Ahdak looks up from his study of the dwarven fighter to study the Rusty Draon. He has only just had a moment to take in the iron dragon gazing down at them when the melodious voice from behind him draws his attention away. He bows stiffly in response to her greeting, interest piqued by her blessing. He shakes her extended hand, mimicking Darnak after a brief hesitation. If I am to learn the lesson's the spirits have set before me, I must not alienate these people. It is odd, this touching of hands when meeting. What need have I to touch all in this town?
"Be received, Hannah Valertin. I am Ahdak, Shoanti of the Lyrune-Quah. May the spirits smile on us. I do not believe I am one to know what is strange in this town. It is all very unusual to me, so my entering this Dragon Inn with a dwarf is not so different."
Alesta
The smiling Ulfen barman's jaw drops open as Alesta asks her questions and a unhappy countenance darkens his rough and scarred features making him actually appear fearsome despite the apparent safety of the inn.
"Vell, girl, that is lot ov questions, ja? Wery uncomfortable for Lars answer. But Lars vill do vhat he can, heh? Pull up stool an' listen vell, child. I vill only tell one time." He holds up one large gnarled fingers bent with arthritis and years of hard living in the cold tundra of the northlands.
He clears his throat roughly and begins to speak, softly at first so as to not disturb the others around. "The t'ings you ask, they thread together, you see? Nualia, vell, she vas young girl, like yourself. Wery lovely, from other vorld some said, some say angel. Bah! She vas adopted by priest of Desna at church, Tobyn his name. Nualia not fit Sandpoint, heh? Nein, she vas too pretty an' too much angel. Others see freak, not girl. She go with bad boys an' Tobyn lock her in church. But fire start, an' burn church. Kill Tobyn, kill Nualia, spread to town. White Deer catch fire and burn. Now town need new priest, heh? Zantus come an' build new cathredral. And here ve are, ja?"
The former smile rekindles on his face as his story of loss makes it full circle to happier times again.
Baldek
As you approach the well-dressed and generous dwarf, you hear that he is not telling a story at all, but rather seems to be in the middle of a heated discussion.
"...don't care what Scarnetti tells you. I need that lumber and will pay a premium for it. Don't sell it to him! Without the materials, I can't make my quotas and my business will suffer. I must have that lumber, I tell you!"
The two men, and one girl, who listen sit impassively. Drinking, and tyring to be aptient with the upset dwarf. One speaks, a dark-haired, dark-eyed handsome fellow who has the girl on his arm. "Listen Battlehorn, we do what Scarnetti says. He owns the mill, we just work there. If wants the lumber for the shipyards, we have to deliver. We've been running long nights as it is for him. We can't cut his load and have any for you. It's out of my hands, unless..." he voice lowers to a whisper, and just as he is about to continue, the group catches sight of you.
Aesrick turns, a stricken look on his face at first, but then a genuine smile appears. "Well don't you look the dwarf lordling? Much better, much! Need a haircut and a beard grooming, but a vast improvement. We are just discussing business. Sit over there," he indicates a table near the strange hooded girl and the grizzly veteran, "and I will be over soon."
As you depart the girl, a raven-haired young thing, laughs and the whispering continues.
Darnak and Ahdak
Hannah smiles at you both. "Yes, you could say I am from around here. Sandpoint is my home. And trust me, a half-orc and dwarf as friends, is a bit...odd. You both seem quite interesting to me, and I am certain there is a story behind your presence in Sandpoint. The Sky and Sea teaches us that coincidences are more than random chance. Fate works in mysterious ways, boys. I believe we are destined to meet for a reason. As such, I invite you to share supper with me and my friend Davy. He is likely already inside. I would welcome you to our table as guests."
She leads you inside, and bids you to follow.
Sarvo
With his accommodations for the night secured, and his dinner in front of him, Karl is satisfied for now. His eyes scan the common room constantly and he sees a variety of interesting and unusual activity, but nothing overtly threatening. His ward, the angelic looking girl with the strange hair, seems to be engrossed in a story at the bar, and an elven woman leads an orc and a dwarf into the inn, speaking to them in friendly terms.
From behind, he hears the raised voices of a disagreement over business, and while he turns and looks, it doesn't appear to be getting out of hand.
For a moment he relaxes, heaving a world-weary sigh. Just as he thinks all is well, and his eyes flutter shut for a moment, he feels a hand on his shoulder...
Strange...I know no one here The thought ran through his head as he turned around and looked towards whom the hand on his shoulder was attached to.
