The tavern is busy enough for a small town inn, and on their way back there, the group run into a guard making their way inside. Removing their helm, the guard, reveals themselves to be a female half elf who glances over to Vin specifically and says "thank you for bringing him back!" She then goes rushing off toward Iver and greets him with a leaping hug and a punch to the head.
As the group gather their drinks they overhear Iver's sister generally questioning him and giving him a hard time, iver tries to keep the mood light and away from the obvious question, but it is not long before Helana notices and asks about Iver's burns. He responds with a simple "it's the risks you have to take in the line of duty...".
Vin looks at the floor, unable to bring himself to listen to the interaction. Nef gives a 'borf ' and nuzzles his hand before Vin gets a room key from Elthana and takes himself off to bed.
"What is good to be drinking from places such as this?" inquires Griff to the rest of the group.
Sam makes a point of walking by Iver and putting a fresh mug of whatever he’s drinking in front of him.
“This guy tell you how he saved Hokum?” Sam asks loudly for all the nearby tables to hear but turning to look at his sister. “This fool here held the line and saved damn near the remaining people of that town from being slaughtered by red capped marauders for some weird ass blood ritual. Me and my crew, we headed off for the head honcho but Iver here? This man did the hard, in the trenches, thankless work.” Sam then turns to Iver, raises a glass to him and then promptly drains it. Sam doesn’t linger though and heads back to the others…
Sam shakes his head a bit as the kid leaves shortly after. “Good kid but is gunna have to learn not to carry it all himself if he wants to stay in this business,” Sam notes before grabbing whatever remains of Vin’s drink for himself.
“What is the good!” Sam asks, repeating the question. “Ahh now, that’s no easy question…”
“If’n alls you wants a drink, there’s cheaper by far to be had. Place like this you don’t come for the drinks… rather you do, but you don’t, if you take my meaning…” It’s pretty apparent that Griff does not.
“The drink is an excuse, mostly,” Sam goes on trying to explain. “To socialize. To commiserate. To forget.. or sometimes to recall… To fight, sometimes. Or to patch things up. Truth is, mostly, the drink is incidental. It’s mostly about the more… social aspects. You all have no kind of public house to get together and just relax in with one another?”
Muir walks in a little after the group and goes to sit with them "I thought I would sit a tiny bit before heading to my tree. I found a nice one secluded enough. These towns and big cities make me a bit anxious. You are all welcome to join me in my tree if you prefer." Muir sits looking for something not so meaty to eat
"we have bath house, is drinking, is relaxing, is talking with others yes, but drinks is not being the same maybe, will you buying me one of what you are drinking Sam? Maybe I like and we can be having socialize, commiserate and maybe fight yes?" Griff lifts and sniffs one of the tankards that Sam drained ale from and raises his brow in intrigue.
Helana the guard, doesn't seem too impressed by sams tale of bravery and strength, nor does she seem satisfied by Iver's vague answer to his injuries. Looking around at Sam and the group she leaves her brother to his drink by the fire and the patrons of the bar who, upon hearing Sam's description, begin to cheer and celebrate around Iver in their half drunken states. Helana steps to the group, leaning on the bar she looks to Muir, Gewyn, and Elthana, "you were with him? Fighting alongside him? Stories of heroics and bravery are normally exaggerated tales of stupidity and recklessness where the person happened to get lucky enough not to die... What happened to him? His burns? His injuries?" Though her tone is sharp, her face displays nothing but worry, the look of someone who has seen fighting and knows how even the smallest of scuffles can quickly turn to deadly situations given the wrong circumstances.
Sam shrugs. "You're a grown man," Sam says to Griff. "Or... I suppose, anyway." At that Sam will signal for a waiter (or get up and go to the bar, if need be) and get a couple drinks for Griff. Sam orders an ale the same as he himself is having. Sam also orders a wine, a mead and either a fruit juice or some other non-alcoholic tasty kind of drink they serve.
"Try each a sip or two, then keep whichever you like," Sam instructs. "And go slow... these drinks affect everyone different. Drink too much of the wrong one and you will likely regret it in the morning..."
Sam shrugs again when Helana comes over and questions the others. He had told the truth, best as he remembers it. The rest was for Iver to tell. Or not. At least in Sam's estimation.
