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Story Hour
"Second Son of a Second Son" - An Aquerra Story Hour (*finally* Updated 04/19)
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<blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 4549923" data-attributes="member: 11"><p><strong>InterSession #27.1 – “This Way and That…”</strong> [sup]1[/sup]</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px">Tholem, the 11th of Syet - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)</span></p><p></p><p>The sky was growing dark when Timotheus came into view of the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Wayfarers+of+Ptah[/url" target="_blank">Wayhouse of Ptah</a>. After swallowing a last mouthful of a meat pie and licking his fingers clean, he started whistling "<em>Lacan Pepper Had A Scepter</em>" horribly off-key, ogling the scenery all the while. The Wayhouse was a small ramshackle building set amid three tiers of houses of various sizes decorated with various patio gardens and flower boxes. In that way, this place did not look very different from any of the other residential islands in Lilly City (though the surrounding area held a number of dark warehouses). However, the red paper lanterns hanging from the eaves told a different story. </p><p></p><p>As the gondola pulled in, Timotheus noticed that the "street" climbed to the left and right to the closest houses of ill-repute, but a wooden walkway/staircase led up past patches of yellowing grass to the Wayhouse of Ptah itself. The sound of laughter and music trickled down to him. Tim wiped his hands on his trousers. "I'll be here a couple of hours maybe," he said to Peter the gondolier. "If it gets too late, come on in and get me. And I shouldn't be out for at least half an hour at the earliest, if you want to go grab a bite or something while you wait." Peter nodded.</p><p> </p><p>Timotheus pushed open the thin wooden door and was greeted by the warmth of a hearth and a strange mix of smells, boiling beef, tobacco, and liquor, all covered over with thick incense. The building had one large shabby room with twelve cots lined against the walls around the central hearth, which had a brick ledge around the outside where some dirty cups and dishes were scattered. The boiling beef smell emerged from a pot hanging over the fire in the hearth. There was a silver eye with an ankh in the center and stars in the iris nailed to the hearth chimney. Scattered about were various raggedy stuffed chairs, and some warped wooden ones around low tables. A group of four musicians (three men and a woman) sat facing each other, playing a balalaika, a dulcimer, a recorder and a boron drum. A pair of women sat close by rocking to the music and pulling long slow puffs off a pipe they passed back and forth. </p><p></p><p>There was also a long sofa that bisected the room, and sitting there was a balding middle-aged man with a thin upper body and a distended paunch, as if he had frequently lost and gained weight. He wore gray and brown robes, and two young were ladies draped over him with wooden goblets were laughing at the joke he had just finished telling… "Not a black eye! A Black Islander!" He laughed at his own joke and then leapt up as Tim walked in and hurried over. </p><p></p><p>"Welcome weary traveler!" His eyes were bloodshot, his step staggered, his smile wide and warm.</p><p></p><p>Timotheus nodded and gave a friendly "Hey" to those who looked up in his direction. He clasped the older man’s hand with an uneasy smile. "Hi, are you the Wayfarer? I'm Tim Smith."</p><p></p><p>"Romulus Jonz, at your service!" The man smiled again. "Welcome to this humble wayhouse! Been on the road long? At sea? It doesn't matter. Sit relax, have some stew, listen to the music, we can draw you a drink, you can lead a prayer, whatever you like… Or I guess I can lead one for you if you aren't that good with words… Wondrous are the sights and sounds and experiences of the world that we journey through beyond these walls, but wondrous too are the comforts of a place to rest and be safe… for all these things we thank <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Ptah" target="_blank">Ptah</a>!" </p><p></p><p>“Thanks, Ptah!” came the voices of the others in echo.</p><p></p><p>"Nice to meet you, Romulus. Or is it Father Jonz?" Tim warmed his hands by the fire.</p><p></p><p>"Romulus is fine. . ." The priest turned back to one of the two women on the couch, who were now whispering into each other’s ears as they stole glances at Tim. "Fezalia! Fetch Master Smith here a drink, and draw him up a chair, I am sure his feet ache!"</p><p></p><p>"Oh yeah, that's nice. It's getting pretty damp and chilly out there. And did you say something about stew?" When the woman pulled a chair over, he sprawled into it. "It's Fezalia, right? Thanks, that's comfy."</p><p></p><p>Romulus fetched Timotheus a bowl of stew himself. "So, weary traveler Tim…Tell us of your travels… Where are you coming from? Where are going next?" He waves at the musicians and they stopped.