Even Newer Tavern Thread: The Hanged Man

Bell eyes the newcomers as they enter. Usually she wasn't suspicious of people. Saving this poor soul's niece would certainly be the heroic thing to do, but why aren't I jumping at the chance? Is it something about them? Or maybe just the fact that I haven't seen Atlas or Veruzak since Haurton. Let's see how the new heroes handle things.

Bell casually walks over and sits near Charina, eyeing the others the whole time.

Martelai comes down from his sleeping room and seeing Bell and Charina together he goes to them with bright smile.

"Good day, ladies. What's up?"

"Kidnapped niece." Is Bell's response and she motions to the newcomers. "And a gnome."

The door open slightly, and a small figure shyly stares at the common room, scanning the person gathered within the Hanged Man. After a moment, she decides to enter the place. A young girls, about eight years old and wearing rags, enter. She has dirty long brown hairs and she has some dirt in the face.

[SBLOCK=Charina]You recognize Nelly. She is a member of Merryl groups. That orphan have join the group lately and is in training. At the moment, she mostly do some begging, reporting rumors to the group and sometimes do some observation works. She is too young and too green to start to be active in the more active activities of the gang.

She looks pretty dirty, but at her age, that's help to look pitiful and to earn a few more coins. She is resourceful and bright for her age, but she is still only a six years old girl, even if she looks older.[/SBLOCK]

The bouncer stands in front of the girl. "We don't want your kind here. You get out." As he come to grab the girl, she quickly evade the large hand and run to the table where Charina and Bell are sitting.

As the bouncer approach, the girl tells with a defensive tone "I'm with her." pointing Charina. The bouncer looks at the drow and seeing she doesn't disagree about that fact he tells her. "She is your responsibility."

After a moment, being sure she won't be kicked out of the place, the young girl turns toward Charina. "By Merkari, I finally found you." the child seems scared. "They are all gone. It was Jemny first. We thought he would be after good prey. But then Harold, then Ricky... and now it is Merryl. She didn't came back last night. I was scared alone. I was scared they would come for me too." She starts to hug as hard as she can Charina, trying to find some comfort.

Bell looks at the girl as she digs up the courage to enter, the scene being slightly comparable to her own first entrance. As soon as the girl ran up to Charina, of all people, and began asking for help, Bell's interest was hooked. She called out to a server, "We'll take some soup here, and water." Considering her relationship with the drow, who know what kind of food she finds palatable. . . but most would take some water.

She then turned back to the girl, ignoring any sort of personal boundaries.

BenBrown said:

The door to the tavern swings wide and a man rushes in in a great state of excitement.

"Help!" he cries breathlessly. "Help! Kidnapping! Murder! Or worse!"

The man is dressed in a well-made blue tunic and hose. The clothes are expensive-looking, but are obviously for work as well as show. He is approaching middle age, and has begun to get fairly paunchy. His soft tam-like cap can't disguise the fact that he is balding.

"Help!" he says again. "My niece! Kidnapped! I can pay!" He holds up a bag of coins.

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-''Oh, boo. I don't do rescue missions, that's boring. Half the time you just get a body back. It pays next to nothing, too. That's for amateurs.'' Charina confides to Bell and Martelai. ''Let him hire the riff-raff, I say! Frankly, I think it's a little pathetic how shaken one of the two employers look. He shoulda composed himself before showing up.''

She then perks up as she sees a kid enter the inn and she recognize her.

The bouncer stands in front of the girl. "We don't want your kind here. You get out." As he come to grab the girl, she quickly evade the large hand and run to the table where Charina and Bell are sitting.

As the bouncer approach, the girl tells with a defensive tone "I'm with her." pointing Charina.

Click to expand...

-''Let her through, you goon. I may be too lazy to get up and kick you a**, but that's why I carry an arbalest!'' she shouts at the bouncer.

"She is your responsibility."

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-''Sure. I hope I don't go broke handling all the damage a six year old can cause in an already shoddy inn!'' Charina shoots back sarcastically.

After a moment, being sure she won't be kicked out of the place, the young girl turns toward Charina. "By Merkari, I finally found you." the child seems scared. "They are all gone. It was Jemny first. We thought he would be after good prey. But then Harold, then Ricky... and now it is Merryl. She didn't came back last night. I was scared alone. I was scared they would come for me too." She starts to hug as hard as she can Charina, trying to find some comfort.

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-''WHAT? They took Merryl! Damn it!''

Charina, shaken and scared for her friend, jumps on a table and calls out loudly:

-''I AM HIRING FOR A RESCUE MISSION! I AM PAYING DOUBLE WHAT THAT GUY IS PAYING!'' she shouts, pointing at the other rescue party. ''BUT I WANT THE BEST! No, not you. You are a gnome, be serious. I said the best.''

