[Game Thread] Prolouge (In which the party comes together)

[Sir Alex]

"The gods favor those who are generous," Evelyn murmured politely, curtsying to the Baron and Chancellor. The room was wonderfully bright. The largesse spoke well of their benefactor's expectations. Were this group assumed to be a failed venture from the start, surely they would not go to this effort.

She still considered the Baron more of an instrument in her quest against the oppressors. She cared little for his high office. Authority figures like him were...a risk in the best of times. A magnanimous ruler can become a tyrant in the blink of an eye. Best take his commission and be off before he changes his mind.

Evelyn took one of the few remaining seats, next to Ashanti. The furry girl appeared to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, and the cleric found herself warming to this odd person. There were too many stuffy people in the world already. Ashanti was clearly not one of them. The cleric raised a glass of wine. "To yummy food," she laughed. "I'll drink to that!"

[Draycos Goldaryn]

Sir Regenald Bottomyr III observes the Adventurers as they enter, this being the first time he has seen them. The first to enter was a druid named Balban and his Tiger. Despite his earthy appearance, He seemed the most refined to Bottomyr's eyes. The next was a paladin named Darien. 'Hopefully he's more confident with that sword than he is with his words.' And then a young boy enters, badly in need of a bath and he doesn't spare him a second glance. Only to take offense to the idea that a mere boy would not have the decency to wash up before being presented to a member of a Noble line. Valorym, on the other hand, watches Bottomyr closely as Rey is introduced. Once he is confident that the girl had not been recognized does he look away, in time to catch Rey's wink. He acknowledges it with a slight nod.

After the boy enters a ... girl? 'What is this? The Babysitter's Club?' the Baron thinks, but his thought is interrupted when the next name is called. 'Sadekar! I recognize that name from the Watch's reports. Why would a thief be welcome to this party?' He glares at Valorym, who pretends not to notice. But then, even worse, a goblin enters and Bottomyr loses it. His face turns beet red as he turns on the chancellor, only to face a single hand and upraised finger imploring him to wait. In the process, he misses the half-orc fighter and just catches the cleric as she sits down at the table.

As the last of the group enters, Valorym stands and addresses them, "Adventurers, Welcome. You have been chosen from the best to undertake a mission to prevent an evil creature from achieving his goals. To show our gratitude to you for accepting this mission, you are presented here with a feast in your honor." He gestures with his arm towards the Baron and bows, retaking his seat.

At his cue, the Baron clears his throat and gruffly states, "Do not fail." A servant then approaches and whispers something in his ear. The baron nods and and announces, "We regret to inform you that We will not be attending this feast as We have a previous engagement elsewhere." With that, he leaves the Chamber without another word.

Valorym watches him leave and gives an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. He gestures to the party to partake of the food, informing them, "Once you have eaten your fill, you will be given further instructions and sent on your way. So eat, drink, and get to know each other. You will be together for quite some time." He then sits and gathers some food onto his plate as well. He then looks up as if remembering something. "Balban, Your tiger is also welcome to partake of the food as well. If cooked food is not to her liking, we do have some raw meat set aside at the far end of the table," he says. Then, with a smirk, he adds, "If Zarfob hasn't gotten to it yet, that is."

[Fragmaster01]

"Aww... I dpmf phink... Ashanti mutters inbetween gulps of fine food, "he likes us very much. Is he always like this?" She had perched on a chair with both hands and feet, as if it were a lookout to survey a field of edibles.

[TeufelHeunden]

Balban watches the others as they find their seats and walks to the edge of the room with Eligan and commands her to stay. One could almost see the sentiment of a child denied a piece of pie at the holidays as she lowered her head and laid down on the floor longingly looking at feast laid upon the table. “It’s ok girl, we have to remember our manners when in the city and beasts are not allowed at the table, we’ll find you a nice game animal when we get back to the woods and you can have it all to yourself.It’s ok sheila, we have ta remember our manners when in the city and beasts are not allowed at the table, we’ll find yoos a nice game animal when we get back ta the woods and yoos tinnie have it all to yourself.” He then takes his place at the table and listens to the Baron as he speaks.

As he listens he gets a better look at the man on the stool and does recognize him as the Chancellor. The Baron gives them his blessing and departs rather quickly and unexpectedly. Afterwards the Chancellor addresses them and turning to Balban informs him that in fact there is food laid out for his companion as well, “what a kind gesture, perhaps these city folk aren’t as bad as I’ve seen elsewhere.what a kind gesture, perhaps these city folk aren’t as bad as I've seen elsewhere,” he thinks to himself. Turning to the Chancellor as he gets up from his place at the table, “Thank you Chancellor, that is mighty kind of youThank yoos Chancellor, that is mighty kind of you.” He makes his way to the end of the table and calls Eligan over where he bangs his open hand on the table and lets her know it ok for her to eat the large slab of raw meat on the platter at the end of the table. He smiles as she places her huge paws on the table and sagaely begins to devour the meat while joining in the feast.

