[Story] Interlude: Different priorities

[Antebellum]

Lennart leaned in to take the large mans hand after he had a chuckle himself. The original group was just as surprised by Damianos' appearance when they first saw him, but they had the added benefit of seeing the half-drow in action against their foes. "Hello. We'll do the sneaking for you," he added with a half smile. As he started to retake his seat, he looked over and noticed the silver-haired woman tending to the man on the ground. He smiled again as he looked her over. Nodding in that direction, he said to Bart, "Maybe she can give you a quick look over, check your head after that ... stumble." He grinned.

[Admin Chuck]

Bart looks over at the woman tending the unconscious man. With an appreciative eye he looks her up and down, hopefully without drawing too much attention to himself. "She can give me a 'look over' and 'check my head' anytime she wants to, if you know what I mean!" The big man lets out a good natured chuckle at his own joke, and jabs an elbow into Coenred's ribs while raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Eh eh?"

[zebedee]

Coenred can't help but laugh at Bart's joke, and he ends up laughing even more as the sledgehammer of an elbow makes contact. But this also serves to focus his attention on the woman doing the healing. He frowns as he sees the symbol on her armor. Selune? But the request was sent to the House of Morning! There is a story here. He excuses himself and stands, crossing the bar to speak to the young lady.

As he approaches, he says, "Excuse me, my lady. I am curious. The barkeep sent for help from the Morninglord's temple, and yet it is a servant of the Moonmaiden who comes to minister to the wounded. My friends, old and new, are sharing stories at that table there... would you care to share yours?"

He smiles kindly, and casually reaches up to stroke his beard, flashing the ring that bears the symbol of Sune.

[Humble Athena]

Justine looks over as the stranger's voice draws her attention. She pushes back the perpectually escaping strand of hair and smiles the mien of the benevolent but slightly amused. "Is it so strange a thing, that a daughter of the moon should aid the sons of the sun with their labors?"

She glances past him to the table of his comrades, then gives a slight nod in acceptance of the invitation. "I see no harm in it. Yes, certainly I would be delighted to sit a while with you."

She turns to the unconscious man's friend. "You ought to take him home, or at least somewhere where he won't be trampled. And make sure that someone keeps an eye on him,and keeps his head turned to the side until he wakes."

Final instructions given, she clasps her hands in front of her and nods. "Lead on, my friend."

[zebedee]

Coenred's smile widens. "No, not so strange. But a little unexpected."

He leads the small woman back to the table, and offers her his seat, since the table is suddenly getting crowded. "My traveling companions - Damianos, Lennart, and our new friend Bart. And I am Coenred. I'm afraid I didn't get your name, lady."

[Humble Athena]

"Justine." She introduces with a touch of her fingers to her holy symbol. "Aspirant of Selune's will." She gives a slight bow before sliding into the offered seat. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances." As Coenred introduces each figure, she makes an effort to cement each face with each name.

[Antebellum]

"Hello," Lennart smiles as Justine sits down. He half stands up to reach his arm across the table to take her hand. A youthful energy and naivety shines on the young mans face. Though, the circles under his eyes and the dour expression on his face give hints that he has learned a lot about the world in a very short amount of time.

[Admin Chuck]

Bart's chuckles quiet down as Coenred goes to invite the beautiful woman over to the table. I didn't think he was going to do that! The big man hurries to try to make himself look nonchalant, hastening through three or four different postures in rapid succession. To a casual observer it appears that he must have an all over body itch or something as he moves rapidly from sitting straight up, to elbow on the table head in the hand, to slouched down with one foot propped on the table edge, and finally to leaning slightly forward, both arms resting on the table, one hand filled with his mug of ale. One might guess that the only reason he stopped changing positions is that the silver haired priest had by then turned toward the table, and Bart was stuck there whether he liked it or not.