</p><p></p><p>"Thanks..." Tim bolted down a mouthful of stew, and then said, "I've been around a good bit, mostly <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Schiereiland" target="_blank">Schiereiland</a> and <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Westen-scherp+muur" target="_blank">Westen-scherp Muur</a>, but lately I've been traveling further south with my adventuring companions. We've been staying in <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Sluetelot" target="_blank">Sluetelot</a>, but we've also been to <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/New+Harbinger" target="_blank">New Harbinger</a>, <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Quillton" target="_blank">Quillton</a>, and the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Disputed+Territories" target="_blank">Disputed Territories</a>. The <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/King+Stones" target="_blank">King-Stones</a>, if you've heard of 'em, and before that, <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Kraken%27s+Cove" target="_blank">Kraken's Cove</a>." </p><p></p><p>Timotheus gulped down some more stew, and then took a swig of the drink Fezalia provided. "Hey, this stuff is pretty good. What's it called?"</p><p></p><p>"Oh that? That's the Vale Burgundy, from down round <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Gullmoor" target="_blank">Gullmoor</a>. . . What's it called? <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Moraes+Heng" target="_blank">Moraes Heng</a>. . ." Romulus replied. </p><p></p><p>"Everyone just calls it ‘the Vale’," said the other woman that had been on the couch. She brought over the rounded bottle of green glass and refilled Tim's cup and winked at him. She was very skinny, perhaps five foot four inches, with long brown hair and bloodshot hazel eyes. </p><p></p><p>"Yeah, the Vineyard Vales… that's what I said, that's where it's from," Romulus replied. </p><p></p><p>"You said, Morro Henky or something…" The woman turned and snapped at him with playful spite. </p><p></p><p>"Bah, Tamala. . . You're stupid! Moraes Heng! It's the same place! You know how it is… every place has got ten names…Look at <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Lilly+City" target="_blank">Lilly City</a>, it was once Heliopolis and then it was The Sunken City and then it was Bridges…" He went on and on, and the musicians started up again. In the meantime, Tim's drink was refilled twice more. There was a warm and relaxing feeling here, some more people came in and he noticed them throw a few coppers in an urn by the hearth beneath the holy symbol. They carried a cask of beer, which they set on a low table, and the musicians stopped to try some… </p><p></p><p>Remembering his temple manners, Timotheus got up and poured a large fistful of copper coins into the urn as well. </p><p></p><p>"Come get some of this," Romulus said, breaking off his own long-winded dissertation on various names and aliases of Lilly City and the surrounding region to move to the front of the line and ‘bless’ the cask in the name of Ptah. "It's <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Beers+of+Aquerra" target="_blank">Quillton Brew</a>!" He pointed to the burned 'Q' sigil on the side of the cask.</p><p></p><p>"You really know how to treat a guest," Tim said when he reached the head of the line and filled his mug with Quillton Brew. "Hey, this stuff reminds me: do you know anything about <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Bullywugs" target="_blank">bullywugs</a>?"</p><p></p><p>"A little bit…You have to fear their hop attack," Romulus replied. He took a deep sip of Quillton Brew and then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. The musicians started up an up-tempo tune and a couple of people began to dance. "If you had come last month I would have had some 'Schiereiland Wheat'… It's like drinking cool sunlight… I usually summer up in the breadbasket, wandering about and getting to know that land… you mentioned the King Stones before… I went down there as a lad, before I got my calling… But yeah, 'wugs… What do you want to know?"</p><p></p><p>"Let's talk about Schiereiland in a bit... you do actually look kind of familiar, maybe I've seen you before, since I grew up there and all…”</p><p></p><p>Jonz took another sip. "If you spent any time in <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Heartspire" target="_blank">Heartspire</a>, we might have crossed paths. . .”</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, I've been to Heartspire a few times, though I wouldn't say I spent a lot of time there. Kind of a quiet town, nice if you like that sort of thing. Awful flat, though. I'm more of a hill-country boy. I grew up in Chalkour, and of course I've been to Azure; now there's a place to be!” Timotheus smiled and drank some more. “But about 'wugs, well, my party and I fought off a bunch of 'em up near Quillton a few weeks ago, [sup]2[/sup] rescued a pretty girl from one of their raiding parties, and as their leader hopped off he swore revenge! So I figure, anything you know about 'em will help. Where are they from? What do they do? What kind of crazy magic do they have going on? You know, whatever."</p><p></p><p>"Bullywugs in Quillton! That's madness! I've never heard of such a thing. How did they get there? The Crossroads Bog? Yeah. The Disputed Territories? Sure! Red Spice Island? Sometimes. . . But Quillton? They're dumb and aggressive and rarely travel beyond their territories… I don't know that they use magic much. They worship <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Sopfropth-moth" target="_blank">the Frog God</a>, though… so shaman sometimes. . ." </p><p></p><p>Tim drained the last of the beer. His face a bit flushed, he began to sweat from the heat of the hearth. "Lenore of Ptah always stops by Chalkour," he said, deciding he would learn nothing important about bullywugs here. "I was actually kind of hoping she'd be here. Do you know her?"