The Frog and Peach Tavern
Taking up the lower floor of the inn, this tavern represents the main gathering place for the community. While the ceiling is high enough to accommodate taller folk, just about everything else in the tavern section of the Frog and Peach is scaled to the comfort of those of shorter stature. The sole exceptions are two tables against the back wall, one long and one short, which are standard sized. The stairs to the upper level are behind the wall, opening out next to the bar counter that separates the tavern from the kitchen.

Today is a day much like any other. While Curiel is out shopping for flour (since a certain little girl tipped over the flour bin earlier this morning), Aiken has been making some rounds in town with Kiona in tow. He's gotten a few orders for more wine in addition to several joking offers to buy Kiona while she was zipping here and there around his feet. His final stop as well as where he was to meet Curiel is the ever-popular Frog and Peach Tavern. Little did the Kadie realize he would be accosted the moment he walked in by a rather distressed barmaid, Mandy. She apparently thinks their supply of wine may have gone 'off' and has insisted that he verify each bottle is still good.

"I promise you, they's fine," Aiken tells the distraught Lapi, after inspecting each of the bottles for a second time. "They just get a lil' discolored when you keep 'em in the sun like that! You really ought to get yourself a nice wine rack and put 'em back in the shade, they'll age much better that way."

In the background Kiona has apparently found the basket of used corks. So … she did what any sensible little Kadie girl would do, she's stuck one on each of her finger-claws and one on her emerging buck-teeth. "Raaaaa!" she goes as she walks stiff-legged around the tavern like some sort of deranged midget monster while waggling those be-corked fingers.

"Can't do that, Mister Briar," Mandy declares, as if he was suggesting something lewd. "How'd we be able to read the labels then?"

Aiken's face doesn't betray any hint of long-suffering… but his twitchy tail gives him away. "Just take em out an' hold em up to a lamp! Asides, all the labels're color-coded anyroad, you don't need much light to see what they are." The Kadie occasionally darts a glance over at his hyper daughter, her antics causing him to fight back a large, amused grin.

"Hold them… up to a lamp?" Mandy asks, her ears going back. "But… won't they explode?"

"Boom!" goes Kiona as she hops around, "Boom, boom, BOOM! Wingnut!"

At this tidbit, the brown squirrel can do little more than just stare at the rabbit for a long, amazed while. Finally, he responds. "Um, no miss… They're booze, not cannonballs, or one a them Kettenrand contraptions… "

"But… every week I can hear one of the Oggton stills exploding out in the swamp," Mandy counters, looking uncertain. "Booze doesn't explode? You're sure of that?"

"That's 'cause they're makin' moonshine," chuckles Aiken, leaning back on his heels. "It explodes if you don't do it right, but that's while its still bein' made. Plus, them otters are reckless."

In the midst of all this, a very distracted-looking Olivia Weaver steps into the tavern, squinting at a little piece of paper that she's holding with a rather apprehensive expression on her face. She shakes her head at it and sighs, then glances up and spots Aiken at the other end of the room. Trotting quickly up to the Kadie, she says, "Um… I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I talk to you for a minute, Aiken? I need your professional opinion of something… "

Startled, Aiken turns his attention to the Skeek. "Certainly, miss Olivia! What'cha need help with?" The squirrel smiles happily at Olivia; happy to have someone save him from Mandy's wrath.

"I've been mooned by plenty of otters, but they never exploded from it," Mandy mutters to herself.

"Unca Kwavi!" Kiona says at the mention of otters. And as is typical of a Kadie at her age, her attention immediately shifts yet again when Olivia shows up. Her tail twitches and the little girl crouches down and slinks towards the Skeek. Nevermind her adornment of corks doesn't exactly make her quiet.

Olivia casts one eye back at the little Kadie girl with a slight mischievous twitching of her whiskers, pretending not to notice her approach. Turning her attention back to Kiona's father, she says, "Well, it concerns this list of liquors that Emmett Oggton suggested I buy. They're not for me, mind you, but for a party that I've been asked to organize at the gypsy camp for Lady Inaya and her daughter. But… well… I don't exactly know what these drinks are, and you have to be careful about anything that Emmett tells you… So I was wondering if you knew anything about these?" the Skeek finishes, offering her list to Aiken.

