Introduction The Silver Griffon

robotbear · #1 05-22-2012, 04:39 PM

"Well howdy miss." Shamus spit into the cup he was rubbing a cloth over to help get some stubborn hops off. "What can I get you?"
"Something warm, hearty and won't be so bad coming back up." Nora gave the middle aged man wink and a smile as she dropped her dusty, raggedy bag to her feet with a big "kher-clangle-thump".
The bartender gave a hearty chuckle as dropped a cup in front of her filled with some sort of possibly edible liquid. "What brings a young lady like yourself to my little establishment?"
"No offense," Nora took a sniff of the bubbling liquid, scrunched her nose and brought the glass to take a sip. Yep, he didn't catch the sarcasm at all. "But uh, heard you guys have a little issue here."
"Oh yeah?"
"Well, not like right here, but yeah."
"Been a lot of strange folk 'round here of late. Like that guy." Shamus points to a gentleman(?) sitting at the other end of the bar.

Yegarz · #2 05-23-2012, 01:17 AM

A man was sitting where Shamus had gestured. He appeared normal, tall, pale skin, dark hair, he wore a black cloak that covered up anything else he may be wearing, and he just sat at the end of the bar holding on to his mug. He stared into his drink as though it would reveal a great mystery if he searched long enough. The only thing that seemed out of place about him, is he never moved, even when people bumped into him, it was more as if they were bumping into a statue then a living being.

In fact he hadn't moved since he sat down at the bar, it wasn't until a halfling approached his bag sitting next to him that he showed any sign of life. Placing his foot in front of his belongings he turned towards the small thief. "Return what doesn't belong to you." Was all he said but the halfling turned pale at being caught, especially by someone who seemed so distant and unobservant that it dropped it's sack of stolen goods and bolted out the door of the Silver Griffon, despite the storm that had just started outside.

Looking down at the stolen goods that spilled a little on the floor the man let out a small sigh, knowing that he once again made the people in the bar suspicious, if not a little more frightened of him. Standing up his cloak fell softly to the mans sides, as though it didn't strictly abide by the rules that gravity placed before it. He picked up the goods placing the items that fell out of the bag back inside. Glanced at the barkeep as though to hand over the bag, but Shamus only took a step back. Then realized that the woman who walked in recently didn't seem taken aback by this little scene so he walked over and placed the bag on the bar next to Nora. "Please make sure the contents inside get back to their owners. Thank you." With that he walked back to his stool and sat down staring endlessly back into his mug. Seeing him go back to what he was doing the rest of the bar seemed to break out of the stunned silence they were in and continued on with their night.

Eilaer · #3 05-23-2012, 01:56 AM

Mother wasn’t worried about a little rain. A couple centuries of being subject to whatever nature had to throw at her really with little to show for it other than a losing the coat of paint that once covered her leaving a smooth, black metallic look. That suited her just fine as well since for the longest time she had travelled during the night and that just made her large stature all the less obvious.

No, the storm wasn’t the reason she was heading toward the building she knew to be a tavern. Curiosity was the reason more than anything. You’d think after standing near the entrance to one for a couple decades you wouldn’t be all that curious, but yet she had never actually seen what went on and decided now was the time.

No sooner had she reached the door, a small creature burst through it and bounced off of her leg. She looked down to see what she momentarily mistook for a child look up at her from the ground, frightened by whatever had scared it inside. The mistake didn’t even last long enough for the Halfling to get up and scurry off, no doubt unsure of what a giant metallic being would do to it.

He need not have worried since the impact was harmless as far as she was concerned. No, now was time to expand her knowledge and she walked smoothly into the entrance and took in the scene. They were all watching a man who walked up to a counter and hand a bag off to the person behind it before returning to his seat.

Whatever had occurred had caused him to take all the focus so mother made it to a clear spot near the counter where she stood there and waited. She was unsure what purpose she had other than to observe. Others were eating and drinking, tasks she had no need to partake in. She assumed that there were sections of the building that could be used to rest as well. Again, a task not strictly required for her. For now watching was enough. Perhaps later she would try to interact with the people. They always tended to think of her as an aberration of the norm the longer she was somewhere.

abc123 · #4 05-23-2012, 10:10 AM

OOCCan anyone join?

