Not With a Bang, I: Its Own Reward

[Rybaer]

[ooc: slight edit to previous post...confused one of the pc's backstory with another]


"Ah yes, Brevin and Tuli," Grinder says as he stands. "Nice to see you two again. Staying out of trouble, I trust." With that he gives them a deliberate wink.

"Trinket's still following me around, though at the moment he's out pillaging the city of bread crusts and likely a shiny bit of tinsel or glass.

"So, all three of you are also interested in hearing the details of this gem recovery job? Perhaps if we offered up a team to this Melian chap, we'd become a more attractive option. No doubt some of the other rabble in this town will slink out of their holes at a reward that size."

Grinder pauses for a moment and strokes his beard. "You know, if this is a group of thieves willing to tackle such an item, we might even want a bit more muscle. There's another dwarf or two in the tavern I could likely round up to join the cause...vague acquaintances."

 

[Casar Couer De' Lion]

After an hour long nap in the table remains, Nojin begins to stir. He slowly rises into a standing position and wobbling all the way staggers out of the table remains. Wonder who pushed me into that table. Ill beat the bloody skum into bloody scum. Walking across the tavern, his drunken eyes focusing bit by bit he spies a particular dwarf eyeing his movements. "Well I'll be an dancin little elf if it aint little Balling Bellows. Does me good to see that ye be alive out here, thought the real meanies of the world would have beat the sense out of ye by now." With that he heads over and gives Grinder a very heavy pat on the back knocking him out of his chair. "Why thank ye pal I need a seat." Nojin then sits in the now vacant chair, and looks down at the fallen dwarf. "Ye know its a good thing I tuffened ye up back in the ole days, not a chance ye be making it around in this city had it not be for me gang and I teachen ye how to take a punch. I myself just got thrown through that der table, and Im wondering who did it....." With that he glares across the table eyeing Tuli through squinted drunken eyes. "I don't like that grin on yer face lass, it best not have been ye who through me...."

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

"Ah yes, Brevin and Tuli," Grinder says as he stands. "Nice to see you two again. Staying out of trouble, I trust." With that he gives them a deliberate wink.

"Not if she can help it," Brevin answers with a chuckle. "Good to see you again, Grinder."

With that he glares across the table eyeing Tuli through squinted drunken eyes. "I don't like that grin on yer face lass, it best not have been ye who through me...."

Brevin steps in front of Tuli protectively and eyes the dangerous looking dwarf. "Take it easy friend," he says evenly. "She's been with me so I assure you that she didn't lay a hand on you, not that she has quite the build to have manhandled one such as yourself anyway."

After pausing a moment to let his words sink in, he continues. "I'm Brevin, this is Baril and the lass is Tuli."

 

[Rybaer]

Grinder scowls as he stands and brushes himself off.

"And this sorry lot is Nojin," he says. "From my home town of Hallis Hill."

Grinder gives the drunken dwarf a sharp rap on the top of his helm. "Nice to see you, too, Nojin, but if you ever think of callin me 'Ballin Bellows' again and I'll burn your beard off where you stand. Wizards are known to do that sort of thing." Grinder gives the dwarf a very meaningful glare, but isn't sure it's getting through his drunken haze.

"Of course," he adds with a wink at Tuli, "then the young lass would get to see some magickin.

"Now," Grinder says, looking back at Nojin, "you got an explanation for yer shameful display of 'bellowin' and 'ballin' a bit ago?"

 

[Shalimar]

"We could use some help, if they're willing I mean. But that'll take away from our reward, so lets keep it to as few as possible, I mean having to actually fight would be bad, but having people who can fight and not needing them is better then the opposite I geuss." she says optimistically. "So will you and Trinket teach me some tricks Grinder?"

She just smiles cheerfully when Nojin growls at her. "It wasn't me, maybe you just fell through it, I mean you were drinking a lot, and If I drank even half of what you did I would be out like a light so maybe you just forgot." she asks cheerfully.

 

[Casar Couer De' Lion]

Nojin peers at Tuli and then looks back over to Brevin.

Brevin steps in front of Tuli protectively and eyes the dangerous looking dwarf. "Take it easy friend," he says evenly. "She's been with me so I assure you that she didn't lay a hand on you, not that she has quite the build to have manhandled one such as yourself anyway."

"Whatca mean she ain't got the build to throw me. Never seen a half-orc lass that big efore. Must be mostly orc blood if ye get me drift.

She just smiles cheerfully when Nojin growls at her. "It wasn't me, maybe you just fell through it, I mean you were drinking a lot, and If I drank even half of what you did I would be out like a light so maybe you just forgot." she asks cheerfully.

And lass I never been drunk in me life so don't ye go start acusin me of not holdin me liqer.

"Now," Grinder says, looking back at Nojin, "you got an explanation for yer shameful display of 'bellowin' and 'ballin' a bit ago?"

After staring down Tuli a bit more, he registers the question from Grinder. "What racket ye talking about Belows? Oh.... me bruther...." his eyes seem to begin to clear up as recollection hits. "ME BRUTHER!!!!!" With that he gets off the chair and smashes his forearm down onto it. (OOC: smashing it I hope)

"Ye remember Kasendar Balling? He was the dwarf who went easy on ye and all. Hes been taken on account of this prophecy he holds in his brain. I lost him..... I lost him.... me bruther...."

The dwarf then curls into a little ball on the floor and begins to whimper a bit, some of the effects of his drugging still aparent.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

When Nojin falls to the floor and curls up in a ball, Brevin raises his eyebrows and turns to Grinder. "You got anything to put him to sleep?" he asks the dwarven wizard quietly. "I think he needs to sleep it off, if you know what I mean. Do you know what he's talking about with all this yelling about losing his brother?"

 

[Shalimar]

"I am not a half-orc," Tuli cries out indignantly, frowning as fiercely as she can, which isn't very fiercely at all, maybe enough to scare a dead mouse. When he falls in a heap, she gingerly touches her toe to his forehead. "Is this the dwarf you wished us to work with? I wouldn't work with him if you gave me all of your share of the reward. Besides, its unlikely that he'll dry out soon enough to be of any use."

 

[Rybaer]

"Sorry, but I don't have anything to put him to sleep," Grinder says, looking at Nojin curled up on the floor. "I suspect that he won't need much help, though. Probably just a bed for the night.

"As for his brother," Grinder continues, "I'm not really sure what the story is there. I vaguely knew his brother Kasendar, but haven't heard anything of him recently. Might be able to get a straight story from him when he's sobered up.

"And to answer your question, Tuli, yes, this is one of the dwarves I alluded to as a possible addition to our growing group. I've always known him to be a bit rough around the edges, but he's got a loyal streak in him wide as a giant's arse...if you can figure out how to work it. Mean in a fight, too.

"Don't be too quick to judge him in his current state. Sometimes when a person is down on his luck, they just need someone to give them a helping hand. I trust you can understand that."

Grinder looks back down at Nojin and hopes that his token effort at defending the sorry drunk won't be unjustified. He never cared much for Nojin as a youth, but Grinder is certain that he'd be one worthy of having on your side when the weapons were drawn.

 

[Zerth]

Baril has been watching all of this with mixed feelings. "Well, well, well... Quite a charade I might say. I should probably write this all down and sell it to some comedian back in Colinna for good amount of coin. I'd love to see Tuli's performance in half-orc's role." The bard winks at Tuli shaking his head. "Or maybe not. We really could use someone with a bit brawn and this Nojin fellow here seems to have natural talent in breaking things. He just needs some better directions - and a sober head. Right, Grinder?"