Guilt Puppy
First Post
{I, 1:} [1] Hedrogura: Jewel of the Eastern Sealine, a testament to the glory of Free Cities around the world, at least for those who've never seen it in person. In reality it is a dirty, aging city orbited by dirty, aging slums: Its "booming marketplace" is little more than a horde of thievely old men, peddling exotic novelties and knick-knacks for money to spend in a better place. The gladiator pit, in stories the home of epic battles and glorious warriors, offers little more than the spectacle of death, as criminals and the occasional upstart swordsman are pitted against far more skilled or ferocious opponents.
And then there's Caval's Horde, a tavern which the bards call dirty and small, and which inspection proves to be dirty and small. I've kept the bar here for more than half my life, and I can tell you, there wasn't anything odd about those boys and girls who banded together that night. Maybe the old knight. But not those kids: We get a dozen a day, frozen-faced and disappointed to bits because they expected some thing, maybe nothing glorious out of the stories, but still some thing which you just don't find, not in The City in the Edge of World, not in a world on the edge of oblivion.
[9] Aerda was first to enter, black curls wrapped around his elvish ears, and this hawk, Astrule. Sat around, got caught up in [14] some Elvish song Oli was playing.
[12] Ostensibly he was looking for work with his buddy Victus, his bodyguard I guess. Tall fellow, and looked tough enough for a nod, although the grit on his chin was still soft. I tried not to let him down too hard, as it seemed like with all the swords and birds and books they had between them, they weren't looking to mop up the pits. More likely they'd be the ones getting mopped up, and you never want to see anyone so let down about their dreams that they take to work like that.
[18] It was about that time Niccolo woke up, over in the corner with Oliver. Oliver had a stint in the pits himself, I believe, but that was back farther than anyone ought to bother remembering. I think it was that gnome, Niccolo, who got the whole group keyed up on each other. His violin and Oli's lute. Sucked in all the heads that weren't buried or hadn't been buried too long to be ripped back out, you know? [19] It sure sucked in Merrim, another gnome, little blond thing... Sreghani's 4th Caprice, Oli told me after. Had to ask about a song like that. The gnome could really play.
While they flirted, that elf was busy scribbling away in this book of his, a tall thing, and he wrote the wrong direction. He was looking for something clever to drink, and the Pelly rum seemed to suit him well enough.
{I, 2} [29] Fendric was the next arrival. Local kid, fawn-haired half-elf obsessed to the teeth with Pelor. "Fishing for the drowned," as it's called: Going from tavern to tavern looking for conversions. It's a thankless task, so I always try to be a little generous to the kids. Especially the acolytes of Pelor: My brother was one, gave his life for it, and while I don't keep the faith I do what I can to keep his memory. You know how it is.
Anyway, Fendric gravitated right toward Aerda and that bird, and [35] so did Jalarzi, a not-quite-so-young woman who made a bit of an entrance. A sorceress, she said. When Merrim got interested in Fendric's business, it brought over Niccolo as well, [39] throwing out some verse about a hunter. With that they were all together, pretty much. They started talking work and adventuring and the like, which I guess didn't turn out so silly as it sounded.
{I, 3} [54] It was right about then, you see, when the old knight came in. Clearly out of his class: He spoke and even walked like nobility, and you don't see that often in the Horde. Closest you get in Hedrogura usually are the merchants and slavers who puff themselves up like it, but they're usually too red-faced to pull it off. This man wasn't red-faced at all.
Fendric spoke up, suggesting that the man get rabbit, of all things. Probably not the most appropriate suggestion, but compared to hard bread and Temple sausage it must have seemed like a real delicacy to the half-elf. [58] The knight took up the suggestion, though, and started asking about the local temple, and of course once you start talking like that with a young acolyte, they're stuck to you forever. Like feeding a stray.
They made their introductions: [64] The old man introduced himself as "Exantrius, Knight of the Greater Kingdom." This caught something in Niccolo's memory, [71] and he came right out with this poem about the man, which ended with the old knight's death. I've heard it before, I'm pretty sure, and I think that's the way it was supposed to end. "The Rede of Exantrius," it's called. Good little verse.
