Sunamber calculates quickly in his head looking around at the quality of the Inn and smiles. His mother Tessari ran a Bar/Inn for many years... a Good-Quality Inn charges about 2 gold per person per night and 5 silver per meal, at 6 persons and three meals each... 21 gold would be a expected price.
The handsome Half-Elf nods, smiling, "A bargain! Deal, Master Innkeep Kagain! Thank you for your generosity, and please excuse my intrusion into your conversation... my manners are road weary."
Turning to his companions Sunamber steps away out of respect for the Innkeep's privacy, "What say you my companions 5 gold each to split the room... if we find more who need lodging the individual price drops even further?"
"That sounds a fair deal," Elmario smiles to Sunamber after a short consideration of the small amount of funds he had managed to gather before his impromptu departure from Shalzar, "you don't snore, do you?"
Sunamber chuckles at the question, "When I ...'sleep' I usually enter a sort of trance-like reverie of dreams and past memories. It's not quite the same as ...'sleep' as you know it but it does the same function. I may even have my eyes open but be mostly unresponsive to actions around me. Drove my mother crazy as a child..."
Then seeing his confused expression...
"No. I do not snore!", he grins.
Xa'nia sits quietly in a darkened corner, ordering an ale from a passing barmaid. She watches as the half elf and his friends from the gate approach the inkeep as speak with him.
'Probably about lodging' she thinks.
'Something I should look into as well'
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Satisfied with finding new patrons for his inn, and guests for the vacant room, the dwarf continues to talk with two humans. "Now, you were trying to explain to me that the mine is profitable and not profitable at the same time. How is that possible, exactly?"
The fat man gulps and starts to sweat. "You see, Kagain, we kinda lost the money you gave us for hiring protection. The titanspawn... overrun the mine..."
"What?!"
...
But by then you were to far away to hear the dwarf's response clearly...
Sunamber cocks his head in the direction of the conversation and smirks. Turning again to his companions, "Hmmm... I think I hear what sounds of opportunity here, and a chance to establish ourselves as Professional Adventurers and Trouble-shooters to the wealthy and influential in this town. It could go a long way toward endearing us to the masters of this city and getting inroads to pluming the secrets of the strange arcano-clockwork knowledge they are rumored to have utilized here. Or at least the chance to reduce the cost of our lodgings by doing a favor for the Innkeep. What say ye both?"
Bahir's eyes light up at the mention of Arcane-Clockwork. "You can count on me". "That's why I came here...to check out new things to trade for".
"You see?" Elmario says, spreading his hands to the half-elf, "didn't I say those beasts can't be trusted?"
"In any case, you're right. This does provide us with an excellent opportunity to establish a reputation for ourselves in this place."
Finishing her drink Xa'nia rises, making her way over to what is obviously the innkeep to inquire about a room. Her hood still pulled up obscuring her face.
"Forgive me for interrupting sir but I seek a room for the night."
Sunamber smirks at Elmario and comments, "Perhaps Mr. Benisci, but just because you are attacked by one evil sociopath Dwarf does not infer that ALL Dwarves are sociopaths, but indeed... your point is made! Though it is yet to be determined if it is actually Titanspawn involved or if that is merely what they are telling Mr. Kagain - because of expedient excuse to explain their failures?"
Smiling, "Lets find out!"
Sunamber turns and boldly walks over to the Dwarf, humans, and the hooded woman. Again his mind niggling at him... where had he seen her before, but from behind and hooded his memory failed him.
Thinking to himself,
Bowing again, "Excuse me please again, I do not mean to be a bother or eavesdrop but your conversation has carried, Master Kagain! You seem to have a problem that my traveling companions and I feel we would be capable of resolving for you and your partners. You mention a mine being allegedly overrun by Titanspawn? We would be willing to clear the threat to your interests there... for a reduction of our lodging fee here. We are all three of us experienced Adventurer Spellcasters... though I look more the part of the Warrior right now... I am a fine hand with the steel and a once student of the Military academy in Darakeene. Will you allow us to investigate the issue for you so your business arrangements do not falter?
