the current date is the 23rd of Rova. For 5 years the faithful of Sandpoint have worshiped their Deities in temporary structures after the previous temple burned to the ground in a mysterious fire. After years of hard work from the dedicated citizens of Sandpoint, the new temple is finally complete. All that remains is to renew the temples blessings from the gods at the Swallowtail Festival , and it will be as if the Sandpoint fire had never happened.
The Swallowtail Festival begins promptly as schedules on the Autumn Equinox. The square before the newly erected temple becomes crowded as locals and travellers arrive. Several merchant tents featuring food, cloths, crafts and souvenirs are prepared to meet the incoming crowd. Once a respectable turnout has arrived the opening speech takes place featuring four keynote speakers. The first to step up to the podium is an overly cheerful woman featuring a large smile.
MAYOR DEVERIN: “Welcome one and all to the Swallowtail Festival. For those of you who may not know me, I am Kendra Deverin, Mayor of Sandpoint. It’s good to see such a great turnout!.. Why I beleive i see that even Larz Rovanky, has managed to pull himself away from the Tannery to join us in celebration, getting that workaholic to have any fun at all is a great feat in and of itself!”
The residence of Sandpoint erupt into cheering and laughter at the joke. Everybody except for Larz that is.
” It should go without say that this year’s festival is very special to us as we celebrate the grand opening of or New Temple. As you all Know, 5 years ago, tragedy struck our small town when a fire claimed our last temple, However, we banded together and from the ashes, we have rebuilt! And now, after years of planning,construction,and hard work, our place of worship is once again open to you, the public! Please go forth and enjoy the celebration and keep in mind what this year’s festival stands for. Today marks a day for new beginnings.”
The crowd claps and cheers.
”Next up is Sheriff Belor Hemlock with a word on safety.”
Mayor Deverin steps down as a large gruff looking man in a uniform strides briskly in to take her place on the stage. His tone is considerably less cheerful than Mayor Deverin’s and he immediately brings the crowd down with his dour mood.
SHERIFF HEMLOCK: ”I just want to send a reminder out to be safe throughout the festival, especially tonight at this evening’s bonfire, We've just completed our new temple and we don’t need some fool with too much ale in him, burning it down again. Id Also like to remind everyone that Children need to be accompanied by an adult at all times!, and that any instances of drunken or disorderly conduct, stealing, or fighting will be dealt with swiftly and harshly! In closing, I’d also like us all to take a moment of silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives in that temple fire 5 years ago.”
Sheriff Hemlock closes his eyes and bows his head for close to a minute. The crowd follows suit. The Sheriff then walks off stage without announcing the next speaker. Mayor Deverin instantly pops up from her seat.
MAYOR DEVERIN: “And now we’d like to welcome one of our towns most famous locals And owner of The Rusty Dragan tavern and creator of the best damn curried salmon and winterdrop mead in town... Lonjiku Kaijitsu!!!.”
She begins clapping to welcome her. After a moment of waiting she speaks out again,
”Lonjiku?”
After a few moments it is apparent that She will not be coming to the stage for a speach. Mayor Deverin slips back and whispers to her peers standing at the back of the stage, then returns to address the crowd.
”It appears Lonjiku is to engaged with the free lunch provided by the inns today to take a break and join us, and so she will not be able to present her speech today. Taking her place instead is Sandpoints own Showman Cyrdak Drokkus!”
Cyrdak moves up to center stage and entertains the crowd with various different acts. At the end he shamelessly plugs the Sandpoint Theater and promotes his play ”The Harpy’s Curse” taking place the following evening.
Lastly, Father Zantus moves up to thank everyone before declaring that the Swallowtail Festival has officially begun!
"Folks!..Please enjoy yourselves today and don't forget I will be giving a special speech and blessing of the temple this evening, so please make sure you make it back in time to participate..and may the Dietys Blass you!"
Heres the starting Map
Standing against the front wall of one of the houses that was a bit far from the ceremony, Karl scanned the people of Sandpoint with shifty eyes, he saw smiles, he heard laughter and was surprised by the peacefulness of it all.
