(Tavern) City of Orussus, The Red Dragon Inn IV

[GnomeWorks]

Jaan
"I am Jaan Saaresar, servant of Verdante."

"Nice ta meet ya." Troi says, nodding.

Rurik
"Gennel-men..."

Troi nods in response, though he says nothing.

Velbrik
"Did we miss anything interesting?"

"Good question." He says. "We've been gone quite awhile, I s'pose, an' th' world don't stand still."

"Th' world don't stand still..." He repeats softly to himself, then takes a long gaze at the bar.

 

[Uriel]

And outside thunder rolls and lightning strikes a far off hill, as if the very Gods were angry at all of creation...

OoC:OK, so it's just me being mad because my Packers just lost their game, but still...

 

[doghead]

Velbrik nods to acknowledge Rurik.

Glancing over to Jaan, he asks, "Did we miss anything interesting?"

"I'm not the man to ask, as I only got in last night. It was quiet then, very quiet, only myself and one other. A Watchman, looking for some people to put an end to some banditry that has been going on outside the city. We agreed to talk more on the morrow, so I expect he will be back today."

"Good question." He says. "We've been gone quite awhile, I s'pose, an' th' world don't stand still."

"It does for some, my friend."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Jaan
"It does for some, my friend."

Troi nods. "I s'pose yer right... th' world stands still fer some. But not those a us who'd call ourselves 'adventurers'." He smiles.

"So, would ya like some help in gettin' rid a th' bandits? I'm not really doin' anythin' at th' moment... I think I might hold my own better 'gainst bandits than those creepy orcs. An' I'd lika ta use my new whip."

 

[doghead]

Troi nods. "I s'pose yer right... th' world stands still fer some. But not those a us who'd call ourselves 'adventurers'." He smiles.

"So, would ya like some help in gettin' rid a th' bandits? I'm not really doin' anythin' at th' moment... I think I might hold my own better 'gainst bandits than those creepy orcs. An' I'd lika ta use my new whip."

"The commision is not mine to offer. That right belongs to an Officer Vagan. He's not hard to find, a young man in bright shiny new armour.

"I have not accepted it myself, yet. I know a little of bandit hunting from the stories of my Brothers. It can be a long tedious business, mostly spent living rough. I was, when I set out for Orussus, hoping for something a little more ... glorious," he concludes with a wry smile.

"Yet the bandits have been praying on farmers. And farmers, for they are close to the land and its cycles, are held close in the Greenman's affections. Even if they do not return them at times.

"So it would be ... remiss of me not to take the commission."

Jaan considers Troi for a moment.

"And if it were up to me, I would be looking for men such as you, I think."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Jaan
"Yet the bandits have been praying on farmers. And farmers, for they are close to the land and its cycles, are held close in the Greenman's affections. Even if they do not return them at times. So it would be ... remiss of me not to take the commission."

"The 'Greenman', eh?" Troi asks. "I take it that's a religious figure, or somethin'? I admit I'm not too keen on religion an' whatnot... 'better to light a candle ourselves than to wait for a god to lift our darkness', an' all that."

Jaan
"And if it were up to me, I would be looking for men such as you, I think."

Troi looks back at the bar for a long moment, then sighs. "Bandits, y'say? Well, they're prolly a little shabby, since they're doin' it so obvious-like... kinda surprisin' how uncautious people can get when they think they're gettin' away with somethin'. They start doin' bigger things, an' then they get caught..." He sighs again, touching his left shoulder as he does so, then looks to Jaan.

"Well, I'm not doin' anythin' at th' moment, an' perhaps huntin' down bandits wouldn't be such a bad job. I'm a little poor again after gettin' a new whip, an' if I'm settin' out soon..." He shrugs. "I'll come along with ya, if that Vagan guy doesn't mind. I'm guessin' there's some cash involved?"

He looks to Velbrik. "I'd ask ya ta come along, man, but I dunno what yer plans are... ya headin' out with th' others ta hunt down that druid? They might need yer help. But if yer not, then I wouldn't mind havin' ya along again, if yer int'rested." He smiles.

 

[doghead]

"The 'Greenman' ....

Jaan shrugs at Troi's revelation.

"The Greenman is how we know him. He goes by several names. The Keeper of the Cycles. Verdante is the most common down here, I believe.

"He helps us maintain the balance. There is a way of things, both dynamic but stable. How you fit into that is for you to work out yourself."

He looks to Velbrik. "I'd ask ya ta come ...

Jaan turns to better see who is is that Trio addresses.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Jaan
"The Greenman is how we know him. He goes by several names. The Keeper of the Cycles. Verdante is the most common down here, I believe. He helps us maintain the balance. There is a way of things, both dynamic but stable. How you fit into that is for you to work out yourself."

Troi turns and raises an eyebrow at Jaan. "I see. I'm afraid that I don't believe in anythin' like that... perhaps th' gods exist, perhaps they don't, but either way, I'm not 'bout ta follow one. Th' only thing I really believe in, ta any extent, is fate... an' that's a long story."

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

The door swings open and shut once more, granting entrance to another massive roll of thunder and the still immaculately polished Officer Vagan. They boy's scale mail looks like it was polished this morning- and it proboably was- and although it's doubtful that Vagan's youthful chin could actually produce anything of note, one can imagine that if it did he would take care of it with similar fervor. He looks so shiny new that one could not be blamed for expecting him to still bear the undimmed craftman's mark of a recently smithed sword. He salutes the barkeep crisply and holds it until Joe nods back, not without irony.

Turning to the assembled patrons, he announces himself with an enthusiasm only slightly dampened by the fact he went through this same routine yesterday...

"I am Officer Vagan of the Orussus city guard,” he begins. "I’ve come here to offer a commission to root out the bandits in the woods to the north. I'll only be here for a short while before I'm due on patrol, but," he indicates the wall with various announcements and bounties on it, "I've left an announcement that you can direct any interested parties to."

Having finished his speech, he relaxes from his parade rest and shifts nervously from foot to foor while scanning the tavern for Jaan's relatively familiar face. Spotting him by the bar, he heads over with a rustle of armor. "Good morning, sir," he begins politely. "You're looking better this morning." He looks at Troi breifly, slightly discomfited by you know not what, but politely extends his hand. "Officer Vagan, Orussus city watch."

 

[WizWrm]

He looks to Velbrik. "I'd ask ya ta come along, man, but I dunno what yer plans are... ya headin' out with th' others ta hunt down that druid? They might need yer help. But if yer not, then I wouldn't mind havin' ya along again, if yer int'rested."

Velbrik says, "Thanks for the offer, Troi," and taps his chin thoughtfully. "Hm. I had originally been ready to charge out there and track down the beast, but now that I've had a bit of time to consider it, I'm not sure that it would really accomplish a whole lot in the way of stopping the ferals. In fact, we don't even really know what's going on in the Kroggothite church, save that they've staged at least three raids in this area, and have been largely successful for the most part."

"I'd like to have the chance to discuss it with Sir Ishmael and a couple of the others, especially the ones who had been ready to run after the druid. Personally, I still would like to see this thing rooted out. I mean - they attacked a noble family and their children! And look what they're doing to people - remember those monks? I doubt some of the orcs are all too happy about what's being done to their kind, either; Kroggoth is not really a natural patron for the orcs, but who knows what's going through their mind after the transformation? I'll keep the bandits in mind, though, and wait to see what some of the others think, but if you're ready to head out, don't let me slow you down."

Jaan turns to better see who is is that Troi addresses.

Velbrik nods to Jaan. "Greetings; I'm Velbrik, bard and historian of the College of Nobius."