(Adventure) Rivenblight's Castaway [Creamsteak judging]

[WizWrm]

Velbrik nods at Troi's introduction.

"Dangerous?" he asks. "Really? We're headed up in that direction...not all the way, though. Anything in particular we ought to be careful about? I've run into a bit of trouble before, but I haven't done a whole lot of guard-work."

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

"Hah!" says Rown, taking on (at Velbrik's percieved admission of inexpierience) the air of a veteran explaining things to the young'un. "What isn't dangerous up there? Nasty monsters, dark elves, and half the cities falling apart, if the tales are to be believed."

"I've been there," says Kiel quietly, breaking into the conversation, his neutral expression not changing. Rown does a double take and slaps him heartily on the back.

"You have? Damn me, why didn't you say something?" he says. Kiel shrugs neutrally, then falls silent again, even as all around the circle watch him expectantly.

 

[Sparky]

In the common room:

"I'm not." Ioleta smiles and dabs her mouth daintily before returning, with a vengeance, to her meal. A cloud passes over the wide, blue eyes and her chewing slows. She looks down, through the table, through the floor and the cellar to a distant tormented place, "I should have stayed." Her chewing stops.

She puts her knife and spoon on the half-finished plate and pushes it away, swallowing mechanically. She turns her face away from Tylkin, awkwardly, deliberately, as she fumbles for the pitcher to refill her mug. I should have stayed.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Tylkin watches her for a moment, his face guardedly neutral with a slight frown betraying some measure of concern. He opens his mouth, perhaps to offer comfort or ask as to the nature of Ioleta's distress, by he closes it again. Once Ioleta composes herself, he changes to subject with some small measure of grace. "I'm not familiar with Ithyria. What is it like?"

 

[doghead]

"You have? Damn me, why didn't you say something?" he says. Kiel shrugs neutrally, then falls silent again, even as all around the circle watch him expectantly.

Jaan suspects that that admission is about all the halfelf is going to volunteer. If the silence begins to get uncomfortable, he picks up the conversation again.

"What's it like trying to get a ride on the other side of the forest. Preferally back to Orussus, at this point."

 

[WizWrm]

Velbrik cocks an eyebrow at Jaan. "I don't know...it might be an interesting experience to spend a bit of time away from home, as it were." He turns to address Kiel. "What's it like there, in Rivensblight? It lives up to the rumors, or what?"

 

[Sparky]

In the common room:

Ioleta pours herself a drink and downs a hefty swallow. She swipes her mouth with her sleeve to cover wiping the tears from her eyes and flashes a grateful glance at Tylkin.

"The City of Roses. It was beautiful and terrible. Such poverty. When I was there a plague ravaged the poorer quarters. Grim Cackle." She shudders, "Devotees of Hyrag and others instituted a rather draconian quarantine. Nasty business all around. I was glad to finally be released and on my way."

She looks directly at Tylkin with her wide blue eyes still bright with unshed tears, “I would love to return one day and walk the perfumed streets at sunset.” She gives a long-suffering glance at her clothes, tugging at the travel-worn cuffs of her shirtsleeves, “Though the Guard’d hardly let me walk the Boulevards in this.” She grins a lopsided grin, “Which I, unfortunately, know from experience.”

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Kiel shrugs. "Depends on the rumors." He pauses just long enough that you might think of prompting him again, then he continues. "It's dangerous, for sure. The Drow," his face shows his distaste, "will kill you as soon as look at you, and even the abovegrounders are a risky lot to hang out with- with so many guilds, it's hard t' keep the right politics long enough to get what you need and get out. I'm well out 'f it." Having spoken more all at once than he has since you arrived, he falls silent, scowling faintly. You heard, perhaps, the faintest trace of an accent seeping out, especially as Kiel's bitterness seemed to increase towards the end.

Inside the inn, Tylkin listens attentively. "It sounds quite interesting. I should visit sometime, perhaps do some trade there." He rubs his chin, as if in thought, for a moment, before turning his eyes to Ioleta again. "So how did you meet up with the rest of them- Troi and the others."

 

[doghead]

Jaan nods, somewhat put off by the mention of politics. Perhaps the distast shows on his face as he is distracted by memories of the brotherhood. Both of the major decisions in his life has been decided by the desire to stay away from people playing politics, he realises.

He realises that Kiel has stopped speaking.

"Humph. Politics. Had enough of that where I came from. Sounds like you are well out of it. Perhaps I should set my sights on some other city."

Jaan to falls into silence.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Finishing writing, Troi replaces the book and utensils in his pack. He then jumps to his feet, and heads back for the wagon.