The storm, though it had only just started, was already starting to pour. He grunted, steam issuing from his flared nostrils. Although the wet and cold didn't faze him as it had once done, it was still rather unpleasant. Still, he had nowhere to go yet again on this lonesome night, and so he continued to plod through growing puddles, searching darkened windows for a place to rest his weary bones and, possibly, enough to drink to sate even his oversized tolerance. Luckily, as he looked down the street, water dripping from his heavy, jutting brow, he saw the glint of something entering a building, then a small shadow speeding out. He chuckled. If they evicted little ones so easily, it was good enough for him. He slowly made his way to the door, and, as the lightning flashes, pulled it open and stepped inside.

What the patrons saw as they looked around, confused as to the popularity of a hole-in-the-wall like this, many of them reached for their weapons. For good cause, as well. What they saw was a towering half-orc who had trouble fitting through the door, with a battleaxe and a broadsword strapped to his back, each bigger than the halfling that had recently sped into the night. He was missing his left eye, an eyepatch in its place, and scars crisscrossed his face with more frequency and irregularity than a drunken farmer's field. What parts of his skin weren't covered in scars were most likely covered in faded tribal tattoos, of bears and boars, tigers and trolls, creatures this hulking beast had no doubt killed with his own bare hands. Several small hoops went up and down his ears, all appearing to be made of gold, the same as his jutting bottom right tooth. His hair, long, grey, and surpringly well-kept, was neatly tied in a ponytail that went down to the bottom of his neck. His muscles bulged and rippled with every step that he took to the bar, and he glared at everyone with his one good eye who looked at him wrong, until, ashamed, they turned back to their drinks, but still peeking at him behind his back, trying to place where they knew him.

One by one, they began to recognize him. After all, statues of him, though a younger him, had been erected decades ago by the docks. It was the famed Pirate Captain Goldtooth, or Krunk Goldtooth, as only his mother had ever called him. He who had repelled numerous invasions from the Lich Kingdom across the sea until, finally, Krunk took a team and defeated the King himself. But that had been over 30 years ago. Many of the bar's patrons only knew Captain Goldtooth from bedtime stories, and the statues near the docks. The stories had always ended the same. After he had returned victorious after the defeat of the Lich King, Captain Goldtooth, young and carefree, and utterly stricken with wanderlust, had gathered most of his original team, those who shared his boredom of the constant praise and parades, and, after gathering a small crew, left to discover what lay over the edge of the world. Captain Goldtooth and his crew were never heard from again, until this night.

The Captain sat heavily upon a barstool, and, as it groaned in protest, ordered a pint and, tossing some gold coins on the table, made sure the bartender knew to keep them coming.

robotbear · #5 05-23-2012, 10:27 AM

Shamus just looked at the new arrival and pointed at the sign behind him before taking the man's gold. The old, weathered sign simply said "Play nice," and below it something was scribbled on that said "No castin'." Shamus returned with a mug, certain that he'd have to clean these things faster if he planned on accommodating all the customers he'd likely be getting between the rumors and the storm.
Nora, on the other hand, recognized the half-orc for what he was (she remembered the tales of the captain from the old tales. She hadn't heard anything about it since she was a child though. Oh, how were good stories often lost!) and slid her drink on next to him and looked at amazement, forgetting all about the bag she had been given for redistribution. She whispered at the half-orc, wanting nobody to catch wind of his celebrity and lost in a blather of unnecessary questions. "So? What was there? And don't you dare say nothing."

abc123 · #6 05-23-2012, 02:31 PM

Captain Goldtooth ignored the woman talking to him. Woman? She was practically a child. But he knew he had to tell her something, or she would keep pestering him all night. To buy some time, he drained his pint, then clunked it down, motioning for the bartender to refill it. He then pulled a tobacco pipe from a pouch hanging on his side, filled it with tobacco, then pulled out an intricate device. He clutched it familiarly with his giant, callused hands, and lit the pipe quicker and easier than a group of halflings stripping a naive foreigner of his life savings. It was only after he blew out the first cloud of smoke that he began to speak.

