You move through the shadows with the greatest of ease. Like air you are, here now, gone the next, unencumbered, unrestricted, free to mold your own destiny, from a distance.
Or so you thought, Sybil Liadon.
Port Nyanzaru offered more to you than riches and companionship. Nyanzaru, the jewel of the jungle, the last city of the Faerûn, was supposed to be something more, but it’s turned out to be something familiar, and too much of the same. It may not be Waterdeep. It may not even be Thay. Nyanzaru is very much like any other port: a leaping off point. But where would you go? The jungle? Bah. Death and disease dwell there; they are the masters of that intractable land.
You knew better than to put your faith in a forest unlike any other. The trees of Chult are green. Green like emerald. Wet. Hungry.
It’s not the place where someone finds comfort for too long, for in the jungle, everything is food.
“You look lost,” says a half orc covered in tattoos across his chest, shoulders and arms. He wears a thick leather girdle, from which dangle thigh-length braided ropes festooned with trinkets, like beads, broken coins, arrowhead chips, and other knickknacks that clearly have meaning to him, but are otherwise worthless to everyone else.
He wields a great axe strapped across his back, several axes holstered to belt rings, a few javelins, and he carries an explorer’s pack that’s seen better days.
“Can I help you? I’m native to Chult,” he says proudly. “And so are my ancestors,” he adds, pointing to the tattoos painted across his dark grey skin. “They travel with me. I am never alone. My name is Zhorvakk of the Threehorn Tribe."
Sybil is a quiet, and solemn person overall, who likes to hide her face under her black cloak that has a bit of silver embroidery on the edge. In the little sections that the cloak does not cover, one could see a black leather armor that with almost fish-scale like pattern closer to the shoulders and near her thighs. Other than that, one would also see a white shirt underneath the armor and black pants. The most a person would be able to see is her stark-white, mid-back length, hair that seems to resemble freshly-fallen snow.
Upon hearing Zhorvakk's voice Sybil's entire body tenses immediately. It had been a while since anybody had talked to her or even attempted to. Even on her way to Port Nyanzaru, anyone who saw her seemed to sense that she did not want to do anything with anyone and kept their distance, never starting a conversation unless absolutely necessary. And to her own shock, someone finally had done exactly that: they spoke to her first without any specific known reason.
Under the hood of her cloak, she warily eyed the half-orc in front of her, trying to discern whether he is a friend or foe or if she recognized anything about his tattoos or information regarding the Threehorn Tribe. She shifts her weight to her right leg from the left, thinking for a while about how to respond to this stranger, or to even respond at all. She could simply just walk away from him like she had done to some people in the past.
She eyes her surroundings, wanting to make sure that if needed, she would have a way to simply walk away from this half-orc.It takes her a while to seemingly respond. Against the thoughts that told her to walk away that came from the dark recesses of her mind, she asks Zhorvakk,
"I'm on my way to find a place to rest from my travels. I heard about a location in the Market Ward having a cheap place to find a room. If you would be so kind as to lead me there, I would be grateful."
She purposefully tries to avoid revealing her own identity, as she does not yet know whether to trust Zhorvakk with it, who seems to not be wary around her nor express any sort of dislike towards her.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Brit looks up as the Giant makes himself known and encourages the bard to play. Brit doesn't know anything about "defeating death" or anything, but he knows more than a few songs to celebrate life with. Standing up, Brit smirks at the bartender and begins passing through the crowd in the direction of the stage, whistling loudly as his talons begin to dance across the strings.
" I'm not heading home any time soon," Poppy replies as she watches a bulky human man approach the table and address Omaha " It seems you have business to attend."
Poppy stands up, wincing as she snaps her book shut rather loudly, and scans the room. She isn't surprised at how busy the tavern has become but dislikes the crowd nonetheless. Pulling her coat tighter around her small body, she quickly heads away from the crowd looking for a quiet table.
