Tale of the Clueless - Chapter 1: On the Seas of Air [IC Thread]

[Eva of Sirrion]

It's truly something. Mironallia comments, I feel blessed by Mishakal to have the chance to experience such things, and to share those experiences with a new group of friends. She goes to raise her tankard only to find barely a mouthful left. Now what to drink with, ale or whiskey? Ale or whiskey, ale or whiskey. Aw heck! And with that Mir dumps an equal measure of both into the tankard, hoists it, and drinks.

Behind Mir's merry showing, one looking close enough could tell she had other things on her mind. Primarily concern about Terrathoin. From what Tjallon said, this Harmonium didn't sound like the most agreeable folk. In fact it reminded her of the dark knights that held sway over large swaths of Qualinesti and many other lands on Ansalon when she left: enforcers of rigid tyranny with brute force when necessary. Terrathoin seemed a good sort, and the last thing Mir wanted was to see him fall in with such a crowd.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Drotha shakes her head again. "I trust, and trust thoroughly, I'm a mother of six warriors and five wives. But women aren't very free where I'm from, we must be tricky. Trust is hard to come by, and betrayal is always a threat. I am a cynical woman.

"The Doomguards saw that in me. They wish me to join, and I believe I will. Perhaps I can learn a bit from them before I go," she says softly. Inside, she's impressed that the elf woman is actually drinking, and seems to be able to hold at least a little liquor. Perhaps she, like so many other creatures here, was more than what she seemed.

 

[Dichotomy]

Idim gives the orc cleric a puzzled look. "Drota Stonebreaker, I would not have thought a strong woman like you would come from a place where women are not very free. In my tribe women can be warriors and hunters right beside men. We even have women chiefs. I was, perhaps, going to be called to be chief. I don't suppose that will happen now..."

The Shaaryan girl quickly turns to another subject. "I still do not know what to make of any of these 'factions.' I think I would like to get used to the rest of this first. For now though, I think Mironallia of Mishakal," Idim stumbles a bit over the unfamiliar deity's name, "has the right of the night. New friends in a new place. I think good will come of this."

 

[Ambrus]

Drinking doesn't appear to be this little wyrms' reason for being at the Friendly Wayfarer since he's hardly sipped at the small cup of ale resting on the table before him. Vor seems a little shy around all the mammals at the table seeming as he hasn't said very much since the group has assembled this evening. When he sees Terrathoin enter the establishment and take a seat, the small saurian unfurls his wings and leaps over to perch at the top of the barrel chested dwarf's chair in greeting. Vor seems to have taken a liking to the dwarfs, whether they feel the same about him or not, perhaps because of their familiar disposition or perhaps because of all the shinny things they carry. He perks up once the subject of Factions arises since they're one of the most curious things he's discovered in the Cage since his arrival.

"I'm still not certain what to make of all these factioneers yet. I've never been to a city where each civic service was governed by a philosophic guild. I guess I have to get "lanned" and learn the "chant" still. I hear the Harmonium "high-up" is a paladin of some sort. I'm guessing they can't be such a bad crowd with someone like that in charge. I haven't been to their guildhall yet though.

I went with a "guvner" woman with hair the color of my scales to the courts yersterday, but it wasn't much fun. They were mostly just arguing about court cases; I couldn't really get much of an idea about what they were about..."

 

[Gli'jar]

Asorbing Tjallon's comment, "I ain't throwing my lot in with any of these factions as of yet, a body's gotta be open to geting bobbed. You hear that sounding local I am. " Terrathoin takes another draught, "A body's gotta be open to gettin bobbed." He shakes his head as if he just came upon some great insight, "A body's gotta admit, 'Triad of Justice' got a good ring to it too."

He smiles as Mir mixes her alcohol, shakes his head nudges Thrumgall "That ones bound to be sick later mixing like that. Chalk it up as a lesson learned."

He listen to Drota and Idim before offering comment, a wry smile and a wink, "Trickery, What was that Master Vor, women everywhere seem to have that in abundance, well I couldn't agree more. " He puts his hands up as if in a shielding manner laughing, waiting for the oncoming onslaught of verbal abuse.