</p><p></p><p>"Lenore! Sure I know Lenore. . . We've met five or six times here or there. . . Last I heard she's up around <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Westen-scherp+muur" target="_blank">Westen-scherp Muur</a> or something. . ."</p><p></p><p>"Damn, then I probably won't see her anytime soon. I'm not sure if I'll even get up Schiereiland way again this year, though I hope so. It's kinda rough not getting to see home at least every few months." Tim refilled his mug. "Lenore always knows the best stories. Like the one about the three gnomes and the blue dragon, or how the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Margrave" target="_blank">Margrave</a>, the old one, tricked the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Herman+Land" target="_blank">Herman Land</a> ambassador into giving away that island in exchange for an egg."</p><p></p><p>"I don't know either of those!" Romulus says. "I do know the one about the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Wallbrookian" target="_blank">Wallbrookian</a> Princess and the pea, and the one they tell in the south about how all animals once talked, but were tricked into giving up their voices by humans. <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Dolphins" target="_blank">Dolphins</a> escaped this because they were in the sea at the time, and burrowing animals were given different voices back by <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Gnomish+Pantheon" target="_blank">the gnomish gods</a>."</p><p></p><p>"I haven't heard the one about the princess since I was a kid. And I've never heard of that other story. Hey...." Tim looks puzzled. "Are you saying that dolphins can talk?"</p><p></p><p>Sure! Though most of them can only speak their own language - but they are as smart as you and me. . . Smarter even . . .</p><p></p><p>"Huh. Go figure." Tim chortled. "Next thing you'll be telling me there really are elves under the sea, riding sea horses and hunting sea lions and all."</p><p></p><p>"Haw! Now your pulling my leg, sonny! Everybody knows that a sea elf Prince has his court in the Captured Sea. . . I've even been there!" Romulus' eyes grow wide and shone with excitement, but Tamala walked over and deflated him with her skepticism. </p><p></p><p>"Sure, everyone knows it, but no one <em>believes</em> it, and no one believes you!" She laughed and so did the other 'petitioners' She handed Romulus Jonz the pipe. "It's lit." </p><p></p><p>Romulus rolled his eyes and took the pipe, the contents of the bowl crackled blue as he sucked in great amounts of the minty smoke. Holding the smoke in his lungs he passed the pipe over to Tim gesturing with his chin.</p><p></p><p>Tim sucked deeply on the pipe; he held it in for a moment, then smoke streamed from his mouth and nose as he coughed and laughed. "Wow, that tastes funny. What's in here? Tastes like sheep-mint and sorrel." [sup]3[/sup]</p><p></p><p>Passing the pipe to one of the other men, Tim mused, "Anyway, if there were sea elves down there, we'd know, right, 'cause they'd be sworn to the Margrave like the wood elves." He furrows his brow. "The wood elves are sworn to the Margrave, right?"</p><p></p><p>The smoke left behind a pleasant dull buzz and the world beyond the immediate conversation became a synesthesic blur. </p><p></p><p>"I wouldn't bet on it," Romulus says, growing serious. "The <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Thrician+Racial+Covenant" target="_blank">racial covenant</a> means those lands are theirs and their rules and laws, such as they are, take precedence. Wood elves are fine in theory, but they can be cold and cruel to our human sensibilities…"</p><p></p><p>Tim's mood shifted to match the wayfarer's. "So are these <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Elves#toc1" target="_blank">sea elves</a> part of the racial covenant? Because if they are, there's your proof… Or maybe you could just go down and see…” Timotheus paused as if waiting for Romulus to answer, but then he suddenly rambled on. "Say, that makes for a lot of underwater types of people, doesn't it? Sea elves, bullywugs, lizardfolks, and now dolphins. Who else lives under the sea? Are there really mermaids out there like the sailors say?" He looked at his mug in puzzlement, having forgotten he was holding it, then took a sip. "I wonder if their hair is green all the way down..."</p><p></p><p>"They don't have hair down there! That's the fish half!” Romulus laughed “But yeah, there are merfolk. . . not just maids, but mer-<em>men</em> and women. Lizardfolk and bullywugs aren't exactly sea people though. . ." Romulus was quiet for a long moment. "Proof of what? Huh? Did you say something?"</p><p></p><p>"I did? I dunno..." Tim stared into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. But as Romulus was about to speak, Tim blurted out, "The Kingdom of the Red God of the West! ... You ever been there?"</p><p></p><p>"No. . . No. . . No requirement to travel into danger. . " Romulus winked. "Why you plan to go there?"