"It was a pleasure meeting you," Omaha says courteously, Poppy. "If you're interested in work, I need some, uh, cargo," he says cryptically, "looked after on the way back home to Baldur's Gate. If you're interested, of course. I'll pay 200 for your trouble. 200 gold pieces," he clarifies nonchalantly, as he lifts the drink you ordered, then takes a sip. "That goes for anyone who wants the work."
You easily spot a quiet table near the stage. The dim light of orange orbs casts a soft warm glow over the nearby tables.
The moment you take the stage, Brit, the orbs of orange light rise toward the ceiling. They disappear into hidden recesses and gently increase the level of light. Two shine directly upon you. A third shines on your instrument. They track the gentlest of your movements, even as you (if you decide to) take a seat on the chair provided.
As your claws strum your string instrument, you hear the sound of the notes increase in volume, as if augmented by some magical means. A simple spell, really, if you know the incantation.
A few eyes turn toward you, impressed by your song. A small crowd moves in closer, gathering from around the tavern hall, to hear you play.
"I am on my way to visit my father, Adar, in the healing tent. I could take you after my visit with him." His eyes change at the mention of his father, Sybil. Sadness melts into gladness, and the half-orc explains why. "My father fell prey to the Death Curse. A herd of undead owl bears attacked my village many months ago, before the Death Curse began to pull our loved ones back to the earth. His wounds were too severe. He died. The gods spared me. I sold every treasure my tribal brothers and sisters made, and bought a resurrection spell." As he says this, you sense an inner struggle he has since made peace with over time. Whatever pain he was holding onto he set free. He found strength from the lessons he learned over the last year.
"Adar began to die once again. I couldn't save him. With the help of a few people from the other side of the sea, we sought the Death Curse. We fought together, and we rested together. We saved Chult, my father, and my home."
At the sharp sound of your voice, Madalyn, the boy recoils and shrinks away. He stuffs his hands into his arms, pouting. "It's my turn!"
It's not, he's just neglected. And you know that. The orphans live nearby, not too far from the hill, where the grass meets the rocky shore. They've learned how to evade the undead that comes crawling out of the jungle. They might not be quick on their feet, but they're small and agile and they can swim, whereas the undead simply sink to the bottom of the bay, far out of reach, far from the only place these children can find peace.
Baaba blinks his eyes with surprise. He was certain you were going to send him away, like all the other adults he bothers. He smiles with all the teeth he can gleam when you ask him to sit near you. He drops beside Zaduni, and she pats him on the leg. "See. Room for me. Room for you," she says wistfully. Her eyes suddenly widen. She giggles with delight as half-a-dozen transparent monarch butterflies descend around her. Each lands on her outstretched arm. She names them.
Jealous, of course, Baaba leaps from his spot. He swings his arm to swat the fey creatures away.
"No, Baaba," Zaduni chides. "Be nice to Flit… Floot… Flink… Flen… Fles…Fleur. They are my friends."
The other children have all taken their seats. They are anxious to hear your tale. Three of them you notice have wooden swords across their legs. You know, in case you might need a reenactment, a visual aid to move the fight scene along.
Daumu arrives too, and just in time. He waves. "Hello, MAH-DU-LYNN," he grunts loudly with a long slow drawl.
"Hello Daumu, take a seat! I'm just about to start." Madalyn tilts her head, her tail swinging to and fro. "Before I do though, I need you all to promise me something."
The children look up in questioning looks and a bit of worry in their eyes.
"Fairly soon, I'm going to have to go, so I need you all to promise that once I do leave, you treat each other as family. After all, you all have grown up so much since I've been here, and it would be a shame if you stopped growing without me."
The kids, upon hearing this, all start crying and swarm Madalyn with hugs, begging her to not go. The only ones to not immediately swarm her are Baaba and Polenth who stand back for a moment and think about what Madalyn said. Polenth, always the first to speak states as she wipes a single tear away, "No worries Maddie, I'll take care of them." Baaba clenches his fist and bravely says, "I'll learn how to fight so that I can keep everyone safe from undead!"
