"OK, Yup I will do that" Krackle would reply back excitedly. As Chrys explains what probably happened to Silver, the kobold would appear to relax a bit more. "I bet you are right." He would say letting go of the friendship bracelet and allowing it to dangle from his neck once more. When the two of them make their way into their room, Krackle would cover his eyes and stand facing the corner until she was done changing into her pajamas. Once the dwarf was in bed, Krackle would take off his robe and climb up on to the bed. Without his small dirty white robe covering his body, the full extent of his malnurishment would become quickly apparent. Tiny ribs would show through his thin scaly skin and each vertebrae of his back is apparent all the way down to the tip of his tail. Although his belly was full and distended, you get the impression that it might be the first time it has ever been that full. looking a bit closer, Chrys might notice that many of the visible bones under the Krackle's thin brass skin don't look quite right... as though they had been broken and didn't heal the way they should have... leaving some of his limbs a little less straight and bumpier than one might expect. "You can have that part of the bed" The kobold would say excitedly gesturing to nearly all of the bed. "I'll take this part!" He would add as he staked claim to a corner of the mattress near the foot of the bed. Krackle would walk in a circle on top of the corner of the bed before laying down and curling up in a ball like a cat. Then reaching over to his side, he would place his old white robe over him like a blanket. "This IS great! Who knew beds were so nice!" He would finish as he begins closing his eyes to sleep. "Good night Chrys"
We're going to have to spoil that one rotten, Chrys thinks with a sigh and a shake of her head as she observes the abused state of Krackle's body. And if I ever find who this 'master' of his was, we're going to have a reckoning.
Finally, Chrys blows out the candle by the bedside. Rather than go to the bed, however, she makes her way to the window and gently opens it, wincing as the shutters creak. With the sky being so clear, the noise of the late-night festivities filters in as the townspeople celebrate the last remaining hours of today's Shieldmeet. Still, it's late and the room is high enough that bustle below is muted, and with the shutters open, there's a clear view of the stars overhead and the moonlight streams in.
Tucking her nightgown around her carefully, Chrys bends to one knee before the window, lowering her head in prayer to the God of Travelers, Marthammor Duin, as is her usual nightly ritual. "May the sun bring us energy by day; may the moon softly restore us by night. May the rain wash away our worries, may the breeze blow new strength into our limbs. May we walk gently through this world and know its beauty, for all the days of our lives."
Satisfied, she stands and gently pulls the shutters closed, before returning to bed and settling down for the evening.
It had been an interesting few years for Kessdarra Lorrath.
Having left Icewind Dale as soon as she could do so (although not with out her O'Si's, or mother's, blessing), she had been a fair distance across the breadth of Northern Faerun ever since leaving in the second tenday of Mirtul in 1488 DR. Kess figured this would be the best time to leave; having lived in Icewind Dale all of her life and around the harsh beauty that the Ten Towns offered, she figured to go while the spring melt was still solid and the beasts of the Dale were still sluggish from the long and merciless dark of winter - even trained as she was, she wasn't too keen on the idea of being swarmed by tundra yeti, or Corellon forbid, find herself cornered by orcs or even the plaything of a white dragon. Gathering up her clothes, supplies and whatever she could carry, Kess ended up joining a scrimshaw caravan out of Bryn Shander. The caravan was journeying south along the groove of the Spine of the World, then along the shoreline of the Frozenfar peninsula. There, after a grueling tenday (it had to be, lest they find the very ground turn to mud beneath their feet and be forced to wait an entire month for the melt to do its work), they stopped first in the mining city of Fireshear, where Kessdarra began to understand just how truly massive the world was; the largest city she had ever seen up close until that point was the capital of the Ten Towns, and Fireshear easily dwarfed it in size by a factor of over ten despite most of its residents, being, well... dwarves. Here, she also first got her taste working as a barmaid and bouncer to earn some coin on the side while the caravan did its business; Kess was beautiful (and she knew it), but she also possessed a grace and strength that beguiled her elven beauty beneath her armored coat and her flattering choice of dress. Anyone that decided to get a little too "friendly" quickly found that the young woman could throw a punch or kick hard enough to break a man's nose. One particular old sot had been so daring to try and reach beneath her skirt, and she paid him in kind by breaking his arm. Oh, how many eyes had flown wide, when the little elf girl from Icewind Dale had, without even drawing a weapon, flipped the old pervert over onto his back with a violent hoist over her shoulders and the cracking of bone.
Of course, that had briefly ended her career path, with the proprietor of the bar giving her a handsome pouch of gold for the trouble both as a means of keeping her from bringing one of his best customers to the attention of the guards, and to, well... ask her to leave. Which she had to do anyway.
From there on out, her journey was all over the place. The caravan eventually ended up in Luskan, which Kess explored with trepidation and caution. Having had the taste for working as a bar girl for fairly easy gold, she eventually found work as a barmaid and bouncer in the inn known as One-eyed Jax. It was good work for Kess; all she had to do after all was help patrons a bit, look pretty, and keep the peace, which she could do without issue. Then again, the owner, One-eyed Jax himself, made sure that things were always safe despite its most frightening clientele, a number of drow. Despite the grand tales that she had heard about valiant Tiago Baenre as a little girl when he had fought off a Balor by the name of Errtu that laid siege to the towns some years ago, the hungry or hateful eyes of most of the dark elves - who were almost all men, she noted - made Kess a bit uneasy, especially if she caught them staring at her, either in contempt or with openly lewd expressions that made her shiver in both fear and revulsion.
Despite that, the owner of the inn, One-eyed Jax himself (his full name was "Jarlaxle", but he didn't mind using the inn name), was a charming and potentially sweet man despite he also being of Drow heritage; although, given his garish and loud dress, you'd be hard-pressed to believe he was from the Underdark. He always greeted Kess and the other girls with a charming but warm smile, and made it a point to keep them safe both inside and outside the confines of the inn. Jax paid well, and looked after Kess in the two years she spent there, offering advice and keeping some of the "hungrier" patrons of the bar from any ill intent with her. She even trained more with her blades on the side, and her wardrobe grew quite a bit.
Despite that, Kess also had another passion; she had, like her mother before her, shown potential with the Art. But she'd never had the chance to really use it. She'd have looked into the Host Tower, if she hadn't been so fervently warned by both her mother and later Jax himself to stay well away... and a talk with the oldest residents with the City of Sails soon revealed why; she learned of the cruelty of the Arcane Brotherhood, of how they had once ruled the city with a magically-imbued iron fist. She learned that Luskan had once effectively been held under the thrall of a terrible, evil creature by the name of Arklem Greeth, an evil and powerful lich who had destroyed the original Host Tower in an act of vengeance against the forces of Luskan led by the legendary pirate hunter Deutermont of Waterdeep.
And with that, Kess sighed... until Jax mentioned of a town to the southeast, a quaint little burg by the name of Longsaddle that ignited her hopes, which happened to be inabited by a family of wizards known for their generosity: the Harpells.
Harpell. A name that Kess would not soon forget, and not for entirely the best reasons, either. Journeying once again, she left Luskan in at the onset of Mirtar in 1490 DR to journey to the home of the legendary wizard family, hoping to perhaps learn magic. The Harpells, being a kind and generous family of wizards, were happy to take her on and begin to teach her the basics.
