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The tattooed beauty from Varisia struts into the lounge.
"Not all of us are from the Land of the People's Revolt, but all of us here believe in the cause of liberty. Make yourself at home, and prepare for missions to see other parts of the world. Did you have any questions about how things are done?"
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I'm not from Andoran, either. People keep telling me I look Chelaxian, and they're right. I was born there - as a slave. A Pathfinder from Andoran freed me when I was 9 years old and brought me back to Absalom. I've grown up ever since working as a valet for any Pathfinder who would teach me anything. I swore I would pay that debt forward, using my "jack of all trades" skills, working as a Pathfinder agent and freeing as many other slaves as I can in my lifetime.
*eyes the mug handed to him by Corvus*
"Well, when in Absalom...." *sips the mug*
"Hmmm, not too bad...anyway, to Freedom, comrades!"
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*A medium sized half-elf dressed in typical explorer gear and a long, green/gray hooded cloak enters the tavern and takes a seat at the corner edge of the bar, back to the wall. He surveys the room for a bit, looks to the bartender and orders an ale, asking for it to he poured into his own trusty tankard. He overhears fellow Andoran Pathfinders conversing nearby, finishes his ale, and decides to join in.*
"Why, good evening, folks. Do my ears mistake me, or did I hear word of a keg among my fellow Andoran brothers and sisters? Surely the six of you cannot finish it alone, and I've brought my own mug if you've none to spare.
*Digs behind his cloak for a bit and pulls out a small bottle.*
Ah, and, a bottle of whiskey to share if any is interested."
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*Pointing at the chair.*
"If I may."
*Sits*
"I am Kaevnór. Folks call me Kave for short. I am not a native Andoran either. Originally from Erages. My mother was..is..an elf and my father.... *pauses for a moment, gritting his teeth a bit" ...my father is a human."
*Takes another swig of ale* "
Anyway.....to Cayden Cailean! And, may Desna bless us all."
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Over the sound of bar patrons conversing, a well-trained ear can hear a high-pitched voice, almost like a child's, speaking rapidly and in an increasingly frustrated tone. If someone is to peer at the door, they can easily spot the disturbance: a short, presumably human girl clad in a dusty lavender tabard and brown breeches is arguing with the doorman to let her in. Though she looks to be in her early teens, perhaps fourteen or so, there is something odd about her bearing and appearance. Perhaps it's a trick of the light, but her hair appears a shade of dark gray rather than a more common black, and her eyes seem to be vivid amethyst purple.
"Look, I know what I look like, sir! I don't look old enough to be in this place - but I am, I swear! I'm over seventy years old! And I'm getting really tired of always being treated like this when I want go somewhere!"
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Steel Arrow saunters over to the doorway. "Doorman, she got a Wayfinder?" The look is expectant, and almost predatory, causing the bouncer to blanch a bit.
"Yeah, so let her in. I'll be responsible." He gives a nod to the newcomer. "Call me Steel Arrow. You are a Pathfinder, you are welcome here, though, I must say, yer lookin' good for 70..."
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The girl, at her fellow Pathfinder's approach, gives him a bit of a deer-in-the-lantern-light look before realizing what he's up to. Giving the doorman a smile that is only slightly a sarcastic smirk, she ducks under his arm and into the tavern, her expression bright as she speaks to her rescuer.
"Thanks a lot for helping me! And, oh, uh, the compliment? I guess? That was a compliment, right?" She frowns briefly, trying to parse the sentence, but soon returns to what appears to be her default expression, which isn't much short of absolute glee. When she continues speaking, it's nearly as much to the rest of the bar and its patrons as it is to Steel Arrow.
"Yeah, I've been a Pathfinder for a bit now - haven't been on a lot of missions, don't really know why, but it's quite amazing! I just had to get in this tavern once I heard Pathfinders frequent here, especially ones from Andoran, but that little commotion at the door seems to happen to me all the time. Oh, and my name's Kou. Not my full name. But Kou's a good enough thing to get called." She trails off with a bit of a giggle. Clearly, this is one Pathfinder who has, as of yet, not been traumatized by how brutal the occupation can get.
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The hard-bitten man, almost a barbarian himself, shrugs once again. "I ain't pretty, and ain't ever gonna be. 'Sok, though, since ghosts and goblins and giants don't get to see much of me, other than an arrowpoint, of course."
He turns back to the bubbly beauty. "Whatcha drinkin'? I can spot a glass or a pitcher, or even a pony-keg if ya like."