"Thank you, you two. And everyone, I won't be gone forever. I'll be getting stronger while I'm gone too. After all, how can I keep taking care of people around the world if I stay here? So let me change the promise I want you all to make. When I come back, I want you all to be brave without me, to get stronger and smarter so that you too, can take care of those around you. When I come back, I want to see you all at you're very best okay?"
The kids stop crying and say in unison, "We promise!"
"Now then, how about an admittedly cliche story of a knight in shining armor saving a princess?"
Daumu speaks up, "How about you tell us the story about why you came to Chult in the first place? I think it would be a nice goodbye to know more about why you wanted to be here, so that we can follow in your footsteps." The other kids seem to gain interest in this idea and come up with theories out loud until they break Madalyn.
"Alright, alright. So, as you can imagine, many people were interested in getting rid of the death curse right? Well when I heard about the death curse, I felt as though I had no other choice, I had to come here, so I did. I had originally come here so that I could heal adventurers through out their quest. When I arrived here on my first day, I was over whelmed by the sheer amount of people who wanted to get rid of the death curse. I thought to myself 'Why did I come here? I'm lost, sweaty, and crowded.' Then I somehow managed to find my way to the local church. I'm glad I did as I was able to get the best sleep that I had gotten in a long time. I'll be honest, I don't do too well on ships. When I woke up, I set out to find a group, only to find that all the adventuring parties were formed and out in the jungle, so I decided to stay in town and help out where ever I could. About a week of working later, I found you all. The rest is history as they say." Madalyn sees looks of dissapointment in some of the kids faces, almost as if they were saying 'that's all?' It makes Madalyn a tad bit nervous as her tail visibly wraps around her leg. "Yea, not a glamorous reason to have stayed, but it lead to me meeting you all, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Now then, time for the story!"
You, Madalyn, are rewarded with passionate outcries of disapproval. "Boo! Boo!" Some of the boys chant. Tough audience. "Boo!"
"Don't boo," Polenth says, as she strikes up a three-note song. "O-Nana. O-Nana," she claps. "O-Nana."
The children soon follow her lead. It takes them a fair minute to find each other's rhythm, but very soon they're clapping as one single metronome, a sure and steady heartbeat, clapping and singing, "O-Nana!"
Your audience is waiting spinner of tales, mentor of the Filthy Dozen.
Sybil'sgaze seems to harden just ever so slightly, her elven features helping mask most of her hidden emotions in a cool and almost unemotional look on her face.
She quietly and warmly tells Zhorvakk, "Thank you very much. I was feeling a little lost."
But as soon as she said that, Sybilquickly stops talking, as if she heard a double-meaning in her own words. She tries to see if the half-orc in front of her has noticed it, but acts as if she did not mean anything by it. As she decidedly follows Zhorvakk, she can't help but feel a mix of emotions. When she thought he wasn't looking, her ice-blue eye seemed to have a curious glint to it before it became cold again within a split-second.
Despite the heartfelt story he had told her of his father, Sybil remains wary of him. She wasn't sure what to feel about opening up to her so freely. He was almost the exact opposite of her if this was truly what he was like all the time. Bright, open... and free. Everything that she had lost long ago. And as she followed him, she looked around her surroundings, always checking to look for potential danger or for any hint of what she had come here, Port Nyanzaru, looking for.
"Okay kids, settle down, It's time to tell the story of a knight in shining armor, although I have come up with a small twist to the overused story that I think you all will enjoy." Madalyn waits for the kids to sit down and listen.
