Prologue (Move 2)
30 Flamerule 1372 DR, Caerrhen, Damara-Impiltur border
It is currently unseasonably warm and uncomfortable in northwestern Impiltur, with uncharacteristically high humidity. There is no noticeable wind.
Yanis Princetonson,
Approximately 0905 hrs
A corner stool at the edge of the bar should do nicely, as the two tables are largely occupied by miners and their families. The off-duty miners lazily guzzle ale, heckling their unfortunate brethren as the latter scurry off to the mines. A rather young barmaid, flushed and flustered, scuttles out from behind a large curtain behind the bar (judging from the smells, that must be the kitchen). Just as she's out, she stops, gives a broad grin, and almost skips back to the curtain, and pokes her head in. Whatever she said or did surely got some reaction, as she deftly ducks a flying roll. The barkeep, a stout dwarf with no hair to speak of on his head and a luxurious silver beard, gives her a stern look as she passes him and cocks his head in your direction, "Jannah, will y'stop flirtin' wit' Arnich an' pay the customers some heed. I've got more'n enough t'do wit'out pickin' up the slack of you an' y'r man." Jannah flushes once again, looks down at her shoes, and quickly regains her composure. This is clearly a recurring event.
Gathering herself, she quickly moves by the other customers, checking on them and any orders they might have, making mental notes to herself. By the time she gets to you, she's her natural color and all business, "Well met, I'm sure, and what can I do for you?" She takes your order, and heads back to the kitchen, returning directly (and flushing anew) with a quick rundown of your order as "a jar of the house mead, a wedge of cheese, a piece of bread, and will that be all? If so, I'll be back in a moment to pick up the coin." She smiles, not unkindly, and heads off to tend to other customers.
People generally seem puzzled when you ask them about the calmness of the town. The most common reaction you seem to get can be summed up best by the reaction of an old miner on the other end of the bar: "Quiet? Calm? Surely a man like yourself has a better hold on the plot than to think that Caerrhen is quiet?" He seems very drunk. Before you can follow up with any more questions, you notice a grinning face approaching you...Karok.
Sir Zichard Danilk, Fezzin Verghenheim,
Approximately 1105 hrs
After spotting Fezzin the gold necessary for the inn, Sir Zichard scouts out the Miner's Tankard for stables of any kind. There is no readily apparent stable on the outside of the tavern, although there is a hitching post or two just outside the inn's entrance. The post itself is accompanied by a sign (labeled in Dwarven and Damaran) detailing the reluctance of the owner, Draegor Bjornhull, to reimburse people for the loss of their mounts, and the necessity of inquiring about feed inside. It cannot be used all that often as the post is almost new, no noticeable wear from any sort of rope or tether is apparent.
OOC: Let me know if you decide to hitch the horse here, and we'll put it in.
The inside of the Miner's Tankard is poorly lit and dusty. It's also damn near empty at this time of the day. A few men sit drinking, either alone or in small groups, the barkeep, a stocky dwarf, is talking to a young man and a young woman near the back of the horshoe-shaped bar. The girl frequently flushes and looks to her feet. Two large circular tables, one to either side of the door stand mostly empty. The dwarf, noticing the two of you, finishes his conversation and approaches, bouncing across the floor.
"Aye, surely I c'n get somethin' f'r the two o' y'? Ale, food, an' board, Draeg'r Bjorn'll atch'r service m'friends." And then, looking at Fezzin, "A man o' Clangeddi' is always welcome in th'Tankard." After indicating your desire for lodging, he nods, an motions for you to follow him, leading you to a well-hidden staircase just to the left of the bar, he shouts back to the young woman, "Jannah, send Arnich back t'wark, and mind t'bar f'r me, eh?"
Ezra Geonora,
Approximately 1205 hrs
The temple of Ilmater, even incomplete, is a bold structure. With its gigantic rendition of his symbol on its facade, this six sided building could never be mistaken for anything else. In its southern side, a gaping hole indicates where the door will be, and looking inside you can see well crafted oaken pews lining the interior of the main chapel. At the head of the pews, an altar, adorned with a smaller version of the ivory and bloodstone hands, is at the head. An older woman, adorned in pure white robes, approaches you. Clearly preoccupied, she quietly says, "You are welcome in the House of Ilmater, my Son. If you should be needing for anything in the temple, please ask myself or one of the other attendants in the chapel." Her speech momentarily hitches on the word "temple," as if she's embarrassed. She moves away to tend to some candles on the far wall.
Aside from the woman in white, there are two young men of very slender build (elves?) who are busy attending to some stained glass fixtures on the wall to your right (and the right of the door), assembling the plates in the main panel. The window, which is clearly decorative as it doesn't offer a view of the outside, depicts an odd and incomplete scene involving what looks to be a giant rat. The stained glass panels on your right depict typical Ilmaterian scenes of charity and empathy, healing and curing. Very standard fare to be sure. For some reason, as you look at these panels, you feel almost certain that you're being watched...
Daan,
Approximately 1305 hours
The terrain itself is comfortable, and the glade smells strongly of pine tree and earth. As you head east out of the thicket, towards the South Road, you can see the men setting up their tents just outside the main gate. It'll be damn near impossible to get around them. About five tents sat outside the gate on it's western side, with another three outside to the east. The only real way to get into town from here, assuming you take the South Road, is to split the difference.
Over Caerrhen's stockade walls, you can see a large three story building with a number of windows on the upper floors, and a large, smoking chimney. As the foundry and the Miner's Tankard are clearly off to your northwest, this must be the Elk & Star, the famed inn of the half-elf, Rhistellius Dulacque, well known across Impiltur, Damara, and all the surrounding regions. As you start to continue towards the town, you can smell something burning from the area around the tents, and the laughter and the singing of the men is slowly turning into more worried cries and yells. Looking in their direction, you can see one of the largest tents smoking and burning.
Oskar Dankil,
Approximately 1405 hrs
The Miner's Tankard, due north of the Foundry, is a boxy stone monument to the functional tendencies of dwarven architecture on the surface. Sturdy, there can surely be few problems with this building, although a pile of glass sits on the ground under a window on the eastern face of the building. Some kind of commotion has taken place their recently. Outside the front of the building is a small hitching post with a carefully scripted sign in Dwarven and Damaran, currently serving as an odd throne for a small grey and white cat, mewing plaintively. It has some blood in its fur, but does not appear to be injured itself upon casual inspection.
Dusty, and dimly lit, the inside of the Tankard is empty, with the exception of a stocky silver-bearded dwarf behind the large horseshoe-shaped bar in the back of its massive common room. He sees you and glowers. "Aye, an' well met, what c'n I do f'r y'?" As you mention the room and Keargynn Andelspar, he almost agitatedly points you out the door towards the Foundry, "Andelspar? y'c'n find'm in th'Foundry complex, most likely warkin' t'small forge. Y' t'llim that Draeg'r Bjorn'll needs his coin, eh? As f'r th'room, we're full, we are, take y'rself o'er to the bloomin' half-elf and his bloody Elk'n'St'r!"
OOC —
Next move Tuesday 16 July, subsequent moves on Thursday 18 July, and Saturday 20 July (pending the approval of all of you, naturally)...after that we should be on to a proper schedule. I have a prior commitment Monday night that precludes me from typing a new move that night, as it takes me roughly an hour to put all this together. 
Please do take the time to let me know about the schedule in the OOC thread.
