Back
at the tavern, much had been going on while the majority of the adventurers had
been out and about, searching for a way to clear Ravenwind’s name. Che’s herbs for his precious tequila supply
were still missing, and something obviously needed to be done about that. Quietus was, if not the man best suited for
the job, at least the only one they had to do it. Likewise, Che was still away, investigating
Quietus
"Thank
you, Mr. Tho. I will go out and see if I can't find lady Ranna. Perhaps I'll
see if Ultima will let me "borrow" his friend, Bob the Kobold, as
well. So long as the person in question is competent (and nice), I don't care
who it is. While I'm out, I'll try to think of a way to make the casino profitable.
I'll check out supplies and potential employees as well.
I
hope you have a good evening, Mr. Tho."
Quietus
exited the tavern, excited to get the casino up and running.
Che
After
Quietus left, Tho ordered the orcs to begin building an extension to the tavern.
"Ah, yes, Che will be happy with all the new things happening at his
tavern. Best to do it while things are slow here."
Quietus
Quietus
stops at a carpenter's shop.
"Pardon
me, sir, are you currently accepting new work?"
Carpenter:
"Of course, what do you need?"
"Well,
I'm just checking prices for now, but I'm looking into some tables,
with..." Quietus gave him the specifications for the tables and receives a
bid.
"I'll
get back to you later," Quietus added, "By the way, you haven't seen
a red-headed woman, named Ranna, about yea tall," he gestured, "or
perhaps a kobold...about so tall, named Bob," he gestured again. "No?
Okay, well if you do, let 'em know that Quietus is looking to offer them some
work, and if they'd like, to meet me at The Rusty Sword. Thanks..."
Quietus
leaves the shop and continues on his vitally important mission.
Ravenwind
A
short, slender red-haired woman eased her way into the tavern, slipping between
the patrons deftly and with a dancer's grace. One look at her face revealed a
close resemblance to a certain servant of Torm, but where Ravenwind had a
certain innocence about her, her sister had a sharp, defensive, wary aura.
"I was told that someone by the name of Quietus was looking for me,"
she said to Tho.
"Well,
now, lassie, Quietus isna here right now, but me name's Tho, brother of Thi.
Might be able to help ye."
"Tho
and Thi? Of the famous dwarven adventuring brothers The, Thi, Tho, and
Thum?" Ranna asked. Tho was uncertain as to whether she were being
sarcastic, since her expression did not change in the slightest.
Quietus
Quietus
continued on his mission to find a light-fingered friend, and low, low prices.
As he passed the old library, he saw a strange sight. A lamb was walking down
the middle of the crowded street. After several minutes, it stopped and lay
down in the middle of the road. Pedestrians continued to pass, completely
ignoring it.
Quietus
began to feel a little bit strange. He looked around, having the feeling that
he is being watched. His paranoia yielded no results, as no one paid the
slightest bit of attention to him. Suddenly nervous, he turned and hurries back
to The Rusty Sword.
Back
at the tavern, he saw a familiar looking woman talking to Tho. Not wishing to
be rude, he sat at a nearby table and waited for them to finish their
conversation. For reasons he can't explain, he felt that something was not
right with the world.
Mendoza
Mendoza
wakes up in the room he was given after the wedding. "Wow, that was some
party," he thought, "and some strange dreams I had." He couldn't
remember any specifics, just a genie, a thieving Kobold, apparently turning
into a half-orc and lots and lots of tequila. Yes, he hadn't had a dream that
strange for a long time.
He
quickly got ready, hoping he hadn't missed Ravenwind, Quietus and everyone else
- they'd said they were going off on some adventure. However he was relieved to
see that Quietus was still at the bar, although Che had done one hell of a
clean up job in such a short time.
"So,
when are you ready to go?" asked Mendoza. "What do you mean?"
replied Quietus.
"Well,
you said you were going off on some adventure." said Mendoza, getting the
feeling that something was slightly off.
Giving
him a slightly skeptical look, Quietus answered "Yes, but that was two
weeks ago."
Feeling
incredibly stupid, and suddenly very hungry Mendoza walked sheepishly over to
order a lot of food. Next time he'd
really have to order a wake up call.
Quietus
"Say,
Mendoza, I think Raeython and friends all went down to the temple. You know,
the one that Ravenwind belongs to. Something about a murder and whatnot. You
could probably catch up to them there if you wanted to...although you'll
probably want to finish some of your food, first. By the way, sorry about...you
know . . . “ and he put his finger down
his throat in illustration.
Ravenwind
Ranna
noticed Quietus, who now seemed to be wearing his milk rather debonairly.
"You Quietus?" she asked, "I was told you were looking for
me."
Quietus
wiped at his milk ineffectually. "Um, er, yeah!" he replied brightly.
"I'm looking for a thief. . ."
"Well,
I'm not a pickpocket," she snapped. "Nor am I a grubby killer for
hire. People pay me to retrieve items for them, and I'm damned good at it. So,
what are you wanting to pay me to do?"
Quietus
was smart enough to censor his first reply to that. Watching the way she
fingered her dagger, he censored the second as well. And the third.
Quietus
Realizing
that “nice” was probably out of the question, but “competent” still seemed to
be in the cards, Quietus proceeded to lay out his plan.