</p><p></p><p>"Yeah. Uh, well... we're adventurers, we go everywhere. Especially into danger. And just between you and me," he leaned in. "The Rubes really are on the move. We ran into some of 'em just south of <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Border+Shires" target="_blank">the Border Shires</a>. And they had horses, which is funny, 'cause apparently Rubes never use horses. Except these guys." </p><p></p><p>“You don’t say…” Romulus seemed to be hardly paying attention, his vision focused into the hearth’s fire. Tim belched loudly, drained his mug, and then held it out in hopes that it would get refilled somehow. "We also ran into a dragon down there," He added gravely. "A little one…"</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Stinging+Wind" target="_blank">Stinging Wind</a> was just flying around and you took pot shots at it," Tamala commented as she refilled his mug. </p><p></p><p>"Don't mind her," Romulus says. "That's her way of trying to be endearing. . ." </p><p></p><p>"Well, I'm not 400 pounds, so I am not sure how else to get your attention," She turned on the priest and stuck out her tongue. It is then that Tim noticed the shapeliness of her body.[sup]4[/sup]</p><p></p><p>"The Rubes have always been a danger and skirmished on our border, doesn't seem like anything new. . ." Romulus said, suddenly commenting on what Timotheus had said a bit before. "Not sure about them using horses though… that does seem weird, but I am not exactly an expert on their culture."</p><p></p><p>"I'm sure you know more than I do," Tim replied to Romulus, though his eyes were on Tamala. "I only just learned they're not devil-worshippers, you know? It's a sure bet that anything you tell me is news to me. ... And it was a real dragon. Just, you know… a little one. 'Bout the size of a horse, not counting the wings. Not that it, you know, flew or anything."</p><p></p><p>"Uh-huh! A little dragon that doesn't fly," Tamala said coming back over to top off the mug right after Tim’s first sip. "Are you sure you're not describing what's in your pants?" She plopped down on Tim's lap even as Romulus stood. </p><p></p><p>"I think it is time to visit my favorite sisters. . ." He waggled his eyes brows, and hooked a thumb back over his shoulder. "Was there anything else you needed from me or from Ptah? A blessing for your journey? You are welcome to stay here the night. . .I mean, unless you have a gondola waiting. . . Shouldn't wander the bridges at night around here. . . Trolls, ya know. . ."</p><p></p><p>"I'd love to stay," Tim said, clasping a muscular arm around Tamala's waist. "But I do have a gondola waiting, and everyone's expecting me back. But I'd appreciate a blessing, and… Well, do you know any stories about the Swords of the Moon? I've probably heard 'em all -- I've always been interested, family reasons -- but you always hear new details with new tellers, and if there's any stories out there I've missed, I really want to hear 'em." Clearly excited by the topic, he jounced Tamala playfully.</p><p></p><p>"Don't be fresh!" Tamala stood and turned, giving Tim a soft playful slap and a wink. She went to fill her own mug again. </p><p></p><p>"The Swords of the Moon?" Romulus mused. "Well, they haven't been around in twenty years, but they are well known… I mean, I even heard a bard tell a story about them when I was abroad in <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Archduchy+of+Wallbrook" target="_blank">Wallbrook</a>. . . Something about defeating a ship of monsters coming from the south before it landed there. . . I was in the village of 'Blue'. . . They're not fond of strangers there, but they sure did like them Swords of the Moon. . ." </p><p></p><p>Romulus Jonz began to straighten his robes and brush them off. "You know who you might ask about them? The watch-mage of Azure. . . That young kid, stopped in at his place last year, his grandfather was Derrida the Buff, who was with the group on an adventure or two. . . Kid said he knew the Wallbrook story, so Derrida must have been there for that one. . ."</p><p></p><p>"Watch-mage of Azure? Which one?"[sup]5[/sup] Tim stood, all eagerness. "Todor's not a kid... Telare? Leinert, or Lenairt or whatever his name is? I didn't know that any of them were related to Derrida..."</p><p></p><p>"Alton? Ethan? Archie? Something like that. . ."</p><p></p><p>"Athoen? Right, Athoen the Blanche! The watch-mage innkeeper!" Tim lauged. "I didn't know that Derrida was his grandpa. If I knew that before, I would have had a talk with him a while ago. That's just the sort of thing I needed to know. Thanks!"</p><p></p><p>"Yep, well okay! I'm off to see the Chubba sisters," Romulus said. I will be sure to give a good long prayer to Ptah for your upcoming travels, and if you drink or smoke too much you are welcome to stay." </p><p></p><p>He moved to leave and Tim noticed the musicians waving as they shuffled off with some of the people that arrived in the second group. </p><p></p><p>Tamala returned with another pipe and a flagon of some other drink, the shoulder of her dress slipping down onto her arm. She smiled.</p><p></p><p>"Have fun!" Romulus added from the door.</p><p></p><p>Tim lingered a little while longer, enjoying the hospitality and getting to know Tamala a little better... Eventually he had to force himself to get up and head back to the inn. Peter the Gondolier was walking up the platform to fetch him as he exited.</p><p></p><p><strong>End of InterSession #27.1</strong></p><p></p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p></p><p>(1) This InterSession was played out on the messageboards <em>after</em> Session #27, though it takes places during the events of that session. (See <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-hour/189277-second-son-second-son-aquerra-story-hour-updated-11-08-a-12.html#post4531303" target="_blank">Session #27 (part 2 of 3)</a>).