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The dwarf looks at Sunamber, surprised by his sudden return. Two humans at the table start to sputter in indignation, but he just waves them to shut up. "Oh, shut yer mouths! If you was able to do something about them titanspawn, I wouldn't be having strangers sticking their elvish noses in my affairs, wouldn't I?"
"Listen, Lad, you get me mine back, and you and yours can have that room for a year, you hear me?"
The handsome half-elve's smile and casual politeness vanish from his expression ... replaced by a serious, stern, professional calm and assured determination.
Gripping his Mithril Longsword, AVANGION, at his side with his right hand and placing his left hand over his heart, he nods slightly - a Traditional Darakeene Salute of respect from a soldier and says, "It shall be done Sir! Give us but a few minutes nonce to secure our travel belongings, and a guide to lead us or map to direct us to your mine... and we shall head off to immediately deal with the problem!"
"Sadly," Elmario grins at the dwarf, putting his hands on the half-elf's shoulders, "it seems that he is... we'll go unpack our things, and you can give us the details as soon as your ready."
Starting to lead Sunamber away towards the room they had secured, he comments cheerfully, "don't worry, I'm sure whatever trouble is at the mines will still be there in the morning. We've only just arrived, let's take a little while to relax, hey?"
Sunamber ... at the admonishment and quietly nods in agreement letting himself be lead away by Mr. Benisci.
Asani chuckles at the back of his mind,
Sunamber walks along gathering his dignity until shown the room.
At the Barmaid's request, he is immediately suspicious...
"I thought, Mr. Kagain had already settled this? No matter, I'll go pay HIM forthwith..."
He looks over at his fellow companions to accept their portion of the Room fee.
"From what I gather," Elmario says, retrieving a small handful of high denomination coins from a pouch he wears beneath his shirt, "we'll get the room for free after we've sorted out this business with the mine, until then this should cover my share for the week."
Gathering from her hesitant speech that the barmaid might be a little uneasy, he offers her what comes close to being a warm smile, though the effect is dulled somewhat by his overly pointed teeth, "So my dear, what entertainments does this town have to offer for three fellows marching off into peril and excitement in the morning?"
Xa'nia approaches Sunamber as he walks back to pay for the room.
'I hppened to overhear some of your conversation with the barkeep. If you plan to head into a mine, I can probably be of help to you gentlemen. You happen to have booked the last room, but if we travel together I would be happy to pay my share."
Even as she speaks, her face remains hidding in the depths of her hooded cloak.
Sunamber collects the needed funds and does not give them to the barmaid but takes them directly to the Innkeep Mr. Kagain. Before he reaches the innkeep the hooded and cloaked woman addresses him.
"Uhm... yes milady? Ah... ok. I take it you are an adventurer as well, miss?"
The young half-elf seems somewhat curious at being addressed by a stranger and a woman at that but seeing that she has chosen to obviously conceal her features with a hood it is but a moments curiosity as he does not wish to intrude upon her personal privacy. He nods in polite acceptance.
Perched on his shoulder, 'Asani', his white crested but red feathered hawk actively tried to look under her hood...
Nattering at the back of his mind she chatters,
"Uhm, with your staying in... umm... our room, the share amount is 3 gold, 7 silver, and 5 copper ma'am. I'll see to it a curtain or some privacy blinds are requested for you milady and will certainly admonish my fellow men against any impropriety toward your person, ma'am! I assure you I'm a man of honor and chivalry as respects to women and will not tolerate any unwanted harassment of your person. On my word, ma'am!
The handsome half-elf seems somewhat awkwardly, shy around women, or perhaps its his wish not to seem forward but courteously respectful to a strange woman concealing her face. But perhaps it is her natural charisma that makes him shy, that unquantifiable quality that goes beyond physical appearance.
Though she keeps her features hidden her tone carries an obvious smile as she reaches beneath he cloak to extend an elegant hand the color of polished obsidian, a purplish sheen catching supple skin in the light she opens her fingers, nails painted the colors of mother of pearl, to drop the coins into theyoung half elf's palm.
"Oh don't worry about me, I'll be fine"
Sunamber's eyes go wide slightly at the exotic toned skin and artistically fashioned nails. His thoughts wondering, 'A warrior...? Not likely with artsy nails! A wizard... or perhaps a priestess, maybe a sorceress?'