"Well,
first of all, I'd never hire a grubby killer...only a friendly, clean one.
Secondly, I don't want to pay you to do something, although I am willing to do
so... I need to know how you feel about, um, 'acquiring' an item from a
temple... without their permission... I don't think it's the one that your
sister attends."
Ranna
indicated with a contemptuous snort that she could care less who she stole
from.
He
continued, "The only drawback to this mission, from your perspective, is
that I need to travel with you. I hope that won't be too big of a problem. The
trick I need to perform will only work if I am the one who actually takes the
item in question.
“As
to payment, I'm afraid you'll need to ask Tho. I'm currently, uh, tapped out,
and can't afford to pay you. If you'd be willing to work on contingency, I'm
sure we'd appreciate it..."
He
takes a (manly) swig of his milk and looks over at Tho to see how much he'd be
willing to pay to recover the herbs.
Ravenwind
"What
exactly is this item? Are we talking an ancient idol, a sacred relic, forged
gospels, what?"
"Er,
herbs that the local authorities decided that friend Che shouldn't be putting
in his tequila."
Ranna
arched an eyebrow. "So, Che's been peddling garden weeds again?"
Quietus
choked on his milk.
Serenely
she continued, "Fine. What temple? I'm going to need to study the layout,
the guards' patterns, and the magical defenses. If you have to come along,
again, fine, but stay behind me and in the name of Mask, don't touch anything
unless I tell you it's safe."
She
stood and glided back over to Tho, whereupon some heated haggling began to take
place. Quietus was left to reflect upon the differences life's experiences
could make in two people.
Quietus
Quietus
is somewhat embarrassed, as he realizes that he has no idea which temple it is.
He decides to try and play it cool, so that Ranna won't think he's an idiot.
He
notices that Tho and Ranna have agreed upon a price, so he pipes up:
"So,
Tho, in what part of town is the temple located. I'm fairly new here, and don't
know the layout too well."
Quietus
thinks to himself "Now, if he says the temple district, I'm going to have
to strangle him..."
Che
"Aye,"
Tho responds," as you remember from the wedding it was the dwarven priest
that was here, and who disapproved of Che's use of the herbs. Moradin be the
god that was worshipped that day, and Marur be the priest that presided. Where
his temple be that I do not know. Che was the one who invited him, and my
brother isn't here."
Quietus
seemed a little disgusted with the lack of information.
Emerith
interrupted,"Excuse me, Uncle Tho, but it was I who sent the invitation
for my father. These were the directions that my father gave me to contact Marur.
You're welcome to them, for I have no more need for them."
Quietus
"Thank
you, Emerith. So, Ranna, are you ready to go to work?"
She
nodded her assent.
"Oh,
yes, Tho, a young woman named Charity may be showing up about a job at the
casino. Would
you
be willing to interview her and see if she seems trustworthy. I've never been a
very good judge of character, unfortunately...although I can tell if someone
has a two-pair or a three-of-a-kind. Go figure. Thanks, Tho."
Ranna
and Quietus exited the tavern and followed the directions towards the temple.
Ranna mumbling something about "amateurs," while Quietus attempted to
strike up a conversation about horse racing.
Che
Tho
remained in the tavern eagerly awaiting a young woman with the name of Charity.
He did his best to primp his beard, and attempted to cover his grey with
charcoal.
Quietus
A
young half-orc woman enters the tavern and asks to speak with Quietus.
Recalling Quietus's earlier words about the people he needs, Tho immediately
decides that either Quietus has an eye for half-orcs that is somewhat strange
in a human, or this girl was not meant for one of the dicing tables.
"Right
this way, young lady."
He
began sizing up her qualifications.
Charity
said, "Quietus told me a bit about the casino. I told him that I had a way
of flipping the stick that could make the house a winner about 55% of the time.
At least when it was our turn to throw. I also know several other traditional
orcish gambling games."
Tho
continued to size her up. . . unaware
that his application of charcoal to his hair was now covering his face. In
behind the dwarf, was Slash and the other orcs drooling over Charity as they
observed from the kitchen entrance.
"Well,
this is all good for an orc clientele, which from what I see, you would have no
problems attracting. But my brother Che would probably want variety in the
gaming, something to appeal to other races. Do you have much experience with
kobolds and halflings in the field of casino management? Oh, and where are my
manners, can I get you anything to drink?"
Quietus
"Something
sweet would be nice, if you please. I usually try not to drink when I'm
working. As to your other question, I do know several kobold games,
although," she whispers, "their games are kind of stupid. I also can
play most of the human games. I'm afraid I've never learned any of the halfling
games. Do you know what they're called? Maybe they are just a variant on games
I do know."
Charity
seemed to defy the typical stereotypes for a half-orc, as she seemed quite
intelligent. Tho was still trying to determine a good method of figuring out
her integrity.
Meanwhile,
it became clear (to the watching orcs) that she was unsure how to let Tho know
that the charcoal was spreading.
Che
"Huh?
What was that?," an astonished Tho asked. "Pardon, me, what are you
talking about?" replied Charity.
