Part 3: Wherein they adapt to their new home base and recover from their ordeal

: Thank the gods, a normal night's rest in a plain bed.
: I'd more readily thank the clean linen and moderate temperature, they being real, but yes, after yesterday it was good to sleep safe and sound.
: Some of us slept safely, Cent, some of us - from now on, Beef, you are delegated to the bottom bunk. I spent half the night listening to creaks and waiting to be crushed under wood and oaf.
: Awww, Beef liked having bed in sky.



: There is our rescuer and her company.
: And Volo. Pity, I must have only dreamt his death last night.



: Right, follow my lead.





: Two thousand gold? Two thousand gold! Wooo! Agda's getting gold-plated kicking boots, just like the Titans of-
: Quiet, Halfling! Not in front of our employer!
: Huddle up for a moment, gents.



: If we are to undertake this mission, we will not get much farther with planks and bottles. We shall need proper arms and armour.
: Now hold on there my good sir. We were given two thousand gold and there are six of us. Surely it's only fair if we divide the pot six ways and take three hundred and thirty three gold apiece?
: Three hundred and thirty three gold and three silver and three copper and a third of a copper apiece, actually.
: Penny-pincher.
: Beef not need new penny, still have lucky coin from beach!
: So just split five ways that'd be four hundred gold each.
: Beef, let me see that coin. This isn't money, this is a Coin of Life - a powerful magic item of the Temple of Waukeen! It brings the dead back to life!
: Really? That extra lucky!
: What does a sorcerer need money for equipment for, anyways? You know your spells by intuition, right? It's not like you need weapons or scrolls.
: I have... expenses. I will not be cheated!
: I don't think party funds should go to subsidizing your bad habits, Heronius.
: Silence! All of you! I will take the gold and we will deduct necessary purchases from the total as required by the party. I am obliged by my vows not to cheat you, it is the most sensible option.
: Hmpf, fine. Know this, Paladin - I am keeping a running tally of my share in my head. Should the time come to divide our company and I am not paid in full, I will be taking my missing spoils from your hide.
: Go forth and make what preparations you require. We will rendezvous in front of the inn at the end of the day.





: I'm sure he means well, he's just… got such a punchable face, really. At least he's got nothing worth stealing.



: Yaaay, dinosaur! This one not try and eat Beef!
: Look with your eyes, not your hands.







: Giant spiders? Agda will kick all eight shins of all eight spiders! That's…. eight hundred shins! A new record!





: I should be more suspicious about this deal than I am, but we'll need some paying work. We'd probably end up killing the boar by accident anyways.





: I want antihistamines.
Mendar: Wh-what?
: You heard. Antihistamines, a spool of soft linens… _{and a new bottle of laxative pills, if you've got any.}





: Well, that was fascinating.
: Beef not understand crazy talk.
: Be fair, you hardly understand regular talk.
: What?
: Never mind. My wit is wasted on a madwoman and an idiot.

Editor's note:

The 'madwoman' appears to be referring to the infamous spell-plague event that followed shortly after the histories we are presently examining. That a scryer was able to foresee the event before it happened would be incredibly remarkable considering it took gods unaware, but for all my searching this particular woman has no other mention in any other account or history. This exchange, therefore, is either a piece of apocrypha added later or a startling incident of foreshadowing that went unnoticed.



: We're looking way deadlier. Good!
: Nothing for yourself, Heronius? Even I found this hat, I never took you to be the frugal type.
: The paladin rejected all of my proposed purchases as 'frivolous'.
: Your arcane powers are in no way enhanced by jewels, nor are bottles of wine a material component to the flaming hands spell.
: They are if you do it right! Anyways, I see you're weighed down with half the budget in metal.
: This armour is all that stands between you and danger out in the wilderness.
: And?
:…And the merchant installed a hot water bottle.
: Aha! Foist upon your own petard!
: Agda's boooored of Samargol now. Can we go fight goblins again?
: Batari! Batari.
: We will wait until Tomorrow. Then, we will go investigate the wreck of the Vigilant.





Just a short one today, how's it looking now that I've switched mostly to jpegs?