Of course, over the next year and a half of study and working as a barmaid in town to pay for her studies (which Kess noted was nowhere quite as lucrative as her time in Luskan), she also learned of the other reason why the Harpells were famous (or infamous); their sheer eccentricity, and the tendency for magic to go absolutely bonkers in their presence. About ten months into her studies, an experimental spell of one of the wizards misfired, and poor Kess had been in the way when it struck her.
Time seemed to fade away, and everything became a blur for Kessdarra. She couldn't remember much of anything for the next eight months before she suddenly came to consciousness in the study of her master Penelope Harpell, naked and VERY confused and frightened. After calming her down, it was explained that the rebound had polymorphed poor kess into a Pixie for a number of months that played a variety of pranks on the people of Longsaddle, and she had long evaded the wizard family in her altered state of mind and body until she was finally caught and the effects of the awry spell were reversed. Despite the profuse apologies of her master, Kess was embarrassed to the point of tears. She reluctantly ended her studies at that juncture out of sheer embarrassment, but was allowed a pick of a new wardrobe and supplies as well as the return of her scimitars and the pendant gifted to her by her mother.
Kess then crept out of Longsaddle and made her way to Triboar, hoping to start over and salvage her dignity. She took up work at The Lonesome Crow Roadhouse for a few months. And... it was comforting. Thankfully, mercifully... nobody had ever realized she had once been the prankster fey, and she heard nothing of the episode. Kess was back to doing what she'd been good at. She even made a friend, a gifted sorceress by the name of Vesper... although her at-times unstable magic always made Kess a bit jumpy around her, she took a liking to the half-elf, and the two women became affable friends; Kess, in particular, protected Vesper from any who might get a bit too physical with her, Kess' own beauty beguiling the coiled muscle she possessed beneath her garb. Kess had been sad to see her go.
And then, the Shieldsmeet was upon them... and an especially a fun and lucrative time, for she headed east over to Yartar to enjoy the opportunity! For Kessdarra, being an elf and a worshiper of the goddess Angharradh, Shieldsmeet was a special time for her. Although she could do no magic, she found other Tel-quessir and joined in a variety of activities together with them, before working that evening at The Golden Eagle in the hopes of a very lucrative payday that night.
-------
And then the day came. Kessdarra made it a point to dress well; what many saw was a beautiful, silver-skinned elven female, with blue eyes and a shock of silver in her otherwise blue-sheened ebon locks, parted evenly down the middle and reaching to the middle of the small of her back and held in place by a mother-of-pearl brooch fashioned in the shape of a snowflake. She was attired today in a coat of black, studded leather. Worn under this was a form-hugging satin blue dress, cut along a slit at her right side just a few inches above the knee, revealing black silk tights beneath her skirt. A sterling silver belt adorned her hips, and a silvery, silky waist-cincher made of flexible fabrics enclosed her figure.Worn under this dress was a white blouse that flattered her figure without revealing her chest, with sleeves that reach just past the elbow, She wore black boots that came up to below the knee, hugging her calves. Her face was also well made-up, her nails are painted a blue that flattered her dress.
Her hair was long and straight, parted in the middle and pinned up in the back by a mother-of-pearl brooch fashioned in the shape of a snowflake. A simple knucklehead ivory pendant on a black silk collar rests on her neck with the elvish words for "my star" upon it, and two simple silver loop earrings.
And for Kess, today was about as much as celebration as veneration of her goddess. And what better way to honor the three-in-one than with her skills and her beauty?
Soon enough, the time came for her work at the Golden Eagle. It was busy, as Kess expected; after all, Shieldsmeet fell on the heels of the Midsummer festival, so the traffic and commerce flowing through Yartar was especially magnified, regardless if the folk passing through were celebrating there or heading onward to Silverymoon, under the watch of Lady Alustriel. People from all over were found in the tavern that night; there were a band of bards and merchants from Calimshan that shared tales and songs from the desert, as well as exotic wares from the desert. There was a wizard from Waterdeep who was spending much of his time entertaining crowds with feats of magical brilliance. There were, of all creatures, a few orcs from Many-Arrows who were primarily enjoying the day for its varied food and drink. A sailor from Luskan was sharing a variety of sea stories with a crowd of landlubbers that eagerly hung on every word. There was even, of all the unexpected visitors, a young surviving member of the Tribe of the Seal, a Reghedman barbarian tribe long thought consumed in the history of Icewind Dale. Kess and the young man engaged in friendly conversation, recalling memories of their faraway home and bonding a bit at just how different life was south of the Spine of the World.
Soon enough, things were starting to wind down, despite Kess having to occasionally restore order in the crowd and help occasionally with serving drinks and food. Mercifully, her wiles occasionally helped to calm some of the more volatile members of the crowd.
And that was when she bumped into the most unexpected face.
"Vesper?" For a moment, Kess blinked, not sure what to do; it had been quite some time since she'd seen her "spontaneous" half-elven friend, and while happy, she could also easily smell the intoxicants on her breath as she returned her hug. "Um... hello, darling! I wasn't expecting to see you here! A blessed Shieldsmeet to you! And, um... I heard something about rats, but I've been too busy with all the festivities today to have noticed. Sorry that I missed it. Good on you to stop it and for your winnings!
"Um... hi! I'm Kessdarra. Kessdarra Lorrath," Kess began as she found herself suddenly accosted by Vesper's new friends. And what a motley band , indeed; a dwarf and a kobold (of all creatures) in their number. "Um... don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," She winked reassuringly to Chrys, moving a hand to her side to pat her hip and the grip of a sheathed scimitar dangling off of a leather strap. "Nobody's going to touch her. I'll make sure that she and all of her effects get to her room, safe and sound."
As if someone had flipped a switch on the young half-elf, Vesper passes out, having exhausted all of her energy in her drunken fun. She goes completely limp in Kessdarra's arms and moments later she begins letting out a snore that you wouldn't expect a pretty young woman to produce.
Oh no. Kess, for the moment, just stood there in the hall, carrying Vesper in a hug. "Um... could somebody help me get this young lady to her room? Please?"
She would just stand there, patiently, unsure of whether to stay put or fireman carry the lithe half-elf over her shoulder to an unknown destination.
(ooc: This would be before my post where I went to bed)
As Vesper collapsed into her friends arms, Krackle would look to Kess. "She must be really tired. She ready paid for a room. I bet you can even room with her.. like a slumber party!" The kobold would say before scurrying off with Chrys and heading to his room.
(OOC: Awesome introduction, Kess! You’ll be a great addition to the game!)
With the rest of Vesper’s group having retired for the night, Kess takes it upon herself to care for her exhausted friend. Carrying the girl up to her own room, she puts her to bed and covers her with a wool blanket. It wasn’t the first time she’d done this, and she suspected that it won’t be the last. Happy to be reunited with Vesper, Kess sits up for awhile, listening to Vesper’s steady breathing, and reminiscing about their time together in Triboar. Her thoughts also drift back to the events that led up to her arriving in Triboar.
