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[h2][color=darkorchid][i][b]Victoria Belmont[/b][/i][/color][/h2][i][b][color=9932cc]Half-Elf, Bard, Level 5[/color][/b][/i]
[color=9932cc][i][b]HP:[/b][/i][/color] 33 / 33	[color=9932cc][i][b]Armor Class:[/b][/i][/color] 15	[color=9932cc][i][b]Conditions:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Location:[/b][/i][/color] Southbound Road
[color=9932cc][i][b]Action:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Bonus Action:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Reaction:[/b][/i][/color] N/A 
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[right][img]https://i.ibb.co/pfQwC4m/V-X-Background.png[/img][/right]
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	The kid had come to grow on Victoria. She hadn't a lot of experience nor use for and/or with children, but something about Lizbeth L'Rose drew the generally detached Bard. Even before the little girl took her arrow-damaged coat and instantly handed it back to her fully repaired, without the use of a single stitch, Victoria felt drawn to her. Maybe, like Victoria herself, Lizbeth had a touch of an innate quality; a force of personality and social intuition, and she could see this within her. She might make a fine Bard one day, if it were her want, but Victoria wasn't the type to stick around in one place long enough to pass on the teachings of her College to a child. Besides, she would have to feel the calling of the Grey Requiem for herself before it would be warranted, and her future was way too open to narrow it down to a single possibility. It might be a long winter, though, and if she showed tendencies toward it Victoria could at least point her in a proper direction for Bardic or Arcane studies. 

	To wit, when Lizbeth began to choke up a little over her grief at the passing of her grandfather, Victoria wished to console her. She surprised herself this way. It was a professional courtesy birthed from her time as a Funerary Violinist, though always with a point of separation between herself and her clients. There were rules that she liked to follow for this, even if she liked to bend rules in other aspects of her life. That, and she wasn't a client. But the fact that she was driving the rear wagon and Kathryn was already on the job (she was surprisingly good with kids for a huge lady in metal armor, Victoria found) prevented her from following through. 

	Lost in her thoughts, it took a little bit before she realized that Baronfjord was speaking to her. [color=9932cc]"Apologies. Yes, I am doing quite well, thank you,"[/color] she said in her melodic, sylvan voice. [color=9932cc]"And no, I am not particularly feeling the weariness of the road. Travel like this - seeing new places and getting out in the open, in the seat of a wagon but not bound to it - this rarely tires me so early in a journey. If I had not the responsibility of the reins, I might even pen a song."[/color] She smiled warmly, despite the obvious chill in the air around them. It did prompt her to pull her purple-lined charcoal cloak about her a [i]little[/i] closer. [color=9932cc]"A little repast does sound pleasant, now that you mention."[/color]

	The inevitable display of Kosara's ring also brought her flush with positivity. An initial impulse was to make some mention in jest about her and Kathryn's status as "very good friends", but she thought better of it. Forging connections, even for someone like herself, was difficult enough. So Victoria chose to be a more or less decent person about it. And the pale Tiefling looked so proud of her gift. [color=9932cc]"Lovely, Kosara. A nice example of local artisanship to remind you of your friend and your latest adventure. Keep it safe; I am sure sentiment will value it more than king's platinum."[/color] 

	At Kosara's mention of Victoria's new avian companion, she looked up to where it was perched at the edge of the wagon's covered roof near her. The black corvid fluttered its wings and descended to the seat next to its master with a throaty [color=black][b][i]"Caw!"[/i][/b][/color] Victoria marveled over the connection she had with her raven, significantly more two-sided than with Morty. The latter was more of a useful tool which could make basic distinctions that she could mentally command, while the former was more of a partnership between sentient spirits (where admittedly she had the final say). [color=9932cc]"No, I've not found a proper name yet. I might, just for now, refer to my new companion as [i]Mort[/i], affectionately of course, because it is shorter than Morty. I daresay I might take a similar naming scheme with my [i]Phantasmal Steed[/i] and call it [i]Mortimer[/i], but my Familiar spirit? Temporary. To address a related thought, I more fully understand why traditional Wizards appreciate them as they do."[/color] It was a rarity, to Victoria's experience, to hear of a Bard with a Familiar. Off the top of her head, she couldn't think of one at all. 

        [color=9932cc]"Oh, I have a few things to eat in my pack, if you would care to peek inside,"[/color] said Victoria in response to Kosara's laments of a lack of preparable foodstuffs. [color=9932cc]"Not the pack with the magical goods, nor the chest in my errand cart,"[/color] she continued, leaning back in the driver's bench to take a look back in the storage area. [color=9932cc]"There we are, in my old travel backpack. I'm afraid there isn't much in the way of food you have to prepare, but you will find some good bread, butter, preserved fruit and a few fresh vegetables, and, um..."[/color] Victoria paused for a moment, seemingly in contemplation. She cleared her throat lightly, smiled, and wrapped up the list of edibles with, [color=9932cc]"...and a goodly amount of seasoned, smoked pork. There's enough for everyone and extra, besides. You might find the flavor interesting."[/color] She let that hang for a moment before suddenly perking up, [color=9932cc]"Wine! I still have plenty of it from,"[/color] Victoria glanced in Cecily and Lizbeth's direction as she spoke, [color=9932cc]"the services. Donations from guests, per tradition. It's in my little cart, back there."[/color]