"Oh,
nothing. I just thought someone bumped me. Anyway, if an dwarf, an ogre, and a
human are playing at a gambling game, and the ogre started to lose badly. What
would you do to continue the merriment of the day, and not have it fall into an
unfortunate brawl?" questioned Tho.
Before
Charity replied, she had to contain a giggle for her interviewer kept staring
at her with pearl white eyes amidst a sea of black.
Quietus
"That's
a trick question, isn't it? It depends on a couple of things. I guess we're
assuming the ogre has a bad temper. Maybe not the most outrageous assumption.
If we're playing a 'luck' game, I simply have someone else come and take my
place. A lot of times, this will make people believe their luck is going to
change, despite the obvious immutable nature of probability. Most likely,
things will balance out for the ogre in the long run. If it is a game of skill,
and the ogre is lacking, I would call a short break. Assessing the skills of
those remaining in the tavern, I would (gently) attempt to steer the ogre over
to gamers more of his caliber. I would also redouble my efforts to make sure
than no one is cheating..."
Elsewhere
in town, Quietus and Ranna arrived at the temple of Moradin.
"Uh,
Ranna. Do you think the fact that it is a dwarven temple will make our task
more difficult?"
Ranna
looked at him as if he were a moron.
Quietus
quickly covered, "That's what I thought. Do you want me to do anything, or
should I just stay out of the way while you do your surveillance?"
Ranna
replied, "Yeah, I have a task for you. Could you get me something to
eat... and some water."
Ranna
began scoping out the temple.
Ravenwind
"What's
our first move?" Quietus asked, tagging at Ranna's heels. That made for
quite picture, the tall, gangly man nipping at the rather short, slender
woman's ankles. One of his strides made for two of hers, and yet they kept
getting tangled up in each other's boots.
Quietus
found himself on the receiving end of a sharp shove--backwards, about three
feet. "First, we'll wait until about the second or third watch bell,"
Ranna replied crisply. "Then, in over the wall. My sources tell me there's
a tunnel that should be accessible through the storm grate not far from the
main chapel's entrance."
"Aren't
you worried about traps?"
She
paused, looking as uncertain as he'd ever seen her. "Not as such,"
she replied carefully. "Dwarven traps tend not to be subtle. But they do
tend to be uncomfortably lethal once tripped."
They
waited unobtrusively in a nearby inn until late that night, then slipped out
into the shadows. Ranna firmly stuck Quietus in a nearby doorway and pulled out
a small crossbow, armed with a grappling hook quarrel with a length of rope
attached, and shot it up at the face of the wall.
A
quick shimmy, and she perched atop the wall, and beckoned him forward. Quietus
took the rope, and patiently waited.
"Climb,
you ninny!" came her frustrated whisper. "I don't have gorilla arms,
so I'm not pulling you up!"
Quietus
Quietus
sighed to himself, "It's not as if I weigh a lot. Oh well."
He
called out quietly, "I'm not sure if I can make it. Maybe you should scout
ahead while I make the attempt."
He
began pulling himself up the rope. Luckily, he was able to use the wall to
assist his climb. Not surprisingly, his speed was nowhere near Ranna's. Slowly,
but steadily, he made his way up.
Ranna,
growing impatient, decided to see if she can find the grate. Fortunately, her
source seemed to be accurate, for she easily located the tunnel entrance. She
decided to wait for Quietus's help (such as it is) to move the grate.
Upon
reaching the top, Quietus deftly pulled the rope up after him. He coiled it
briefly and placed it in Che's bag of holding, briefly hoping that Che isn't
missing it.
He
dashed over to Ranna's position and they began hefting the grate out of the
way.
Quietus
moaned, "Oh man, I think I'm going to get a hernia."
"What
are you whining about?"
"Uhhh,
nothing."
He
fumbled in the bag briefly and withdrew a lantern and the coil of rope.
"After
you," he said politely, angling the light so that it shoots out in front
of him.
Giving
him a withering glance, Ranna hooked the rope in place and lowered herself into
the tunnel.
Back
at the tavern. . .
Che
Emerith
brings two drinks over to the table of The and Charity. The halforc woman takes
a sip, "Mmmmmm, this is quite tasty, what is it?"
"’Tis
wasp honey tea with a small nip of tequila to rid the poison from the
stinger."
"Anyway,
Charity," continued Tho, "How did ye get the name of Charity? I hope
it isn't a name of reputation running the casinos."
Quietus
"Actually,
Charity is just a nickname. My birth name is some horrible orcish word that
most people cannot pronounce. I traveled with a circus, and we all had 'joke'
nicknames. You know, the bald sword-swallower was called 'Harry', the mute
empath was 'fast-talk'. I managed the group's finances and was known to be
somewhat intractable when it came to wages and absences from performances and
such. I like to think I've softened a bit since then...but probably not!
Che
Tho
thought to himself. Joke nicknames, and she said the drink was excellent. Was
she really meaning that the drink was horrible? "Well, my dear, my brother
does take care of all the finances within the tavern and is honest and fair to
most. But I do feel that you could be a fine addition along with Quietus within
these walls." The dwarf then began to slump down slightly, and closed his
eyes. Emerith walked to his side and gently laid his head upon the table.
"Don't
mind my Uncle, Charity. He is old and tends to nap at the most inopportune
times. He will be fine in a bit. But I am very cautious of new people under the
fold of my father. Do tell me, Charity, three things that you wished not to
tell to Tho."
