Bartender, older man, young man, and young woman
Essess/Bredonshire/Bredon/The Sawtooth Inn
29 Mother/8:02 PM (after sunset)
Weather: 80 F/27 C; No wind; Light rain
Well, tonight was looking to be a busy night! Though what all these strangers in town meant, the bartender didn’t know. Another young man came in from the rain, tapping his cane around. He was with an attractive young woman of around twenty with honey blonde hair lightened by the sun and soft doe eyes, tanned from the sun. She wore good, sturdy boots, breeches, and a bright yellow peasant blouse beneath her cloak that flattered her figure. She had a crown of white daisies in her hair as she pushed back her hood. The rapier at her side when she pushed aside her cloak would make one think twice about accosting such a woman, however.
The man was much less imposing. He was pale skinned and had the white hair marking him as one of the god-touched. Likely from Arideen, then. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, slouched and dripping with rainwater over his eyes. He tapped the floorboards with a black obsidian cane that looked quite expensive. He wore leather armor and had a pair of handaxes and a pair of daggers at his belt. What did a blind man expect to do with those?
“Whiskey, please,” the man spoke in an Arideen accent as he and his female companion settled at a table. The young woman sat at the table rather close to the young man, but her eyes went to the man by the fire reading his papers.
The bartender hurried on over with a glass and bottle. “Both of yeh?” he asked, eying the woman skeptically.
Alemei gave out a light laugh. “Make mine a double, Torban,” she said with a glint in her eye.
Torban, the bartender, looked a bit taken aback, but he nodded. “Yes, miss,” he said, filling both glasses -- Alemei’s a double. “Fifteen copper,” Torban said.
Alemei laughed. “Fifteen? Torban, you greedy bastard. Here’s twelve, and we both know that’s what it’s worth,” she pointed out, dropping the coins into his hand.
“Wot? I would never cheat my customers!” Torban blustered. “But yeh seem like a nice girl, so I’ll give yeh a discount!”
[sblock=Liam Inisght]
Insight: 1D20 = [11] = 11
Yes, Liam can tell he was totally upcharging them.
[/sblock]
Torban hurried back to the bar just as a small figure hopped up onto one of the stools and demanded an ale, placing a heavy money pouch on the bar. All these travelers with heavy purses! Today was a good day!
“Ale, comin’ right up,” Torban said. Then he started as he saw the halfling’s face beneath the hood of his cloak, the blue tattoos painted over it. “Oh, by the Dawn!” he said. “Yer ain’t no halflin’ like I ever seen!”
"This is the Sawtooth Inn, right? Have you seen an old crone near here?" the halfling asked.
Torban eyed the card as he filled the ale. “Old crone? Afraid yeh might need to be a bit more specific...er, citizen,” he said, placing the ale in front of the halfling. “Seven copper,” he said. “Plenty of old folk around. I think Prelate Tinroth might be the oldest woman, at least in Bredon here. Might not want to call her a crone, though,” he said with a laugh.
The halfling took his drink to the far corner, and Torban could breathe a little easier. One heard stories about those crazy halflings out on the plains beyond the mountains, but to see one here in Essess! They say they ate people!
"Old Crone, little man? Have you lost your grandmother?" one of the strangers asks the halfling with a laugh.
Torban shook his head. Don’t go poking the raptor! He hoped a fight didn’t start, not in his bar! He glanced nervously at the man beside the fire.
"I'm here for a job, so i'll forgive you just this once. If you want to keep your head, never insult a halfling's family. Especially not mine," Garrett warned.
Torban cleared his throat. “If yer wanna fight, take it outside in the rain,” he announced.
"Relax, I'm sure your grandma is a lovely person. I'm actually here for similar reasons. Mysterious summons, letter, old crone..." Coriana said.
Torban relaxes a little as the two appear to collaborate and goes back to his business behind the bar.
"Not just the two of you it seems," Mindra says loudly enough to cut into the conversation and holds up her own card. "Me as well... And maybe more?"
"Do you think he's looking for...her?" Liam asked Alemei softly. "Are we meeting people here?"
Alemei smiled and squeezed Liam’s arm. “It would not surprise me if The Crone was setting up some help for you, hon,” she said. She gave a soft, resigned sigh.
“Liam, this is where I must leave you,” Alemei told him. “I promised my grandmother I would get you here safely, and help with your training, but now my responsibilities call me. Things are moving in Essess, and if I do not want my mother running interference, I need to get back to work.” She gave a sad smile and leaned in, giving Liam a kiss to remember her by.
“May Avandra’s blessings be upon you, Liam,” she said. “I may not like it, but The Mother and the The Crone might be right, and He needs to return.” Liam felt her make a sign of three wavy lines on his forehead. He felt a warmth in his blood that wasn’t from the kiss.
Alemei tossed back her whiskey and stood up, gathered her things, and walked out of the inn and into the misty rain and dark.
[sblock=Liam]
Liam gets Blessing of Avandra: This works as the Lucky feat, except you have only 1 Luck point.
[/sblock]