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Sichelgaita looks at the young girl. After her last mission, she feels she knows exactly who - or rather what - 'Kou' is, and has to fight an urge to fall to her knees and bow her head. Not knowing if she wants to be incognito or not, she simply inclines her head. "Welcome Milady," she says. "I was saying that this round's on me, so...what will you have?"
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Salranna walks into the bar with her party sense going off. Quaffing an antitoxin she cooked her self she raised a flask of beer to air says
"Looks like this is my kind of Andovran party, one where where we exocute beer by the barrel. I hate beer, in fact I hate so much I bring 3 mugs home every night and make sure that they never see the light of day again"
while winking at Corvus.
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A tad confused by the attention for a moment, Kou gives the gathered Pathfinders a brief once-over before regaining her bearing.
"Maybe a glass of mead, and you can discuss among yourselves who will pay, if you really insist on doing so? I've never really gotten the hang of ale... Well, to be honest, I can't understand why anyone drinks it, but then again, there's a lot I don't understand, especially about why people like specific things. So 'to each their own', as they say." She finishes the sentence with a beaming little grin.
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The sorceress looks on as the serious drinking appears about to start. She empathizes with the dread the mugs of beer must have at the very presence of the Alchemist in the room.
From behind her comes a much smaller, and winged woman, who stands on the back of the chair and begins to sing in a sweet and pure soprano. It isn't loud, not especially, but the notes ring out through the room. A smile grows on the Lyrakien's face as she looks over and notices relaxation and an ease of tension from those listening to her.
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Sheliantha moves to a closer chair with the tiny azata fluttering about her. "And I am Sheliantha, and my friend Cuorecielo." She indicates the little one and gives a sketch of a court'sey.
"We were just back from Varisia, the Fortress of the Nail. Time for a little relaxation, I think. I was about as nervous as I have ever been, up there."
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Sheliantha's suspicions appear to well founded. Salranna takes out her own mug after kindly handing a full one to Annan. After three drinks, each with their own special concoction added by Salranna, the ceramic mug she is using begins melt. Laughing she pulls out a glass flash from her pack and orders yet another drink.
"Three pinches before it melts, a new record! Before those mugs could only last 2 pinches of flavor spike. anyone want try flavor spike in ale themselves?!"
She says with a glint of amusement in her eye.
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Sichelgaita's face is a study in indecision. Eventually, she shakes her head. "I'd better not. I have an appointment tomorrow, one that by the sounds of it could lead to an assignment, and I'd rather not be at a handicap when swinging my sword." She pauses. "Unless you have some kind of cure as well as the flavour-spike, so I can sober instantly or get my liver back."
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Kou falls into an uncharacteristic silence at the sight of the lyrakien, and appears near mesmerized by its song. The only thing that breaks her stasis is the way her lips move as they attempt to voicelessly mimic the small azata's song. As Cuorecielo finishes her piece, the girl sighs deeply, eyes fluttering shut.
"Wow. That was gorgeous." She pauses for a moment, as if reaching back into reality from some other level of existence, then lets her gaze drift back to those around her. "Fortress of the Nail? That sounds like an unpleasant place. I've only been to Verduran and Riddleport on missions so far, and they're both beautiful."
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"Empyreal Enlightenment?" She asks the cavalier. "We went there, too. Interesting people, and like all of them, stuck in the Tapestry. I've been looking for ways to allow them to come out, should they choose."
Cuorecielo flies over to Kou, looking the summoner in the eye, and then starts conversing in rapid-fire Celestial: "You like singing? You have a Friend, right? Does he like singing too? And yeah, the Fortress of the Nail is unpleasant place. It has a door in it, to go someplace else. Some of the Hellnights are nice, but they are all stuffy about rules and stuff. Did you want another song? I like singing, and pretty things, and my friend Sheliantha does too."
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** spoiler omitted **
He looks to Sheilantha. "Any progress?"
The tiny woman flits back to the sorceress, and replies in the heavenly language.
Then she giggles behind a hand and flits over to Kyros, and switches back to the common tongue of the Inner Sea. "I'm glad you can. We can talk about beautiful things too!"
Sheliantha seems unfazed by the lyrakien swooping by and around her, just smiling at the antics, and looks back to Alexite with a more serious expression. "The Aspis had found a way to intrude on the space of the Tapestry, but we now know how to do it as well. They wanted in there to exploit the place, so missions such as yours were to good purpose. Hopefully they will be required somewhat less in the future. Sadly, though, I don't think we know of a way to extract the residents."
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Kou's entire face seems to light up as the lyrakien speaks to her, only slightly marred by a second of confusion over the mention of a friend before she realizes what Cuorecielo means. Her reply, in Celestial as well, nearly paces that of the azata.
