Chapter 1: Starting Over

[Traxis Greyeye]

The day was well past it's prime in Carmalad and the bars were full, each one loud with the talk of the day. In one such bar near the south gates of the city, sat two gentlemen, older than the rest of the patrons by far, but that only lent their discussion the weight of experience...

"Kids these days, inconsiderate whippersnappers all! Walking out on two old men like ourselves. Not even thoughtful enough to tell us they were eloping. I bet those two ladies were too attracted to me, didn't want to hurt my feelings by running off with that elf boy."

Taking a big gulp of his drink, the old man erupted into a fit of wheezing as the liquid burned its way down, slapping his hand on the table as he fought to catch his breath.

"Wheeeew! Those dwarves know how to make a drink Oro, I swear! This is why their beards are so long, no where else for the energy to go!"

As he spoke, he fluffed at his own beard which was just beginning to spill down over the front of his purple robes.  

[Oro Hart]

"Aye, Gregor, the youngin's these days..." Oro shook his head sadly at the thought of the whippersnappers. "Almost reminds me of a time when I was younger, and my old dad found a little rock on the ground..." Oro smiled at the pleasant thought. "He called him Rockster, oh, that little Rockster... he was a rocky one."

Oro sniffed his finger absent mindedly as he listened to his old friend speak about dwarves.

"Know, you know who makes great ale, naked midget elves. it's not too strong or too weak, and has just the right amount of elvishness in it," Oro stated matter-of-factly.

"But, as much as I would like to speak about the nakedness of rocks and the elvishness of dwarves, we must find that element of wind before the crazed man which I am trying to stop finds it."

[Khiera Meneris]

Khiera stepped into the tavern, her eyes scanning the interior, her searching gaze skimming the hodge-podge of tavern patrons.

An old man, an old man, an old man ...

Not two days after she arrived in Carmalad, a family had approached her and requested the aid of her healing powers. It seemed like word of her healing abilities travelled fast throughout the Southern Sarvonian continent, though, she had grown quite weary of people looking out for "The Lady in Grey", and had much relished spending most of her travelling time on the outer fringes of cities. But food and other supplies grew short every few days, and there would be a need drop by in a town or city ... preferably a village, but at this point in her travels the nearest city was Carmalad, and so Carmalad it was.

She had gladly obliged when a family approached almost immediately after they "spotted" her at the parchment stand. The problem was though, that the patient was a stubborn elderly man, much revered in the family that no one attempted to restrained his movements, but had been complaining of ... a particular ailment for many years, and they would pay handsomely if she could cure him of his ... ailing.

What the family said was "Old man, hearty, loud, hangs out at the tavern". Khiera thought that was simple enough ... until she saw TWO old men sitting together at a table in the tavern. And she couldn't really tell which was the one who ... had that ... ailment from just ... looking.

She paused briefly in her steps, trying to think of a sensitive, and discerning way to approach both old men regarding the ... ailment.

Hold me.
Soothe me.
Love me.
Save me from my RAGE.

[Tiaa Lywin]

Lady Tiaa Lywin entered the small tavern wearing only her long gray overcoat and gray furred boots with sharp heels. She had also gowned her long gray black cape, with matching black gloves. Around her wrists were pure gold bracelets and around her neck a simple necklace...no pendant involved. She wore no charms of any sort, this cleric did not believe in the power of mortal made objects, no matter which poweful wizard cast a spell on it. At her side is a thick, black leather book and a regular brown sac.

Her high-elven ears picked up nearly every sound around her as she entered. Her entire form seemed to reek with the scent of respect and grace. Her arched eyebrows gaze down to her hands as she carefully removes her gloves. She is careful due to the fact that she cannot break her long, black painted nails. The weather witch catches the eyes of a few men; merchants, fishermen, soldiers, sailors, all of them who think lustfully about this woman. She pays their stares no mind, having been through these types of places and situations many times before.

Tiaa rethinks her reasons for coming to Carmalad as she sits down at an empty table. Her sac hits the floor with a hard thud, reminding the woman of the items she has within her bag. Her long nails tap against the wood of the table as she thinks. She had never been to Carmalad before; this would give her an opportunity to explore the region. And there was a marvellous temple here for Grothar. Tiaa was not your usual cleric however, she didn't usually visit temples; she found them too traditional and strict. This weather witch was a free spirit, bound by no mortal's hand.

Her thoughts are interrupted as she sees the woman who had entered the tavern before her. The woman seems to be thinking harder than Tiaa. Her eyes are set upon two men, both old in appearance, sitting in a corner. The woman's beauty does not match Tiaa's, at least that is Lady Tiaa's opinion, but she is a sight.  

