Another day in the Tavern

[Agudo Archmage]

New and old friends

Artwork copyright © 2003, Gordon R. Quigley



The Archmage of Light chuckled as the shy Halfling looked away.
He then took one last sip, from his goblet, before standing; and picked up his corncob pipe off the table.
He taps it gently on his arm, making magical sparks fall form it, as it is put back in his mouth.

At the same time, Lady Hoot flaps her lovely white wings, and lands on his right shoulder.
Agudo nods his head at his own friend, then snaps his fingers, as his enchanted staff, scoots over to him; from the wall it was leaning on.

Straitening himself the blue/white robed wizard, walks over to the Halfling Agudo smiles a whit toothy grin and him.

“Greetings my brave adventuring friend, for this is your lucky day.”

He winks before continuing.

Because I shall spare you my many titles, and just give you my name.”
With a slight bow the whimsical mage says…

“Agudo!
And I was just welcoming you to the tavern before, and please forgive me if I caught you off guard.”

Just then a dark stranger walked in, holding a large book and a lantern.
What really caught his attention, was the fact that the book spoke back to its owner.

“How fascinating, Hoot, did the spell book just say it was his familiar?’
As the wise snow owl and Agudo, were speaking ,about the situation, an old friend of adventures long past gave a friendly hello, with a nod of her head to them .

He waves his hand and warmly nods his head back to Kat, as well, then turning back to the Halfling he says one last thing.
“If you need company, I would be honored if you would join us over at that near by table were the lovely Kat now sits.”

Agudo points to the table, then tips his hat, to the Halfling as he walks over to Kat.

“Why if it isn’t Kathryn aka Kat! By the Light it is good to see you.”
I must say, it has been some time, since are last adventure.
How has my favorite….Rogue is it?
Or shall I just say, that you’re a woman of many talents?”

With a wave of his hand, the small bench, moves from under the table, so that he could sit.
“As you know Kat”

The Archmage says as he lowers himself down.
“Magic usurers are very presumptions, yet I hope that I did not have to ask, to sit with you?”


Lady Hoot chooses that moment to speak as well.
“Kathryn, I have truly missed you, I pray that you are well these days?”

Agudo nods his head.
“Yes, Lady Hoot once again offers a wiser question; I as well have thought about you Kat, many a times. Tell us what has transpired since are last meeting?”

 

[Kathryn_aka_Kat]

Kat smiles warmly at Agudo and the owl as they come over. She had been leaning against the bar but moves over to the nearest table as they approach, the better for all to sit in comfort.

"Good day to you both, Arch-mage Agudo and Lady Hoot. You, at least, haven't changed a bit. And it's nice to see that. I hope you've been well? I'm well enough, myself."

She nods in agreement with Agudo as he talks of the time that's passed.

"It *has* been a long time, and too much has happened to go into the details. Suffice it to say, I'm both more settled and more at loose ends. I live in town now, I have a cottage on the outskirts of Ford Keep. And enough funds to keep me in a reasonable state without scrounging for work.

"So I'm even less able to find reasons to keep me away from the tavern? The variety of travellers, of conversations, and of unusual occurrences are my best entertainment for sometimes dull days."

Kat hesitates, realizing how those last words might be taken.

"Um, not that I need another one of your adventures? Not right now, at least."

 

[Agudo Archmage]

Whisked away on some death defying adventure.”

Artwork copyright © 2003, Gordon R. Quigley


He was just taking a puff of his corncob pipe, filling the air with the sweet smell of apple cinnamon. When the enchanting Kat, finished off her conversation with a jest.
It took all the wizards strength not to laugh to loudly, but he did grin broadly.

“Ha, my most whimsical friend, you do know how to make one laugh.”
He puts down his pipe on the table, it magically stands on its own.

“Well then its seems I have been found out!
He looks at Lady Hoot then back at Kat

“For I have heard of Dragon wars in the mountains of Dragonjaw; and Ice Wind Dale are looking for Swords for higher, to do battle with Yeti tribes.

He winks at Kat.
“Nooo I have not come to get you drunk, and have you whisked away on some death defying adventure.”

As he is talking he waves over the Golem, and tells him to bring some Elvin Sweet Water to drink and powdered raisins, cheese with fresh bread for them to snack on.

As Agudo was talking with the tavern attendant Lady Hoot asked a question .
“I must say Kathryn, what made you deicide to make a home in this charming town?”

 

[Kathryn_aka_Kat]

Kat does start to laugh.

"Icewind Dale needs swords?! Well they won't want mine, I don't use one. And that's on Faerun, isn't it? I'll stick to Oerth, thank you, sir. I travelled planes too long against my will to want to move through them again, even by choice. Juxta's the only one I'll go to, and that's only because I landed there first when I came and then followed the crowd to here."

She smiles at the owl, but takes a sip of her drink again before answering.

"I suppose I might say a friend suggested I stay here? And it is a pleasant town, small but with a lot of travellers and merchants passing through to keep it lively. And this tavern, of course. But what brings the two of you here?"

She looks at them curiously.

 

[JasperDm]

*the wiry haired stranger smiles sadly and looks to the golem*

Then I should like some simple meat and bread. I assume this will cover it.

