Good Dog In Need Of Home

Sage Orum's Plaza, midday

Handwritten signs have been pinned to trees, posts, and pillars all over the university district, a call for a found shepherd dog, inquire at the Arcanist's Guild. These have been appearing for the past several days here, there, and everywhere, pinned out of reach of snow drifts and in sheltered locations where possible.

Just outside the arcanist's guild steps, this afternoon, there's a tall, thin figure in well-made, gray woolen robes, and a similar brown cloak over it, perched on the steps of the arcanist's guild, idly stroking a mighty shepherd dog with intelligent eyes who looks at him as if he adores him.

"We'll find your home, boy," Lheo is saying to the dog. "The Guild won't hear of me keeping you, and you probably had a wonderful master before you got snatched off by that bastard."

Cold! Okay, so Telamon isn't fazed by it, but it's still kind of damp. Which might be why he's dressed in a bulky, fur-lined coat, buttoned up, giving him an odd appearance -- like he's more substantial than he actually is. The half-elf tops it off with a simple red woolen cap, embroidered with white ravens, as he ambles out of the library.

"Don't complain," he apparently mumbles to himself. "This was your idea. I offered to put a spell on you to ward off the cold but you said you'd be fine." He pauses, catching sight of the young wizard with the dog. "Huh. I didn't know wizards could call dogs as familiars..." Then he pauses, recalling a sign he saw. "Maybe not." Casually, he starts to approach Lheo.

Tlanexhuani emerges from the Artificer's Hall, far under-clothed for the chill; in comparison with softskins, that is, and not so oddly attired for the scaled. One of the numerous signs catches his notice and the hunced makari steps towards to study it, leaning on his spear as he does so.

From the way the gangly young man is wrapped in the cloak and curled up beneath the robes, and the way he's perched on the stairs, he's probably quite chilled himself. The dog merely gives him a lick on the cheek and returns to staring at him soulfully. "Oh, all right." He reaches into a small satchel leaning by his feet, and pulls out a chunk of dried jerky. This, he tosses to the dog, who snaps it neatly out of midair and wolfs it down, then returns to staring at him.

"Eluna's toenails, mutt," he mutters. "At least Tarna hunts for herself." Up close, there is a thick leather pad affixed to the left shoulder of the cloak, one that clearly has talon marks in it. He looks up at the approaching bundled wizard, and smirks. "There's got to be a story behin that hat," he mutters.

The fact the dog is willing to beg for food is a bit of a clue. This is not some stray, especially with its reasonably good behavior and demeanor. Telamon studies the animal, before looking at Lheo. "Your devotion does you credit, but you -cannot- be that warm, friend." He tilts his head. "Your charge here looks well cared for. Have you considered putting feelers out into the nobles' district as well?"

Suddenly, the front of Telamon's coat wriggles, and Tel makes an exasperated sound. "Excuse me a moment." He opens the top two buttons and peers down inside. A squeaky voice comes out, "May I see?" Abruptly, a small orange-scaled head pops out of the top of the coat, peering out with bright eyes. "Oh. Hello!"

Tlanexhuani is pulled from his peering at the signage when the nearby conversation, or squeaking, reaches him (or his attention, that is). He turns and blinks slowly; the bundled one looks familiar, if less so by the bundling. The dog is conspicuous enough, though. "Ah! Find one that iss missing?" he asks as he shuffle-taps nearer.

Lheo's attention is pulled from the hat to the man himself, when the man speaks, and he smirks. Up close, striking green eyes in thin features are topped with a shock of raven-black hair. "Freezing, actually, sir. I needed that spell for something else today." One gloved hand continues to stroke the shepherd, who stands up immediately at Telamon's approach, and proceeds to conduct a complete inspection of the newcomer, tail wagging. "I posted to the markets this morn, sir. He's too smart to be a noble's pet. He knows which way is trouble and which way is out, and he understands spoken commands. More likely he's a farm dog. I've cleaned him up and given him a grooming."

He trails off, his attention caught by the orange scales when Jyndei peeks his head out. "Whoa," he breathes. "Is that-you're carrying around in your coat-"

Tlanexhuani gets a glance, but msot of his attention is transfixed by the faerie dragon. "Some bastard was caging pets and planning on selling them for food in Charn," he explains absently. "Me and my brother and a friend set 'em loose."

Another form walks along through the University campus, pausing for a few moments to peer at a hand-written sign. She extends her staff, holding up the candle affixed to the ratskill that adorns the top of her staff.

"Aww, that's good news, a lucky puppy found by a decent citizen."

Zelany turns and moves away, continuing down the path, pausing again to pull her thick, wolf-pelt cloak more tightly around her. Eventually she comes to the three gathered around a shepherd dog. The Gnome smiles at the sight of Lheo, and she stops a short distance away, to lean of her staff, offering a little wave to the raven-haired man.

