[Risus] An Adventurer's Life for Me! IC

[Mark Chance]

Coruvon, City near the Swamp! Atop the only high ground nestled along the sluggish banks of the Brackish River, Coruvon is the last stop heading south into the wilderness (or the first stop heading north out of the wilderness, depending on which way one's going).

Marcus and Aka stand just outside the Gatekeeper, a sprawling tavern on a muddy street near the East Wall. The letter in Aka's hand indicates that the pair of adventurers are supposed to go into the Gatekeeper and inquire about Gordon Gerhold.

Gordon represents the wizard Meckwick, who was once a prominent wizard whose influence extended throughout the known world. In more recent times, political maneuvering by long standing rivals has ruined Meckwick, and forced him to withdraw from society. Living in isolation, Meckwick has purchased a vacant dungeon and begun plotting his revenge. Meckwick is looking for seasoned adventurers to stock his dungeon with guards and traps and prevent his rivals from making it out alive.

 

[mazzoli]

After taking in a deep breath that served to convince him of the wisdom of breathing through his mouth when near a river given the dubious title of "Brackish", Marcus glances over at Aka. Hesitating, for the purpose of choosing his words carefully so as to minimize breathing time, he quickly suggests, "Let's get on with it, then."

Obviously holding his breath, he takes off at a hurried pace toward the Gatekeeper with the curious gait of one who has both spent considerable time in the saddle and has served long aboard a ship. He doesn't look back to see if Aka is following him.

 

[Mlwells]

Aka strokes the stubble on his jaw line as he glares at the young tree before him (eyeballing it, we'd have to put it at around 18 years of age). His gaze intensifies as he leans closer. A slight move to the left and a slight move to the right gives him a full view of the tree, a shining monument in the intersection of brackish and slummish. With practiced care he lifts his hand and softly strokes the trunk before returning his hand to the stubble on his chin. "Definitely not a dryad."

Pivoting on one of his strange hooker boots, Aka dashes away from the forgotten tree to the Gatekeeper. With a polite "excuse me," to Marcus as he zips by, he enters the musty tavern. Without a thought to anything around him, he makes a beeline toward the bartender. Thankfully, the the man is not seeing to anyone at that moments so he can meet with Aka.

"Hi," Aka begins, "Francisco de Francis the Fourth, I'm here for a Gordon Gerhold. I expect her to be about yay tall, strawberry blonde hair, curves right here and here," he holds his hands out at chest level and hip level respectively. "Seen her?"

 

[Mark Chance]

The bartender starts to answer Aka, then his eyes jerk to the side and widen. He fishes a dirty rag from his belt, notices a puddle farther down the bar, and wanders off to wipe it away, mumbling apologies.

"So," says a loud voice, "you're lookin' for Gordon? That must mean you're workin' for that no-account wizard, Meckwick."

A hush falls over the tavern. The loud voice belongs to a burly woman with dark curly hair. Marcus and Aka cannot but help but notice several patrons staring with rapt interest. Faint mumblings stir the air.

"What you say, folks? Do we need the boot-lickin' lackeys of a no-account wizard 'round these parts?"

[sblock=Game Stuff]
The burly woman uses her Rabble Rouser Cliche to rouse the rabble: 3d6=12

The first player to post can try to counter her with an appropriate cliche. There is an additional hazard in this scene in that if she succeeds in rabble rousing, she may start a brawl with Marcus and Aka as the targets.
[/sblock]

 

[mazzoli]

Marcus, standing next to Aka as the scene unfolds before him, responds with the quick wit and keen insight into the mind of the rabble that is available only to one well versed in the art of masked banditry, possessed of the power to pilfer the possessions of the perfidious patricians for the purpose of presenting such prizes to the punished peasantry.

He stands tall and projects his voice, as if acting on the stage, "Friends, Coruvonians, countrymen lend me your ears; I come to work for Meckwick, not to praise him. The evil that men do often lives after them; but their gold spends as well as that of anyone else. So let it be with Meckwick. This noble lady hath told us Meckwick is of no account. If it be so, it is a grievous fault, and grievously will he answer it. Here, hopefully under leave of this fine lady and the rest - for we know she is an honorable woman; so are you all honorable fellows - I come to submit to Meckwick's employ. He may be of no account, shiftless, and unjust; and you say he is all these things, and you are an honorable woman, but he has coin to pay for my services and for that I will overlook his transgressions."

With that, Marcus looks at the crowd with steely determination in his eyes, a challenge evident in his gaze. He flinches when he notices that his inspired speech appears to have made no impression with the impossibly tough crowd. What does a guy have to do around here? Geez...
[sblock=Action]With apologies to old Bill. Challenging her Rabble Rouser cliche with Marcus's Masked Bandit cliche.[/sblock]

 

[Mlwells]

Aka, going as Francisco de Francis the Fourth, lets out a soft whistle as he surveys the scene. While the speaker is in fact female, she is much less the type that he generally goes for.

