Fartham nodded and took the silvers from Talant. He could be heard grumbling lowly about not being anyone's servant among other things, but agreed to his requests as he locked the door to the tavern and begins to sweep the floor. Talant wearily made his way up to his room and ensured his window was securely closed as he bedded down for the night.

But Talants night was not an easy one, for in dreams he battled unseen foes of many kinds. He woke up a couple of times, fearing that someone, or something was hidden in the dark. In his last nightmare he thought he could hear Osfertins voice calling out from somewhere deep within a black void.

Somewhere close by, a rooster could be heard continually announcing the arrival of another day. Not to far off, the clunking sound of the city's main gates being unlocked and dragged open could also be heard further breaking the morning's silence following the cock's crow. As the city guards switched shifts and the night duty headed for the barracks, another day began and hope still lingered in the hearts of the city that longed to once again be free.

Not all were early risers though, and most rooms of The Bitter Blade still pour forth the grinding sounds of unconscious snoring. Kila giggled as she reached the top of the stairs and knocked lightly on Clovis' door..

“Sah, sah… wake up sah!” she whispered, as loudly as possible - trying not to disturb any of the other guests. “'Tis morning sah… this is your wake-up call as you requested.”

Fartham's daughter was quite a young girl - no more than eleven or twelve years old. Her long brown hair was brushed nicely and her big green eyes danced mischievously as she quietly made her way from Clovis' door to Talant's at the end of the hall. Carrying his belongings she'd fetched just before daybreak, she knocked on his door as it falls open to reveal Talant already awake to receive his gear from the girl. Talants eyes were red from little sleep but his mood was light, in fact he was relieved that this night was over.

Talant smiled to the young girl and gives her a silver coin.

“Thank you, Kila. This here is for your trouble. Could tell your father I´ll be back after 30 minutes or say. I have to attend the morning service at the Temple of Mielikki. Do you know who Mielikki is? I´ll tell you about her when I get back.”

Having completed the duties given her by her father, she skiped away back down the stairs, once again giggling at the comedic sounds of those still fast asleep. Not long after Kila left, the intrusive but welcome smells of Fartham's famous breakfast made their way up the stairs, prying their way into the senses of both the awake and yet to be…


Talant quickly gathered his things and ran out to the temple to be present at the morning service.

Leaving the Inn, Talant walked north along the city street - a short distance to the lone, small temple of Mielikki. Passing others making their ways to the temple of Tyr and across town to the marketplace, he nodded and smiled getting mixed reactions from the people.

The temple of Mielikki was not as grand as the other two temples in town, the temple of Tyr being the largest of the three, and the morning's service had only a small group attending. A collective look of worry and disdain could be seen on the faces of the followers, and the priest did not seem surprised at that as he too appeared to bear a troubled face. As the service came to a close with the muttering sound of prayers being spoken openly by each follower filling the room, Talant was about to leave when the priest beckoned him to come forward…

“I bid you welcome, young believer. I must apologize for the lack of jubilence you have no doubt noticed. Know this though… the city is not as it once was. The unknown evil which has this town in it's grasp - has also infected it's church. Mielikki as well as it's siblings Tyr and Azuth have not been the same since the fowl presence of…Bane.” The priest paused after whispering that last ‘filthy’ word, and looked skyward as he murmurs a quick prayer. “I can tell you are not from here. It is my regret to inform you of this, but until Phlan's main temple is rid of the foul stench that is Bane, we can offer you little. With what we have now in our coffers, we can tend to your wounds, lest they are only shallow, for a small fee - but nothing more. Please return here soon - once we have word that you may enter and clear the temple of this evil, we will let you know.”

Talant pondered the words of the priest as he made his way back to the Inn. Opening the door, he saw his breakfast waiting for him as he had asked.

“Good morning everybody. Did everybody sleep well?”

He sat down at the table where the others were sitting and kept on chatting. After finishing his breakfast he got up and found Kila. He took out from one of his pocket a small, tin medal, in the shape of a unicorn head and handed it over to Kila.

“Here you go, little one. This is Mielikki and she is the protector of all that is green and natural. She loves everything that breathes and lives in the nature, you and I alike, just as all animals, plants and even the smallest insects. This medal here is for you. ”

He then walked over to the barkeep and handed him 3 more silver.

“Thank you. Your services are indeed royal.”

He got back to the table where the group was sitting.

“So, I and Clovis are going to the Town Council and Kol and Dar are going to see if they can find this magic shop. What about you Arius? What are you going to do? Are yo coming with me and Clovis or are you going with the other pair?”

Not waiting for the answer Talant talked on.

“I suggest that we meet again here around noon. Then me and Clovis can report what we have discovered at the Town Council and if you havent already found the shop, we can help after eating lunch.”
curiousity as she accepts the gift and holds a large smile as she listens to Talant tell her about his diety.

Still a bit taken back after the conversation with the priest, Talant tried to keep a smiling face and an optimistic view on things. But his mind raced, cause he had seen the Temple of Bane, in all its perversion. Bane worshippers were all that he wasn´t, evil, corrupted and selfish.

He looked up from his thoughts and signaled to Clovis.

“Isn´t it time for us to be going? We don´t want to make a bad impression on the Town Council and come late.”

Talant got up from the table and quickly ran up to his room. There he strabbed his sword to his side and puts on his traveling cloak, just to ensure that he didn’t look like a complete stranger to this adventuring business, although he was.

When he got down again he smiled to Kila and the barkeep. He walked on to the door.

“Well, Clovis! Off to meet our adventures, may the roads be merry and the gods smile upon us!”

As Clovis and Talant walked towards the Town Council, Talant told Clovis about his conversations with the cleric in the Temple of Mielikki.

“I must say, this does concern me. I have seen the Temple of Bane and it is a vile perversion of all that is good and decent in this world.”

Along their way to the Town Council, Talant and Clovis passed by a large stone statue of a knight on a mounted horse that seemed to mark the very middle of this section of Phlan. The statue was located in the middle of what looked to have once been a large fountain. Pairs of citizens were standing around in this area as well as sitting on the edge of the fountain either visiting or seemingly waiting to meet someone. A typical ‘town meeting place’. Just beyond the town square was the Council House. The first thing they noticed upon reaching the building was a proclamation posted. People were gathered round reading the pages and quickly moved aside as they see the adventurers approach, some slowly walking away, looking at the two over their shoulders as they leave and go about their day. Through the thinning crowd, the two could make out a freshly posted parchment reading:

Proclamation I

Be it known that the council is interested in reclaiming the remaining blocks of the city of New Phlan. To reclaim said blocks they must be first cleared of monsters, vermin, and other uncivilized inhabitants.
To this end the council is offering a reward to any person or group who is responsible for clearing any block of the old city.