Well, now that Jyndei's getting attention, he -has- to come out. Deftly, the little faerie dragon slithers out to perch on Telamon's shoulder, shaking himself out and flexing his butterfly wings before folding them again, preening a bit. Tel, for his part, just reaches up to scritch behind the dragon's horns. "You did?" he says with interest to Lheo. "Well then, sir, you've done a service. I think I heard the watch grumbling about corralling several stray animals the other day. Still, their chances are better than they would be in Charn."

Telamon leans down a little to study the sheepdog. "Hmmmh. I think you may be right. There are nobles who raise some fairly intelligent hounds, but this fellow does look like a working dog. Leaving notices in the trades and market district was a smart move; many farmers come through there from outside the city to buy and occasionally sell."

It's only now that Tlanexhuani spies the small dragon. Another blink though his eyes remain wide after. "Oh! Peace on your nest, little one! And on yourss," he adds to the two men. "Ssa, iss good not for food if not meant for food." After that, like Lheo, the small-scale now holds most of his attention. "Where find the little one?"

He seems to be attracting more attention now, or maybe the dog is, but Lheo looks back at Zelany and returns the shy little wave with one of his own. Most of his attention, though, is stolen by the faerie dragon on Telamon's shoulder, at which he stares raptly. "Yeah. I think most of them got out," he agrees. "I hope the snake got a good meal." A grin that is anything but nice splits the man's features. "They were locked up in cages with no food and nobody cleaning the cages. One of the guards looked in while we were there, and I threw a hungry constrictor at him. So where'd you get that one, sir?" He gestures at Jyndei.

The dog, meanwhile, sniffs around Telamon most throughly, then tail still wagging, moves on to Zelany, conducting the same inspection.

"Aww, hello found puppers. Who's a good doggo?" The Gnome offers her hand out for sniffing, waiting patiently, before gently reaching out to pat the dog's head, and scritch behind the ears. "Hello, Lheo, it is good to see you again. Are you the gentleman responsible for the signs? It is very good of you to do such. The dog does seems to be doing well. I hope his owner sees the sign and finds you soon."

She offers a polite wave to Telamon, and then Tlanexhuani, and then gasps, eyes wide as she takes in the coppery faerie dragon draping itself along the sorcerer's shoulders.

Telamon opens his mouth, and then Jyndei beats him to it. The little faerie dragon sits up on his haunches and declaims, "I am Jyndei, good and loyal friend to the Lord Archmage Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon. I had become trapped inside a magicians' meeting hall and he arranged for my release."

Telamon looks upwards, evidently praying for some distraction. Perhaps a meteor strike. When none is forthcoming, he sighs, and continues, "He'd snuck into the Shining Chalice chapterhouse during a party, and when everyone locked up and went home, he was trapped inside. Fortunately my wife and I came by the next day to drop some things off and found him." He gives Jyndei a wry look. "And from that day, he's sworn off pickled mountain oysters."

Jyndei's little snout squinches up, and he says, "Ick."

Tel grins. "But yes. Absolutely contemptible. I hope that snake ate him. I have no love for the Charnethi, and it doesn't surprise me that they were stealing animals for food."

"Shit, it talks," Lheo breathes in awe, the dog for the most part forgotten for the moment. "That is quite a styling. I've heard that name, though, in the Guild." He stares frankly for a moment up at the man, but all of a sudden, he's minding his manners just a bit more carefully. "Um, sorry. Yeah, it did, when we ran out it had him and he was screaming for help." Not one shred of mercy there in his tone.

Lheo finally remembers himself and looks around for the dog, who pushes his head into Zelany's hand expectantly. Clearly, she has two weeks from next Eliday to stop doing that. "Hi, Zelany. Yeah, those are mine. I can't keep him, I've got nowhere to put him and he belongs on a farm someplace as a working dog. Maybe the guard wants him."

"Of course I talk," Jyndei says, flicking his tail back and forth. "All dragons can. Some simply choose not to."

Telamon nods with a faint grin. "I've accumulated a small amount of fame here, yes. My life has taken quite the ride, but it's been for the best." At Lheo's admission that they left the guard being attacking by the snake... he shrugs. "Snakes have to eat too. And considering some of the things Charn has done... well, if you're looking for reproach, here." His expression becomes mock-disapproving, and he wags his finger like a schoolteacher.

"Now that we're done with that... hmm. I have a thought, but I'd need to ask some friends first. When I first came to Alexandria I was acting as a mediator for a couple of the farms in the Heartlands. I could ask them if they know anyone who's missing a dog."