"Uhm, ok. Thank you?"
Sunamber goes over to Kagain, and smiles, "Hello Master Kagain, I neglected to pay you for our first night! The barmaid who showed us our room insisted. Guess we shouldn't expect you to pay us before we get to work! {ahaha!}"
And hands him the payment.
Sunamber turns and returns to... their new roommate... seeing as she does not know the rooms location...
"..."
"Uh... it might help my companions and I to know... what umm... profes~ uh... adventurer skills you possess?"
"And... I don't know your name miss?"
He speaks as he leads her to the room... mindful to keep a polite distance from her person.
Bahir after extending his share of the payment to Sunamber, watches with amusement as his comrade stumbles in the presence of the woman. this day just got a whole lot more interesting.
He then begins to tote his stuff upstairs determined to find the softest bunk, and best location...and if they don't co-exist arrange it so that they do.
Xa'nia chuckles softly, accompanying the men up the stairs.
"Once we get to the room I'll answer all of your questions, but the first...I am Xa'nia."
Sunamber nods solemnly, "A... honor to meet you Miss Xa'nia, I am called Sunamber."
In awkward silence he leads her to the room and speaks to his comrades, "My friends this is Miss Xa'nia, she has purchased a share in our rooms here and agrees to help with handling the clearing of Mr. Kagain's mine... if that is acceptable to you. Please introduce yourselves."
He then hands each back the unspent portion of their room fee to the amount of 1 gold, 2 silver and 5 copper.
Sunamber gets the barmaid's attention and instruct that some privacy curtains or blinds be brought up to the room for the lady in their company, but is still listening to the interchange...
As they enter the room, Xa'nia takes in the space and her companions, trying to guage their potential reactions. Sighing quietly to herself she draws the hood back removing the cloak altogether
Despite her short stature and lithe build, the young dark elven woman projects an imposing presence of dark focus. Her purplish black skin seeming to draw the shadows around her, a stark contrast to her golden blond hair.
Obviaously a warrior of some sort, she waer stylized black and silver armor, layered over what appears to be a short silken shift of similar color, bearing violet sigils along it, well made, yet cut in the revealing, and seemingly impractical manner of her people, alluring yet seeming almost to invite a strike at exposed flesh, a challenge to lesser enemies.
She moves with an assuredness, a fluid elegant sense of purpose to every step, an effortless ease of movement that indicates something both beautiful and deadly. The efect was emphasized by the sleek short sword, bow and punching dagger she carries on her person.
Amber eyes, pupils and almost luminous, seem to take in everything around them, her face a flawless mask, yet not without the indication of a smile.
Sunamber is stunned.
Sunamber is left speechless, fathoming at the beautiful and dangerous woman in their presence. , eyes that had hypnotised his senses.
He looked away so as not to stand agape and make her angry or think him a twit, casting his look at his companions to gauge their reaction. Sunamber didn't know much about Dark Elves other than the rumor that they were a matriarchy run by cruel and beautiful matron mothers who were backed by a clergy of some sort and treated their men folk basically like slaves to their whims. He was not sure what to think of that. He had always treated women with chivalry and respect...even the few that had shared his bed off and on. Women were a prickly sort sometimes.... hard to tell what made them amorous or in a seething fury. Not to mention how some could shift between the two extreme with little warning from the slightest innocuous word on a man's part. What would Xa'nia be like... he wondered?
Bahir comfortably laying atop his carefully chosen bunk, watches the unveiling with interest. Once he sees the removal of clothing has stopped, he sits up on the edge of the bunk.
"Whew"! "I see why you go about all covered up". "That must be hell to explain". I've certainly seen stranger things, and had stranger things happening to me...but this certainly won't be a boring time.
"They even object to a little harmless fun?" the Shelzari asks with a raised eyebrow, "they must be quite the bore!"
"Well," he adds, shrugging his shoulders under the weight of his pack, "I should be unpacking, perhaps we'll talk more later."
With that, after allowing a few moments for her response, he turns into the room and flops his bag onto the floor against the nearest wall, only then looking up at his fellow occupants.
