The Lore-Master looks over at the group and smile again.
We will be working away from the mainstream of the Alliance and the Horde. In fact each of you will need these. Fang hands each you papers with the seal of authority to travel on business. The Alliance has provide papers for the Horde faction players and vice versa. The seals will provide an automatic pass from the LEGAL authorities of the area.
We will set out in the morning enjoy your night and on me. The Lore-Master gets up from the table and goes to talks to the bargoblin. He hands him a small gem and the bargoblin squells with glee. Why yes I will refund all their money and they can have all you can eat tonite.
The bargoblin walks over to the group and Fang leaves the Tavern.
My Lords and Ladies how can I serve you ?
Now I really never want to see the bottom of this cup! Bring me some top shelf stuff, I'll get it down if necessary. And a rack of Boar ribs to eat. Tis going to be a fun night!
Dents stands up quickly, and raises his arms in celebration.
Du'Rango proceeds to get very, very...VERY drunk. The following morning will see him passed out on the roof of the tavern.
Bright too 'Squees' with joy at their employers largess and proceeds to eat seemingly more than her own weight in food ( Mainly as much and as many different meats that are available on the menu)
Eventually, as folk retire for the evening, a slightly swollen Goblin lass virtually waddles along behind Foozlebit -Dragging her large back-pack along behind her.
Foozlebit smiles at the Loremaster's gift, but does not immediately partake in the revelry. If we are to be leaving early next morning, it would be best for me to get enough sleep to start the journey fresh. But she does not really consider such a responsible course of action. I HAVE missed her, she thinks. Despite the consequences, being around her is a good time. I may as well enjoy her...and the rest of their...company. By gear and sprocket, I know that I probably won't enjoy the consequences.
After the strange furbolg leaves them to it, Foozlebit calls out to the bargoblin. Pointing out Bright to him, she says in a voice loud enough for her friend to hear, "If she doesn't drink while she's eating, she gets irate." Raising an eyebrow for emphasis, she stage-whispers, "You don't want to be around her when she's unhappy. Keep her cup full with the strongest, harshest drink you have!" She smiles innocently before adding, this time only loud enough for the bargoblin's ears, "And bring me a mug of ale and a plate of food as well. Thanks!"
So as the morning dawns on the nice town of Ratchet the is calm this early in the morning. Not much is going on, as the mid-watch goblin guards make their rounds. On top the Rusty Nail, sleeps Du’Rango dressed in fashionable Tauren maiden outfit used in the Earthmother ceremony. Dent is also alley next to the Rusty Nail, wearing a goblin outfit as best as he can. Bright and Fozzle wake up in room next each other…all their gear is missing….
Du'Rango blinks sleepily and yaaaawns. Completely unruffled by his strange clothing, he rubs his head and moves to a water trough to stick his head in.
Dents gets up from the alley and immediately goes to try to find his new compatriots so they can head out.
Du, Fooz, Bright! Time to get up sleepyheads, we got a job to do!
He looks around for any evidence of what happened the previous night, once he looks down he realizes he doesn't want to know.
Du'Rango approaches, looking somewhat hung over. Completely oblivious or uncaring about his outfit, he says "Not Du, Du'Rango, mon. Like A Tribe Called Quest, ya say da whole t'ing."
Her head pounding and the room swaying queasily about her, Foozlebit moans incoherently in response to Dents's cajoling. Can't that fool see that this is no hour for civilized folk? Intent on returning to sleep until she feels gnomish again, she rolls over and flops an arm onto Bright's face--then freezes. Where are my clothes?
With a sinking heart, Foozlebit looks about the room. Tangled in a blanket, Bright sleeps on. That'd be cause for alarm in and of itself, but the other woman is the least of her concerns. Try as she might, Foozlebit finds no sign of her clothing or any of her other belongings. Half snarling, half crying, she pounces on Bright and shakes her awake. "I can't believe it; you did it again! Where is my stuff, you miserable goblin?!
Bright comes awake to the shaking the only way a Goblin knows how,
As she fumbles pulling one of her x-bow type weapons from beneath her pillow,
"Huh? Wazzat?" Bright peers down the flickering barrel at her rude awakening.
I was unaware, Du'Rango it is then. Where might the other two be?
Dents begins looking around.
"I t'ink I heard shoutin' comin' from the tavern rooms," Du'Rango muses, rubbing his head.
Let's go see what it was.
Dents starts heading for the tavern.
The troll follows affably.
Foozlebit flinches as Bright points the crossbow at her, but bats it away. It figures that she has HER stuff, still. Probably by design. "Whoa, whoa! You're going to put out someone's eye with that!" But her scowl returns. "What did you do to me last night?! My stuff is gone, and I want it back!"