Zel is absorbed momentarily with scritching and petting the dog. "So soft.", she says with a little giggle. Glancing to Lheo, her expression is sad. "If I had room in my room, I'd keep him, at least until his owner came for him. Such a noble dog." She grins brightly at Jyndei speaks, and she laughs. "Pickled mountain oysters got you, did they?", the Gnome asks of the dragon. "You've got to be careful with fancy foods, they can take you for a loop."

"Have you recovered from your injury, Lheo? Erm, we went on a guild mission together, and one of the ruffians got to you, I knocked him out with a sleep spell."

Looking to Telamon then, she offers a curtsey. "Lord Lupecyll-Atlon."

Lheo's smirk is merely amused, and not wholly nice. "I haven't got one shred of pity for him, sir, he'd locked up a human in there too and was planning on using him for food too. He got what he deserved. Pickled mountain oysters sounds like something Mother might have served at a party. Sounds pretty disgusting."

The dog is still all about those scritches, for as long as Zelany keeps it up. Should she stop, he'll return to Lheo and sit down expectantly in front of him, tail still wagging, but so long as the love is forthcoming, the pup is going nowhere.

"Yes, I'm fine," he answers Zelany. "My brother's a Lancer, and his lover's got a little bit of healing magic, too. Thanks for asking."

He looks back at the dog, though. "I'd appreciate any help I can get, honestly. I don't like leaving him out in the winter, but I haven't got a choice. The faster I find him a new master, the better off he'll be."

Jyndei ruffles his wings. "They were icky! Didn't taste good at all." The little dragon tilts his head, and then suddenly hops off Telamon's shoulder to sit on Lheo's, on the leather pad. Jyndei purrs, "You did a good thing. That is important in this world."

Telamon's expression tightens -- not at Jyndei handing out the affection, but the mention of the Charnites having kidnapped a person for food. After a moment, he relaxes again, and he nods. "Death was a fitting reward then." Shifting his thoughts away from such, he grins. "Yes, that sort of delicacy is kind of an acquired taste. There are a couple Chalice members who like them. Alright, it's just one, and I don't judge." He chuckles softly.

A thought springs to mind. "Well, in the short term... you say he's a good working dog? Are you familiar with Granaulg's Poultry Farm, just outside the city? Tell him I sent you, and your dilemma. The Chalice does enough business with him that he'll be willing to keep the fellow for a time. At least it'll give you some breathing room." He looks sympathetically at Lheo. "It says a lot about you that you want to see this through and resolved. Don't think that sort of thing goes unnoticed."

At Zelany's curtsey, he smiles, and returns it with a bow. "And never be afraid to ask your friends for help," he adds.

The Gnome is happy to continue petting and complimenting the dog, moving closer to hug at the hound. "Such a gentle beast."

"I'm glad you've recovered, it was distressing to see." She nods in agreement with Jyndei's assessment. "It is a good thing to see, and it is important." The mention of Charnites causes her to frown. "They are either desperate or more depraved than they've been given credit for.", Zelany says with a huff. "Eating people's pets, and ... also people? Ick."

The land on his shoulder surprises Lheo, but not in the sense of weight. "Wow," he breathes. "Can I pet you?" He looks back and forth between Jyndei and Telamon. "Um, thanks. It just killed me to see all those cages. I couldn't not do something. And he - he got us out - they were waiting outside the back door, but he took us out through the front, so we got out without a fight. He probably saved our lives. He deserves a good home."

His attention seems to be split between Jyndei and the dog, who leeeeeeans into Zelany. "Granaulg's Pultry Farm? I'm sure I can find it, sir. If they can take him in, or want to keep him, that'd really help both of us."

"Charn isn't known for its respectability," Telamon comments. "Or its morals, or righteousness, or... sorry, I'm getting wound up again." He exhales, and smiles at Lheo. "Go ahead. He particularly likes scritches behind the horns. He's not a pet -- he's a thinking creature, a person, just like you. He's just different."

As Jyndei happily consents to petting and scritches, Telamon continues, "Yes. Granaulg's a half-oruch, big guy, scar on the left side of his face. He raises, ah... chickens of unusual size." Tel smirks. "Hard work, but evidently the nobility will pay well for birds you have to carry out on tower shields."

Zelany laughs, struggling to stay upright as the dog leans on her, and she returns to giving him all the attention. "I couldn't speak to the particulars of how the dog got into the situation he was in, but, he couldn't have come from too far, could he? Do you have any clues as to where the folks had come from with the stolen pets? Perhaps a short journey could be made to see if the dog's owners could be found. The dog himself might even be able to take you there, if he gets to familiar territory? A bit of a shot in the dark, though."

The woman's eyebrows rise up. "Those are some large chickens. Hah. I'll bet the doggo here... " She pauses to scritch behind both of the animal's ears once more. "Could herd them like sheep."

