[Game Thread] Introduction

[kraxian]

A large crowd was mobbing the entrance to the Bloody Knuckle, but after much jostling and waiting, you have finally managed to get inside. The place is dim, crowded, hot, noisy, and absolutely filthy. The stench is enough to make one vomit, and a glance around shows that several people already have done just that.

Behind a bar on the other side of the room, a grizzled one-eyed orc glared at this newest wave of visitors and shouted to be heard over the din, "Hey! You customers? Get over here and buy something!"

[dhibidy30]

Seeing the one eyed half orc brought back some ugly memories for Arland. He knew the stories his elven families told of the elf and orc wars of century's past.
In his short ravels however Arland was able to give these ancient lore stories some of his own substance. He thought to himself:
Now I cant imagine that burly fellow is anywhere near as unpleasant as Aunt Illendith told me.
A frown comes over his face as he steps forward to the bar.

Ever curious to learn more about the rest of the people that inhabit the world he lives in he asks the burly half orc:
What tribe of Orc do you belong too good Sir? If you dont mind me askin of course.
Not even waiting for a response he has another thought and asks:
Ya know I think I would like one of the local ale's unless you happen to have some moongrape absenth wine.
Arland shudders and continues.
On second thought, the ale is fine.

He leans in closer to the half orc and lowers his speaking tone so he cannot be easily overheard.
I really need to stop asking for stuff that will kill ya! So, have any taste in tunes or songs? Im a very capable singer and player of my handy mandolin. Tell ya what, if you let me sing to this crowd, Ill split the profits with you sixty-fourty, what do you say?

 

OOC Im trying to use diplomacy to woo the bartender over so I can make some money. Link is here: Dimplomacy roll:

[Tiax]

The immense, scaled bear-man ducked under the entryway and looked around the inside of the Bloody Knuckle. Immediately his offended senses questioned why there was such a wait outside for such a disgusting tavern... but perhaps it was for the job in question. The stink of vomit and the sweat of so many packed in such a space made him rethink having raw river-fish for lunch. Every bright light reflected and twinkled off of his shimmering emerald scales, and reminded him to keep a grip on his purse. If they could manage to pull a scale off of him, they could have it.

Originally Posted by One-eyed green-skinned grizzled puke-filled-tavern keeper

"Hey! You customers? Get over here and buy something!"

Arthur moved through the bustling tavern towards the bar, head towering over most. He took a seat next to the overly-talkative elfling, curious about how a one-eyed orc would respond to a fluffy half-elf.

[kraxian]

The bartender glared as Arland asked the first question, and then brightened considerably when the half-elf ordered a drink. "One ale then, coming right up!" He reached down the bar to grab a glass that another patron had set down. Without bothering to wash it out, the orc filled it nearly to the brim with a brownish, viscous substance then handed it to Arland with a grin.

The grin broke into laughter when the bard asked about performing. "Hah! IYou think you can get this rabble to pay attention to you? Do that and actually get them to pay you something and you'll be twice a miracle worker, but you're welcome to try. I get the sixty right?"

He leaned in closer and spoke in a more serious tone. "Just be sure you shut up and get out of the way when that weirdo finally gets here. If you keep this lot from hearing whatever he has to say, they'd silence you for good."

Smiling again, he turned to the newcomer. "And what can I get for you?" he asked Arthur.

[dhibidy30]

Arland listens to he half orc over the din of the overcrowded room and then smiles.
Of course!

He pulls the mandolin off of his back and strums it a few times to make sure it is in tune. Satisfied with the sound of his instrument he sits down on a bar stool and beings playing the mandolin and singing a little ditty along with his playing. He does not sing loud, Arland knows that sometimes the loudest voice is a quiet one.

He begins singing:


Just sit right back and Ill tell a tale,
a tale of a fatefull trip.
That started from a tropic port,
aboard a tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailin man,
The skipper: Brave and Sure.
Five passengers set sail that day,
for a three hour tour.
A three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
and the tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew,
the Minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on an uncharted desert isle.
With Gilligram, the Skipper too.
A rich merchant,
and his wife.
A female fighting star,
an arcane professor and
Mary-Ann.

Here on Gilligram's isle!

