[Pathfinder] The Autumnvale Brothel

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Some say Autumnvale Woods are frozen in time, permanently locked in a state akin to autumn, others still say the reddened and orange leaves are the result of the wild elves who live there, and some insist it is ancient magic that perverts the forest and creeps through the nooks, crannies and shadows. Whatever the true reason, the treeline is likely the first thing anyone spots as they draw near to the town proper, though the farmsteads along the way would tell someone they're heading in the right direction too.

It's the 2nd of Erastus, 878, and it will soon be the 3rd. The sun hangs low in the sky, while the moon is visible overhead, marking the approach of dusk, and the evening. There's no breeze, several dozen clouds, and no doubt many of the townsfolk are eagerly awaiting the coming of the cool night air to wash away the heat of this summer's day. It's been absolutely scorching all day, to the point that working outside, unprotected from the sun's rays, would lead to someone collapsing in only a few short hours. Speaking of people still working outside, however...

Clang, clang, clang... The rhythmic sound of metal-upon-metal is what greets anyone entering Autumnvale from the most common western road this late afternoon. On the right side of the road, a building with a hanging sign that reads "Blackened Smith." One side of the building is completely open, and a large, gray-skinned figure is visible banging away on an anvil next to a hot furnace, molding and shaping the metal into farmtools--if the other tools that cool on a table nearby are any indication.

Just beyond that, on the same side of the road, is the "Cracked Flagon." A very small tavern, and just after that the road opens up into the town proper, a large square. From here, one can see a modest well, and pretty much all the most important establishments within the town. The guard barracks, mayor's house, and the "Gray Inn," to the left, the "Brass Caravan" across the street from the inn, and the Clinic in the middle to the right. Just beside the clinic is the famous Autumnvale Brothel, it's probably the largest building in town, three stories tall, with a smaller attached building and a small backyard. Trees and bushes around are visibly green, as though whatever keeps the woods their colour doesn't extend to a town, despite the two only being a stone's throw from one another.

Those who arrived earlier would likely be waiting outside the brothel to see the matron. Although the building normally opened in the early morning, today, one had to wait for the evening. Anyone who approaches would learn that rather quickly, thanks to the sign hung upon the door that reads as much. There's not much noise coming from the brothel, only the faint scent of perfumes. The clanging from the blacksmith seems to echo all through the town, as it is rather quiet, and barren otherwise. Few people are out in the streets, it might be due to the time, it might be out of fear--after all, if people are gong missing, wandering around at night is likely to make one a victim... or a suspect.

Which is probably why those who start to gather are approached by a man on horseback. It would have been easy to see him coming given the town's size, he came from the barracks, mounted a horse, and meandered over. "Well met," he greeted, lifting his hand and holding his palm toward the gathered group. "May I ask what you are all doing here? We've not see this many gathered outside our brothel in a few weeks... "

The horse makes up for his otherwise small stature, a sturdy breastplate protecting his chest, and small plates and leather padding his limbs. "If you're looking for company, I'm afraid the ladies haven't been feeling too up to it lately... you've heard, haven't you? Seven have gone missing, all from the brothel." he continued, as his silver eyes inspected each person in-turn. Despite this, he appeared to be a relatively ordinary middle-aged human, with short, straight, and prematurely gray hair given the lack of abundant wrinkles upon his face. Then, he points toward a building across the street, letting the tattoos upon his arms show for a moment. "The inn is that one over there if that's what you're seeking for the night."

The rumours had said people were going missing, but none of them really had detailed just how many--seven might be a surprising number, but given the size of the town, the guard likely wasn't very large or able to handle much.... possibly as evidenced by the fact that only a single guardsman came out to greet the group of people within the town's square.

As Nina was addressed by the guard the faint scent of perfume hit her nose. At once her nose twitched as her body arched back presenting the guard on horseback with a lovely view of the wizard's developed chest. "A.....aa.... achu." She sneezed into her hand, the motion bringing her body forward as now the guard got a view down her shirt.

"I uh, personally... Achu." She sneezed again. "Wanted to try and save the girls, personally at least."