Taking his place back at the table he turns an looking at the others as he fills his own plate, “I agree, lets eat our fill and be merry for we don’t know what we have in store for us tomorrow, we can worry about that after our bellies are thanking us. I agree, lets eat our fill and be merry for we don’t know what we have in store for us tomorrow, we tinnie worry about that after our bellies are thankin' us.”

[Sauragnmon]

Sadekar notices the glare of the Baron to the Chancellor at his name, smirking mentally at his minor notoriety. Once they're greeted and clear to speak, between touring around his plate he pauses to speak to Ashanti's words.

"Ashanti, I think the Baron is somewhat surprised at a few of the... selections the Chancellor made with regards to this grouping we have here. I won't speak for Zarfob's credentials, but I'm a bit of a man well noted for finding his way into places some don't think he should be. I've had a few run-ins with the Watch, but never had much of it stick. Sort of hired here as the saying goes, to be 'A Thief to catch a Thief' if you will. I can get us into, out of, around, over, under and past most things that won't be requiring the talents of some of our other comrades, like Oni and Darien. Though something tells me I might have tools and need of Oni's help in one or two situations. I also happen to speak a few languages that come in handy when listening in on other people... as Zarfob can attest."

His piece spoken, he returns to making sure to savour and sample everything at the table, because he knows it's all good food, and likely the last he'll see for quite some time.

[SantaBaby]

Rey hangs back as Chancy begins his speech, not wanting to draw her father's attention. She is relieved when he announces that he has a previous engagement elsewhere. 'Yeah you go see that toad.' She thought as he left the room.

Hesitating, Rey walks to the table and takes a plate. Everything looks so good, but years of training had taught her that if she put on weight Father wouldn't like it and would lock her in the tower again. 'After all,' Her father would say, 'Cant have you fat, girl, or the Prince won't have you.' With a sigh Rey shook the memory off and started piling her plate high with all kinds of treats.

Sitting at the table she savors the food. 'This is better than a boars feast.' she giggles then blushes. 'Silly twit. Boys don't giggle,' she thought before devoting her attention to her food.

[Outmind]

The baron's aloofness left Darian wanting. 'for someone sending so many people on a mission of such import, he is rather nonchalant about the whole thing' thought the paladin as he took his seat, as far away from the goblin as possible. Both he and the orc were already stuffing their faces, to which Darian could only grimace mentally.

Before attacking his own plate of delicacies he wasn't used to, the paladin bowed his head and whispered a prayer, asking Erastil to bless both his and the food of those that would be close to him, knowing that the prospects of another fare as fine as this were uncertain at best.

With this solemn thought, he began eating in silence.

[Fragmaster01]

"Well that's his loss. Wfe shuudlnt..." *gulp* "be judging by covers. Or hairstyles. If he's so interested in grand talent, then it's natural to exshpect shome... oddities in the selection." *nom* Ashanti had taken to petting the tiger with her feet, and passing down ham to her, to see if she liked it. Who's a good kitty? You are! Yes you are... yes you are! *smack*

[Darkwulf]

As the conversation goes on, Oni eats silently, trying to get the gist of what is being talked about between large gulps of food.

[Neutrino]

Oblivious to the conversation around him, Zarfob continued shoveling food into his mouth. He was on his third plate by now and still showed no signs of slowing down.

[SantaBaby]

After eating for a few minutes Rey relaxes. 'Father should be out of the castle by now.' She think as she looks at those around her. 'These people are going be with me for awhile. I should be polite.' Taking a napkin, Rey wipes her mouth before saying, "It's a fine feast for us."

[TeufelHeunden]

Balban enjoys a fine piece of some sort of red meat trying to discern the taste. It is unlike anything he has tasted before and has much more fatty tissue then any game he has caught before. After some chewing and a bit of thinking he discerns it is from a domesticated bull of some sort. He does not like the taste so much and sets that to the side of his plate in favor of some bread and vegetables for now while surveying the table for something else to catch his eyes.