"Once upon a time, there was a prince and a princess that were siblings. Prince Randy is sweet and gentle while Princess Anna is brave and courageous. Their father is King Olo, and he was known for being the greatest king to live.It was Princess Anna's 15th birthday and Prince Randy wanted to get the perfect gift for her. He wanted to get the Magic Stone, said to grant any wish! Prince Randy knew it was a dangerous adventure, but he truly wanted to get his sister, Princess Anna, the perfect gift. Prince Randy got his equipment ready. Armor polished, weapons sharpened, and head out on a journey through the woods nearby to search for the magic stone. While exploring, he stumbled upon a cave with quite the magical glow to it. When he went inside, he found the Magic Stone laying on a rock. Prince Randy grabbed it and put it in his pocket as he left the cave to return home. As he was leaving the cave however, he was stopped by the evil wizard Asa, and was kidnapped. While he was kidnapped however, some other prisoners of the evil wizard Asa, escaped and were able to run back to tell King Olo and Princess Anna that Prince Randy was kidnapped. Princess Anna had heard some of the knights talking about how they were going to save Prince Randy and wanted to go save him herself. King Olo however, thought that Princess Anna should stay home and said 'It's too dangerous for a girl to go fight an evil wizard!' So Princess Anna went to find an extra suit of armor. When Princess Anna did find a suit of armor, she left the castle without King Olo's notice, and she traveled to the forest to find her brother, Prince Randy. Princess Ana found a cave that looked exactly like the one the guards were talking about and so she went in. When she did, Princess Anna found her brother inside a giant cage and when she ran up to it, Princess Anna was stopped by the evil wizard Asa, who used magic to push her away. Prince Randy, upon seeing this, remembered the stone and threw it at Princess Anna. Princess Anna caught it and used it to wish for the evil wizard Asa to be a good wizard. Asa the evil wizard was turned into a friendly wizard and apologized to both Prince Randy and Princess Anna. He wanted to become friends with them and was welcomed to the castle. King Olo forgave the wizard and continued Princess Anna's birthday party. Princess Anna ended up having the best birthday ever."
"It was a pleasure meeting you," Omaha says courteously, Poppy. "If you're interested in work, I need some, uh, cargo," he says cryptically, "looked after on the way back home to Baldur's Gate. If you're interested, of course. I'll pay 200 for your trouble. 200 gold pieces," he clarifies nonchalantly, as he lifts the drink you ordered, then takes a sip. "That goes for anyone who wants the work."
You easily spot a quiet table near the stage. The dim light of orange orbs casts a soft warm glow over the nearby tables.
"It was a pleasure meeting you," Omaha says courteously, Poppy. "If you're interested in work, I need some, uh, cargo," he says cryptically, "looked after on the way back home to Baldur's Gate. If you're interested, of course. I'll pay 200 for your trouble. 200 gold pieces," he clarifies nonchalantly, as he lifts the drink you ordered, then takes a sip. "That goes for anyone who wants the work."
You easily spot a quiet table near the stage. The dim light of orange orbs casts a soft warm glow over the nearby tables.
ooc: Does Herman listen to this conversation?
Yes, Herman is there when Omaha presents his offer,
ooc: @DM: Does Herman know more or less how far is Baludr's Gate? Does he (I frankly don't) realise if the price could be considered fair, a bad catch or almost a theft?
IN GAME: AT THE INN:
Herman starts to sip his beer and nodding his head at the time of Brit's tune, just commenting:
((OOC: I'm not much of a song writer, but in terms of the song Brit plays, it'll sound like American Authors' "Pocket Full of Gold"))
Having successfully caught the attention of many of the tavern patrons, Brit lets the energy of the room and the song control his movements. Ignoring the chair, he dances and spins as he plays, relishing in the eyes and ears affixed to him. He smiles, showing off his fangs, and smirks across the room at the giant who had encouraged him and at Sh’varra.
When the song ends, Brit takes a bow and simply drops down and sits on the edge of the stage, pulling out an empty sack and gesturing to the audience. "Like what you hear Ladies, Gents and others? If you're a nice enough I might play more! C'mon now don't be shy! Musicians gotta eat too!"
With a wild grin, Sh'varra saunters over to the stage. "You play well," she says to you, Brit.
Aye, indeed, you have played well. The gathered crowd has arranged a few chairs and tables close to you. "Another," a man in chain male armor and helm shouts. He turns to the others around him, nodding. "Another," he shouts, pounding a fist against his amor. "Another! Regale us!"
ooc: @DM: Does Herman know more or less how far is Baludr's Gate? Does he (I frankly don't) realise if the price could be considered fair, a bad catch or almost a theft?