Lovely, just lovely, had to arrive when no one in town would even think of hiring a sword-hand, well its not a total loss...lots of empty houses, lots of opportunities The thoughts of the unlawful sell-sword soon began treading towards the sinister. No, its too soon, I just arrived a few days ago, and town people love their wrong-doers to be outsiders, that way they don't have to worry about blaming someone they know He noticed a man running late to the ceremony, and quickly placed his right hand on the citizen's left shoulder.
"Late for the festival eh? Since you're already this late, I am sure you wouldn't mind taking the time to tell me where a sell-sword can find work here?" Spoke Karl in a voice that almost seemed indifferent and uninterested "Better late than never" He continued, with a transformed tone, that burned with aggressiveness and hostility. His grip Tightening over the poor man's shoulder, as he glared into the back of his head.
Intimidate Check:
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Zander slowly meanders through the throngs of people listening to the announcements. He smiles easily at the joy and happiness that seem to come easily to these people. Those who notice him quickly give way, as no commoner in their right mind intentionally stands before someone as armed and armored as he. A statuesque man, with shield and glaive on his back, morning star on his hip, and gleaming scale under a cloak of rainbow hues, it's clear he is always ready to protect the flock of any deity he deems worthy.
Finding his way toward the Temple, Zander snacks on the free lunch, and carouses with the merrymakers as he waits for the good fathers speech and blessing.
"Look here mister, I aint telling you squat..and I've killed men for lesser things than putting their hands on me..and I've got a good mind to kill you right here where you stand.."
The man's squinty eyes look you right in the face..you can tell hes contemplating cutting your throat..but then he hears a noise comming from down the ally that sounds like armored footsteps..his demeanor suddenly changes and he lets go of you and quickly staches the dagger in his pocket..
"..well seems to be your lucky day, being that there's a celebration on and all, and I want to get some free ale before its gone..Im going to let you live..but be warned..you ever touch me again and you wont be so lucky.."
Sten stands short and stocky, about as broad as he is tall. He wears darkly colored dwarven made scalemail made with wicked looking spikes, though they are hard to notice at first glance. He carries a Dorn Dergar, the chain of which is currently wrapped around his midsection but will easily come into play with a simple twist and flick to loosen it up and off.
Sten puts a silent prayer up to Torag and the pantheon as a whole that he managed to come on the one day he could get a free meal. After sampling the food on display, he moves to watch the festivities and tries hard to smile at all the children playing. Afterwards he will take up a large mug of whatever drink is flowing and will take up residence near the well (at least I am assuming that is a well up by the top.) in order to take in the whole sight and spectacle. As the night wears down he will move to the other side of the stage, filling his mug and plate again as he goes, and will sit on the stone near the temple steps (bottom right corner of the map near the houses and cart.) In order to get a better view of the whole spectacle.
Life seems to be good here, so sad that I will have to be moving on soon. He thinks sadly on all he has lost on this trip. Well after I can scrape up enough to purchase provisions.
Loupe cheers with the crowd. Though he was only a recent arrival he regarded this as his temple. Whenever there wasn't enough work to keep going the temple building job had always been there. Like a cheap but reliable friend.
On one hand he was elated that something he had poured so much sweat into stood tall and strong.
On the other hand it was a little too much like celebrating the loss of as job - and all his competitors were now just that little bit more desperate. And local.
They loved their local tradesmen here. Never forgot Loupe was a newcomer. Oh - they were nice enough... but he was a tradesman and his competitors were their old friends who happened to do work.
Still - he'd been promised free food and beer at this swallotwail ceremony, and he wasn't going to borrow trouble! Maybe he could convince the mayor to refurbish the town hall.
or he thought, seeing some of the figures in the crowd maybe one of those people wearing armour to a feast are thinking about upgrading?
Astonishment filled Karl as he stepped away from the wall he was pressed against by the assailant he was trying to assail. Here I thought this place was going to be too peaceful for its own good The mercenary resolved to better distinguish the targets that he should talk to and the the ones he should simply murder in the future. As he was about to try once more with another unwilling participant, he took notice of the guards that scared away that thug.Time for another approach He thought as he walked away from the house that became sort of a lookout point to him.