Standing there on the side like she was just meandering and not really aiming for the building or its entrance, Reabyne sniggered a little. "Yeah, she is all ... personally ... about girls." Their previous meeting left the red haired elf with friendly feelings towards the human girl. Seeing and hearing that Nina was not only in the village, but interested in the same building, Reabyne stepped forward.

"Bless you, and hope for your health." she said towards Nina, still mixing these human sayings up a little, but not caring to teach the ignorant outsiders the elf customs or language any more. After all, she was now outside her home too.

Reaching a closer position, she replied to the guard's words too. "I am here to come, help, work, do my job, see if there is something for me in behind these doors." with her left hand on her hip - and on a dagger -, and her right one stroking a quiver, it was obvious that the unarmored, but armed, and maybe a little bit intimidating young woman could help out with more than just be an extra body.

Reabyne mangled the common words even more on purpose, and had to keep herself from laughing as she could see the bewilderment on the face of the guard, and maybe the others around, as they tried to put it together. She was also trying to find out who got the right/wrong idea, and how much these people blushed or how they reacted to the blatant, and somewhat double-entendre sentence. Who would try to "help" her, or just try to clarify her intentions?

The inviting doors, seeming to be of precious wood, hold a seemingly different aura around them. Instead of being welcoming, and promising pleasure, they are instead quiet and subdued. The town itself seems ominous, with its vague lack of inhabitants.

A confident half-orc, clad in unrestrictive yellow and red robes and a variety of wooden and metal bangles, is one of the small group gathered outside. She may not know the others personally, but a twitch of her lips at the gentle banter of the human and the elf brings on a delighted grin. She sways her way forwards, bare feet idly stepping around any of the occasional glass or sharp stones littering the gravel-filled pathway. A smirk at the man, young before his time.

"Well, I can't say I was just looking for the ladies here... but this actually sounds important. Better yet, it might be interesting! Missing, you say? Not on leave, or gone to visit family, or ran away with a travelling merchant? I've seen that happen a few times, no matter the line of work..." A quick frown flashes across her rugged, yet still attractive face - quickly replaced with the vague veil of amusement.

As her eyes darted around the surroundings, taking in both buildings, plants and making suggestive glances at the more appealing attributes of several of the men and women present, she relaxes a little. Where previously, she stood more on her toes, worried by the scarcity of people and the unnatural woods as she approached the town, now she rests back on her heels. Her shoulders lower, and hands relax with fingers spreading apart slightly.

The half-elf stood behind the rest of the girls, being the only male in the group he felt that it's appropriate for him to stay a suitable distance from them. He isn't the kind of person who would hang around women very easily.

Skylar hid behind Reabyne as the guard approached, peeking from her left side to see the rather small-scale man on his horse. He was unsure of his intentions at first but after giving out a rather pleasant greeting and overall kind behavior, he shuffled out from behind the elf, looking meekly towards the guard.

"I-I am just here to help..." he stuttered, still quite intimidated by the guard who was clearly more superior to him, in his opinion at least. He is not that much of a conversationalist, his words not the most flamboyant or extravagant.

"U-um...can we at least enter the b-brothel?" he asks the guard shyly, hoping to gain entrance to the brothel to see what was going on in there, not because he wanted to spend the night there, but to see if he could find any clues that could lead them to the seven missing ladies. "M-maybe order a drink from there..." he continues, never actually being in a brothel before so he is unsure of what they really do in there, assuming that is is merely a fancy inn with a high-class bar and a dancing hall.

The man's eyes wander between Nina, and Reabyne, then he chuckles, and shakes his head. It was almost like he though the pair of them a bit of a joke, but that would just be speculation as he doesn't comment on it. "Yes, missing," he re-iterates to answer Tugara's more rhetorical question, then he raises his hand again, this time in more of a gesture to hold on a moment. "No, none of those things. I'm afraid you might be a little late, however. We already know the culprits, and my guards and I will be riding out to deal with them in two days time." His eyes locked on Skylar edging out from behind Reabyne as he spoke, giving the meek man a somewhat odd look.