The
orcs in the kitchen were taken aback by Emerith's bluntness but not surprised.
She has always had her father's interests at heart and was only forcing the
interview to a rightful conclusion.
Quietus
"Well,
that is a tricky one, since I have no major regrets. The most damaging facts I
could reveal are:
I killed my mother.
I murdered my father.
I desecrated an idol of
Gruumsh...I poked out his eye.
I
think those would be the three most damaging things I could reveal..."
Che
Emerith
is impressed with the honesty of Charity. "Ah, truth be a liberating
experience." Charity looked blankly back awaiting some other questions.
Emerith
hesitated momentarily. "Hmmm, I think that you would be a good addition if
you can answer this final question. The motto of The Rusty Sword is know far
and wide. What is the motto that we all workers must adhere to? These are
probably the wisest words that have come from my father and are the reason for
his success in business."
Quietus
Charity
took so long to respond, that Emerith began to think she must have narcolepsy.
Finally, she responded, "Hmmm. I'm
not certain if I can recall the exact phrase. I believe it is 'All gratuities
accepted,’ although in some of the seedier goblin districts, it is known as 'Na
woadkep loftres nulizzae,’ which, as you know, translates roughly as 'No
gratuity refused.'"
Che
Emerith's
face fills with a broad smile, "Yes, no gratuity refused, or, all
gratuities accepted. Either way, welcome to the Rusty Sword. But shouldn't
Quietus be getting back soon? I know my father will be back shortly, and it
would be wiser for Quietus to brief Che of his plans than you. No offense or
anything, but my father likes to do business with the men."
"Oh
yes, I have some things that I must attend to also. I'm sure Quietus and I will
greet your father with all of the new-found proposals. But let me ask one
thing, what of Tho here?" a concerned Charity asked.
"Oh,
my uncle will probably be venturing back to his home, unless papa asks him to
stay for a while. That is something that we will let unfold. Oh, and by the
way, here is a key for a room upstairs for your belongings. The rooms are neat
and quite secure. You won't have to worry about those pesky orcs bothering you,
ah, unless you want them to." exclaimed Emerith.
Quietus
Charity
thanks Emerith and ventured upstairs to check out her new room. She eagerly
awaited the return of Quietus so that she could begin her new job.
-----------------
As
Edward and the gang strolled back to The Rusty Sword, he questioned Che,
"Do you know somebody by the name of Ultima? I have a message for him. By
the way, about that bartender job. On the one hand, it's definitely the best
offer I've had in quite some time. On the other hand... oh yeah, I guess I only
have one hand now. If you'll have me (and will pay me!), I'd love to go to work
for you."
Che
Finally
back at the Rusty Sword, Che enters and notices Tho stills asleep with his head
on the table. "Well, Eddie, me's always pays well fer good work. That be
me brother Tho. He's checkin' fer cracks in the table at the moment. Those are
me eight remainin' daughters that a do the wenchin' around 'ere. And a that be
me five orcs that tend to the kitchen and various tasks. Have a look around and
introduce yerself. Me's thinks that me should wake Tho and get an update on
what a me missed. And by the way ultima should a be around somewhere."
Quietus
Ranna
reached the floor and motions for Quietus to follow her. With a last worried
glance, Quietus grabbed onto the rope and climbed down.
"So,
where to now?"
"Shhhh.
I'm trying to concentrate. I need to get a mental picture of where we
are."
"Sounds
good. I'll just..."
"Shhhhhh."
Quietus
shut up and reaches into the bag of holding. He withdrew a bottle of milk and a
small loaf of bread. Happily, he munched away, while Ranna concentrated on the
task at hand.
Again,
back at the tavern, Ultima has arrived ahead of the rest of the adventurers.
pure_ultima
"I
am here Master Che what was it you wished to speak with me about?"
Che
“Aye,
Ultima, but it isn't me who wishes a word with you, although I always a enjoy
yer conversation, but me new bartender Eddie, was wishin' to give you a
message. He a should be around introducin' 'imself to me other staff
somewhere."
Che
wondered to himself after his discussion with Tho and liked the idea of the
casino in the tavern. He just would like a few words with Quietus before he
goes ahead with everything.
Quietus
Ultima
walked over and finds Edward (it's not too hard since he's the only one-armed
man in the tavern).
"What
is it you wished to say to me?"
"Are
you Ultima?"
"Yes."
Edward
speaks in a strained voice, "I am going to send wave after wave of undead
to weaken you. When you are enfeebled and ready to fall, I will be there to
crush your soul. Give your will to me and you will be spared."
Ultima
fumbled, flabbergasted, "What? Who are you? What do you know?"
Edward
finished speaking and looked around, confused. "Do I know you? I need to
talk to Che about something... I can't remember what. Excuse me..."
B_FH
B_FH
saw an unnerved look on Ultima's face. "Something wrong?" B_FH asked.
"Nothing,"
Ultima responded, "just something about our new bartender.”
"Oh,"
B_FH replied, "I'm sure you've seen people with one arm before. He lost
his when Rayethon chopped it off; Eddie was under a charm spell when it
happened. Probably someone in the crowd trying to help our opposition to
win." B_FH took another drink of his tequila and walks off to the nearest
new face in the bar.