"Thanks," Sam says when Muir offers the accommodations of his tree. "But no thanks. I'm anxious when I can't hear the creaks and the sounds and the bustle of the city around me... Too much peace and quiet just doesn't sit right with me, ya know?"
Elthana smirks at Sam as he talks Iver up, but in honesty, it warms her to see how he is trying to make the woman's brother out to be a hero. Iver did do quite a bit and never backed down to what was asked of him, why shouldn't he be painted that way? This was all new territory for Elthana, but it made sense to her.
She thanks Muir for the offer, but is actually looking forward to a bed for the night. She is also just enjoying her friends without having any real worries as the night draws to a close. "Griff, Sam is full of bologna. Of course we come here to drink! You don't need to socialize if you don't want to, just a nice way to unwind. And I told you all, drinks are on me. At least till I say I'm done!"
She glares at Helana as she second guesses Sams recount of her brothers actions. "He did fight bravely. He wasn't stupid or reckless at all. As for his injuries? Those are for him to tell, not us."
Gewyn stands up with a tankard in hand and claps Helana on the shoulder. "You've the look of someone who understands. Who understands what it is to put your life and safety on the the line. On that knife's edge, all for what you deem to be a greater cause. To put yourself forward willingly to brave hazard and violent intention because you have a duty." He takes a big swig of his drink. "You know then, that it is no trifling matter. Nor is it an easy one. If I am being honest, we ALL just happened to be lucky enough not to die. And not for being reckless. Duty isn't always easy. But understanding all this, you'll also know what it is that he needs now. He is home from a battlefield of swords and blood. Let him not return home to find himself in yet another battle but of words."
Gewyn downs the rest of his drink, takes his hand off of Helana's shoulder and turns to face her. "Also, hello. I don't believe we've met before. The name's Gewyn, and the pleasure's mutual. Now, shall we have another round? With how wide that bar is, I find it distasteful that no one is dancing upon it, and I aim to remedy that. And though I am no physicker, I do believe the remedy is more ale!"
Muir sits and listens but doesn't add anything as he is deep in thought. He comes to after hearing Gewyn add he plans to get people dancing "Gewyn don't forget you have to go back to Dennis and record for his dolls. I am going to retire to my tree for the evening. You all have a good night"
The guard looks frustrated by Elthana's answer and then slightly reassured by Gewyn's, "I am Helana. Helana Pepper. Iver, as I said is my brother... I don't aim to draw this out, I can see he's been through enough, which is why I wanted him home as soon as possible." She relaxes slightly, "he's always been a stickler for doing what is right, for putting others before himself, I admired him for it for a long time, but... Well... Then something happened. I knew it was only a matter of time before something worse became of his selflessness." At this point she slaps a few silver coins into the counter and Trina the minotaur barkeep responds by replacing the coin with an ale. "Perhaps I'm just selfish, perhaps I see him as selfish for not looking after himself better, I don't know... The important thing is he is back, and maybe once he's returned to marblestead they'll make him push paper for a while, or post him here with me, sleepy little town guarding ought to be better. He returned my ring too, I assume your friend vin got it to him? You are the guys who were with vin on the way to Hokum right? I owe him my thanks..."
.
Griff takes an ale after being reassured that elthana is covering payment, he watches Sam as the half orc easily drains another tankard and attempts the same. Amber ale drips down the side of Griff's orange beak and then he coughs, suds begin to bubble out of the holes in which the bird smells from and Griff doubles over attempting to get his breath back, "I thinking I am drinking this wrongly" he gets out between coughs and splutters before clearing his throat and doubling down, attempting to finish his tankard in the next swig.
Elthana chuckles as Griff attempts to copy Sam, "Slow down there Griff, Sam has way more experience on this than you do."
As her remaining friends relax in the Inn, she sidles up next to Gewyn, "How are you holding up? What are you going to do once we get back to Marblestead?"
Gewyn laughs at Griff's display and says, "You're on the right track. What I've learned is that practice makes perfect." He takes a large swig of his own drink, not so much as wincing. "Oh, hey," he says as Elthana appears next to him. "So long as what I'm holding up is booze, how I'm holding up is just aces. So I expect I'm going to kick up a party here, get everyone having a good time..." he takes another sip, this time accompanied by a sour face. "...and then get home to Marblestead and do it all again!" His smile is wide, but there is a tiredness behind his eyes that he does not hide from Elthana. At least not convincingly
He pats her on the shoulder as he stands up from his seat, head and mug tilted back in unison. Downing the remainder of his drink, he walks off toward the bar. Grabbing a couple more empty tankards along the way, he starts juggling. Clack, clack, clack, clack, thump... the mugs land one after the other on the bar followed shortly by soft footfalls, Gewyn having hopped up beside them with his pipes in hand. Moments later, he is leading the other patrons on in a popular tavern ballad, dancing over their drinks.