"They will be open shortly. In all honesty, I'm glad I caught you. You don't.. all seem to be suited for what you intend... " he said, his gaze lingering on Nina and Skylar at those words, questioning their abilities indirectly, "But if you insist. Our guard is only five strong, we would take the extra hands. If you're serious about helping, I will be in the building over there." He cocks his head in the direction of the building he came from. "Come see me later this evening, or tomorrow morning. If you survive Ophelia's scrutiny."

There's a clunk from behind the lot of you, and the guard's eyes move to the double wooden doors of the brothel. The left slides open, and an older woman steps into the doorway. Her blue eyes glance around then she immediately turns them on the guardsman. "Algar, told ya once, tell ya again. Wasn't elves. Elves wouldn't take an elf."

Algar sighs, and reaches up with one gloved hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Ophelia, we have proof and a confirmed sighting."

Ophelia tilted her head, then stepped from the dark of the brothel and out into the light. She's a tall woman, easily a head over the guardsmen, six feet easy. Black hair, braided, done up in a crown around her head as loose ends trail down her back and drift out as she walks. Ignoring the guard, she looks to those gathered. "All of ya are welcome inside, we open till the change of day. Ya cause trouble, I break your face." She's clearly agitated, and that is also clearly not an idle threat. The woman has a toned, and muscled body, and looks like she would be far more at home in a suit of steel plate than the green gown, with an open back, and low-neckline that shows some of her breasts that she's wearing.

Algar doesn't press his point, instead, falling quiet. Ophelia seems to not paying him any mind any longer. "And if ya wanna help," she adds, indicating she caught some of the answers given to the guardsmen, "Then I'll answer what I can."

Nina who had been fuming slightly at Algar's lecherous gaze and doubting of her abilities. Yes she was a real wizard. Just because she had boobs didn't mean she was a sorceress. Correlation does not equal causation.

As the door opens and the scent of perfume grows stronger again, Nina's nose twitches. "Aaachoo." She sneezed directing her sneeze into the ground. As Nina looked up, the strength of the glare forced her to look away, but not before noticing.

"Get down." She replied jumping slightly in front of, and attempting to gently bring Ophelia down to the ground with her. As the only noncombatant here, surely that was Nina's reason for doing so.

"Elves? I did not see any elves in the area... Could you elaborate?" the red haired elf turns serious and maybe a little bit colder, if that is possible. She almost spears the guard with her intense glare, maybe a little bit more intimidating than needed. She glances around at the actions of Nina, but not seeing or hearing anything suspicious, - and knowing her to be enthusiastic in meeting females -, Reabyne turns back to ... Algar. "I would be going with you, now or in the morning, but I want to see the proofs."

But she also wants to help, thus hearing out Ophelia too, so maybe she should help her up, or something, if the others did notmoved...

Tugara's eyes sparkle slightly at the unexpected flash of light from the tree, curious as a magpie. She tilts her head to the side - what could it be? A mirror? But who would put a mirror up a tree? A weapon? What kind of incompetent sneak would walk around with shiny things in full view?

She was paying less attention to the conversation continuing around her, but was particularly taken by the appearance of Ophelia. Her strong body, well-honed and practised, was rather impressive to the half-orc.

All of a sudden, the diminuitive scholarly lass leapt to the side, almost bringing down the mistress of the brothel herself, and Tugara spun on her heel at the unexpected interruption.
"What! Are you alright? What are you up to?" A confusing mess of questions spilled forth, and the flashing thing in the tree left to the wayside - forgotten, for now.

Ophelia proves to be a bit harder to pull down to the ground than Nina anticipated. Upon jumping in front of her, and grabbing her, the matron of the brothel reacts--likely instinctively so--first by knocking aside one of Nina's hands, snagging the other, then using her free arm to circle around and hook behind the young sorceress' neck. If Nina doesn't manage to slip the attempt at grabbing her before the hold is solidified, she would find herself in a bit of a headlock, with the side of her face pressed up tight against Ophelia's breasts. There, the perfume the matron wore, a light floral scent, would fil her nose. "Get down? One, you'll have to convince me, and two, not in the dirt. What's got into you?"