Meanwhile,
in the temple district, Quietus and Ranna are getting to the bottom of
things—the hard way.
Ravenwind
The
bottom of the storm drain looked like a dungeon's oubliette, the more so when
the grate crashed down over their heads. The bottom was completely covered in
ice, at least two feet thick, covering their next point of entry. "It's
hopeless," Quietus groaned.
He
got a hand clapped over his mouth for that. "If you don't keep you mouth
closed from here on in, you could get us both killed," came the
almost-silent response. Ranna released him, and knelt, whispering a tumble of
arcane words under her breath. A small ball of glowing light rose out of her
hand, and she began to melt the ice with it.
Quietus
stared at her in confusion. As if she could feel his eyes on her back, she
twisted around and said, "One of my sisters is a mage, you know."
Once
she'd melted a narrow tunnel for them, and unlocked and disarmed the grate
behind it, they were in. The tunnel they found themselves in was exceptionally
short and cramped, even by dwarven standards. Quietus was almost forced to
crawl in places, and even Ranna walked in a perpetual hunch. The occasional rat
scurried away from their footfalls, chittering in the blackness.
Finally,
the tunnel emptied out into what looked like a storage chamber. Quietus
sniffed. "Beer!" he whispered with an unseen grin.
"Nay,
laddie, mead!" a gruff voice replied, and a torch was lit. Quietus looked
about wildly. Seven dwarves in priestly garments and armor surrounded him, but
there was no sign of Ranna anywhere.
Quietus
Smelling
the beer, Quietus was pleased. "This must mean we're near the herbs,"
he thinks.
Suddenly
confronted by seven dwarves, Quietus first thought was "Snow White!"
and then, "maybe I should obscure my appearance."
Before
the dwarves could get a good look at him, he ducked back into the tunnel and
concentrated for a
moment.
When he stepped back into the tunnel, he was two feet taller, 150 pounds
heavier, and covered with hair. Lacking both the desire and the ability to
defeat seven dwarven priests, Quietus decided to talk his way out of danger.
"Hello,"
he boomed, "Grok help you?"
"I
think we should be asking the questions here, laddie," stated one of the
dwarves. "You do know that we will have to imprison you for trespassing in
our holy temple."
"Grok
no understand tresspass. What you mean?"
"Okay,
Grok, we're going to cut you some slack. Leave now, and we won't press
charges."
"Grok
thank you. Me leave now."
Quietus
turns and reentered the tunnel, glad that the dwarves seem unaware how narrow
the passage is. When he was out of sight of the dwarves, he utilized his
invisibility trick, returned to his normal form, and snuck back through the
chamber of dwarves. He wasn’t sure where Ranna was, but if she stayed in the
temple, she'd need his help for the final trick.
Out
in the hall, he hurried to find a hiding space. Now that he is on his own, he figured
that his chances have diminished by about 95%.
"Oh
well, I've been in worse situations than this... probably."
Che
Che
met Charity after being briefed by Tho and Emerith about the interview with
her. Their positive recommendation of the half orc woman was cheerful news to
the dwarf. "Aye, a pleasure to meets ye Charity. Looks a like me plans o'
fer a casino are fruitfully coming about. Always a good idea to 'ave good
peoples surroundin' oneself."
"Oh,
the pleasure is mine." answered Charity. "I have settled myself
upstairs in one of the rooms, thanks to your kind daughter Emerith, but I
haven't been introduced formally to everyone. Would you be so kind, fine
sir?"
Che
blushed momentarily, and gathers Charity's extended arm himself. "Ah, ye
be havin' fine manners there lass, somethin' that brings in fine gratuities in
the tavern. Come me's shall give names to the faces ye see about ye." The
two of them parade amongst the patrons and staff in the tavern, walking arm in
arm.
"This
a be Eddie. Our a new bartender. Me's a picked him up, literally in Baldur's
Gate, where he be spillin' 'alf the town's milk on the floor. Me's thinks that
tequila is a somethin' that he'll excel at a pourin' in the glasses."
"That
a-be pure ultima and Buffeh (B_FH) over there. Two a fine adventurers that a
love the action. O'er in the far table are Ravenwind and Raeython. They've a
'ust returned from clearin' the paladin's honorable name. Vicious time there on
that a-one. Figaro be standin' by the wall itchin' fer some adventurin'
action."
"These
are me daughters. Of course a ye met Emerith the oldest. That a be Rachel the
youngest. The others mixed in the middle are Cheran, Cassandra, Lucy, Sarah,
Agatha, and Terese. Me other daughter, Muriel, 'ust a got hitched to Hack the
Orc. Which a brings me to the orcs. There be five left at the Rusty Sword. This
is Slash, Gash, Heev, and Hoe."
Slash
stepped forward, "You be a fine looking orc whenc.....woman, hee
hee."
Charity
was a bit taken aback by the sinister laugh of young Slash, but calmly replied,
"Well, aren't you the most gentlemanly orc here?" Slash's face
changed to one filled with confusion, and he ran back to the kitchen feeling
that his opening line needing some fine-tuning.