"I am not much of a singer, to be honest! But I love the words - Celestial is such a charming language for singing because of what the words sound like. And yes, I do have my Friend, but the Catechizer - that is his name - is not one to sing much. He does not have a physical mouth, so it is a bit difficult for him to even speak. I have asked him to change this, but it seems he prefers not to."
Hearing the others mention the Aspis, the summoner actually badly stifles a giggle before commenting in Common. "Oh, the Aspis? I've had a bit of fun with them, hehe. Those guys have a reputation in Riddleport that's a little less impressive now, all thanks to yours truly! ...okay, well, I had a little backup. But they were mostly there for a show of muscle. I did the important bits, meaning, the talking."
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"Eh, most adventurers have to be sociopaths somewhat. Comes with the territory. Even the purest of my party, a sorceror, has had his sanity bent by his powers. No one who does our job can come back whole. Too much death around us. Anyways, now I'm getting on! I've seen temples of Rovagug cheerier than this place!" He turns to the Lyrakien
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"Most adventurers tend to be sociopaths'?" Sichelgaita nods. "Oh, Kyros, Alexite...until you've seen your party fellows trying to weight down unconscious pirates and roll them into Riddleport Harbour, you ain't seen nothing yet. Trying to defend *pirates* was the most bizarre experience of my life." She chuckles. "Though...more ruthless thinking has its uses. Like how do you resolve a hostage situation? Colour spray the hostage and captors together, apparently."
At the mention of the Aspis Consortium, everyone notices her fists squeezing tightly. "Any mission to hunt down Consortium men is good in and of itself. But then, I'm probably biased, since those *animals* killed my father."
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Sheliantha purses her lips at all the talk of killing people, and frowns a moment before speaking up. "I guess I am more fortunate in being able to get people to see reason. I like to work -with- the folk we meet, rather than fight them. My own magicks I prefer to wield against monsters and outsiders, undead and demons, things that disrupt the world. Unfortunately, there are people too lost in depravity and slaving so they can't see reason, including many of the aforementioned Consortium." The beauty leans back looking off, and her fingers straighten as she sorts things internally. "Hopefully, I can make things better with what I do."
Cuorecielo is a dervish with wings as she flits from person to person, continuing conversations as a grandmaster playing multiple opponents does as a spectacle.
First to Sichelgaita, where she smiles and gives the paladin's armored arm a quick, reassuring hug. Then, to Kou where she nods eagerly, and responds again in Celestial: "Oh, yes, the tongue from home is a beautiful thing, for talking and for singing too! I'm sorry the Catechizer doesn't want to make a mouth to talk, but it -is- his choice, and we can't be imposing on others to do what we want, right? Liberty is a good thing, after all!"
She flashes a smile and zooms over to Kyros, hovering at his eye-level. Again she responds to the man in her native language.
The lyrakien looks back to Sheliantha, perhaps a touch too long, and then faces the horseman again. This time she speaks in language common around the Inner Sea. "Well, it was in Varisia, where she is from. I saw her, and followed her, um, because she is pretty! And we talked, and she knew my language, and she likes to sing too!"
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After a minute of poking around in her pouches, she pulls out antitox/alchemists kindness pellet. and shoves a mug of ale with flavor spike in it to Sichelgaita. She also puts the pellet in front of her.
with a wink she says
"Bottoms up girl!."
Should Sichelgatia drink the ale her sense of taste shale 'spike' increasing it tenfold for about 10 seconds, hence the name 'flavorspike'
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"Sso, thisss where Andoren Pathfindersss gather between missionsss," says a hissing voice from a nearly 7 foot tall suit of full plate mail armor as it clanks noisily into the room. The large warrior takes a seat and removes his helmet, revealing the reptilian face of a snake-like nagaji.
"I have been dissmissed from sservice by noble Amara Li, ssince the Lantern Lodge sstopped operationsss here in the Inner Ssea. After disscussionsss with other Pathfindersss, I've descided to sswear my ssword to the causse of freedom by aiding thosse Pathfindersss from Andoran."
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caw, two minutes in and you've already put your foot in it...." he pauses to look under the table "you do have feet right?"
We're not from Andoran. Never been there myself, not that I remember anyway. We're folks that believe in the IDEALS of andor, freedom, democracy, and the right to self determination. " he pauses for a moment. "And alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol..."
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"Hey, *I'm* from Andoran," Sichelgaita cuts in. "From Fusil, in Andoran's part of the Verduran Forest. So I'm always doubly glad to see how so many believe in the nation I was born in. And it's a true honour to have you join - your name is well-known."
She examines the ale with a nod and smile of thanks, then drinks deep. Her eye suddenly widens...