Aiken takes the list, giving it a look over. "Well, if there's one thing I know, it's spirits. Heh, you're a smart woman to be dubious of Emmet's advice. That waterdog is more ornery than a pike with a fishhook in his jaw!" The squirrel looks down the list, seeing what he recognizes.

"Cork demon attack!" Kiona declares and pounces onto Olivia's tail as soon as she's in range. Well, at least one thing can be said for the corks, it keeps the Kadie girl's gnawing on her tail from hurting any.

The list in Aiken's hand is a very short one, at least. The names of only three liquors are written on it, along with a few of Emmett's notes: "Scumble (the fewer apples in it, the better), Sockeye Whiskey, Skootch (ask for the kind that won't take the varnish off the floor)."

At the first nip on her tail, Olivia snatches it away from the Kadie girl, swings around and scoops her from the floor and into her arms. "Arrrgh! Don't bite my tail, vicious Cork Monster!" she says, brandishing her own fingertips at Kiona. "Or I'll be forced to use my Super-Secret Tickle Attack!"

Kiona halts her attack and stares at Olivia with a rather shocked 'Oh no! It's YOU!' expression on her face.

Looking up quickly at his daughter's pounce, Aiken sets his ears back and starts to scold her, but stops short as Olivia scoops her up, his face melting into a grin. "You've been vanquished there, monster!" He chuckles, and looks the list over again. "Well, Emmet actually has decent taste – if you like the hard stuff that is. Although he's nuts about the Scumble – its better with more apples, not less!" He offers the list back to Olivia. "Mandy might have a few bottles of this stuff for ya, but if not, you can get it at market in the mornin'. What's all this for, anyroad? Emmet having some big bash?"

Olivia ahas and says, "I see that the mere mention of my amazing skills have stopped you in your tracks! So now what are you going to do, hmmm?" Looking into the girl's wide eyes, she waggles her eyebrows at her and grins. To Aiken, she asks, "So you mean that none of this stuff will actually make a person sick? Or blind, or something? It's all for a party that Dame Natasha is giving for Lady Inaya and her daughter, so I want to impress them, not kill them."

The front door swings open violently and hits the wall with a bang! A billowing cloud of dust washes into the room. The outside light filtering through the haze illuminates a shadowy figure in the midst of the dust walking into the tavern. Thankfully, the cloud settles down fast enough to reveal the newcomer. It's … an Akwavi? It's certainly no Akwavi from this town, at least. For one, this one is actually wearing clothing. Well, if you can call the repeatedly patched shirt and pants clothing. Over that he wears a well-worn traveling jacket that bulges out a bit at the sides, hinting that the otter may also be armed. And to top everything off … he's wearing a wide-brimmed and rather dust-covered hat. He lifts the hat off with a webbed paw and taps it, depositing a rather copious amount of dirt onto the now dusty floor. Even if he's an unknown, his lips pull back into the ever-recognizable otter grin… , which usually spells some sort of trouble.

Aiken – along with undoubtedly every other Stonebarrow resident in the tavern – stops dead in his tracks, and just stares at the outsider in disbelief.

"Oh no," Mandy laments, and goes to get the dustpan and broom.
At the opening of the door,  the Skeek swivels her head around so she can get a better look at what's made the tavern go so quiet all of a sudden.

"Uhm… well, that depends on who you get it from," Aiken replies to the Skeek, his eyes still set on the strange otter. "Buy it from one of the Akwavi, and you may go blind… "

Olivia drags her attention away from the strange otter just long enough to say, "All right, I guess I'd better buy it all here, then. Unless you have any suggestions?"

"Ah, I see my reputation precedes me!" the stranger announces to the stunned room as he folds up his hat and tucks it away somewhere in that ratty jacket. "No, no, please, don't get up, really. I'm not doing autographs today."

Aiken's face scrunches into a look of puzzlement, but he soon gives a shrug, and turns back to Olivia. "If Mandy has em all, I'd say get em here. That way you know they're safe."

In the midst of all the noise, Kiona puffs up and then immediately scrabbles around in Olivia's hands, apparently trying to scale the Skeek and perch on her head. The high territory is the easiest to defend, afterall.

Olivia laughs at Kiona's antics but very nearly gets an elbow in her ear. She then lifts the girl onto her shoulder and says, "Stay put there, Cork Monster. If you try to go any higher, you'll fall off! My head isn't that big… contrary to popular belief."

