The Game of Kings

[James Heard]

Sail and Scepter Inn, Port Verge (early evening) - Carver, Dragen, Glasia, Vhir

The kobold begins to walk aside to wait to be lead to their quaters when it stops a moment besides the bowmen. While not looking directly at the Karranth, its voice is pitched just loud enough for him to hear. "If you wish to do something useful besides discussing matters of which you know little, you may consider taking a walk and observing the local defenses."

"Ah, but you see...creature...you mistake yourself. I've had a bellyfull in my time of orders from bastards who think they're better than others arbitrarily, who base their whole lives off of lies, and those who follow those lies. I'm sure if Galifar had decided to make you king that he would have made a note of it. Until then though, I'm my own man and I'll do my best to keep my companions from the folly of trailing on upon the whispers of such as yourself."

"Take a walk? Indeed," Dragen continues," whatever else happens here, my job is to watch you and make sure that when the moment comes of your duplicity and betrayal I'm ready with something sharp to end it."

Dragen smiled, almost primly.

"But just think," Dragen's smile becomes even wider, "The more you deny the rumors that contain the truth, the more your stack of lies unfolds. And then, when it comes crashing down? Then the resolution of our task occurs without duplicity. Maybe if I just took a walk and told certain people who you really were? Or what your true task might be? What hole do you think you would have to hide and escape from then? Which fancy lie would make that better?" Dragen harrumphs.

"For someone basing your whole strategy upon a falsehood," Dragen continues, "you seem particularly incapable of assuming them yourself. Beneath your sneering maw, you are nothing. Nothing but words and falsehoods...And creature, I've taken orders from true phantoms before. Even they were more substantial and worthy."

"I think you are mistaken about me Dragen, for I don't need to eat, so why would I want to be a predator? And I'm not young, I'm almost a year old!" Carver insists with pride as he tucks the mouse carving away.

"Friend, this bow is many hundreds of years old, and I still learn much from it each day. As for the other, predation is more than consumption. The world is twisted into a knot of the gods of kill and be killed. And you, my friend, don't possess the means to thwart it, I'm afraid." Dragen said sadly.

 

[stonegod]

Sail and Scepter Inn, Port Verge (early evening) - Carver, Dragen, Glasia, Vhir

The kobold listens to the raving of the bowman in silence. If it was upset, it controlled it better this time---no sign was shown. Instead, it just smiled with a mouth full or sharp teeth and said, still keeping its voice low, "If watch you must, then watch you shall. I shall be deviously eating dinner and sinisterly reading the latest news." With that, it left the bowman's side in search of some reading material and dinner.

 

[Bobitron]

Sail and Scepter Inn, Port Verge (early evening) - Carver, Dragen, Glasia, Vhir

Glasia breaks her silence as the kobold walks away, stepping forward with a look of fury on her face as the archer finishes his latest diatribe. "You are a cad. You speak without caring for the feelings of others. You talk of private experiences and things best left in your own thoughts just to provoke reaction for those around you. I feel as though I should speak to one would a spiteful and cruel child. Keep your thoughts to yourself. If you wish to portray an attitude of unhelpfulness and cruel uncaring, do so by brooding in silence with your face buried in a cup."

She gestures to the retreating kobold. "Vhir has done nothing to provoke your venom, and yet you call him a follower of lies and one who thinks himself better than the rest for arbitrary reasons. He has taken the initiative to lead where others have not. If you wish to lead, do so by proving you can interact with the rest of us in a civil and reasonable manner. Otherwise, I think I speak for us all when I say I'd rather not hear your voice again. Nobody care to hear your input unless it is constructive or well-mannered."

For a moment, it looks as though her hand would fly toward his face in a slap, but she instead turns and storms off after the kobold.

 

[James Heard]

Sail and Scepter Inn, Port Verge (early evening) - Carver, Dragen

"I imagine the dogs were not ill-concerned when they lost that one to walking upright." Dragen laughed as the young girl left in her hissy fit.

One gesture, and her eyes would merely stare upwards at her uncaring god forever. Dragen sneered. Why do I bother? I think it's time to consider my other options. If "fit company" includes monsters and imbecilic children then perhaps I'd do well to find out whether or not the opposition are Men.

Dragen turned his thoughts in amusement.

"Attitude"! "Portray"! Hah! Those #$%'s from Thrane really are stupid.

Dragen considered the warforged beside him.

And perhaps now the construct shall decide to turn on me? Dragen laughed out loud, and narrowed his eyes. Ah, you try to run from who you are, Dragen, but who you are follows you. Why fight the wolf inside, if people think to treat you like a dog still?

 

[MadMaxim]

Argotch Inn, Port Verge (early evening) - Doral, Morika, Partash

Partash hands the goblin the 12 silver pieces and asks Doral for his key before walking to his room and locking his equipment away. Then he walks down to the Shark Tank to have a talk with Doral.

I wonder what other plans Vhir and Doral have for aquiring the information we need to free target? Well, he's not the only one to play the game of secrecy. We've been participants in spy games before, haven't we, Tash...?

 

[Bront]

Sail and Scepter Inn, Port Verge (early evening) - Carver, Dragen, Glasia, Vhir

Dragen considered the warforged beside him.

And perhaps now the construct shall decide to turn on me? Dragen laughed out loud, and narrowed his eyes. Ah, you try to run from who you are, Dragen, but who you are follows you. Why fight the wolf inside, if people think to treat you like a dog still?