"Aye,
that be a good one, fine Charity. Some o' times me orcs, get a wee bit
rambunctious and a-do 'ave to be tethered a back."
"Oh,
yes Che, I know. I dealt with many a kind in my few days on the road. Slash
means well, but, being an orc, things come out different. Well thank you for
the introductions. I do look forward to discussing more about the casino with
you and Quietus once he returns."
"Me's
feels the same. ‘Til then, rest and enjoy yerself and
remember.............?"
"Yes
Che , all gratuities accepted."
Raeython
Raeython
sat at the table with Ravenwind, and downs a few 'strong dwarven ales' in rapid
succession. The time is almost upon them to end the threat of the rod once and
for all. Tomorrow will be the ending of the tenday, and time to destroy the
rod.
Ravenwind
Ravenwind
poured herself a tequila, and frowned at the flavor. Something about it seemed
a little off, somehow, and she wondered why. Shrugging, she paid for the next
round for the adventurous regulars.
Che
Che
and Slash looked intently at the plans for the new casino expansion. They stood
looking at the east wall of the bar. "Aye, me thinks that a window should
a be moved, and the fireplace should a be rebuilt."
"Yes
Che, maybe one fireplace for the bar and one for the casino."
Che
then began to frown as he noticed that their plans were being read upside down.
Righting the paper, they ventured to the west wall.
"Excuse
me Figaro, yer be standin' where me new door to a casino shall be."
"Oh,
I'm sorry, Che. Ah, I see the east wall
is empty," responded Figaro.
Quietus
Having
been introduced to all at the Rusty Sword, Charity begins feeling right at
home.
"Che.
Since I'm not going to be of much use around here for a little while, I was
wondering if you might like me to recruit some more workers for the casino?
I'll try to follow your specifications (and Quietus's) as well as I can. I'm
eager to get things started, and I can't figure out why Quietus isn't back
yet..."
Che
"Aye
that a be fine by me, sweet Charity," commented Che as he stood as tall as
he could and attempted to look very busy. "But yers know that me'e will be
'aving the final say on the hirin' since the wages a do come from me coffers.
But go ahead and a follow yer instincts, and if me orcs can assist, feel a free
to call on them."
Figaro
*Strolls
up to the bar.* Hummm Having a casino here should bring in a fair amount of
traffic.
Quietus
"Did
any of ye believe that Grok thing?"
“NO!"
"NO!"
"No,"
"Nope!
"Me
either."
"Why'd
ye let 'em leave?"
"I
couldna detect any magic on him. I figured it safest to let him be."
"Do
ye think he left?"
“There's
no way he could have snuck past us here. However, here's what we do..."
The
dwarf laid out his plan. Six of the dwarves went to work blocking up the old
door. The seventh retreated to speak with his superior.
Ravenwind
Quietus
was shocked right down to his boots when the door opened behind him in the
passageway again, and a quiet female voice told him, "C'mon, hurry up! We
haven't much time. Dwarves are fearfully resistant to posions and such."
Quietus
stepped back into the room, and saw six unconscious dwarves strewn on the
floor, and Ranna tapping her foot impatiently. "What--how?" he
managed.
She
pointed at the beams of the rafters over their heads. "Have you ever
noticed that dwarves never look up very far?" she whispered impishly.
"If they looked up any further than absolutely necessary, they'd fall into
some hole and hurt themselves. This lot," she jerked a thumb at the
sleeping dwarves, "will be out for a while longer, but we'd best get
moving."
Following
their noses, the pair roamed among the barrels for a while, until they happened
upon another door, this one locked. Ranna dropped to a crouch to examine it,
while Quietus stood a nervous watch over her back.
Quietus
Ranna
and Quietus navigated the temple quickly and efficiently. Soon, they arrived at
the location where Ranna's source indicated the herbs would be.
Ranna
dropped down and examined the locked chest. She hurriedly but carefully checked
it for traps. After a few moments she decided that it is clear and began
picking the lock. The lock was relatively simple for one of her skill, and she
moved to open the chest.
Quietus
tapped her on the back, "Hold on. I have to do the actual, uh,
stealing."
Ranna
stepped back to watch the door, while Quietus knelt down and opens the chest. A
noxious cloud spurted out and covered him. Surprised, he coughed and fell
backwards.
Ranna
turned around. "You fool, what did you..." She let a few off-color
expressions leave her mouth. The dwarves had hired an elf to set the trap. Due
to the necessity of haste, she had been concentrating on traps of dwarven
design.
After
a few moments, the cloud clears. "Are you going to be okay?" she
asked.
[cough] "Well, aside from the poison
that is, most likely, going to kill me, I'll be okay."
Ranna
shuffled through her bag and then sighed. She had not brought any antidotes for
this type of poison.
Quietus
coughed, and said, "Don't worry. I've got a plan." [cough, cough]
"Let me just grab the herbs and perform my trick."
He
rifled through the trunk, grabbed the herbs, and stuck them in Che's bag of
holding. He then concentrated for a moment.
"Is
that it? That's the trick?"
Quietus
replied, "Yep. Now, take the bag and get out of here. Leave me"
[cough] "the rope. Don't worry about me. Hopefully the priests will find
me before I die and heal me. Then, I have some tricks that I can use to
escape...if they don't summarily execute me. Now get out of here. Oh, and if I
survive, I'd appreciate your not mentioning the whole Grok thing..."