Karl walked with steady steps to the tent that was next to the wagon. He took notice of the merchant that was offering samples of food. doubt I'll need my axe for this one
"Beg your pardon, my employer has had some trouble on the road and has just arrived to town, and he's sent me to inquire on which places he should avoid, you know places where thugs and swords for hire usually frequent" Said Karl, his voice carrying a surprising amount of authority and confidence, despite the fact that he was lying through his teeth.
Bluff Check:
Vishoon took the scene in. Standing by one of the back tents watching people go around him. He was used to that. A 6 foot plus 1/2 Orc with a huge scar on his face tended to get that reaction a lot. What they didn't know was the scar was a symbol of his devotion to his god, if they did, they probably give him a wider berth. Enjoying the free meal, I should make sure i eat well today, as my funds are running low. I wonder if one of these people is Tevok? Scanning the crowd, Taking particular interest in guards and anyone with weapons not dressed for a party, much like himself. Hearing the sheriff speak, Ahh the local sheriff. He probably be as good place as any to see if there was work for a bounty hunter. With that he took a few more bites and decided to see if there was a way to earn some coins at this festival to these insignificant gods, who rightly bowed to the Great Mother.
"Well, to tell ya the truth there isn't a whole lot of that sort that hang around here in Sandpoint, but i guess if there is anyplace in town where those sort would be found, id say more than likely it would be the Rusty Dragon tavern, but even in there there's not much of that sort of thing..the only other people id wager a warning against would be the Scarnetti family, Nothings ever been proven, but there is a rumor around town that they were responsible for several mill fires of late, with there mill being the only one untouched..anyway, hope that was of help to you, you have a good stay here in Sandpoint"
the merchant then goes back to his business.
You see a fairly large crowd of people that look to be plain townsfolk, you also notice several others that don't appear to be plain townsfolk, a human man standing over by a merchant tent happens to catch your interest, as does a dwarf, and a heavily armed human that you cant mistake for anything but a cleric, you also notice another human in the crowd cheering and waving, you noticed he is adorned with Varisian Tattoo.
Red chomps heartily on a chicken leg as he meanders through the festival, taking in the sights, sounds, and scents. The various games and displays hold mild interest for him, but he looks forward most to the bonfire. He knows that he will likely stare into it for hours, until it is nothing more than a few glowing embers, at least until someone ushers him out of the area.
Dairkal rose around mid morning, made his way downstairs, and spent most of the morning and early afternoon helping Ameiko get ready for the Swallowtail Festival. She of course practically pushes him out the door, so he can go enjoy the festivities, which he does with a gusto.
The acrobatic halfling wins a few games, including one where the prize was a teddy bear he gave to a little girl who couldn't win it on her own.
He then makes his way over to the large crowd and jumps up onto a barrel to listen to the speakers.
"Understood, thank you" Replied Karl, keeping the charade up till he was out of the merchant's sight, which didn't take long. I think the mayor mentioned the Rusty Dragon in her little speech, should head there after this little party simmers down, doubt I'll get any service if I go there now Karl began walking among the crowds trying to catch a glimpse of something or a possible spot he could relax in, but he only saw more of the laughing faces and busy tents and food stalls.
I have not heard about the Scarnetti's when I first came to town, they could end up being targets or employers Karl decided to make some discreet inquiries about the Scarnetti's once he arrived at the Rusty Dragon. Soon enough he passed by a man with some sort of Tattoo, the design caught his eye, but that had lead him to take notice of something else entirely, this man was giving greedy, studious glances to people in armor A merchant without a tent or a wagon? Or maybe he's looking for hired swords for the small-time criminals of the town? The brown haired sell-sword stood to the side of the tattooed stranger and looked at him with suspicion.
"You a merchant?" Asked Karl in a very serious and direct manner of speech, he resolved that deception would matter little in the outcome of this particular conversation.
Loupe looked the newcomer up and down
The nodded seriously.
"Craftsman, actually. Armourer. I can do you a good deal if you're looking to upgrade some pieces and have some time to hang around."
Oh please... be a rich merc with money to burn and a newfound fear of edged weapons...