His voice was gruff, sounding as though it hadn't been used at all for years at a time. It was deep and resonated within his chest and, as he continued smoking throughout, often spoke in bursts of smoke. Young one, the world, as is, is big enough for you to travel around until the day you die. You will never have to know what lies past the ends of the world until after your death, and so, do not search for it. There is a reason I have returned alone. As they say, curiosity killed the cat.

Enthusiast · #7 05-23-2012, 06:35 PM

robotbear · #8 05-23-2012, 07:25 PM

The bartender threw a glare at Nora as he poured the good, well paying captain another glass of swill.
Nora nodded at Shamus and slid her glass down to her original spot. "That was almost deep. I'll leave you to your thoughts and go bother someone else." She gave a quick glance to Shamus (who gave her an even quicker smirk) before grabbing her things and sitting at the table in a dark corner where large woman(?) had sat and not ordered anything. "Perhaps you'd like a drink?" Nora slid he drink across the table, glad to be rid of the thing.

Eilaer · #9 05-23-2012, 10:14 PM

Mother looked at the girl who approached and asked her if she desired a beverage. Though she was unable to really display emotion on her metallic face she had watched enough people to have come up with a way to tilt and angle her head to imply amusement.

”I thank you for the offer young one, but I am a magical construct of sorts. I am not sure if I am even capable of drinking a beverage without potential ramifications.”

Mother quickly studied the girl, trying to pick out traits unique to this being amongst all the countless others of her own race. This didn’t take her long to do since she had been around countless races and found most of them had several features that made identifying them easy.

Sometimes other Warforged weren’t as easy to tell apart. Some of her simpler minded brethren were nearly indistinguishable, though those who were built primarily for combat were generally much easier to tell apart. She herself was rather unique form what she could tell. More metal and less stone than most, maybe something to do with why she felt her mind was always more complex. But that was a mystery for another day.

abc123 · #10 05-23-2012, 10:39 PM

Captain Goldtooth grunted in appreciation at the young woman's leaving. It's not that he did not care to educate the population, especially the youth about what he had seen, but it had been a rather long day. Escaping had taken more out of his system than he thought it would, even with what he had taken, and now he merely wished to refuel and recuperate before anything else was to happen. He took another long drag from his tobacco pipe and, as the smoke drifted out of his nostrils, took another long drink.

Yegarz · #11 05-24-2012, 01:36 AM

great. The man thought staring at his mug. I remember that pirate. Ruthless as he is toothless. Annoyed for feeling forced to move for a second time this evening. He stood up and collected his things and moved to sit next to Mother and Nora.

"I apologize for not properly introducing myself earlier." He bowed to the woman and the machine, fairly certain he hadn't met this particular machine before, it certainly seemed a different model then the ones he had been around years ago. "I go by Cane, and have been told that I tend to be abrupt. Not one of my finest traits, I'll admit. But if you would be so kind as to let me join you, I've been around here for over two weeks, and as you can see, the villagers here don't seem to have warmed to me. You see, I had ventured this was because I had caught wind of the trouble near this part of the world. But no one seems to trust me enough to let me help. I overheard you mention trouble earlier, and to make a long story short. I was hoping to join forces, to help solve this towns troubles."

Cane felt a fool, he hated lying, but felt it was necessary not to blow his cover. True, townspeople never warmed to him properly, but he had other methods of finding out what was going on without needing allies. However just as he had once ventured on the great seas with Goldtooth, fought to help establish the Order of the Rose, was present at the creation of the Warforged, and had seen the rise and fall of many ages. He could always tell when something was going to turn out to be big. So big that would be the birth of a new legend, and he was determined not to be remembered as the key element of a new age.

