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The Emperor of Solmaria

Shadowleaf balked slightly at his sudden appearance in a dark alleyway outside what apparently was an Inn of some sort. He regained his composure quickly though and retreated further back into the shadows to survey his surroundings. He whispered quietly to himself, "Shar my lady, why have you chosen to deposit me here?" Since these racist laws of the new Emperor had passed Shadowleaf found it hard to lead a normal life. Even finding an establishment to sell him food was difficult. To him, the protection that Shar had given him in the shadows was a blessing. But now she had cut him loose. Why, he wondered. Why here?

Something was urging him to go inside. He straightened up and moved slowly towards the door. If it is what The Dark Lady wants, she must have good reason. Shadowleaf gripped the door handle tightly and opened the door a crack, peering inside. His gaze from under his hooded cloak scanned the room and rested on the figure behind the bar. Obviously the owner of the Inn. A Half-Orc! Could this be some Imperial trick? Or possibly someone who could actually pay that ridiculous head tax?? Shadowleaf's eyes narrowed. He would have to be extra careful.

He made it a point to be on his guard as he slowly inched his way through the doorway into the bar. He kept to the back against the walls and steathly made his way to a table in the corner. He sat down and leaned back into the shadows of the corner as much as he could, his gaze set on the Half-Orc bartender, trying to catch his eye. He would find out whether it was safe to be here or not as soon as he could. He brought one hand down into the folds of his cloak and let it come to rest on the hilt of his longsword, just in case...

*Text in Italics are thoughts just in case no ones familiar with this format.
 
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Aramil walks down the stairs from his room to the tavern's hall, having slept the whole afternoon and then heard some little crowd gathering downstairs, perhaps the possibility of a little action after days of total boredom hidden in the inn.

He sits on the farthest seat he can find from every other guest, and as soon as one of the waitresses or innkeepers passes by he distractingly address her: Dinner, please!
 
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Darhaan walks in the shadowed streets shrouded under his ample cloak, the brown hood hiding everything but his eyes, with the same attitude he displayed since he entered Solmaria, trying to look too uninteresting for a second look, or too dangerous for a third one.
He steadily approaches the Sleeping Maiden's door, looking for signs of patrols in the streets, and once there he stares up at the two half-orcs standing by the door, expecting a remark about the hump his waraxe feigns under his cloak.
Then he motions past them, and takes a seat at a free table, waiting for someone to come and serve him while he takes a look around.
He remarks that there's hardly a rebellious mood yet in this tavern, and wonders if that will change later; then he notices two humans, one clearly with some martial training, and eyes them suspiciously. Pretending to scratch behind his hear, he reaches under his hood and concentrates on possible vibrations of evil, when he's disturbed by the sharp voice of an elf just arrived from upstairs.
Mmmm, an elf in a half-orc inn! This is getting interesting...
 
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Kinden

Kinden's heart leaps as he hears of the rebellion. He gathers his gear quickly, concealing himself under his hooded cloak, and makes his way to the Sleeping Maiden.

He enters the inn, studying the assembled patrons and employees. Quite a few different races represented. He guesses that in a place like this, the hooded ones were probably not human. But it's a small group to oppose the emperor - there must be more to this than meets the eye.

Looking closer, he notices two other bowmen, elves by the look of it, had situated themselves in two corners. He smiled to himself, remembering his bow training as a youth, far to the south of Yountinhil. He'll take another corner. If this is a trap, the elves will have the place well covered. Feeling bold, he places his bow on the table in front of him, removes his hood, and nods at the two other bowmen.
 

OOC: [I will assume a few things, so if they are too wrong then please correct me. Thxs!


Lenya moves to a table near the window, followed closely by the fighter, Xanthas, who brings with him the two glasses of wine he had ordered. As they sit a half-orc waitress comes over and smiles a very toothy smile and says "You be wantin' food then? Me pa says it's on him this night, though we have no fresh meat. I can bring you bread, cheese and hash, if'n that suites you." Her smile looks genuine, though the hop in her step says that she's more excited then they would expect a waitress to be. That, and she keep wringing her hands in the clean apron on her waist.

Shadowleaf opens the door a crack and looks into a bustling kitchen where 3 half-orcs or orc-kin are working. Beyond the workers, and cutting table, he sees a commons room with a bar. Again, more half-orcs or orc-kin (you really can't tell). The two bouncers at the door from the street, the three waitresses and the bartender. Including the others in the kitchen, that makes 9 total that he can see.