Ranna
contemplated staying for a moment, but realized that there is nothing she can
do for him. The dwarves would not be stupid enough to leave an antidote handy,
and she has no idea what the herbs are all about. She turned and darted
silently out of the room.
Quietus
waited until she left and then collapsed against the wall, writhing in pain. He
realized that he needed to do one more thing. He concentrated, and once again
his height and weight increased. He then decided that it is just about time to
pass out from the pain.
Ravenwind
Ranna,
surprisingly, did not leave. She was being paid to do a job, and it would be
unethical for her to leave it unfinished. A potion quickly drunk rendered her
invisible, and she leaped for the ceiling once more, catching a rafter with her
fingertips and lightly pulling herself up.
Crouching
there, silent, she watched as the dwarven priests, who had awakened from their
slumber, barrelled into the room in which Quietus lay. There were many cries of
dwarven outrage when they discovered the loss of the herbs. Ranna made a mental
note to ask Che or Tho why the dwarves wanted the herbs, other than to control
their distribution. Perhaps there was some profit to be made here.
The
dwarves trundled back out again, carrying a much larger Quietus; in fact, it
looked as if he'd turned himself back into Grok again. Ranna followed, leaping
down behind the priests soundlessly, and padding on quiet feet behind them
until they reached the meditation cells, where they forced an antidote down the
unconscious man's throat, and rifled through his belongings before tossing him
in a cell with only one guard to await his return to consciousness.
Invisibly,
Ranna smiled. They had not come upon the herbs on Quietus, and had left him
almost conveniently located and lightly guarded. They were looking for the
accomplice--her. She'd lead them a merry dance before the night was through.
Aivanther
Stepping
into the tavern after a long bit of travelling, Aivanther steps up to the bar
and says, "Hola! Que tal? Una taquila por favor" realizing what he's
saying Aivanther says, "Oops, I mean hi, what's up? A taquila please.
Sorry, been speaking to much spanish."
Palladium
Muse
*POP*
Palladium
Muse thuds on top of the bar from a hole that opened up at a 45 degree angle
from the ceiling beams. She is covered head to toe in what appears to be
seaweed and is soaking wet. Rivulets of water stream off of her, down the bar,
onto the floor.
Pushing
herself up to a sitting position, she spits out what looks like a small sea
shell, shoving bedraggled, sodden hair out of her eyes.
With
a yelp, she begins frantically twitching on the bar, finally reaching into her
armor and hauling out a goodly sized tuna. Tossing it aside in disgust, she
slides off the bar to her feet.
"Tequila,"
she croaks. "NO SALT."
Ravenwind
Ravenwind
stared at the bedraggled Muse. She opened her mouth; shut it, opened it again,
and finally said, "You know, I'm not even going to ask."
She
picked up the tuna and tossed it through the kitchen door.
"Are
we ready to destroy the Rod now?" she asked, a bit plaintively.
Che
Che
pushed a fresh bottle of tequila in front of Palladium. He purposefully forgets
to give her a glass. "A wee bit wet under the collar about somethin' there
Palladium? And I see yers brought yer own catch fer me orcs to prepare fer
ye." The dwarf motions to Slash to retrieve the tuna and prepare it in the
kitchen.
Palladium
Muse
PM
sticks her tongue out at Che. "That was horrible." But she takes the
bottle of tequila gratefully and joins Ravenwind.
"Thank
you for not asking. I tell you what. You guys have had it easy the last week or
so, nothing to do but lounge around The Rusty Sword, exchanging old war
stories. I envy you your leisure time."
Cracking
the bottle open, she takes a healthy swallow, sighs blissfully as the shudder
runs through her. "Aaaah. Much better." Gesturing, a sudden billow of
steam rolls off of her, smelling of sea salt and fish. "And that's even
better," she says, completely dry. "Yes, let's destroy the rod, and
with all due expediency."
Raeython
Raeython
is tempted to ask PM if she wants to go for a swim, but judging from the look
on her face he figures that would be a bad idea.
Palladium
Muse
Glares
at Raeython like she knows what he's thinking, and takes another swig from the
bottle.
"Oh!
Almost forgot!"
Standing,
she approaches the bar, drawing a bag out of her pocket. Handing it to Che, she
says, "Wedding present, sorry it's late, I got called away."
Che
"Oh,
like gratuities, belated wedding gifts are never refused." Che gently
accepts the small pouch and peers inside. Within he finds a multicoloured ring.
Strange in origin, from all Che's knowledge of jewelry. And the size of the
ring would be too large to fit on the finger of even an ogre. As Che continues
to analyze he notices that as the ring approaches his finger it warps to the
exact size of his finger.
"Well
a-looky at that. A ring that would a fit anyone." As Che removes the ring
away from his finger it restores itself to its grander size. "If me may
ask, Palladium, for whom would this a ring be fer.....the bride or the
groom?"
Palladium
Muse
Smiling,
Muse says, "It's for whomever is in charge of chores. It's a ring of
Unseen Servant. Unlimited charges. I figure it'll be useful for whomever is
stuck with the dishes."