The stranger puts his hands on his hips (or a close approximation of where hips might be on an otter anyway) and peers around. Spotting the only folks standing, Aiken and Olivia, that's exactly where he saunters towards (leaving a cloud of dust in his wake). "Greetings! I see by your clothes you must be locals," he says all the while still grinning, "Might I have the pleasure of knowing who I am addressing?"

Aiken looks to Olivia with an expression of puzzled amusement, then looks back to the stranger. "My name's Aiken – Aiken Briar Silverfoot, glad to meet you. What's your name, stranger?"

Mandy follows behind the otter with her broom and dustpan. She also has a wicker rug-beater held in the strap of her apron, just in case.

Olivia exchanges a raised eyebrow for Aiken's confused look and says to the stranger, "And I am Olivia Weaver. The little one on my shoulder is Kiona, Aiken's daughter. What brings you to Stonebarrow?"

It's the Akwavi's turn to look confused. "Wait, you don't recognize me? That's impossible! Everyone knows the famous 'Sylvania Jack' Moschusartig, renowned explorer, archaeologist, and dashing hero to all. Why, surely you have at least heard of my exploits in the legendary lost tuber mines of the western border?" Jack says as he takes a sweeping bow.

"You're a potato miner?" Mandy asks as she starts dusting off the otter's jacket. She's very careful, just in case the attention causes it to fall apart or something.

At this, Olivia simply shakes her head, now looking as confused as Aiken. "Um… no? Your name really isn't familiar to me. Sorry, Mr. Moschusartig," she replies, stumbling a bit over the name.

Kiona has taken to curling around the back of Olivia's head, looking all the world like a beehive hairdo. The curled-up tail dangling over her ears doesn't help.

The winemaker just looks at the otter with an amused but pleasant smile. "Moschertug? Mosch – er… Well, can't say as I have, fellah. Doesn't mean those things aren't impressive though! Adventurin' and all."

"No, no, no, I don't farm. Egads, woman, that would be work," Jack tells the Lapi who's attempting to dust off his coat. The net effect, unfortunately, it to just raise up more dust. "I seek out legendary treasures. Why, the mines were rumored to have some of the largest tubers ever seen in the world. Legends say that they know all and see all. With all those eyes, not surprising, really. Legends didn't mention one other fact, alas."

Aiken can't help but perk an ear at the outsider's comments, his tail standing still as he listens. "Legends, you say? Whose legends are those?"

"Oh, he must be here to have a go at the Barrow," Mandy whispers in Skeek to Olivia, after giving up on the dust issue. "Try to get him to rent one of the cottages, I need to go sneeze for a few minutes." And with that, Mandy heads for the back of the tavern, holding her nose.

Olivia nods to Mandy before she departs, then casts a curious ear back to the conversation at hand.

"Oh, you know how legends go. Often you visit some small run-down store in a back-alley of a forgotten little town. Usually has some creepy one-eyed, hunch-backed merchant running the store who has to go on and on about some gloom and doom something or other," the Akwavi explains, "Well, on that particular adventure I won an old book off some adventurer back in Justininople. Sad, really, I won it with a pair … I was bluffing. Anyway! The book had lots of old tales and legends about Sylvania. Written before the dark times, it was. Supposedly the tubers had the powers of a seer, like I said earlier. Well, let me tell you, after a hundred or so years … all a tuber does is bloody stink. I discovered a rot to beat all other rots."

Aiken listens in on the Skeek-talk with an amused flick of his ears. "Well, taters tend to do that," he says to the adventurer with a chuckle, "but at least you found it! So, what's on your plate now? Off to some exotic land?"

"Exactly! And I'm here," Jack answers with a grin. "Not only does this place have a site that has defied all other archaeologists for an age … I hear it is the rumored lair of the infamous Oggton clan. They will escape no longer."

The Kadie furrows his brow. "Escape? The Oggtons?" He scratches an ear in idle confusion. "I wasn't aware they was on the run… "

"Um… what's this about the Oggtons?" Olivia asks, the tone in the stranger's voice alerting her to the signs of possible trouble. "I know they can get up to some pretty devious tricks, but they haven't really hurt anyone."