He made it a point to be on his guard as he slowly inched his way through the doorway into the bar. He kept to the back against the walls and steathly made his way to a table in the corner. He sat down and leaned back into the shadows of the corner as much as he could, his gaze set on the Half-Orc bartender, trying to catch his eye. Instead, one of hte orcin women come over and offers to get some food and drink for the elf with a smile that looks real. Once more, it seems as though the waitress is excited about something.. and besides, who had ever heard of an inn or tavern giving free food. Especially in THIS city, where he's sure that if these people had paid the head tax and the habitation tax, they would need as much gold as possible!

Aramil comes down for dinner and orders it as he takes a place in yet another corner, though this one is next to the bar, but since no one but the bartender was at the bar, that was fine. Strange group at the inn this night. From the top, it seems there are at least one elf... and another walking in the door? Three half-orc customers, and was that a dwarf in the cloak coming in ahead of the elf? Hard to tell. Along with the other humans in the inn, it's a very busy night for this particular inn.

Darhaan appoached the Sleeping Maiden without incedent. It seems that the patrols are light this night. A good thing, for it might have been difficult to get to his destination otherwise. Entering the inn through the front door, the two large orckin guarding the door are the first thing that he notices, but seeing that they are not about to start anything, relaxes slightly, though one does raise his eyebrow at the lump in the dwarves cloak where his axe resides.

He finds a free table, though it's the second to last free one in the place, and the common room is not small. A orcin waitress comes over with a mug of ale she grabbed from the bartender on Darhaan's enterance, and setting it infront of the dwarf says "Here's some dwarven mead for you sir. Could I offer you something to eat besides? It's on the owner if you deside you do? We only have one dish, however." After agreeing to the food, the dwarf looks around, seeing at least 7 other humans in the inn, three at one table, two at another... perhaps a couple, and two more at yet another one. The last table, one of the men are in stately robes and the other is in chain mail, but beyond that his black skin marks him as a Yountinhilian.

The dwarf scans the room, concentrating on the vibrations of negative energy that may imulate from those in the room when he's distracted by the appearance of one elf from the stairs and another form the door he had just entered through. A very strange group indeed! Turning his attention back to the negative auras of those in the room, he finds that the table with three half-orcs imulates strong evil as well as the table with the three humans. Taking a closer look at the table with the half-orcs, the dwarf can see that they have clubs resting against thier chairs, ready for use, and under their tunics, a flash of steel tipped leather can be seen from one of then, so they have some form of armor on at the very least, though not a suite of mail, or it would be noticable, even under the tunic and cloak each of them wear.

The humans at the other table are three humans. It appears that they wear common leather armor, though on second look it looks very well made... masterworks if the dwarf had to guess, and daggers at thier sides. Other then that, the dwarf can see no other arms of any sort on the ones with the negative auras.

Kinden enters the inn after all the others and notices after looking around the other bowmen in the group. Seeing that they are posisioned at opossite corners, he decides to take the last corner table, which also happened to be the only one free. Feeling bold, he smiles to himself as he pushes back the hood of his cloak to reveal his heritage and places his bow on the table, taking the time to string it before doing so. If this was a trap, he was ready.


The Sleeping Maiden

| | | | | |W|W|W|
| | | | | |W| |W|
| | | | | |W| |W|
| | | | | |D| |D|
| | | | | |W| |W|
| | | | | |W| |W|
| | | | | |D| |D|
| | | | | |W| |W|
| | | | | |W| |W|S|
|W|W|W|W|W|W|m|W|S|W|D|W|W|W|D|W|W|W|W|W|
|W|V|V|N|N|W| | | | | | |y| | | |C| | |W|
|W|n| | | | | |w| | | |C|T|C| |C|T|s| |W|
|D| |N|N| |W|B|B| | | | |C| |w| |C| | |W|
|W|n| | |n|W| |B| | |C| | | |h| | | | |W|
|W| |N|N|N|W|i|B| |d|T|C| |h|T|h| | |H|F|
|W|D|W|W|W|W| |B| | |C| | | |C| | | |H|F|
| | | | | |W| | | | | | |o| | | |C|w| |W|
| | | | | |W| | | | | |o|T|o| |r|T|f| |W|
| | | | | |W|C| | | | | |C| | | |C| | |W|
| | | | | |W|T| | | | | | | | | | | | |W|
| | | | | |W|k|b| |b|l|T|X| |C|T|a| | |W|
| | | | | |W|W|W|D|W|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|W|W|W|

