"So, Arwen, where's a good spot in this town for a minstrel to ply his trade?"
"Aye, here it is! Ye never did give us anythin' ta'e drink though, Sheriff?"
Gryndar hands the parka over to Oswald, hoping for some grog in return.
|
Ausk slips in behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her. "I thought I heard you say something," he says. "You made me dinner? Hell, Koriah, I could've been gone a day longer. But I appreciate the faith in me."
Kissing the back of her neck once, he disengages. "I prob'ly smell like the back side of a mule. Lemme wash up and I'll be right back out, hear? Y'kin tell me about your day and I'll tell you about the hordes of swarming orcs and our he-roic rescue."
Retreating into the bedroom, he quickly changes. Was he really one of the only people who hadn't gotten wounded? Normally it was the other way around. He couldn't remember if it was the cleric that healed him or just luck itself, but either way, he thanked the Lord in Iron he'd made it through without having to take a blade to his chest. Not like Gryndar-- who came hair's breath from meeting his maker.
Returning, he asks her about her day first, insisting she sit down while he prepare whatever else she had left-- the woman only has one leg, for Gorum's sake, and if he could get her off it for a few minutes he'd have done enough. Sitting down and picking through her food with the same practiced stoicism it would take a Zon-Kuthonite to cut himself without bleeding, Ausk regales her with a slightly embellished but mostly truthful account of the events of the last two days-- including the dead trolls, the goblin dogs, the talking eagle, the orc shaman, the haughty noble and the dead boy.
Jethro, you don't know exactly who spoke what you heard.
Ausk, your conversation with your wife is utterly normal - she mentions nothing unusual to you.
"Ooo! Whut is it ye play? Or is ye more an ensemble type o' performer?" Sunny asks Jethro brightly.
The inn in the evening, Sunday after mass in front of the church and the town square before diner i would say. he replied to Jethro
Jethro smiled at Suny. "My favorite instrument is the lute. While I admit I'm not very good at it, this doesn't look like a particularly harsh town, and I'm sure a little music to lift the spirits of the locals will not be taken amiss. Do you sing at all? Perhaps I could entice you to join me?" He turned to Arwen. "I'll try that, then. Maybe in the inn tonight."
"So, what happened at the office? Did the boss sack us all for conduct-unbecoming and inciting-a-riot?"
Suny luaghs, "Nah, I dun't sing a'tall." As she happily sips at her serving of Rum.
"I be more'n happy ta' listen an' watch ye go about it." She adds encouragingly, looking around as she awaits the food they've ordered to arrive.
"I'll also be lookin' forward to a bathin'..an' a sleepin' in'a nice bed fer tonight." She adds with a sigh as she thinks of finally relaxing after the last few days. She waves as Caln joins them.
She smiles leaning closer to the fellow, "Here, be somat tha' matter?" She asks quietly of him, picking up some level of his distress.
I wrote my report the Sheriff can look at it whenever he wants to, after all this is sunday. replied arwen to Jethro
"Well, I'll not worry about it, then. Monday's soon enough to be unemployed again. Oh, good afternoon, Caln. Help yourself to a mug, and relax. Anything up?" Jethro pushed the nearly-full pitcher of beer across the table.
At the Inn: Those of you enjoying your drinks and food hear an argument brewing at one of the tables. The bartender is looking in their direction every so often, trying not to look nervous. If any of you listen in for a few moments, you mostly hear insults thrown at each other at first, and then accusations of cheating by holding cards (they appear to be playing a form of poker). Meanwhile, you see staff of the Inn beginning to clear away unused gaming tables from a section of floor near the back. You remember that a large soiree was being hosted tonight, a dance with music provided by a group of traveling bards. The general atmosphere of the inn is getting livelier.
