A loud crash sounds from the kitchen in the back. The bartender looks back. "Now what. I swear if I find him..." Her voice trails off as she goes back through the door, leaving Gill and Rougar alone. The man sitting in the corner seems to be dozing off a bit, his head bobbing between puffs of his pipe.
Rougar continues to eat his stew while speaking with Gill.
So what do you think? Should we take on an adventure or would you rather find work at the docks? I've grown used to being on a boat, but wouldn't mind spending time on land.
Gill nods "The next time I'm on a boat it's going to be heading to Waterdeep I hope. I was just on a boat for awhile. Finding venture here sounds fine."
The front door creaks open and in step two rough humans step inside, one female, short but stout wearing thick leather armor and the other a male, who has a belly protruding through his vest. The looks are their faces are concerned and dark. After they enter, they stop by the doorway and look about, sizing up their environment. The female has short blonde hair and the man's pate is bald, save for a thin ring of hair from ear to ear behind his head. His face is full and thick boned, but excess fat hangs over it. The woman carefully analyses all the people present with two eyes, one of which is lazy.
It seems as if there is no lack of interesting characters in this town.
Rougar brings the bowl to his lips as he finishes the last bits of stew, slurping up the remains of the liquids. He watches the duo as they move through the tavern. Something about them seems familiar.
What do you think of these two?
Gill eyes the two new comers warily.
"Hmm they certainly seem cautious. I wonder if they barkeep would know them. They have a look on their face like they've been through some ordeal."
The man casually walks over to a table and drags it across the floor and positions it in front of the door, which would swing inward, so the table effectively blocks it. The two look at each other, nod satisfactorily, then turn and walk over to where Gill and Rougar are seated.
"A catman and a lizard sit at a bar. I think there's a joke about that. What was it again Hebrun?" says the man, his form rather large and imposing, his face not indicating the appreciation of the joke mentioned.
The woman turns to him with a grimace. "I don't know that one. But I do know someone paid us well to make this easy," she turns to Gill and Rougar. "What do you say, fellas? Help us make this easy?" She draws a rope out from behind her back.
Another loud crash sounds from the kitchen. The muffled sounds of struggle, the bartender cursing, and a few concussive thumps are heard as well.
Gill looks at Rougar and spins around in his chair leaning back on the bar with his elbows.
He eyes the two thugs and chuckles.
"Well the easiest option for you is to turn around, move that table and stroll on out of this bar. You see being outnumbered is never easy and our good half giant friend Jobok should be coming back from the privy any second. Perhaps you know of him if you are from these parts."
Gill spins back around and puts his hands around his hot bowl of stew and pretends to be interested in his food.
They both look at each other with a sudden, worried look. "S!$@. Scourge didn' say nothin' about no damn half-giant." Says the man.
"So what? I'll run right under his legs and cut him from bellybutton to back. I ain't about to give up my reputation, like i'm some kind to turn tail at the mentioned of some freak" Says the other. She turns back to Gill and Rougar "Last chance, fellas. I bet your big friend will catch a nice bounty somewhere." She draws a sap from her belt.
Sounds from the kitchen continue. Culminating with a loud thud, and a heavy vibration on the floor and then silence.
The man is backing away cautiously, looking about towards the door and the two windows on the wall opposite the bar. "I'll c-cover the front to see if he's on his way back." he says nervously and begins to scoot the table back enough so he can squeeze through the door, which is a considerable gap, but he does and dissapears out the front.
Gill smirks at Rougar and takes a sip of his stew.
"Well this is a waste..."
Gill then grabs his bowl and tries to throw it in the woman's face followed by a springing move off his chair and behind the bar pulling out his crossbow.
"I'll be the only one collecting any bounties!" shouts Gill.
Rougar stands after Gill leaps from his seat and readies a strike with his fists, waiting for the woman to attack him.
This is your last chance. This doesn't have to be resolved with violence.
The bowl slaps the thug in the face, spraying hot stew all across her face, neck and upper chest. She yelps in pain and in surprise, tries to brush it off, then grits her teeth and swings at Rougar with her sap. "Grrraaa!"
The sap crashes into the side of Rougar's neck and pain lances through his upper body. The thug takes a step backwards to put some space between her and Rougar.
Gill finds something nearby to stand on and boosts himself over the bar. Hmm I don't want to kill this lout maybe Rougar can handle this
Gill points his crossbow and readies an attack, "Okay now that you lost your 'reputation' how about you hold onto your life, drop your weapon. Pounce kitty."
Rougar roars as the blow lands, and steps towards his assailant. He shouts as he unleashes a flurry of blows.
You have asked for this!
Rougar's blows are dodged and blocked, respectively. The thugs muscle is dense and she snorts indignantly as each blow is avoided. She goes to counter attack, but Gill interrupts.
Gill sighs and aims his crossbow for the thug letting fly a masterwork bolt.
Rougar feels a bit of the taste of the stew return to his mouth, coupled with a sudden, but extremely brief feeling of reduced balance. He steadies himself and then his senses return to normal as the thug lashes out again with her sap.
Rougar easily deflects the blow.
Rougar lashes out again, first with his fist and then his knee.
Both strikes connect with the thug, and she grunts in pain at each, her posture visibly sagging from the damage.
Gill loads another bolt and with a frustrated expression let's fly another shot.
Gill grumbles to himself "Damn bow not working!!"
The kitchen door swings open and a third rough looking man steps into the bar. He is tall and lanky, with long greasy blank hair falling down below his shoulders. He wields a sap in one hand as well and has a red mark on is face, as if just took a punch to the face.
