He looks to Ellowyn last, having had the least to do with them, and getting a vague sense that they're not the most comfortable person in Brilight right now.  "Welcome to the ranch.  Anything I can get you?" he asks, despite having not put down a single thing yet.

Glen grins. "Hey Jarek. My cat finally showed up," he says with a scratch on the top of the baby panther's head. "This is Elen."

"And Thorn and the babies - and Luther - are all doing well. Some food and a little wine for the grown-ups and everyone perked right up."

"Actually," he says, looking around the room and seeing the group fully assembled. "Everyone's here. We should get started - there's no time to waste." Seeing nobody else striding up to the chalkboard, Glen decides to take charge, filled with confidence and energy from the previous day's events. He gently slides Elen to the floor, who gives a little perturbed grunt at being set down from his ranger's lap. Glen nimbly pops to his feet and walks over to the chalkboard. "So."

"As you've likely figured out by now, Sunrise, Jarek, and I ventured into the slums yesterday and managed to find Thorn Redfang and his babies, Xilo and Eryn Templeborn. We found them holed up in a shack with a dark elf Nerullian paladin, Quivyll, who was missing an arm - taken off protecting them. On the way there, we were followed - a blue tiefling woman led us on a merry chase, but got lost in a crowd. The locals, mostly tieflings, were not terribly pleased for us to be poking around where our noses didn't belong. An old woman who cares for babes, Hacari, helped us find our way to Thorn. Cost a few gold, but we all got cats out of the deal. If you haven't met Elen, he's friendly." Elen gives a little chirp at hearing his name, then goes to cleaning his paws.

"Luther," and as he says this, Glen has dropped his usual formality of calling the Feytower Commissioner by his formal title, "came to get us in armored carriages, and it's good he did. As soon as we stepped out the door, we were attacked by tieflings, seeking to take Thorn and the babies. Once we got to the carriage, we had to help Rik, who was being attacked by orcs on the other side of said carriage. Luther was also under attack but... uh, he can handle himself quite well." There is unabashed admiration in his voice.

"We managed to get into the carriage, and Luther took us back to his estate, which is heavily guarded." Glen pauses, thinking a moment. "Thorn and the babies are extraordinarily safe there. Over dinner, Thorn sketched out the structure of the family for us." Glen picks up a piece of chalk. Remembering the cards, Glen sketches out the general structure of the Redfang family, with Arnem "Mama" Redfang at the top, with Betreygis "Treygis" Redfang very close below her as an advisor. Anyone watching closely will see Glen's jaw clenched tightly as he writes both names. He also writes "Mokoz" near the top. He lists a number of other names below that - Trukurth, Durug (brother, with an arrow pointing to Betreygis), Catur, Honegul, Rekurth, Turash, Saregar, Shegh, Zevirimm. Then, another row down he lists more name - Cug, Guz, Grogar, Ollask, Asazk, Brud, Somash, Rasimi, Kezun, Zunoran.

Glen places thick lines under Brud, Somash, Rasimi, and Mokoz.

"These are the individuals out of whom we might get information about Gwynnestri. Brud isn't very smart, but he's strong so they may have him as muscle. Somash is smart but unhappy because he doesn't get the respect he believes he's due. Rasimi fights with the best of them, but is unhappy because there's no upward mobility in being so low on the ladder. Muscle like her retire or get killed, and she wants more than that. Mokoz . . ." He trails off. "I'm not sure about Mokoz. She's a magic-user of some kind, and she's very close to Arnem, but she was kind to Thorn. Of course, when you keep company with murders and thieves and... worse, I don't know how kind you really can be. Either way, I don't know that she's a lead, but it's information. We should be careful." Glen then pulls out drawings of these four orcs (Brud Somash Rasimi Mokoz) and clips or otherwise hangs them from the blackboard using any means available.

Glen takes a sip of his coffee, which he brought up with him and set on a nearby table. He continues. "Thorn also told us that Korogur himself is likely at sea or in the caves to the south."

"Meanwhile, Immeral Xiloscient. He knows the Redfangs from back in the war days. Thorn didn't know he had business connections to the Redfangs, but Luther swears his sources say it's so. I believe Sunrise and Luther planned to move the date of her 'concert' with Xiloscient - she'll have to tell you more about that."

He flops down into a nearby chair, and Elen pads over to put his nose under Glen's hand as it hangs off the arm of the chair. He takes a long sip of coffee. "I still need to go meet with Captain Imokina about that bandit prisoner. And I need to see Captain Callahan. That's what I've got. Questions? Sunrise, anything to add? Anyone else want to report in?"