What a long journey indeed it has been for her ever since leaving Icewind Dale. Through most of it, she’s traveled alone, bouncing from job to job and spending much of her time in taverns and roadhouses. As good as she was as a bouncer, the world is a very big place, full of big opportunities, especially for someone with her talents. In the back of her mind, Kess knew that there was more to life than keeping drunk and unruly tavern patrons in line. That wasn’t why she left Ten Towns.
Seeing Vesper again brought some of these thoughts back to the forefront of her mind; thoughts that she could easily push aside with the prospect of steady work. Vesper had found a small group, and as motley as they appear, they seemed to genuinely care for her, especially the dwarf, even though her concern sometimes took the guise of mothering.
That little kobold was definitely not like any other that she’d ever seen. A friendly little thing, quite shy, but nonetheless, eager to please. And there was something vaguely familiar about the half orc. Maybe it’s just that having worked and traveled throughout the north, she’d seen plenty of half orcs, and many of them looked alike. At least that was often the common stereotype.
Either way, Kess knew Vesper well enough to know that she wouldn’t just fall in with just anyone. Vesper seemed to trust these folks. And, they had both come to Yartar for Shieldmeet. Maybe that was no coincidence. In fact, it could even be seen as a rather serendipitous event, one that could be the start of something new. After all, she was only hired as one day help for the festival. As of tomorrow, she would once again be unemployed.
Kess had heard the group talking about attending the sunrise service at the Temple of Tymora tomorrow morning, so the least that she could do for her friend was make sure that Vesper woke up in time to attend the service, and maybe meet up with tho others as well, just to see...
——————————-
As the late hours of night descend on Yartar, you all close your eyes and fall asleep to the diminishing sounds of lingering crowds in the street below. It’s been a long day, and your sleep is welcome. You may have dreamed, but by morning, you have forgotten any nocturnal visions you may have had. You wake well before sunrise, feeling rested and rejuvenated, although with a slight headache from an evening filled with wine.
Vesper looks fairly disheveled getting up and when Kess wakes her up, she continuously groans, obviously not wanting to do so. "The sun's not even up, what are you getting me out of bed for?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Krackle would wake up nearly face to face with Chrys. having slowly migrated towards the dwarfs head in his sleep, the tiny kobold would let out a stifled squeek as he attempted to slide away without the dwarf noticing.
Chrys grumbles as she hears a squeak. "'s too early,"she groans, throwing an arm over her eyes. There's a moment or two when Krackle thinks Chrys may have fallen back to sleep and he'll be able to escape, but suddenly, Chrys flies upright with a yell, eyes wide and bed hair sticking out in every direction. "AWW, SHIT, I'M GONNA BE LATE!"she screeches, tumbling out of the bed and bringing half the sheets with her. Poor Krackle is caught in the tide, and Chrys, still only half awake, doesn't even notice as he gets dragged behind her to the floor in a cascade of sheets and pillows that have wrapped around her ankles while she stumbles towards her gear.
"Shit-shit-shit-shit gonna miss the services," Chrys mutters as she starts trying to tame her hair with one hand and root for her armor with the other. It's only when she turns too quickly to pick up her boots that she finally catches on the tangled sheets and comes crashing to the floor, limbs akimbo. Raising her head slowly, she sees Krackle's wide eyes staring at her from a few inches away.
"Oh, hey, Krackle," she says casually, trying to play off her gigantic spill as a planned manoeuvre. "Top o' the mornin' to ya! Sleep well?"
Having stayed vigilant for a few hours prior, Kessdarra had indeed taken into account her friend's plans for the day, and as such she instead chose to use the restful trance technique that had been taught to her as a girl by her relatives in the Moonwood instead of returning to her own bedroom for the night; it was a way of keeping Vesper safe from any of the more unscrupulous types that might be in town, after all. And any would-be voyeur would be quite surprised to see an elven beauty swinging deadly sharp scimitars in their direction. The behavior of some of the men hadn't escaped Kess' notice, and experience had taught her to be careful. While Jax would have never allowed such a thing in his establishment, she'd heard horror stories about things that had befallen sleeping maidens in other parts of Luskan. One could never be too careful.
Then again... Luskan was Luskan.
While she herself was no devotee of Tymora, Kess had nothing but a good view of the Tymoran clergy and was glad that Vesper at least had found somewhere to "fit in" concerning such. While there were certainly things in which she had difficulty relating to, Kess had great empathy for half-elves (or "Alcol'quess" in her tongue). Being of both worlds and yet not, too often did half-elves find themselves ostracized either by one half of their lineage or the other... or sometimes, even both. Fortunately, for some like Vesper, she'd managed to land within a good lot of friends and associates. That, and Kessdarra would be among the first to leap to her friend's defense, mixed blood be damned.
So... like a good friend would be wont to do, she made sure to plan her trance out to give just enough time for both rest and have Vesper out from beneath the blankets with time to spare.
"Good morning, sleepyhead... rise and shine," Kess gently prodded, giving the little half-elf a gentle shake; it was a bit before dawn yet, though Kess' keen elven eyes were catching hints of lighter shades in the summer sky, a pleasantly warm southern wind blowing into the room as she watched the dance of some fireflies above a pond near the Golden Eagle. "You don't want to be late for your service, do you?"
When Vesper tossed and complained, Kess couldn't help but laugh softly. "Don't you want time to get yourself nice and ready for your service, silly? That's happening at around sunrise, isn't it?"
For a minute, all seemed serene. Strangely calming. Kess admittedly enjoyed sleeping in a bed more than a trance, but she liked the warmth of blankets. And pillows were always nice and soft, a great means of protecting long elven ears from the cold.
How was her mother doing, Kessdarra wondered, back at home? The summers of Icewind Dale were always a brief reprieve from the absolute frozen hell of the northern winter, and if one wasn't riding out the wrath of winter in the Ten Towns, they were preparing for it. The knucklehead trout harvest was likely in full swing, and no doubt that ships from every town were likely pushing and shoving... or arguing.... or fighting over them as usual, and the caravans from Luskan, Mirabar, Mithral Hall, Silverymoon and Waterdeep had likely all arrived as well. The Battlehammer clan of dwarves, those that still dwelt that far north anyway, were likely beginning to share the fruits of their labors within the earth, even that far north. And sometimes, the Tribe of the Elk would send a few of their men to come down and trade their wares with the locals, bartering and buying the few supplies they could not attain on their own.
So lost in her memories of home, Kess was, that she had to bite off a loud squeak of surprise as he found herself and the morning twilight's peace interrupted by the following dwarven fracas:
What in all of the goodly realms was that...? Kessdarra immediately leapt to her feet, her slender and shapely legs carrying her swiftly through the door and poking out into the hallway along with several other awoken patrons and concerned parties, each with expressions between annoyance, pain, confusion, concern or any combination of the four.
Somebody had certainly earned the entire inn's attention, to be certain. Hard to miss a yelling dwarf, especially when they were so, well... loud. And typically Dwarven in brogue and behavior.