Some time later, he slips out from the heat of the crowd, to the chill winter air, and heads back over towards Dennis' place with his arms tightly wrapped around himself for warmth.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Push paper?" Sam calls out when the sister expresses her desire for that to be Iver's next assignment. Sam then begins to open his mouth and lay out a lecture about how nobody is safe, specially not paper pushers, when evil comes to town... How Iver saved his own life and that of others and how her selfish desire for him to play it safe is akin to asking for those lives to be sacrificed instead. Sam considers asking her how she herself can wear the kit of a guard if she is not willing to play the role... And if she is willing to then how is she willing to ask her brother to refuse to do the same. Sam considers that... But then he notices he has a fresh ale in front of him and chooses to deal with that instead.
Sam laughs at Griff trying to chug the beer. Once back in control of himself Sam says "You know how to drink, just drink it like that! Faster if you want, but don't go trying to reinvent the process..." Sam is more than happy to demonstrate.
"What's his deal anyway?" Sam asks Elthana after watching Gewyn leave the table and start his act. "I don't think I ever seen a more unhappy performer..."
Eventually Sam falls more into the spirit of the rest of the crowd. He never gets so lost in the mood as to start singing along himself but he does lose himself to the cups and mugs and the free flowing drink. Sam is as home in a bar or tavern as he is almost anywhere else. That doesn't always mean comfortable or happy, what home hasn't seen it's share of misery and tragedy? The flow of drinks brings him back to the old times... for good and for ill.
((1-50 Sam just gets shitfaced and eventually wanders off to him room. 51-70 Sam gets into a bar fight for any of various possible reasons but it ends more or less with everyone being cut off and sent home and what's done is done. 71-90 Sam gets into a bar fight that ends with the guards being called and arresting the brawlers. 91-100 Sam is still at the table come breakfast, still drinking at a steady enough pace to keep that good solid drunk on, much to the chagrin of annoyed bartender who has been unable to leave. IF a fight happens then I'll concoct a reason list and roll again... lol))
((1-50 Sam just gets shitfaced and eventually wanders off to him room. 51-70 Sam gets into a bar fight for any of various possible reasons but it ends more or less with everyone being cut off and sent home and what's done is done. 71-90 Sam gets into a bar fight that ends with the guards being called and arresting the brawlers. 91-100 Sam is still at the table come breakfast, still drinking at a steady enough pace to keep that good solid drunk on, much to the chagrin of annoyed bartender who has been unable to leave. IF a fight happens then I'll concoct a reason list and roll again... lol))
99
When the others return to the tavern in the morning they find Sam still there, still with a drink in front of him. It's obvious he is half in the bag and a glance at any of the workers quickly indicates they've given up on trying to get him up and out.
"There ya are," Sam says in muddled growl. "Grab a seat and another round!" The large half orc is hunched over a half full mug but starts draining it when seeing company approach. He is in that a heavily drunk state that teeters somewhere between coherent and stupor, amiable and antagonistic - He could likely go any way at any point but for now he is just deeply, deeply drunk.
"Better grab two rounds," Sam adds. "Getting late, don't know when they close..."
Elthana nods to Gewyn as he heads off to perform and to Sam, "Yeah, he sure seems tired. Not sure if its been the travel, or what he went through in Hokum... hopefully getting back to Marblestead will be good for him."
She continues to drink in her seat, using her hand to prop her head up as she is entertained by Gewyn, the singing tavern people and Sam and Griff's antics. She feels warm and relaxed, more than she can ever pin down she's been before. She hiccups. Finds this amusing and takes another drink. She finds her self cheering on Gewyn on the bar, but is twinged with a bit of sadness that Vin and Muir weren't there to share in the merriment.