*he places a platinum coin in the golem's vicinity, it has a symbol of a woman's face wreathed in blades*

By the way, can you tell me what plane this is? I had thought the portal was going to take me to the Mortuary, but this clearly isn't it.

 

[Xavim]

Seemingly unnoticed by the inn's patrons the tavern's door slowly opens and shuts again as a smalllish figure, draped in heavy costume enters. Cowl pulled low this short roughly humanoid figure pauses a moment to look about. Taking in it's surroundings with quick intent glances, never lingering in place too long.

Seemingly satisfied with it's survay of the establishment, though more than a little concerned at the sight of an Alhoon and a Golem, the figure made it's way towards the most vacant area within. It walked with a strange double limp, as if it was unsure of its steps, and seemed to have a some difficulty keeping its balance. Upon reaching its destination it quickly and gratefully climbed into a chair and tucked its small legs up under it, sitting cross-legged on the seat.

Standing barely four and a half feet tall the figure looked slightly rediculous sitting with its throat level with the top of the table, but it seemed to hardly care. In the act of sitting the figure's cowl slipped slightly giving the briefest glimps of ash grey skin and green hair. After adjusting its cowl and seemingly comfortable with its placement, it resumed its watching, glancing continuously around the room.

 

[JasperDm]

Seeing someone else enter, Seth sits at his table, and opens the speaking book. He speaks quietly, as if not wishing to disturb the others.

"Libram, bookmark my Plane Shift spell, I think this casting has been a complete failure. There isn't a bit of evidence we're any closer to the Cage."

The book flutters a few pages and sighs irritably. "Honestly, Seth, you do realize we're not on the Prime, from the feel of it, I daresay we're probably even on an Outer Plane. Try overcoming your legendary shyness and try talking to the living for once. They tend to be useful for more than merchants and lynch mobs, you know...some are even accomodating to the deathtouched."

The pale figure brushes his wiry hair out of his black eyes and looks down at the pages before him.

"I don't feel like risking my neck dealing with those who look to have enough firepower to permanently separate me from what little grasp I have on life, Libram. I doubt my grasp of the True Death is enough to see me out of another horrid afterlife. Primes, and those who work with them, don't take well to undead, even those who are descended from them. So just find the spell before someone overhears your rantings."

He looks around, a bit nervous, and waits quietly for his food to arrive, paging through the section on planeswalking magic in the spellbook.

(BTW, Xavim, Seth is not an alhoon, that's Jaspar Arelius, my other Planescape character. Seth's a mortif, kind of like a tiefling, but with undead heritage rather than fiendish. Those who know Planescape can probably infer a great deal about him...)

 

[Xavim]

(sorry my bad, I was rather curious as to the presence of hair on an alhoon. BTW do you actually have to chat play to parttake here? Seemed like an interesting enough diversion so I'd thought I'd post.)

The cowled figure in the corner seemed to momentarily start at the sudden occurence of a talking book, and inspite its habit of quick fertive glances, its focus was held and its attention snared by the conversation between book and owner.

Realising that it had been too obvious in its attentions the bundle of cloaks and cloth quickly turns away from the undead owner and seems to be muttering to itself in some gutteral tongue. Those within earshot manage to catch enough of it to identify it as a heavily accented form of Abyssal, a dialect common to the centrual(don't know if that's a word...) layers of the abyss (those of the 100 range to be precise).

 

[JasperDm]

*hearing the Dark Speech of the Abyss, Seth's head tilts up, and he listens, trying to translate into the Cant, but his grasp of Abyssal is rather poor, as he learned from a tiefling associate, rather than straight from the tanar'ri's mouth, as it were...he whispers*

"Libram...use that translative spell you have..."

*the book begins to speak words of power, and those with an ear for magic catch a stilled tongues and stilled comprehend languages cast, though not strictly by the appropriate manners, mayhaps a spell-like ability?*

 

[JasperDm]

(By the by, for those interested, here are the stats on Libram, Seth's familiar. He is an adamantine-and-iron bound spellbook, about 15 pounds in weight.

Libram(pre-familiar bonuses)
Tiny Animated Object, Intelligent Magical Item
Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: 1/2d10+40(42hp)
Initiative: -5
Speed: 0 ft.
Armor Class: 7 (-5 Dex, +2 size, +1 natural)
Base Attack: +0/-13
Attack: None
Full Attack: None
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, hardness 20
Saves: Fort +0, Ref -5, Will +2
Abilities: Str --, Dex --, Con --, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 10
Skills: Spellcraft +10, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Knowledge (history) +7
Feats: Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
Alignment: Lawful neutral

--Can be used as an adamantine club by a Medium creature
--Can speak fluent Common, Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, Ignan, Aquan, Terran, and Auran. Can also communicate telepathically, but rarely does.
--Spell-like abilities: at will: comprehend languages, deathwatch, detect magic, detect undead, status, tongues as 15th level wizard.
--Permanently awakened magical spellbook, created by a true necromancer of the Dustmen faction.
--Can be bound as the familiar of any necromancer or Dustman, using the Improved Familiar feat. Libram provides no specific familiar bonus.
--Worth roughly 50,000gp.)