Vesper falls out of bed upon hearing all of the noise coming from the other room. "That must be Chrys." She says, rubbing her head as she gets up from the floor. "I don't need that much time to get myself ready, just a few seconds." Vesper casts Prestidigitation a few times, using it to get the drool off her face, get rid of the smell of alcohol, iron out her clothes, and straighten out her hair. She also puts on a loose fitting pair of boots, since she isn't sure if she can go barefoot in this church. She heads out the door with Kess when she realizes that she doesn't remember how she got in this room. "Did you put me in this bed?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
"Yeah! It was great! I think when I have enough money to buy a house for mom and dad that I am going to buy one with a bed!" He would say excitedly before bouncing ariund the room and getting himself dressed. He would pause a moment and examine the bed as though trying to figure out how they worked before looking back to Chrys. "Yup, definitely going to need one of these..." he would state once more as if making a grand decision. The kobold would then stay close to Chrys as she leaves out the door, not wanting to get lost on the way to service.
As ambient light of early pre-dawn morning grows more bright, it’s accompanied by of a glowing band of reddish pink that hangs at the horizon and increases in brilliance with each passing minute. By now, the roosters are crowing with their natural sunrise alarm, and people begin to congregate at the entrance to the Tempe of Tymora as the first rays of the rising sun kiss the tips of the tallest roofs in Yartar and begin to work their way down.
The temple doors open and you make your way inside, along with others who have come to attend the sunrise service. You join a mix of people; adventurers, merchants, travelers and other townsfolk who all depend on luck and skill to achieve their goals in life. After all, Tymora is the goddess of good fortune, and she shines her favor on those who take risks in life.
During the service, the Tymoran clergy share the blessings of Lady Luck, as she’s called, and encourage everyone to pursue their dreams, for that is the best way to honor the deity and receive her rewards in life. You learn that by duty, the priests and clerics of Tymora are bound to provide healing and aid those who exhibit the kind of daring that she encourages. You also learn that the temples occasionally provided potions, scrolls and other other little things as rewards to those who serve Tymora and her tenets well.
Near the end of the service, a donation platter is passed around, and you notice that when people place coins into the bowl, they speak the phrase, “A copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold."
As the service is winding down, you look over and spot Ehrland among the other attendees.
Once the service starts, Vesper actually listens to it pretty intently. When she performed with her troupe, she needed quite a bit of skill to successfully pull off a performance and now that she was an adventurer, she definitely needed skill and plenty of luck since her powers could have effects that she didn't intend them to. And she especially listens when the clergy talk about pursuing their dreams. Perhaps it wasn't a mistake to let Chrys talk me into coming here. This was nice.When the platter is passed around, she puts a gold in the bowl. If a copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold, then a gold's gotta return as a lot more than that.
When the service ends, she points out Ehrland to the rest of the party, in particular Kessdarra. "Hey, that's the guy who invited us here last night! Oh! Kess! Last night that guy walked up to us in the tavern, looking for some people to do a job for him. I'm sure that he'd let you do the job too if you wanted in!"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Krackle would try his hardest to sit still through service as his small head quickly darted in multiple directions, taking in all the new sights and sounds. The frail kobold would perk up about the possible free items and as the collection plate was passed around, he would pay very close attention to what each person was doing.. "a copper to the lady returns tenfold in gold..." krackle would say over and over quietly as the collection plate drew closer and closer.. It would be obvious to anyone looking that the kobold was confused, not entirely understanding what was going on, but right before the plate reached the kobold, an excited smile would spread across his face as he quickly and quietly put his entire coin pouch on the platter before passing it on. The kobold would place the pouch so quickly that if you wernt paying attention, you might not have seen Krackle pull his bag of coins out from inside his white robe.
slight of hand! 24
As Vesper points out the guy they talked to the night before, Krackle would look up excitedly. "Yeah Kess! You can fill in for Silver... I dont know where he went but whe. he asked us to help... well... there were more of us." He would frown a bit as he looked down at his friendship necklace. The tiny kobold would then shake his head as if trying to rid the sad thoughts from his head. "You are going to come with us right?" He would ask looking up to the elf
As the party gathers in the taproom, Chrys does a headcount to make sure all are accounted for - Lumen is a little groggy still, and both Arine and Silver haven't returned at all. Still, she's delighted to see that Kess and Vesper are both still around, and what's more, even willing to attend the morning services with her. As they set off for the temple, Chrys takes a moment to enjoy the lightening of the dawn sky and shake the last vestiges of sleep off.
During the ceremony, Chrys listens to the service intently, nodding in agreement at certain intervals. When the collection plate comes around, she dutifully places a copper coin into it. Her eyes widen in surprise as she sees Krackle take the plate and place his entire coin pouch into it. Hmm. Better talk to the lil' one about saving his money later, she decides, though it's too late now to teach him the value of the dragons she thinks he just lost.
When Vesper spots Ehrland, Chrys gathers her things and looks to the rest of the party to see what they're intending. Everyone seems to be willing and eager to meet with Ehrland, so after a short consultation with the others, she approaches the older man with the group. "Greetins' to ya again, sir,"she says to Ehrland with a broad smile. "Lovely service they had here, we're glad we made it. I don't mean ta be rude talkin' business right after the services, but... ya know, fortune favors the bold, or so I've heard. If yer still willin' to hire our services for yer task, the Pie Pals are willin' ta listen to yer offer."
Lumen, ever since the arrival back to the inn the night before, has been utterly silent and trying to blend into the wallpaper. The second he sees Kessdara, his brow furrows, he scratches his head, his eyes suddenly widen, and then he mostly tries to keep his face averted from the new arrival. With high enough perception rolls, the rest of the party sees all of this, as well as catching him muttering under his breath, "could have swore she was the flamin' pixie for a second," and "keep your distance until you know for sure," and "play it cool, idiot..."
He sleeps well, knowing that he nearly died again today, and happy knowing that he's found some people who can help get him back on his feet.
After the service in the temple, he drops a copper into the collection plate, and (perception: 7) does not catch Krackle's sleight of hand. When the party approaches Ehrland, he stays near the back, awkwardly keeping a hymnal between his face and Kessdara's and hilariously looking elsewhere.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
For her part, as a worshiper of Angharradh, Kessdarra mostly kept to herself, saying little. Though she had quarrel with Lady Luck and her followers, she felt like a stranger in a strange land. Tymora was a power largely worshiped by the non-elven peoples, although she was honored and respected among her own kind.
She pondered many things in that moment as she listened to the sermon. Very young indeed for her kind, Kess tried not to think about what she was: she was Tel'quessir, an elf. The flow of time was nowhere near as swift nor as cruel as it was upon other races, and in her most private thoughts she felt sorrow for the fact that she would still be here long after many of her friends, family and neighbors would be gone... at least in presence. They would remain in other ways, such as through bloodkin or history, but that could never replace the love and companionship of friends and family, not truly.
Why was she thinking about that now...? Because of how much of an "adventure" she yet had to face? Probably. And yet... it was one that she could ill-afford to be overly burdened with sorrow upon. Elves lived a long life, after all, and while many would claim such long lives to be a blessing (and they were), they often did so without the understanding of what such a long life would entail.
Even so, as the donation plate was passed around, Kess would discretely slip in two gold coins; while she didn't adhere to Lady Luck, perhaps Tymora had protected her in the midst of her ventures thus far; what then was a bit of gold to help others?