"Did I offend them? Or did she mean you? Was what you said hurtful?" Carver asks, confused. He shrugs, not waiting for an answer as he scurries off to follow Glasia.

 

[Dark_Jackalope]

Shark Tank Tavern, Port Verge (early evening) – Doral, Morika, Partash

After securing their belongings in their rooms—small and simple, with one window and bare floors, a wooden table and two chairs, a double bed dressed in worn but warm blankets, a standard lockable chest, and a tiny woodstove in the corner—the trio headed down to the tavern.

While it was not empty, it wasn’t a roaring hub of drunken activity this early in the night. Nevertheless, the ale was good, and what patrons that were there were willing drinking company. A few had tougher airs about them, but they mostly preferred to display their prowess by playing heavy drinking games.

Small talk and jokes seemed to be the order of the evening, and no one there was particularly interested in talking about work or anything dark and heavy. Though most of Doral’s efforts to gather any information seemed feckless, the sailor seated beside him at the bar was becoming steadily more drunk and conversational. The man, named Renhg, was apparently only a young crewmate on a fishing vessel, but at least he was a local.

Dining Room, Sail and Scepter Inn (early evening) – Vhir, Glasia

The dining room was somewhat modest in size, but expensively decorated, with red cloth wall hangings and finely carved and upholstered chairs at the small tables. The room was illuminated by the low evening sun coming through the tall lattice windows, though candles were already lit on the tables and in silver candelabras on the walls.

A polite waitress quickly brought the young girl and the kobold the first course of the dinner, a fresh salad and dinner rolls along with the appropriately matched wine, and returned a moment later with the most recent copy of the Korranburg Chronicle.

Skimming the headlines, it seemed to be a mildly interetsing newsday in Khorvaire. The feature story was “Cardinal tried for Heresy: Accused claims Flame is still tainted by its demonic roots.” The issue also contained “Party sent into Mournland: Six mercenaries hired by Cyran Prince to return to destroyed city,” “Dreadhold Master Warden retires: New Master says he’s ready for the job,” and “Karrnath still producing Undead: Anonymous source claims Karrnath continued army’s expansion since Last War; no official statement given.”

Lobby, Sail and Scepter Inn (early evening) – Dragen, Carver

After a few moments left standing in the inn’s lobby, the Brelish bellman entered into the room again, and catching sight of the two guests still there, quickly concluded that they must be somehow confused. The perpetually calm and well-mannered man stepped briskly over, and asked in a mild tone,

“Excuse me, sirs, but perhaps you would like to be shown to your suite? Or perhaps I could give you directions or recommendations for somewhere in town?” He paused on the end of his words, eyebrow arched ever so slightly, waiting to continue on with his business.

[sblock="OOC: Carver's HHH"]You should be able to make a HHH tonight, but remember you'll have to buy all the materials ahead of time. Of course, Carver "grew up" here in Port Verge, so he should have no trouble knowing where to buy things, and can do that quicky and all.[/sblock]

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Shark Tank Tavern, Port Verge (early evening) – Doral, Morika, Partash

"Bartender! Another round for Renhg and my other two companions if you would," Doral requests jubilantly. He does not add that he is still only on his own second mug.

He sits back down next to Renhg after a toast and says, "Ah, my friend, I must tell ye honestly. I like this town and you Port Verge folk. But I must confess I doubt I could live here. I mean... you folks just don't seem to appreciate a good adventure. I mean, I keep hearing rumors of how these Blacksurf pirates ply their trade along the coast here. Now take Morika. Do you think she or her people would sit back and take that without doing something daring? When Morika acts it's going to be either with brute force or courageous, sneaky style. Or take Parlinor here. The man searches for lost artifacts of unknown power in some of the more dangerous places imaginable. For fun. Just imagine his life, sneaking into some old fortress with guards everywhere, sneaking away with some valuable thing, and slipping off into his boat before they knows what happened. The very thought gets my blood pumping. I can't tell tales like these two. I always ruin the story by forgetting who put the sword into the swamp troll. Hmm... anyway my friend, I like this town fine, and hey, maybe I'll even settle down in a place like this someday and share another drink with you in our old age. But I just wish I could hear about a Port Verger with real guts and fire in his veins."

 

[stonegod]

Dining Room, Sail and Scepter Inn (early evening) – Vhir, Glasia

The kobold notices that only the girl joins him, and nods at her approach. As he eats, he notices once story in particular catches its eye: 'Dreadhold Master Warden retires: New Master says he’s ready for the job'. Kundalark news was the news of interest for them, and Dreadhold was not that far from here. It eyed the story carefully.

After the story was completed, the kobold eyed the girl again, passing the Chronicle over. "News from home?" it said inscruitably, tapping the Flamish story with a small claw.

 

[Bobitron]

After the story was completed, the kobold eyed the girl again, passing the Chronicle over. "News from home?" it said inscruitably, tapping the Flamish story with a small claw.

Glasia glances at the title and sets the paper down without another look. "The Thranes are people- nothing more, nothing less. The Church holds men and women of both virtue and vice. Association with demons is a far too common accusation cast by certain members of the Church on the Flame. The only reason this is a headline is the man's position." She sighs, her voice suddenly sounding weary and far older than her experience would lead one to believe.. "Heretical? Absolutely. But I have found that less people than one would expect willingly bear the burden of true faith in Thrane. Infighting and a desire to see one's rivals brought low but just such a story are the root of more stories than an actual yearning for the truth."