Cottonseed PFS PbP (2E)

Game Master Redelia

Yeahhhhhhhhh ...... maybe I'd better not Zarina replies as she nurses her berry cider. Hangovers and sea voyages do not mix

Colorfoot takes a hesitant sip. "Oh, that is good. My compliments, sir. I'm Colorfoot, by the way. Pleased to meet you both."

To Zarina, he says, "Sea voyage? You're shipping out somewhere? Do tell! "

Yeah. There hasn't been much call for an aquatic druid these days so I thought I'd go and visit my folks near the Mwangi Expanse. Might swing past Jalmaray on the way and do some training with the merfolk.

I'm Zarina Silvermist by the way She is currently dressed as if she plans on going for a swim in the near future with a cloak wrapped around her.

If Winter is coming, how cold does it get in Absalom?

Yeah. There hasn't been much call for an aquatic druid these days so I thought I'd go and visit my folks near the Mwangi Expanse. Might swing past Jalmaray on the way and do some training with the merfolk.

I'm Zarina Silvermist by the way She is currently dressed as if she plans on going for a swim in the near future with a cloak wrapped around her.

"Enchanted!" he declares.

"The Expanse, you say? Small world. I'm actually here on behalf of a friend from that neck of the woods, pun absolutely intended. She's a bit new to town and is looking for work. She grew up in the jungles out there, and is quite the ranger. Or at least, she claims to be." He smiles at this.

"I told her I'd pop by here on my way home to see if there was anything interesting posted on the job boards."

Colorfoot isn't in any games himself, but he's happy to drum up support for his friend Webny, my Lv. 1 half-elven ranger. :)

I grew up on one of the offshore islands where we dived for pearl and other stuff from the ocean to trade

She ponders for a bit. There's usually new stuff coming up but it's been a bit slack recently. But I'm sure something will turn up soon for a more ... erm .... generalist adventure. Maybe I've got too specialised for my own good.

I grew up on one of the offshore islands where we dived for pearl and other stuff from the ocean to trade

She ponders for a bit. There's usually new stuff coming up but it's been a bit slack recently. But I'm sure something will turn up soon for a more ... erm .... generalist adventure. Maybe I've got too specialised for my own good.

Colorfoot nods sagely. "Yes, I can see how that might be. Then again, I am sure someone with your skillset would be invaluable for any job requiring seafaring."

I'm a diver, not a sailor. My dayjob is actually diving Absalom Harbour looking for interesting trinkets as well as inspecting ships for bottom damage and barnacle infestations. Still, it would be nice to dive coral reefs in warm lagoons.Not been many opportunities to go that and get paid for it

So, what about you? What sort or adventures do you or your friend prefer?

I'm contemplating running a 1-4 in the near future. Looks like there could be a demand

I'm a diver, not a sailor. My dayjob is actually diving Absalom Harbour looking for interesting trinkets as well as inspecting ships for bottom damage and barnacle infestations. Still, it would be nice to dive coral reefs in warm lagoons.Not been many opportunities to go that and get paid for it

So, what about you? What sort or adventures do you or your friend prefer?

I'm contemplating running a 1-4 in the near future. Looks like there could be a demand

"Oh, that does sound fun. I bet you find all kinds of shiny things doing that!" His eyes twinkle just a touch when he says "shiny."

"Me, I'm not much for field work, to be perfectly frank. I mostly support the Society in an... auxiliary fashion. I help arrange for shipments of goods or transportation for members to wherever they need to go. As you know, that can sometimes mean finding very fast transport to very interesting places."

"My friend, though, she's very keen to get out in the wilds again if she can. She enjoys the city, to be sure. Who wouldn't? But she likes to track and hunt things and to talk your ears off about this kind of demon or that kind of devil or what have you."

That would be amazing! My ranger is a bit of a skill monkey. She's an Alijae monster hunter with the outwit hunter's edge, and I think (hope) she'd fit into most any adventure.

She ponders a bit. Not as much as you think. The odd coin, maybe a dropped dagger or two, corpses etc. It's usually to help the Watch or to find something that's been dropped most of the time. Plus one has to be careful exploring the Flotsam. Some of those old wrecks have a tendency to .. erm .. shift about. Nearly got trapped once or twice.

After his most recent mission, Patrick enters the bar to see .... well ... what was going on. He finds an quiet corner to see what is going on. Last time he was in here, he did meet a few interesting people.

A steel-eyed Elf steps in from the cold wind, straightening his cloak and heading straight for the well used cork board, sighing with disapproval "No interesting expeditions looking for an archeologist? Must be something.. somewhere? The Society does itself no favors keeping someone of my expertise on the shelf for so long." He stretches his neck from the months of study in the Archives.

"Seedy, a dry white wine and some FRESH trout, baked with herb butter at your earliest convenience." He makes his order without even looking towards the goblin barkeep, instead heading to an unoccupied table.

Now .... what did Ms Fola say about initiating conversations? Patrick muses to himself. Oh yes. Find something that is common ground

Not at the moment no, but ... with what has been going on, something suitable should turn up soon. he says aloud.

"Um..." Seedy says, glancing around. "The wine I can do, but I'll have to check with my monger to see about the trout. Gimme a few minutes." The goblin quickly scribbles a note on a scrap of paper, pours a glass of white wine, and grabs a small corner of cheese from a partial wheel behind the bar. Delivering the wine, he moves to the doorway where he mutters a spell causing a ring on one finger to glow, and crouches down. A small brown rat scurries over to him from a nearby alley, to which Seedy gently offers the scrap of cheese. As the rat is happily eating, Seedy whispers something to it and attaches the note, then stands to watch the rat scurry away. "If Joe has any trout, he'll send someone over with it shortly."