Bart does his best not to stare as the woman approaches, but her stunning beauty and striking silver hair make it difficult not to. Perhaps it is the alcohol speaking, or maybe his nervousness, but whatever the blame what Bart says as he shakes Justine's hand is this. "I'm Bart. You're beautiful." Like a deer caught in the headlights the big man freezes, one hand gripping hers, as the crimson blush begins creeping up his cheeks.

[Humble Athena]

Justine beams across at the nervous fellow. "Thank you, Bart, you are very kind." There's a slight accent to her soft voice which those familiar would recognize as a middle-class Waterdhavian inflection. She inclines her head forward slightly as if sharing a secret. "I promise I don't bite."

Straightening up, she looks across the assortment of gentlemen once more. "I was told that you all were exchanging stories. If my own is desired, I will happily share it, though it be nothing so grand or exciting as I am sure your own must be."

[zebedee]

Coenred nods, grinning at the awkward exchange between the newcomers. He leans his hands on the table in order to get down to the level of the seated party. "A fascinating tale has brought the three of us here. To tell it in detail would take some time, but we can summarize the older bits and flesh out the more recent." He pauses and looks at Lennart and Damianos. "You two were there with Barundor at the beginning of this adventure, weren't you? Would one of you like to tell the early bits?"

OOC: I don't think it's worth telling the whole story IC, but if someone who's been in from the beginning wanted to summarize for the new folks, that would probably be very helpful! I'm happy to summarize from the moment Coenred arrived, but wouldn't want to go further back than that.

[Antebellum]

Lennart's eyes flash to Coenred. There is anger and suspicion in them. Why is he making me tell this. He calms down and composes himself with a quick breath and a slight,

Dice Bluff:

1d20+6

(9)+6

Total = 15

to tell that he is clearly leaving information out and to cover up that the story pains himalmost forced, smile comes over his face. "We started a little north of here and were hired to accompany a young wizard and his mentor, I think to Baldur's Gate. During the trip, things went from bad to worse and we ended up losing the man's mentor to brigands of some sort. Once the mentor had been lost we fled south instead of north and ended up in Nashkel where we heard about the trouble in the mines. That's where we met Coenred here. Oh, we met Damianos on the road where he helped us fend off some bandits." Lennart looks to Coenred with a look as to say 'I hope you know what you're doing.' "Do you wanna take over, friend." he smiles.

[Humble Athena]

Justine's eyes widen slightly as she realizes the situation it not as light as it first appeared. As anger comes into the young man's eyes, this time she reaches across to touch his hand. She doesn't interrupt his explanation with words, but her expression promises not to pry into what troubles him so.

[zebedee]

Coenred winces at Lennart's unexpected reaction. As his friend speaks, the sorcerer catches his eye and mouth a silent "sorry!". As Lennart tells the tale in brief, he jumps in when asked. "I met them on the road to Candlekeep - they had run in to another set of brigands. The young wizard was being targeted, it seems. I went with them to Nashkell, where we heard about the trouble in the mines." He smiles again, and shrugs. "Not to be too boastful, but our party cleared the mines of the kobolds, which will hopefully free up the iron supply. But we found some disturbing evidence that the mines were closed as part of a plot to destabilize the region." Here he pauses and looks intently at Bart and Justine, trying to assess their character in a moment. "The next link in the chain is a man here in Beregost. And we mean to find him."

He stops, waiting for a reaction.

OOC: Sorry, that was the best I could do... busy day, but it was clearly my turn to talk. If we need more, I can expand it! I'm assuming everyone knows the plot of the crpg, and not much has changed... except that we've lost our bhaalspawn

[Antebellum]

Lennart smiles and nods at Coenred with sadness in his eyes. He is glad that the sorcerer had told the story and even more glad that he left some important things out. Every person they met up with did not need to know their whole story. "So what brings you to Beregost?" he asks the newcomers.

[Admin Chuck]

Bart finally manages to tear his eyes and attention away from the newly arrived priestess, looking at the rest of the group as if he's surprised to still seem them there. One can watch the realization pass through his mind that his new associates had been speaking, and the recognition that he hadn't caught a single word of what had been said. "I'm sorry, what?"