IN GAME: AT THE INN:
Herman starts to sip his beer and nodding his head at the time of Brit's tune, just commenting:
"Well...interesting..."
Omaha's offer isn't unusual. Take into account that he's asking you to watch over the cargo between Nyanzaru and Baldur's Gate, a trip across the Shining Sea that could last a few weeks. His offer is a fair price.
From A Distance
You move through the shadows with the greatest of ease. Like air you are, here now, gone the next, unencumbered, unrestricted, free to mold your own destiny, from a distance.
Or so you thought, Sybil Liadon.
Port Nyanzaru offered more to you than riches and companionship. Nyanzaru, the jewel of the jungle, the last city of the Faerûn, was supposed to be something more, but it’s turned out to be something familiar, and too much of the same. It may not be Waterdeep. It may not even be Thay. Nyanzaru is very much like any other port: a leaping off point. But where would you go? The jungle? Bah. Death and disease dwell there; they are the masters of that intractable land.
You knew better than to put your faith in a forest unlike any other. The trees of Chult are green. Green like emerald. Wet. Hungry.
It’s not the place where someone finds comfort for too long, for in the jungle, everything is food.
“You look lost,” says a half orc covered in tattoos across his chest, shoulders and arms. He wears a thick leather girdle, from which dangle thigh-length braided ropes festooned with trinkets, like beads, broken coins, arrowhead chips, and other knickknacks that clearly have meaning to him, but are otherwise worthless to everyone else.
He wields a great axe strapped across his back, several axes holstered to belt rings, a few javelins, and he carries an explorer’s pack that’s seen better days.
“Can I help you? I’m native to Chult,” he says proudly. “And so are my ancestors,” he adds, pointing to the tattoos painted across his dark grey skin. “They travel with me. I am never alone. My name is Zhorvakk of the Threehorn Tribe."
Sybil is a quiet, and solemn person overall, who likes to hide her face under her black cloak that has a bit of silver embroidery on the edge. In the little sections that the cloak does not cover, one could see a black leather armor that with almost fish-scale like pattern closer to the shoulders and near her thighs. Other than that, one would also see a white shirt underneath the armor and black pants. The most a person would be able to see is her stark-white, mid-back length, hair that seems to resemble freshly-fallen snow.
Upon hearing Zhorvakk's voice Sybil's entire body tenses immediately. It had been a while since anybody had talked to her or even attempted to. Even on her way to Port Nyanzaru, anyone who saw her seemed to sense that she did not want to do anything with anyone and kept their distance, never starting a conversation unless absolutely necessary. And to her own shock, someone finally had done exactly that: they spoke to her first without any specific known reason.
Under the hood of her cloak, she warily eyed the half-orc in front of her, trying to discern whether he is a friend or foe or if she recognized anything about his tattoos or information regarding the Threehorn Tribe. She shifts her weight to her right leg from the left, thinking for a while about how to respond to this stranger, or to even respond at all. She could simply just walk away from him like she had done to some people in the past.
She eyes her surroundings, wanting to make sure that if needed, she would have a way to simply walk away from this half-orc.It takes her a while to seemingly respond. Against the thoughts that told her to walk away that came from the dark recesses of her mind, she asks Zhorvakk,
"I'm on my way to find a place to rest from my travels. I heard about a location in the Market Ward having a cheap place to find a room. If you would be so kind as to lead me there, I would be grateful."
She purposefully tries to avoid revealing her own identity, as she does not yet know whether to trust Zhorvakk with it, who seems to not be wary around her nor express any sort of dislike towards her.
Brit looks up as the Giant makes himself known and encourages the bard to play. Brit doesn't know anything about "defeating death" or anything, but he knows more than a few songs to celebrate life with. Standing up, Brit smirks at the bartender and begins passing through the crowd in the direction of the stage, whistling loudly as his talons begin to dance across the strings.
Roll for Performance: 24
"You may have heard of one like me..."
I'm an artist. You can find my work, and my sporadic warbling, here on my tumblr.