And that was was when EVERYONE started to greet her. Vesper was first, telling her about work, which caught her attention, and then it was the little kobold who looked up at Kess with the most pitiable look in his reptilian eyes that Kess had ever seen in a creature of his like as he asked if she would be willing to come with them.
How do I say no to that face...? Kess thought to herself, stifling a giggle as she looked into the Kobold's eyes, making sure to kneel down momentarily to be at eye level with the little dragonkin, offering him - was it a he? Kess realized she had never asked; it was hard to tell with creatures like kobolds. Anyways, she offered him a warm smile. "I'll at least hear what he has to say... what's the harm? I thank you for the offer... um... I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name."
Another voice spoke next as the party approached one of the attendees they all seemed so fixated on, the dwarven lass clad in trappings that suggested relation to clergy (a priestess or paladin of some kind, Kess supposed). She immediately recognized her as the one who had given the tenants of the Golden Eagle an awakening they'd soon not forget.
As she heard the name for Vesper's band, however, Kess did the best she could to stifle a giggle (Deception: 8 ) at the mention of the words "Pie Pals". It wasn't a belittling giggle of the party's name, but the name didn't exactly evoke imagery of adventurers braving the depths of the world; indeed, the very descriptor gave rise to the mental image of a band of bakers clad in their customary white hats and coats, chasing around goblins and other terrible creatures with knives, spatulas, pans and rolling pins in Kess' mind.
As she sat and waited for the man to respond, Kess glanced around, just taking in her surroundings.
(( Just a check to see if she notes Lumen hiding back there! Perception: 4 ))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
"OK, Yup I will do that" Krackle would reply back excitedly. As Chrys explains what probably happened to Silver, the kobold would appear to relax a bit more. "I bet you are right." He would say letting go of the friendship bracelet and allowing it to dangle from his neck once more. When the two of them make their way into their room, Krackle would cover his eyes and stand facing the corner until she was done changing into her pajamas. Once the dwarf was in bed, Krackle would take off his robe and climb up on to the bed. Without his small dirty white robe covering his body, the full extent of his malnurishment would become quickly apparent. Tiny ribs would show through his thin scaly skin and each vertebrae of his back is apparent all the way down to the tip of his tail. Although his belly was full and distended, you get the impression that it might be the first time it has ever been that full. looking a bit closer, Chrys might notice that many of the visible bones under the Krackle's thin brass skin don't look quite right... as though they had been broken and didn't heal the way they should have... leaving some of his limbs a little less straight and bumpier than one might expect. "You can have that part of the bed" The kobold would say excitedly gesturing to nearly all of the bed. "I'll take this part!" He would add as he staked claim to a corner of the mattress near the foot of the bed. Krackle would walk in a circle on top of the corner of the bed before laying down and curling up in a ball like a cat. Then reaching over to his side, he would place his old white robe over him like a blanket. "This IS great! Who knew beds were so nice!" He would finish as he begins closing his eyes to sleep. "Good night Chrys"
We're going to have to spoil that one rotten, Chrys thinks with a sigh and a shake of her head as she observes the abused state of Krackle's body. And if I ever find who this 'master' of his was, we're going to have a reckoning.
Finally, Chrys blows out the candle by the bedside. Rather than go to the bed, however, she makes her way to the window and gently opens it, wincing as the shutters creak. With the sky being so clear, the noise of the late-night festivities filters in as the townspeople celebrate the last remaining hours of today's Shieldmeet. Still, it's late and the room is high enough that bustle below is muted, and with the shutters open, there's a clear view of the stars overhead and the moonlight streams in.
Tucking her nightgown around her carefully, Chrys bends to one knee before the window, lowering her head in prayer to the God of Travelers, Marthammor Duin, as is her usual nightly ritual. "May the sun bring us energy by day; may the moon softly restore us by night. May the rain wash away our worries, may the breeze blow new strength into our limbs. May we walk gently through this world and know its beauty, for all the days of our lives."
Satisfied, she stands and gently pulls the shutters closed, before returning to bed and settling down for the evening.
It had been an interesting few years for Kessdarra Lorrath.
Having left Icewind Dale as soon as she could do so (although not with out her O'Si's, or mother's, blessing), she had been a fair distance across the breadth of Northern Faerun ever since leaving in the second tenday of Mirtul in 1488 DR. Kess figured this would be the best time to leave; having lived in Icewind Dale all of her life and around the harsh beauty that the Ten Towns offered, she figured to go while the spring melt was still solid and the beasts of the Dale were still sluggish from the long and merciless dark of winter - even trained as she was, she wasn't too keen on the idea of being swarmed by tundra yeti, or Corellon forbid, find herself cornered by orcs or even the plaything of a white dragon. Gathering up her clothes, supplies and whatever she could carry, Kess ended up joining a scrimshaw caravan out of Bryn Shander. The caravan was journeying south along the groove of the Spine of the World, then along the shoreline of the Frozenfar peninsula. There, after a grueling tenday (it had to be, lest they find the very ground turn to mud beneath their feet and be forced to wait an entire month for the melt to do its work), they stopped first in the mining city of Fireshear, where Kessdarra began to understand just how truly massive the world was; the largest city she had ever seen up close until that point was the capital of the Ten Towns, and Fireshear easily dwarfed it in size by a factor of over ten despite most of its residents, being, well... dwarves. Here, she also first got her taste working as a barmaid and bouncer to earn some coin on the side while the caravan did its business; Kess was beautiful (and she knew it), but she also possessed a grace and strength that beguiled her elven beauty beneath her armored coat and her flattering choice of dress. Anyone that decided to get a little too "friendly" quickly found that the young woman could throw a punch or kick hard enough to break a man's nose. One particular old sot had been so daring to try and reach beneath her skirt, and she paid him in kind by breaking his arm. Oh, how many eyes had flown wide, when the little elf girl from Icewind Dale had, without even drawing a weapon, flipped the old pervert over onto his back with a violent hoist over her shoulders and the cracking of bone.
Of course, that had briefly ended her career path, with the proprietor of the bar giving her a handsome pouch of gold for the trouble both as a means of keeping her from bringing one of his best customers to the attention of the guards, and to, well... ask her to leave. Which she had to do anyway.
From there on out, her journey was all over the place. The caravan eventually ended up in Luskan, which Kess explored with trepidation and caution. Having had the taste for working as a bar girl for fairly easy gold, she eventually found work as a barmaid and bouncer in the inn known as One-eyed Jax. It was good work for Kess; all she had to do after all was help patrons a bit, look pretty, and keep the peace, which she could do without issue. Then again, the owner, One-eyed Jax himself, made sure that things were always safe despite its most frightening clientele, a number of drow. Despite the grand tales that she had heard about valiant Tiago Baenre as a little girl when he had fought off a Balor by the name of Errtu that laid siege to the towns some years ago, the hungry or hateful eyes of most of the dark elves - who were almost all men, she noted - made Kess a bit uneasy, especially if she caught them staring at her, either in contempt or with openly lewd expressions that made her shiver in both fear and revulsion.