Algar glances at the exchange, then shakes his head and turns to answer Reabyne. "Wild elves live in the woods. We know there is a group around. If you want to come now, then come. I'm heading back." With those words, the man spurred his horse round' and started it trotting bakc toward the barracks. Any request for further details, for the moment, would be met with a simple, "not here."

Ophelia glances to Tugara when she speaks, clearly confused. "I'm fine, I don't know about this one though."

"Achu." Nina sneezed into Ophelia's cleavage. "Achu."

"There was... a Achu. A glint of metal in the trees..." Nina said pointing to the trees but making no attempt to fight the hold that Ophelia placed her in. "I.... thought it was a...an... achu. Archer." Nina replied.

"I will be back!" Reabyne says towards the otherwise occupied Nina and maybe Ophelia too, then cheks out the tree, while going with Algar. "Let's check out the tree, maybe it is one of your 'evidence'."

She is very curious about these wild elves, if she heard it right they have tattoos, or at least intricate body art... Trying to remember any other information about them, she could just come up with their supposed home: The Mwangi Expanse, where the tribes of Alijae, Ekujae and Kallijae are supposed to live. Large and warlike tribes... But that was far away. "Are you sure they are wild elves, and not just some trick by funny people?"

"W-what are you talking about? I'm d-definitely suited for this t-task..." he replied to Algar, crossing his arms with a slightly displeased face. Skylar felt a bit annoyed at the guard's comment, although half-true. He spent the majority of his childhood learning alchemy from his elven mother, not really intrigued with his father's love for hunting animals and farming, but it does not mean that the half-elf would not go outside; he still needs to find ingredients and materials to conduct his experiments.

Hearing the loud clunk behind him, he jumped in surprise and nearly tripped as he manically turned around to face the entrance of the brothel, preparing his crossbow if for any threat that might burst through that door. To his relief and somewhat his disappointment, an elderly woman steps out of the building and glances over him. He retracts his crossbow from his hand and regained composure as he shyly waved towards the aged but muscled woman.

Intently listening to the conversation between Algar and the old woman being addressed with the name 'Ophelia', he would gladly lay a few questions on her, hoping to get a few confusions cleared up about the situation but before he could open his mouth and try to ask her, she was suddenly brought down by Nina who had failed to do so, instead getting buried into Ophelia's bosom.

"A-ah! W-we mean no harm!" he squeals, quivering slightly at the immense strength of Ophelia as locked Nina's head with her arms. "I-I would like to know about these seven women, if that's o-okay with you, miss. W-was there anything suspicious about their whereabouts and behavior before they went missing?" he gulped, wondering if agitated her in anyway possible.

Ophleia raises an eyebrow at Nina's words, and Algar pauses in his tracks. The two exchange looks, Algar with an 'I told you so,' while Ophleia more skeptical about what's been claimed. Even still, she releases Nina from the chokehold, and takes a few steps toward the brothel's entrance. Algar nods to Reabyne's words, tugging the reigns of his horse to get it to turn around, and kicking it into a trot toward the large tree to the south. As he walks, he glances down at Rea. "We've seen them. Skulking about. One of my men swears up and down he saw them leaving with a large bundle that could have been a person one night." With the 'threat' looming, he obviously seems a bit more willing to share information, despite still being in the open.

"I don't think you could har me if you tried," Ophleia says to Skylar, chuckling to herself and shaking her head, "But don't point that crossbow at me again or I'll break it in two." For a moment, she might appear agitated, but further questions on the missing women warms her face, and she gives a smile. "Aside from fear about the others missing? No. They went to sleep in their rooms upstairs in the brothel, come morning they were gone. That was the last I'd seen of them. It would be better if we discussed this inside... and you can speak to those who remain, they might know more... "

Whether Tugara, and Nina, went with Algar and Reabyne, the result would be the same. The moment the pair -- or group -- drew close, the leaves rustled and branches swayed...then two small pellets flew from the foilage, one impacting Algar's chestpiece, covering him in a little cloud of powder, while the second one hit the ground close to Rea. There's enough powder in the pellet that it still does get on her some, as well as anyone near her, and it would itch immensely. An itch that would be exceedingly difficult not to scratch.