[sblock=OOC]Beside usual drow arrogance, this adventure is for level 3 whereas Ben's is for level 1. Hence, Charina wants the best.

There are a handful of level 5+ character. None are in the inn right now, but if you read this, the adventure is not for you. You are a bit too 'best'!
[/sblock]

Then Charina composes herself and turns to Nelly.

-''Uh, I probably should ask you who 'they' are. Another gang, I assume? It's gonna be kind of useful to know.''

The kid, overcome with emotions, hugs Charina and sobs.

-''Right, you can tell me who the bad guys are after you stop crying. Um, that'll be soon, right?'' She caress the child's hair while looking at the adventurers in the inn, mouthing off silently : ''I want the best!''.

[sblock=Adventure]Level 3 (2 to 4), 4 to 6 PC including Charina. Velmont is the DM.[/sblock]

Bell simply turns to Charina and offers a very large smile. Looks like it might even hurt. Oh my goodness, I'm going to get an inside look at one of those heroic drows you hear about sometimes.

Wik said:

"Hello, sir. I'm abigail... and this is Azuras," the ferret-like dragonling makes a chirping sound and stands up on its hind legs. "You're hoping to find your niece? I'm sure there are people that would be willing to help - I know I'm interested in finding those that have been lost."

Abigail pauses for a moment, and then then nods. "but... why come here? Hasn't there been any luck with the city watch?"

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After taking a long draft of beer, the older man appears to calm down somewhat.
"I can't go to the city watch because--"

Mal Malenkirk said:

-''Oh, boo. I don't do rescue missions, that's boring. Half the time you just get a body back. It pays next to nothing, too. That's for amateurs.'' Charina confides to Bell and Martelai. ''Let him hire the riff-raff, I say! Frankly, I think it's a little pathetic how shaken one of the two employers look. He shoulda composed himself before showing up.''

Click to expand...

The older man starts to get to his feet. "We never should have come here!" he shouts.

"Calm down, uncle," says the younger man. "Look, we've got some interested people. Not everyone here will be ready to help."

"All right then." He settles back into his chair. "I can't go to the city watch because they wouldn't--"

Mal Malenkirk said:

-''I AM HIRING FOR A RESCUE MISSION! I AM PAYING DOUBLE WHAT THAT GUY IS PAYING!'' she shouts, pointing at the other rescue party. ''BUT I WANT THE BEST! No, not you. You are a gnome, be serious. I said the best.''

Click to expand...

The older man starts to stand again with a look of outrage, but his nephew firmly grabs on to his shoulder and keeps him in his seat.

"My uncle can't go to the city watch because they wouldn't believe him."

"That's right. I'll start at the beginning. My name is Josiah Sturgeon, and I sell fish--wholesale. My niece has been kidnapped by my chief competitor, Lucius Hake. Now we've had some clashes in the past, and the city watch has told us to cool things down. They'd think I was just making trouble."

Sturgeon takes another sip of beer. "I don't like Hake and he doesn't like me, but I never thought he'd do this. Edith--that's my niece--was engaged to his son. I thought maybe that would end the feud. But then two weeks ago he breaks off the engagement. And now he kidnaps her. Why? It doesn't make any sense!"

Alastair pauses and narrows his eyes for a moment, perhaps making a mental note, but silently maneuvers himself to Josiah's table.

BenBrown said:

The older man starts to stand again with a look of outrage, but his nephew firmly grabs on to his shoulder and keeps him in his seat.

"My uncle can't go to the city watch because they wouldn't believe him."

"That's right. I'll start at the beginning. My name is Josiah Sturgeon, and I sell fish--wholesale. My niece has been kidnapped by my chief competitor, Lucius Hake. Now we've had some clashes in the past, and the city watch has told us to cool things down. They'd think I was just making trouble."

Sturgeon takes another sip of beer. "I don't like Hake and he doesn't like me, but I never thought he'd do this. Edith--that's my niece--was engaged to his son. I thought maybe that would end the feud. But then two weeks ago he breaks off the engagement. And now he kidnaps her. Why? It doesn't make any sense!"

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"Looks like I'm your man. I'll help you."

"No, down here. Yeah, hi."

"I'm Alastair."

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L4WC:Alastair Feyd (auberon) - ENWiki

The man in the shadows calls out across the room.

"Susepera, shai'talak kranakus, Virgil.

[sblock=Supernal]"Virgil, enough, return now.[/sblock]

The lizard stares after the dragonling, coughs up more black smoke/saliva, then trundles his way back towards the back table.

His master seems to be watching the commotion in the center of the tavern with interest, but he makes no move to join in, instead settling back and returning to his meal.