Even Newer Tavern Thread: The Hanged Man
pacdidj
First Post
"You've never heard of Arcadia dearie? The Feywild? Why, it's a strange and beautiful place full of magical faeries, cunning tricksters, and dashing and handsome fey lords like my beau Luran," Auntie Mab says, her eyes taking on a far-away look, "That's where scrumgrums like you come from. Beings of rock and stone that shed dirt and plants everywhere, and talk with chalky, gravelly voices. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. Suppose you grew up an orphan. You must be all alone in the world, you poor dear," she says, patting the warforged's arm and giving him a sympathetic look.
[sblock=Insight 12]You're pretty sure the old woman has just made these 'scrumgrums' up. She keeps glancing away from you every time she says the word.
[sblock=Insight 22]Though, she describes this being Luran as her "beau," you detect an undercurrent of fear in her voice belying her romantic pretensions.[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Nature or History 12]There's no such thing as a scrumgrum.[/sblock]
"Oh, you mean Tristram? Why, he's my familiar love. I've ensorceled him with my great arcane powers!," declares Auntie Mab sweeping her arm out in what is clearly intended to be an impressive gesture. Unfortunately the effect is ruined somewhat by Tristram who, having finished gulping down his whisky, emits a tiny belch. You also note as the old woman makes her sweeping arm what appears to be a complete set of kitchen knives sheathed in pockets sewn to the inside of her cloak.
Catching you staring at this peculiar arsenal, she blushes for a moment and admonishes, "Now, now. It's not polite to stare at an old lady. And Tristram! What have I told you about burping at the table?"
The rat shrugs its shoulders with an apologetic *Squeak.*
LadyLaw
First Post
Rysethynn looks the warforged up and down when it approaches her table before replying.
"Rysethynn," she said shortly, then added by way of explanation to his observation, "My clan've always lived in ther mountains. I kin hear th'earth speakin' in ma heart. Tells me things. You don' see that much in ther city. Cityfolk've fergotten how ter list'n."
She watches, intrigued, when the old lady walks in and makes her introductions. She watches the rat with clear surprise as in gulps down the wiskey and burps. Then, she lets out a deep, rummbling laugh.
"A rat aft'r me own heart!" she says with clear humor. "Well met to ye both."
She has a thought then, and takes out the small parchment again, showing it to those sitting at the table. It contains only a symbol: a crescent moon inside a circle.
"Any o'ye seen this afore?"
"Rysethynn," she said shortly, then added by way of explanation to his observation, "My clan've always lived in ther mountains. I kin hear th'earth speakin' in ma heart. Tells me things. You don' see that much in ther city. Cityfolk've fergotten how ter list'n."
She watches, intrigued, when the old lady walks in and makes her introductions. She watches the rat with clear surprise as in gulps down the wiskey and burps. Then, she lets out a deep, rummbling laugh.
"A rat aft'r me own heart!" she says with clear humor. "Well met to ye both."
She has a thought then, and takes out the small parchment again, showing it to those sitting at the table. It contains only a symbol: a crescent moon inside a circle.
"Any o'ye seen this afore?"
pacdidj
First Post
Auntie Mab squints at the symbol on the parchment for a few moments, then says, "No dearie, I don't think I've ever seen one of those. It's not a faerie glyph is it? I shouldn't think so. The great Luran has taught me all about faerie glyphs and I've never seen one that looks like that. It might be the work of boojums," she says with an ominous tone of voice, "Legend has it that they leave behind mystic runes when they sneak in at night to steal your railway shares. Not sure what those are, only that boojums like them," she says with a sage nod and a self-satisfied smile, as though she's just imparted very helpful advice.
Tristram also inspects the parchment, tracing the symbol with his forepaw, then looks the dwarf in the eye and shakes his head sadly.
Tristram also inspects the parchment, tracing the symbol with his forepaw, then looks the dwarf in the eye and shakes his head sadly.
Voda Vosa
First Post
The warforged eyes the elder woman. "You are afraid of that who you claim to be your mentor. And you lie about creatures such as scrumgrums, no such creature has been spawned by the earth" He stares a the woman blankly. "Why is that?"
Earth's Skills:
Insight: 23Roll Lookup
Nature: 28
Earth's Skills:
Insight: 23Roll Lookup
Nature: 28
pacdidj
First Post
Auntie Mab let's out a rippling peal of laughter saying, "Oh, dearie. Luran's not my mentor. Why he's my... he's my... that is, well... he's a friend," she blushes deeply as she stammers, then continues, "A very special friend," she adds with a wink.
[sblock=Insight 22]You still detect a hint of fear in the old woman's voice, despite her protestations to the contrary.[/sblock]
The old woman shakes her head, clucks her tongue, and sighs. "Oh you poor dear, stuck in denial. Not that I can blame you. Having spent a whole life alone, it must be frightening to hope that there might be others like you."