"Hah! I'm sure they've told everyone all sorts of stories about why they came out here, but don't you believe any of 'em," Jack says and waggles a webbed finger at the Kadie. "Long time ago they were with all the other Akwavi. Well, right up until their matriarch accidentally broke the sacred key to the promised lands. If breaking it wasn't enough, she fled with one of the fragments! Just took her whole family and poof, gone. Well, hah, they can hide no longer! I'll just get that fragment back, complete the key, and become the greatest otter the world has ever known. I'm close now, of course … this is just, how do the poodles say it? The Coup-de-grace?"

Aiken crosses his arms. "Now, hold on just an acorn there – the Oggtons are a wild bunch, but they're Stonebarrow born and bred, just like us! If you mean to bring em trouble… "

"Key? Promised lands?" Olivia muses, rubbing at her nose with the hand that isn't holding Kiona on her shoulder. "This is the first I've ever heard of any of that. Are you sure you have the right clan, Mr. Mossa-, Mr. Ma-, er Jack?"

"Absolutely certain," Jack replies with a firm nod. "And I don't intend to cause them trouble at all. As long as they hand over the fragment, everything is fine."

"Well, this is the first that I've ever heard of some 'key'," Aiken says to the adventurer, "But if you need to speak with the Oggtons, ol' Emmet lives out in the swamp on the edge of town. He'd be the one to speak to."

"Hmm. Sounds like you know them pretty well," Jack says and peers at the Kadie curiously. "You willin' to help resolve this? I could make it worth your time, of course."

In an undertone, Olivia mutters to Aiken, "Maybe you should go with him for a while. I think he needs keeping an eye on… "

Aiken nods to Olivia, then looks back to Jack. "I'll help ya resolve it, but that's cause the Oggtons are friends of mine. They've lived here in Stonebarrow long as anyone can remember." He turns to Olivia, his tail betraying a bit of nervousness. "Maybe you could come too," he says to her in Skeek, "I'm not so certain about this fellah… "

Also in Skeek, Olivia says quickly, "I would come with you now if I could, but I'm expected back at the gypsy camp for the party. Perhaps I could check in with you later? Or is there someone else you want me to send with you?"

"Help me out an' I'll show ya things few in the world have ever seen," Jack tells Aiken and pats him on the back, "But first I need to establish a base camp and all that. I can't go about an expedition without a proper base camp; that's just silly. We'll look them up tomorrow."

The Kadie rubs the back of his head, but shoots the otter an awkward smile. "Well, if you say so. But I'm tellin' ya, the Oggtons're good people. Well, not half bad people, at least." He shrugs. "If you need a room, talk to Mandy over there, I'm sure she can hook ya up."

The Lapi bartender is behind the bar once more, but still wiping her nose with a rag.

"They're Akwavi. I know what Akwavi are like, being one and all," Jack tells Aiken with a wide grin. "Slippery. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a Lapi I must speak to." The otter 'slicks' back the fur on the top of his head and walks over to the bar. "So, Mandy, I hear you can arrange lodgings?" he asks.

Aiken looks back to Olivia, grinning widely in spite of himself, and shooting the Skeek a look that says, 'can you believe this guy?' "Welp, in that case, I'll just take a load off and wait for Curiel. She should be here soon."

"Of course, Mr… Jack," the woman says, smiling sweetly. "Our Deluxe Adventurer Suites are very reasonably priced." Without altering her smile, she adds, "Although we may require a cleaning deposit… "

While the otter is out of earshot, Olivia says to Aiken, "Sorry I can't go with you on this new adventure of Jack's. Is there anything you want me to do for you while you're gone, though? Take Kiona home first and tell Curiel what's going on?"

"Look's like we're not going anywhere until tomorrah," Aiken replies to Olivia, "but bless you for offerin'. Curiel might need a babysitter tomorrow though, since I'll be out and about – maybe check in with her?"

"A cleaning deposit? Why? This is the dust of life," Jack claims and reaches over to rub the Lapi's ear briefly. "Just shows I live. I've got a wagon and such outside, so … where do I park that?"

"Oh," Mandy says, her smile vanishing. "The caravan park is back over the Milk Run Bridge, were the gypsies are camping."

Olivia nods and puts a hand to her forehead. "Oh, right – you're going tomorrow. I forgot that part! Anyway, I'll check in with her if you like. And, here-" The Skeek pauses a moment to give the little girl back to her father. "There you go. I'd better get this party going, so that means I need to buy my drinks. Good luck tomorrow!"