She's not sure how the drinks keep coming, but she cuts off her open tab when the place starts singing. The place was starting to spin a bit for her, so she decides to take breather outside. When she gets off her chair, she finds she can't exactly walk in a straight line, and finds this extremely amusing as well, pointing it out to Iver's sister as she stumbles by.
Outside she leans against the bar's exterior, breathing in the frigid air, feeling a little bit less dizzy and then notices Gewyn leave the bar. She trots over to him, navigating her drunkeness with surprising ease after getting outside.
It takes some time for Elthana leaving to soak past the alcohol and into Sam's brain. She had damn near kept up with him, he figured, and she definitely wasn't walking straight... Not that Sam though he could, either. But he's a lumbering fool and Elthana is usually quite graceful to watch. Not that I've been watching, he tell himself. Still... Whatever. Fine! Sam puts his hands flat on the table atop his newly refilled mug and grunts...The grunt gave him just the push he needed to stand up, with the help of his hands for balance, and head out after Elthana to make sure she was ok...
But Sam spies Gewyn slip away from the crowd. No mean feat that, slipping out with half the damn bar still thinking you're leading the song... And Sam sees him slip out into the cold. Must be going after Elthana, Sam thinks and slumps back into the chair with slightly darkened mood. "Least she'll be ok," Sam slurs to himself and then throws up an arm to call for another round.
The night progresses and begins to wind down, especially after Gewyn leaves, taking a key from Elthana as he goes just in case his favour for Dennis takes longer than expected. Iver offers the remains of the group goodnight at some point and leaves, accompanying his sister to her residence.
Elthana returns to the bar shortly after she left and when she decides to turn in for the night, she finds a very wobbly Griff in need of somewhere to sleep, and only one room key left on her, vin and Gewyn having taken the others.
When the sun comes up and the group find their way back to the bar, Muir still missing, out in his tree and Iver having left the night before. The entire place is cleared of glasses, chairs are on tables the floor is swept, all apart from one table near the fire. On that particular table sits Sam, merrily chatting away to Trina the minotaur who looks half drunk herself and oh so very tired. "Your friend here drank the whole night, last man standing... I'd respect it more if I wasn't the one who had to stay up supplying the booze, but I made a nice little tip..." She shrugs as she quietly tells the group that before getting them all a morning drink on Sam.
The smell of breakfast foods frying comes the kitchen somewhere behind the bar and after a while a little bell rings and Trina heads out back to fetch people's breakfasts.
Crispy fried potatoes and egg, onions and spiced sausages, each member of the group gets their fill.
“She’s shust… she’s just shitting ya,” Sam insists in that special determined way only the truly drunk seem to have. “She the one talking my ear off…”
Sam turns and focuses on someone else before adding “All night long with the pouring and the talking…”
“Has to get done sleeps, i tolds her…” Sam continues, thousand yard stare focused somewhere far behind the post Sam is pointing his eyes at. “But … do you know she has a niece? Trina…”
Sam turns to Elthana now. “Trina has a niece. Her niece isn’t Trina… I don’t…”
“Trina!” Sam calls out, looking for the bartender. “Trina! Is Trina your niece?”
“Trina has a Trina,” Sam assures Elthana. “A niece Trina with a… with.. a dress or somethi… How come you never wear dresses? I mean not when we’re fighting in the snowtrees or the red hag or…” Sam’s stream of consciousness pauses for a bit but then he notices good in front of him and he very studiously starts shoveling his maw full.
“There some ale to go with this?” He asks. “Niece? More ale!”
The ale is brought to the table with the biggest eye roll from Trina, "yes yes, my sister's child Tina, T-ee-n-aaaa, Trina has a Tina, you made that joke before." The minotaur exasperatedly sounds out the name as if talking to a small child, Looking back to the group she continues, "Tina was here earlier, she checks in with me before going to ready the kitchen and begin breakfast, though this morning she has to manage on her own. Anyway, he hasn't thrown up once he, though there is a bucket under his chair if he's looking a little peaky... Right, I'm gonna square you up now Sam, no more tab, it's breakfast time and you owe me nine gold."
“Thanks Trina,” Sam manages clearly enough as he digs out and hands her the nine gold. “You’re a peach.. l
“And this is for Niece Trina,” Sam says, digging out nine more gold and handing it to Tina. “But her some peaches with it…”
“And for yourselves,” Sam adds, handing over none more gold. “For being such a peaches… Any time you need someone to keep you from dozing off overnight you just.., you just let me…” And after handing over 27 gold total Sam’s attention strays back to the good and he begins devouring again.