Karl noticed the way the self proclaimed Craftsman was examining his gear, and felt a bit astonished, most craftsmen or merchants for that matter would not give the armor he wore a second glance, but he did seem all too eager to get a deal Maybe he doesn't have a lot of customers...which could work in my favor. If the opportunity presented it self in the future, Karl planned to see how good this craftsman really was, and if he found his work to be satisfactory, he'd deal with him directly for all his armor needs, while he resided in this town anyway, it was always better to deal with someone who had less customers, less waiting time for his own orders.
"Maybe at a later time, you just setting up shop in this town?" Asked Karl his tone part way between serious and inquisitive.
"I wish! No, I set up shop months ago - outside of town actually. Turns out a nice safe town like this doesn't have a lot of use for a good armourer. I've ended up doing blacksmithing and locksmithing jobs to get by. I don't understand it - in Kaer Maga we joked about armourer and weaponsmith being the two jobs there was always a demand for!"
Shaking his head Loupe continues "I tell you, I've thought about packing up and moving to a town that doesn't have such a good sherry... sherrif."
And note to self... do not negotiate after the third beer
Looking around Loupe sees a well armoured dwarf
Oh no - not a dwarven smith! Come on! What god did I piss off... Oh yeah. Urgathoa.
A smile that appeared to be genuine crept up Karl's scarred face, causing the old, healed wound under his right eye to shift slightly "Law-keepers are trouble when they are too excited about their job and they're trouble when they could care less about their job" Replied the mercenary, who spoke from experience on the subject as he has spent a number of years as part of a city guard. If an armorer can't find decent work here I doubt I'll be making any profit...doesn't look that there are any decent information dealers either His thoughts took a sudden detour to the somber, but he was able reign in his emotions before they could affect his facial expression.
"Kaer Maga, I heard that necromancy was legal there" Karl kept smiling but gave the Craftsman a very clear suspicious look.
"Yeah - I fought a magic duel with a necromancer there..." Loupe suddenly clams up
Asking a lot of questions - is he a bounty hunter?
That answer ended pretty quickly, doubt he's a necromancer...that answer seemed honest enough Thought Karl as he studied the suddenly silent man.
"Business rival?" Asked the grey-eyed man, his voice back to an indifferent, almost relaxed tone.
Then suddenly the sight of a halfling standing on a barrel caught his eye, but that's not what alerted him about the cheerful looking fellow it was the warning the mercenary's instincts sent him; after his stint as guard he sorta started recognizing people who appeared to be decent at pickpocketing, but at the same time he thought it strange that someone who appeared to be pickpocket was out in the open and standing on a barrel of all things, it looked like he was asking for attention, with that strange, over optimistic smile of his. Karl decided to keep his eyes trained on the halfling, just in-case he started moving around. His coin pouch may have been thin and ailing, but that didn't mean he wanted it completely empty and withered.
"No - although I'm thinking I should find out if that dwarf over there is..."
Loupe notices Karl staring past him, and twists to look. Seeing the halfling he shrugs and twists back
"Someone you know?"
"No, but I think he's in a certain line of business, that most people would want even less than an armorer in peace time" He answered Loupe with vague honesty, and turned to see what he was staring at himself. A wicked smile planted it self on the ex-guard's face as he turned to face the armorer once more.
"His armor looks too nice for him to be a mercenary, could be a warrior of some kind...but then again he could be showing off the quality of his wears, in a very direct way" Said Karl, a small hint of mockery in his voice. He then brought his eyes back to his previous target, hoping that the few moments he turned to look away from the supposed pickpocket did not cost him to lose sight of him. At that moment an idea crossed his mind, it was wicked nature, utterly self serving. it also had little regards to whether his suspicions were right or not.
"Guard" spoke the mercenary, addressing a nearby guard, hoping to catch his attention "I think I saw that Halfling get a little too close to the pockets of the good people of this town" He continued, hoping that whether the guard arrests the ill accused person he spoke of, or just gave him a scare to discourage him from actually attempting any thefts, it would work towards keeping his sickly coin pouch safe.