Now .... what did Ms Fola say about initiating conversations? Patrick muses to himself. Oh yes. Find something that is common ground

Not at the moment no, but ... with what has been going on, something suitable should turn up soon. he says aloud.

"One would hope. The holiday season can be quite the distraction." He responds towards Patrick without looking up from his notebook.

The Elf does look up though at the sound of magic as Seedy communicates with the rat. "So long as that rodent isn't the one delivering the trout I think that will be just fine." Taking a sip from the glass and nodding in satisfaction.

Holiday season? I was unaware of such.

And given the relevant sizes of the trout and the rat. I would highly doubt it

Junior looks up from his papers with a confused look at Patrick's response "You do realize trout don't hatch out a specific size don't you? They grow in size from day 1 to their last day, albeit not linearly. Some of the finest tasting foods are harvested younger than full grown. A trout half the size of that rodent would be delectable." He goes back to his paperwork, still not realizing that no one likes a know-it-all.

I am well aware of that although it is not usual to serve up a trout the size of a small rat. Such a meal would be more suitable to my .. erm ... kittens.

Patrick does not really realise that either.

A large elf enters the tavern. He pulls a stool up to the bar and orders a drink.

"Not...as rowdy as I'd been led to believe," he says, scanning the room.

Patrick looks over to the new arrival.

Been very quiet

A young half-elf woman in leather armor wearing a green cloak embroidered with an owl and what looks like either a lizard or a cat enters the tavern. She holds the door open for a snowy owl that flies into the room and perches atop the bar. She walks over to the owl and frowns.

"So are we really doing this ridiculous Superb Owl Sunday thing of yours again? I keep telling you it's not a real holiday. You totally made it up."

The owl begins to preen his feathers.

Meadow sighs. "Okay, fine. Whatever. I don't have the energy to argue with you about this right now." She reaches into a belt pouch and pulls out two crumpled pieces of paper. "Which one do you want to use?"

Silence turns his head almost completely upside-down and stares at his friend, hooting softly.

"This one? Really? Are you sure? The rhyme at the end is...questionable."

Silence flaps his wings.

"Screech!"

Meadow raises her hands in surrender. "Okay okay. Calm down. I'll do it. Don't get excited."

She hops up onto the bar, clears her throat and begins to read from the paper in her hand.

"Some folks call eagles
the chiefs of the fowl.
In truth that position
belongs to the owl.

Based solely upon
what I have observed
the fact is the owl
is truly superb."

Her eyebrows furrow as she rereads the final stanza, her mouth moving silently. She turns to Silence. "Seriously I don't think that works. Observed, superb. It doesn't sound right."

The owl flaps his wings and lets out a frightening hiss.

Meadow rolls her eyes. "Okay whatever Mr. Poet Laureate. Let's get out of here. We have a mission briefing to get to." She adroitly hops down and heads to the door, motioning for Silence to follow. With a shake of her head she and the owl depart.

Some slight applause comes from a nearby table.

Is that something that happens often Seedy? the wizard asks.

Seedy stands, mouth agape. "...What? Oh, no, I don't think so. I hear they do it once a year, but this is the first time they've done it in this place."

Seedy must have missed the last time then

Ah. Fascinating.

"Or maybe it isn't the first time and I've just forgotten. We get so many people through here, and that frankly rates pretty low on the strangeness scale."

"Poetry isn't exactly something to be an agent in the field goal. But some people get a touch down this time of year. A lot of people think things are really interesting only half time, but there should be no penalty for roughing the passer...I mean...passages," Grimmylow speaks up.

Patrick just ponders.

I was told to get out and experience life. That is why I am here. But if that is only low .... what would you consider being high?

...smelling of pines, burnt oil, smoke, an Ulfen woman of indeterminate age strides into the bar, collecting for herself a seat in the back corner, an eagle clawed over her shoulder, silent and obedient, and ordering a pot of tea, proceeds to pack a few strange herbs into a hand-crafted wooden pipe, taking a few quiet long draws...

...Aslynn...

...she unrolls a tiny scroll and re-reads it...

...a day or two early, she thinks about what to do...

"Jakoby, Ro, nice to see you again!" Seedy says, waving to the woman. "I heard you'd moved out to the Verduran forest or something. Hope all is well."

Patrick glances over at the new arrival then disappears back behind his book.

"Seedy!" her smile brightens at the familiar face "So ya did make it out of that singy-songy cave, dincha now?" she rises to take a seat on a stool, looks over at Patrick to see what he is drinking before quickly re-affording him his privacy.

"Whole world beyond just the Great City of Absalom, eh now?" she says "Old Ro there fitting to have a full nest any day this or next week or so - been spending time readying for the hatchlings in the mean" indeed, there is a telltale ~bump~ to the eagle's abdomen "Can't say I'm as ready as I'm gunna get, but ya know as these things go, nobody ever was and yet, here we all are anyway!" she draws her smoking implement and adds "Figure we got one more wondrous adventure together before fully committing... word is there is a witch on the loose!"

Curling her pipe's cherry to an iridescent glow of bruorsivi orange crackle, she inhales through a moment of reflection "How have folks been down in the metropolis?"

"Oh, you know, same as always. Folks come and folks go, but the city remains as bustling as ever" Seedy responds, cheerfully, while finishing pouring a cocktail for another patron. "Glad to hear things are going well. I've been taking some time away from this place myself, with a new gobling in the house. Best of luck with that!"

It's hard to tell what Patrick is drinking - it's rather plain.