Alesta listened to the barkeep. When he finished she was stunned.
I...I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to ask such sensitive questions. I was hoping to learn more about this town. I was taught by my mother and my faith to never stop asking questions. For example why are there wooden decorations that appear to have been hacked off or destroyed? They couldn't have been damaged by the fire. Could you tell me about those as well...and if this is another bad story then...I'll need a drink after you tell me.
Darnak and Ahdak
Hannah smiles at you both. "Yes, you could say I am from around here. Sandpoint is my home. And trust me, a half-orc and dwarf as friends, is a bit...odd. You both seem quite interesting to me, and I am certain there is a story behind your presence in Sandpoint. The Sky and Sea teaches us that coincidences are more than random chance. Fate works in mysterious ways, boys. I believe we are destined to meet for a reason. As such, I invite you to share supper with me and my friend Davy. He is likely already inside. I would welcome you to our table as guests."
She leads you inside, and bids you to follow.
"My thanks. But I need ta clear somethin' up for ya. I'm afraid you're under the wrong impression. We're not friends," he motions back and forth between himself and Ahdak. "I just met this fellow not a minute or two before you. I can honestly say I know 'im as well as you do."
"Darknak Deepstone speaks true. Our meeting a moment ago was swift and sudden, and there is not yet a way of telling where the currents may sweep us." There is the barest hint of a tired smile on the half-orc's lips, though perhaps it was a trick of the light over his tusks. "Perhaps in time, there can be friendship. It cannot be said that a seed newly dropped to the ground to grow. Fate, as you say, will decide. If it is odd, then it will be odd. I will share your meal, Hannah Valertin, and perhaps I can share some of the story you asked of."
As they enter the room, Ahdak is taken aback by the relative quiet of the inn against the chaotic frenzy of the city outside. The darker calm of the room with its lingering spicy scent are familiar enough that he has to struggle to keep up his guard. He allows himself to be lead by the elven woman to her destination.
Sarvo
Startled a bit, Karl turns and sees a lovely Tien woman looking at him with mirth in her dark brown eyes. "You look like someone who knows their way around a blade. Tell me a story, sir, one worth of a song, and I will see that your accommodations tonight are on the house."
A dragon tattoo covers her bare shoulder, and a strangely shaped stringed instrument is slung on her back. You can see the hilt of a well-made knife sticking from the top of her boot, and manner and form are easy going and relaxed.
"You bring the pretty one in here," she asks tossing her thumb back over her shoulder at where Alesta sits engaged in talk with the barman. "She doesn't look your type. I expected someone more...rough." she gives a playful wink and waits your response with raised eyebrows.
Alesta
The barman winces as Alesta mentions the hacked up wooden fenceposts etc she has seen in her brief time in Sandpoint. "Ja, girl, you are hitting nail right on head. If the burning church vasn't enough, Sandpoint has other Late Unpleasantness as vell."
He pours you a drink and slides it down the bar and begins to regale you with a story you barely believe.
Stoot's excuse for wanting to mvoe onto the isle seemed innocent enough. The place was a haven for local birdlife, and his claim of "wantin' ta be with th' birds" seemed to make sense -- so much so, in fact, that the guild of carpenters (with whom Stoot maintained a friendly competition for several years) volunteered to build a staircase, free of charge, along the southern cliff face so that Stoot could come and go from his new home without risking life and limb. For 15 years, Stoot lived on the island. His trips to town grew less and less frequent, making it something of an event when he chose a building to host a new Stoot.
Sandpoint was no stranger to crime, or even to murder. Once or twice in a year, passions flared, robberies went bad, jealousy grew too much to bear, or one too many drinks were drunk, and someone would end up dead. But when bodies began mount, about 5 years ago, the town initially had no idea how to react. Sandpoint's sheriff at the tiem was a no-nonsense lawman named Casp Avertin, a retired city watch officer from Magnimar. Yet even he was ill-prepared for the murderer who came to be known as Chopper. Over the course of one long month, it seems that every day brought a new victim to light. Each was found in the same terrible state: body bearing deep cuts to the neck and torso, hands and feet severed, and stacked nearby, and the eyes and tongue missing entirely, having been plucked crudely from each head.
Over the course of that terrible month, Chopper claimed 25 victims. His uncanny knack at eluding traps and pursuit quickly wore on the town guard, taking a toll on Sheriff Avertin in particular, who increasingly took to drinking. In any event, Sheriff Avertin himself became Chopper's last victim, slain upon catching the murderer in a narrow lane - now known as Chopper's Alley -- as he was mutilating his latest victim. In the battle that followed, Avertin landed a telling blow against the killer. When Belor Hemlock, current Sheriff, but then just a guardsman, found both bodies (Avertin's and the penultimate victim) several minutes later, he ralled the guards and they were able to follow the killer's bloody trail.
