DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 2 - Rumblings: Triboar

<Bern>

He wasn't in any 'rush' to accost the patrons. He wanted a to enjoy a drink first, and use the time to 'scope' the place. He leaned against the bar waiting for the bar tender to take his order.

At The Triboar Travelers - Davroar, Jaliera, Kriv & Zhu

Urlam smiles as Kriv articulates their purpose here and insures him that they were not acting as typical caravan guards. "We deal with the caravans themselves but many enterprises add 'extra' experienced protection these days. I understand that, but it cuts into business and takes gold out of the hands of our guards. It's not acceptable but it is forgivable, under the correct circumstances."

It seemed the matter was not quite settled in Urlam's mind but that there could be a solution of sorts. He then turns to look at Jaliera. She had made a statement that he did not comment on when out in the rain. But now, inside, he says to her, "You said that you are out here on other business?"

Jaliera

She smiles.

"Yes, our principal reason for coming here is to trace a dagger we found recently, which we believe came from here."

Arus
(at The Talking Troll)

The door opens and he steps in, hooded and cloaked against the rain. In the smoky, ruddy light, his face is hidden in shadow, fortunate as his expression is stern.

"Those bloody guards." He mutters under his breath, "Thanks for the tip."

They must have thought it a fine jape when they pointed Arus in the direction of The Talking Troll.

But as far as the stranger knows this might be the only open tavern in Yartar and besides, he's rather taken with the hole in the roof. The freshening effect on the common room's close atmosphere is laudable.

So Arus unpins his wet cloak and slings it heavily onto a nearby hook.

He wears a suit of armour, its steel discoloured by acid or fire, and a sword hung from his belt. It's a mismatched ensemble, like detritus from several different shores washed up on one.

Another caravan guard, no doubt.

His face has a rugged charm but his features are strange even in the Savage Frontier. Skin a shade of teal blue, though still pinkish around the eyes and pointed ears.

Long black hair hangs thickly from his head, though it too has a hint of green.

If he's an elf then he is an unusually stocky one, and upon entering the light around the bar, a keen observer might notice rigid looking slots in his neck like gills.

Arus moves easily in his plate and leans in with his forearm on the bar, looking around the room with casual interest.

Lots of cheap beer sloshing in tankards. Blue kaorph seemed ubiquitous throughout the Sword Coast to Arus but he doubts the drink has yet reached The Talking Troll in Yartar.

Instead, he glances over to the patron beside him at the bar, obviously an archer by the well-made bow and wearing travelling garb. Another stranger in town?

"What dost thou drink?" Arus asks.

<Bern>

At the sound of the door, he turns to watch the 'newcomer' enter.

He certainly wasn't 'bashful', hanging his cloak, exposing his 'lineage'. Part elf ... part something ... 'aquatic'? It was not a 'look' he had ever seen before.

He smiled and nodded as the stranger 'approached'.

"I =think= it is =supposed= to be a beer of some sort", he offered. "Not sure whether the wine or the liquor would be a safer choice", he added with a shrug.

Arus
(at The Talking Troll)

"Fair enough" He says, turning to the barkeep.

"One beer, two wines, two liquors." Arus orders, not forgetting, "My thanks."

Having done so, he turns back to the other traveller with a wry grin.

What would an observer make of this bowman standing at the bar? What does Arus see?

[[ Not sure why the pic isn't showing <sigh> But you should be able to click on it <g> ]]

At The Triboar Travelers - Davroar, Jaliera, Kriv & Zhu with Urlam and Valken

"A dagger you say? Surely a dagger isn't worth a crowd like this?"

With the way he turned and glared with his one eye at Jaliera first and then by his reply, which was in the form of a question, it would seem that Urlam was on to the fact, coupled with what Kriv had said, that there was a deeper meaning behind Jaliera's statement. After he asked his question, directly of that young woman, he waited for her answer with a wry smirk. His associate, the suave half elf, folded his arms and also smiled.

Urlam Insight - Neptune rolled 1d20+4 and got 22. With that good an insight roll, I'm going to give any attempts to get over on him disadvantage.

Kaelen the owner of the Talking Troll Tavern

"Indeed! Indeed!" the man tending bar said. "I'll tell you my tale later. First I shall fetch the drinks for this fine gentleman," he said to Bern as he backed away somewhat dramatically and then turned to pour the drinks. He returned in a very short while with the six beverages.

"Let me know what you think?"

<Bern>

He dug a couple of gold pieces out of his pouch and laid them on the bar by the time the drinks arrived.

He took a small 'sampling' sip from each of the glasses ... lightest to strongest ... judging each in turn.

Zhu

"It was used to harm a friend of ours." She says simply. "We're looking for the person who bought it."

All true, even if a bit misleading.


Zhu Persuasion
Zeim rolled d20+7 and got 18
Zhu Persuasion - disadvantage roll
Zeim rolled d20+7 and got 19
Result = 18

Arus

His eye roams the room for signs of interest, other travellers, any unhappy drinkers, games being played and instinctively if unintentionally, the women.

Arus takes off his gauntlets, ready to pay for the drinks he'd ordered and raises an eyebrow when the bowman steps in first with his own coin. So the man approved of Arus's gesture but shows that he can buy his own drinks. A man of proud independence perhaps? Or perhaps just an outlander, unused to socialising.