At the Sheriff's house: Oswald's face goes grey somewhat when you hand the parka over to him. He immediately turns and, carrying the parka, enters his house. A portly looking gentleman who was seated in one of the lawn chairs stands and approaches the grill. "Wonder what got into him!" he says good-naturedly, throwing his thumb over his shoulder and winking at the ladies present. He flips over some of the burgers and sets down the spatula. Wiping his large hands on the front of his shirt, he approaches Marco. "Pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Dervish of the Pit," he says, in a lower voice. His expression is grim, and serious.
"You and I should talk sometime, privately. Name's Torkhan. I'm from Varisia, and I remember you. Find me at the trinkets store next to the blacksmith on the north side of town." In a regular voice, he addresses both of you. "Good to see that our town's being protected by deputies so able, am I right?" a tall, skinny man with large, round glasses nods silently.
Oswald returns from inside the house, empty-handed. He pulls Marco and Gryndar aside. "Thank you for bringing that to me, you two. You did well. I'll be calling the field team together first thing tomorrow morning at the Tributory Building - make sure everyone knows." You both know where Ausk lives, having been deputies in town for some time already. "In the meantime," he continues, "There's a dance at the Inn near the center of town tonight. Should be a big shindig. There's usually some trouble at gatherings like those in Freedom Town. I'd like the two of you to help with security."
At Ausk's house: You hear three loud, authoritative knocks on the front door.
Marco stares deeply directly into the eyes of the man as he proclaims to know him and mentions his pit fighting name. when the Sheriff returns he simply nods to the portly fellow, then turns his attention to the Sheriff.
Yes, sir, we will head over to the inn then, and we shall see you tomorrow morning at the Tributory Building.
He gathers himself, waves and smiles at those in attendance, then looks to Gryndar.
Come friend, we have news to convey at the Inn.
Upon reaching the establishment, Marco immediately approaches his fellow deputies.
Gather 'round all, I have news from the Boss. Gryndar and I paid him a visit at his home, and we were given assignments as well as thanks for our work against the Orcs. He asked that Gryndar and I actually work tonight as security for the goings on at the Inn. More importantly, Mr. Sullivan passed away, and the Sheriff has claimed his handsome house in the center of town. It will be the headquarters for all of us, the deputies of Freedom Town. Finally, we are all asked to meet at the Tributory Building in the morning. Did I miss anythin', Gryndar?
She waves as Caln joins them.
She smiles leaning closer to the fellow, "Here, be somat tha' matter?" She asks quietly of him, picking up some level of his distress.
Caln keeps his voice low and leans in to talk directly to Suny "Aye, Suny something is the matter. You're very perceptive. I've had a very odd encounter that I cannot stop thinking about. I'd rather not talk about it here where the conversation could be overheard."
Suny nods at Caln's reply, reaching out and patting him on the arm, then becomes distracted as Marco ambles up to their table and explains the developments with his visit to the Sheriff.
"Aye, that do sound naffy." She tilts her head slightly, "After, perhaps, ye can show me from a window which place that is we's bin offered ta' stay at." She grins,
"Might see about gettin' some of m'shine back off tha' proprietor here abouts." She muses, then as her thoughts turn towards such matters her gaze falls upon the folks moving furniture.
She nods to those gathered at the table, finishes her rum thence hops off her chair and bounces and skips over to offer her help with moving the furniture.
(^_^)
(^_^)
Upon reaching the establishment, Marco immediately approaches his fellow deputies.
Gather 'round all, I have news from the Boss. Gryndar and I paid him a visit at his home, and we were given assignments as well as thanks for our work against the Orcs. He asked that Gryndar and I actually work tonight as security for the goings on at the Inn. More importantly, Mr. Sullivan passed away, and the Sheriff has claimed his handsome house in the center of town. It will be the headquarters for all of us, the deputies of Freedom Town. Finally, we are all asked to meet at the Tributory Building in the morning. Did I miss anythin', Gryndar?
