(Adventure) The bastards of XXXXXX Bluerun

[Sparky]

Redarn takes about half the wine in his gulp then settles back to sip the rest and watch Rainca. "Do you know how to use all of those, or were you planning on equiping your own army?" he asks with a lazy grin.

Rainca glances down at her weapons and back to Redarn. She gives a short barked laugh, "Rainca thinks she would not make a very good war chief for an army." Anyone perceptive or paying close attention will see her expression change for a split second - her smile falters and laughter leaves her eyes.

She tugs a sash from around her waist and wets the end of it from her stoppered wineskin. "All of these," she waves her hand over the javelins, kukri and axe, "Have tasted blood in Rainca's hands."

She touches the wine-damp cloth to her eyelids and lips and begins to wipe the blades of her weapons. She, again, sings a low wordless tune as she works. She glances up from time to time, to the door, to Lupic, the horses, Redarn. Finishing her ritual inspection she neatly stows all of her things and queries Lupic, "Lupic, how are the horse-slaves?" She refills her mug and holds the bag out filling Lupic or Redarn's if either of them want more.

 

[buzzard]

She touches the wine-damp cloth to her eyelids and lips and begins to wipe the blades of her weapons. She, again, sings a low wordless tune as she works. She glances up from time to time, to the door, to Lupic, the horses, Redarn. Finishing her ritual inspection she neatly stows all of her things and queries Lupic, "Lupic, how are the horse-slaves?" She refills her mug and holds the bag out filling Lupic or Redarn's if either of them want more.

Lupic looks up from brushing down one of the horses "Horses are OK. I gave them grain and water. I will have more wine, thanks
." As he walks back over with his mug.

buzzard

 

[Protean]

Black boots make a steady advance. As Joseph Darmaryon enters the inn, he walks with the gait of a man who holds an army behind him. Making his way to the bar, Joseph Dar'maryon brings forth one of his vintage wines and goblet. Looking over at Gath, Joseph whispers to the nearest barkeep "If you'd please send my friend Gath over there a keg of your strongest drink and call it by it's orcish name, claiming it to be a gift from the establishment in appreciation the valor and viciousness of Gath Stonefist. If it's pronounced espicially loud I'll present some very notable wines to you and yours."

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Black boots make a steady advance. As Joseph Darmaryon enters the inn, he walks with the gait of a man who holds an army behind him. Making his way to the bar, Joseph Dar'maryon brings forth one of his vintage wines and goblet. Looking over at Gath, Joseph whispers to the nearest barkeep "If you'd please send my friend Gath over there a keg of your strongest drink and call it by it's orcish name, claiming it to be a gift from the establishment in appreciation the valor and viciousness of Gath Stonefist. If it's pronounced espicially loud I'll present some very notable wines to you and yours."

OOC: sorry for the lapse, hope everyone's still paying attention. had a nice trip out to the other coast for turkey day

The bartender looks skeptically around the room, seeming to mentally calculate possible reactions to his actions. After a moment he grabs a mug and walks over to offer it to Gath. "Er, I'm afraid our main table is not built to withstand one of your, er brawn and power, but if you would like a seat by the fire," he indicates some benches which are in truth made of sterner stuff than the fancy chairs at the front, "I'll bring you a hearty meal." The area by the fire is currently occupied by well armed men, and tired looking women and boys, presumedly the guards of those present and some off duty kitchen staff. One of the women elbows her seatmate then makes a show of moving over and offering a spot to the half orc, seeming to revel in the shocked gasp of the other woman.

Meanwhile, in the stable, Redarn looks with concern at Rainca as he accepts more wine. "I hate to hear you call the horses slaves... I care very well for my team. I suppose in a perfect world they could roam some endless plains, but these animals were born in a stable like this one - I don't think they would know how to be wild." He pauses and drinks "Though I guess similar arguments might be made in the northern countries where they do keep people as slaves..."

 

[Sparky]

Beads, claws and teeth rattling, Rainca stands, shrugging eloquently. "Rainca thinks that there are times to rely on the strength of others." She gives Redarn a critical, inspecting look, "You. You would care for the horses as brothers... fight for them. But there are some who would not honor their strength, their wisdom... their lives. There are some who would not even honor the strength, wisdom or lives of other people..."

She rakes Redarn with her hawkish gaze. "Rainca would hear what you have to say of these hoar-suns. What is Therick not telling us - we who will spill their blood and perhaps our own for him? After you tell Rainca what she wants to know, Rainca will see to the safety of the area." She glances out of the stable doors, seeming on edge. She has been too long under the roof, out of the wind.

 

[GPEKO]

Gath Stonefist

"Er, I'm afraid our main table is not built to withstand one of your, er brawn and power, but if you would like a seat by the fire,"

"Hurggh ?" Gath asks sceptically.