| | = 5' sq. space
W = Wall
D = Door
B = Bar
C = Chair
T = Table
F = Fireplace
_ = Window
H = Hearth
V = Stove
N = Counter
S = Stairs going up

n = Half-orc kitchen cooks
h = Human (daggers and MW leather)
o = Half-orc (Armored and clubs)
i = Half-orc innkeeper/bartender
m = half-orc bartender's wife
w = half-orc waitress
b = half-orc bouncer
f = Yountinhilian fighter
r = Richly robed human

a = Aramil
d = Darhaan
y = Dylan
k = Kinden
l = Lenya
s = Shadowleaf
X = Xanthas
 

Shadowleaf waves the waitress away. He would let things develop a bit before subjecting himself to the offer of free food. It was a nice gesture but in these dangerous times it made him wary. He returned to scanning the room for any sign of trouble. The richly robed man across the room worried him. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Was he some kind of wizard? Shadowleaf made it a point to keep his eye on him.

His attention was interrupted again though as someone with a very Dwarvish build entered the inn. To Shadowleaf he seemed to have an odd "glow" to him. It made his eyes sting just looking at him. Soon after the Dwarf entered another person came in and made his way to a seat in the opposite corner of the room. Shadowleaf watched as the figure put his bow across the table, strung it, and threw off his hood to reveal his Elvish features. An Elf! How foolish to display himself so openly. He is either very brave, or very stupid. Again, his eyes seemed to sting and water looking upon this one as well. There was that same glow again.

Shadowleaf's gaze lowered back to the Elf's bow. Not a bad idea though. he thought. He reached for his own bow and as secretly as he could, made sure it was properly strung and ready to go in case of trouble. He went back to watching the robed man as discreetly as he possibly could.
 
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Xanthas happily sits himself across from the woman. Although after the matter, considers the wisdom in having the Lady sit near the door and bouncers. What if the bar was raided? And her taken hostage? I could always give a cunning display of swordsmanship. Maybe I should have taken the seat near the door, though... Maybe he should of pulled out her chair for her. All the while the orcish waitress prattles off the evening's dishes, and when the question of what would he like is asked he stares at her dumbly. What is she going on about now? "Yeah, that sounds good." Nice save.
 

Dylan never caught the Inkeeper's name..... Still, the chap seemed pleasant enough and was obviously a rich man considering that he and his whole family were still in the city after the New Emperor's head tax decree. That would mean a fine payment for his services this eve.
Taking a final gaze about the Inn and making sure that there were patrons enough that there should be a fine collection of coins for his performances, he stood up, threw off his cloak to reveal the colourful garb of his trade and introduced himself in his sing-songy fashion.

Welcome one! Welcome all! Your patron has bid me to entertain you this eve! I am Dylan, Dylan Twilight! (You may have heard of me about this fair city?) And I aim to dazzle you with tales of bold heroes, dastardly villains and foolhardy fools! The bard scanned his audience to make sure he had the attention of everyone there, then went on, Your patron has bade me to start this eve off with one of his favourites, your coinage will be much appreciated! And with a grin, steps forward to the closest female patron, winks and starts his song.

I sing ye a tale - a curious spin! The love of a pretty maide for an ogre-kin! And sings on..


(OOC - looking to aim his performances at the most wealthy looking of the audience in the aims of getting a better "tip"?.)
 
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Xanthas eyes the colorful disturbance of a bard with a baleful glare. Damn fool is liable to get us all arrested.

(OOC: you and me are the wealthiest here, and with your current behavior you'll have no gold from me ;) )
 

(OOC: Uuhh... late response since the boards didn't let me in earlier... :()

Lenya smiles as the human warrior offers her a drink and gladly accepts.

This is too kind of you, sir. This tavern here really must be the most hosptitable place I've ever seen!

To the waitress: Some bread and cheese would be great, thank you!

Lenya looks around as more and more adventurous types enter the taproom. The clientele seems fairly special, don't you think?
 
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Into the Woods

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