The distraction in Caln's eyes clear briefly as he listens to Marco. "That's good news about a permanent barracks. I think I will head there now and take a look. I'm going to claim a room for a small chapel to Pharasma. I will sleep in the same room." Caln shares the plan with the other deputies. "Does anyone need healing before I leave for the night."
Jethro passes another mug over to Marco. "Free lodging, huh? Which one's the Sullivan house, and are we going to need to go buy bedding and whatnot?"
"I'll probably hang around here tonight listening to the music, so if trouble breaks out, I'll happily watch and cheer you on." He grins. "You know how useful I am in a brawl."
Ausk: When you ask who it is, a loud, confident male voice asks, "Is this the residence of..." you hear a trace of scorn enter his voice, "Senior Deputy Ausk Gunn?" After a pause, or after you respond, he states: "I am Legionnaire Carrow, bearing a message from Vigil." If you open your door, is who is standing before your door. His helmet is off and his polearm is on his back, and he has a grim expression on his face and a scroll in his hand. He has two similarly-armored bruisers flanking him with their arms crossed over their breastplates.
At the Inn: The locals working the Inn who were moving furniture are pleasantly surprised by the comely elf lass who comes over to assist them. Some of them get a little handsy "by accident", as uncouth men will when a beautiful woman puts herself in their midst. Indeed, some of them try to chat her up instead of continuing work, which earns them a scream or two from the manager of the Inn. By the stage, Suny, you see two elves among the traveling minstrel group who are tuning their instruments near the stage. In total, the group consists of two elves, two humans, and most strangely, a dwarf, on drums.
Meanwhile, most of the games of chance are winding down, with a few dedicated tables still playing intricate and complicated games of cards scattered here and there in the seating area. A more gentle crowd is replacing them for the night of music and dancing, and a piano is rolled out of the back room. The player, a thin man with weathered features, sits down and begins playing a lively rag.
At the Inn: Suny laughs and smiles as she helps, trying to not really let this new attention from the other workers/helpers slow things down as every one continues to get ready for the evening.
In time she'll gravitate to the band' group, introduce herself and begin talking quietly to the other Elves. (^_^) Suny herself seems quite keen and interested in participating in/with the coming evening's festivities.
Gryndar, I will watch the door.
Cole assumes a position, quite commonplace to him from his days in Varisia. He stands just inside the front door with his well-muscled and exposed arms crossed before him and a scowl on his face. His badge is clearly exposed for all to see.
Caln makes his way to the new deputies barracks. One he arrives at the empty house he lets himself in and looks around. Locating the smallest empty room, he spreads his bedroll and checks his equipment for the next day. Once that is completed, he kneels on the floor and begins his prayers to Pharasma. He asks for guidance in determining what he should do next and who he could trust.
Caln: The house is a two-story rancher, with an entryway that dominates much of the first floor. There's a table on the entryway, with a note scrawled in Oswald's distinctive crabbed handwriting that you recognize from the papers on his desk. It reads that the former owner of the house had no heir (which you know already, since Gryndar told you) and so, the furniture is all staying with the house. Looking around, you can't muster up that much excitement for that fact - the furniture is clearly expensive in taste, but old and worn.
All the bedrooms are on the second floor. You find a small room on the far left on the first floor - judging from the racks and coat hangers, it was used as a walk-in closet. It fills your criteria for a repurposed shrine, however. As you pray, as always, you feel the cold and yet comforting knowledge of the Lady of Graves' awareness. She does not go so far as to give you direct guidance but you feel more sure of yourself whenever you align yourself with the wishes of Pharasma through prayer.
Suny: You easily and good-naturedly swat away the hands that are attempting "touch attacks" on you. The elves smile cautiously and wave when they see another of their species approach, and look up at you when you approach their chairs.
Dé almain, fallanath, the lutist, a male elf with black hair down to his shoulders, deep eyes, and a rapier on his belt says to you. Ano ayi sa iyo dito?