</p><p></p><p>(2) Timotheus is referring to the events of Session #8.</p><p></p><p>(3) Little did Tim know he was smoking <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Sparkleweed" target="_blank">sparkleweed</a>.</p><p></p><p>(4) Wait, wasn’t she described as skinny earlier in this installment? Must have been the beer, wine and weed…</p><p></p><p>(5) Unlike everywhere else, Azure has several watch-mages, as it is more of a collection of distinct villages that have grown together over time, than a city in its own right.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="el-remmen, post: 4549923, member: 11"] [b]InterSession #27.1 – “This Way and That…”[/b] [sup]1[/sup] [size=5]Tholem, the 11th of Syet - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)[/size] The sky was growing dark when Timotheus came into view of the [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Wayfarers+of+Ptah[/url]Wayhouse of Ptah[/url]. After swallowing a last mouthful of a meat pie and licking his fingers clean, he started whistling "[I]Lacan Pepper Had A Scepter[/I]" horribly off-key, ogling the scenery all the while. The Wayhouse was a small ramshackle building set amid three tiers of houses of various sizes decorated with various patio gardens and flower boxes. In that way, this place did not look very different from any of the other residential islands in Lilly City (though the surrounding area held a number of dark warehouses). However, the red paper lanterns hanging from the eaves told a different story. As the gondola pulled in, Timotheus noticed that the "street" climbed to the left and right to the closest houses of ill-repute, but a wooden walkway/staircase led up past patches of yellowing grass to the Wayhouse of Ptah itself. The sound of laughter and music trickled down to him. Tim wiped his hands on his trousers. "I'll be here a couple of hours maybe," he said to Peter the gondolier. "If it gets too late, come on in and get me. And I shouldn't be out for at least half an hour at the earliest, if you want to go grab a bite or something while you wait." Peter nodded. Timotheus pushed open the thin wooden door and was greeted by the warmth of a hearth and a strange mix of smells, boiling beef, tobacco, and liquor, all covered over with thick incense. The building had one large shabby room with twelve cots lined against the walls around the central hearth, which had a brick ledge around the outside where some dirty cups and dishes were scattered. The boiling beef smell emerged from a pot hanging over the fire in the hearth. There was a silver eye with an ankh in the center and stars in the iris nailed to the hearth chimney. Scattered about were various raggedy stuffed chairs, and some warped wooden ones around low tables. A group of four musicians (three men and a woman) sat facing each other, playing a balalaika, a dulcimer, a recorder and a boron drum. A pair of women sat close by rocking to the music and pulling long slow puffs off a pipe they passed back and forth. There was also a long sofa that bisected the room, and sitting there was a balding middle-aged man with a thin upper body and a distended paunch, as if he had frequently lost and gained weight. He wore gray and brown robes, and two young were ladies draped over him with wooden goblets were laughing at the joke he had just finished telling… "Not a black eye! A Black Islander!" He laughed at his own joke and then leapt up as Tim walked in and hurried over. "Welcome weary traveler!" His eyes were bloodshot, his step staggered, his smile wide and warm. Timotheus nodded and gave a friendly "Hey" to those who looked up in his direction. He clasped the older man’s hand with an uneasy smile. "Hi, are you the Wayfarer? I'm Tim Smith." "Romulus Jonz, at your service!" The man smiled again. "Welcome to this humble wayhouse! Been on the road long? At sea? It doesn't matter. Sit relax, have some stew, listen to the music, we can draw you a drink, you can lead a prayer, whatever you like… Or I guess I can lead one for you if you aren't that good with words… Wondrous are the sights and sounds and experiences of the world that we journey through beyond these walls, but wondrous too are the comforts of a place to rest and be safe… for all these things we thank [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Ptah]Ptah[/url]!" “Thanks, Ptah!” came the voices of the others in echo. "Nice to meet you, Romulus. Or is it Father Jonz?" Tim warmed his hands by the fire. "Romulus is fine. . ." The priest turned back to one of the two women on the couch, who were now whispering into each other’s ears as they stole glances at Tim. "Fezalia! Fetch Master Smith here a drink, and draw him up a chair, I am sure his feet ache!" "Oh yeah, that's nice. It's getting pretty damp and chilly out there. And did you say something about stew?" When the woman pulled a chair over, he sprawled into it. "It's Fezalia, right? Thanks, that's comfy." Romulus fetched Timotheus a bowl of stew himself. "So, weary traveler Tim…Tell us of your travels… Where are you coming from? Where are going next?" He waves at the musicians and they stopped. "Thanks..." Tim bolted down a mouthful of stew, and then said, "I've been around a good bit, mostly [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Schiereiland]Schiereiland[/url] and [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Westen-scherp+muur]Westen-scherp Muur[/url], but lately I've been traveling further south with my adventuring companions. We've been staying in [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Sluetelot]Sluetelot[/url], but we've also been to [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/New+Harbinger]New Harbinger[/url], [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Quillton]Quillton[/url], and the [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Disputed+Territories]Disputed Territories[/url]. The [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/King+Stones]King-Stones[/url], if you've heard of 'em, and before that, [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Kraken%27s+Cove]Kraken's Cove[/url]." Timotheus gulped down some more stew, and then took a swig of the drink Fezalia provided. "Hey, this stuff is pretty good. What's it called?" "Oh that? That's the Vale Burgundy, from down round [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Gullmoor]Gullmoor[/url]. . . What's it called? [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Moraes+Heng]Moraes Heng[/url]. . ." Romulus replied. "Everyone just calls it ‘the Vale’," said the other woman that had been on the couch. She brought over the rounded bottle of green glass and refilled Tim's cup and winked at him. She was very skinny, perhaps five foot four inches, with long brown hair and bloodshot hazel eyes. "Yeah, the Vineyard Vales… that's what I said, that's where it's from," Romulus replied. "You said, Morro Henky or something…" The woman turned and snapped at him with playful spite. "Bah, Tamala. . . You're stupid! Moraes Heng! It's the same place! You know how it is… every place has got ten names…Look at [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Lilly+City]Lilly City[/url], it was once Heliopolis and then it was The Sunken City and then it was Bridges…" He went on and on, and the musicians started up again. In the meantime, Tim's drink was refilled twice more. There was a warm and relaxing feeling here, some more people came in and he noticed them throw a few coppers in an urn by the hearth beneath the holy symbol. They carried a cask of beer, which they set on a low table, and the musicians stopped to try some… Remembering his temple manners, Timotheus got up and poured a large fistful of copper coins into the urn as well. "Come get some of this," Romulus said, breaking off his own long-winded dissertation on various names and aliases of Lilly City and the surrounding region to move to the front of the line and ‘bless’ the cask in the name of Ptah. "It's [url= http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Beers+of+Aquerra]Quillton Brew[/url]!" He pointed to the burned 'Q' sigil on the side of the cask. "You really know how to treat a guest," Tim said when he reached the head of the line and filled his mug with Quillton Brew. "Hey, this stuff reminds me: do you know anything about [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Bullywugs]bullywugs[/url]?" "A little bit…You have to fear their hop attack," Romulus replied. He took a deep sip of Quillton Brew and then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. The musicians started up an up-tempo tune and a couple of people began to dance. "If you had come last month I would have had some 'Schiereiland Wheat'… It's like drinking cool sunlight… I usually summer up in the breadbasket, wandering about and getting to know that land… you mentioned the King Stones before… I went down there as a lad, before I got my calling… But yeah, 'wugs… What do you want to know?" "Let's talk about Schiereiland in a bit... you do actually look kind of familiar, maybe I've seen you before, since I grew up there and all…” Jonz took another sip. "If you spent any time in [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Heartspire]Heartspire[/url], we might have crossed paths. . .” "Yeah, I've been to Heartspire a few times, though I wouldn't say I spent a lot of time there. Kind of a quiet town, nice if you like that sort of thing. Awful flat, though. I'm more of a hill-country boy. I grew up in Chalkour, and of course I've been to Azure; now there's a place to be!” Timotheus smiled and drank some more. “But about 'wugs, well, my party and I fought off a bunch of 'em up near Quillton a few weeks ago, [sup]2[/sup] rescued a pretty girl from one of their raiding parties, and as their leader hopped off he swore revenge! So I figure, anything you know about 'em will help. Where are they from? What do they do? What kind of crazy magic do they have going on? You know, whatever." "Bullywugs in Quillton! That's madness! I've never heard of such a thing. How did they get there? The Crossroads Bog? Yeah. The Disputed Territories? Sure! Red Spice Island? Sometimes. . . But Quillton? They're dumb and aggressive and rarely travel beyond their territories… I don't know that they use magic much. They worship [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Sopfropth-moth]the Frog God[/url], though… so shaman sometimes. . ." Tim drained the last of the beer. His face a bit flushed, he began to sweat from the heat of the hearth. "Lenore of Ptah always stops by Chalkour," he said, deciding he would learn nothing important about bullywugs here. "I was actually kind of hoping she'd be here. Do you know her?" "Lenore! Sure I know