"I'll bring you a hearty meal."

"Oh, OK then." He responds and goes to take a seat in the spot offered to him. As he notices the look on the woman next to him, he speaks his mind. "What be problem ?"

 

[Protean]

After cooly observing the bartender, Joseph ponders to himself:

'This man's respect for other sentient creatures is abyssmal. I must not speak up however. I will see to his education later in life when I have more room to breath.'

When the bartender returns, Joseph meets his eyes and speaks softly. "I am sorry for my rashness. I tire to see the spirits of my companions trodded so upon. If I may I should like to barter some wine for some hearty Dwarven spirits. Perhaps the men over there are more my caliber." A soft hiss of the lips flows from Joseph's throat.

 

[Hof]

With an unconscious shudder, Dioran tries to shake off his involuntary sympathetic reaction to the tensions his fellow travelers exhibit. He looks around for a moment, trying to determine the most relaxed group of people around.

OOC: : assuming we are not the most relaxed group here

He walks over to them, all smiles and friendliness, asking "A good and merry evening to you all. If we may be so bold as to intrude: What amusement brightens your night, and more importantly, may we join in the fun?"

If he is invited to join, he will sit, introduce himself and order some drinks, also for any of his fellow travelers who whish to join him. Not that Dioran asks, however, but he will invite anyone who seems interested over with a gesture. He will join in with light conversation, trying to get a 'feel' fpr the people here, and perhaps do some smalltime gambling if games are being played.
Should he be shunned, Dioran will excuse himself as gentleman-like as he can manage and seek a place so sit and watch the crowd in solitude instead.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

As he notices the look on the woman next to him, he speaks his mind. "What be problem ?"

She grins and offers him some of her soup. "No problem with me, if there's none with you, big guy... Some people around here just have to loosen up a little." She elbows her seatmate, who has settled into an offended silence. The guardsman sitting across the table pushes her soup bowl back towards her and ladles Gath out some from the common trencher.

"That's Darla, she's addicted to scandal but sweet underneath it all. Are you with that councilman who just came in? He passed through a couple of days ago with just his brother - whats the area up north need with this much outside help? Oh yeah, sorry, I'm Karloth, I've been hanging around the last week looking for a paranoid noble to 'guard'. What do you go by?" The others at the table seem to be in various states of attention to their food or watching the main table, and the air of tension that sprung up with Gath entered has largely diffused.

When the bartender returns, Joseph meets his eyes and speaks softly. "I am sorry for my rashness. I tire to see the spirits of my companions trodded so upon. If I may I should like to barter some wine for some hearty Dwarven spirits. Perhaps the men over there are more my caliber." A soft hiss of the lips flows from Joseph's throat.

The bartender seems a bit uneasy, but smiles at the suggestion of barter. "Be glad to take a look, sir, we're off only one trade route as you see, so I'm always looking to diversify a bit... I do have to be respectful of all my customer's you know - sometimes my balance may offend, but I try to offend the least number. Just good business, you know..."

With an unconscious shudder, Dioran tries to shake off his involuntary sympathetic reaction to the tensions his fellow travelers exhibit. He looks around for a moment, trying to determine the most relaxed group of people around.

OOC: : assuming we are not the most relaxed group here

He walks over to them, all smiles and friendliness, asking "A good and merry evening to you all. If we may be so bold as to intrude: What amusement brightens your night, and more importantly, may we join in the fun?"

A group of apparent merchants is sitting at one of the smaller tables at the front, seemingly engaged in the good natured ribbing of one of their own. At Dioran's aproach, one blurts out "How many of you?" but is nudged into submission by a grinning gnome who apears to dominate the conversation from a booster chair.

"Sure, have a seat. We were just trying to figure out where Marcus here put all his customers." The others laugh, including Marcus, who is apparently drunk enough to see the humor in whatever mishap they are all joking about. "The bountiful feast before you was bought by the master of the house at a loss to the poor chap because he laid in a supply of tender morsels to sell in a village he fought for an exclusive lock on... But I guess he should have looked into the length of the folks leases, because when made his trip this season, the whole lot of them had up and moved away!" The others laugh again, and one says "Maybe they struck it rich and moved south!"

Marcus downs his drink and signals for another while looking to the newcomer for a bit of sympathy. "Strangest thing, I tell you... small village, but they had good craftsmen, a nice location and a harvest they left rotting in the fields... Some broken windows and doors, but no real sign that they are been all taken out... strange thing..."

OOC: I'll respond to the barn talk later...

 

[GPEKO]

"Thank" Gath says as he helps himself to some soup. "Slluuurrrppp. Me Gath. Me smash or me guard. Count soul man say bandits be smashing him. He need help. Gath go smash bandits."