Despite that, the owner of the inn, One-eyed Jax himself (his full name was "Jarlaxle", but he didn't mind using the inn name), was a charming and potentially sweet man despite he also being of Drow heritage; although, given his garish and loud dress, you'd be hard-pressed to believe he was from the Underdark. He always greeted Kess and the other girls with a charming but warm smile, and made it a point to keep them safe both inside and outside the confines of the inn. Jax paid well, and looked after Kess in the two years she spent there, offering advice and keeping some of the "hungrier" patrons of the bar from any ill intent with her. She even trained more with her blades on the side, and her wardrobe grew quite a bit.
Despite that, Kess also had another passion; she had, like her mother before her, shown potential with the Art. But she'd never had the chance to really use it. She'd have looked into the Host Tower, if she hadn't been so fervently warned by both her mother and later Jax himself to stay well away... and a talk with the oldest residents with the City of Sails soon revealed why; she learned of the cruelty of the Arcane Brotherhood, of how they had once ruled the city with a magically-imbued iron fist. She learned that Luskan had once effectively been held under the thrall of a terrible, evil creature by the name of Arklem Greeth, an evil and powerful lich who had destroyed the original Host Tower in an act of vengeance against the forces of Luskan led by the legendary pirate hunter Deutermont of Waterdeep.
And with that, Kess sighed... until Jax mentioned of a town to the southeast, a quaint little burg by the name of Longsaddle that ignited her hopes, which happened to be inabited by a family of wizards known for their generosity: the Harpells.
Harpell. A name that Kess would not soon forget, and not for entirely the best reasons, either. Journeying once again, she left Luskan in at the onset of Mirtar in 1490 DR to journey to the home of the legendary wizard family, hoping to perhaps learn magic. The Harpells, being a kind and generous family of wizards, were happy to take her on and begin to teach her the basics.
Of course, over the next year and a half of study and working as a barmaid in town to pay for her studies (which Kess noted was nowhere quite as lucrative as her time in Luskan), she also learned of the other reason why the Harpells were famous (or infamous); their sheer eccentricity, and the tendency for magic to go absolutely bonkers in their presence. About ten months into her studies, an experimental spell of one of the wizards misfired, and poor Kess had been in the way when it struck her.
Time seemed to fade away, and everything became a blur for Kessdarra. She couldn't remember much of anything for the next eight months before she suddenly came to consciousness in the study of her master Penelope Harpell, naked and VERY confused and frightened. After calming her down, it was explained that the rebound had polymorphed poor kess into a Pixie for a number of months that played a variety of pranks on the people of Longsaddle, and she had long evaded the wizard family in her altered state of mind and body until she was finally caught and the effects of the awry spell were reversed. Despite the profuse apologies of her master, Kess was embarrassed to the point of tears. She reluctantly ended her studies at that juncture out of sheer embarrassment, but was allowed a pick of a new wardrobe and supplies as well as the return of her scimitars and the pendant gifted to her by her mother.
Kess then crept out of Longsaddle and made her way to Triboar, hoping to start over and salvage her dignity. She took up work at The Lonesome Crow Roadhouse for a few months. And... it was comforting. Thankfully, mercifully... nobody had ever realized she had once been the prankster fey, and she heard nothing of the episode. Kess was back to doing what she'd been good at. She even made a friend, a gifted sorceress by the name of Vesper... although her at-times unstable magic always made Kess a bit jumpy around her, she took a liking to the half-elf, and the two women became affable friends; Kess, in particular, protected Vesper from any who might get a bit too physical with her, Kess' own beauty beguiling the coiled muscle she possessed beneath her garb. Kess had been sad to see her go.
And then, the Shieldsmeet was upon them... and an especially a fun and lucrative time, for she headed east over to Yartar to enjoy the opportunity! For Kessdarra, being an elf and a worshiper of the goddess Angharradh, Shieldsmeet was a special time for her. Although she could do no magic, she found other Tel-quessir and joined in a variety of activities together with them, before working that evening at The Golden Eagle in the hopes of a very lucrative payday that night.
-------
And then the day came. Kessdarra made it a point to dress well; what many saw was a beautiful, silver-skinned elven female, with blue eyes and a shock of silver in her otherwise blue-sheened ebon locks, parted evenly down the middle and reaching to the middle of the small of her back and held in place by a mother-of-pearl brooch fashioned in the shape of a snowflake. She was attired today in a coat of black, studded leather. Worn under this was a form-hugging satin blue dress, cut along a slit at her right side just a few inches above the knee, revealing black silk tights beneath her skirt. A sterling silver belt adorned her hips, and a silvery, silky waist-cincher made of flexible fabrics enclosed her figure.Worn under this dress was a white blouse that flattered her figure without revealing her chest, with sleeves that reach just past the elbow, She wore black boots that came up to below the knee, hugging her calves. Her face was also well made-up, her nails are painted a blue that flattered her dress.
Her hair was long and straight, parted in the middle and pinned up in the back by a mother-of-pearl brooch fashioned in the shape of a snowflake. A simple knucklehead ivory pendant on a black silk collar rests on her neck with the elvish words for "my star" upon it, and two simple silver loop earrings.
And for Kess, today was about as much as celebration as veneration of her goddess. And what better way to honor the three-in-one than with her skills and her beauty?
Soon enough, the time came for her work at the Golden Eagle. It was busy, as Kess expected; after all, Shieldsmeet fell on the heels of the Midsummer festival, so the traffic and commerce flowing through Yartar was especially magnified, regardless if the folk passing through were celebrating there or heading onward to Silverymoon, under the watch of Lady Alustriel. People from all over were found in the tavern that night; there were a band of bards and merchants from Calimshan that shared tales and songs from the desert, as well as exotic wares from the desert. There was a wizard from Waterdeep who was spending much of his time entertaining crowds with feats of magical brilliance. There were, of all creatures, a few orcs from Many-Arrows who were primarily enjoying the day for its varied food and drink. A sailor from Luskan was sharing a variety of sea stories with a crowd of landlubbers that eagerly hung on every word. There was even, of all the unexpected visitors, a young surviving member of the Tribe of the Seal, a Reghedman barbarian tribe long thought consumed in the history of Icewind Dale. Kess and the young man engaged in friendly conversation, recalling memories of their faraway home and bonding a bit at just how different life was south of the Spine of the World.
Soon enough, things were starting to wind down, despite Kess having to occasionally restore order in the crowd and help occasionally with serving drinks and food. Mercifully, her wiles occasionally helped to calm some of the more volatile members of the crowd.
And that was when she bumped into the most unexpected face.
"Vesper?" For a moment, Kess blinked, not sure what to do; it had been quite some time since she'd seen her "spontaneous" half-elven friend, and while happy, she could also easily smell the intoxicants on her breath as she returned her hug. "Um... hello, darling! I wasn't expecting to see you here! A blessed Shieldsmeet to you! And, um... I heard something about rats, but I've been too busy with all the festivities today to have noticed. Sorry that I missed it. Good on you to stop it and for your winnings!