“Any ale left over to wash this down with?”
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Gewyn twirls about at the mention of free drinks, gathers up his things with a fire in his eye, and rushes off after the others.
The tavern is busy enough for a small town inn, and on their way back there, the group run into a guard making their way inside. Removing their helm, the guard, reveals themselves to be a female half elf who glances over to Vin specifically and says "thank you for bringing him back!" She then goes rushing off toward Iver and greets him with a leaping hug and a punch to the head.
As the group gather their drinks they overhear Iver's sister generally questioning him and giving him a hard time, iver tries to keep the mood light and away from the obvious question, but it is not long before Helana notices and asks about Iver's burns. He responds with a simple "it's the risks you have to take in the line of duty...".
Vin looks at the floor, unable to bring himself to listen to the interaction. Nef gives a 'borf ' and nuzzles his hand before Vin gets a room key from Elthana and takes himself off to bed.
"What is good to be drinking from places such as this?" inquires Griff to the rest of the group.
Sam makes a point of walking by Iver and putting a fresh mug of whatever he’s drinking in front of him.
“This guy tell you how he saved Hokum?” Sam asks loudly for all the nearby tables to hear but turning to look at his sister. “This fool here held the line and saved damn near the remaining people of that town from being slaughtered by red capped marauders for some weird ass blood ritual. Me and my crew, we headed off for the head honcho but Iver here? This man did the hard, in the trenches, thankless work.” Sam then turns to Iver, raises a glass to him and then promptly drains it. Sam doesn’t linger though and heads back to the others…
Sam shakes his head a bit as the kid leaves shortly after. “Good kid but is gunna have to learn not to carry it all himself if he wants to stay in this business,” Sam notes before grabbing whatever remains of Vin’s drink for himself.
“What is the good!” Sam asks, repeating the question. “Ahh now, that’s no easy question…”
“If’n alls you wants a drink, there’s cheaper by far to be had. Place like this you don’t come for the drinks… rather you do, but you don’t, if you take my meaning…” It’s pretty apparent that Griff does not.
“The drink is an excuse, mostly,” Sam goes on trying to explain. “To socialize. To commiserate. To forget.. or sometimes to recall… To fight, sometimes. Or to patch things up. Truth is, mostly, the drink is incidental. It’s mostly about the more… social aspects. You all have no kind of public house to get together and just relax in with one another?”
Muir walks in a little after the group and goes to sit with them "I thought I would sit a tiny bit before heading to my tree. I found a nice one secluded enough. These towns and big cities make me a bit anxious. You are all welcome to join me in my tree if you prefer." Muir sits looking for something not so meaty to eat
"we have bath house, is drinking, is relaxing, is talking with others yes, but drinks is not being the same maybe, will you buying me one of what you are drinking Sam? Maybe I like and we can be having socialize, commiserate and maybe fight yes?" Griff lifts and sniffs one of the tankards that Sam drained ale from and raises his brow in intrigue.
Helana the guard, doesn't seem too impressed by sams tale of bravery and strength, nor does she seem satisfied by Iver's vague answer to his injuries. Looking around at Sam and the group she leaves her brother to his drink by the fire and the patrons of the bar who, upon hearing Sam's description, begin to cheer and celebrate around Iver in their half drunken states. Helana steps to the group, leaning on the bar she looks to Muir, Gewyn, and Elthana, "you were with him? Fighting alongside him? Stories of heroics and bravery are normally exaggerated tales of stupidity and recklessness where the person happened to get lucky enough not to die... What happened to him? His burns? His injuries?" Though her tone is sharp, her face displays nothing but worry, the look of someone who has seen fighting and knows how even the smallest of scuffles can quickly turn to deadly situations given the wrong circumstances.
Sam shrugs. "You're a grown man," Sam says to Griff. "Or... I suppose, anyway." At that Sam will signal for a waiter (or get up and go to the bar, if need be) and get a couple drinks for Griff. Sam orders an ale the same as he himself is having. Sam also orders a wine, a mead and either a fruit juice or some other non-alcoholic tasty kind of drink they serve.
"Try each a sip or two, then keep whichever you like," Sam instructs. "And go slow... these drinks affect everyone different. Drink too much of the wrong one and you will likely regret it in the morning..."