The trail led right to the stairs of Stoot's Rock.
At first, the town guard refused to believe the implications, and feared Chopper had come to claim poor Jervis Stoot as his 26th victim. Yet what the guards found in the modest home atop the isle and in the larger complex of rooms carved below left no room for doubt. Jervis Stoot and Chopper were one and the same, and the eyes and tongues of all 25 vicitms were found upon a horrific altar to a vile demon lord of winged creatures and temptation whose name none dared speak aloud. Stoot himself was found dead at the base of the altar, having plucked out his own eyes and tongue in a final offering. The guards collapsed the entrance to the lower chambers, burned Stoot's house tore down the altar, and did their best to forget what they had seen. Stoot himself was burned on the beach in a pyre, his ashes blessed by old Father Tobyn and then scattered in an attempt to stave off a return of his unholy spirit.
Now all that remains of the once loved Stoot carvings are ragged scars on buildings and figureheads where owners used hatchets to remove what had become haunting memories of the wolf in the fold.
When he finishes, he pours the angelic girl another drink. "It is all true, I swear by my grandfather's beard. Now, go enjoy the show and have something to smile about. My lady will play for you soon." He motions to the Tien woman who is flirting with Alesta's new bodyguard.
Darnak, Ahdak, and Nadine
Hannah pauses for a moment as Darnak corrects her and Ahdak speaks his wise words. "Well it looks natural enough from where I stand. If we are not all friends when this night ends, then I take full blame." She gives a small bow, and leads you into the heavily scented and quickly filling inn.
Walking with the natural grace of her people, she weaves through the tables to the back where a grizzled older man sits chatting with a girl in a hood.
Hannah introduces the man, slipping an intimate arm around his waist as he rises to greet you. "Gentleman, may I introduce my friend Daviren Hosk. Everyone calls him Davy, and you should too. There is no finer man in all of Sandpoint." She stands on tiptoe and kisses his stubble-covered cheek. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your companion, Davy." She proffers her hand to Nadine, looking the girl over with pale blue, but very perceptive eyes.
Hosk pushes his chair back with skid and stands with a grunt. His features are hard and blunt. His stubble like iron spikes and the scar down his face casting his features into a squint. "Well meet, boyos. Well met!" he says amiably enough. "I sae you've a'ready met t'lovliest lass in aull o' Sandpoint. Tae bad fer yae, she's a'ready taken, eh?" he laughs long and loud and offers you seats at the table.
Morris, the serving halfling, appears with more bowls and soon all are served piping hot venison stew and trenchers of savory bread, along with the libation of choice. The food is well-prepared and seasoned with exotic and unknown spices, making each bite an adventure.
Baldek
Taking seat in the back, Baldek watches an elven woman lead another dwarf and a half-orc to their table, where a grizzled veteran sits with a young girl wearing a dark hood.
Odd grouping, that, he thinks but then realizes he likely makes an even odder sight, with his finely tailored clothes and messed hair and unkempt beard. The serious scar around his neck must also attract some attention.
Calling for service, he is answered by the halfling hostess, Bethany. "Master Dwarf, it is my pleasure to welcome to you to the Dragon. What is your wish, sir? Dinner, a room for the night, or..." she says sniffing, but politely as ever, "...a nice hot bath? Why not all three?And look, my lady is about to play for us. You should stay for that, sir. It is an exceptional treat."
She inclines her head to the table in front of you, where a tall, slender Tien woman stands speaking suggestively to a large man. She winks at the man, and Baldek can see the mischief in her eyes from where he sits. "Here is someone worth knowing," he says aloud, even as the halfling woman stands waiting on his order.
Sarvo
Startled a bit, Karl turns and sees a lovely Tien woman looking at him with mirth in her dark brown eyes. "You look like someone who knows their way around a blade. Tell me a story, sir, one worth of a song, and I will see that your accommodations tonight are on the house."
A dragon tattoo covers her bare shoulder, and a strangely shaped stringed instrument is slung on her back. You can see the hilt of a well-made knife sticking from the top of her boot, and manner and form are easy going and relaxed.
"You bring the pretty one in here," she asks tossing her thumb back over her shoulder at where Alesta sits engaged in talk with the barman. "She doesn't look your type. I expected someone more...rough." she gives a playful wink and waits your response with raised eyebrows.
