Legends of Cobalt

Lust, Rum, and Horns

Wyanet and I burst into the Crimson Snowfall. It was early in the evening and the villagers had started to filter in. "Ineni!" I bellowed as I rushed up to the bar, "I need some information."

Ineni placed a foaming mug of ale before an annoyed halfling who's hair and shirt clung to him with sweat. Then he turned his broad shoulders toward me.

"You're a rude little git. I spend the entire day hoeing fields and your pale arse runs in here and interrupts my drinking." The halfling mumbled in our direction.

Wyanet thumped her spear against the floor behind the halfling. "Is there a problem?"

The halfling glanced over his shoulder and sneered at Wyanet, revealing a couple of rotten teeth. He paused for a second and scanned Wyanet from head to toe. He mumbled something unintelligible as he slid off his barstool and slunk to a table in one of the corners.

"Mr Applebottom isn't wrong." Ineni said, "Damian was just very rude."

"He has not spent much time around civilised people," Wyanet smirked, "but he does have some important questions."

Ineni half turned away, leaving one hand on the bar. "That depends on the questions if I can be of any help."

"How many spiders have you seen or killed around the tavern lately?" I asked.

Ineni looked to the ceiling and stroked his chin. "Are you asking about the little brown ones or the big furry ones from the Archipelago?"

"The furry ones, like you killed this morning."

Ineni thought for another minute. "In the past week, I've killed about a dozen or so. Why is that so important?"

"It is a suspicion of his about what happened to the Baronet's children. I do not know if I believe it." Wyanet interjected.

"How long ago did they start appearing?" I asked.

Ineni replied immediately. "One or two normally come in when I get a shipment from the Archipelago, but the last shipment was almost two weeks ago. I think one of the spiders got out of the crate and laid eggs somewhere. I don't see how that is connected to the disappearance of two children."

"Have you seen any Dark Elves pass through the village?"

"Can't say that I have. What do they have to do with this?"

"Just a hunch. Are there any caves in the forest, or maybe someone had a new door in their cellar recently?"

"I don't know much about the woodland here. I lead the builders and settlers in after the Baronet and his company cleared out the Goblins." Ineni pointed at a magenta skinned Tiefling sitting in an alcove near the fireplace."If you want to know about the forest, you should talk to Kalista. She was part of the Baronet's company, and now she works as a huntress for the butcher."

"Thanks, Ineni." I took a single step away from the bar.

"You're going to want this." Ineni placed three small clay cups on the bar and slid a squat opaque bottle across the bar.

"Add it to our tab."

"Already did, Mr Damian." Ineni chuckled.

Wyanet approached Kalista's table first. She leaned her spear against the wall and took a seat. Kalista leaned back in her chair and eyed Wyanet with confusion. "You're a bold beauty," Kalista said, her accent sweet and lyrical, but spoken through the nose. "That's a refreshing change from most of the other women around here." Kalista made a sweeping gesture towards the rest of the bar.

I ambled up to the table, placed the clay cups down, and filled them all to the brim before taking a seat beside Wyanet. Kalista shifted her black eyes back and forth between us. She grinned and drank the brown liquid in a single gulp. Kalista rocked her chair up onto two legs and crossed her legs on the edge of the table.