GM:
Ari:
I'll get to Derisnospewn on a little shaggy pony, and leave it tied up where it's obvious that that's how I got here. I'll hang out in the pub looking knowledgeable about the local area.
Balron:
You jerk awake in your bed. Sour sweat, dwarfish sweat beads your flesh. A taste like bile and piss fills your mouth. Your breath rasps hoarsely, fiercely. The room is dark and still. The room is chill. You don't know what woke you, but as instincts urge you to your feet, a sense of terrible danger locks itself into your mind and for the first time in untold ages, you become infused with a true, pure, overwhelming flood of terror.
[GM only]
Gwen:
[GM only]
I think I'll leave other things untouched. Other PCs wandering about the village will probably notice this tall, gracefully curved and deliciously tanned ranger with long pale hair pulled into elvan foresting braids lounging in the village green on her grey-green cloak with her wares spread for sale and a silver pipe delicately clasped in her long fingers. Put it this way, she's a little hard to miss. <g> Looking forward to chit chat with other travellers.
Kaceubel:
Kaceubel followed the road to the gates of Trell. Trell at the headwaters of Celinadion River, last port on the river before the caravans have to travel overland Anarn. A stockade protected the town with 3 gates to control access. Kaceubel walked up to the western gate alone. The pair of guards supposedly screening incoming arrivals looked bored, traffic was light this time of year as it was the off season.
Kaceubel was challenged by one the guards. "Here, whatcha doing in Trell and who are ya?"
"Here 'es an Elf Kenneth." The guards looked remarkedly similar to each other, Kaceubel surmised they related, the one addressed as Kenneth was a little older and a little fatter than the other. Elves didn't really have a good reputation in this area, a long history of arrogance and misunderstandings.
"Hello good sirs. I am but a weary traveller and I would seek permission to enter the high halls of your fine town. Indeed I thought that I might even seek lodgings for the evening as I have heard of the generous reputation of the town of Trell and would seek to avail myself of the even more famous commodious lodgings boasted by your magnificent town. Tell me fine guardsmen, is it too far into the afternoon to find an evening meal and a place wherein I might slumber for the hours of darkness?"
"It wasn't when you started that sentence but it is now."
"Ere what's your name?"
"I am known as Kaceubel, and I am recently come from Moondeep in the heart of Greatwood the home of the high elves. I will need to take on provisioning for my further travels to the east of your magnificent town as I only plan to spend the evening in this excellent town once I have secured accommodations appropriate to my station, needs and resources. Would you care to recommend an abode wherein I might find first class quarters for the night?"
"If we tell you will you shut up and go away?" Kenneth was not looking more annoyed than he was bored.
"An no more of your carrying on neither, one word or else." He waved his pike menacingly.
Kaceubel drew himself up to his full height and looked down on the guardsmen. "Of course, all I require is directions to a lod..."
"Right, down this street here and turn right when you get to the market, sign of the lounging dog can't miss it. Now get and don't talk to me anymore."
Kaceubel attempted to thank Kenneth for his kind directions. "I see the reputation of this town is nor unfoun -"
"Shutup." Kenneth had his pike to Kaceubels throat and now looked a little panicked. "Just go, never, ever talk to me again. Uh uh, not a word."
Kaceubel slowly edged around the guards and, when he was clear of Kenneth, he started walking down the street. It was a town much like the other Human towns that Kaceubel had been in. Dirty, smelly, cramped and laid out in a haphazard fashion. They never took the time to get the layout of their towns right. Trell was no better, at least it had a sewer system, even if it was poorly designed and mostly clogged. Their were only a few men on the street, the afternoon crowd was retiring and the evening crowd had yet to arrive on the scene. Kenneth had said that the Lounging Dog couldn't be missed, as always, the human had been wrong. They could never give decent directions, no matter how easy and sensible they sounded they could always be counted upon to lead the unwary elf astray. Kaceubel didn't know where the dank alley had come from, it seemed like it snuck up on him when he his attention had slipped momentarily.
Ahead there were two humans standing in the middle of the alley, blocking the way. Behind Kaceubel another two humans entered the alley and blocked the way back. The two in front were poorly dressed and dirty, one had a length of wood dangling from one hand and the other had a long, nasty looking knife.
"Well, well, well. What 'ave we 'ere. You know, there's a ... Tax -"
"Heh heh heh." The one with the club laughed, it was a slow, stupid laugh, the kind of laugh that was missing just a large chunk of grey matter.
