Paths of Legend - Tragedy at Silvergard

[Yttermayn]

Aohdan scanned the faces surrounding him, each one screwed up with expressions ranging from curiosity to open-mouthed wonder. He swore someone had addressed him just now. He locked eyes with each face around him this time. Some turned and looked away, some still stared, slack-jawed and oblivious to his scrutiny. Finally he saw a face unlike the others. A dwarf with an enormous and seemingly good-natured smile on his face. 'Now the "big fella" comment makes more sense.' Aohdan thought.
"Aohdan." he introduced himself. Aohdan struggled to remember something about two legged customs. Something about holding out your right hand to someone you are introducing yourself to to show that you aren't holding a weapon in it. He turned his body, carefull to avoid slamming into anybody, to face the dwarf. Noticing he wouldn't be able to reach, he leaned down and simultaneously took a knee with his forward set of legs while offering his opened hand palm up. "And who are you?" Aohdan responded.

 

[Voda Vosa]

"No need to bow mate! Oh... Well Ah guess there's actually a need to do so" says the dwarf realizing his own stature. "Muzdum at yar' service" says the dwarf smiling as he shakes the centaur hand with vigour. "Sorry my face at first, fella, it's very unsusual to see one of yar' specie around. What are ya' doing in this filthy human town?" Muzdum asks, his smile wide as usual, and his eyes that always seems closed because of his cheeks, that rises when he smiles.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Inside the city...

Alaric's errands bring him past the tavern district, popular among the Adventurers' Guild members, with its taverns, dance halls, gambling houses, and hostels where one can sleep off the night's activities. Of particular note this morning, are those who stir from the area at this early in the morning, a young, vaguely odd appearing Azgundi woman, exiting one of the dance halls, who briskly heads for the main gate, and two folks emerging from one of the hostels at a slightly slower pace, seemingly unaware of one another for the moment.

William emerges from the hostel, perhaps looking a bit paranoid as he looks into every shadow, and notes the young woman walking somewhat oddly, as if her joints were stiff, toward the main gate, as well as the young man on his way to the Adventurers' Guild compound.

Emerging behind William, Estelle notes all of these things as well, though the bright morning sun seems a bit harsh this early in the morning.

At the gate...

Corath arrives and notes a being wholly unlike anything she has encountered before near the head of the long line waiting to enter the gate. A centaur, if her fractured memory serves, is the name of the creature. The rest of the line seems to be giving the creature a wide berth, with the exception of another unusual individual, at least to her, a dwarf.

Johen notes that the line is moving slowly, though the halfling assemblage in front of him seems to be slowing things up a bit, especially as they pause to gawk at the centaur.

Valen, at the back of the line behind the wine-wagon, also notes some movement in the line. There appears to be some hold up near the front, though he can't quite make out what the problem seems to be from this vantage point. Falling into line behind Valen, a half-elf, obviously well armed and equipped in a gleaming mithral shirt and matching short swords at his hips, and bearing just a touch of arrogance, sighs as he observes the length of the line and mutters to himself in a fluid language Valen doesn't understand.

Aohdan and Muzdum, near the head of the line, find the line moving forward, though the halflings directly behind them are making things a bit difficult for everyone by hogging the entire width of the road. As they approach the gate, they notice several things. First, just inside the gate is a young Azgundi woman observing the line and those entering the city. She appears to stare rather intently at people's faces, then mimic their facial expressions after they pass. Second, the line splits in two as the centaur and the dwarf approach, with those possessing some sort of papers being ushered in and those who don't, mostly foreigners, being pulled aside for a thorough inspection of their belongings. Thirdly, the foreigners, once cleared, are approached by adolescent Azgundi boys and girls, offering their services as guides to the city for a "mere bit of silver" for the entire day.

 

[Jemal]

William gives the young man (Alaric, I presume?) A nodded greeting and a faint smile as their gazes drift across each other at the same time, then notes the oddly moving woman. Since he's on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, he glances around and then moves to follow her.