Bright slowly focuses on Foozle's face as sleep gives way to wakefulness.
"Hmm? Oh! Our gear? Well... Seeing as our Boss is paying for everything! I went and had all our stuff taken off to the cleaners to get, y'know, cleaned!" Bright grins 'brightly' at Foozle. (^_^)
"Oh! And I made sure that things get mended and stuff as well..." Bright adds absently, even as she drops out of the bed and scampers off to partake in some morning ablutions.
Foozlebit blushes in embarrasment. "I'm sorry I woke you up this way", she mumbles, "but you could have told me what you were doing."
Her anger spent, she wraps up in a blanket to cover herself and prepares to follow Bright. "I don't suppose that our employer's largesse extends to this morning as well, do you think?"
To the sound of running water from the attached en-suit comes Bright's voice,
"Why not? This is one of the most expensive rooms in the place."
Not seeing Bright and Fooz in the main tavern area, Dents lets out a call to them and orders breakfast while he waits for them.
Bright, Fooz; Wake up time! Get ready so we can take off before the sun rises to far over the Barrens!
Foozlebit tries her best to fashion the blanket around her into something resembling an actual dress, but her effort is futile. She sighs in frustration. "So when do our clothes come back?" she calls, her voice loud enough to be heard above the sound of the water.
Bright skips back int the room with Foozle and deftly re-packs her pack even as there comes a knock upon the room's door.
Seemingly uncaring for her current demeanor Bright races over and lets in the first of a long line of serving-goblins, who begin to return various elements of their gear (All freshly washed, scrubbed, stitched, mended and cleaned) as well as platters and trays holding cold cut meats, cheeses, breads, fruits and vegetables.
Bright scampers back into the bathroom to continue supervising the raising of the waters in the tub.
(^_^)
Dents begins to partake of the meal and gets an alcoholic cure for his hangover. He then takes his seat and looks at the goblin behind the bar.
What time is it? We should try to leave at a decent hour, otherwise we will have to spend more time in the sun.
He then goes back to eating breakfast.
Fang shows up with several mounts for the group. We will be leaving on these as he points to the raptors. The group mounts up with no issues and begins the trek to unknown areas.
Setting her pack upon the back of the saddle and her flickering weapon in a side holster, Bright lowers her goggles and hat and makes ready to ride off to adventure.
"When does any one think we get to shoot things?" She asks with a wide, sharp pointed-teeth grin.
The unknown regions I can assume are such only because people never return to tell about them. I feel like we will be able to shoot stuff soon enough. Once we trek through Thousand Needles, we should get to see through some action. It is also quite possible the bristlebacks to the south will give us trouble. I feel like you need not worry, there will be plenty of action soon enough.
Dents saddles the raptor, petting it gently so as to not get on it's bad side. He then straps his greataxe to the saddle tightly along with other items hanging about his person. He ensures easy access to the weapon, but makes sure the pack would take some time to get into.
Soon as we are all ready, I recommend we head out. We have a lot of distance to cover, and the morning is still young.
He turns back into the tavern and approaches the goblin behind the bar.
Do you have any water we can take with us? The Barrens and Thousand Needles sun is extremely punishing for the unprepared.
After getting the water, Dents distributes it among everyone and saddles his mount.
"Tanks, mon," Du'Rango mutters to the orc as he straps down his two traveling waterskins. He looks at ease upon the big raptor, who shares his sleepy-eyed expression.
As Fang and crew begin there ride into the journey. It starts out without with less mayhem. The road is long and provides time to talk. It is approximallly mid morning.
Dents looks at Fooz.
Being a gnome, you are quite a distance from home. What brings you to Kalimdor?
He waits for a reply in order to not seem rude, then he speaks again.
Since we will all be working together, it might be nice to know what everyone can do. For instance I am usually a healer for the Horde Military. I am quite good, but occasionally there is a tendency for unusual things to happen around me. I might drop something and it gets thrown in a random direction, or a chair is moved before I sit down.
He pauses for a moment thinking about something. Then he re-focuses and starts speaking again.
Regardless, I am pretty good with my axe, as well as provide some healing should the need arise. What do each of you excel at?
Foozlebit squeezes her eyes shut against the pain still pounding in her head, a pain not helped by the jarring of her mount. That is the last time I let Bright get me drunk. And curse this beast; its clumsy stride and its hungry glare! Give me a nice mechanostrider any day!
As the ride wears on, Foozlebit recovers from her hangover, and by midday is feeling gnomish again. Her curiousity finally greater than her misery, she gingerly nudges her raptor over towards Dents. But as if he has shared her thoughts, the orc is already approaching.