Sam shrugs again when Helana comes over and questions the others. He had told the truth, best as he remembers it. The rest was for Iver to tell. Or not. At least in Sam's estimation.
"Thanks," Sam says when Muir offers the accommodations of his tree. "But no thanks. I'm anxious when I can't hear the creaks and the sounds and the bustle of the city around me... Too much peace and quiet just doesn't sit right with me, ya know?"
Elthana smirks at Sam as he talks Iver up, but in honesty, it warms her to see how he is trying to make the woman's brother out to be a hero. Iver did do quite a bit and never backed down to what was asked of him, why shouldn't he be painted that way? This was all new territory for Elthana, but it made sense to her.
She thanks Muir for the offer, but is actually looking forward to a bed for the night. She is also just enjoying her friends without having any real worries as the night draws to a close. "Griff, Sam is full of bologna. Of course we come here to drink! You don't need to socialize if you don't want to, just a nice way to unwind. And I told you all, drinks are on me. At least till I say I'm done!"
She glares at Helana as she second guesses Sams recount of her brothers actions. "He did fight bravely. He wasn't stupid or reckless at all. As for his injuries? Those are for him to tell, not us."
Gewyn stands up with a tankard in hand and claps Helana on the shoulder. "You've the look of someone who understands. Who understands what it is to put your life and safety on the the line. On that knife's edge, all for what you deem to be a greater cause. To put yourself forward willingly to brave hazard and violent intention because you have a duty." He takes a big swig of his drink. "You know then, that it is no trifling matter. Nor is it an easy one. If I am being honest, we ALL just happened to be lucky enough not to die. And not for being reckless. Duty isn't always easy. But understanding all this, you'll also know what it is that he needs now. He is home from a battlefield of swords and blood. Let him not return home to find himself in yet another battle but of words."
Gewyn downs the rest of his drink, takes his hand off of Helana's shoulder and turns to face her. "Also, hello. I don't believe we've met before. The name's Gewyn, and the pleasure's mutual. Now, shall we have another round? With how wide that bar is, I find it distasteful that no one is dancing upon it, and I aim to remedy that. And though I am no physicker, I do believe the remedy is more ale!"
Muir sits and listens but doesn't add anything as he is deep in thought. He comes to after hearing Gewyn add he plans to get people dancing "Gewyn don't forget you have to go back to Dennis and record for his dolls. I am going to retire to my tree for the evening. You all have a good night"
The guard looks frustrated by Elthana's answer and then slightly reassured by Gewyn's, "I am Helana. Helana Pepper. Iver, as I said is my brother... I don't aim to draw this out, I can see he's been through enough, which is why I wanted him home as soon as possible." She relaxes slightly, "he's always been a stickler for doing what is right, for putting others before himself, I admired him for it for a long time, but... Well... Then something happened. I knew it was only a matter of time before something worse became of his selflessness." At this point she slaps a few silver coins into the counter and Trina the minotaur barkeep responds by replacing the coin with an ale. "Perhaps I'm just selfish, perhaps I see him as selfish for not looking after himself better, I don't know... The important thing is he is back, and maybe once he's returned to marblestead they'll make him push paper for a while, or post him here with me, sleepy little town guarding ought to be better. He returned my ring too, I assume your friend vin got it to him? You are the guys who were with vin on the way to Hokum right? I owe him my thanks..."
.
Griff takes an ale after being reassured that elthana is covering payment, he watches Sam as the half orc easily drains another tankard and attempts the same. Amber ale drips down the side of Griff's orange beak and then he coughs, suds begin to bubble out of the holes in which the bird smells from and Griff doubles over attempting to get his breath back, "I thinking I am drinking this wrongly" he gets out between coughs and splutters before clearing his throat and doubling down, attempting to finish his tankard in the next swig.
Elthana chuckles as Griff attempts to copy Sam, "Slow down there Griff, Sam has way more experience on this than you do."
As her remaining friends relax in the Inn, she sidles up next to Gewyn, "How are you holding up? What are you going to do once we get back to Marblestead?"