Bluff Check:
Vishoon looking over the crowd ponders the ones he sees stand out. Hmm The armored cleric, He could be Tevok, Poor Misguided Fools, for the most part, but more than willing to kill for their Gods. . Wandering over to this man, Greetings, I guess this a proud day for you, getting a new temple and all.
Sitting atop the barrel, Dair looks over the crowd, spotting a few newer faces. What appears to be a hardened warrior. A large, kinda scary half-orc Are there any other kind? He muses silently. The new, rather competent craftsman, who helped shave off about a months worth of time rebuilding the temple with his different perspective.
He listens raptly as the mayor speaks and chuckles along with the others when Larz is brought up. That man never took a break it seemed.
He boos a bit lustily at Cyrdak, as the playwright never took Dairkal seriously, saying that only big people could truly entertain other big people.
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As Vishoon speaks, Zander quickly glances to his left and right, to make sure he is the one being addressed before answering. "I'm sure this is a proud day, for those involved in the creation of the new Temple, but that is not me, nor by the looks of it, you. I am fairly new to this town, and when I heard of this festival, had to see it for myself. Tell me, what brings a robed half-orc to this time of merrymaking?"
"Sorry friend - I've got to check. Back soon."
Loupe slips away towards the dwarf while his new companion is calling for the guard.
The guard looks at Karl like hes crazy and says:
" My good sir, that there is Dairkal, he's no more a pickpocket than I am!..the little guy works over at the Rusty Dragon Inn and is quite well known to the people of this town!..which is more than I can say about you..come to think about it..i just had a complaint from Turch Sterglus about a man fitting your description trying to accost him in the ally a little bit ago, So I'f I were you i would watch what your doing around here and keep your nose clean..we have a very low tolerence for shanangins in this town,and any more complaints will be delt with severely! and Ill be keeping my eye on you"..
with that, the guard walks away and returns to his post.
Karl watched as the guard returned to his post, his face not betraying any emotions You've seen one guard you've seen them all...was I like that too? I sure hope not The mercenary returned his gaze to the halfling called Dairkal once more I guess this was not a total loss, at least now I know he's not a pickpocket...as far as that guard knew Karl began making his way to the Dairkal, knowing that at the moment the halfling that indirectly increased his infamy among the guards, was his best source of information about what really went on in the Rusty Dragon.
As he continued walking he spared a quick back glance at the armorer he was speaking to earlier and saw him within reach of the mystery dwarf clad in armor This could end tears...I wonder if sadness is a good motivator for craftsmen His train of thought continued on and so did his steps and soon enough he was standing to the side of the halfling.
"I've heard you are working at the Rusty Dragon, what can you tell me about the place? And your usual customers? Any of them go by the name of Turch Sterglus?" Karl unleashed a series of questions upon Dairkal Cause when I do meet him again we won't have words, that much I am sure of A scowl descended upon his face and his right hand hovered over his axe, but his fingers made no contact with the edge of the weapon or its shaft.
"Excuse me" Loupe asks the dwarven man as politely as he can "I am Loupe Ardoc - a craftsman in this town. I was curious about your armour."
I have some business with a man named Tevok Berksley who is supposed to be here in sandpoint, but sadly the description of the man i was given was vague, so I am having difficulties find him. Tho new here, You haven't heard or seen him by chance. Otherwise I also heard of this festival, and have decided to check it out, before looking for some work. We don't have fancy temple openings, where I'm from in the mountains of north Issren." Nodding, trying to give a smile. "I'm Vishoon"
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Zander shakes his head, ”Sorry sir, no I have not, but I will keep my ears open, and should I hear something, will let you know.”
Sweeping his view across the crowds before finally ending on the new Temple, he adds, ”I have seen Temples be raised with no fanfare, and I have seen parties last for many a night due to one being erected. It is all based on the heart of the people, and their devotion to the gods it represents. My name is Zander, and I too will probably be needing work to continue my journey as my coin purse grows light, being a missionary does not pay that well.” He then laughs at the antics of a small boy nearby trying to stuff 3 pastries into his mouth at once.
