Calvus rejoins the rest of group an d says softly
"I'll have the same as everyone else,"
Laurel's eyes widen at the mention of the word: "Thar's a SERKUS!?" He leaps off the stool, runs in about 2 and a half circles, then speeds over to his Ma, and, seeing her deep in thought, decides to spin back around to his barstool.
"Whassit cost?" As he throws coppers on the table.
Wax forcibly looks away from Oosa, "I suppose we will need rooms. Some cheese and bread sounds fine. If you guys don't mind, I'll be over here playing my fiddle and NOT thinking about eating rats."
Wax plays a few song little pieces of song, perhaps trying to write something new.
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Esha stares at Oosa completely dumbfounded.
She watches as Laurel goes running around asking about a circus. "There is not a circus in town! Can't you see??" Esha jumps off the stool and stomps over to a table in the corner, glowering. She pulls a chair way up to the edge of the table, unsheathes her greataxe and leans it against the chair and then sits down and places her boots on the tabletop. Leaning back in the chair, she crosses her arms and glares around at the other patrons.
Dreams crushed, Laurel is dejected, moping now. He was really excited about the circus...
Tezadwax's song comes to a sudden halt. He walks over to Laurel and whispers, "For your own safety I wouldn't mention the circus anymore,kid."
Delma goes pale, watching what happens to the rat, but seems unable to tear her eyes away.
As everyone else brings things back to normality. She starts, and then picks back up her tread.
"Yes, bread, cheese all round. Rooms we can do. They may not be the best you've ever slept in, but they will be a darn sight better than the ground outside. Well, I hope so."
With that she bustles off. The things you require are brought to you by a small, shy Goblin who introduces himself in a quiet squeak as Phinick. Other people pass in and out of the tap room, with one exception. A gigantic, brutish man demands another drink with a stunning regularity, and seems to intimidate the goblin beyond measure.
Other than that the afternoon passes quietly.
Laurel decides in this moment that all gnomes are mean. Surprising really. Laurel grew up in a circus family. At least, before that was taken away from him. Thus, the word conjures all the joy and magic of a happy youth, surrounded by taller siblings, and a loving mother who moonlighted as a fortune teller...
As he cares little for bread - the boy then attempts to share his cheese with the frightened goblin.
"Don' worry bout them tallfolk - ne'er much more'n jellus of bein' too oafish ta move good" He offers.
Oosa jumps ups again at the sight of another goblin. "Ooo, nother goblin." Oosa called out. He rushed over quickly, "I'm Oosa, of the Toadlickers. Who you? Want be friends?"
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Esha nods and mumbles thank you when the food is brought to the table. She then orders a huge mug of hard cider. It is almost too large for her little hands. As she slowly sips the cider, she looks around the establishment. Her eyes land on the oversized man and she sullenly watches him. He's awfully large. I wonder if he could be half-giant. Esha's frown deepens as she continues to watch him. She fantasizes about taking a swing at him with her axe and wonders if it might help her feel better.
The small goblin looks at Laurel, and then at Oosa and steps backwards mumbling "I must work now, no time chat. Work to do." then stumbles back off intot he kitchen.
"You'll not get a lick of sense from that one. Too stupid." the large man offers.
A while later the Goblin returns, and, just as sheepishly, leads you through the building and up stairs to a couple of shared rooms. He leaves you to work out who will sleep where. "Food served in one turn. Bort requested big table, you included. Much food. You like turnips?" This last was probably more rhetorical, th Goblin doesn't wait for an answer before bolting down stairs.
"Well actually...," began Calvus only to be cut off b the Goblin disappearing. "Turnips it is I guess,"
Laurel has never stayed at an Inn before - a Wagon yes - but an actual building?
He turns to talk to the goblin, but he has already left.
To Oosa "He's fas', isn't he?"
Laurel will consult with Marin where to sleep - probably asking Bort if they can sleep in the Wagon.
When the time comes, he reports to dinner.
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Oh! I didn't know we got rooms! This is neat!
Esha bustles into the room closest to her. She carefully avoids looking directly at Laurel. She does glance at Calvus as she enters the room and remembers the butterfly on his shield. After closing the door behind her she drops her bag on the floor and sighs. She looks around the room in awe.
My own room! I've never had my own room! This must be how the nobles live! Laurel looks so sad. I should not have snapped at him. He doesn't know. I should apologize. But apologizing is soo haard. Grumble, grumble.
Esha digs around in her disorganized bag until she locates her journal. It's bound in soft brown leather with a thin strap that serves to tie it closed. It looks clean and unused. She eventually locates a pen as well and plops down on the bed to write.