[72] Exantrius, of course, took some offense over the verse, and had a few sharp corrections to make about the details. He seemed forgiving enough, though, and as Fendric went off to secure a room at Pilate's, Jalarzi brought up the idea of traveling with the old knight...
And then there's Caval's Horde, a tavern which the bards call dirty and small, and which inspection proves to be dirty and small. I've kept the bar here for more than half my life, and I can tell you, there wasn't anything odd about those boys and girls who banded together that night. Maybe the old knight. But not those kids: We get a dozen a day, frozen-faced and disappointed to bits because they expected some thing, maybe nothing glorious out of the stories, but still some thing which you just don't find, not in The City in the Edge of World, not in a world on the edge of oblivion.
[9] Aerda was first to enter, black curls wrapped around his elvish ears, and this hawk, Astrule. Sat around, got caught up in [14] some Elvish song Oli was playing.
[12] Ostensibly he was looking for work with his buddy Victus, his bodyguard I guess. Tall fellow, and looked tough enough for a nod, although the grit on his chin was still soft. I tried not to let him down too hard, as it seemed like with all the swords and birds and books they had between them, they weren't looking to mop up the pits. More likely they'd be the ones getting mopped up, and you never want to see anyone so let down about their dreams that they take to work like that.
[18] It was about that time Niccolo woke up, over in the corner with Oliver. Oliver had a stint in the pits himself, I believe, but that was back farther than anyone ought to bother remembering. I think it was that gnome, Niccolo, who got the whole group keyed up on each other. His violin and Oli's lute. Sucked in all the heads that weren't buried or hadn't been buried too long to be ripped back out, you know? [19] It sure sucked in Merrim, another gnome, little blond thing... Sreghani's 4th Caprice, Oli told me after. Had to ask about a song like that. The gnome could really play.
While they flirted, that elf was busy scribbling away in this book of his, a tall thing, and he wrote the wrong direction. He was looking for something clever to drink, and the Pelly rum seemed to suit him well enough.
{I, 2} [29] Fendric was the next arrival. Local kid, fawn-haired half-elf obsessed to the teeth with Pelor. "Fishing for the drowned," as it's called: Going from tavern to tavern looking for conversions. It's a thankless task, so I always try to be a little generous to the kids. Especially the acolytes of Pelor: My brother was one, gave his life for it, and while I don't keep the faith I do what I can to keep his memory. You know how it is.
Anyway, Fendric gravitated right toward Aerda and that bird, and [35] so did Jalarzi, a not-quite-so-young woman who made a bit of an entrance. A sorceress, she said. When Merrim got interested in Fendric's business, it brought over Niccolo as well, [39] throwing out some verse about a hunter. With that they were all together, pretty much. They started talking work and adventuring and the like, which I guess didn't turn out so silly as it sounded.
{I, 3} [54] It was right about then, you see, when the old knight came in. Clearly out of his class: He spoke and even walked like nobility, and you don't see that often in the Horde. Closest you get in Hedrogura usually are the merchants and slavers who puff themselves up like it, but they're usually too red-faced to pull it off. This man wasn't red-faced at all.
Fendric spoke up, suggesting that the man get rabbit, of all things. Probably not the most appropriate suggestion, but compared to hard bread and Temple sausage it must have seemed like a real delicacy to the half-elf. [58] The knight took up the suggestion, though, and started asking about the local temple, and of course once you start talking like that with a young acolyte, they're stuck to you forever. Like feeding a stray.
They made their introductions: [64] The old man introduced himself as "Exantrius, Knight of the Greater Kingdom." This caught something in Niccolo's memory, [71] and he came right out with this poem about the man, which ended with the old knight's death. I've heard it before, I'm pretty sure, and I think that's the way it was supposed to end. "The Rede of Exantrius," it's called. Good little verse.
[72] Exantrius, of course, took some offense over the verse, and had a few sharp corrections to make about the details. He seemed forgiving enough, though, and as Fendric went off to secure a room at Pilate's, Jalarzi brought up the idea of traveling with the old knight...
- Sal Degrie, esteemed barkeep of Caval's Horde
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