"That's a lot of chicken. I guess if you need to make a big feast, though-" Lheo's gloved fingers are busy scratching around the horns. "No, I guess you aren't. Sorry. Tarna's more than a pet, but she's not quite like you, either."

The dog continues to leeeeean into Zelany, seemingly making every effort to knock her over in his enthusiasm. Lheo's attention isn't on the pup at the moment, but instead on the problem. "No, he's from somewhere around here. That's why I put out notices in the markets, too, maybe a local farmer or herdsman had lost him. I'll try taking him out to the poultry farm, at least he'll be warm, and maybe he'll find he likes herding giant chickens."

Telamon reaches down to pet the sheepdog as well, as it gives Zelany all the love a gnome could ask for. "Well, some nobles do tend towards gluttony, unfortunately. But sometimes you do need enough eggs and chicken to feed a large family -- or a shift of watchmen. Alexandria does a fair bit of business with him as well." He smiles. "I think he'll be fine, and if we can't find his home, he'll get a new one there."

Jyndei makes a happy murring sound, arching at the scritches, and his wings unfurl partially as the dragon enjoys the attention. Tel continues, "Familiars occupy kind of a funny 'middle ground'. My wife has a raven familiar and he's less a pet and more like a voracious younger brother. I swear, that bird eats more than the hungriest goblin..."

"The good boy here is obviously well loved.", the Gnome says with a laugh. "If he's from around here, perhaps we could make a journey to a few of the towns and farms nearby. See if we can't find his home, and if that fails, he becomes the number one, bestest chicken herder." She pats heavily at his side, seemingly enjoying the solid sound. "I'd be willing to assist in this, if you wanted to undertake such a journey, Lheo."

Zelany giggles, "The dragon sounds like a cat. And certainly knows how to drape himself over the shoulders like one."

"Really? Well, Tarna's a greyhawk, she doesn't really _talk_, but she lets me know what she wants, or what she sees." Interspecies affection is going around among the three present today. "Ravens are smart, but I don't know that I'd like to feed one that is voracious. Tarna mostly feeds herself down by the docks, and comes back to my window or to the mews, depending on what she wants." The scritches continue.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate the company. I might see if my brother wants to go, too. There's some dangerous stuff out beyond the walls. I'll see if he's got the time, if you don't mind."

Telamon makes a face. "There's always -something- bothering people outside the walls. A lot of neophyte adventurers get their first coins disposing of bandits and unfriendly wildlife around the farms. And that's -with- Alexandros sheriffs patrolling, the farms not exactly being filled with wilting flowers, and the nearby Mythwood elves and forest fey trying to pitch in when they can." He pauses. "Granted, the fey kind of have their own motivations on that, but that's at least something we can work with."

"So yes. If you go out, go with friends." He taps his chin. "I... have an idea I might try. If it pans out, I'll leave a message at the Arcanist's Society for you." His lips quirk. "We'll see how it goes. As your friend here has noted, worst case is that Granaulg will have a new helping hand."

"The last time I went outside the walls alone, I ended up with something fiendish in my face." Lheo shudders, and gets carefully to his feet, doing his best not to dislodge the perched one. His movements suggest some experience with doing this. "I've got it. I'm Lheo Korrelli. Nice to meet you, sir." He looks down at the dog. "What do you think, boy? Let's go find Theo, and maybe we can go for a walk tomorrow. Maybe we'll find your new home. would you like that, boy?" His hands have dropped in the process of this. "Thanks. I mean it. He deserves a good home. Thank you, too, Zelany. Let's go find Theo and see if he's got the time to take a trip outside the walls, and I'll try to find out where this poultry farm is. Maybe the Guild will know."

"Certainly, the more the merrier, I'd say! Better the company than not outside the walls in Winter. I'm here at the campus, Building D, room four twenty-three.", Zelany says with a broad grin. "I'm part of the adventurer's guild, so I've got a go bag ready at all times. Give my door a knock when you're ready, I'm usually studying. Something I think you know about all too well, hmm?"

Laughing as the dog wobbles a little, the Gnome stepping closer to Lheo. She peers up at Jyndei. "Could I pet you too, please?", she asks of the faerie dragon. Glancing over her shoulder, she nods to Telamon. "Sound advice. And it was good to meet you, Lord Telamon."

Jyndei, of course, adores attention and simply hops from Lheo's shoulder to Zelany's, rubbing against her head affectionately. Telamon gives the faerie dragon a smile, before nodding to Lheo. "An honor and a privilege, sir," he replies with a grin. "I'll be in touch. I'll try not to, ah, drop in... I know some people really hate that."

He bows his head to Zelany again, and responds, "A pleasure to meet you as well. I look forward to seeing what you might do next -- the world can always benefit from more good people helping it."