Expectations are funny things. Like houses made of cards; you build them based on what you believe will hold and remain steady...but despite all you believe and hope will hold true, sometimes these cards will fall apart, but it isn't always a bad thing when the fragile walls of expectation come tumbling down.
Karl had thought of many people who could seek his attention in such a way; an angry drunk, a thug, he even wouldn't have been surprised if it was someone from the past he sought to avoid. Not the woman he had unintentionally stared at though. Once more scenarios began building into his Head as to what she was here for, most of them ending in a not so pleasant way for himself, yet no matter how logical they seemed they crumbled as quickly as his previously built grim assumptions.
A low chortle escaped the bounty hunter, the beauty that stood before him had completely dashed all his guesses to pieces but all her own were on target "Quite the eyes you have, perceptive and pretty" Half of a smile came over his stubble ridden face "I'd best confess everything now, if I wait any longer you'd probably guess what my mother used to call me" Karl sat up a little straighter and placed both of his hands on the table, his grey eyes remaining on the flute player.
"Women like her usually avoid people like me, but business doesn't much care for types" He paused and shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to further increase the comfort of his seat "And yes blades and I have been friends for a number of years, and this relationship of ours lead to me being a part of a couple of interesting stories" His right hand covered his right and his smile grew slightly "Now I'd tell you to sit down as I tell one of them but it would be strange inviting someone to sit when they own the place" This time Karl let his guess fly out of his mouth, as he believed no one but one of the owners of this place could offer him a room for a tale.
Ahdak follows Hannah to the table, studying its occupants with his characteristically stolid manner. He bows as the man stands, replying, "Greetings, Davy Hosk. I am Ahdak, Shoanti of the Lyrune-Quah. May the whispers of the wind remember this meeting fondly."
Davy's joke doesn't seem to register for the half-orc as he takes his seat, not even cracking a smile. Noctua, who had been sitting patiently on his shoulder through the events of the day, flapped her wings in aggravation as her perch is disrupted. Finally settled in his seat, the owl back in her place, Ahdak replies, "If I have implied by action that I wished to court Hannah Vallertin, then I apologize for the misconception. Your ways here are unknown to me, so it was through ignorance and not intent. I gather that you and she are husband and wife?"
Ahdak samples the stew that is served, savoring the complex seasonings that enriched it. He eats slowly and with care, watching the room when he is not conversing with his newly found companions.
Darnak gives a slight grin at the boisterous man as he takes a seat. He then looks over to the hooded woman and nods in greeting. He next turns his attention to the half-orc, looking at him through narrowed eyes, confused a moment at his response until it's obvious he doesn't understand the man's intention. "No, Ahdak, he's not implyin' yer after his lass - he's just usin' a bit o' humor."
As the food arrives, Darnak doesn't hesitate to eat heartily.
Sarvo
The woman laughs at the situation, a merry little laugh. "Now I would like to sit and hear that story, but for now, I have a show to do. A girl has to pay the bills somehow. I'll be back for it though." She winks again and carries her lithe form through the crowd, stopping at a few tables to chat, on her way to the stage.
"My mistress has that effect on people, mostly men." says the hostess Bethany suddenly from your shoulder. "She really is the best, you know, our Miss Ameiko." She delivers your meal and a key to the rooms above.
"I'll be here" Like a pleasent mirage the meeting with the eye catching owner of the dragon ended swiftly, but if Karl had learned one thing from his life it's to enjoy such moments even if they were fleeting, for there was no telling if there would be more in the near future.
"You won't hear an argument from me, it's not easy keeping a place like this running smoothly" He replied to Bethany as he leaned back in his chair. He looked towards his employer to insure she was still safe and then turned towards where the latest show would be held. He would allow himself some respite, for now at least, after all he doubted everything would come crashing down if he let his guard down on such rare occasions...but then he remembered how right he'd been lately and a small wry grin appeared on his face before dissolving into a straight line of neutrality.
Alesta listened intently as the barkeep told her the reasoning behind the hacked off decorations. She had known it was probably something bad, but not that bad.
When he had finished, the aasimar was a bit nervous now.
Well...that's something. I had no idea something like that had happened here. I'll...do what you said and enjoy the evening. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and satisfy my curiosity, sir.
Alesta then went over to where Karl was and sat down. She then greeted the Tian woman.
{b]Hello ma'am, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Alesta,[/b] she said, in her melodic voice.