"Why don't you two just play nice and come with us." The third thug says. His arm snaps out to take the crossbow from Gill's grip.
The thug grabs the crossbow, which Gill resists letting go of, but with a quick twist the thug pries the crossbow free and holds it loosely in his off hand.
The woman thug spits out some blood and swings on Rougar again, straight at his head. "Take this, you stubborn bastard!"
The sap swings over Rougar's head, as he ducks below it. Then she takes a step backwards.
You'll never take us!
Rougar steps towards the woman and unleashes another series of punches.
The attacks land hard and in a gasp as a punch connects with her head, knocking her from consciousness. She falls to the ground with a thud.
Gill growls at the new comer and grins. "You don't see you have little chance at this point of even surviving?"
Gill laughs surprisingly evilly and performs a vault and hand spring back over the bar to Rougar's side. Gill then pulls out a large dagger for a lizard his size.
Gill successfully vaults back over the bar, but in doing so opens himself up to an attack from the lanky thug.
The thug's sap swings wide of Gill as he moves away. Then the thug dashes out from behind the bar, throwing open the counter-door fixed to the south end of the bar on his way. He stands over the body of his unconsciousness partner, sizing up the situation.
He lowers his raspy voice. "Somebody's got their sights on you two. I don't know why and I don't much care. Their coin is good."
Rougar moves around the tables and chairs in the tavern until he winds up behind the new assailant.
Looks like we've got you surrounded, though.
Gill lunges forward with a slash from his sword right as Rougar speaks.
The thug follows Rougar's movements around the room and is nearly taken by surprise by Gill's sudden strike. "Damn!" He says as Gill's blade nearly slices open his back. Staying focused on the bigger target he takes a swing at Rougar.
The sap connects with the side of Rougar's head, for whom the room spins, then goes black.
Gill looks on as his ally staggers, then falls to the ground and stays still.
The thug takes a step to the side, to put a gap between him and Gill. "Why don't you try that again, without the help of your friend?"
The old man in the back snores loudly, his head beside his bowl and his still smoking pipe, sleeping with the ignorance of a boulder.
Gill looks nervously down at Rougar then back to the thug.
"okay well this is a problem."
Gill sheaths his dagger and let's out a sigh. "I've grown to feel somewhat responsible for my kitty's safety. You can put your sap away I'll go with you... But tell me as a fellow urchin and sense I'm making your job easier at this point, who wants us? Why? We both just arrived here today..."
Gill's weapon is away but he remains light on his feet readying himself for an attack.
"That's a smart lad." He says and tucks his sap into his belt.
"As to who sold you out, I can't much say. I got this job from a fella' calls himself Scourge, but I bet you he got his pockets lined to press for you two. Anytime I delt with him before he went recruitin' folks with more of a, how would you say... weaker will? Usually younger too. I hear they're easier to acclimate to the swabby-life. And as to why, I told you, I don't know and I don't care."
"Now where's that... AIMES! WHERE YOU AT?!" He shouts towards the front door, looking about for a moment.
Gill chuckles.
"Had you been alittle more polite with you request of us we wouldn't have had to have two knocked out friends and one cowering with his tail between his legs. I'll meet this Scourge. Perhaps it will be profitable. I can't say if my cat friend will be so keen to meet him now though."
"I don't get paid to have polite chats."
Behind him the door opens and the thug from before returns from his post. He looks worried and a bit embarrassed.
"Where you been? Watchin the front while Marcel has his ass handed to him? Good on you."
"He said there was a half-giant comin' back around," The thug says and gestures to Gill. "Said he was a friend of his. You know that big bastard doesn't much care for us." Says the thug in response.
Gill feels a sudden wave come over him, as if the building around him has begun to move in slight, jostling motions.
"You don't look so good," The first thug says with a grin.
Gill's vision continues to sway, more and more, his vision growing darker. With it, comes the taste of spicy oil in his mouth. The thought of the stew gives him a sudden nauseated feeling.
"If you wanna keep up appearances. Ye' might want to watch what ye' eat. Why don't you have a lay-down. We'll take yeh we're yer headed." Gill can no longer make out their faces, just their devious, knowing smiles. And a ropes pulled taut in their hands.
A falling sensation. Then there is darkness and then finally, nothing.
Rougar and Gill awaken some time later to the distant sound of splashing water, the light rocking of the floor beneath them, and a great, low and persistent creaking.
Rougar's head pulses with pain. Gill feels a bit nauseated. They are both sprawled on the floor.
The room around them is dark, with two rows of wooden pillars about ten feet apart down the center, each pillar a foot or so in diameter. Between many of the pillars and the slightly rounded wooden walls hang hammocks which appear empty.
Immediately to their right, likewise sitting on the floor, is a robed figure, its head upright, but strange in shape and difficult to make out in the light. Additionally, the room still spins, disoriented, perhaps from the unconsciousness, or perhaps from something else. It stares blankly at the ground, not noticing Rougar and Gill have awoken.
The room wreaks of body odor and saltwater.
Gill shakes his head and let's out an audible groan.
"Catman? Pst uh... What was his.. Oh! Rougar?!"
He rasps out with struggle.
Gill tries to pull himself to his feet and looks around.
Rougar rubs his head and groans as he sits up.
Ugh, what happened? Where are we?
The figure beside Rougar and Gill turns his head towards them slowly. He begins speaking in a deep, clacking, gnarled tone. "yth re sva qumado. nomeno ui wer crodr di vi driik. tiric nomeno rakshasa renthisj Vs'shtak?"