With the last days of winter fading into memory, Sasserine has begun to stir again after slumbering for the winter. The thaws allowed the coastal ships to reestablish contact with the neighboring villages along the coast, followed soon by Ishtishia’s followers speaking of the return of fair weather for sailing in the open seas. The dockhands quickly finished the last of the winter repairs to both the ship and sail and waited for the orders to return to the sea.
As crews departed and returned from their initial voyages, short trips designed to ensure the ship was seaworthy more often than not, Sasserine’s population began its shift as well. Men who swore blood oaths to be faithful to a hopeful lass when the nights were cold and long felt the call of the sea and disappeared leaving behind the next generation of Sasserine’s sailors growing in their mother’s wombs and breaking the hearts of those who believed it would not happen to them.
Amid the influx of ships coming into Sasserine, the arrival of the Soul of Winter caused the most gossip among the dockhands. Under the command of Captain Wulgar Windrune, a stern dwarf who prided himself on the fact that his ship had never been boarded by either man or beast, the Soul of Winter had gained a reputation for only answering to the call of coin. The only type of task that he would not take was to bring arms against his dwarven brethren, and after the disappearance of the first three men who sought him for that task, he knew that none would come to him with that request again. The wagers were quickly placed as to what brought the dwarven ship into town and how long they would stay.
The town was also buzzing over the arrival of a true gleeman from Cauldron early in the day. Rumor had it that he would be performing at the Kraken’s Pearl, a former warehouse that a visiting gnome converted into a dockside bar and brewery. After a winter full of listening to the same tales and singing the same choruses, it will be worth the coppers that Hastel will charge to come in tonight to hear a master ply his trade.
As the sun begins to sink in the horizon, you finish your work for the day and head towards the Pearl.
Spoiler:
Well the game is going and feel free to add as much or as little to what you all did for the winter, or if you arrived recently with another ship. One caveat though, no members of the party arrived with the Soul of Winter.
The loud yell splits the cool evening air and is soon followed by the sound of a loud impact and a dwarf rolling down a gangplank of one of the docked ships. At the bottom, Kerwick picks himself up and dusts himself off slightly dizzily.
"AND NEVER COME BACK!"
The tossed dwarf is followed by a tossed axe, which doesn't quite hit Kerwick, who bends over and retrieves it from the ground. He calls up to the deck of the ship.
"Thanks Cap'n! Wouldn't want to lose this. I can see that you're a little upset right now, so I'm going to go down to the tavern, get a little drink. When you're calmer, why don't you come down and join me."
With a small wave, Kerwick turns away, missing the boot thrown at the location recently vacated by his head. With a jaunty whistled tune, and the haft of his axe bobbing loosely on his shoulder, Kerwick Luckstone walks off the docks and into Sasserine.
Arriving at the Kraken's Pearl, Kerwick swings open the door and strides in, grinning widely at whoever's around. With a small wave and a little wink, he walks over to the bar and slaps a coin down on the wood.
"A pint of ale, my good man!"
__________________
SOUL: Secret Organization for Underground Levity
You can't stop the laughter!
THE HIVE: One Mind, No Purpose. Public Member of the Secret Fraternal Order of the Hive.
With the Kraken's Pearl being sparsely filled at the moment, Kerwick's ale is delivered to him quickly by one of the gnomish men behind the bar. Unlike the watered ale that he had been forced to endure while on his last ship, it was obvious to Kerwick that Hastel was breaking out his finest for tonight's event.
"Will ye be wantin' somethin' to eat? The kitchen will be closin' to see the gleeman tonight, so if ye want somethin' ye better let us know soon."
Bruce Selya headed up from below deck to see what all the commotion is about. Asking a chuckling sailor he is informed that the captain caught Luckstone with his daughter and threw him off the boat. Bruce frowned. Since he had left Greyhawk aboard the trading vessel the dwarf had been the brightest spot, his cheeful antics breaking through Bruce's concerns about starting anew in a new city after his falling out at the thieve's guild. Luckstone did not care about political alliances and backstabbing his way up the ladder of ambition. He was friendly and a refreshing change of companionship.
When Bruce heard the captain mutter about selling the dwarf's armor and magic potions as fair returns for the insult done to his family honor, the former burglar's mind was made up and he instantly dove into a plan. When none were looking he shimmied over the side of the vessel, scrabbled along the edge, and swung into the dwarf's cabin room through a porthole. Nobody was around and the olive skinned man worked quickly. Taking down the sail cloth hammock he flipped open the dwarf's sea chest and quickly pulled out the dwarven mail shirt and magical potions wrapping them securely in the makeshift sack which he secured to his belt.
The burglar then crawled back out the window and swung over to the portal of his own crew room and gathered his own gear, attaching the sack to the end of his quarterstaff. With all his own gear plus the dwarf's on his shoulder he then strode up to the deck, said his goodbyes to a few crew members and the still fuming captain, and strode off down the gang plank as the captain headed below intending to loot the dwarf's room.
Heading to the nearest tavern Bruce looked in and spotted the jovial dwarf at the bar. Striding in Bruce walks up beside him and swings his quarterstaff around to land the makeshift sack next to the dwarf with a clinking of mail links.
"Kerwick, you can't leave good dwarven goods like these just lying around. They can be fenced for a good sight of money I'm told. Here let me join you for a flagon."
Kerwick turns a curious eye as the bag lands next to him, then his face splits into a broad grin.
"Bruce! Fancy meeting you here!"
He gives the slight man a meaty slap on the back that echoes resoundingly.
"Hey, thanks for bringing me my stuff, what with all the excitement I just left it sitting their. I suppose the captain sent you down to deliver it? Funny he couldn't bring it himself, he was supposed to be joining me for a drink. You don't suppose he's still sore do ya? I honestly don't see what all the fuss was over. His daughter is a lovely girl, and I was a perfect gentleman."
Kerwick rambles on aimlessly, grinning and chatting about whatever comes to his mind next. He's always like this, but since he's usually quick to buy a round, a whole lot of people find they don't mind. Speaking of which . . .
Kerwick slaps a few more coins on the bar for the gnome and calls out again.
"Goodman, a pint for my friend here, and rustle us up something hot to eat. No fish, but whatever else you got."
__________________
SOUL: Secret Organization for Underground Levity
You can't stop the laughter!
THE HIVE: One Mind, No Purpose. Public Member of the Secret Fraternal Order of the Hive.
"Oh, he was looking to make another trade deal so I volunteered to carry this down myself. So forget him if he's too good to drink with us." Bruce's eyes light up as the ale starts to flow. "Thanks Kerwick, you're a right jolly fellow as I've always said. A true mate. Cheers!" and Bruce drinks up.
"The refreshing music of the docks" thought Nicolai, really enjoying his return to Sasserine. His fear -about his past "aquaitances"- calmed After all, a dead man fears nothng
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The door of The Kraken's Pearl open to reveal a tall, elegant man dressed in a deep blue cloak and supporting himself on an intrincately carved staff, as he enters to take a seat, the door swings back and almost knocks off a... beggar?
A man dressed with an old, ragged trenchcoat which is as dirty and mistreated... no... less dirty and mistreated than his own scrawny figure, wearing a makeshift eyepatch over his left eye, sporting a completly tangled blck beard... When a bouncer comes near him with obvious intentions, the beggar rises a pouch and allows it to reveal it's content through the sound of coin.
He moves to take a seat -just because of curiosity, near the dwarf dumped from the ship- and rests his legs on a chair, smiling. (well, you'd have to guess he was smiling under that tangle of hair some would call beard)
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainz
I do it because I simply love this game.
Level 10, essence of D&D as of November 17 2006
Wizard paralyzed, samurai 6 hp, your Fiend Hunter down to 4 hp and 1 Con, surrounded by four dead Bebilith and one still alive...
Without sheathing the greatsword, with shaky hands unstoppers the small vodka bottle, swallow it down, and hurl it at the still standing demonic spider while yelling "come and get me!" just to allow the samurai to get the edge.
Alin looked upom from the barrel he was sitting on, keeping an eye on Captain Taggits' shipment of goods due to Cauldron. He watched with a bit of amusement the dwarf's ejection, and then went back to his daydreaming. One day, I'll be on the water. And I won't get myself kicked off a will'n vessel. No, I won't!
~~~
Alin had tried to convince his cousin's to come to the Pearl with them, but they had "real" work to do---the patching up of some or another ship. Alin shrugged, and went himself. He took his gear, as he always did, secretly hoping that this would be the time he would get himself caught up in an adventure that would take him to the sea. A Dragon's not meant to be cooped up on one place, he thought to himself.
Upon entering, he noticed the unusual dwarf sitting at the bar, now joined by one other and some beggar they had not had the mercy to debunk. Smiling, he made his way to the other side of the dwarf. "Good day, friend dwarf! See you had a little adventure on this afternoon. Don't think you will be securing passage from that vessel any time soon!"
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Feel free to keep up the interaction, just going to throw a few things in to keep things building and moving.
The Pearl continues to fill with the evening crowd and as Alin takes his seat beside the jovial dwarf, a young server approaches and places a tray with small sweet smelling loaves of stuffed bread on it in front of Kerwick and Bruce before disappearing back into the crowd.
Mixed in with the sound of the crowd is the clearing of the corner area and the ripple effect of conversation on that it wouldn't be long now before the beginning of the gleeman's show.
Kerwick gives a friendly nod to the beggar man seated near him, but he turns when the newest arrival greets him and sits on the next stool.
"Huh? Oh, what, the cap'n? He was just a little surprise I think. All a big fuss over nothing, it'll blow over eventually. Just like any storm on the seas."
He turns to look at the filling room and takes a bite of his newly arrived dinner. He chews carefully and swallows, considering the crowd silently for a moment.
"So, this gleeman, have any of you lot heard anything about him? Any good do you think? I'm always up for a good singing."
__________________
SOUL: Secret Organization for Underground Levity
You can't stop the laughter!
THE HIVE: One Mind, No Purpose. Public Member of the Secret Fraternal Order of the Hive.
"Yeah, so is this a gnomish gleeman that's the talk of the bar? I've heard they're fine entertainers, using illusionaries to illustrate their tales and make their noses grow to ungodly proportions, though I've never seen one perform with my own eyes. Should be something to see."
Interesting, these people could... yes, most certainly
The beggar approaches his chair to the dwarf's table and offers
"Let me pay your dinner... along with mine" He asks one of the gnomes wandering around there to serve him something tangible to eat. The beggar's voice betrays somehow his appearence, a clear and strong voice, probably from someone young...
and his arms, altough covered with rags, are the strong arms of a yong man...
"So... you have decided to leave your previous ship?" his electric blue eye blinks rapidly, expecting some comment, or at least surprise from the patrons sitting at that table.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainz
I do it because I simply love this game.
Level 10, essence of D&D as of November 17 2006
Wizard paralyzed, samurai 6 hp, your Fiend Hunter down to 4 hp and 1 Con, surrounded by four dead Bebilith and one still alive...
Without sheathing the greatsword, with shaky hands unstoppers the small vodka bottle, swallow it down, and hurl it at the still standing demonic spider while yelling "come and get me!" just to allow the samurai to get the edge.
Alin's eyes squint at the non-beggar voiced beggar. "Strange one, aren't ya? Not a begger at all, I'd wager. Some skuldugery, then? Adventure, eh? With you and this talkative dwarf, we're halfway to a real story!" The lad laughs at his own joke.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Nicolai laughs along... "Not that I beg much, I'm new in the business and I'm already dreadfully bored of it..." he takes a piece of bread from the dwarf, and adds "hear me, you are without a ship, right?" before anyone can answer he continues "I can get you to glory and fortune, I know the path..." he shows a golden chain with inlaid gems around his neck, but only for a split second "But for that... we will need a ship to get there... to glory and fortune I mean"
He blinks repeatedly again.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainz
I do it because I simply love this game.
Level 10, essence of D&D as of November 17 2006
Wizard paralyzed, samurai 6 hp, your Fiend Hunter down to 4 hp and 1 Con, surrounded by four dead Bebilith and one still alive...
Without sheathing the greatsword, with shaky hands unstoppers the small vodka bottle, swallow it down, and hurl it at the still standing demonic spider while yelling "come and get me!" just to allow the samurai to get the edge.
I don’t know if H4H has left us already, but I am going to press on with the game and hope for the best. I don’t want to see the game die before the opening scene gets resolved.
As quickly as the crowd begins to speak of the gleeman’s arrival, the sound of shattering glass and a loud scream draws everyone’s attention to the door at the back of the stage. Coming out of the backroom, everyone can see the red stains on her hands and bottom of her dress, but the most obvious sign that something is amiss is the look of disbelief and fear upon her face.
Silence is immediate in the Pearl as everyone’s mind registers the implications of the scene before them.
Alin's face is both shocked and... elated? It's the excitement of the foolish, ready to throw themselves into things without thought of consequences.
The young man rushes the stage, his longspear in hand. He makes for the door to the backroom, peeking in to see what is the cause of the rucus, while keeping an eye on the dwarf and the girl.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
As the would-be beggar is interrupted he first frowns but then... No! dont tell me the boys have gotten to this town!
The man's face grows pale, his mouth open in disbelief...
Thinking he's just found the people he needs, he tries to stick to these individuals:
he motions for the dwarf to open a path through the crowd onto the stage, so that they can get there.
OOC: yes, his nerves are a bit skittish
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainz
I do it because I simply love this game.
Level 10, essence of D&D as of November 17 2006
Wizard paralyzed, samurai 6 hp, your Fiend Hunter down to 4 hp and 1 Con, surrounded by four dead Bebilith and one still alive...
Without sheathing the greatsword, with shaky hands unstoppers the small vodka bottle, swallow it down, and hurl it at the still standing demonic spider while yelling "come and get me!" just to allow the samurai to get the edge.
Kerwick was manuevering through the shocked crowd as best he could when the last stranger to sit beside him rushed past him heading towards the stage. However the sight of the man charging towards the panicked girl with his spear before him spurred the crowd into action as none knew friend from foe.
Blades are all quickly drawn and before Alin can reach the stage, he is hedged off by several of the tavern guests who block his path to the stage.
Nicolai sees an older gnome in a heavily stained apron approaching the stage from the kitchen entrance and when the server sees him she quickly rushes towards him crying in near hysterics. As he grabs her, Hastel screams over her crying to the two doormen, "For the love of the gods, get the Watch you idiots!"
Immediately the one on the left rushes out into the streets, his cries can be heard for a moment before the continued commotion in the bar drowns them out.
Kerwick scratches distractedly at his beard as he stands lost in the middle of the crowd. He'd peer around for a look at what was going on, but being a dwarf, he was a little short on viewing room. He wanders back to his stool, dodging and politely nodding to anyone with a drawn blade.
He speaks to him erstwhile companions over the commotion.
"Looks serious, but I have no clue what is going on. Hopefully the guards will clear it all up."
__________________
SOUL: Secret Organization for Underground Levity
You can't stop the laughter!
THE HIVE: One Mind, No Purpose. Public Member of the Secret Fraternal Order of the Hive.
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