He glances down the table to see the fox girl, “what was her name again what was her name again,” “Careful Ashanti, you may not want her to think you are taking part of her meal from you Careful Ashanti, yoos may not want her ta reckon yoos are takin' part of her meal from you.” Eligan justs lets out a low friendly growl that could best be interpreted as a purr and plucks the ham from Ashanti’s hands eating it down in one gulp before going back to devouring the meat set out for her. “Mind your manners girl, remember we are guest here Mind your manners sheila, remember we are guest here,” Balban reminds Eligan. Whether she truly understands him or not she is rather well behaved for what most consider a wild animal.

As he continues to survey the room he notices Darian sitting as though he were in a temple and silently partaking. Oni, the half-orc is also eating in silence, but not quite as reverently as Darian. The cleric Elevyn has taken to eating as well and she seems to be surveying the others like himself. A small chuckle is drawn from Balban as he watches the goblin Zarfob gobble down food like this were their last meal. He also takes some notice that the young boy Rey keeps looking at the chancellor. Perhaps he is a small time market thief and thinks he was caught for stealing an apple or something.

As he pauses between bites and he says, “Well we have introduced ourselves to each other, I think since we will be going together to do whatever the orders tell us to we should get to know each other a little bit. As I told you, my name is Balban and my Tigress is Eligan. We hail from a place near the cliffs to the east called the Grove, a peaceful community consisting mainly of Druids like myself. I was sent here to answer the call for help sent out by the Baron and intend to help in any way I can. How about some of you, what brought you to answer the callWell we have introduced ourselves ta each other, I reckon since we will be goin' together ta do whatever the orders tell us to we should get to know each other a liddle bit. As I told you, me name is Balban and me Tigress is Eligan. We hail from a place near the cliffs to the east called the Grove, a peaceful community consistin' mainly of Druids like myself. I was sent here to answer the call for help sent out by the Baron and intend to help in any way I can. How about some of you, what brought yoos to answer the call?”

[Sauragnmon]

Sadekar listened as Balban talked, sampling a few more things as he listened, finishing his latest choices before he spoke up.

"Well, I think there's two answers that need to be given here. Ashanti, I think the Baron saw more fit to find a volunteer army, more swords, less finesse. I don't presume to judge him, but I have a feeling he's not a good judge of the more... esoteric matters of the world. That said, why am I here? I've been, as I said before, found to be in places I shouldn't be... and I figured if I could maybe put that talent to use, and even get paid for it, why not? Besides, after you kick in the first few doors, they start listening for where you're going and they seem to bring friends. Yes, more challenge, but it doesn't have the courtesy to let up when you get winded like that. Maybe in my own way I can help keep us all alive a little more. A picked lock makes no crash for the less than friendly to follow."

[Outmind]

If Darian had learned anything up until this point, it was that the druid's name was Balban, and his companion's name was Eligan. Still, he felt it would be impolite to point this out, so he just sat and listened, chewing absently. Once Sadekar told his story though, the paladin felt an urge to contribute as well. After the rogue stopped speaking, he downed the potato he was chewing and began to tell his own tale:

"I respect your sincerity Sadekar. The deeds you speak of might be... frowned upon by some, but if you are honest enough to admit them, and are henceforth willing to use your particular skills in aid of our cause, then we can only thank Erastil for you accepting the mission." He paused after this, both to catch his breath and to steady himself for what he was about to reveal to a group of strangers.

"As for myself," he said, taking them all in I sit here before you due to strange and regretful circumstances." He then proceeded to tell his life's story in broad strokes, with just enough information to make himself less of a mystery, but with little enough to keep them guessing at some of his mind's internal workings. The hardest part came when he spoke of the raid on his village, and controlling his emotions by that point was taxing. "The raids happened only weeks ago, and are still fresh in my mind's eye. But now I am here, with people so diverse that I wouldn't have dreamed of meeting half of them in a life time at my village. Still, Erastil knows best, and if he has chosen to guide me to you, the best i can do is not to disappoint."

[Sir Alex]

Evelyn puts down a meat pastie and folds her hands beneath the table. "My condolences, Darian. It is a fine gift of the gods, that resolve of yours to forge new grace out of tragedy. That is why we hold our faith in the most difficult times. As for myself, I have no great history." She snorts.

"No. I only travel here and there to follow my calling. I never stay long enough in one place to become mired in politics and rules. And our present quest? Well. It is the suffering I envision in the future should this wicked wizard gain a foothold in nearby realms." Evelyn starts pounding a fist on the table as she continues, knocking an ear of corn off her plate. "I will not allow minions of evil to subjugate anyone. We will get to the bottom of these rumors and defeat Wormtail. Gods willing, of course."

Evelyn takes a long drink of wine, glaring zealously at everyone over the mug's rim.