Sten stares at the young human who has approached, just long enough that it becomes a tad bit uncomfortable. Just as you are about to say something else a small grin breaks the dwarf's craggy face."Ach lad, it a sad necessity in this day and age that a man needs such things. A fine piece of craftsmanship to be true, but one to a purpose that I would wish there no need for." A solem shake of his head imparts the sadness he most surely feels for the state of the world.
Sten smiles a second time as he spies children running to and fro, playing among the crowds. He raises his tankard to Loupe and laughs"To be young and unaware of the evil a man can do, how much I wish we could all be with the innocence of little children. Ach me, but where are my manners friend. I am Sten Bouldershoulder; Son of Hoggric who slew the Ogre Findorc; Grandson of Termic the smith, crafter of Brekken the Blade Burner an armor so magnificent it would cause the very sword in your hand to melt for fear of striking its metal. What may I tell you of this fine dwarven craftsmanship hmmmm. It is the product of my home forges; though they do no longer stand since the giants raid, there creations live on to protect those who stand before the rushing hordes stemming the tide of destruction."
With a hearty clap of his closed fist on his chest, Sten breaks the tension of the moment."Lad it be a party this day, and watchful mother Folgrit has seen to it we meet on such an auspicious day. Come join me in a meal, for you never know when you will find another free meal in your belly. With that he raises his tankard again and motions for you to follow him to the victuals on display.
"As the morning draws to a close, the companions notice Father Zantus and his acolytes wheeling in a large covered wagon into the square, You listen patiently to him as he recounts a short parable of how Desna first fell to earth and was nursed back to health by a blind child
whom she then transformed into an immortal butterfly as a reward for her aid, after telling the tale, they pull aside the wagon's cover,releasing the thousand children of Desna-a furious storm of swallowtail butterflies swarm into the air in a spiraling riot of color!..The crowd roars with excitement, and you see several children off off after them trying in vain to catch them."
"hey... wait..." Loupe trails behind the dwarf - still trying to find out his profession - only to be forced into silence as Zantus commences his sermon.
Waiting impatiently next too the dwarf he is caught b surprise when the butterflies swarm into the air.
He is not so callous that he is not moved to wonder, staring in the air for minutes before snapping out of his reverie to find the dwarf has moved on.
"Oh for..."
Struggling through the crowd in the hopes the dwarf has continued to the free food he is pushed by someone into a large man clad in scalemail and a cloak.
"Sorry friend - I'm trying to find a dwarf" he apologises distractedly, then realises he has stumbled into a half-orc.
can I make an untrained linguistics check to know a greeting in orcish?
just past the half-orc's shoulder can see the dwarf walking away from a table laden with food.
Dair looks to the guy fingering his axe, "Uh, hi there. Um, yea, I do perform at the Rusty Dragon. Its a pretty great place, with amazing food. I really enjoy staying there. Hmm, no that name doesn't ring a bell"
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Zander lurches forward, having just been bumped into, and quickly feels for his purse. Finding it still there, Zander smiles at the clumsy man. "No hard feelings, with everyone watching the butterflies, I'm surprised more people haven't been tripping over their own two feet."
Looking around and seeing the dwarf vanishing into the crowds, Zander points and adds, "I believe he went that way."
"right...well if you ever hear anything about him or catch sight of him, be sure and tell me and I'll make it worth your while" Said the mercenary as he turned away from Dairkal, his uninterested, bitter attitude making a very apparent comeback. As the grey eyed sell-sword began scanning the area, for any possible point of interest, his ears caught the beginning of Zantus' speech, at first he ignored it and continued his search but then his eyes caught the sight of something unexpected.
An aerial wave of colors and wings, then came the loud roar of the crowd that threatened to do away with his comfort, and so was the excessive gathering that left barely any way for him to exit the area. The annoyed mercenary continued on his trek, squeezing through every opening in the crowd he saw, pushing past anyone who left a gap as they moved to get closer, it was tiresome endeavor and required a heft price from both his patience and self restraint, as he could not possible cause any type of scene here, especially since his rise in infamy with one of the guards. finally after what seemed to be a day of walking, Karl made it to the edge of the celebration area where it was much less crowded, but then he didn't account for something else....the horde.
