So Tirion’s sugar-high kid, Taelan, has been bouncing around non-stop since he got here with Tirion and the rest of his people, but I can’t help but get a kick out of how things are playing out with him. Utvoch ran into him in this little lounge room they’ve got upstairs, and they got to talking a little, and now the two of them have been hanging out up there playing checkers and just generally hanging out and shit. Which come to think of it, sort of kills two headaches with one stone. I can kind of see why Utvoch would gravitate toward the kid – what with him being here with me, Liadrin, Faranell, and Mokvar, he probably misses having someone like Dontrag to hang with. You know, around his own mental level. A little kid might still be overshooting the mark a little, but it’s probably still a pretty major improvement to him.

So he’s been spending most of his time in the lounge, and that’s mostly been keeping the kid quiet(er) while Tirion’s off going about his own business. All we really have to watch for is Utvoch not having any more run-ins with Kel’Thuzad, but I’m not so worried about that as long as he stays upstairs. Kel’Thuzad’s still been bopping around town, but he and Helcular have mostly just been popping into the inn for meals and the occasional drink, and then going about their business. Faranell tells me that Helcular used to live here in Southshore, so odds are KT is staying with him.

Speaking of Kel’Thuzad, and Helcular…and Tirion…and…well, okay, let’s just say speaking of everyone I mentioned in that last paragraph. Last night, Then-Faranell met Kel’Thuzad and Helcular outside the inn and went wandering off for most of the night. Meanwhile, the guy who had come to Southshore with Then-Faranell spent most of the evening hanging out in the common room downstairs, which somehow or other led to him joining Tirion and his group for dinner and generally acting like buddies. All of this led to THIS little informational exchange with OUR Faranell while I was looking out the window to look for KT and company:

GARROSH: Looks like Kel’Thuzad and the rest are still out by the main road.

FARANELL: They’ll be out there a while. We ended up walking around the outskirts for much of the night. You don’t have to worry about us – well, them – turning up until you see them had out toward the river first.

GARROSH: You’re sure?

FARANELL: Yeah, I remember it.

GARROSH: That’s nice and all, but I still have to check on these things. It’s not like you don’t have a track record of forgetting things, like, oh, I don’t know, say, the fact that you WERE HERE IN SOUTHSHORE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

FARANELL: <rubbing his face with one hand> I’d forgotten a lot of things, yeah…

GARROSH: Well, if we’ve got some time before they’re back in town… Hey, Mokvar?

MOKVAR: Yeah, chief?

GARROSH: You’ve got a window to swing downstairs for some grub and a few drinks if you want. Maybe grab Utvoch on your way, might as well feed him while we’re at it.

MOKVAR: He still with the kid?

GARROSH: Hell if I know. Either there or his room, I guess.

MOKVAR: You sure you don’t need for any more note-taking for now?

LIADRIN: I can take over while you eat.

MOKVAR: You sure?

FARANELL: You’re a scribe?

LIADRIN: I’ve been writing a history of the Sunwell for some months now. There’s been a fair bit of research, interviews with people like Lor’themar Theron…

GARROSH: Who?

LIADRIN: …and so I ended up picking up shorthand pretty quickly to be able to keep notes on it all. I’ve noticed Garrosh likes you to keep a record of everything – surprisingly sensible, all things considered – so I don’t really mind helping give you a breather here and there.

MOKVAR: Yeah, thanks. Have to admit, I’ve been starting to get writer’s cramp something fierce this trip.

LIADRIN: It’s fine. Go take a break.

MOKVAR: Thanks. I’ll see if I can find Utvoch on the way down.

GARROSH: See if you can get a look at what Tirion and the rest are up to while you’re down there.

Mokvar leaves.

GARROSH: Speaking of which… Faranell, who IS that guy who showed up with you? Some friend of yours I’m guessing?

FARANELL: I suppose you could say that.

GARROSH: Well who then? Anybody we should be worried about? Please tell me he’s not another recruit for Kel’Thuzad.

FARANELL: No, nothing like that… He’s my brother.

GARROSH: Seriously? I didn’t know you had a brother.

FARANELL: I don’t anymore.

GARROSH: Oh… What happened?

FARANELL: He died.

GARROSH: Well, yeah. Then again, so did you.

FARANELL: In my case it didn’t take.

LIADRIN: I’m sorry, Faranell. Do you mind if I ask what happened?

FARANELL: I suppose it doesn’t really matter at this point. He studied alchemy like me – honestly, he was quite a bit better at it, certainly much more inventive. Three years younger, but years ahead of me as a scientist. He went to study under the high elves in Silvermoon.

LIADRIN: Oh… Oh no.

FARANELL: You know the funny thing? He always did so well in school that he ended up skipping a few grades and getting a head start on his advanced studies. So if he hadn’t been so smart, he probably wouldn’t even have been in Silvermoon when the Scourge came.

LIADRIN: I’m so sorry, Faranell.

FARANELL: That’s why he’s here now. He’s about to begin his studies, and he’s taking a few days to visit me before he goes. He figured he wouldn’t see very much of me over the next couple of years. Always nose to the grindstone with him.

GARROSH: Do I even want to ask?

FARANELL: I don’t know it at the time, obviously, but this weekend is the last time I ever saw him.

GARROSH: Yeah, there it is… Sorry, man. Look, if this is all hitting too close to home, I totally get it if you feel like you need to tuck away in your room till we’re done here.

FARANELL: No, it’s okay. I came here to a job, so let’s get it done. Make the future safe for the undead.

This just in – Alexandros Mograine finally turned up today, with Doan and Fairbanks in tow. They disappeared to their rooms right off – gotta say, to look at this inn from the outside, you wouldn’t think it had so much guest space up there – and while they’re probably going to be taking some time to settle in and rest from their trip and such, them being here means Liadrin and I are going to be on full-time watch downstairs. Updates to follow.