Reinforcements 4
Meanwhile, as Edo and Laban adventure along, another motley group of folks are assembling back in Dragonmeyr.
Seems the King is concerned about the lack of updates from several of the parties sent out months back.
So the call went out, "Now hiring adventurers..." and people start arriving for their interviews...
Having already had your interviews, and knowing that you'll be setting
out tomorrow in groups of 4, you try and make up your mind what to do
with the rest of the day and evening. Heading for a local tavern, 'The
DragonTail Inn" you ponder the information you learned in your
interview. You consider how the news will affect skills you've known for
so long. You already knew that the monsters that used to roam the
countryside have apparently vanished, after all, you traveled to
Dragonmeyr from your home without being accosted. What you hadnt
realized, having had no reason to use your magic, was that magic has
become seriously unstable. Stories and Rumors, as well as facts have
circulated about priests and wizards using minor magics that backfire
causing strange effects from as minor as weather and color changes to
injury and even death! You were cautioned by the King himself, as well
as some priests, a druid, and several magic users to only use magic if
absolutely necessary. You enter the inn, and look around. You find the
place brimming with people from all races and classes, drinking and
having a great time. A sign on the wall proclaims the prices here.
Private room-1 gp-bath included
2 man room-1 ep-bath included
common room- 1 sp-bath included
stabling of horse free with room
ale-1ep
beer-1sp
wine (elvin)-1gp
Honey Mead(house special)-1gp
bark tea-1sp
coffee-1gp
bread-1cp per slice
pudding-1ep per bowl
soup-1sp
stew-1ep (with meat)
Roast Fowl-1gp
Hot Fruit Pie-1ep in season
cheese-1sp wedge
fruit-1sp in season
Venison-1gp
Hot Meat Pie-1gp (house special)
Fowl & Venison include all trimmings for 1ep
As you approach the bar, you notice the person who had set next to you
in the town hall waiting room, when you were waiting for your interview
is again sitting next to you at the bar.
Whisper glances at everyone and nods at Crystal (whom I supposing he
knows seeing her at the interview?). Then his gaze falls on the fireplace
and he shivers. He looks for a serving girl and asks if he can take his
food outside to eat. If so he orders a stew and goes outside, if not he
just leaves.
Crystal goes to the bartender and says "Whats up? I need a private room
for the night."
The barkeep gives Crystal a key in exchange for her gold piece and she heads
upstairs to deposit her belongings while Whisper orders his lunch and heads
out onto the patio to eat it. Crystal returns to the bar after locking her
room and looks around for someone to dance with. She doesnt see anyone who
isnt attatched to anyone, except a few mercenary types, and there is no music
playing at this time. The bar is full however, so maybe someone is scheduled
to play later this evening she reasons. Whisper finishes his stew and returns
the bowl to the barmaid, just as Crystal comes back down the stairs and is
looking around.
The time is around 2:00pm.
Whisper moves over to the elf woman and does a half-bow. "Greetings
sister, may I ask why you're looking around?" he says in elven
Crystal looks at him and responds, in fluent elven "I'm waiting for the
band to show up. Where the hell are they? I play the guitar and the
panpipes, myself. I'd ask you to dance but I like it better when
there's music." she says dissapointedly. "Oh well, you wanna head up to
my room if they don't show up in the next half hour or so? You don't
play anything by any chance do you?"
Switching to common and looking over the crowd Whisper says, "I do. But I
prefer singing. Sounds like you could accompany me rather well." He
offers her a small smile. "I wasn't aware there was going to be a band.
As for the room, I think I prefer the outdoors. Enclosed spaces make me
slightly nervous." Whisper's eyes drift over to the fire again, you can
almost see it reflecting in his lavendar eyes.
Crystal pulls out a guitar, as Whisper preapres to sing in accompaniment. As
they set up on stage, a young female comes through the door of the tavern.
Looking out through the folds of her cloak, you recognize her as one of the
other people assigned to your group. She opens the door and looks around, then
she steps back outside allowing the door to close.
Stella looks around the crowded inn from underneath her hood. Realizing that she has little money she turns and leaves the inn.
She sits on the bench and thinks over what she learned from the interview. She will spend the night in the woods and be back on
the bench in the morning just as the sun comes over the horizon.
Crsyal says to Whisper (in common) "Do you know the words to 'Pay the
Man?' or how about 'Pretty Fly for a Hill Dwarf?' or should we just
play some elven folksong?"
Whisper kneels on stage for a second and mutters some words to himself
with his eyes closed. Then he stands and whispers to you with a smile,
"Those tunes arn't easy to sing to, milady. Do you know, 'I can only love
one?' {semi-old romance tune, made up the title}" He looks at the
new-comer and smiles.
You play a few sets amidst applause and lots of dancing. You both
discover that each other are very good. Crystal on the guitar and
Whisper on vocals. The mysterious druidical type who will be in your
group crosses your mind for a moment, as another hooded figure enters
the room, but it isnt her. You ponder what you will do the rest of the
evening and night before departing on the morrow.
Whisper smiles to himself, satisfied with the performance. "We'll make
quite a roadshow, milady. Do you think there's a chance of the band
showing up or shall we ask the innkeeper about a little employment?"
Stella realizes that she won't find out any information sitting out here on
the tavern's bench, so she gets up and quietly enters the tavern. Looking
around, she will try to get a seat in the corner and listen to what gossip
she can hear to see if she hears anything about her cursed wood. She counts
her money and realizes that she doesn't have enough for food or a room.
Crystal rolls her eyes and pulls a face "Don't call me that. My name is
Crystal, not "milady"" she yawns "I'm turning in, see ya later."
Crystal goes up to her room to sleep the night away.
You spend your afternoon planning for your departure the next day, gathering
food and other needed supplies. The evening finds you ready for bed, tired
after your hours spent shopping etc. You go to bed seperately ready for your
journey to begin in the morning. Morning comes and you head back to the keep
where you meet up with each other as well as a messenger who will be carrying
back maps and letters from the group you are headed to reinforce. The 4 of you
depart and travel for several days southwest hoping to meet up with the main
group soon. As you approach Landry, you stop and make camp for the night within
a small grove of trees that a small stream with drinkable water runs through.
You drink your fill, and refill your waterskins before preparing to make camp
for the evening.
Once out of town, Whisper undos his cloak to reveal gleaming silver chain
mail. It has the symbol of a cresent moon etched in the middle. He keeps
his bow strung and ready. He introduces himself to the third(???) member
of the party with a short, "Fair winds. I am Whisper. I look forward to
smooth travels." He nods at Crystal and whistles an elven tune to
himself, something light and travelling like.
The story continues...
Back to turn 125