Ausk: You catch a faint curling of the nasal area on the Legionnaire's face when he sees you. It's a common reaction that you've seen all your adult life - you've come to think of it as the "Oh, it's a half-orc," face. He regains his placidity quickly, however, and holds out the scroll to you officiously. "The sheriff wasn't in...what passes for a lawman's office...when we went there. The rat - there's that brief expression again - refused to tell me where I could find Oswald, but told me that you might be able to deliver this message to him. Tell your sheriff that it's in his best interest not to ignore THIS correspondence." With that, the Legionnaire turns on his heel and starts walking away. You see that he's not heading in the direction of Ironfist's stables - instead, he and his men appear to be heading for Pepper's Fine Dining restaurant.
The missive appears to be written on fine vellum, wrapped in a red ribbon with a wax seal. Your ignorance of noble crests prevents you from understanding who the seal represents, but you do recognize the same symbol that you've seen on many of the letters in Oswald's office. The letters that are pinned to the wall by thrown daggers.
At the Inn: Suny smiles in return at the other fellow's comments.
She finishes helping move the furniture and settles in for now to enjoy the band's warming up and such. Suny does seem interested in joining in any dancing or such that might eventuate later in the evening. (^_^)
Caln: The house is a two-story rancher, with an entryway that dominates much of the first floor. There's a table on the entryway, with a note scrawled in Oswald's distinctive crabbed handwriting that you recognize from the papers on his desk. It reads that the former owner of the house had no heir (which you know already, since Gryndar told you) and so, the furniture is all staying with the house. Looking around, you can't muster up that much excitement for that fact - the furniture is clearly expensive in taste, but old and worn.
All the bedrooms are on the second floor. You find a small room on the far left on the first floor - judging from the racks and coat hangers, it was used as a walk-in closet. It fills your criteria for a repurposed shrine, however. As you pray, as always, you feel the cold and yet comforting knowledge of the Lady of Graves' awareness. She does not go so far as to give you direct guidance but you feel more sure of yourself whenever you align yourself with the wishes of Pharasma through prayer.
..
I still know not what to think of the mysterious stranger and the cryptic warnings but I do feel as if I am still on the ordained path
Caln spends the rest of the evening in his new room preparing himself for the next step on his journey
Arwen: Right when you turn your attention to the table, you see two men stand up as their argument gets more heated. You notice that Leonard Truffe, the tall owner of the inn, has begun to take notice and is keeping an eye on that table warily. You and him exchange glances, with the unspoken knowledge between you that something might go down. As the argument intensifies, the two men walk around their sides of the table and stand practically chest-to-chest, almost shouting at each other. The other patrons of the inn look around uncomfortably, but nobody seems to want to say or do anything.
Jethro: As you finish your ale, another is placed on the table in front of you. When you look up, you see the 15 year old bartender boy who took your orders before. "Compliments of the ladies down at the end of the bar," he says with a smile. Looking over at them, you see two buxom women, looking to be in their mid to late twenties, and one of them waves at you with her fingertips. One has long red hair down to her shoulders and a scandalously low cut dress, the other is a raven-haired beauty wearing a tunic and somehow making it look extremely feminine.
Suny: The male elf is dressed in simple, earthy colors, with a broach clasp holding his cloak closed in the shape of a baobab tree.
The other elf is a tall, slender female who carries a small wind instrument lightly in her fingers. Her dress is, in the manner of elves, utilitarian and beautiful at the same time, all reddish and black tones that seem to blend together as you look at it. You have your guesses as to what type of elf they are, but you can't be sure without asking them. If you do ask them, you learn that the male's name is Saturos, and the female's name Menardi. You only have a few moments to learn these things, and as you chatter happily in Elven with them, the dwarf and the two humans are getting ready. You see the humans singing warmups at each other... Do re mi fa sol la ti do! Do ti la sol fa mi re do. and so on. After too soon, Saturos tells you that it's time for him to go on stage with his band now. Menardi only speaks when addressed directly.