She sips her tea and contemplates for a moment. "Or then again, maybe you are fated to travel life's roads alone. Maybe your destiny will never lead you to your fellow scrumgrums. Auntie Mab is very wise in the ways of destiny!," she declares, puffing out her chest and making mysterious gestures with her hands. "I can tell you what Apoli has in store for you, whether you'll ever find your kinsmen, and whither and thither you shall tread upon life's manifold paths. Would you like a reading?," Auntie Mab asks with an arched eyebrow as she pulls a small deck of cards out of her pocket and sets it on the table.
Tristram the rat listens to the old woman's pontificating with a look of supreme boredom, picking his bottom teeth with a foreclaw. He keeps a suspicious eye fixed on the earthen warforged however, apparently still suspecting him of questionable hygiene, possibly correlating with other dubious behavior.
LadyLaw
First Post
Rysethynn looks more resigned than anything else when no one recognizes the symbol.
"I though' not, but if couldna hurt t'ask," she said with a sigh. She folded the small parchment again and replaced it in her pouch.
She watched the interchange between the other two with some interest. She'd never heard of a scrumgrum. In fact, she was certain there was no such thing. However, the conversation was at least entertaining, so she sipped her ale and listened with interest, particularly interested to see what Mab would "fortell" for the warforged.
"I though' not, but if couldna hurt t'ask," she said with a sigh. She folded the small parchment again and replaced it in her pouch.
She watched the interchange between the other two with some interest. She'd never heard of a scrumgrum. In fact, she was certain there was no such thing. However, the conversation was at least entertaining, so she sipped her ale and listened with interest, particularly interested to see what Mab would "fortell" for the warforged.
Voda Vosa
First Post
"Speak. I do not believe in such things as foretold destiny. Neither do I believe in witches carrying a supply of knives under her sleeves. Nor I believe in a person that insists on lying, and has a rat as a familiar." Earth sentences, apparently oblivious on rules of etiquette.
He turns to the dwarven woman sitting next to the old human.
"The stone speaks to you, it is true. Have you asked to stone about the sign? What does it represents? Why do you need to know about its meaning?"
He turns to the dwarven woman sitting next to the old human.
"The stone speaks to you, it is true. Have you asked to stone about the sign? What does it represents? Why do you need to know about its meaning?"
pacdidj
First Post
Auntie Mab takes this as an affirmation that Earth does indeed want a tarot reading. She immediately pulls the cards out and begins shuffling and humming loudly to herself, apparently oblivious to the rest of what the warforged says, or perhaps studiously ignoring his aspersions upon her character.
"Now pay attention dearie," she says, tapping the warforged on the arm, "You need to cut the cards and handle them for a moment, so they can absorb your aura."
"There now," she says, accepting the deck back once it's been cut. She places the deck in front of her and waves her hands in a circling motion a few inches above intoning, "Will this poor scrumgrum who calls himself Earth ever find his way back to his people in Arcadia? And how will he fare in his adventures?"
She then lays out three cards face down in a row in front of her. She clears her throat with a dainty noise, and then proceeds to flip over the leftmost card. "This card represents an important element in your past love. Ah, the three of swords. I see that you've recently been through a period of rest and respite after conflict. One might almost say you've been inactive for a very long period of time," she says, giving the warforged a shrewd look. "Of course, this is because no one ever told you about the other scrumgrums before! I'm sure now you'll want to go out looking for them. No more of this inactive complacency!
"And that brings us to the present," she says flipping over the middle card.
*Squeak!,* says the rat, apparently having taken a small interest in the proceedings. You think you detect a note of startlement and worry in his small voice.
"Yes Tristram, this bodes ill indeed. The Chariot. It's a Major Arcana, and it's reversed! Beware, oh earthen friend, for you may face a grave setback or defeat in your adventures," Auntie Mab proclaims, her voice full of doomful omen. Then, in a more casual tone she adds, "But of course you're bound to face defeat if you get stuck in denial. It's the first step on the road to recovery dearie: admitting you have a problem. Here repeat after me: 'I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and I'm not the only scrumgrum in the world!' There now, doesn't that feel better?"
Noting the warforged's stony silence and failure to repeat her self-help mantra Auntie Mab clears her throat again and continues. "Yes, well. On to the future," she flips the third card over and her face lights up in a smile. "Ah! The three of coins. Most fortuitous! You will find the beauty, harmony, and balance that you seek. Reunited with your people at long last, scrumgrums marching hand-in-hand and singing Kumbaya, and a bunch of little Earths playing on the living room floor! Oh, I just love happy endings!," says the old woman, her eyes glistening with barely-restrained happy tears.
Tristram rolls his eyes at this undignified display as Auntie Mab pulls out her pocket handkerchief and blows her nose. Then, having apparently regained her composure, she holds her hand out flat in front of the warforged and says, "That'll be three gold crowns please. For only seven more I'll do a full Allarian Cross spread to give you even more insight into the mysteries of fate and destiny!"
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