"Everything I know about hoodrats, I know from Bently. He has an awful lot to say about them." Trini winks. "Are you all right after that daring leap earlier? It wouldn't do to be hurt before the guild test."
"A half a dozen of them have been chasing me." he says to Bently. "I had nothing but a small axe to defend myself, so I dashed away. I'm not a coward but not a fool either. Those were just too many of them."
He makes a small pause before going on with the story, grimly looking at Bently.
"They kept chasing me for a while. I was able to get rid off four of them but the other two were as fast as I am. They chased me into a dead end and I could not escape anymore. That was the day I earned myself the name Bloodaxe."
"Then you did what you had to do, and maybe give some sense of hesitation to them if one opts to try again."
Even if the chatty kid keeps those few, i can miss them, i've got plenty on me still.
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"What was that about a test?
Some evaluation of the mind, physical feats?"
Trini I did grow up in the South District... Now the test that Daniel asks about... That I'm clueless about... Oh my shoulder... I think I'm fine Trini...
Bently rotates arm while holding his right shoulder with his left hand...
Just a little bit of a knot... If you wanted to massage it... No Never Mind.... I'm fine...
Getting a little red faced and wanting to change topics Bently looks at the Marble in his right hand.
I wonder where you cam from Mr Marble... Your so shiny... like a little mirror...
Bently tilts the marble in his hands and laughs then makes some funny faces at it.
You guys got to try this... depending on how you hold it it makes different parts of your face look bigger and smaller...
Bently places the Marble in the hands of who ever is closest then walks over to Korunar and takes a more serious look on his face.
I'm Sorry that you had to hurt those men Korunar... I never like to hurt anyone... I mean those men were someone's children once... but sometimes... we have to help people see that what they are doing hurts others... maybe some day one or two of those hood rats will see that what they are doing is wrong
Daniel gets off the stoll, as Bently frowns at his aching shoulder.
"Hold still for a moment."
Daniel firmly pinches a few muscles on Bently's shoulder.
"That's a nice set of marbles, Bently, can i have a look?"
Getting it back, Daniel looks at the angle that supposedly distorts one's face, before pocketing it.
"It might come in handy at some point or another."
"I have no mercy for those rats." Korunar grunts snidely. "It was their choice to live an easy life on other folks wealth and health. But they won't get me. Not as long as I can hold an Axe."
He shakes his head and his face lightens. "But let's talk about other, less dark, themes while we wait for the recruiter. What have you been doing for your living in this city Bently? And what was your profession Daniel? You know, before you stepped through that portal. What is happening outside of Terrace? We seldom get news here."
Korunar seems seriously interested about the outer world. He has never seen anything else than Terrace.
Daniel gets back on his stool, while Korunar says his words.
"I didn't continue the smithing tradition my father wanted me to.
I found it to be dull, to stick to just one place every day. While i had to do it for a short while, i spent my share of spare time with the caravan guards.
You know, hearing of places you'd want to see, which could only be seen if not shackled to one place day in and day out. I volunteered for an expedition and was the first to set foot through the portal."
He shrugs.
"Given i'm isolated in my destination, i'd not be surprised if we all got scattered across Torag knows where."
"What was that about a test?
Some evaluation of the mind, physical feats?"
"The recruiter whom I heard from mentioned a test," says Trini. "At the Abyssal Gates, so we're probably going in. I don't know anything else about it."
"Well, Janderhoff's a dwarven sky citadel. They're the peaks of dwarven engineering.
But the strangest place within....well there's the docks, which see all sort of people of various races. Non dwarves usually stay at the taverns there. One time i saw this gnome girl, likeable sort, singing the cheeriest song.
Let me tell you, if ever one would need to calm down a room full of drunken sailors, without the use of violence, gnome bards are a sure bet.
The sailors' singing wasn't hitting the perfect tunes, but boy did they turn for the better."
He thinks over, pondering shortly.
"Of course, the soldiers guarding the edges of the tunnels to the Darklands do wrestling matches in their spare time, placing bets on who'd win. Yet taking into account there might be some dirty tricks involved, like eating dirt if tripped."
"How about you then?"
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"I guess the floating crystal skull that we," Syrnisha nodded to her familiar, "shattered right before we got here. Never had been adventuring before."
She shrugged. "Next thing we know we are here, so if it wasn't the skull in the abandoned wizard's tower at the edge of the village we were passing through, here would be the next!" She laughed aloud.
What have you been doing for your living in this city Bently?
well just scraping by... For awhile I was a server here... but Harold doesn't like people giving away free stuff... for awhile I was a courier... but short legs... at one point I picked up trash... but wasn't very strong... tried singing on the streets once... that didn't end well... I had a job in one of the estated in the North District for a little bit... but apparently I talk too much... So a little bit of everything I guess...