OOC Arland will use his fascinate ability to gain the attention of the bar room. Perform rolls here:

[Tiax]

Originally Posted by Bartender

Smiling again, he turned to the newcomer. "And what can I get for you?" he asked Arthur.

The scaled bear-man fished out a couple of silver from the inside pocket of his jerkin and held them out to the orc. "Something strong, please. And wash my glass, I'm not looking for a mixed-drink."

Arthur looked on as the half-elf produced his instrument and began singing. The singing wasn't bad, and the music was pretty nice, but the lyrics were like a bulette slamming it's head into a barn door over and over. During his brief mezmerization, he briefly considered if the man were an escaped court jester.

As the song came to a close, Arthur nodded and fished out another silver piece. He slid it over in front of the half-elf and huffed to get his, and the orc's, attention. "I'm Arthur, and it looks like I'm a miracle-worker. On behalf of all the pickpockets in the bar, I'd like to thank you. No doubt they had their hands full with that... quirky song."

[dhibidy30]

Without skipping a beat Arland thank the newc omer.
Ah and thats kind of you to say. But dont be frettin cause thiers more!


Arland sets his instrument down flat in his lap and raises both of his arms. His palms are flat and toward the celing. When the arms get to the level of his head, he says:
Shir'ak Obscura!

A set of three bright lights dance and weave an intricate pattern above his head. They swirl, loop, dive and dip everywhere. They change colors from yellow to a bright violet.

Arland brings his hands down and winks at the man with the promised silver coin.

Ok guys and gals of all ages and inclinations, come and give a listen to the traveling tale of Arland the minstrel. After the song tips are appreciated of course.
Saying this he begins singing again. This song is deeper and darker than his first attention grabbing ditty. This one tells a story of long lost love in far ago places. It tugs at the heart strings of all who listen.
An errie quiet falls over the bar as the patrons turn thier attention away from fighting each other to hear the meloncoly music.

No wind when I took the watch
My ship was still and waitin
I lay on that mirrored sky
A restless sail or waitin
I closed my eyes said the
Words of will for the gentle
Breathin that moves the seas
Make my sails fill

Whisper waves cloud the glass
Awake at last like a lover
It rushed around the talkin sweet
Roll over, roll over, roll over
And in my ear he blew his name
It sound so strange but I heard it plain
Mistral mistral wind

I have always held the wheel but
I let the wind steal my power
Spin me round lose my course
Nights run be like hours
Well, it would show me the way
To the deepest mountains
Too high and beautiful to be
Mistral, mistral wind

All the hours on the watch
I wait for that breeze to move me
And blow me back to that place
Magic space all through me
And I sigh your name
Across the empty water
You made a crazy dreamer out of me
Mistral, mistral, mistral, mistral,
Mistral wind

Perform rolls for the second song

[Shanrio]

Louis had been quietly observing the merryments from the ethereal plane, the exact events somehow shadowed and obscured by the veil between the planes.
Yet as soon as he heard the soothing song of Arland, something stirred inside him - memories of a time long gone, struggling to surface even after death had claimed their origin.

Intrigued, the ghost moved closer and closer to the enthralling voice, careful not to accidentaly manifest himself as not to disrupt the bard's performance.

For a mortal's voice to disturb my peace, to even affect me...he truly must be gifted.

Suddenly, a few coins seem to materialize out of thin air, falling to the ground with a melodic sound just beside the performing half-elf.

As if they were the start of a dam breaking, a storm of applause arises, accompanied by a rain of coins -most of them copper, some silver, a few of them gold- in response to the awe-inspiring song Arland had just sounded.

[Zamiel]

A black cloaked figure walks hastily into the crowded bar. Unaffected by the stench, Meera heads toward the Barkeep. "Maybe there is one fool here who can help me after all..." she thought to herself. Annoyed by the bard's song, Meera gave him a venomous look before speaking. "You there. Yes you, green one. I'm not here to waste time, I saw the fliers looking for an individual such as myself, looking for help with a sensitive matter. I'd like to get started as soon as possible, so if you're not giving the work, direct me to who is."

[Tiax]

Originally Posted by Shanrio

Suddenly, a few coins seem to materialize out of thin air, falling to the ground with a melodic sound just beside the performing half-elf.

The emerald humanoid stares at the coins a minute, then looks around as the applause erupts from nowhere. Turning his eyes back to the bard, Arthur's brow furrows. "I was joking, I think. Maybe I am a miracle worker?" He looks around, wondering if someone is just playing a magical trick on them.

