City of Orussus, The Red Dragon Inn X

[Erekose13]

ooc: corcio, what is going on? You've done the same thing with your character in my game, L1.

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

"A round of Dwarven Ale please for it seems fitting for a tale of dwarven weapons and deeds."

Rasereit grins widely. "Ah'm not much fer movin' people wit' me stories, but Ah'll give it a go. Let's see... where should Ah start... Alrigh'."

"So me an' me mate Ogrin 'ad jus' got back from a witch's cottage, an' we were sittin' at that bar over there, drinkin' a lot o' booze, when a group of adventurin' types like ourselves walked in, lookin' for some muscle. Me and Ogrin fit the bill, so we joined up. We all got on a boat and headed north to Monemvassia, ever heard of it? Either Ah'm allergic t'salt , or maybe boats just think Ah weigh too much, but regardless me an' the sea don' get along too well.

"One nauseatin' sailing experience later, we're at an underground lair that the lads had already discovered without us. T'was infested with gnolls, a fact we discovered after our other dwarf friend tripped a trap an' fell down a chute right into a band o' the man-dogs. We managed to beat 'em up right, then we braved a river o' magical ooze (that creeped me out, it did) and finally made our way to the back o' the lair where we found the great goblin god KaziKazi seated on a throne! Ah think the scumbag cursed me or summat, 'cause Ah ended up goin' a bit crazy an' runnin' all over the place. Our mate, the brave wizard Ashnar, died in the battle, but we managed t'get him and his gnoll cronies, too. Turns out t'wasn't KaziKazi at all but an imposter, a human wizard by the name o' Wimpell Frump. A dumpy name for a dumpy chap. We took Ashnar's body to the clerics in Monemvassia and somehow... they brought 'im back! Now that's magic! If Ah ever doubted that the gods were watchin' us... well, Ah'm solid wit' the Dog now, real solid.

"Anyway, with Ashnar resurrected and Frump to guide us, we traveled a long way through an underground tunnel at the back o' the lair, behind the throne. We popped up on a volcanic island somewhere, and wouldn't ye know it, right into an ambush by none other than the Viscount himself, assisted by his black dragon mother! Ah'm not ashamed to admit, Ah near wet meself at the sight o' her! They stripped us bare and imprisoned us in the tunnels below, planned t'feed us to her dragon brood methinks. Naked and blind we were (well, not me an' Mordik, we dwarves can see jus' fine), but we made our way through the dragon’s dungeon beneath a volcano. We ran across some giant ants, but they left us alone. We also stumbled into a crocodile's fetid pool, and Ah wrestled that bugger to death! The croc's pool hid a secret underwater tunnel out o' the caves, so we held our breath and went through it. Almost lost one of us beneath the water, 'twas a long way, but we made it.

"Outside, we managed t'get the best of a goblin patrol. We took their gear, but their weapons weren't quite up t'good ol' Stonebender's caliber, ye know? It looked like the volcano was set to blow, and the whole island was running away. We found Causticus on his ship as he was making his way off of the island. We got past his ogre and goblin guards and sent that villain right to the Abyss! And as Gundar’s wrath poured from the volcano, we sailed away in victory in Ogrin's brand new ship." Rasereit throws Ogrin a wink.

"Phew! Ah didn't realize Ah could be so long-winded! Joe, mate, another round fer this table, if ye please!" Rasereit leans back in his chair as Joe the bartender fixes the drinks. "Any o' you got a tale to tell?"

 

[Voda Vosa]

"I'm not quite experienced as master dwarf here, so my story repertoair (if that's english) is somehow mediocre. May be our extraordinair adventurer here, Kestrel it was? wants to tell us of his great deeds." sugests the druid, playing with his snake, who was coiling around his neck and torso.

 

[Trouvere]

"I'm not quite experienced as master dwarf here, so my story repertoair (if that's english) is somehow mediocre. May be our extraordinair adventurer here, Kestrel it was? wants to tell us of his great deeds." sugests the druid, playing with his snake, who was coiling around his neck and torso.

"If you mean me - and of course you do, I'm the obvious choice to tell a tale or three - it's KELDAR, KEL-DAR" says Keldar Warbray, raising his voice and speaking slowly, as though to a simpleton. "I have a story. I've taken the liberty of casting it in verse. You might want to get out your kerchiefs. It is both inspiring and tragic." He takes a deep breath, and stands with one foot on his chair, and flings his arms out. His hidden daggers go flying from his sleeves. Fortunately they do not hit anyone. "Ah. I had forgotten those were there," he says. "If someone would be so good as to retrieve them for me, I shall begin. Troi! TROI! Don't give away the ending." With that, he clears his throat, and begins to sing the most incredible, in every sense, tale anyone present has ever heard.

Once a young lad,
Happy and glad,
Espied a frost giant’s daughter
Swimming unclad:
As one struck mad,
He told her that he loved her.
The lad was meeeeeeeeeee - Keldar!
And as you’ll see,
You’ll find my tale sad.​

He looks around to see how his composition is being received.

 

[Trouvere]

Satisfied, he continues:

Her eyes were blue
Her hair was too,
My darling frost giant’s daughter,
But though she knew
My word was true,
The ice kept her heart colder.
But when I held her
Her love for Keldar
Thawed and grew anew.​

"I changed the last line since you heard it, Troi. It's better, don't you think?"

 

[Trouvere]

Keldar begins to get into the swing of things:

Through winter’s storm
She keeps me warm,
My darling frost giant’s daughter,
Her fetching form
And mine conform
Though I am somewhat shorter.
Says she “I find
“Since we’ve entwined,
“Giants leave me lukewarm.”​

"I must warn you all," he says, "from this point the story shifts from one of beautiful romance to one of dire peril and tragedy. If you're not feeling up to it, I do understand."

 

[Voda Vosa]

The druid hold his face containing his laugh. The guy really mean it, the song was for real, not a joke to be laughing at.
Carpio upon hearing the song, shakes his tale in sign of threat. The crotalid crawl inside the druids hanged armor, hoping to get protection from the noise.

 

[Trouvere]

Keldar's song shows no signs of concluding, as he follows up with another verse:

But our love unwise
Was discovered by spies
Who told the stone giant’s daughter.
She said “I surmise
“You’re of curious size,
“I’m very glad I caught yer.
“You’re not a giant,
“So you'll be compliant!”
Then she opened her - eyes!​

"Actually," whispers Keldar rather loudly, "it's thighs, not eyes. Eyes doesn't make any sense. But I didn't want to sing thighs with Covis over there. He's not a day over 15 years old."

 

[Wik]

Galwynn smiles sadly for a second at the entrance of the half-orc, and then shoots Cepheus a wink. "He might be a problem, I'm sure... but then, he doesn't have Halina on his side."

Galwynn listens intently to Keldar's story, and does his best to hold a smile. "And I'm not so sure the rogue's the less dangerous one... that song will scare a Dragon..."

 

[Trouvere]

Keldar sings:

“Madam” I told her
“Your head’s a boulder.
“You’re not my frost giant’s daughter.
“You’re much older
“I like my girl colder.
“You’ll not learn what I taught her.”
Greatly dismayed,
I drew my blade:
But her greatclub crushed my shoulder.
​