She smirks at his question. "Oh, this and that, you know. I am a scholar more than anything, and I seek to learn the secrets that others shy away from." She looks at him meaningfully and continues in a quieter voice. "Secrets of the Twisting Nether. I am not ashamed of my work, but some fear what I can do. You do not fear, do you?"
I do not fear the twisting nether, for I have been haunted by it most of my life.
Dents looks at the Gnome.
I would be curious to see what you have learned, but I fear I would not understand most of it. I have never been one for scholarly research. Always just sort of doing; instead of reading about doing.
He laughs a bit.
Not that I hold that against you. I am sure in your culture intelligence is met with smiles and applause. In orc culture, it is met with smirks and other dirty looks. Power is more what the orcs are about; spiritual power; raw spiritual power. Take me, I was blessed with the ability to heal. Sometimes I use it too much and I can no longer aid others. That is when the Orcs who I thought were my friends, treat me like a member of the Forsaken and show their true feelings.
Du'Rango speaks openly with anyone who says anything to him, but keeps to himself otherwise. He's completely comfortable with the rollicking gait of the raptor mount beneath him, having been trained in their use since he was a child.
He moves his mount slightly ahead of the rest of the recruits and looks about himself for ambush. He'd heard enough tales of the wild centaurs who inhabited the Barrens to make him wary.
Seeing no threats that he's aware of, he packs a pipe of smokeleaf and begins smoking as he slouches on the raptor.
Dents looks at Du'Rango, thinking about a comment the troll had made earlier.
Du'Rango, earlier you made a comment about not wanting to work with the Horde. Is there a story there?
Foozlebit considers Dents's words for a moment. "Then your kind are fools. Power is power; it does not matter whether it comes from one's arms, one's mind, or one's spirit. And if your kind takes your power for granted? Then they are even more foolish. Power used unwisely is not power, it is weakness."
Power used unwisely is still power used. Unused power is not power at all, it is just an idea.
Clearly he is offended about the remark that his people are fools. After looking the Gnome over, he speaks in a slightly louder voice.
Would you not say that your people have a hard time reaching items off the top of a tall shelf, or lifting heavy object? I would think this is what most people would also call weakness.
Foozlebit seems taken aback for a moment. I have touched a nerve, I see. But she smirks in response. "We are all made as we are, and we cannot change that. Yes, of course I am at a disadvantage in contests of height and strength with the likes of you. And yes, I can see that as weakness. But true weakness would be if I were to naively meet you on even footing in these contests, then complain that the odds are against me." She pauses to smile sweetly. "And ideas have a power all their own, wouldn't you say?"
Fang looks over and smiles then saysThe stars need the darkness to shine, life is not vaulable without death. Remember this as we travel and face adversity. We are all in this together despite our reasons. Fang looks at Foozlebit with eyse that know her pain.
Du'Rango raises an eyebrow at the orc. "Not much of one, brudda orc. I am a Revantusk troll. We are allied with the Horde, but do not wish to fight their battles like da Darkspear." His eyes grimly return to the road ahead. "We have troubles enough as it is without fighting humans and elves and....gnomes...too."
Bright just pulls her hat lower over her eyes and settles back against her pack.
So nice when the bristle-backs are not trying to kill you while traveling. Those assassins can be MURDER!
Dents laughs at his own joke.
Good thing we got some extra water, this journey sure is taking a long time. Any of you do a lot of traveling before? Me, I like to see what the world has to offer. I have been to Thunder bluff, It was pretty nice. I felt worried when I got close to the edge though, Wonder what their casualty rate is?
"...zzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz..."
The group has been on the road for days now. As they approach the borders of Thunder Bluff and the Crag. They notice that the wild life and the tribes of Centuars are gone. Infact when you to the lift there is no one there.
That is strange, usually there are guards here. It is not like them to desert their post. I suggest we be on our guard. Bright, looks like you will be getting that fight after all!
Dents pulls his axe and gets ready to use it while looking around for a sign of what happened to the guards.
The town appears to be closed as if no one has been here in days.
Du'Rango narrows his eyes suspiciously and peers about him. He draws his axe and shield and takes more careful steps as he enters the town in front of his teammates.
He moves to the nearest building and looks in the window.
At every one else' comments and explanations Bright perks up.
"The place is empty?" She says, bright eyed and bushy tailed, before dropping off her stead and beginning to scamper off to go poking about in things.
Stay withing shouting distance, make sure to call out if you are in trouble!
Dents will continue to survey the area, something seems out of place, but he is unsure whether they are still in danger.