Surrounded by so many new people, Nadine slowly becomes overwhelmed. Nice to meet you she says nervously, shaking Hannah's hand. I am called Nadine. The staring was not helping.
The arrival of the food offers Nadine a chance to look away, and it is only when the food is in front of her does she realize: she is famished. Nadine attacks the food with vigor, just barely keeping up manners. She listens in on the conversation around her, hoping to glean something useful.
Nadine, Ahdak, and Darnak
Davy laughs harder at the half-orc's misunderstanding of his joke, until Hannah elbows him in the ribs, and gets him to stop. The meal is served and engaging conversation is had among those at the table. It is apparent, if not obvious already, that Hannah is a cleric of Gozreh, god/goddess of nature. She talks about tending her herb garden which she uses to mix and make poultices, potions, and other herb arrangements for simple healing for the people of Sandpoint. She is a very engaging hostess for dinner, and her merry tinkle of a laugh mixes nicely with Davy's more hearty and boisterous humor.
"The festival brings all sorts to town," says Hannah. "I think you will quite enjoy it. And the new cathedral is simply breathtaking. Old Lonjiku has quite outdone himself with those windows."
"Did I hear someone mention my father," says the Tien woman, approaching the table on her way to the stage. "Please tell me I misunderstood. We wouldn't want him raining on our parade today, would we?" The lady's playfulness belies her words and it is apparent she is (mostly) joking about her father.
Davy stands and hugs the newcomer, and introduces her to the table. "Yae 'ave t'pleasure o' meetin' t'finest innkeeper t'is side o'Abasaloom, Lady Ameiko Kaijitsu. An' quite an entertainer, t'boot."
"I don't know about all that," says Ameiko demurely. "I can only say it is a pleasure that you have come to spend time with us, and hopefully, you will come again as friends to the Dragon. Now, I really must take to the stage!"
Baldek
Bethany looks at the dwarf, scolding. "Come to the Festival with no money? Come to the inn without coin for supper? The nerve..." she stops herself in mid-sentence and a light dawns on her little face. "Perhaps there is an arrangement we could come to, yes..."
She straightens and looks the dwarf squarely in the face. "Are you a drunkard or a troublemaker? That mark around your neck suggests something untoward about you. Out with it, sir. Tell true, my lady will know if you are lying."
She taps her foot impatiently as she awaits your response.
Alesta
Lars finishes the tail about Chopper and the lost sheriff and takes a shot of whiskey himself. "Many bad thinks happened at Sandpoint, miss. But Lars think they are now all done. Better times!" he pours them both another drink and toasts as he says the last words.
Then, his eyes a bit glazed from the drink, he leans close to Alesta and whispers, "Now fraulein, maybe you vill help Lars, ja? Girl can spare one lock of angel's hair for new friend Lars?" He motions to her feathery hair and checks to make sure no one is listening.
"Lars rheumatize bad vhen cold comes. Angel's hair help pain. Vill girl share one lock?" He shows his knotted knuckles which are red and swollen with arthritis and smiles at Alesta, the large gap in his teeth almost laughable.
Later, at the table, Ameiko shakes hands with Alesta but she is quick to depart, heading for the stage and making a few rounds with her patrons.
To ALL
Soon after visiting with some of the tables in the inn, Ameiko takes the small stage, the lights accentuating her exotic beauty. Her gown of silk is form-fitting on her lithe body and has a motif of three cranes flying.
Her sleeveless arm has a scrawling tattoo of an oriental dragon along its length, and her dark hair seems to ripple in the stagelights as her eyes sparkle.
"Welcome friends to the Rusty Dragon. I trust the accommodations are to your liking. We hope to see all of you at our booth in the churchyard tomorrow, where we will be serving curry crusted salmon and offering free ale to the masses." A small cheer interrupts her, and she quiets the crowd, her smile disarming. "I will start with some songs from my homeland, Tian Xia, and then perhaps play some things more to your liking."
She takes the strange stringed instrument and tunes it a bit, the chords sounding like a more resonant version of a lute or mandola. She begins singing sofly at first in an exotic language, and while the words are strange and the music a bit discordant to your ears, the story it tells is self-evident. The longing and ache for home, a home far away impossible to return to is what she sings of. The crowd sits in mute astonishment, captivated by the simple melody and the stirring words. A single tear runs from Ameiko's luminous eyes, as she sings the final notes, which she wipes away quickly.
After re-tuning the stringed instrument, she plays a few more songs, a few slow love songs at first but ending up, as all good performers do, with the upbeat and popular stuff that has the crowd clapping and singing along.