Gewyn laughs at Griff's display and says, "You're on the right track. What I've learned is that practice makes perfect." He takes a large swig of his own drink, not so much as wincing. "Oh, hey," he says as Elthana appears next to him. "So long as what I'm holding up is booze, how I'm holding up is just aces. So I expect I'm going to kick up a party here, get everyone having a good time..." he takes another sip, this time accompanied by a sour face. "...and then get home to Marblestead and do it all again!" His smile is wide, but there is a tiredness behind his eyes that he does not hide from Elthana. At least not convincingly
He pats her on the shoulder as he stands up from his seat, head and mug tilted back in unison. Downing the remainder of his drink, he walks off toward the bar. Grabbing a couple more empty tankards along the way, he starts juggling. Clack, clack, clack, clack, thump... the mugs land one after the other on the bar followed shortly by soft footfalls, Gewyn having hopped up beside them with his pipes in hand. Moments later, he is leading the other patrons on in a popular tavern ballad, dancing over their drinks.
Some time later, he slips out from the heat of the crowd, to the chill winter air, and heads back over towards Dennis' place with his arms tightly wrapped around himself for warmth.
"Push paper?" Sam calls out when the sister expresses her desire for that to be Iver's next assignment. Sam then begins to open his mouth and lay out a lecture about how nobody is safe, specially not paper pushers, when evil comes to town... How Iver saved his own life and that of others and how her selfish desire for him to play it safe is akin to asking for those lives to be sacrificed instead. Sam considers asking her how she herself can wear the kit of a guard if she is not willing to play the role... And if she is willing to then how is she willing to ask her brother to refuse to do the same. Sam considers that... But then he notices he has a fresh ale in front of him and chooses to deal with that instead.
Sam laughs at Griff trying to chug the beer. Once back in control of himself Sam says "You know how to drink, just drink it like that! Faster if you want, but don't go trying to reinvent the process..." Sam is more than happy to demonstrate.
"What's his deal anyway?" Sam asks Elthana after watching Gewyn leave the table and start his act. "I don't think I ever seen a more unhappy performer..."
Eventually Sam falls more into the spirit of the rest of the crowd. He never gets so lost in the mood as to start singing along himself but he does lose himself to the cups and mugs and the free flowing drink. Sam is as home in a bar or tavern as he is almost anywhere else. That doesn't always mean comfortable or happy, what home hasn't seen it's share of misery and tragedy? The flow of drinks brings him back to the old times... for good and for ill.
((1-50 Sam just gets shitfaced and eventually wanders off to him room. 51-70 Sam gets into a bar fight for any of various possible reasons but it ends more or less with everyone being cut off and sent home and what's done is done. 71-90 Sam gets into a bar fight that ends with the guards being called and arresting the brawlers. 91-100 Sam is still at the table come breakfast, still drinking at a steady enough pace to keep that good solid drunk on, much to the chagrin of annoyed bartender who has been unable to leave. IF a fight happens then I'll concoct a reason list and roll again... lol))
74
((Will follow up once I see results...))
When the others return to the tavern in the morning they find Sam still there, still with a drink in front of him. It's obvious he is half in the bag and a glance at any of the workers quickly indicates they've given up on trying to get him up and out.
"There ya are," Sam says in muddled growl. "Grab a seat and another round!" The large half orc is hunched over a half full mug but starts draining it when seeing company approach. He is in that a heavily drunk state that teeters somewhere between coherent and stupor, amiable and antagonistic - He could likely go any way at any point but for now he is just deeply, deeply drunk.
"Better grab two rounds," Sam adds. "Getting late, don't know when they close..."
Elthana nods to Gewyn as he heads off to perform and to Sam, "Yeah, he sure seems tired. Not sure if its been the travel, or what he went through in Hokum... hopefully getting back to Marblestead will be good for him."
She continues to drink in her seat, using her hand to prop her head up as she is entertained by Gewyn, the singing tavern people and Sam and Griff's antics. She feels warm and relaxed, more than she can ever pin down she's been before. She hiccups. Finds this amusing and takes another drink. She finds her self cheering on Gewyn on the bar, but is twinged with a bit of sadness that Vin and Muir weren't there to share in the merriment.
She's not sure how the drinks keep coming, but she cuts off her open tab when the place starts singing. The place was starting to spin a bit for her, so she decides to take breather outside. When she gets off her chair, she finds she can't exactly walk in a straight line, and finds this extremely amusing as well, pointing it out to Iver's sister as she stumbles by.