Lenore. . . We've met five or six times here or there. . . Last I heard she's up around [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Westen-scherp+muur]Westen-scherp Muur[/url] or something. . ." "Damn, then I probably won't see her anytime soon. I'm not sure if I'll even get up Schiereiland way again this year, though I hope so. It's kinda rough not getting to see home at least every few months." Tim refilled his mug. "Lenore always knows the best stories. Like the one about the three gnomes and the blue dragon, or how the [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Margrave]Margrave[/url], the old one, tricked the [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Herman+Land]Herman Land[/url] ambassador into giving away that island in exchange for an egg." "I don't know either of those!" Romulus says. "I do know the one about the [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Wallbrookian]Wallbrookian[/url] Princess and the pea, and the one they tell in the south about how all animals once talked, but were tricked into giving up their voices by humans. [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Dolphins]Dolphins[/url] escaped this because they were in the sea at the time, and burrowing animals were given different voices back by [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Gnomish+Pantheon]the gnomish gods[/url]." "I haven't heard the one about the princess since I was a kid. And I've never heard of that other story. Hey...." Tim looks puzzled. "Are you saying that dolphins can talk?" Sure! Though most of them can only speak their own language - but they are as smart as you and me. . . Smarter even . . . "Huh. Go figure." Tim chortled. "Next thing you'll be telling me there really are elves under the sea, riding sea horses and hunting sea lions and all." "Haw! Now your pulling my leg, sonny! Everybody knows that a sea elf Prince has his court in the Captured Sea. . . I've even been there!" Romulus' eyes grow wide and shone with excitement, but Tamala walked over and deflated him with her skepticism. "Sure, everyone knows it, but no one [I]believes[/I] it, and no one believes you!" She laughed and so did the other 'petitioners' She handed Romulus Jonz the pipe. "It's lit." Romulus rolled his eyes and took the pipe, the contents of the bowl crackled blue as he sucked in great amounts of the minty smoke. Holding the smoke in his lungs he passed the pipe over to Tim gesturing with his chin. Tim sucked deeply on the pipe; he held it in for a moment, then smoke streamed from his mouth and nose as he coughed and laughed. "Wow, that tastes funny. What's in here? Tastes like sheep-mint and sorrel." [sup]3[/sup] Passing the pipe to one of the other men, Tim mused, "Anyway, if there were sea elves down there, we'd know, right, 'cause they'd be sworn to the Margrave like the wood elves." He furrows his brow. "The wood elves are sworn to the Margrave, right?" The smoke left behind a pleasant dull buzz and the world beyond the immediate conversation became a synesthesic blur. "I wouldn't bet on it," Romulus says, growing serious. "The [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Thrician+Racial+Covenant]racial covenant[/url] means those lands are theirs and their rules and laws, such as they are, take precedence. Wood elves are fine in theory, but they can be cold and cruel to our human sensibilities…" Tim's mood shifted to match the wayfarer's. "So are these [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Elves#toc1]sea elves[/url] part of the racial covenant? Because if they are, there's your proof… Or maybe you could just go down and see…” Timotheus paused as if waiting for Romulus to answer, but then he suddenly rambled on. "Say, that makes for a lot of underwater types of people, doesn't it? Sea elves, bullywugs, lizardfolks, and now dolphins. Who else lives under the sea? Are there really mermaids out there like the sailors say?" He looked at his mug in puzzlement, having forgotten he was holding it, then took a sip. "I wonder if their hair is green all the way down..." "They don't have hair down there! That's the fish half!” Romulus laughed “But yeah, there are merfolk. . . not just maids, but mer-[I]men[/I] and women. Lizardfolk and bullywugs aren't exactly sea people though. . ." Romulus was quiet for a long moment. "Proof of what? Huh? Did you say something?" "I did? I dunno..." Tim stared into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. But as Romulus was about to speak, Tim blurted out, "The Kingdom of the Red God of the West! ... You ever been there?" "No. . . No. . . No requirement to travel into danger. . " Romulus winked. "Why you plan to go there?" "Yeah. Uh, well... we're adventurers, we go everywhere. Especially into danger. And just between you and me," he leaned in. "The Rubes really are on the move. We ran into some of 'em just south of [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Border+Shires]the Border Shires[/url]. And they had horses, which is funny, 'cause apparently Rubes never use horses. Except these guys." “You don’t say…” Romulus seemed to be hardly paying attention, his vision focused into the hearth’s fire. Tim belched loudly, drained his mug, and then held it out in hopes that it would get refilled somehow. "We also ran into a dragon down there," He added gravely. "A little one…" "Yeah, I'm sure [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Stinging+Wind]Stinging Wind[/url] was just flying around and you took pot shots at it," Tamala commented as she refilled his mug. "Don't mind her," Romulus says. "That's her way of trying to be endearing. . ." "Well, I'm not 400 pounds, so I am not sure how else to get your attention," She turned on the priest and stuck out her tongue. It is then that Tim noticed the shapeliness of her body.