New Tavern Thread: The Hanged Man

[Mewness]

Papolstaanas, now on his second cup of Fizul’s or Fazul’s or whatever it’s called, is getting increasingly annoyed with Azantia and her Homilies. How can anyone read this dross? He imagines himself climbing on top of the table, posed heroically, backlit by flickering torchlight, raising his mighty-thewed kobold arm, and hurling the wretched Homilies in a perfect arc so that it lands right in the center of the cook’s firepit--in his mind, the firepit is in the common room somehow, but very far away--where it instantly catches fire and explodes in a huge burst that somehow doesn’t harm anyone, but merely causes the enormous crowd--the tavern of his fancy is much more crowded--to gasp, in awe and appreciation, at the mighty kobold hero's terrific throw. At the timely, nobly executed, and well-deserved destruction of Homilies of Azantia!

This runs through the kobold’s bowed head as he carefully turns a page of the book so as not to damage it.

Peering over the edge of the book, he sees Kaeysari come in. A soldier. Tall, dignified. Human--the heavy brows and nails don’t strike Papolstaanas as an especially bestial feature; she looks human enough to him--and religious, apparently. From the Imperium, no less--the center of enlightened civilization in the world, if you believe that hateful, self-righteous Azantia. His mother would love her. Papolstaanas fixes Kaeysari with an angry, suspicious, slightly drunken glare. He suddenly doesn’t care what his mother thinks; he wants no part of this Azantia-loving woman and her oh-so-superior civilized ways! Just who does she think she is?!

 

[BenBrown]

Kaeysari looks up from her stew briefly, only to catch Papolstaanas's glare full-on. She looks shocked briefly, begins an attempt to smile, then quickly turns her head back to the meal.

The kobold looks unfriendly, she thinks. Some sort of hard-bitten mercenary, perhaps. Kaeysari wonders if that's what she'll become away from the discipline of her company. She is a bit puzzled, though, by the fact that he's reading a book, which isn't a usual activity of hard-bitten mercenaries. She quietly sneaks another look to see if he's still glaring.

 

[Wynter]

"Well...it was many things, but I don't think it was lonely. There are times when you are...alone, but I think that sort of solitude can be welcome from time to time." she mused. In a small Tribe like she was a part of, everyone knew everyone, and privacy was a difficult thing to come across. When she thought about it, part of her perpetual state of...un-loneliness came from the Spirits. They were always there. Sure, they didn't participate in everyday conversation or help with chores, but much like walking through a forest filled with songbirds can let you know you're not alone, the presence of the Spirits were the same way.

"We lived...very small there. These massive structures and busy markets would be very unusual. You probably could have fit all of my people into this Tavern. There are a great many things here that you couldn't find among my people. A great many of the shops here hold interesting things..." she commented. Who knew, perhaps part of her materialism came from not having much growing up, and living as simply as she did. Perhaps it was also just the frailty of being, for the most part, still very young.

She could have gone on, but part of her concentration was lost on the long-winded banter of the Kobold and the...other Kobold. It sounded familial in nature, though Alissa could not make out any of the words. The presence of the portal and it's powers were certainly something else, "Is that normal?" she asked of Lucky, curious if pairs of monstrous races normally stepped through the portal.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

"Yes milady, the abnormal is somewhat normal in this region. It is rare to find many people surprised at the arrival of anyone."

Jynxx pushes his chair back slightly and pulls his lute into a playing position. He begins playing as he speaks to Alissa. "Fortunately, most who frequent a place such as this are a rather pleasant lot to be around. Most are indeed kind and rather goodly." He closes his eyes as he play, losing himself for a moment in the song he is playing. "Your... village, how many lives there? I would assume it is less than a few hundred since you said they could fit in this tavern." For a moment, Jynxx shows an interest in a past he had forgotten, "Do you have a king or nobility?"


[sblock=Song Jynxx plays]



http://www.youtube.com/v/13dyajs_9yU[/sblock]

 

[Walking Dad]

Riardon, Eladrin Warlord 3

Riardon leaves shortly after Jin, eager to continue this promising adventure.

ooc: Selling some mundane stuff and buying healing potions before joining the others.

 

[Mewness]

Kaeysari looks up from her stew briefly, only to catch Papolstaanas's glare full-on. She looks shocked briefly, begins an attempt to smile, then quickly turns her head back to the meal.

...

She quietly sneaks another look to see if he's still glaring.

Papolstaanas's ire only builds as the Imperium woman keeps peeking at him. What is she looking at! She's some sort of kobold hater as well, no doubt!

Papolstaanas drains his cup and sets it down. Shutting his book with a loud, angry snap, he hops down from his backpack, Homilies in hand. Landing heavily, he strides over to Kaeysari's table (in a not very straight line) and confronts her.

"What are you... staring at?" he blusters. "Never... seen a kobold before, you... stuck-up Imperium whore?" The room sways gently, forcing Papolstaanas to pause; he suddenly notices Kaeysari's expression and realizes, with horror, what he has just said.

"I'm... so sorry!" he babbles, clearly stricken. "I didn't mean... Please, please don't be offended!--I... was just reading this book, and..." Oh no, no, NO, that's a bad idea, to blame his outburst on the book, because it's from the Imperium, and what if it's an important holy text for this woman's faith? He'd insult her worse than ever! Maybe he could pretend to have mistaken her for someone else? But no, he's already mentioned the book, and why would he do that if... Papolstaanas shakes his foggy head, unable to think how to explain himself. He looks down at the book, suddenly despising it more than ever.

 

[BenBrown]

"What are you... staring at?" he blusters. "Never... seen a kobold before, you... stuck-up Imperium whore?" The room sways gently, forcing Papolstaanas to pause; he suddenly notices Kaeysari's expression and realizes, with horror, what he has just said.