A horde of children was apparently scattered the second the butterflies were released Wonderful, just wondeful the ex-guard stalked with steady, unwavering steps, towards the house he was standing against earlier, most of the children ran past him, around and some even brushed against him and kept on running, but then then he felt a light bump against the back of his left leg. Grey eyes glared at the child who was now on the ground, they were sending messages of clear discontent, his mouth opened to further strengthen the unspoken words his eyes has shouted but then he noticed a few guards close by, Karl was content with simply glaring at the boy hoping he'd get the message and run for his dear life.
Intimidate Check:
"The child looks up at Karl, hes not at all intimidated by the glare he is getting and thinks hes just making a silly face at him and sticks his tongue out at the big man as he runs off to try and catch a child of Desna"
Butterflies? Strange folks His reverie is disturbed by the human running in to him. Looking down at the man,Scowling, "Slow Down little man, before you get hurt." Looking at the man I'm sure those tattoos must mean something, he hadn't seen them before. "Interesting Tattoos..."
A cloud of motionlessness came over Karl, as he kept staring at the spot the boy was on a few moments ago, to say that he was shocked would a gross understatement, he could not fathom how a glare like his; which have scared away a number of grown men before could induce a playful and cheerful response from a child. A few moments later he regained his composure and shook his head as if to clear a patch of cobwebs that have been laid on him while he stood still. Moving to get back to his original lookout location by the house, his eyes fell upon the craftsman he had been conversing with earlier, but what really drew his interest was the way a taller cloaked man...no half-orc was glaring down at him.
I think I know that look he thought as he stopped in mid stride. Many different thoughts and predictions collided as he considered the consequences of what might happen; on one hand this could be a simple misunderstanding and the half-orc would let him off with a mean look and a scowl Doubt that will get him far in THIS town, on the other hand the half-orc could simply unhook that one edged two-handed sword of his and they'd have two pieces of that craftsman that he doubted would be good for anything If that guard is the chatty, serious type I doubt I'll have much of a reputation with the armorers and weapon smiths of this town, he may even forbid them from selling me anything Seeing that the armorer he just met could very well be the only source of maintenance for his gear he may have access to while staying in this town, Karl began walking towards the armor at a swift but non-alarming pace, even the sight of his former arch-foe "the overly crowded masses" did not discourage him from finally standing beside the armorer.
"How goes your game of fetch the dwarf?" Said Karl to the craftsman, in a very casual and relaxed manner, his eyes giving a relaxed glance to the half-orc he was looking down on Don't think he's used to people looking down on him Thought the mercenary, as he shared a mental smile with himself.
Loupe realises he has not run into a very large man in scalemail, but has instead run into two slightly-smaller-but-still-very-big-men in scalemail.
As they both start talking to him he begins to get flustered, stammering a little.
Loupe realises he's now annoying two very large men, representing a significant proportion of the people in armour - his customers - of the town. He takes a breath to try to calm things down just as his new friend talks behind him.
"How goes your game of fetch the dwarf?"
I think he's trying to back me up - he thinks this could be a fight? I can't fight these people, they're my customer base!
"Friends, I was just on my way to have a drink with the dwarf over there" Loupe points into the crowd "I feel terrible about knocking you - I hope you're okay. Tell you what, come with me, I'll grab the dwarf and buy all five of us some of the good stuff - the stuff they don't hand out for free!"
Loupe emphasises the number of people slightly in the hopes he can dissuade someone from starting anything - normally a free drink'll get a merc on side, but when they're handing them out for free anyway...
Vishoon eyebrows raised at the tattooed man, Noone had spoken to him in orcish in months, and never from a "human". Looking at him warily
Turning to the tall man, Vishoon Body Guard for this tattooed man?...hmmm...Getting in trouble on their festival day wont earn me much work. Besides if he can afford a body guard, he might need other services
"The Festival is winding down it seems, a drink of the 'Good Stuff' sounds good." Giving a smile, that the scar that runs down the side of his face, made it seem like the right side of it goes all the way up to his eyes.
Looking at Tattooed man
He turns and heads for the tavern.
Red follows some of the children as they chase the butterflies, leaping up into the air to try to catch one between his hands.
Grapple: