New Tavern Thread: The Hanged Man

The Concert - Part 1

The door slams open and heavy smoke starts billowing into the room in thick waves, greatly reducing visibility within a few moments. It doesn’t really bring about much coughing, but there’s a sense of eeriness in the air, as if foreboding a significant event to come.

“What’s the meaning of this?!” cries the barkeep. “What’s the deal with all this smoke? Did another fire break out in Daunton?”

“Yes,” comes a mysterious tenor voice from beyond the doorstep, at once both gutter rusty and saintly pure, its source shrouded within the misty air. A lone silhouette can vaguely be perceived stepping in through the doorway, small of stature but with a sense of might surrounding it.

“Fear not, fair citizens of Daunton. This is not the sort of fire that will scorch your flesh, though it will fire you up! This is not the sort of fire that will raze your homes, though it will get the heat on!”

More movement can be detected past the figure, giving the impression that pieces of furniture is floating through the air and arranging itself neatly in the back. Nobody can be seen moving the objects, however. One of the items bumps into the speaker’s head while floating past, prompting a mumbled curse in an otherworldly tongue.

[sblock=For the language sages]The stranger cursed in the language of the gods – Supernal![/sblock]

“Fine folks, dazzling damsels, scalawags and scoundrels, knights and noblemen! I have come to stir up the fire in your souls!”

There’s a dramatic pause, and the silhouette-man eagerly awaits a reaction. He is met with only a few scattered coughs.

“Ahem!” The speaker looks over his shoulder, somewhat dissatisfied. “I said, I have come to stir up the fire in your souls!!!”

There’s a high-pitched “uh-oh” as if some tiny creature just woke up, and the smoke dissipates a moment later, in a feeble attempt at timing for the stranger to pose when he is revealed.

As a… Well… Probably a halfling with bizarre hair. Wild on his head, wackier sideburns, and… a rolled up beard? Except halflings don’t grow hair on their chin. Possibly a very small and extremely scrawny dwarf, then? No, far too frail and it appears to actually be some crazy goatee he’s got going, not a beard.

With the air clearing up, it turns out to be an exceptionally outlandish-looking brown-skinned gnome. He’s got intricate tiny cylinders in his black hair rolling his goatee and both of his sideburns into separate elongated “hairdos”.
The gnome’s attire is nothing like his fey ancestry would suggest, wearing the latest in fancy and flamboyant city fashion. Strange gadgets are strapped to his back and sides, giving no clue to their purpose… for now.

“Now, I know what some of you may be thinking: Fire up our souls? Is he going to curse us or banish us to the Nine Hells or what?”

Jumping atop a central table, the gnome peers about suspiciously at his own words, alert to any foul-play. With a sigh, he eases up and gives a reassuring smile to the audience.

“On the contrary, good people, on the contrary! I’ll be delivering you to the Heavens above!”

The gnome raises his arms to the sky and is met by the hymn of a choir of angels.

“Ah, but "How so?" I hear you speculate. "How could he possibly make us reach the heavens? Will he pray for us or bestow blessings? Will he cast a mighty spell and open up a grand portal to the celestial realms?"”

The gnome gives the audience a sly wink, as if letting them in on a juicy secret.

“No prayers or portals needed, fellows. I’ll be using a much more potent tool… Behold!”

The gnome reaches to his back and demonstrates a curvy box, made of light but reinforced wood with a small opening, some straps, and what looks like a comb on a hinge. In his other hand he brandishes some sort of rectangular shaft, with line markings at regular intervals, and a headstock at the end.

He combines the two parts over his head in a dramatic display, fitting them together with an audible click. When combined they form something akin to a lute. A string instrument with no strings to play on. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZUTleBwiiw"]Somewhere, a theme begins to play.[/ame]

“I present to you the Great Ultra-Intense Thundering Audio Ripper! A finer musical instrument has never been conceived! And I’ll be using it to raise the roof!”

“The roof? You’re not working any magic on my ceiling, are you?” asks the barkeep nervously. “Oh! And you’re supposed to announce your name in here!”

The gnome reaches to his goatee and unrolls it by using the imbedded cylinder, revealing the impossible length of hair on his chin. It is, in fact, the longest goatee. Ever.

He somehow traces it through the comb on the soundbox and rolls it up to be attached at the end of the shaft, thus forming six strings on the Great Ultra-Intense Thundering Audio Ripper. With a sweeping motion he strikes a chord on his hair-strings, sending surreal sounds into the room that are amplified far beyond what should be possible.

“Men and beasts, champions and chaplains, conquerors and cavalrists. My name is Rhole. And this…”

A miniscule stone-like devilish creature leaps out from the top of his hair with a high-pitched “weee”, sliding in front of the audience on its knees. It looks more or less like a tiny gargoyle. A tiny gargoyle with a tiny four-stringed instrument.