"Brud and Rasimi I might be able to talk to," Sunrise offers. "Rasimi at least has interests that Veshti might be able to help with - I think, at least. I've barely had time to sleep, let alone talk to her," she admits with a sigh. "And yes, we're going to meet with Immeral tonight. I have my suspicions regarding Mokoz; looking forward to finding out if they hold water."

Then she hesitates. "There's more, but - I'll let someone else go first. What have we found out? Any more of the diary translated?"

Sithani blinks. "Well. You're all very well-organised; I think I'm in the wrong room. Anyway. Thimb and I found out Gwynnestri really likes her privacy and has an impressively foul mouth, but more relevantly she thinks she knew Korogur when they were children? Or that's what he told her; they're both big fans of yours, Rik." She frowns. "Probably you, anyway; someone she called 'Father' at a temple. They met buying books around the temple district and hit it off right away. And apparently orcs are buying up all the dreamdust they can, and there are a bunch more new pirates down at the docks. That's not from the diary, though, and Ka'Ri might have picked up more from our Nightdocks excursion than I did."

She looks over at Sunrise, Glen, Jarek, and Rik. "You're all okay after the fight?"

"Healed up, at least," Sunrise says with a shrug. "Rik, do you know if Korogur might have been one of the children who plays near your temple back in the day? I know the Redfangs wouldn't have been on your radar then..."

Glen picks up a diary copy to flip through as the others are chatting, still listening to the conversation but wanting to try to cram as much information into his brain as quickly as possible. "Yeah, they had a cleric who patched everyone up pretty well. Even regrew Quivyll's arm. That's, uh, the Nerullian paladin." He tries to say this casually, but his admiration for the dark elf creeps into his voice unbidden.

Rik frowns at the question. "I suppose it is possible," he admits. "Many children come to the temple to play and watch me practice. Sometimes they throw fruits for me to cleave. I do not remember Korogur specifically, though."

"What about Gwyn?" asked Thimb, having been struggling to keep up with everything coming out at once. "She," she picked up one of the translations of the diary, the spare that she did with mage hand out of habit as she worked her way through it, "She talks about going to visit a Father a fair bit, and speaks of him affectionately. Planned her temple visits around him...?" she hoped that this may spark something in Rik, "actually," she flips around, "she mentioned him not being there and talking to S about him at one point, so, if we can figure out who S is, that might help," she said with a sigh. "Talks about her Mother more affectionately than I expected her to," she admitted, handing her back up copy of translations over to whoever may want it. It hadn't occurred to her yet that Mother wasn't her own Mother.

Hamish had happily fluttered over to Ka'Ri for petting, sniffing her curiously. They chittered something to the effect of 'you smell different' even though they knew that only Thimb really understood their noises.

"Ah, I can help with that," Sunrise adds. "'S' is Luther; it's, ah, an old inside joke between them. And 'L' is likely Laerdya; turns out Gwyn doesn't call her mother." She frowns. "It's a good guess that you're Father, Rik, but Luther didn't have any guesses about it. Or Mother."

Glen gets back up and, on the other side of the board, writes down,

S=Luther
L=Laerdya
Mother=?
Father=Rik?

He sets the diary down. "'Mother' is also a clergy rank at some temples, is it not? 'Father' as well."

While gently petting hammish they nod gratefully at sunrise unable to think of the words of thanks suitable enough for the reassurance that they weren't weak or foolish.

They'd woken up deeply disappointed in themselves for a host of reasons. It had seemed their mind had continued racing and assessing the situation whilst they had slept and was now ready to berate them in everyway last night had gone wrong.

Chief among them was the fact they'd forgotten to take their binder off which meant today they where sore and couldn't wear it today.

They had had to dip into their old painkiller stores for the first time since the ressurection being deeply relieved they had not thrown them away like one of the priests had suggested when they'd been brought back. Ha!! Throw out painkillers, that was why they were the cleric and not zem.

At sunrises words they felt they could breathe for the first time that morning.

When glen points to the kitten Ellowyn freezes but for the first time their expression lights up. "You look just like shads! Oh my your going to be so huge! Ooo and we're going to have the most interesting conversations I promise" they immediately walk straight upto Elen putting their head out for him to sniff before rubbing their face against his and chuffing slightly in an odd way that makes Elen chuff back.

They listen as the others talk and when Elen leaves to join glen they look to the board where he as begun the family tree.

When they read betreygis' name their stomach drops "you can add trey as a known alias for betreygis. He's not what you would expect. Hes very handsome, he's much kinder too. Or at least he's very good at pretending I should say.." they finish with a sigh.