Arus tastes each of the beverages, considers, then adds the wine and the liquor to the tankard of beer; a fine old military tradition. The flavour is such that it won't make a huge difference to the enjoyment.

"My name is Arus. Arus Ahlorsath." He says, turning again to his new drinking companion and holding out his hand.

<Bern>

He raised an eyebrow when ... 'Arus' ... 'consolidated' all his drinks into one. Strange custom.

He accepted the offered hand. "Bern", he replied, adding a firm handshake.

At The Triboar Travelers - Davroar, Jaliera, Kriv & Zhu with Urlam and Valken

Quote

All true, even if a bit misleading.

Not true, but inconsequential. All that you know (suspect actually) is that the dagger was used in an attempt to pry out the Forge of Spells.

Urlam thinks for a moment and then nods, understanding.

The other man, from the back, says "Revenge? Nasty business that." He's sitting down, rolling a coin between his fingers. "How's the dagger going to help you find him?"

At the Talking Troll Tavern - Bern, Arus and Kaelen

All of the drinks that Kaelen pours for his two new patrons are, at the very least, good.

After Arus tastes from each of the glasses he wonders whether he really wants to mix them.

The beer he brings out is a hefty stout as black as ink and nearly as thick as the snows of the Spine of the World. It has a sweet flavor and a frothy head. The wine is a surprisingly sweet white with a slightly nutty aftertaste. Its wonderful taste and full body are further enhanced for romantic evenings by its prominent silver and green luminescence. He had poured it from a ceramic bottle, which is unusual. The liquor was a dark red fruity sherry that had just a slight hint of fiery spiciness to it.

"Lurien's Best, Alurlyath and Cherryfire. Tell me what you think?" Kaelen says.

At just about that moment, the rain starts pouring back in again in sheets. The owner sighs. A patron that was asleep, with his head on a table suddenly wakes as he is splashed. He rises quickly and either slips in one of the many puddles or trips over his own feet,and falls to the ground where he stays.

<Bern>

He smiles as he takes another sip of the stout. "They are =all= first rate and certainly worthy of any man in need of a dram." He might have had more 'exuberance' to offer, but he was distracted by the man who seemingly managed to trip over his own feet. Was he really that drunk, he wondered as he turned his attention in that direction. He was beginning to wonder if the man might need some ... 'assistance'.

(OOC - She didn't say the harm was physical in nature. Breaking into the mine and trying to pry out the forge was harmful to the Dwarves and the party as it put the miners on edge and caused the headache of additional guards and so forth."Harm" is the relative phrase. No big deal.)

Jaliera

"Well before we can find him.. or her.. we need to know whose dagger it was."

She glances at Davroar as he is quiet. She wonders if anything is amiss.

Arus
(at The Talking Troll)

He tips his head to the barkeep in respect, but Arus has strange tastes and perhaps stranger customs.

With his beverages amalgamated, he also turns to spectate, talking with Bern as he does.

"So Bern, art thou new in town?"

<Bern>

"Just arrived today with a caravan. This =does= seem to be a town that relies and 'travelers'", he said with a grin as he took a sip of the ale that had been 'presented'.

Arus
(at The Talking Troll)

"Aye," He agrees with Bern, "though they're none too fond of folk from Yartar-on-the-river."

"Whence did thy caravan come? Down from Longsaddle?"

<Bern>

"Any idea why they don't like folks from Yatar", he asked out of curiosity.
[[ ummm ... where =did= we come from <g> ]]

Arus
(at The Talking Troll)

"Historic rivalry, so I hear." Says Arus, "Triboar is built around the caravan business, Yartar river barges. They compete for trade."

He takes a swig of his drink.

"I should know, I just came from Yartar mine own self.

"Thou didst not say from where thee came?"

<Bern>

"I don't get it", he said with a frown. "The river folk would have almost no business since they cannot sail on land. And I would think that the caravans would welcome the speed and ease of travel on the water when that was useful", he said shaking his head.

"No where really. I have not had what you would call a 'home' since I was a boy. I just happened upon the caravan and decided to travel here with them. It has been a while and there are things I need to get."

Kaelen - at the Talking Troll

He sighs as he hears the discussion and looks askance of Arus when he says that he's from Yartar.

"You are not Yartarian, are you?" he asks.

Urlam - at the Triboar Travelers

"I assume then, since you did not get a description and do not even know if it was a male or female, that your friend is dead. How awful. It is strange for a murderer to leave a weapon behind. That is a foolish thing. Was your friend robbed or do you suspect something worse? I ask because of concern. If there's a murderer about, we should be alert."

Arus
(at The Talking Troll)

"No, I am not." He answers the barkeep, Kaelen. "Though, how long does one have to stay in a place for it to become a moniker?

"Perhaps I am like Bern the Traveller here?"

Arus ponders this for a moment, before raising his tankard to Bern and Kaelen.

"A toast." He says, "'No place is home.'"

He doesn't elaborate but he does have a house. Far away and deep deep down, a terraced house back in the Protectorate. Came cheap as it overlooks a race course; noisy on race days. The state is presumably still paying for its upkeep.

[I'll take this opportunity to link you to Welshly Arms' excellent album, No Place Is Home. Bought it Gypsy for Xmas.]