Shocked by this sudden insult Kaeysari blanches briefly, then looks straight at Papolstaanas as she rises to her feet.
"What did you say?" she growls, her six foot frame looming over the cringing kobold.

"I'm... so sorry!" he babbles, clearly stricken. "I didn't mean... Please, please don't be offended!--I... was just reading this book, and..."

"Book?" Kaeysari looks puzzled. "What kind of book? Something that tells you how to insult soldiers? Let me see that... book" She pronounces the last word like it is something extremely unpleasant, and snatches the item in question from Papolstaanas's shaking hands.

When she holds the book up and opens up the cover, she gets a very strange look on her face.

"Azantia. So that's how it is," she says. "Listen, whatever your name is. My mother tried for years to be the perfect respectful wife, even as my father fell into drunkenness. She did not take to it naturally. She was a hunter, and longed for the open spaces. I could not go through the same horror of denying my entire self just because that's what some book read by old women said I should do. I've tried to follow the ways of the gods to the best of my abilities, and listened to the words of many wise priests. The gods made people in many fashions. Some of us were born to be submissive wives, but it is not a path I would choose, nor one I would endure willingly. I am by nature a hunter, by training a soldier, and by inclination an initiate of the temple of Palladys. I've given fully half my life to the service of the Imperium, spreading civilization and the ways of the gods. Azantia's words are those of a pious woman, and for the people of the cities of Isolate Prime they might be perfect advice, but they are those of a city dweller, and if I am to be condemned as a whore because I wear arms rather than meekly serve in the kitchen, then you can take Azantia's pious words and shove them up your posterior!"

She thrusts the book back in Papolstaanas's face, and grits her teeth, her extra-long canines showing clearly.

 

[Mewness]

Papolstaanas cringes as Kaeysari towers over him and listens to her in silence, eyes downcast (as though he's all too accustomed to being browbeaten by women) until she starts talking about Azantia, at which point his expression becomes animated, and he starts nodding his head vigorously in agreement.

"I could not go through the same horror of denying my entire self just because that's what some book read by old women said I should do. I've tried to follow the ways of the gods to the best of my abilities, and listened to the words of many wise priests. The gods made people in many fashions. Some of us were born to be submissive wives, but it is not a path I would choose, nor one I would endure willingly. I am by nature a hunter, by training a soldier, and by inclination an initiate of the temple of Palladys. I've given fully half my life to the service of the Imperium, spreading civilization and the ways of the gods. Azantia's words are those of a pious woman, and for the people of the cities of Isolate Prime they might be perfect advice, but they are those of a city dweller, and if I am to be condemned as a whore because I wear arms rather than meekly serve in the kitchen, then you can take Azantia's pious words and shove them up your posterior!"

She thrusts the book back in Papolstaanas's face, and grits her teeth, her extra-long canines showing clearly.

"Yes, that's it exactly!" Papolstaanas says, his babbling overlapping Kaeysari's speech. "How could any woman possibly live like... Does this stupid Azantia have any idea how people actually...? Yes, yes, a hunter, that's great, I prefer the wilderness, too, it's so much better than this stifling, soulless... Of course, why shouldn't you wear arms?... Exactly! Exactly! Up some idiot's arse is the very place for her...!"

He ducks reflexively as she shoves the book back but takes it when he realizes that she isn't trying to hit him. (He doesn't notice her large teeth.)

"That's all it was, you see, I was reading this, and it's just so stupid, I mean how could any normal person follow these instructions, and what's the point, it would be a total waste of someone's life if they did act this way, I mean what would they ever accomplish?--And I've had too much Fazizzle, and I'm not very used to... I'm really very sorry, I don't think you're a... what I said you were, you seem like a perfectly decent person to me, it's this silly book that got me so angry, not you, and my name is Papolstaanas, I realize you're not interested in my name but, well, if you want to punish me by telling any prospective employers about this horrible person that insults respectable strangers for no reason and identify me by name, well now you can, and I probably deserve it, to have my job prospects ruined that way, and I guess I should just leave you alone... I--I--" Papolstaanas begins to stammer uncontrollably.

 

[BenBrown]

"That's all it was, you see, I was reading this, and it's just so stupid, I mean how could any normal person follow these instructions, and what's the point, it would be a total waste of someone's life if they did act this way, I mean what would they ever accomplish?--And I've had too much Fazizzle, and I'm not very used to... I'm really very sorry, I don't think you're a... what I said you were, you seem like a perfectly decent person to me, it's this silly book that got me so angry, not you, and my name is Papolstaanas, I realize you're not interested in my name but, well, if you want to punish me by telling any prospective employers about this horrible person that insults respectable strangers for no reason and identify me by name, well now you can, and I probably deserve it, to have my job prospects ruined that way, and I guess I should just leave you alone... I--I--" Papolstaanas begins to stammer uncontrollably.

Kaeysari looks pityingly at him, and sighs. "I won't ruin your job prospects, but I think that you might want to stay away from this 'fazizzle' stuff--some kind of liquor?--if you don't want to hurt them. You've apologized now, and it's done with. My name is Kaeysari."

She sits back down, and takes another sip of her wine, as Papolstaanas's stammering begins to trail off.

Perhaps I'd better keep him here, so that he doesn't insult anybody else. "Um... why where you reading a copy of Azantia? Is theology something you're interested in?"

 

[OnlytheStrong]

"Well now, such a conflict was bound to occur. This is a place of drinks after all. Well handled by her, if I do say so myself. I know many a female warrior who would make such words end with blood."

Jynxx leans back in his chair, content at watching what everyone was doing.