Originally Posted by Meera

"You there. Yes you, green one. I'm not here to waste time, I saw the fliers looking for an individual such as myself, looking for help with a sensitive matter. I'd like to get started as soon as possible, so if you're not giving the work, direct me to who is."

Arthur looks over at the black-cloaked figure, then at the barkeep. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, then takes a sip of his drink. "If you're green, what does that make me?"

[KitsuneOfTheRose]

From a dark corner of the room, a oddly dressed human walks out, and throws a couple coins in the direction of the bard(5, normalish number), and Looks around the room for the oldest and the most well off person, and says to the lady who is looking for whomever is giving the job "It's most likely a old or richer person. They tend to be the sort with any real reward anyway.
Rich people have coins, and old people often used to be adventurers, and might still have neat items lying around".
After a short wait, he says to the barkeep "I don't suppose you have any spider blood wine, do you? Good stuff, if you can handle it. If not I'll just get a bottle of frost wine. And if I should be as unfortunet as to not be able to get even that, I'll stick with some pulsh pale ale. Don't bring me a glass or mug, I've got my own." and pulled up his jar of shapesand, pored some out, and waited to hear if the barkeep did have the wine.

OOC Those drinks are from Arms and Equipment, and they are quite neat. Spiderblood wine costs 150 gp a bottle, and WILL poison you if you aren't used to it. Frostwine is a special wine that uses grapes that only grow in cold places, and the name is partial derived from the fact that frost worms love the grapes when they bloom, so it's a dangerous wine to harvest, yet it goes for 40 gp a bottle. Pulsh Pale Ale is a halfling ale which is often made where there is a permenant halfling comunity, and costs 8 gp a gallon. Shapesand is in Sandstorm, and making items with it is a dc 16 wisdom check, and with 11 will, I can shape up to a 2 1/2 foot cube at once. So I'll roll some wisdom checks in the dice thread as well.

[Templario]

Talking italic speech = thinking bold speech = talk

Lurking within the city, a male elf notices the rustling in front of the Bloody Knuckle, the tavern where someone was offering a generously paying job.

"What the? Ow, the stench! This job must be the best one, to amass such stinking people to this place."

Leaning towards the tavern, the elf stares at the many different people in there. "Creatures of all sorts are interested in this task. Lucky me I have my outstanding quality over them".

Entering the Bloody Knuckle - and blocking his nose at his best to stop smelling such foul air - the elf sits near the barkeeper.

"Are you the man offering the service these people are interested too? I'm certain I am can do this the way you want it to be done... by the right payment, of course. Ah, bring me the oldest wine you have."

[kraxian]

The orc seemed to be stunned, both by the performance and by all the attention he was receiving, but he recovered quickly enough. Wishing to serve his potential customers, he turned first to the man asking for all of the odd drinks. "Uhh... What? I have ale and I have liquor. I think it might be whiskey, but I'm not really sure. What'll you have?"

With a wry grin the bartender glanced over everyone asking for work. "I suppose I could set you all cleaning or something if you want. But I won't pay you anything. No, the lord or priest or whatever he is what made that proclamation isn't here yet. You'll just have to--"

He cut off as the door flew open with a loud bang. A tall, cloaked and cowled figure strode in out of the night, which had now truly fallen. Although the tavern was packed far beyond capacity, the crowd jerked away from the path of the newcomer, as though the people had been shoved aside by a solid wall. The figure continued on until it reached the center of the room, where it slowly turned in a circle to survey the assembly.

Back at the bar, the orc glanced at those around him, nodded toward the newcomer and said, quite unnecessarily, "there he is."

[dhibidy30]

Arland was just about to start a third song when the doors flung open. He was quite pleased with himself as by his performances he would be able to eat and afford nice lodging for a week or even more.
Ah it is good to find such a captive audience.
As the crowd begins to move out of the way of the man walking into the bar Arland deftly swoops up the coin that was thrown into his hat.
He counts the coin and splits it, dropping a sizeable stack on the bar near the bartender.
He gives the orc a satisfied smile and then turns his attention to the newcomer.

[Templario]

Nyaalsir just observes the 'man', waiting for him to pronunciate something.