'"- and you'll have to pay it before you ... leave."
"Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry, I wasn't aware that individual roads in this town had a tax, I was under the mistaken impression that the cover charge at the front gate covered the expenses of travelling on all the public thoroughfares in your fine town. Personally I have no problem with helping to pay for the maintenance of the roads and sewers for your poor town. Given the condition of your sewer system I can see that you would take any opportunity to gain funds for necessary repairs to your overburdened waste treatment system. How much is the usual amount given to your good enterprise?"
"Ere whut did he say guv'?"
"I don't know but it don't matter, right, listen up pointy ears, give everything yu got or we're gonna make you hurt ... a lot." He gestured with his knife, trying to look intimidating.
"Oh I'm sorry. I mistook you for properly designated municipal workers in pursuit of your official duties for town of Trell. If you seek funds perhaps you should seek gainful employment, I should think that people of your obvious skills could perhaps find a job somewhere in the field of carpentry I would think given the skills you display with a knife. Cook perhaps? Though you would have to improve your personal hygiene before most employers would look at you more than once."
"Look are you going to give us your money or what?" Knifeman was beginning to look desperate now, he was in danger of losing control of the situation and knew it.
"No." Kaceubel raised a hand and summoned a ball of light into existence just above his extended fingers.
"Bloody hell, he's a mage."
"You nuvva said 'nyting 'bout taking on a mage." Stickman was obviously unsettled by magic.
Kaceubel spoke again, using a touch to magnify his voice and make it more impressive. "Go and I will harm you not. If you stay I shall make you regret for a hand of days as your skin tries to separate itself from your more your private regions. In case you are in any doubt this will hurt a great deal so I would advise you to leave at your best speed. Now as I don't expect you to move quickly I shall give you to the count of ten to vacate this alley before I make your life a living hell. Go."
A wreath of green light escaped from Kaceubels sleeve and flowed up around his hand into the ball of light, that now started to glow with an eerie glow, the ball rose half a metre above Kaceubels hand. "One." The two behind Kaceubel started to back away, edging back into the shadows. Stickman looked over at Knifeman. "Guv?"
"Two."
"Guv?" Knifeman was staring fixedly at the globe of sickly green light.
"Three." With a small gesture Kaceubel sent the globe a short
distance towards Knifeman in a sudden jerk. The globe then started circling
around Kaceubels hand. The Knifeman took an abrupt step backwards and
then
recovered some but continued to stare at the globe.
"Four." Kaceubel was now starting to smile.
"Five."
"C'mon Guv. Let's go." Stickman grabbed Knifeman's arm and dragged him off out of the alley.
"Six, seven, eight nine ten." The green blobe popped, letting off a tiny wisp of smoke. Kaceubel chuckled, shrugged his cloak forward into a more comfortable position and walked on. Eventually Kaceubel found an Inn, the Reclining Fox. A two story building surrounded by an enclosed courtyard, it seemed to in good repair but there didn't seem to be many patrons. Kaceubel adjusted his pack, entered the courtyard and pushed his way into the bar area of the inn. Immediately a large rotund man bustled over to him.
"Hello good sir, welcome to the Sleeping Dog, everybody calls me Lotan. An elf like yourself would no doubt like a room, I've just the thing, be a shilling for three days, including breakfast but you'll have to find your own dinner."
"Sleeping Dog? But th-"
"The sign shows a Reclining Fox? Yes, it does, but the locals have never seen a fox, so the Sleeping Dog it is." Lotan was bubbly, he gave Kaceubel no chance to speak but managed to give no offence while doing so.
"Dinner is stew or Roast of the day, though between you and me I wouldn't look too close, 3 pennies for food and a beer and a table by the fire."
"Certainly, though I believe that the prices you quoted might perhaps be-"
"Be a little excessive? Ah, for accommodations like you'll find here 3 shillings is but a modest price. However because you have travelled far and it is the off season, I'll throw in a couple of baths and let you play for your dinners with that flute you have there. What do you say?"
"Alright I-"
"Done, let me just show you your rooms and get you settled in, dinner in an hour and then you can keep my guests entertained until they get to drunk to care."
"Thankyou I -"
"No, no. Don't thank me, a fair price and a fair service. I stand by my business and I have the best damn inn this side of Anarn. Now, if you will step this way I'll show you your quarters."
Kaceubel bathed, ate a generous dinner and proceeded to play for the other patrons until about midnight.