At near the same time, two youths drop down from the trees. Both have ruddy-brown skin, like that of bark, while one has slightly orange hair, and the other red. Lightly armored, the pointed-ear pair immediately take off toward the east, rushing toward the woods. Wild elves. Coughing some, Algar calls, "Someone stop them! Damndable knife-ears!" His horse too has been overcome by the powder, neighing, and kicking back, the guardsman is torn between trying to get the substance off himself and ihs horse, and trying to keep the beast calm.

Neither elf looked armed at a glance, though keen observers might spot one had a spyglass dangling from his hip.

Nina as one of the ones who saw the glint, followed Algar and Rea so as to show where exactly she saw the glint from. "It was up..." She started her arm raising as the pellet flew through the air impacting Algar and his horse, and both of the girls. Nose twitching, Nina let out a high pitched sneeze directed at the ground. "Achu."

What had seemed to be a fur coal even over all the sneezes drew up, a bright white cat, as it leaped from Nina's shoulders, it's tail flicking her in the nose. "Fl... fluff Achu." Nina sneezed again as her whole body itched.

Looking back up Nina got a distracted by Rea's side boobs. If she was itching half as badly as she was......

When Algar's call got to her. Moving up Nina started casting a spell, scratching her chest shamelessly as she did so. "amicum *moan* fieri"

Reabyne sees the pellets coming, and tries to dodge, so she has some protection when it becomes obvious that it is an area effect... Anyway, with the stillness of the air - or maybe the light breeze helping the powder along - she can't get out altogether. She iches, she twitches, but still able to be there and act.

She pulls her bow and shoots at one of the fleeing Fae - for she is sure that these juvenile deliquents are more tricky treaters, than the warlike cousins.

Tugara is almost caught off-guard, and having followed Nina and curious about the tree herself, she is well within range of the itching powder launched from the lofty perch. With eyes closed, and willpower barely enough to ignore the irritating sensations, Tugara springs forward at the culprits.

The leaping duo, in retrospect the source of the curious reflection, are already attempting to speed away. With a quick glance aside at Algar's predicament, she takes off. Her feet launching her towards the two scamps rapidly retreating, her unclad soles carrying her over the surface faster than many would think possible.

"Hey, you cheeky buggers, get back here right now!" An almost playful yell at the top of her voice is easily heard by all around - dashing forwards with hands outstretched to grab hold of any loose clothing, hair, and the like.

Skylar was about to enter the brothel with Ophelia when suddenly Algar's call for help caught his attention. He turns around once more, this time keeping his balance as his eyes came into a view of a rather large dust cloud engulfing the group of people, the guardsman and his horse frantically trying to get the powder off themselves. Soon after, he sees the pair of elves making their escape.

"D-don't worry, girls! I-I've got this!" he exclaims, taking out his crossbow again. He aims the weapon at the orange-haired one, his arms shivering slightly having never fired an arrow at someone before. He gulped, nearly falling back as he pulled on the trigger, the recoil proving to be much powerful than he thought. However, he planted his foot firmly onto the ground and stabilized himself.

"H-hey, stay where you are!" he exclaims in a rather soft voice, not even positive that his call could even reach the duo.

Nina's magic reached out toward one of the elven men, snagging his attention just enough to make him glance over, his eyes on Nina for a moment... until he shook off her magic, and noticed the rapidly approaching Tugara. He slows, and spins, to face the half-orcish woman as she grabs at him. However, the elf's skin is oddly slick, and hard to grip, allowing him to easily yank them free from the monk's grip. It's enough of a surprise that Tugara isn't ready for the shove that follows, as the elf tries to make room to make his escape.

The other elf, who was just about to pass his fellow, meanwhile is hit hard in the side by Rea's blunted arrow. It makes him stumble, and the other elf notices, calling out: "Osro! Vel, si'vi seil sai cor iar!" His words, at least for those that could understand them, would be punctuated by Skylar's bolt flying in.... and right passed, impacting the side of the building, prompt Algar to crane his head around and call over: "Watch what you're doing with that crossbow, boy!"