Finally, with a flourish, she finishes. Stands exultant in the applause that follows, and takes a deep bow. While still saluted by the audience, she exits the stage and disappears quickly into a backroom.
When the barkeep asked for a lock of her feathery hair for his ailments, she didn't know whether to laugh, sigh in dismay, or do both. Instead she simply replied, I'm afraid my hair doesn't work that way, and I'm not descended from angels, but from the azatas. Specifically the lillends, who are skilled musicians and lovers of the arts. Of course if you wish you could pray to the empyreal lords, such as Zohls the empyreal lord of knowledge and discovery. I worship her.
While she was a bit embarrassed about the feathery hair thing she was more insulted by the confusion of her being descended from angels and not azatas. This had never been a problem while she was growing up. Of course she was raised in a wizard's academy so people were much more educated than the general public in regards to the various denizens of the planes.
After meeting Ameiko she listened to the owner's performance and began to wonder if the two of them could trade songs with each other.
There sat Sarvo, for all intents a purposes a man watching and listening with an unreadable straight line on his face and an equally cryptic stare, but should someone pay attention to him or happen to look his way at the right time, they'd notice a hint of melancholy invading his mostly neutral gze but then it would be gone as quick as it came. Each time a memory threatened to break through through the ground of his psyche he'd bury it, each time an image of his past whether joyful or tragic would appear before his mind's eye he'd blind himself to it, and whenever the phantoms of the people from his past crept up from behind he'd brush past them, and for all that mental activity, there was only a simple physical response; Karl placed his clenched hands in front of his lips and continued staring onward.
Then it came to an end, the re-tuning of the instrument the only trace of it's existence...along with the various expressions on the faces of those who listened. The sellsword released a quiet sigh and leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, both relief and longing bubbling inside him but never quite making it to the surface. The more romantic songs came next, but Karl's posture saw no change, he considered getting up and leaving to his room but he for some reason he never did...it almost felt like the dragon was pinning him down while it's mistress continued drowning them with her sweet melodies.
When the show came to an end Karl sat up a little straighter and clapped with the crowd. He had almost forgotten about the dinner that was placed before him, and while it wasn't as warm as he'd like he ate like he'd not done so in ages Either her or my 'employer' will end up killing me, I can feel it...
Alesta
Lars growls some unintelligible reply when you decline to give him a lock of feathery hair. He grumbles in his beard, and turns his back on you working to clean some of the earthenware mugs and bowls for the next round.
The performance by Lady Ameiko puts it out of your mind, however. '
Morris, the halfling porter, offers to take your bags to your room, which Karl has arranged.
Baldek
Bethany looks a bit put out with you, but eventually she relents. "Very well, beggars can't be choosers, and all the local help is already hired out for the Festival. You heard Lady Ameiko, we have a booth to run at the Festival tomorrow. You can have free board tonight in exchange for working the booth tomorrow. We'll need someone to help prepare and transport the food, and then work to hand it out. Can you do that?"
She snaps at you like you already work for her. "And you'll have to get your own bag and draw your own bath. Morris has to work for the paying customers, you understand."
"Be ready at 5AM, and you better not smell like liquor or I'll have the sheriff arrest you on the spot!"
She turns on her heel sharply and goes back to taking care of her guests, her pleasant manner returning as she refills drinks and carries away plates.
Alesta sighs and before thanking Morris, she takes a few of her feathers and places them on the bar. She then left the name of an elven professor at the wizard's academy she studied at (not to mention grew up in) who was an expert in the celestial planes if the barkeep had any more questions. She hoped that the professor would educate Lars in the differences between celestial beings and the fact that their hair did not cure common ailments!
She then thanked Morris for taking her bags to her room, handing him two coins, one silver the other copper.
Sarvo
It is not long before Ameiko returns from the back, dressed more causally this time in leather breeches and a cloth work shirt. She still flits around from table to table making comments, sharing a joke, and making sure everyone is enjoying themselves. Occasionally your eyes meet across the smoke-filled room, and she tips you a wink or a smile - a silent promise to come back to see you.
Finally, she strolls over carrying an earthen mug of ale for herslef, and a potent refill of whatever you are drinking.
"So big handsome, tell me that story now. Hopefully, it'll be worth your while..."
"Just remember your the one who asked" Karl gave Ameiko half a grin, causing part of his row of teeth to reveal itself "I hope you've been part of an audience before it isn't as easy as I make it look"
"But let's get to the story before you throw the ale in my face..." He pushed his empty plates aside and placed his right elbow on the table, his eyes looking to be somewhere in between memory and consideration "Yes you can throw it at me after, just promise you'll leave my pride alone last I checked I didn't have much left" He said suddenly his expression still unchanged.