Dear Lorul
I am very sory.
I am sory you did't know there
I was in a circus. Everee one
Im sorry about the circus.
Suddenly, Esha perks up and stops writing. Her face lights up and she rushes out of her room, leaving the journal behind.
"Laurel!" she yells with urgent excitement. "Laurel!"
"At least Phinick is smart enough to know whether someones's talking to him or not," Wax offers to the brute when he insults the goblin. Tezadwax has never been a big fan of bullies.
"Yuh?" A mouthful of turnips (for a snack later) slurring his speech "Wuthit?" to Esha, eyebrows raised, ready for anything!
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"C'mon, c'mon! I'm going to show you something! WAX! You're coming! You're playing music!" Esha reaches for Laurel's hand, intending to pull him outside behind her. Whether or not he takes her hand, she rushes outside. Once outside she sets down her battleaxe and begins to remove her armor, looking around for a barrel or some other kind of prop that she could stand on or jump over.
Laurel takes her hand.
He hasn't held hands with anyone (besides his ma) since his four older siblings used to drag him around to wherever and whatever they were up to.
He bounces!
When he sees Esha looking for a barrel, he tries to get the idea, and helps - grabbing some reins from the horse to use to tie things together...
...but completely unsure what the gnome has in mind?
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Esha finishes shedding her armor and eyes the reins. "Hmmm. I don't know if I can use those just yet...but, get ready! I'm going to give you a circus!"
She climbs onto a nearby barrel.
Oops! It's fine, it's slippery!
"See? All good! Here we go!"
She does a handstand and then flips off the barrel and goes into a tumbling routine.
Oosa was a little sad that Phinick didn't want to or maybe couldn't talk to him. The thought went through his head that Phinick found a job. A job meant that he not kill people and that made Oosa happy. That evening he'd join the festivities laughing at Esha's antics.
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Laurel waits. Then watches with splendor while the gnome does tricks. He claps at her feat of strength.
Then the lad pulls out several daggers and begins juggling them - His Ma, temporarily waking from her reverie, instinctually cuts him a "look" - he proceeds anyway!
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Seeing a crowd gather, Wax forgoes playing music.
"Come one come all! For an extremely limited time and for your eyes only! See the Exciting Esha and her amazing Barrel Roll tumbling act! Will she fall in and be shipped to Cheliax?! There's only one way to find out!"
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Undaunted by her less than stellar performance and encouraged by Laurel and Wax's performance, Esha carries on.
"Yes! We will entertain you - one way or another! Oosa, you can...burn something? But, not something important, just for show! Laurel! Keep juggling, I'm going to jump over you! Move over by the barrel so I can vault off of it!"
She backs up to get a running start and waits to see if Laurel gets in position.
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Your imperfect, impromptu, circus performance just happens to be perfectly times. The inn is filling up with local farmers. Presumably here to trade with Bort and to have a meal and a drink while they are out. A small crowed, including some of the caravan teamsters and the stable hand from the inn gather round to watch.
Most of them take your failures as part of the act and laugh and applaud loudly. A few even throw a copper or two your way. You bring a smile to a lot of faces, even if one or two tut and walk away.
Marin collects the coppers up diligently.
Your act does though mean that you have to make a choice between either being clean and presentable at table, or being on time...
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Esha finishes up the act and realizes the time. Thinking dinner is probably ready, she wraps up. "Thank you, everyone, thank you!" She bows with a flourish, and then gestures to Laurel and Wax as well, making sure everyone is recognized and acknowledged.
She then hurries straight in for dinner, not concerned at all about cleaning up before eating.
Laurel bows when gestured to - and sensing a moment of comedy, given that these folks had thought their mess ups were scripted (they were not!) - pretends to fall and stumble when it is his turn to bow, hoping to squeeze out one last laugh!
He collects two of the copper for himself, leaving the rest for the others.
...
Later, Laurel shows up dirty but on time, and eats hungrily...
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Esha is feeling conflicted. It felt very reassuring to put on a show - even a miniscule one like theirs - but it also vividly reminded her of everything she had lost. But...here she was with Tezadwax - what were the chances of that?! - and someone else who turned out to know how to juggle! For the first time in a very long time, she felt a glimmer of hope for the future, for something that may not be an unending dark loneliness. She looks at Laurel.
"You can juggle! Where'd you learn to do that?"