Che
Gash,
the youngest orc in the tavern overheard the conversation between Palladium and
Che. A small muffled whimper emitted from the orc, who constantly cast his
glance to the pile of dishes he was cleaning in the kitchen. Che peered at the
puppy-like eyes of the orc in annoyance, and then looked at Palladium.
The
Muse agreed, "Oh, let the little guy try it out."
"Aye,
this be just a test. And a Gash, by no means will yers be gettin' attached to
this ring."
The
orc awkwardly accepted the ring and placed it on his right index finger. Gash
returned to the kitchen, and gathered a handful of dishes to place into the
sink to wash. As soon as the dishes were placed he noticed that they were
cleaned. Not a speck of dirt was upon the wares, and they were dry too. The
next handful produced the same clean results.
Che
watched the young orc's amazing kitchen accomplishments. "Hmmmmmmm...me's
wonder if me could gets a deal on a dozen o' those rings from Palladium."
Palladium
Muse
"Sorry, the guy I bought it from said it
was the only one. Most mages have apprentices to handle daily chores, so don't
have items like this." Handing over a few gold pieces, to cover the
tequila and the gratuity, she takes the bottle again and makes her way back to
Ravenwind and Raeython and whomever else's table and retakes her seat.
"Right,
now, the destruction of the rod? Any ideas where to start?"
ArchMage
Alexander
A
brilliant flash blinds everyone in the room and suddenly a...chair?...is standing
in the room.
A
few minutes later Alexander storms into the room glaring at the chair, his cat
familiar saying, "I told you there was a difference, you CAN NOT translate
a scroll from Spanish to English THEN expect it to work the same way."
Ignoring the cat, Alex examines the chair and says, "It's a nice chair,
but still not good enough to waste a teleport spell on. Oh well I'll have to
make another copy and rename it 'Chair conjuration'." Sighing Alex fetches
a wine and looks around, nodds at Aiv, and says, "So what's up all"?
Palladium
Muse
Looks
appreciatively at the chair.
"Spanish,
hm? I need to learn that spell. There have been many a time I needed a chair in
a pinch...Anyway, we're supposed to destroy a rod. Want to help?"
Che
Che
struts over to Alexander. "Aye, welcome back, Archmage. We's a all 'ave
missed yer presence durin' yer absence. Oh, an' me sees that yer kitty be here
also. Let me gets a bowl o' milk fer it."
Figaro
*Strolls
over with a fairly large goblet of wine.* Humm, whacking the rod with a
sword--if it’s enchanted, might technically work. I even saw it done once. And
as a bonus I heard that they were able to successfully resurrect the guy that
managed to do it.
Ravenwind
"No
more resurrections, please," she replied with a convulsive shudder.
Raeython
shook his head emphatically. "The druids with whom we left it are coming
into the nascence of their power," he explained. "They should be able
to destroy it, but those of us who originally quested for the rod will need to
be there; our presence my alter the consequences favorably."
"It's
never that easy, though," Muse grouched. "In a hundred tales of
destroying artifacts, from a hundred worlds, I've never heard of it the
solution being as simple as turning it over to the proper authorities."
She sighed, and swigged at her tequila. She paused, frowning at the bottle.
"Is it just me, or does this taste off?" she asked.
Elsewhere,
Ranna grew tired of waiting for Quietus to rouse, and stepped behind the
apparently sleepy guard. She didn't make the mistake of trying to take his
keys. Intead, she took out a small rod, and imposed a tiny sphere of silence on
the lock, thanking the gods for her sister Mazea as she did. Then she
efficiently picked the lock, did not open the door, and patted the dwarven
guard on the rump. "Catch as catch can!" she challenged.
She
only caught a glimpse of the utter outrage on the dwarf's broad face as she
sprinted off down the tunnel. He'd only caught a glimpse of her form in
outline, no doubt, but it was enough.
Quietus
came to, and realized that the bells in his head were actually alarm bells in
the temple. Groggily, he stood up, and saw a note shoved through the lock in
the door. It peremptorily stated, "Well, the lock's been picked. Open the
door and get out while I'm distracting them. You owe me for this."
Shaking
his head, he gingerly opened the door, concentrated a moment, and resumed his
usual proportions. Walking back down through the tunnels, his sense of
direction failed him several times, and he had to hide under a pile of sacks
once as a troupe of angry dwarves charged past one storage room, shouting at
each other to "find that tetched lassie!"
Finally,
though, he did find his way to the grate through which they'd entered, and
wriggled his way out.
Back
at the Rusty Sword, he found Che and Tho and a large number of adventurers
waiting for him. "Er, did your sister make it back here?" he asked
Ravenwind.
The
paladin narrowed her eyes at him. "Have you been encouraging her in her
behavior?" she snapped.
"Oh,
no, I mean, I, uh, well, no, well, um--excuse me, Che is looking for me,"
he managed, and ducked away, feeling her eyes burning into the back of his
skull.
Che
was in the kitchen, seated alongside a certain red-haired woman. "About
time you got here," Ranna said, snorting. "Should I have left you a
map?"
Aivanther
"Let's
get on destroying this thing, I didn't go all the way to the Abyss and back for
Che to use it as center piece for his table. I'd lead the way but I have no
idea where the said druids live."