“… this is Rock.”

The little stone-devil beats its little stone-strings in a steady pace, delivering very deep rumbling tones with the same inexplicable trace of amplification.

Rhole whips up a catchy rhytm with the Great Ultra-Intense Thundering Audio Ripper, building up the atmosphere progressively. While the duo plays on their instruments, a set of drums float in through the still open door to take their place on the stage, accompanied by drumsticks. The door closes by itself and the drumsticks start playing, complimenting the music with a solid beat.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNdH1ujHT2s"]Recommended background music[/ame]

The show goes on for some time and escalates in both passion and intensity. Rhole is frequently down on his knees, beating on his hair-strings in insanely over-the-top solo riffs. The audience feels an inexplicable urge to nod their heads to the rhythm and imitate playing on string-instruments themselves, as if invisible lutes were in their very hands.

The opening song is finished with a feverish finale, the drumsticks literally flying against their targets so hard that they bounce around the room. The Great Ultra-Intense Thundering Audio Ripper simply wails with might in the gnome’s hands, emitting tremors that can just barely be felt through the ground!

Rhole bows deeply and blows kisses to the crowd before jamming onwards into a new song. Meanwhile, Rock walks from table to table while playing, holding out a tiny stone-hat and pleading for coins to finance the show.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAylkWkd4VA"]Recommended background music[/ame]

[sblock=Mechanics]Unseen Servant ritual: Floating and playing drum set.
Ghost Sound power: Choir of angels and various sound effects.
Arcane Familiar: Rock.[/sblock]

Adran watches, wide-eyed, as the astounding spectacle unfolds. He then leans over and says to Growl, "I think I may be too late. Barbarism, it seems, is already upon us."

With a somewhat pained look on his face he signals to the bartender for another drink.

"Better make it a double."

Catein watches this display of ego with disinterest. Rhole feels he's being judged harshly by the man made of chains, but it's probably a feeling he's used to... well, the "being judged harshly" part, not the "man made of chains" part.

When the little gargoyle comes by with its hat, Catein says, "I will not pay to be unwillingly exposed to such a display. Move on to your next victim."

Catein seems to notice Growl and Soldier for the first time and makes its way to each of them, in turn, asking, "Excuse me, where were you created? What place do you call home? I seek a society of our kind, where these fleshy meat-beasts are excluded and/or properly controlled."

"I was created several hundred years ago, as near as I can tell, in the kingdom of Allaria," Growl replies to Catein. Continuing in a less friendly tone, he adds, "As for 'fleshy meat-beasts'..."

Again, Growl's armor panels shift, his limbs contort, fur, fangs, and claws appear, and before the chain creature is a very large brown bear. This time, no armor plates remain - perhaps Growl is more focused right now - and the bear appears like any one would find in the deepest forest. The bear growls at Catein, sniffing the contraption, and then panels shift again to return Growl to his warforged form.

This "fleshy meat-beast" sits back to observe the exchange (since he's obviously not included in the conversation). He grins in appreciation of Growl's response to the newcomer.

Catein is taken aback at Growl's display. "Interesting," it says in response, "are you somehow infected? I've had my experience restraining those who carry an infection which causes them to lose control and change into even beastlier forms, but I've never seen this before. You appear to be in complete control of your change. Congratulations! Self control is very important to harmonious living with others. I, too, was created by the Kingdom of Allaria, although I understand that government no longer exists. Do you know of any other place where constructs are created?"

Turning toward Soldier, Catein speaks more loudly, "You! In the corner! Come speak with us!"

Without asking permission, Catein sits at the table, clearly interested in Growl and completely ignoring Adran.

"It is no infection," Growl explains. "I was designed to assume my bear form. My creators, however, did not foresee all the complications that I experienced. It took me many years to find harmony within myself. As for where others like us are created now, I cannot say. I know only that we were common in Allaria before it fell."

Feyr was thinking, not noticing his environment until the music starts. After the show, he started to overhear the conversation between two intelligent animated mechanical and an half-elf. He grabs his mug and walk to the table.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what you have shown is fairly common sight in Surtyr, and even more in Valhyr. I might be wrong, but your power must be linker to the forces of nature itself. Many of my people have drawn there strength from the nature, even more since the god have decided to punish the people of my homeland. Our druids use the strength of the polar bears, the cunning of the white fox or the sight of the snow owl for warfare."

Feyr pause a moment and look at the two Warforged.

"But I must tell it is the first time I see such power given to a animated statue... we had rumors of your kind among my people, but it is teh first time I see one. My name is Feyr."