Over the past week, conversations with Terrathoin have revealed him to be an intelligent, friendly, and uncouth individual.

 

[Saloric Windrunner]

I can't claim to know a lot of about these factions. Some of them seem pretty interesting but as my pa always said never trust anyone that offers you diamonds for your lead. Sure they want us to join, but I think Tjallon is right, they have reasons for it we don't know about and we should be careful with them.

He smiles as Mir mixes her alcohol, shakes his head nudges Thrumgall "That ones bound to be sick later mixing like that. Chalk it up as a lesson learned."

Says quietly back to Terrathoin
"I'm afraid your right, the poor lass. Half of being a good drinker is knowing what to drink."

Raises a large bushy eyebrow at Terrathion "HA! Now you best be careful about that or one of those tricky woman will end up leading you around by your beard!" and claps him on the back, nearly upsetting Vor.

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

Pggh! Fortunately for Mir, the concoction she'd made never makes it down her throat. I will just have to choose one won't I? She resumes with a fresh pint of ale. There are times when mixing two good things just doesn't give a good thing back.

And how wrong you are about women. It's not that we're tricksters, though some make it come off that way at times. It's just that we have a certain understanding of menfolk, shall we say. We know their motivations, and when you understand a person's motivations, you understand the person. And I don't think this will come as a shock to anyone at this table, but most menfolk's motivations are pretty easy to understand. Mir had also found that a lot of women's motivations were easy to understand, but she wasn't going to disclose that part of her findings unless pressed. And if anyone did press her for it, she'd just say her findings were inconclusive at the time being.

 

[Ambrus]

Vorastrix idly turns his head away, busying himself with scratching between the scales of his left flank with the tip of a golden horn once talk turns to the matter of the sexes. Since he'd spent the majority of his life adventuring alongside mammalian humanoids he'd had few meaningful oppurtunities to associate with females of his kind. Even if he could have it was doubtful that they'd would have fancied him, his appearance betraying his metallic ancestry which was perceived as damning amongst kobolds.

Vor is jostled out of his brooding when Thrumgall joyfully slaps Terrathoin on the back, nearly knocking the small wyrm off the top of the dwarf's chair. He takes the opportunity to recover his footing and rather than growing upset instead agrees with Thrumgall: "I agree, there is little hurry for us to join up with any of the factions I think. Belonging to one seems to be the way of the place though, seeing how they've all been after us in the short time we've been here. It seems we'll have to eventually fit ourselves in with some of them if we want to be accepted and stop being called clueless though. Being in a faction seems to be the key path to respect, power and influence in the Cage."

 

[Nalfeshnee]

As Vor says that, the waitress, a slender tiefling - a crossbreed of half-fiend and human - walks by. She is the wiatress.#

She nods durtky as she moves behind the bar. 'And no screed anbout it, the high-ups want no less than just that. But Factions've got more good to them than bad. Especially is a body's looking for more than a replacement for religion, i know cutter's who havent left their Faction HQ in years. They live, eat, work and rest there. The faction is their life, and no one's keeping them there. At least not as far as i know.

'There's no law enforcing membership, though it is a rare cutter who professes to not being a factioneer... unless he's an Indept, like me. We're no faction - but it seems the lack of us being a faction makes us a faction round here,' she grins.

'Oh yes... Last rounds,' she says as though the words may trigger an enraged assault toward the bar. 'It is getting late. The rate you lot are going, you'll soon have to work just to pay off the tab you'll get '

 

[Ambrus]

Vor turns to listen to the tiefling waitress, the air about her raising the saw-toothed frill along his back and tail for some unknown reason. Ignoring the inexplicable reflex the small wyrm takes her comment at face value as it turns back to address the two dwarves. "See? Even if we don't join a faction we might just get lumped into the 'Indeps' whether we like it or not." Turning back to the waitress at the bar, Vor inquires of her: "Uhh... I hadn't heard of the Indeps yet. What're they about then?