In a moment the bounty hunter looked towards his "audience", shifting his chair slightly "People at Riddleport love to gamble, I don't know what is it about that place that puts a desire in a man to part with his coin. The owners of the gambling houses not only know this...they also love to relieve those who just can't stand keeping gold in their pockets" Sarvo put his hand on the table and tapped lightly.
"But it's hardly that simple, you see you have your fools, you have those who rob the fools blind...and then you have those who rob them both, like the star of our story Calken the Card King or so he liked to call himself, a witty halting who was too brave for his own good" Sarvo paused and took a quick swig of his mug.
"While some gambling houses banned him others welcomed him cause what he cost them in winning he made up for in gathering a crowd of easy marks, seemed like a good life for him and I didn't see how he could mess it up, but then he decided to con a friend of somebody who knew somebody, it took guts and very little brains" Karl gave his single listener a roguish smile "So he got a bounty on his head that's where I and a dozen other bounty hunters came in, then of course there was an army of thugs all looking to make a coin, old gambling rivals looking to settle a score...I even remember a group of kids joining the man hunt. Yes our hero didn't have many friends"
"So the hunt began. After three days I found our card king trying to pass himself off as an old man. I tried to sneak up behind him and grab him but he ran and so our merry chase through Riddleport started" Once more Karl paused and drank from his mug "We ran on roofs I crashed through some, still I knew the alleyways better so I was able to catch up and finally I cornered him at a rickety pier...he had a choice capture or the sea, or so I thought before someone interrupted"
"He was a pirate or so he kept saying. Billy Bones he called himself...along with titles and claims I didn't give much mind to. He wanted our hero dead, I needed him alive for the bounty and so it didn't take long for ours hands to find our blades" Karl pointed at thin air "He tried to poke at me with his rapier and I tried to chop him down to size or his ego I really didn't care which, and poor Calken? He tried to run many times but each time he doubled back when he had one too many close calls with our wild swings and stabs"
Sarvo
As Sarvo recounts his harrowing tail in Riddleport, Ameiko looks on captivated. You can see her memorizing the details so she can use the story for herself, perhaps changing the details a bit.
It comes as interruption then, when Bethany comes to the table, and commands her mistress' attention. The halfling hostess stands on tiptoe and whispers something in Ameiko's ear, and the innkeeper's eyes go wide.
"What? Here? Now!?!" she only takes a moment to regain her composure, and grabs Sarvo's free hand coolly. "As much as I was enjoying the story, I really have pressing business to attend to now. I hate the interruption, but it cant' be helped. If you'll excuse me, its a business deal, you understand."
Ahdak's face remains stoic, but a red-brown stain flushes his forehead as he takes a seat. The owl on his shoulder hoots and nibbles on his ear, seemingly teasing the orc. The half-orc ignores the distraction, saying, "I increasingly find that the stories my people tell of you are both apt and wildly exaggerated. Your passions had been likened to a wildfire, flitting one way and then another wildly and out of control only to die and be reborn again. I hope you take no offence, it simply seems I have much to learn. Perhaps these lessons are part of the spirits plans for me."
Before anyone can ask him further questions about what he meant, Ameiko's abrupt arrival draws the groups undivided attention. Ahdak studies her tattoos with particular curiousity, wondering at their significance to the innkeeper. He stands, bowing stiffly and offering an awkward hand, "Greetings be upon you, Homewarden. I am blessed to be beneath your t-ten... roof tonight." Ahdak watches her slip away, retaking his seat and surprisingly entranced by the woman. I have seen no other with skin and face quite like her. She mentioned a father, so perhaps she is not so much an outsider as I might otherwise be lead to believe. He listens to her playing, the words themselves having no meaning to him, but he finds himself deeply moved nonetheless. She is an odd one, this Ameiko Keijitsu. She has a home here, but doesn't seem to be of this land and this song makes it clear that she longs for somewhere else. Perhaps there is a story there that I may learn in time.
The shaman's reverie is broken by a gruff, broken voice asking about an owl. Blinking a few times, and embarrassed to find he had been slipping into a trance, Ahdak sizes up the dwarf who was addressing him. The juxtaposition of the dwarf's finery and his unkempt (and ripe) state were another curiosity in a town full of them, but he replies regardless, "Her name is Noctua. I believe you are the first to ask of her since I have arrived in Sandpoint. Be that due to the lack of oddity or some other reason, I do not know. She is a companion who has joined me in my travels. I am Ahdak, Shoanti of the Lyrune Quah. Be received, stranger." He offers his hand to shake, the motion awkwardly stiff.