Slowly, Algar is getting his horse back under control. Once he has, he'd likely be able to run the elves down easily, and both of them know that. Both continue trying to flee, rushing back a good 20 feet from Rea, Tugara, and Nina, while ending up a good sixty feet and partially around the corner of the brothel from Skylar. Ophleia turns, and heads into her brothel, though from the glare she shoots at Algar it's likely she was going to be back shortly.

The orange haired one that was injured by Rea moves back, and grabs another pouch off his belt. He gives it a good wind up, then hurls it through the air. A sticky resin bursts out, splattering the man, which quickly hardens, pinning one of his arms against his body, part of his body to his horse, and locking his other hand into his reigns... while making him utter a slew of curses. "Five gold to whomever catches them!" he shouts, "Don't let them reach the treeline! We'll never get them then!"

"Ai syr o si por air!" the orangehaired one shouts to the elf with red hair, as the redhead attempts to get himself away from Tugara. If he's successful, he would hurl a tanglefoot bag at her too, though his aim is not nearly as good as his fellow elf....

Nina for her part, pulls out her crossbow firing wildly in an attempt to hit the closer elf to the treeline non-lethally.

Shaking her head, Reabyne tries to get closer to the fleeing duo - an all out run - , and cries out in elvish: "Let us help each other! I think we have the same problem!" But she does not run into the woods, and tries to dodge anything they throw at them.

Nina proves as effective as Skylar with her crossbow, sending an errant shot out, which Skylar himself then repeats. It's difficult to say where the bolts end up--be it stuck in the side of a house or off in the field--but it certainly makes Algar pinch the bridge of his nose as he finally manages to get his horse under control. Tugara, meanwhile, grins at the resistance she gets, and all but pounces upon the redhaired elf. He shrieks something unintelliglbe as the pair start grappling with one another, him trying to batter the half-orc woman off.

The orangehaired elf backs off of Rea, but actually seems surprised that she speaks the language--Algar is too, but doesn't comment. He slows down, eyeing the redhaired elf and Rea, as if debating whether or not to keep fleeing or to wait and see. "Then make them back off!" he calls back, also in elven, still nursing the wound to his side. "And stop them trying to kill us! We hven't done anything!"

Nina for her part as the one elf starts speaking in elven, lowers her crossbow. "Achu." She sneezes forcibly her nose still irritated from the eariler powder.

"We aren't trying to kill you." She calls out in elvish. "We just want to know what's going on?" She calls out with one hand, the other one with the crossbow rising to scratch her buxom.

Although Autumnvale had a few things, like a general store, a blacksmith, and a brothel, one thing it sorely lacked was a temple of any description. Even the Healer's House, a place where one might normally expect to find a priest or priestess of some religion acting as the town's healer, there was scant a shrine to be found. Which left Aiko and Eris, had they arrived earlier in the day when the brothel had been closed, to find something else to do with themselves until later on in the day. Of course, one, or both, of them could be arriving just now, but whatever the case may be, neither would be able to miss the commotion that started outside.

The shouting, cries of horses, and even people, had attracted all sorts of attention. At least one person peeked from every building, though the one that peeked from the building that Algar came from immediately ducked back inside. A few seconds later he came back out, with two other armoured guards in-tow, going to join the fray, like perhaps Aiko and Eris were about to -- or about not to -- do.

Algar noticed the extra guards, at least, and shot them a glance. "Hold back for the moment!" He seemed confused by the exchange between the elves, clearly not knowing a word of elven. "What are they saying?" he questioned, eyes flcking between Rea, Nina, and the two elves. Tugara, for her part, unentwined herself from the man she had brought down, allowing him to get up, and he, in no short order, joined his fellow elf. The two of them slowing backing off.

"We're just looking-OOF!" The orangehaired elf begins in elven, only for the redheaded one to elbow him in the side, in the injury he'd already taken from the elbow. It made him double over in pain, the redheaded elf snorting. "You came after us, that's what! We weren't doing a thing wrong! You came over and attacked us!"

"Why were you spying on the brothel?" Nina replies with a tinge of annoyance coming into her voice.