Father Zastoran

Buli's page

17 posts. Alias of stormraven.


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Buli comes over to Fin scratching his head. "Miss Fin? I was roaming around the battlefield lookin' for souvenirs and whatnot and I found this in the remains of that giant. I took a peek and there's some money and such in there. Anyhow, it rightly belongs to you since you folks did near all the killin'. It's not much of a gift since it was yours a'ready, but I just wanted to say thanks and see you got this." He drops the unusually heavy pouch in her hand, tips his jaunty cap to her, and wanders off in search of more ale for his 'parched throat'.


"Oy! I wasn't saying you should know. I was just curious!"


Buli listens, engrossed in the story as if it were a fairy tale. When Jayse finishes he asks, "What was up the staircase?"


Sitting among the goblins and eating with them, Buli hoots loudly to any who listen. "Battling giants in the morning and dining with goblins in the evening! My grand-dad would die all over again if he weren't dead already! What a day!"


Buli hrumphs. "I'm stayin'. No telling what kind of trouble you kids will get yourself into... but I'll take suggestions on where I should stand. Fought some big fish before but never a giant."


Buli says, "Well, it ain't my birthday so I guess this is for you folks. Lemme see what's what." He hustles forward to talk with one of the cooks - a tall, imposing woman with auburn hair. She hugs him then starts talking and gesturing with a ladle at the different cook-fires. Buli nods and comes back.

"Well, we got a couple of hours before everything is ready. The Hetmon would like to speak with all of us, if you're willin'."


Buli chuckles, "Son, didn't I mention the Tequila Eels?"


Buli scratches his head. "Well, Miss, I can't say what most Goblins do... but ours tend to steal chickens, maybe cattle, burn an outlying farm, or kill the odd straggler who ain't real careful. Every so often they get a lot of births or some-such and get uppity - thinking they can take the whole town."

"And then there's a terrible set of dust-ups and folks die. And they quiet down. But we're getting pretty good at seeing the signs of them getting twitchy and nip the problem in the bud, as you might say. We ain't at that time yet for such a big group to be settin' ambushes."


"No, not too often. Every decade or so they act up, but not like this. This is something new."


Buli smiles at Jayse's offer, "Son, my pack is mostly empty. I expected to be carrying another 60 or 70 pounds of eel, water, and salt. It feels odd having a light pack. Bad luck, that. I'd be pleased for a little extra weight. And you folks have survived an ordeal. Least I can do is be neighborly."

He sets off at a good pace with Straehan 'perched'. He answers the gnome's question. "It's a chunk of a Deep Eel. I just hollowed this bit out and sealed the bottom and the top. Best material in the Isles for packs - waterproof, if you know how to seal it right. Of course, you have to survive gettin' the eel. That's the tricky part."


"Forestal is a small village, son. We all pitch in where we can. I'm a sailor, and gardener, and eel-man, and a town guard even, when pirates are about. If you're looking for answers..." He shrugs, "it all depends on your questions. I'd start with Hetmon Thrane, like I said before. You might find a sage in Colona but Orfallen is a better bet. It's our main trade city. If your questions are a bit... more, uh... strange then you could try the Hag." He shudders a bit. "Personally, I leave her be."

Buli turns backward to regard the gnome but Jayse has the distinct feeling the old man is eyeing him as well. "Master Gnome, I see you're doin' your best but if you folks want to get to town as quick as may be... we need to go a bit faster. No offense, but maybe I could carry you pig-a-back. It will let you rest and hurry things along. I've carried other of your folk that way when we travel. No offense."


Buli shrugs, "Keep your secrets or not, it's your choice, Miss."


Ushari Velnokal wrote:
"Buli, you said the Emperor created the Realm by overthrowing the elves. Does that mean elves are considered enemies by humans?"

"Is that what I said?" He seems surprised. "Well, I'm just a simple fisherman. For history, you're better off talkin' with Thrane, he's Hetmon in Forestal or maybe Miss Etta, his wife. They're pretty book-learned. But, to answer your question, Miss... The Realm came after the elves was tossed out. There was a lawless period there for awhile. They had some fancy name for it. But it wasn't just humans that fought. All the races were slaves to the elves. Even some of the other elven... uh... types was no better'n serfs. All the other races rose up and drove the high elves out. Killed many of them and the rest fled somewhere into the far north, I think. There is still some bad blood there. From what I hear, elves on the Mainland ain't treated kindly. I hear that there's a lot of mistrust of different folks - just depends on where ya go." He shrugs. "But we Isle folk, ain't like that. We left the Mainland to get away from it. So... is there anything you folks want to tell me, like where you're from that you don't know any of this stuff?"

It's clear from the way he phrased the question, he isn't expecting an answer, just hoping for one.


Buli looks at the maps and has Ushari translate many of the words. He pores over her maps for a solid half hour, asking Fin a dozen questions through Ushari. He scratches his head and thinks hard, finally saying, (which Ushari translates) "Well, you aren't from the Great Southern Isles, Miss. And I was a sailor among'em for 30 years. But I don't know everything and there are plenty of islands and chains outside the Isles I never visited. If I were you, I'd check with the Cartographer or maybe the Harbor Master in Orfallen. They got lots of maps there I ain't never seen. And if they can't help ya. I'd sail to Long Lake Isle... the Master Cartographer of the Isles is there. But if your home is further out - up by The Realm - then you may have to go to the city of Portal, that's where you can find maps gotten from the Realm."

Profession: Sailor (Take 20) 20 + 6 = 26


Jayse wrote:
"So this land of yours is ruled by an emporer, then? Or was that a figure of speech?"

Buli stops, absolutely stunned. He looks at Jayse and then the others, seeing the same lack of understanding in their eyes (with the exception of Fin who he quickly realised earlier understands very little of what he says). "Where in the nine Hells are you people from? The Emperor is on the Mainland. Rules over half of it. Has for hundreds of years. He overthrew the Elves and established what they call up there 'The Realm'. Caused a lot of troubles too, to my way of thinkin'. But ending race slavery seems like a fair trade, I guess. Anyhow, we pretty much keep to ourselves and rule ourselves."


Jayse wrote:
"When we washed up, we had little food, and there was a sizable meal in one. I owe you for the price of that animal, if it was your catch."

Buli shrugs the comment off. "A starving man's gotta eat and it wasn't like I wasn't stealing that eel from the sea anyways. You didn't happen to save the organs, didya? We make a fine brew out of certain parts. That's why theys called Tequila Eels. As long as you enjoyed it, I'm happy. It's lucky to feed a stranger. Here those eels ain't worth much - most everyone has a pot for 'em. But we sell them in the islands and they fetch a good price." He chuckles. "But I ain't asking for payment and you probably don't have the coin anyway. You folks ate like the Emperor hisself, may his Throne stay empty!"

Let me know your revised marching order including Buli.


Buli scratches his head and grins regarding the fate of his catch. He asks for details on size and coloration. Nodding when he hears the answers. He is very pleased when they tell him that Fin replaced his pot. "Well, I guess I don't need to check that pot after all." He chuckles. "Might as well leave the other one, too. No sense checking a single pot. Well, we got some light. Let's head home."

He turns around and immediately starts walking back up the beach, the way he came towards the now noticeably angled sun. He says over his shoulder, "We are going generally North but not overland. That's a straighter course but the terrain is rougher and slower and the quicksand shifts sometimes - particularly after a storm. The beach is safer."