" I'm not heading home any time soon," Poppy replies as she watches a bulky human man approach the table and address Omaha " It seems you have business to attend."
Poppy stands up, wincing as she snaps her book shut rather loudly, and scans the room. She isn't surprised at how busy the tavern has become but dislikes the crowd nonetheless. Pulling her coat tighter around her small body, she quickly heads away from the crowd looking for a quiet table.
Perception Check:14
"It was a pleasure meeting you," Omaha says courteously, Poppy. "If you're interested in work, I need some, uh, cargo," he says cryptically, "looked after on the way back home to Baldur's Gate. If you're interested, of course. I'll pay 200 for your trouble. 200 gold pieces," he clarifies nonchalantly, as he lifts the drink you ordered, then takes a sip. "That goes for anyone who wants the work."
You easily spot a quiet table near the stage. The dim light of orange orbs casts a soft warm glow over the nearby tables.
The moment you take the stage, Brit, the orbs of orange light rise toward the ceiling. They disappear into hidden recesses and gently increase the level of light. Two shine directly upon you. A third shines on your instrument. They track the gentlest of your movements, even as you (if you decide to) take a seat on the chair provided.
As your claws strum your string instrument, you hear the sound of the notes increase in volume, as if augmented by some magical means. A simple spell, really, if you know the incantation.
A few eyes turn toward you, impressed by your song. A small crowd moves in closer, gathering from around the tavern hall, to hear you play.
"I am on my way to visit my father, Adar, in the healing tent. I could take you after my visit with him." His eyes change at the mention of his father, Sybil. Sadness melts into gladness, and the half-orc explains why. "My father fell prey to the Death Curse. A herd of undead owl bears attacked my village many months ago, before the Death Curse began to pull our loved ones back to the earth. His wounds were too severe. He died. The gods spared me. I sold every treasure my tribal brothers and sisters made, and bought a resurrection spell." As he says this, you sense an inner struggle he has since made peace with over time. Whatever pain he was holding onto he set free. He found strength from the lessons he learned over the last year.
"Adar began to die once again. I couldn't save him. With the help of a few people from the other side of the sea, we sought the Death Curse. We fought together, and we rested together. We saved Chult, my father, and my home."
At the sharp sound of your voice, Madalyn, the boy recoils and shrinks away. He stuffs his hands into his arms, pouting. "It's my turn!"
It's not, he's just neglected. And you know that. The orphans live nearby, not too far from the hill, where the grass meets the rocky shore. They've learned how to evade the undead that comes crawling out of the jungle. They might not be quick on their feet, but they're small and agile and they can swim, whereas the undead simply sink to the bottom of the bay, far out of reach, far from the only place these children can find peace.
Baaba blinks his eyes with surprise. He was certain you were going to send him away, like all the other adults he bothers. He smiles with all the teeth he can gleam when you ask him to sit near you. He drops beside Zaduni, and she pats him on the leg. "See. Room for me. Room for you," she says wistfully. Her eyes suddenly widen. She giggles with delight as half-a-dozen transparent monarch butterflies descend around her. Each lands on her outstretched arm. She names them.
Jealous, of course, Baaba leaps from his spot. He swings his arm to swat the fey creatures away.
"No, Baaba," Zaduni chides. "Be nice to Flit… Floot… Flink… Flen… Fles…Fleur. They are my friends."
The other children have all taken their seats. They are anxious to hear your tale. Three of them you notice have wooden swords across their legs. You know, in case you might need a reenactment, a visual aid to move the fight scene along.
Daumu arrives too, and just in time. He waves. "Hello, MAH-DU-LYNN," he grunts loudly with a long slow drawl.
Oh boy this is long, I apologize ^^;
"Hello Daumu, take a seat! I'm just about to start." Madalyn tilts her head, her tail swinging to and fro. "Before I do though, I need you all to promise me something."
The children look up in questioning looks and a bit of worry in their eyes.
"Fairly soon, I'm going to have to go, so I need you all to promise that once I do leave, you treat each other as family. After all, you all have grown up so much since I've been here, and it would be a shame if you stopped growing without me."