"Um... hi! I'm Kessdarra. Kessdarra Lorrath," Kess began as she found herself suddenly accosted by Vesper's new friends. And what a motley band , indeed; a dwarf and a kobold (of all creatures) in their number. "Um... don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," She winked reassuringly to Chrys, moving a hand to her side to pat her hip and the grip of a sheathed scimitar dangling off of a leather strap. "Nobody's going to touch her. I'll make sure that she and all of her effects get to her room, safe and sound."
As if someone had flipped a switch on the young half-elf, Vesper passes out, having exhausted all of her energy in her drunken fun. She goes completely limp in Kessdarra's arms and moments later she begins letting out a snore that you wouldn't expect a pretty young woman to produce.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Oh no. Kess, for the moment, just stood there in the hall, carrying Vesper in a hug. "Um... could somebody help me get this young lady to her room? Please?"
She would just stand there, patiently, unsure of whether to stay put or fireman carry the lithe half-elf over her shoulder to an unknown destination.
(ooc: This would be before my post where I went to bed)
As Vesper collapsed into her friends arms, Krackle would look to Kess. "She must be really tired. She ready paid for a room. I bet you can even room with her.. like a slumber party!" The kobold would say before scurrying off with Chrys and heading to his room.
(OOC: Awesome introduction, Kess! You’ll be a great addition to the game!)
With the rest of Vesper’s group having retired for the night, Kess takes it upon herself to care for her exhausted friend. Carrying the girl up to her own room, she puts her to bed and covers her with a wool blanket. It wasn’t the first time she’d done this, and she suspected that it won’t be the last. Happy to be reunited with Vesper, Kess sits up for awhile, listening to Vesper’s steady breathing, and reminiscing about their time together in Triboar. Her thoughts also drift back to the events that led up to her arriving in Triboar.
What a long journey indeed it has been for her ever since leaving Icewind Dale. Through most of it, she’s traveled alone, bouncing from job to job and spending much of her time in taverns and roadhouses. As good as she was as a bouncer, the world is a very big place, full of big opportunities, especially for someone with her talents. In the back of her mind, Kess knew that there was more to life than keeping drunk and unruly tavern patrons in line. That wasn’t why she left Ten Towns.
Seeing Vesper again brought some of these thoughts back to the forefront of her mind; thoughts that she could easily push aside with the prospect of steady work. Vesper had found a small group, and as motley as they appear, they seemed to genuinely care for her, especially the dwarf, even though her concern sometimes took the guise of mothering.
That little kobold was definitely not like any other that she’d ever seen. A friendly little thing, quite shy, but nonetheless, eager to please. And there was something vaguely familiar about the half orc. Maybe it’s just that having worked and traveled throughout the north, she’d seen plenty of half orcs, and many of them looked alike. At least that was often the common stereotype.
Either way, Kess knew Vesper well enough to know that she wouldn’t just fall in with just anyone. Vesper seemed to trust these folks. And, they had both come to Yartar for Shieldmeet. Maybe that was no coincidence. In fact, it could even be seen as a rather serendipitous event, one that could be the start of something new. After all, she was only hired as one day help for the festival. As of tomorrow, she would once again be unemployed.
Kess had heard the group talking about attending the sunrise service at the Temple of Tymora tomorrow morning, so the least that she could do for her friend was make sure that Vesper woke up in time to attend the service, and maybe meet up with tho others as well, just to see...
——————————-
As the late hours of night descend on Yartar, you all close your eyes and fall asleep to the diminishing sounds of lingering crowds in the street below. It’s been a long day, and your sleep is welcome. You may have dreamed, but by morning, you have forgotten any nocturnal visions you may have had. You wake well before sunrise, feeling rested and rejuvenated, although with a slight headache from an evening filled with wine.
Vesper looks fairly disheveled getting up and when Kess wakes her up, she continuously groans, obviously not wanting to do so. "The sun's not even up, what are you getting me out of bed for?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Krackle would wake up nearly face to face with Chrys. having slowly migrated towards the dwarfs head in his sleep, the tiny kobold would let out a stifled squeek as he attempted to slide away without the dwarf noticing.
Chrys grumbles as she hears a squeak. "'s too early," she groans, throwing an arm over her eyes. There's a moment or two when Krackle thinks Chrys may have fallen back to sleep and he'll be able to escape, but suddenly, Chrys flies upright with a yell, eyes wide and bed hair sticking out in every direction. "AWW, SHIT, I'M GONNA BE LATE!" she screeches, tumbling out of the bed and bringing half the sheets with her. Poor Krackle is caught in the tide, and Chrys, still only half awake, doesn't even notice as he gets dragged behind her to the floor in a cascade of sheets and pillows that have wrapped around her ankles while she stumbles towards her gear.
"Shit-shit-shit-shit gonna miss the services," Chrys mutters as she starts trying to tame her hair with one hand and root for her armor with the other. It's only when she turns too quickly to pick up her boots that she finally catches on the tangled sheets and comes crashing to the floor, limbs akimbo. Raising her head slowly, she sees Krackle's wide eyes staring at her from a few inches away.
"Oh, hey, Krackle," she says casually, trying to play off her gigantic spill as a planned manoeuvre. "Top o' the mornin' to ya! Sleep well?"
Having stayed vigilant for a few hours prior, Kessdarra had indeed taken into account her friend's plans for the day, and as such she instead chose to use the restful trance technique that had been taught to her as a girl by her relatives in the Moonwood instead of returning to her own bedroom for the night; it was a way of keeping Vesper safe from any of the more unscrupulous types that might be in town, after all. And any would-be voyeur would be quite surprised to see an elven beauty swinging deadly sharp scimitars in their direction. The behavior of some of the men hadn't escaped Kess' notice, and experience had taught her to be careful. While Jax would have never allowed such a thing in his establishment, she'd heard horror stories about things that had befallen sleeping maidens in other parts of Luskan. One could never be too careful.
Then again... Luskan was Luskan.
While she herself was no devotee of Tymora, Kess had nothing but a good view of the Tymoran clergy and was glad that Vesper at least had found somewhere to "fit in" concerning such. While there were certainly things in which she had difficulty relating to, Kess had great empathy for half-elves (or "Alcol'quess" in her tongue). Being of both worlds and yet not, too often did half-elves find themselves ostracized either by one half of their lineage or the other... or sometimes, even both. Fortunately, for some like Vesper, she'd managed to land within a good lot of friends and associates. That, and Kessdarra would be among the first to leap to her friend's defense, mixed blood be damned.
So... like a good friend would be wont to do, she made sure to plan her trance out to give just enough time for both rest and have Vesper out from beneath the blankets with time to spare.
"Good morning, sleepyhead... rise and shine," Kess gently prodded, giving the little half-elf a gentle shake; it was a bit before dawn yet, though Kess' keen elven eyes were catching hints of lighter shades in the summer sky, a pleasantly warm southern wind blowing into the room as she watched the dance of some fireflies above a pond near the Golden Eagle. "You don't want to be late for your service, do you?"
When Vesper tossed and complained, Kess couldn't help but laugh softly. "Don't you want time to get yourself nice and ready for your service, silly? That's happening at around sunrise, isn't it?"
For a minute, all seemed serene. Strangely calming. Kess admittedly enjoyed sleeping in a bed more than a trance, but she liked the warmth of blankets. And pillows were always nice and soft, a great means of protecting long elven ears from the cold.