With a subtle wave of his hand, he gestures to the bartender. "Sir, a tonic and lime if you will. As well as the bottle of your highest alcohol gin." He turns his body around and points at a random patron that is shying away from the burly woman. "That man is with us and has been kind enough to say that he is taking the tab tonight since he suggested your fine establishment."

Wish a glance around the room, Aka covers his mouth with one hand and speaks, "You wouldn't happen to know of any purveyors of art or of beautiful women around would you? And there is something extra in it for you if you can include me in on apothecaries and blacksmiths off the books if you know white I mean."

 

[Mark Chance]

The bartender wipes the bar vigorously, studying the results of his efforts, which don't appear to have made much difference. He mumbles to Aka, "I'll get right to that. Just gotta...get some limes!" The barkeep them departs through a swinging door behind the bar, vanishing into what must be a kitchen based on the noises and odors coming from it.

The patron Aka addressed looks from the exchange between Marcus and the burly woman, back to Aka, and then says, "Huh?"

Another patron gets up and strolls over to stand near the burly woman's elbow. He nudges her, "What's he going on about?"

The burly woman places a meaty arm around the man's shoulders. She speaks loudly, saying, "Can't say I rightly know, what with all those big words he used. I think he said he's willing to overlook what kind of person Meckwick is as long as he gets paid. That sound right to you?"

[sblock=Game Stuff]
Rabble Rousing: 3d6=13.
[/sblock]

 

[Mlwells]

Aka looks after the departed bartender with a bit of vague irritation. However an opportunity presenting itself should never be overlooked. Without any outward sign, Mr. the Fourth walks behind the bar and quickly whips himself up a drink and then a second one before addressing the burly woman.

With a roll of his eyes and shake of his head in the direction of Marcus, "My apologies my dear flower. My companion has trouble relating to other people. He often times rambles on about crossing rivers, et tu's and occasionally about being short complex. I believe he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. I am sure someone as wise to the world as you can overlook the eccentricies of someone fallen from that oh so high class." Aka ends his speech with a bit of a sarcastic tone.

"It is as you said though. No-good wizards' money spends just as well as any others' cash. And as it may be, we are a rather expensive bunch and a no-good wizard's moneybag may be quite a bit lighter after we are done with him. Now please, sit and have a drink with me." He places the second drink he made before him. "I understand if you can't, looking around it appears you have many an admirer and an angel oft does not stoop to the level of a lowly, petty man such as myself." Hoping everyone's eyesight isn't that good in the musty tavern, Aka gulps down the bile that just rose his throat.

Seeing the looks on the taverns faces gives Aka a feeling similar to when he realized just how insane with power a certain ex of his was. Without another word he quickly begins grabbing specific items around him and mixing them with precise care in a shaker.

[sblock="Game Stuff"]
Aka challenges her rabble rouser cliche with his con-man cliche
[/sblock]

 

[mazzoli]

Marcus sees that things do not appear to be going well and decides that a distraction is in order. He leans up against the bar where Aka is standing and mutters, "First, pour me a drink. A stiff one and lots of it."

He downs the several fingers of whiskey that Aka pours for him in one gulp. With eyes watering he continues, "Second, follow my lead and don't question it."

Seeing one of the inn's guests leaving with his bag slung over his shoulder, Marcus points at him and shouts, "Thief! Don't let him get away with his nefarious deeds!"

Marcus then takes off at a run toward the startled man, vaulting over the upright where the piano man is playing a rag, his foot accidentally catching the poor musician in the face, though it does nothing to slow Marcus down.

 

[Mlwells]

Seeing his bartending skills succeed for his companion's drink, Aka quickly finishes up his concoction (that only a practiced [rat-man] scientist could come up with) by grabbing a cleaning rag and dipping it in a high proof liquor. He shoves the wet rag into the shaker and with a lighter (that no good gentleman would ever be without) lights it on fire.

Aka jumps on top of the bar and raises his hands up and out, "My dear strawberry blonde we soon as providence dictates!" With a sarcastic salute he shouts, "Cheers!" and runs away after Marcus.

He quickly meets up with and matches the fallen noble's pace. "Why didn't we start singing! It's a tavern, they like jaunties right!?! Magically makes everyone a friend that will fight for us to their deaths!"

[sblock="Game stuff"]
In case a nice little fireball is not an automatic win. And since Aka is more of an inventing sort, I'm gonna roll for the potency of his fireworks.
[/sblock]