As the newcomer dwarf asks about Ahdak's owl, Darnak glances in that direction a moment before turning back to Davy. "So, Davy, are ya also from here? You don't strike me as a man who keeps ta one place."
"Trust me I do" He gives the owner of the dragon a nod.
Karl watched as she left in silence Business comes first eh? I like her more already He said to himself as he turned around to see a dwarf and a half-orc with an owl perched on his shoulder Doesn't look like a performer, seen some strange pets in Riddleport but it was mostly with pirates and he doesn't look or act like one The well-armed man continued looking in the direction of the feathered animal in a casual manner.
While Ameiko performs, Nadine pauses her eating and sits with rapt attention. She had always been a fan of the performing arts, especially singing, as a good song can make even strangers act as brothers. When it was over, Nadine applauded along with the rest, making sure to not jostle her hood too much. Afterwards, she returned to annihilating what was left of her food.
When she was finished, Nadine took a moment to size up her group. Not sure as of yet what to think, Nadine turned to the safe choice.
So Davy...does Sandpoint have a post office?
Ahdak retracts his offered hand, wondering if he had done something wrong in the ritualistic greeting. I must make further observations, perhaps there is something I must say differently or do differently. He voices none of his concerns as the inquisitive dwarf continues the seeming barrage of questions. He bows again, saying without the slightest hint of sarcasm, "You are welcome. You are correct that I have been swept far from my home, but it seems that you have been swept farther yet. What is your name, stranger, so that I may address you properly?"
Ahdak isn't sure what the unusually mangy dwarf means by 'going native', but he passes over the point to happily speak of his people. "I am of the Shoanti, yes, and of the Lyrune-Quah. We do not fight freedom for we have it now. There are those among the Quahs who claim we will never be free while our ancestral lands are plagued by the interlopers, but I do not claim to be one such. Their blood burns with a fire that is all-consuming."
The shaman pauses a moment, a momentary trace of frustration gracing his face before he can mask it. "Forgive me, but it is an old argument that I will repeat here. For myself, I hold that we are free now. Not even my grandfather's grandfather would remember walking the land around Mashka-saht-puyuhoke where we first fought the Cheliaxians. With no memory of the land, by what right do we seek to claim it as our? Instead, we have made a new home, harsher perhaps but befitting our strength and wisdom, in the Storval Plateau. I still hold anger for the Cheliaxian kings and queens who have stolen my people's land, but there is no wisdom in fighting for a figment of a memory."
"Nice to see the Chelaxian kings and queens are still bloody popular, even when we are so far from the empire" The wry interjection of the bounty hunter came from beyond the table where the conversation was held. The word "empire" spoken with such mockery that one would take it as more of an insult than anything else.
"Well as far as I am concerned they earned whatever anger or hate is thrown at them. Better things in the world to spend what little sympathy I've have on than a bunch of royals who never did me any favors" The Korvosan snorted "Unless you count all the dirty looks I got from Shoanti mercs, traders and even kids as a favor...even got in a couple of scraps because of that and I don't know about anyone here but I'd like to get paid if I have to end up spilling blood or cracking a skull"
"Handful of places where they are" Karl looked to the dwarf "Too bad hate can't bring down castle walls" He continued, a low laugh following his words not long after.
"Be received then, Baldek." Ahdak allows his hand to be shook vigorously by the excitable dwarf. When he finally extricates it from Baldek's grasp, he holds his hands behind his back, perhaps hiding them lest others seek to invoke the strange greeting.
The shaman looks over in surprise as the rough-looking man interjects. Ahdak eyes his granite-chiseled features and finds himself thinking that they betray a heart hardened by time. He nods, "On this we are agreed, there are better directions in which our energy is to be directed. As water flowing through rocks, in time it will carve a new path despite any obstacles. The tales I hear of Cheliax chill my blood, but perhaps these are simply more tales to frighten children. I have heard Baldek's name, but you have not given yours. I am Ahdak, Shoanti of the Lyrune-Quah."
Karl leaned back in his seat and turned his face in the direction of the half-orc "Karl Sarvo, bounty hunter, mercenary and bodyguard" The half-smile on his facade was still holding strong "Also a frequent free-loader at inns...to the happiness or chagrin of the people who run them"