Korunar nods to Bently's words. "Like you, I had many jobs in this city. Most of them payed little, abusing the fact, that I needed those jobs nevertheless. Often some rich humans payed me a few gold just to fight with other, in their eye unworthy, creatures."
He shakes his head and looks at Daniel who told about the outer world. "That sounds very interesting. I would love to travel around the world, but unfortunatly I'm stuck here. That's one reason why I' applying to Alleyway. To see something else than Terrace."
The dwarf nods.
"Who knows, it might be in our future to do so, time will tell.
I was told Varisia is a good place to see sights, in general.
If i return, i'm going with another caravan, but no portals for me then, no sir."
"Such exciting lives," sighs Trini. "I have done little except sit behind a counter, go to church, hunt, or be nagged by my parents these past years." She props her chin on her elbow, leaning on the counter. "I am excited for the chance to see new worlds, too, though I wonder what we will find on the other side. Daniel, Syrnisha, do you hope to ever get back to your home world?"
"I'd very much like to see the rest of Varisia, so yes.
For now, i've got a different city to look at, right here."
Well on behalf of Terrace... Let me welcome all three of you...
Bently gives the small fox a little bow making sure to include in his welcome...
...While there are always those on the fringes who would take advantage of others... like Trini says... most people are good folks around here... There's always some one willing to share their lunch... or say hello too... or just smile at... people tend to work hard... and care about each other... after all if they didn't... we'd all be dead by now... there's lots of mysteries like where did the abyss gate come from... and how did all these people get here... and why does that small alley way across from the park smell like cabbage all the time... and why do some people like sandwiches with jelly... when it is obvious that there is no better sandwich then a peanut butter and squash sandwich...
Bently continues talking about random eating habits of some of his friends in Terrace and why they are all wrong as he retrieves the cup and loaf of bread from the counter wandering off to find something to fill said cup with.
After much thinking, reading, and deciding over my limitations and current ability. I have chosen to go with the five following players.
Bently Understairs
Daniel Chelas
Korunar Bloodaxe
Trini Xibalba
Emerich Gustave
Thank you all for your submissions. It was very hard for me to decide how much I could handle for this homebrew so I hope there's no hard feelings of not going to six as my maximum. I felt five was at most what would be doable.
For the selected players, please report in at the discussion thread.
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Syrnisha began to answer Trini's question, when she heard a low bark from Kitrja and watched her familiar dash out of the door of the HotPot. She raised a finger as if to indicate that she would be right back, and dashed through the door and into the street. A quick glance and she saw a fox tail slip around a corner a bit further down the block. How can she be in such a hurry and for what reason, she asked her self as she jogged after the running fox.
She reached the place where Kitrja's tail had been seen and realized the fox had ran down an alley that apparently turned a ways down. She could see the fox, but proceeded and then heard an excited set of yips. This had better not be another gutter rat that she wants to chase, Syrnisha sighed and continued onward.
When she rounded the bend in the alley, she found Kitrja seated and staring at a bluish haze that was hanging part way in the twist of the alley. Kitrja looked back at Syrnisha and seemed to be smiling, then nodded towards the haze. She let out a yip, stood and rubbed against the tiefling witch.
"What are you up to, crazy fox," Syrnisha rubbed the fur on the fox's head between the ears. The fox seemed to be pushing her towards the haze. Syrnisha looked at her companion a bit annoyed. "Kitrja, I was talking and trying to find out about our next job, you know the thing that keeps me buying you food."
The fox nudged her forward with an excited yip. The tiefling looked about, and saw no one behind her nor in front of her. With the persistent nudge of her familiar, she shook her head, brushed back her own hair tucking the loose strands between ear and horn, and walked forward. As she did so, the blue haze shimmered and she could have sworn that the alley in front of her changed somehow. Kitrja yipped and barked excitedly and pushed her forward.
She walked into the blue haze, as she did so, she felt Kitrja brush against her calf and pace her four legs with Syrnisha's two. In a few steps, alley gave way to packed dirt and brick walls gave way to forest and field. A few more steps, and the haze was gone, and with it the Alley of Terrace. Kitrja began yipping, barking, and dancing about the shocked witch.
Syrnisha looked about trying to get her bearings. In the far distance, she saw a stone tower and the roofs of a few buildings. There seemed to be a fading glow from the top window of the tower. She and Kitrja were a few miles away from the village, the Wizard's tower they had explored for the constable, but planes away from Terrace.
"Best of luck to you all, she whispered aloud and with her prancing fox headed off along the trail away from the village.