[sup]4[/sup] "The Rubes have always been a danger and skirmished on our border, doesn't seem like anything new. . ." Romulus said, suddenly commenting on what Timotheus had said a bit before. "Not sure about them using horses though… that does seem weird, but I am not exactly an expert on their culture." "I'm sure you know more than I do," Tim replied to Romulus, though his eyes were on Tamala. "I only just learned they're not devil-worshippers, you know? It's a sure bet that anything you tell me is news to me. ... And it was a real dragon. Just, you know… a little one. 'Bout the size of a horse, not counting the wings. Not that it, you know, flew or anything." "Uh-huh! A little dragon that doesn't fly," Tamala said coming back over to top off the mug right after Tim’s first sip. "Are you sure you're not describing what's in your pants?" She plopped down on Tim's lap even as Romulus stood. "I think it is time to visit my favorite sisters. . ." He waggled his eyes brows, and hooked a thumb back over his shoulder. "Was there anything else you needed from me or from Ptah? A blessing for your journey? You are welcome to stay here the night. . .I mean, unless you have a gondola waiting. . . Shouldn't wander the bridges at night around here. . . Trolls, ya know. . ." "I'd love to stay," Tim said, clasping a muscular arm around Tamala's waist. "But I do have a gondola waiting, and everyone's expecting me back. But I'd appreciate a blessing, and… Well, do you know any stories about the Swords of the Moon? I've probably heard 'em all -- I've always been interested, family reasons -- but you always hear new details with new tellers, and if there's any stories out there I've missed, I really want to hear 'em." Clearly excited by the topic, he jounced Tamala playfully. "Don't be fresh!" Tamala stood and turned, giving Tim a soft playful slap and a wink. She went to fill her own mug again. "The Swords of the Moon?" Romulus mused. "Well, they haven't been around in twenty years, but they are well known… I mean, I even heard a bard tell a story about them when I was abroad in [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Archduchy+of+Wallbrook]Wallbrook[/url]. . . Something about defeating a ship of monsters coming from the south before it landed there. . . I was in the village of 'Blue'. . . They're not fond of strangers there, but they sure did like them Swords of the Moon. . ." Romulus Jonz began to straighten his robes and brush them off. "You know who you might ask about them? The watch-mage of Azure. . . That young kid, stopped in at his place last year, his grandfather was Derrida the Buff, who was with the group on an adventure or two. . . Kid said he knew the Wallbrook story, so Derrida must have been there for that one. . ." "Watch-mage of Azure? Which one?"[sup]5[/sup] Tim stood, all eagerness. "Todor's not a kid... Telare? Leinert, or Lenairt or whatever his name is? I didn't know that any of them were related to Derrida..." "Alton? Ethan? Archie? Something like that. . ." "Athoen? Right, Athoen the Blanche! The watch-mage innkeeper!" Tim lauged. "I didn't know that Derrida was his grandpa. If I knew that before, I would have had a talk with him a while ago. That's just the sort of thing I needed to know. Thanks!" "Yep, well okay! I'm off to see the Chubba sisters," Romulus said. I will be sure to give a good long prayer to Ptah for your upcoming travels, and if you drink or smoke too much you are welcome to stay." He moved to leave and Tim noticed the musicians waving as they shuffled off with some of the people that arrived in the second group. Tamala returned with another pipe and a flagon of some other drink, the shoulder of her dress slipping down onto her arm. She smiled. "Have fun!" Romulus added from the door. Tim lingered a little while longer, enjoying the hospitality and getting to know Tamala a little better... Eventually he had to force himself to get up and head back to the inn. Peter the Gondolier was walking up the platform to fetch him as he exited. [b]End of InterSession #27.1[/b] -------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Notes:[/b] (1) This InterSession was played out on the messageboards [I]after[/I] Session #27, though it takes places during the events of that session. (See [url=http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-hour/189277-second-son-second-son-aquerra-story-hour-updated-11-08-a-12.html#post4531303]Session #27 (part 2 of 3)[/url]). (2) Timotheus is referring to the events of Session #8. (3) Little did Tim know he was smoking [url=http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Sparkleweed]sparkleweed[/url]. (4) Wait, wasn’t she described as skinny earlier in this installment? Must have been the beer, wine and weed… (5) Unlike everywhere else, Azure has several watch-mages, as it is more of a collection of distinct villages that have grown together over time, than a city in its own right. [/QUOTE]
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"Second Son of a Second Son" - An Aquerra Story Hour (*finally* Updated 04/19)
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