"Mu sis'er Jesselle tot me ta juggel - she's mush better'n I yam - Kin only do 3 - she kin do 5 an' sometimes more" The boy flips over his hands, palms down, and stretches them out for Esha to observe "See them scars? Woopsy!" he chuckles. If Esha listens further, Laurel shares one or three more stories about his older sister, and it is evident that he holds her in very high regard - growing up travelling in a wagon with a troupe in a Varisian circus...
Later, and the Inn has filled up. Along with the farmers who stopped for your show, there are more inside. Probably around 14 or 15 sat at small tables.
Kolnral (Male, human) and Trin (female human) are busy serving. Taking dishes of wild game and roasted turnips with a side of burnt seed cake to the various tables. Delma tends the bar and Phinick can be seen doing odd jobs all over.
Flonk the bard tunes his instrument on the dais, which is now mostly taken up by a large table, full of Bort and his crew. Bort is resplendent at the center of a wide table, with spaces around him left clear for you. Notably, Tamli is absent.
Olf and Ulf are getting drunk, and gambling with a farmer by the name of Eallom, whilst at a table nearby Sir Lawren (Male, human, ex-paladin, and local drunk) is getting dangerously into his cups, leaning back on his chair.
Bort notices you and calls you over. "Come! Come! The heroes of the day! Sit, eat."
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Esha stares at Laurel in astonishment. "You were part of a circus troupe?! I was too!" She winces slightly. "Maybe -" Esha is cut off as Bort calls them for dinner. With a look of relief on her face, she turns back to Laurel, says "Dinner!" and bustles quickly toward the table. She chooses the closest chair and sits down, looking at the spread with big eyes.
Don't have to say that twice - Laurel springs over to the table, grabs a hunk of wild game, and eats it with his fingers. His mother comes over and smacks the boy! But Laurel dodges it! Whiff. And slowing himself now, says with his mouth full "Suhhhhrry Muhhhgh" and grabbing a dagger from his pouch, thinks the better on that, and instead grabs a utensil and starts using that instead of his fingers to stuff his face.
He gazes over at Flonk, watching him tune his instrument, wondering with great interest what the musician will play, and whether Laurel will recognize it, and whether he can fit in another hunk of gamey meat before he finishes the tuning...
Marin distributes the remaining coppers to the party: 2 copper each for Calvus, Esha, Oosa, Tezadwax.
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PCs - Calvus, Esha, Oosa, Tezadwax, Laurel and Marin
Farmers - 14 or 15 round a table; audience earlier (gave us copper)
Servers - Kolnral, Trin, Delma, Phinick
Teamsters - Bort, Tamli (absent), Olf and Ulf (gambling with Eallom), other crew
Musician - Flonk
Gamblers - Eallom (gambling w/ Olf and Ulf)
Drunks - Sir Lawren
Strangers - Brutish man (was mean to Phinick)
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"This is the biggest meal I've had since....well....since...I don't remember! Is this how Adventurers live all the time?! - Oh! Thank you for the copper, miss! - I thought it would be all dirty and scary all the time! You were in a circus, Laurel?! And your ma too?! Can you believe it? Four of us in a circus troupe in this little group?! That's Desna's luck, I tell you! She must be looking over us! Do you think she brought us together?! Ooooh, what do you think that means?! Maybe Calvus knows! Calvus?! Where is he?!"
She stands up in her chair as she talks, reaching around the table to load her plate with food, sometimes hopping and flailing a little to reach things that are a bit out of her reach.
Wax thanks Bort and takes a seat. He eats in a more civilized way but doesn't seem to mind Laurel's table manners.
"That is an odd coincidence. I hope we weren't brought together by fate. That usually means trouble!" Wax laughs at his own joke quite heartily.
Calvus comes back into the room.
"Sorry, I was just seeing to nature," he says. "Did I miss anything?"
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"Yes! You missed our circus!! And you almost missed dinner!" Esha indicates the spread with a wave of her arm. "ALSO - we've decided that Desna brought us all together! I noticed that your shield has a butterfly on it - you must be a follow of Desna too?!? Wax thinks it means trouble, but I think if Desna did it, it's probably a good sign!" She nods decisively and turns back to her food.
Bort watches with amusement and tucks into his food. The odd grimace attests to the quality of the fare. He soon puts his knife and fork to one side, and while you continue to eat, launches into the first of what you can tell could be a long stream of stories.
"Being in this part of the world reminds me of the time my caravan was captured by a fire giant! It was not far from here, up in the Five Kings Mountains, and the beast was 20 feet tall if he was an inch.