[Fishhook The Orc]

Under his cloak Fishhook looked around.  The absence of screaming and sword waving told him that his general orcishness had not been noted.  He probably just seemed like a very big man with a very volu,  voluma, voloomi, big cape.

It had been a hard journey from wherever he had been to wherever he was.  The constant wariness was tiring, especially in one so.. wariful.

He patted the doors open to the tavern and was glad to be out of the hateful eye.  He sauntered up to the bar, ignoring he skinnies and the skinnies with skirts.   One big fist crashed down on the bar.  

"Beer!  Now!"

Because he had lived among skinnies and learnt some of their peculila,  peckoo, strange ways he added, almost sheepishly;

"Purleeze."

We du swap, yah? fur, yah? yoo give mee ten coin, yah? I give yoo unbrokun bodee, yah? yah?

So yah wunt tah na mee storee. Cost yah 3 Sahn

[Traxis Greyeye]

Noding sagely, Traxis took another sip of his ale, a small sip. Even so, his eyes watered and his lips pursed in a manner that might have seemed to eveyone else like a demon possesion.

Looking around to make sure there weren't any clerics heading his way with their holy symbols out and "Heathen!" on their lips, he spotted a pretty young woman looking in their direction. Kicking Oro under the table, he cocked his head towards her.

"Would you look at that, she's checking us out!"

Winking at her, he gestured for a barmaid to approach their table,

"See that woman over there, the one in the grey robes, that's right. Would you be so kind as to invite her over here, and bring a drink for her as well. A nice wine I think."

Giving the barmaid a big grin, he took another sip of his drink before he could think about it, causing his mother to turn over in her grave for worry his face would stick that way.  

Edited by: Traxis Greyeye at: 3/16/04 1:43

[Oro Hart]

Oro jumped when he was kicked. He bent down and checked to see if the naked midget elves had returned for his soul, but alas, he was safe. He then looked back up at Gregor and saw him looking at a young woman.

"She's... look at us? Now, why would she do such a thing? You know what... looking at her... she reminds me of Charm!" Oro said, bursting out just after the waitress left. People from both sides around him turned and stared.

"Get on with your business!" Oro yelped angrily. "Seriously, youngin's these days!" He shook his head sadly. When he looked up he noticed a rather large man at the bar. There were plenty of rather large men around, but they looked stupid, of course the man Oro was looking at did too. Really, Oro, wasn't sure why this man caught his eye, but he thought he'd be perfect for the quest.

"Excuse me a moment Gregor," The other old man said, slowly standing up and hobbling over to the large man.

"Young man! May I have a word?" Oro asked politely, tapping the big man on the shoulder.

[Khiera Meneris]

((OOC: Just a note, in case it slipped everyone's mind, that Khiera is always covered from head to toe except for her eyes during the day time ... see her Clothing/Appearance section for more detail ...))

Khiera was startled when one of the old men apparently ... winked at her. Before she knew it, a barmaid approached her with an odd grin, telling her of the old man's invitation.

She saw no harm in accepting it. Afterall, she would have to approach one of them sooner or later. The question at hand was "Which one?". Perhaps Nakashi was guiding her, so she made her way to the table where the two old men were, right before the other old man hobbled off fashionably to the bar.

In Khiera's experience, there were two kinds of old men: Those who would sit and smile and nod at whatever you did or said -- the best type of patients, really, unless that was their ailment, which unfortunately, was usually the case -- and a second kind who sincerely believed that they were eternal strapping lads of 20 with a burning mission to charm the pants off young ladies ... literally.

Khiera's impression of this particular old man was of the second type. But really, Nakashi would frown upon her for making prejudiced judgements. So leaning down at ear level at the old man, Khiera greeted him in a soft, soothing voice like the sweetest of wine, "Greetings, good sir, are you well today?"

Hold me.
Soothe me.
Love me.
Save me from my RAGE.

[Fishhook The Orc]

At first, the orc didn't feeling anything, but whent the tapping got insistent, he looked around and down at the white skinny.

Fishhook casually resisted the temptation to snap the old man's finger off, but not the temptation to growl into his face at full volume.

"Wot do yuh want, an' wuhs mee beer?"

We du swap, yah? fur, yah? yoo give mee ten coin, yah? I give yoo unbrokun bodee, yah? yah?

So yah wunt tah na mee storee. Cost yah 3 Sahn

Edited by: Fishhook The Orc at: 3/17/04 17:38

[Stefen Lannex]

Stefen had wandered into Carmalad a few hours before, Sigh, times are tough. he thought ironically and chuckled to himself.  It had only been a year or so since he had "left" the army.  There were probably people still trying to kill him, the bastards.  But that was behind him, if they were in front of him he'd have to learn to run faster.

Stepping into the old tavern he bellied up to the bar,  "Don't suppose I could get a strong ale with a shot of hard liquor could I? 'eh?"