Outside she leans against the bar's exterior, breathing in the frigid air, feeling a little bit less dizzy and then notices Gewyn leave the bar. She trots over to him, navigating her drunkeness with surprising ease after getting outside.
It takes some time for Elthana leaving to soak past the alcohol and into Sam's brain. She had damn near kept up with him, he figured, and she definitely wasn't walking straight... Not that Sam though he could, either. But he's a lumbering fool and Elthana is usually quite graceful to watch. Not that I've been watching, he tell himself. Still... Whatever. Fine! Sam puts his hands flat on the table atop his newly refilled mug and grunts...The grunt gave him just the push he needed to stand up, with the help of his hands for balance, and head out after Elthana to make sure she was ok...
But Sam spies Gewyn slip away from the crowd. No mean feat that, slipping out with half the damn bar still thinking you're leading the song... And Sam sees him slip out into the cold. Must be going after Elthana, Sam thinks and slumps back into the chair with slightly darkened mood. "Least she'll be ok," Sam slurs to himself and then throws up an arm to call for another round.
The night progresses and begins to wind down, especially after Gewyn leaves, taking a key from Elthana as he goes just in case his favour for Dennis takes longer than expected. Iver offers the remains of the group goodnight at some point and leaves, accompanying his sister to her residence.
Elthana returns to the bar shortly after she left and when she decides to turn in for the night, she finds a very wobbly Griff in need of somewhere to sleep, and only one room key left on her, vin and Gewyn having taken the others.
When the sun comes up and the group find their way back to the bar, Muir still missing, out in his tree and Iver having left the night before. The entire place is cleared of glasses, chairs are on tables the floor is swept, all apart from one table near the fire. On that particular table sits Sam, merrily chatting away to Trina the minotaur who looks half drunk herself and oh so very tired. "Your friend here drank the whole night, last man standing... I'd respect it more if I wasn't the one who had to stay up supplying the booze, but I made a nice little tip..." She shrugs as she quietly tells the group that before getting them all a morning drink on Sam.
The smell of breakfast foods frying comes the kitchen somewhere behind the bar and after a while a little bell rings and Trina heads out back to fetch people's breakfasts.
Crispy fried potatoes and egg, onions and spiced sausages, each member of the group gets their fill.
“She’s shust… she’s just shitting ya,” Sam insists in that special determined way only the truly drunk seem to have. “She the one talking my ear off…”
Sam turns and focuses on someone else before adding “All night long with the pouring and the talking…”
“Has to get done sleeps, i tolds her…” Sam continues, thousand yard stare focused somewhere far behind the post Sam is pointing his eyes at. “But … do you know she has a niece? Trina…”
Sam turns to Elthana now. “Trina has a niece. Her niece isn’t Trina… I don’t…”
“Trina!” Sam calls out, looking for the bartender. “Trina! Is Trina your niece?”
“Trina has a Trina,” Sam assures Elthana. “A niece Trina with a… with.. a dress or somethi… How come you never wear dresses? I mean not when we’re fighting in the snowtrees or the red hag or…” Sam’s stream of consciousness pauses for a bit but then he notices good in front of him and he very studiously starts shoveling his maw full.
“There some ale to go with this?” He asks. “Niece? More ale!”
The ale is brought to the table with the biggest eye roll from Trina, "yes yes, my sister's child Tina, T-ee-n-aaaa, Trina has a Tina, you made that joke before." The minotaur exasperatedly sounds out the name as if talking to a small child, Looking back to the group she continues, "Tina was here earlier, she checks in with me before going to ready the kitchen and begin breakfast, though this morning she has to manage on her own. Anyway, he hasn't thrown up once he, though there is a bucket under his chair if he's looking a little peaky... Right, I'm gonna square you up now Sam, no more tab, it's breakfast time and you owe me nine gold."
“Thanks Trina,” Sam manages clearly enough as he digs out and hands her the nine gold. “You’re a peach.. l
“And this is for Niece Trina,” Sam says, digging out nine more gold and handing it to Tina. “But her some peaches with it…”
“And for yourselves,” Sam adds, handing over none more gold. “For being such a peaches… Any time you need someone to keep you from dozing off overnight you just.., you just let me…” And after handing over 27 gold total Sam’s attention strays back to the good and he begins devouring again.
“Any ale left over to wash this down with?”