Well he blocked the path, all red hair and fire then he up and threw a bolder behind us so there was nowhere to go. We were in a right old bind, and I'm sure you could guess. He dragged us to his camp, and would you believe it he had a stew pot simmering over a fire elemental!
Well, he started getting ready to put me in the pot. "Hummie meat good!" he said. But I started talking. I told him that I had a nice spicey herb, the likes of which he'd never tasted before in my trunk. Convinced him to go and find it, and then let me mix it up. He could always chuck me in the pot later, eh? Well, the daft lump did. Brought the trunk back, and I found what I was after Frostbloom! In it went, and a good stir later I handed him the spoon to try it.
Well, I don't know if you've ever come across Frostbloom before, but it froze his mouth right up. When he tried to grab me he fell on the fire and squashed the fire elemental right out. The stew tipped up and everything it touched turned to ice. While he was struggling, I untied the crew, and we hot-footed it away as quick as we could. Oh that was a good day that one."
"I am a servant of Desna," says Calvus. "She is the Starsong, the Great Dreamer and Mother Moon. We like to say that no one ever truly travels alone,"
By the time Bort has gotten halfway through his first sentence, Laurel has become Bored.
He turns to Esha "Ya - me Ma she read the Fortunes, my sister she Swung the Ropes, my two other bruthers they halped wif takin' the coppers, my other sister played har flute - an Me? I was the Teller - my sister would say "Tell Ma this er that" and I would or my Ma would say "Tellyer bruther I sez this er the other" an' off I would go tellin' whut ta Tell!" the boy beams with pride at the importance of his role, then adds "I'm so Fas! Yea I kin move good - show ya later" and after missing the first half of the stories, he tunes back in for the second half...
...which only lasts for about one sentence. Laurel's wandering attention - now growing impatient! - settles upon Flonk. When is this musician going to start up the music!" he wonders in perfect Taldane.
Stuffs another hunk of game into his mouth, chewing with it open until Marin circles around for another smack!
Oosa swayed and clapped at the performance put on by the other. He had never seen such a thing. Usually when goblins jumped about there was more knives or fire and almost dying. It was good to not see new friends die.
The mention of food had Oosa scampering into the bar. With a plate of... well it didn't matter as the goblin was shoving it into his mouth. Finally after eating did he stop for a moment to pray.
Noticing that Esha is not enjoying the story about giants, Wax changes the subject.
"That's a pretty good one Bort. But the stew reminds me of an even better one.
"I was travelling around playing songs, as a bard does, and had fallen on some hard times. I made my way into this village but no one there had any desire to listen to my music. So I was broke. And very hungry. No one in this village wanted to share any of their vittles though so I was in a tough spot. Then, I had a grand idea. I filled my pot up with some water, put a stone inside and set it over a fire. One of the villagers walked by and asked what I was making. 'Stone soup,' I said. He was very skeptical but I am quite persuasive and sold him on how great stone soup is. 'It would be much better with some vegetables though,' I told the fellow. So he ran home and brought back some potatoes. Another villager walked by and fell for my spiel and brought us some seasoning.
"Before long the whole village smelled our concoction and brought all sorts of ingredients. I took the stone out of the stew and we made it a village-wide banquet!"
Bort utterly fails to notice his audience's lack of enthusiasm. He is just about to start in on another tall tale when Wax gets in first. He sits with rapt attention grinding along.
"That's a fine tale, my friend. I've passed some villages where I do believe you'd get away with that trick!"
Kolnral clears the plates; The bard starts up strumming a background tune, and the hum of conversation fills the place as farmers finish eating and really get started on drinking.
Trin brings out dessert, a warm Turnip porridge. Which Bort immediately tucks into. Starting another tale between spoonfuls: "Did I tell you the time I met Pharasma?" he begins grandly.
It's at about this point that Kolnral steps backwards into Farmer Ellom. The farmer's drink sloshes about and half of it ends up down his front. There are a shout and a push. Then a crash. Then curses, then the punches start flying and chaos erupts.
"thought we were sinking to the depths!" Bort intones, raising his voice over the new noise and not noticing as yet what's happening.
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Even Esha has begun to tire a bit of Bort's stories. We've been sitting here a long time now! I like Bort, but he does go on! When is it polite to excuse myself?"
She half-listens to Bort as she watches the others around her. She sees the scuffle at the nearby table and perks up. Now this is a bit more interesting!
It looks like Farmer Ellom threw the first punch, but at this rate, that hardly matters. There must be a dozen farmers going at it now.
Laurel was just about to ask his Ma to dance with him - now this!
How did things escalate so quickly? Calvus kept his shield ready.