When he does, Elmario seems a little taken aback by Xa'nia's appearance, despite his own skin-tone being not dissimilar. For once he seems lost for words, and looks on silently waiting for the situation to develop.
Sunamber watches the lovely dark elf out of the corner of his eye as he unpacks his travel gear at his chosen bed and bedstand. He chooses the same side of the room as the other males in his roommates leaving it her option to either bunch opposite her ...now erstwhile male companions or join them at her option.
He is silent watching her caution in his gaze ...as after settling his gear neatly with military precision and neatness begins to take of his mithril armor and weapons, neatly arraying them for latter donning.
The handsome half-elf youth retains his cold-Iron shortsword on a swordbelt at his side, and sitting on the edge of his bed removes his boots.
His familiar Asani flutters from her perch upon his shoulder to land on his bedpost end while Sunamber pulls forth from a satchel a tome. Crossing his legs on the bed he sits down at its center opening the tome to begin perusing its twisting and seemingly shifting arcane script.
He makes one last wary glance at Xa'nia before becoming totally engrossed in his study of the text's of neatly arranged 'if shifting' script, arcane diagrams and symbols...
Idly, Sunamber fiddles with his hair as he concentrates on studying the script. For all the part... he looks a young, well-dressed, magic school apprentice... diligently at his studies. The growing morning sunlight shine in through the rooms windows shimmers in his reddish -golden lockes of hair and flickers in his pretty almond-shaped amber eyes. His ears cannot be seen covered with a green hair-scarf/headband, but the faint shape of their long delicate curves can be just hinted at. His elven traits are strongly expressed in the half-breed's handsome facial features and manner. The light frosting of freckles on his nose and cheeks making him look even younger despite his tall lean and athletically muscled warrior's frame.
A grumbling stomach drags Sunamber out of his studies.
Closing his tome he slips on his boots and heads down for a breakfast. Asani flutters to a shoulder and restlessly preens her reddish feathers.
Sunamber will sit with his other companions but as soon as planted in a seat he opens his tome to begin studying again. He will need to be prodded to order once the serving-maid comes to take orders, so engrossed is he in his mental contemplations.
After his initial surprise at the appearance of the dark-elven woman, Elmario seems to shrug off his questions, content to let the mystery unravel itself over time.
Once downstairs, the young man orders a generous helping of the house stew, accompanied by similarly liberal quantities of cheap wine, and it isn't long before the mix of food and alcohol renew the Shelzari's appetite for conversation.
"Well, my new friends," he says happily to the table, "what happy events have brought us all together in this delightful settlement?"
Sunamber glances up at Mr. Benisci's words and grabs a piece of buttered toast to chew on returning to reading but says, "I am here to increase my magical and martial skill. When during my studies with my master Kandarin of Shelzar and when I attended the War College - Clayborn in Darakeene then even later when I took a brief job as a siege engineer for the Darakeene Crown... I developed a curiosity about the mundane world, constantly trying to find mundane non-magical ways to bring about effects more often and reliably produced with magic."
My master tells me I have great potential to become a powerful wizard and I have always excelled in my studies... but my mind has always plagued me with the why of it... the 'how' of magic's ability to shape the universal forces of the 'world of elements', we call the prime material plane, to produce such powerful reality altering displays of power? I've made it my ...'hobby' to seek ways to do such displays of power without magic and learn how they might be devised."
"I heard a rumor that the elders of this town had found ways to do just such things without... reputedly, resorting to magic! I was astounded so I've come here seeking to find out the secret of such lore the understanding of how such miraculous effects were produced!"
"I seek the secrets hidden in the dark corners of the world. The Lady of the Shadows led me here."
Xa'nia responds from under her cloak, once again drawn around her.
Sunamber turns so the dark-elf woman and smiles and bows slightly, "Well goddess' will, or mere twist of fate... you are welcome among our party... milady. I revere COREAN and TANIL equally and I will pray to them to aid you, as well, that you may find your contentment with our company."
Turning to his comrades, "Now we have had a long hard day of travel... perhaps some dinner and a bath before bed and tomorrow's challenges?"