The kids, upon hearing this, all start crying and swarm Madalyn with hugs, begging her to not go. The only ones to not immediately swarm her are Baaba and Polenth who stand back for a moment and think about what Madalyn said. Polenth, always the first to speak states as she wipes a single tear away, "No worries Maddie, I'll take care of them." Baaba clenches his fist and bravely says, "I'll learn how to fight so that I can keep everyone safe from undead!"
"Thank you, you two. And everyone, I won't be gone forever. I'll be getting stronger while I'm gone too. After all, how can I keep taking care of people around the world if I stay here? So let me change the promise I want you all to make. When I come back, I want you all to be brave without me, to get stronger and smarter so that you too, can take care of those around you. When I come back, I want to see you all at you're very best okay?"
The kids stop crying and say in unison, "We promise!"
"Now then, how about an admittedly cliche story of a knight in shining armor saving a princess?"
Daumu speaks up, "How about you tell us the story about why you came to Chult in the first place? I think it would be a nice goodbye to know more about why you wanted to be here, so that we can follow in your footsteps." The other kids seem to gain interest in this idea and come up with theories out loud until they break Madalyn.
"Alright, alright. So, as you can imagine, many people were interested in getting rid of the death curse right? Well when I heard about the death curse, I felt as though I had no other choice, I had to come here, so I did. I had originally come here so that I could heal adventurers through out their quest. When I arrived here on my first day, I was over whelmed by the sheer amount of people who wanted to get rid of the death curse. I thought to myself 'Why did I come here? I'm lost, sweaty, and crowded.' Then I somehow managed to find my way to the local church. I'm glad I did as I was able to get the best sleep that I had gotten in a long time. I'll be honest, I don't do too well on ships. When I woke up, I set out to find a group, only to find that all the adventuring parties were formed and out in the jungle, so I decided to stay in town and help out where ever I could. About a week of working later, I found you all. The rest is history as they say." Madalyn sees looks of dissapointment in some of the kids faces, almost as if they were saying 'that's all?' It makes Madalyn a tad bit nervous as her tail visibly wraps around her leg. "Yea, not a glamorous reason to have stayed, but it lead to me meeting you all, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Now then, time for the story!"
You, Madalyn, are rewarded with passionate outcries of disapproval. "Boo! Boo!" Some of the boys chant. Tough audience. "Boo!"
"Don't boo," Polenth says, as she strikes up a three-note song. "O-Nana. O-Nana," she claps. "O-Nana."
The children soon follow her lead. It takes them a fair minute to find each other's rhythm, but very soon they're clapping as one single metronome, a sure and steady heartbeat, clapping and singing, "O-Nana!"
Your audience is waiting spinner of tales, mentor of the Filthy Dozen.
Sybil's gaze seems to harden just ever so slightly, her elven features helping mask most of her hidden emotions in a cool and almost unemotional look on her face.
She quietly and warmly tells Zhorvakk, "Thank you very much. I was feeling a little lost."
But as soon as she said that, Sybil quickly stops talking, as if she heard a double-meaning in her own words. She tries to see if the half-orc in front of her has noticed it, but acts as if she did not mean anything by it. As she decidedly follows Zhorvakk, she can't help but feel a mix of emotions. When she thought he wasn't looking, her ice-blue eye seemed to have a curious glint to it before it became cold again within a split-second.
Despite the heartfelt story he had told her of his father, Sybil remains wary of him. She wasn't sure what to feel about opening up to her so freely. He was almost the exact opposite of her if this was truly what he was like all the time. Bright, open... and free. Everything that she had lost long ago. And as she followed him, she looked around her surroundings, always checking to look for potential danger or for any hint of what she had come here, Port Nyanzaru, looking for.
Perception Check: 20 (Natural) // Total = 24
"Okay kids, settle down, It's time to tell the story of a knight in shining armor, although I have come up with a small twist to the overused story that I think you all will enjoy." Madalyn waits for the kids to sit down and listen.