 

[Amaury]

Johen notices that the line isn't moving very fast and that the halflings seem to slow things
down for some reason. He doesn't intervene and waits his turn. He keeps an eye though on
the centaur, who he notes, seems to talk to someone Johen cannot see.

I hope the whole city isn't that crowded, I could not stand it for long! he thinks.

When he reaches the gate, he gets ready to have his belongings checked by the watchmen.
That fence required quite a few trees.. he disapproves for himself.

 

[ethandrew]

Using a hand to shield the sun from her eyes, Estelle smiles at the day's activities presented before her. She could go around town cutting the purses of some of the wealthier townfolk like she did last week, might be she could try and break into some of the mansions in the central district, or perhaps she could just spend the day drinking and gambling and listening to rumors. While mulling things over in her mind, she spots a strapping young man looking anxiously around and following that one woman. Estelle had seen her before but had yet to figure out who she was or what she did, but it seemed now she had a follower. This could be fun.

Slowly sneaking up on the young man, she pops out of a shadow by his side, beaming with mischief, "Well good mornin', sir. You lookin' for ghosts in these here shadows? Seems like you might've just found one," she winks and walks up close to him, nudging his tall frame. "I know it's early an' all but what say you and me go blow out my candle?"

She grabs his arm above the elbow and stops walking, looking right into his eyes and holding that gaze for a few seconds. Before he can answer she swishes her hair back dramatically and laughs, forcing the walk to continue, "I'm just teasin' you, I aint no scarlet woman. So where we goin'? Who's this girl you chasin'?" She hooks her arm in his, either against or with his wishes, she cares naught, "My names Estelle, by the way Handsome." She seems content just to walk with him wherever he leads her.

[sblock=Jemal]She had a Move Silently of 10 and a Hide of 22 to sneak up on William.[/sblock]

 

[Jemal]

William starts as the woman appears out of the shadows, and eyes her curiously, studying her top to bottom.

Now, to the casual eye, it would seem that he was just checkign out this vixen... and to a certain extent, he WAS.. Just cuz he was a holy knight didn't mean he wasn't a MAN... Her offer to go 'blow out the candle', however, left him open mouthed and floundering for words, but her recovery jostles him out of it. With the way she'd popped out of the shadows, and her eagerness to be with him, he figured he might as well go along with it. "I do not know, but there is something... not at all ordinary about her, and as I am here to find something unusual, I figured this as good a start as any." He continues following the woman. "Though I must admit, the unusually beautiful and sneaky seems to have found me while I was at it. My name is William, lady Estelle."

 

[Helfdan]

Valen tries his best to remain patient, but the delay, so close to his goal, is galling nonetheless. He runs a professional eye over the half-elf's harness and weapons, but the man's demeanor is hardly welcoming to conversation. He thus walks beside the winecart and speaks to the driver.

"Excuse me, neighbor. Mayhap from your seat you can see what is causing this hold up."

 

[ethandrew]

Estelle bursts out in an infectious laugh, "Oh I aint no lady, Sir William, not like that one up there. But maybe one day a knight in shiny armor like yourself will sweep little ol' me off her feet and make me one. Lady Estelle, ah, what a wish," she giggles and clutches a little tighter, holding her lithe body against his. Referencing the woman up ahead, "So, do you want me to go get her purse and we can rummage through it together?"

 

[Arkhandus]

Alaric raises an eyebrow when he sees the unusual gait of the nice-looking Azgundi lady walking out of the hostel at first. 'She looks to be of rather high birth for someone sleeping in such a place, how odd. And she walks funny for a highborn lady.....odder still.' he thinks.

Then he catches the tall man's gaze, and returns the courtesy of a nod and a smile to his fellow Azgundi, thinking 'Wow, he's a tall one. And burly, well-armed....must be a soldier or guardsman.'

Alaric starts walking again through the growing river of people milling across the street. 'I hate mornings.' he reflects. 'Hopefully Entan doesn't expect me to run errands all day, I have work of my own to get to at some point. And I could really use a break today.'

With that, he decides to follow the unusual lady he saw a few moments ago, that had looked like a noblewoman but acted like a common traveler. May be something interesting going on, and if nothing else she may have some strange tale to relate.