"And you too," Aiken says cheerfully, tickling Kiona viciously as he takes her back. "Them gypsies are partiers, I hear!"

"Would my wagon be safe around a bunch of gypsies?" Jack asks the Lapi. "I've not had good luck in dealing with their kind. Last run-in I had with them, well, one of them cheated at cards. Not fair, it was, I was already cheating myself. Never trust a Skreek."

"We haven't had any complaints about the gypsies, sir," Mandy promises. "And our own otters seem to like them."

"Hmmm. That's even more worrisome," Jack mutters, "I'll have to put anything valuable in the cabin, then. So, what's the damage?"

"Well, we're going to have to keep things a little more sedate since the other Khattas are involved!" Olivia replies, then one of her ears twitches as Jack says something about gambling Skreeks.

"I think I can get one of the Streusel girls to help clean up the dust," the doe tells the otter, figuring that was the only damage so far.

Jack laughs! "No, the damage. As in, how much will I owe for renting a cabin?" he says.

"Other Khattas?" Aiken looks to Olivia questioningly, taking a seat at a nearby table and perching Kiona on his shoulders, piggy-back style. "Did another caravan show up?"

"I was speaking of Lady Inaya and her daughter, Kalila," Olivia says with a smile. "Being highborn and all, we're going to have to tone things down a little. Emmett's not too happy about it, but he'll manage."

"Oh!" Mandy exclaims, looking over the Akwavi's ramshackle state to guess what he could afford – and what he'd actually pay before skipping town. "The Super Deluxe is only 50 shekels a day, and that includes one free meal per day at the tavern and stable space for your dray," she ventures, watching for his reaction.

"Reaaaallly," Jack says in a bemused tone, "That seems rather high when I could simple set up camp in the woods nearby. Not to mention having a celebrity like me here is great advertising for your town."

"Our woods are full of monsters," Mandy notes, smiling again. "We have one Economy Suit left, for just 20 shekels, but you'll have to arrange for your dray and wagon yourself."

Aiken sneaks a few quick glances at the chattering Lapi and Akwavi, then turns back to Olivia. "Emmett's gonna be there? Heh, it won't stay toned down for long then, you can bet on that. Better keep him away from the whiskey. He's an odd drunk."

"Pfft, monsters do not scare Sylvania Jack," the otter asserts, "Why, I live for adventure and excitement and I lust for a laugh!" And to demonstrate … he laughs, "Ha, HA!" And just as quickly, he shrugs, noting, "I will think on it, then. After I park my wagon."

Olivia nods and says, "I'll remember that. He's supposed to provide some of the entertainment with his band. Liliana and her troupe will also dance, of course, and it looks like Miranda will even fiddle a bit for us. So with that, the drinks and the decorations, it won't be a half-bad party – no matter what Emmett says!"

Aiken can't help but focus his attention more on the otter and his claims of adventure, and less on the Skeek. He snaps back to attention suddenly, however. "Oh! Uh, yeah- sounds like a great bash! Sorry to miss it!"

"Please be careful to check that nobody owns the area you choose to park," Mandy advises. "We can be rather territorial here."

"When they learn who parked there, they will be honored to have me," Jack says dismissively, "I'll be back!" The otter spins around and marches towards the exit. Once again … he leaves a trail of dust in his wake.

The winemaker Kadie leans back in his chair with a grin as Jack takes off. "Well, he's a colorful fellah, I'll give him that much! And at least Mandy got some business off of him."

"True enough." Olivia leans in close to gently bop Kiona on the end of her nose, then adds, "And I'd better conduct my own business and be off. I'll check in with Curiel tomorrow about the babysitting. See you later!" With that, the Skeek walks over to Mandy to ask about the liquors that Emmett wanted.

Jack leaves without closing the door. He stands there for a moment, looking thoughtful. That ends quickly enough when he suddenly starts, exclaiming, "What in the name of Dagh!" The otter then promptly turns and tears off running. A mere second later … A Kadie, specifically Gunther Kettenrad, clad in makeshift barrel armor comes tearing past and wielding a rather large club . "I'll get you, you … invading horde person you!" he yells, the pitch and volume shifting as he passes in front of the open door.