"Once upon a time, there was a prince and a princess that were siblings. Prince Randy is sweet and gentle while Princess Anna is brave and courageous. Their father is King Olo, and he was known for being the greatest king to live.It was Princess Anna's 15th birthday and Prince Randy wanted to get the perfect gift for her. He wanted to get the Magic Stone, said to grant any wish! Prince Randy knew it was a dangerous adventure, but he truly wanted to get his sister, Princess Anna, the perfect gift. Prince Randy got his equipment ready. Armor polished, weapons sharpened, and head out on a journey through the woods nearby to search for the magic stone. While exploring, he stumbled upon a cave with quite the magical glow to it. When he went inside, he found the Magic Stone laying on a rock. Prince Randy grabbed it and put it in his pocket as he left the cave to return home. As he was leaving the cave however, he was stopped by the evil wizard Asa, and was kidnapped. While he was kidnapped however, some other prisoners of the evil wizard Asa, escaped and were able to run back to tell King Olo and Princess Anna that Prince Randy was kidnapped. Princess Anna had heard some of the knights talking about how they were going to save Prince Randy and wanted to go save him herself. King Olo however, thought that Princess Anna should stay home and said 'It's too dangerous for a girl to go fight an evil wizard!' So Princess Anna went to find an extra suit of armor. When Princess Anna did find a suit of armor, she left the castle without King Olo's notice, and she traveled to the forest to find her brother, Prince Randy. Princess Ana found a cave that looked exactly like the one the guards were talking about and so she went in. When she did, Princess Anna found her brother inside a giant cage and when she ran up to it, Princess Anna was stopped by the evil wizard Asa, who used magic to push her away. Prince Randy, upon seeing this, remembered the stone and threw it at Princess Anna. Princess Anna caught it and used it to wish for the evil wizard Asa to be a good wizard. Asa the evil wizard was turned into a friendly wizard and apologized to both Prince Randy and Princess Anna. He wanted to become friends with them and was welcomed to the castle. King Olo forgave the wizard and continued Princess Anna's birthday party. Princess Anna ended up having the best birthday ever."
ooc: Does Herman listen to this conversation?
,
OOC: do I need to write anything further at this time?
Jack goes into a dark corner and hide himself as he takes on the appearance of a human man.
He slightly mumbles to him self "Must find someone to show me around!"
Yes, Herman is there when Omaha presents his offer,
ooc: @DM: Does Herman know more or less how far is Baludr's Gate? Does he (I frankly don't) realise if the price could be considered fair, a bad catch or almost a theft?
IN GAME: AT THE INN:
Herman starts to sip his beer and nodding his head at the time of Brit's tune, just commenting:
"Well...interesting..."
,
((OOC: I'm not much of a song writer, but in terms of the song Brit plays, it'll sound like American Authors' "Pocket Full of Gold"))
Having successfully caught the attention of many of the tavern patrons, Brit lets the energy of the room and the song control his movements. Ignoring the chair, he dances and spins as he plays, relishing in the eyes and ears affixed to him. He smiles, showing off his fangs, and smirks across the room at the giant who had encouraged him and at Sh’varra.
When the song ends, Brit takes a bow and simply drops down and sits on the edge of the stage, pulling out an empty sack and gesturing to the audience. "Like what you hear Ladies, Gents and others? If you're a nice enough I might play more! C'mon now don't be shy! Musicians gotta eat too!"
"You may have heard of one like me..."
I'm an artist. You can find my work, and my sporadic warbling, here on my tumblr.
With a wild grin, Sh'varra saunters over to the stage. "You play well," she says to you, Brit.
Aye, indeed, you have played well. The gathered crowd has arranged a few chairs and tables close to you. "Another," a man in chain male armor and helm shouts. He turns to the others around him, nodding. "Another," he shouts, pounding a fist against his amor. "Another! Regale us!"
Omaha's offer isn't unusual. Take into account that he's asking you to watch over the cargo between Nyanzaru and Baldur's Gate, a trip across the Shining Sea that could last a few weeks. His offer is a fair price.