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

[Kahuna Burger]

A young half elven woman enters the bar from the stairs to the upper rooms, dressed in light comfortable clothes and with noticiably wet hair. Seeing the main room occupied, she announces, "Hello all, I am Katherine Desilvia, scribe and occasional adventurer. I like to find things and find things out, and hear or tell a good story." Her voice has the strength and timbre of a trained orator. She takes a seat at a well littablenear the fire and spreads out a sheaf of papers and en and ink and begins work.

 

[Velmont]

"Buckler are annoying for spellcasting." She reply, finishing her mug of dwarf spirit. She looks at the elven women who entered the room. Opale smile at her and wait for her to sit before continuing speaking.

"Well, if you like to tell story, maybe you will have one to tell us. The night is still young and it could fill some of the time."

 

[Ghostknight]

Harwin smiles and replies to the two

"Survival is a serious topic- but the clothes one wears is seldom a guide for what the persons capabilities are. It is a simple matter for a warrior to wear a robe over his armour or for even a mage of slight power to make his clothes look like armour."

He takes another sip of his drink

"More important to concentrate on what is important, knowiung the skills that can save you as oppossed to those that will onlt be a hindrance."

 

[Velmont]

"More important to concentrate on what is important, knowing the skills that can save you as oppossed to those that will onlt be a hindrance."

"Talking of nonesense, I think I just heard one, lover. Strong points and weak points are both important to know and work on. Ask an assassin, he will tell you the best place to strike, it is were someone is vulnerable. I am not telling to learn everything, that's just impossible, but you need to spend a few times on your weakness, to learn them and know how to hide them from you opponent and maybe, turn them into your advantage.

And for appearance, for a casual lookers, a robe will be enough to hide an armour or a spell to hide a wizard, but when you'll meet someone who knows the tricks, he will see the illusion, or the robed man doesn't move graciously, hinder by his armour. But it's true that appearance is a minor thing for survival, skills are a lot more important, but even small thing can make a difference, buy you a few second, nothing is to be ignored.

But for now, I am really interested to hear a story, if Miss Desilvia want to tell one."

 

[Pbartender]

A small, nondescript halfling sidles up to the bar and perches himself atop a tall stool. Funny... you can't seem to remember him coming in through the front door.

"Heya, Joe," the halfling greets the innkeeper, "Whaddya know? One of the usual, if you'd please."

Waiting for his drink to arrive, he turns to the rest of the taproom for the customary re-introduction. "Jack Haggerty, Little Sneak and Salvageer Extraordinaire... at your service." He turns back to the bar just in time to recieve his pint of beer.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

"But for now, I am really interested to hear a story, if Miss Desilvia want to tell one."

Katherine smiles. "I'd be happy to. This is a story about being careful what you wish for." She moves her hands and speaks a few quiet words, and the light seems to dim inthe vicinity of her listeners, while slightly increasing around herself. "It was a dark and stormy night...."

"No really!" she insists as a few groans break out at the melodramatic phrasing. "It truely was, as a storm raged outside these very walls, and a group of green young would be adventurers pined away within them. They had come seeking excitement, but pickings were slim, and it looked unlikely that any would venture in from the storm offering an exciting quest. One of them, an exceptionally short sighted singer and storyteller who we will for the sake of argument call Katherine, took it into her head that if adventure would not come to them, perhaps they could seek out a bit of minor distraction of their own. She had always wanted to learn the art of hunting and tracking, and as there were some amoung the small group skilled in those areas, perhaps they could take a hunting trip together. Now this is the part about being careful what you ask for, becuse no sooner had this idea been suggested, than a member of the RoadWardens, who had sought shelter from the storm, suggested a target of such a hunt, though one a bit more formidable than our foolish lass had been thinking of."

The young half elf continues a tale of a long trek through the rain, a shocking discovery in the farmhouse they had meant to rest a while at, and the tracking and slaying of a pair of murderous ogres, who had been further twisted by the worship of a dark feral god. As she speaks, the atmosphere continues to reflect her story, with the subtle sounds and smells of rain, the shocking coppery smell when they discovered the horrors left in the barn, and the dark cave where they eventually found and rescued the survivors of the raid on the farm. The subtle magic disapates as Katherine concludes, "So our impetuous storyteller learned a little more than she had planned, including the importance of remembering where you are. For here in the shadow of the Dragon, people set out to become heroes or they return home to obscurity, but they do not ever embark on casual errands, even if they plan them that way."

(ooc: perform orator +6, +2 circumstance bonus from prestidigitated ambiance)
[dice=1]20[/dice]

 

[Dexerion]

Bartholemu "lynx" Holland

Bartholemu Holland starts down the stairs into the tavern. He notices all the commotion of a full room below, but is unable to let his mind take full attention of the change due to his frustration at Felix's situation. Slowly he descends and looks around, pausing half way down to observe the room.

I just need to put it aside. Forget, just forget again. Again... His mind is scattered. He closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh, struggleing to calm down his memories.

Regainning composure, "Lynx" opens his eyes and suprises Joe by strolling to the bar to grab a stool instead of heading to a table as usual. "Hey, Joe, I will take a pale ale," Bartholemu says. Joe pauses for a moment, since this young human has been in his tavern countless times in the past but has never ordered a drink aside from water. "I said I will take an ale Joe," "Lynx" says as he presents the silver to the barkeep.

Bartholemu sips on his ale, looking away from the room and at the wall as the half elf tells her story. He breaks his silence from time to time with a sneer or a snicker as the story drones on.

Turning to the room, Bartholemu presents himself at the end of Katherine's story, "I'm Lynx. Professional Cardplayer. Good story. I came into the room with good timming. I met one of those RoadWardens not too long ago, i think. Name was Artax. I doubt it was the same one though. That one didn't look like the type to take on Ogres," Bartholemu says with a smile. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation as I came down the stairs, and I strongly agree with Harwin. Maybe even more so than she herself does. Desception by appearence can be quiet the asset for survival."

 

[Velmont]

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation as I came down the stairs, and I strongly agree with Harwin. Maybe even more so than she herself does. Desception by appearence can be quiet the asset for survival."

"So cute, he is taking my side, lovely boy, but next time, wash a bit more your hears, my name is Opale, he is Harwin. Seriously I thought that discussion would have died with that story, which was a very interesting one and nicely told, by the way. Start to find this discussion boring... you said you are a card player. Hope you have some on you, been a long time I hadn't played. Want to play?"

 

[Pbartender]

Jack raises his glass to Mintrik the Wizard from across the room, and hops off his stool to go join in the debate...

"Since when is survival a pointless topic? I take survival quite seriously! Thank you, Miss Opale, for your advice. What you say is true. When adventuring, I do go a little 'roguish', and strap a buckler on my arm as I wield my crossbow."

Jack grins knowingly at the last, and briefly admires the newly wrought buckler he leans against a chair leg along side his pack. "Too right, Mr. Wizard... And there's nothing like fine mithral for protecting your poor vulnerable wizard or rogue. It's light as a feather, it is. You could cast a spell or dance a jig while wearing it, easy as the breeze, and hardly notice it's there." Jack taps his chest, and a faint metallic jingle betrays the presence of a thin mail shirt concealed beneath his tunic and jerkin.

 

[Dexerion]

Bartholemu brandishes a black pack of old worn playing cards from his pocket and raps them twice on the bar. "Of course I have cards on me. What game do you fancy?" He ask as he geastures with his shoulder and head to a table near by.