Caln: When you go to bed tonight, you find three bedrooms upstairs - a huge master bedroom with one large bed, and two smaller guest bedrooms with two beds each. There's also a couch in the sitting area you can choose to use as well, but it's fairly musty. In fact, most of the furniture in the house has that feeling of not being used in far too long.
Wherever you decide to sleep, you are troubled by dreams.
You have three nightmares that night. The first is being buried alive. You are lying on your back in an open grave, looking up at the night sky. Shadowy figures with evil smiles look down at you and begin shoveling in the dirt. You try to scream but can't even breathe properly.
In the second dream, you're on a battlefield. All around you, figures that you can't make out clearly are fighting and dying. As with the previous nightmare, you can't move or speak - you simply watch helplessly as the horrors of war unfold all around you.
The final dream is of fire. You stand next to the obelisk in the center of Freedom Town, only it's black and shot through with streaks of an angry red. You feel an incredible heat on your face and there are burning buildings all around you. Screaming people run around you, making you disoriented. Suddenly, you hear a dreadful noise above you, and you look up. The flaming breath of a dragon is the last thing you see before you awake in a cold sweat.
At the Inn:
Suny continues to chat with the Elven pair though, as the group begins to move up onto the stage she waves and drifts towards the commotion happening between the two shouting peoples. (^_^)
coming toward the 2 roosters arwen will use his full heigh and with a stron arm wrapped around each shouldersWhy don't you two head over the counter and call the game over. The barkeep will give you a drink on my account and you can each enjoy tonight's show in the conformt of this inn. Instead of a jail cell should you even try to fight. Now this does sound a good deal doesn't it?
When Arwen steps in against the two rowdy poker players, they grumble and give him mean looks, but they leave after collecting their free drinks.
Jethro and Suny are free to RP further with the NPCs who they're interacting with, but in the meantime we will skip forward in time. Nothing else troubles the evening, which is peaceful and enjoyable. Freedom Town teaches its inhabitants that life can end at any time, and so, they tend to party hard. Liquor flows like water.
We cut to the end of the dance. Happy dancers, flushed from all the mead and dancing both, are pairing off and walking away from the tavern, chatting happily. It all seems to be a quiet evening.
Suny will hang back with the entertainers after having danced up a storm. (^_^)
She's still quite interested in the other two Elves.
Arwen will retire for the evening also once the party is over
Caln awakes from his serious of horrible dreams. I must remember these dreams he thinks before sleep pulls him again from consciousness.
Jethro will basically spend the evening nursing drinks and listening to the music. (It's odd, for as sociable as he is, he's strangely impersonal....)
Jethro will basically spend the evening nursing drinks and listening to the music. (It's odd, for as sociable as he is, he's strangely impersonal....)
*Dancin' an' skippin' long in't tha' night* (^_^)
ZZZZzzzzZZ
Caln continues to toss and turn. This has been the longest night of my life. It seems like it has lasted a week.
As you sleep through the night, you can hear utter stillness. The cicadas and other insects that normally harmonize the nighttime hours did not make a sound all through the night until sunrise.
Sunrise comes, and you all - except Ausk, who is at his home - hear three knocks on the front door. It's about 6:30 AM, but everyone around here just calls it "sunrise."
Caln staggers down the stairs to the front door and opens it.
(^_^)
Yes, Suny - when I meant that everyone goes home to their beds, I meant to exclude you, as you stayed with the performers after the show. The dwarf and the human left the stage and went immediately to the houses of some locals that they knew, leaving their elf comrades with Suny. Elves, especially those of the bardic variety, tend to enjoy a good party, so you would've been along with them whatever they did. Even the stoic one from before warms up to you gradually over the course of the rest of the evening.
However, I would assume your character remembered that you do have somewhere to be for work the following morning. ^_^
Jethro rolls out of bed and wonders if he still has a job.
Arwen will wake up and be where he is supposed to be in the morning on time.