Boys Becoming Men, Men Becoming Wolves

by Floyd Fiftynames, Licensed Bard

Riordan could've resorted to violence, but he didn't. It was, as the storytellers say, a sign of character growth. The burgeoning bard was directed by the unscrupulous captain to retrieve his money from the boatswain, a clear misdirect that would lead to violence, but by employing a bit of arcane trickery - though we like to think of it as "the 'ole charm" - Riordan co-erced an admission of truth out of the boatswain, and subsequently, the captain, and walked away with the refund he sought.

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"Lothar," Salem asked, later that night, as the gang went out to celebrate with a shopping trip and some drinks in the big city, "we need to get on the boat in the morning. Make SURE they don't get into trouble."

Lothar wanted to do right by Salem. Sometimes he felt bad for the young cleric. Lothar and Ajanni had processed the deaths of their families through their anger (or so at least Lothar suspected of Ajanni before this very night, but he would soon discover there was deep-seated emotional scarring that would direct his dark friend towards the path of self-destruction), but Salem, while ostensibly an orphan, had a father figure whom he'd lost - Fhaerris. The loss of Oakshadow's religious patriarch had imbued Salem with a deep sense of purpose, which Salem had been subjecting on the others by requiring the regular observation of church services. Lothar had long been patient about church, but the peer pressure of 150 was somehow more tolerable than being part of a congregation of half a dozen. There was a lot more eye contact from the pulpit. Our large hero hoped that the group's trip to the Regian center would satisfy his need for religious inclusion, and bring about some sort of catharsis regarding the death of his mentor.

At this point, I should probably clarify that Lothar didn't really grasp such thoughts in quite as much depth as I've illustrated here - his capacity for understanding his own feelings was limited enough, and such an insightful analysis of the emotional needs of his companions was outside of the locus of his faculties. I, on the other hand, have enough respect for you, my audience, to give you the facts of the case, and not talk down to you. Incidentally, that hat at the front of the stage - you might as well just treat that like a tip jar. Happy Yule to all!

Anyway, Salem stayed behind while the others took off for a few drinks. Afterwards, at Ajanni's urging, the group visited an oddities shop, where the druid sought out an ingredient for the voluntary transformation into lycanthropy. This revelation raised red flags among those assembled, including the gnomish shopkeep, who reluctantly agreed to pursue a lead he knew of, and invited the group back later that night.

At another bar, Lothar found himself approached by a city guard, who escorted him to a private office where he and his companions were relocated with Elfred. The reunion was very emotional for Lothar and his uncle, who had not yet communicated with Corwin Janus, and until now did not know that the group had survived the burning of Oakshadow. Riordan caught Elfred up on what they had been up to, and confirmed Elfred's worst fears about the other members of the town. In addition, Elfred assuaged the fears of the boys concerning Sir Bardin's involvement in the atrocity, though he could not do the same regarding EVERYONE who may have wished ill of the town. The messenger shared what information he knew about the beaked men, and after a time, Elfred had to go on his way, and the Band of the Red Oak had to go theirs.

The hour was growing late, so the gang returned to the shop, and the gnome confirmed he had spoken to his source - a fellow named Vargas*, and that Vargas was very interested in meeting with the boys after the gnome had described the group to him. Upon learning this, Riordan told the gnome the truth about Vargas, and the shopkeep nervously informed him that one of Vargas' compatriots was in the shop, waiting in the back, at this very moment. The group gave the gnome a chance to beat a hasty exit, and then steeled themselves for a showdown. Lothar grabbed his axe, and silently apologized to Salem for breaking his promise.

FF

*Vargas was the Abbott of the Monastery where the monks were a secret coven of werewolves.