He only hoped now that Goldtooth didn't recognize him. A change of a name can do much, but when your face never ages, you can't always conceal who you are to ones who once knew you.

robotbear · #12 05-24-2012, 09:17 AM

When the dark cloaked man sat down with them, Nora was still a little shaken. She'd never seen a metal person. She at first just thought it some dark knight who insisted on wearing their armor. But it was the lack of real inflection and a slight hum to the voice that made her know that wasn't the case. She had heard stories, but she didn't think the things had really stuck around after the war, most of them having disappeared into the dust of time. Its as if history itself were revealing itself. First the legendary (and mythological depending on your age), then a warforged! And this new gentleman who'd sit next to her. She didn't know it, but she could feel the raw energy of importance. He wasn't just some antisocial sulk, but if he were like everyone else from this tavern tonight, perhaps he too was a torn page of history.
She smiled at the man who called himself Cane. "Well, we should make quite the team then, considering I know a few things about talking to people. And, you know," Nora leaned in close to the group of the table, then decided it was too early to say anything. "Nevermind. M'name's Nora." She held out her hand to shake the other gentleman's, and though he seemed hesitant, they shook hands. And that's when she saw the faded rose tattoo on his wrist as his sleeve caught on the table. Nora's eyes widened and a smile jerked on her face. She immediately turned to Mother, still holding back a vicious giggle that was building up inside her. "So! Lady of stone and metal. What brings you here to this sleepy little village?"

abc123 · #13 05-24-2012, 09:22 AM

Captain Goldtooth grunted again, this time out of recognition rather than appreciation. He had heard a voice drifting across the bar, heard amidst the muffled mumbles of other conversations. This was a voice he recognized from years past, a voice he had heard enough times to have a permanent indent in his mind of the subtles tones it took. A voice that stirred up strong emotions within him, but if only he could place it. Suddenly, as if by mental tidal wave, it all came back to the Captain, almost blowing him off his stool.

Standing quickly and nearly knocking over his pint, he roared as he drew his sword, and pointed it at Cane. ABEL! I'd know your voice anywhere! Think you can betray your own kind to demons, and get away with it?! It was your doing that sunk my dear Desdemona, and brought your own brother, who you now so shamelessly steal the name of, down to the depths with her! You stranded the rest of us in the farthest reaches of Hell for decades and, as we withered away one by one, managed your escape back here! Now, tell me how you made your escape, and I will make your death here quick and painless. I will say nothing about how your demon masters will react when they discover you in their clutches again, after betraying them as well all those years ago. But, if you keep your silence, I will make any punishment they inflict seem as pittance. I will make you suffer as all our comrades suffered, until you beg to be tortured eternally in Hell. Make your choice now, fiend.

Eilaer · #14 05-24-2012, 02:37 PM

Mother watched as a third man joined her, and was happily surprised that so many were interacting with her since she really hadn’t done much throughout her life with non-Warforged beings. Even if the new member of the small group was there to see Nora primarily, the feelings were still there.

She listened to the question Nora had before taking on inflections of sorrow or regret, "I am Mother, and I need to become stronger and this area seemed logical. I failed the last task I gave myself of protecting a cliff-side city from a raider attack. I killed all the raiders, but was powerless to stop the city from falling into the sea. Next time I intend to not fail."

She finished in time to here another patron suddenly go into an uproar over betrayal, suffering and threats. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize it was directed at the third member of this group and Mother was unsure whether she should go to the aid of him since he was in her group, however temporary a group in a bar lasted, or letting it progress so she could see what happens before some or both of the other two were thrown out. This form of inhibited, non-lethal combat never did make much sense to her and this could be the perfect opportunity to hopefully find out if it is more than sheer stupidity.

robotbear · #15 05-24-2012, 04:38 PM

Nora simply looked wide eyed and cautious, taking a double handed sip of her drink. She had forgotten that it tasted terrible. She looked over at this "Mother" only briefly enough to see she was about to stand and just shook her head "no" at her.
Shamus, on the other hand was very interested not in whatever this argument was about, but about the sword and the bloodstains that would likely follow. He reached under the bar and pulled out what looked like a crossbow that had been Jerry-rigged to fire not bolts but small jars of something. "'EY! I said quite normal to 'play nice'. Since ye seem not to be able to do so, I think you should-a leave before things get sticky." Shamus tapped at the crossbow with his finger, it slowly inching its way down the the triggering mechanism as if on a count down.