He stood back and scanned the room till his eyes fell on a positively fetching looking elfess in a large grey overcoat.

My, my, my.....my, my.  Oh truly Av' blesses this poor soul with that sight.

Stefen would have to find a way to sit with her later, once he got his tankard.

"Stefen, you're a drunk, a brawler, and a womanizing cheat.  I think that's why we've always gotten along."
--Drinking buddy to Stefen

[Tiaa Lywin]

(I am kinda confused, when you all refer to the woman in the gray overcoat you are talking about Tiaa or Khiera? I know Tiaa is wearing a gray overcoat, but I am still kind of confused...)

Tiaa watched the girl slowly walk over to where the older men sat. She turned away from them and back to the counter, where a handsome young waiter approached her.

"What can I get for yew m'lady?"

The weather witch thought about it for a moment, removing her hood from her head and allow her auburn locks to fall over her chest and back. "Hmm....I think I will take a simple goblet of water, thank you."

"Yes, ma'am," said the waiter as he began to walk off.

Tiaa's mind once more went back to the old men at the table. They reminded her of someone she knew...but then again they didn't. There was something about them that she couldn't put her finger on.  

[Oro Hart]

Oro leaned back ever so slowly, using his walking stick to keep himself standing, as the 'man' turned around.

"Sir, I must say, your breath is like that of an orc," Oro said, making a face as if he had just smelled an orc's breath.

"But, you look strong. So how would you like a job? It has potential to pay handsomely," the old man smiled at this, he wasn't sure what 'pay handsomely' meant, so he figured he could say it and it wouldn't matter.

"And just to prove that..." Oro descretely reached into his pocket and grabbed his only pouch of gold. He clinked it in front of the strange looking man's face, then quickly put it back in his pocket.

"And there can be more of that!" Oro said gleefully, as he made another play on words to his benefit. Of course there was more gold, but he didn't say where it was. Oro broke into a slight giggle-fit, but recovered only a few seconds later.

"Meet me at my table after you've thought it over," As he spoke, the old man was already walking back to his table. He sat down and smiled at the lady.

[Tiaa Lywin]

Tiaa was now becoming rather bored. This tavern was not as exciting as she had hoped, nor had she learned of any new and exciting information from anyone. Her head turned to peer at the being next to her. Then to the older man who was talking.

"What could they possibly find so entertaining to talk about?" she asked.

She stood up, but as she did the waiter bumped into her with her drink and spilled it on her cloak. Tiaa snapped immediately, she wasn't one to deal with clumsiness nor did she have anyone's patience.

"You imbecile! Have you no idea how to carry that small drink without dropping it upon my priceless possessions!?"

As she spoke Grothar seemed to respond to his cleric's anger because at that moment the sky became a tad bit cloudier than it was before. This would not be noticeable to anyone within the tavern, but Tiaa could feel the change. "You had better get me something to clean this up with and bring me a new drink, which I will not pay for. Nor will I pay for the one you have spilled," she declared sternly.

The waiter stammered a bit, but after seeing Tiaa's fierce gaze he changed his mind and walked into the kitchen.
 

"Take Joy In The Gifts of Grothar For They Could Vanish Instantly" words of the Weather Witch

Tiaaránaralái Tèrqu'ypheró Sú'ufanún Lywín

[Traxis Greyeye]

Traxis wiggles like a child receiving a particularly delicious piece of candy as the grey clad woman's voice reaches his ear. It was such a nice voice...

Gesturing for her to sit, he puffs out his chest, hoping to show off his muscles as he answers her question "Fitter than a race horse, I'd bet on me for sure!"

Almost taking another sip of his ale, he stops himself, figuring that wouldn't be a good first impression to make to a pretty young lady.

"I couldn't help but notice you seemed to be looking for us, I didn't think we had spread our reputations that far... yet."

Stretching back in his chair, he puts his hands behind he head, waiting for her to profess her undying love...

[Fishhook The Orc]

Fishhook watched the loony skinny potter away.  San.  He liked san.  San got him drunk and got him happy.  San was yellow like the sun.  San.  Sun.  San.  Sun.

You got to be smart with this one, Fishie.

He mountained over to the table where the loony was sat to negotiate.

"Yoooo give meee sahn?"    He held his hand out.  "Suhm sahn now.  Mee hit things, yoooo give meee moooor sahn?  Thuh moooor things I hit, the moooor sahn, yah? Yah?  Yooo cheeeeet meee an I yoooose yuh 'ead to dooooo my bisniss in, yah?

We du swap, yah? fur, yah? yoo give mee ten coin, yah? I give yoo unbrokun bodee, yah? yah?

So yah wunt tah na mee storee. Cost yah 3 Sahn

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