How was her mother doing, Kessdarra wondered, back at home? The summers of Icewind Dale were always a brief reprieve from the absolute frozen hell of the northern winter, and if one wasn't riding out the wrath of winter in the Ten Towns, they were preparing for it. The knucklehead trout harvest was likely in full swing, and no doubt that ships from every town were likely pushing and shoving... or arguing.... or fighting over them as usual, and the caravans from Luskan, Mirabar, Mithral Hall, Silverymoon and Waterdeep had likely all arrived as well. The Battlehammer clan of dwarves, those that still dwelt that far north anyway, were likely beginning to share the fruits of their labors within the earth, even that far north. And sometimes, the Tribe of the Elk would send a few of their men to come down and trade their wares with the locals, bartering and buying the few supplies they could not attain on their own.
So lost in her memories of home, Kess was, that she had to bite off a loud squeak of surprise as he found herself and the morning twilight's peace interrupted by the following dwarven fracas:
"AWW, SHIT, I'M GONNA BE LATE!" *THUMP-VOOM! KLANG-KLA-KLANG-KLANG, THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!* "OCH!" *VA-VOOOM-KLANG-KLANG-KLANG!*
What in all of the goodly realms was that...? Kessdarra immediately leapt to her feet, her slender and shapely legs carrying her swiftly through the door and poking out into the hallway along with several other awoken patrons and concerned parties, each with expressions between annoyance, pain, confusion, concern or any combination of the four.
Somebody had certainly earned the entire inn's attention, to be certain. Hard to miss a yelling dwarf, especially when they were so, well... loud. And typically Dwarven in brogue and behavior.
((Merry Christmas, y'all!))
(Merry Christmas!)
Vesper falls out of bed upon hearing all of the noise coming from the other room. "That must be Chrys." She says, rubbing her head as she gets up from the floor. "I don't need that much time to get myself ready, just a few seconds." Vesper casts Prestidigitation a few times, using it to get the drool off her face, get rid of the smell of alcohol, iron out her clothes, and straighten out her hair. She also puts on a loose fitting pair of boots, since she isn't sure if she can go barefoot in this church. She heads out the door with Kess when she realizes that she doesn't remember how she got in this room. "Did you put me in this bed?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
"Yeah! It was great! I think when I have enough money to buy a house for mom and dad that I am going to buy one with a bed!" He would say excitedly before bouncing ariund the room and getting himself dressed. He would pause a moment and examine the bed as though trying to figure out how they worked before looking back to Chrys. "Yup, definitely going to need one of these..." he would state once more as if making a grand decision. The kobold would then stay close to Chrys as she leaves out the door, not wanting to get lost on the way to service.
(I hope you guys all had a very merry Christmas!)
As ambient light of early pre-dawn morning grows more bright, it’s accompanied by of a glowing band of reddish pink that hangs at the horizon and increases in brilliance with each passing minute. By now, the roosters are crowing with their natural sunrise alarm, and people begin to congregate at the entrance to the Tempe of Tymora as the first rays of the rising sun kiss the tips of the tallest roofs in Yartar and begin to work their way down.
The temple doors open and you make your way inside, along with others who have come to attend the sunrise service. You join a mix of people; adventurers, merchants, travelers and other townsfolk who all depend on luck and skill to achieve their goals in life. After all, Tymora is the goddess of good fortune, and she shines her favor on those who take risks in life.
During the service, the Tymoran clergy share the blessings of Lady Luck, as she’s called, and encourage everyone to pursue their dreams, for that is the best way to honor the deity and receive her rewards in life. You learn that by duty, the priests and clerics of Tymora are bound to provide healing and aid those who exhibit the kind of daring that she encourages. You also learn that the temples occasionally provided potions, scrolls and other other little things as rewards to those who serve Tymora and her tenets well.
Near the end of the service, a donation platter is passed around, and you notice that when people place coins into the bowl, they speak the phrase, “A copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold."
As the service is winding down, you look over and spot Ehrland among the other attendees.
Once the service starts, Vesper actually listens to it pretty intently. When she performed with her troupe, she needed quite a bit of skill to successfully pull off a performance and now that she was an adventurer, she definitely needed skill and plenty of luck since her powers could have effects that she didn't intend them to. And she especially listens when the clergy talk about pursuing their dreams. Perhaps it wasn't a mistake to let Chrys talk me into coming here. This was nice. When the platter is passed around, she puts a gold in the bowl. If a copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold, then a gold's gotta return as a lot more than that.
When the service ends, she points out Ehrland to the rest of the party, in particular Kessdarra. "Hey, that's the guy who invited us here last night! Oh! Kess! Last night that guy walked up to us in the tavern, looking for some people to do a job for him. I'm sure that he'd let you do the job too if you wanted in!"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Krackle would try his hardest to sit still through service as his small head quickly darted in multiple directions, taking in all the new sights and sounds. The frail kobold would perk up about the possible free items and as the collection plate was passed around, he would pay very close attention to what each person was doing.. "a copper to the lady returns tenfold in gold..." krackle would say over and over quietly as the collection plate drew closer and closer.. It would be obvious to anyone looking that the kobold was confused, not entirely understanding what was going on, but right before the plate reached the kobold, an excited smile would spread across his face as he quickly and quietly put his entire coin pouch on the platter before passing it on. The kobold would place the pouch so quickly that if you wernt paying attention, you might not have seen Krackle pull his bag of coins out from inside his white robe.
slight of hand! 24
As Vesper points out the guy they talked to the night before, Krackle would look up excitedly. "Yeah Kess! You can fill in for Silver... I dont know where he went but whe. he asked us to help... well... there were more of us." He would frown a bit as he looked down at his friendship necklace. The tiny kobold would then shake his head as if trying to rid the sad thoughts from his head. "You are going to come with us right?" He would ask looking up to the elf
As the party gathers in the taproom, Chrys does a headcount to make sure all are accounted for - Lumen is a little groggy still, and both Arine and Silver haven't returned at all. Still, she's delighted to see that Kess and Vesper are both still around, and what's more, even willing to attend the morning services with her. As they set off for the temple, Chrys takes a moment to enjoy the lightening of the dawn sky and shake the last vestiges of sleep off.
During the ceremony, Chrys listens to the service intently, nodding in agreement at certain intervals. When the collection plate comes around, she dutifully places a copper coin into it. Her eyes widen in surprise as she sees Krackle take the plate and place his entire coin pouch into it. Hmm. Better talk to the lil' one about saving his money later, she decides, though it's too late now to teach him the value of the dragons she thinks he just lost.
When Vesper spots Ehrland, Chrys gathers her things and looks to the rest of the party to see what they're intending. Everyone seems to be willing and eager to meet with Ehrland, so after a short consultation with the others, she approaches the older man with the group. "Greetins' to ya again, sir," she says to Ehrland with a broad smile. "Lovely service they had here, we're glad we made it. I don't mean ta be rude talkin' business right after the services, but... ya know, fortune favors the bold, or so I've heard. If yer still willin' to hire our services for yer task, the Pie Pals are willin' ta listen to yer offer."
Lumen, ever since the arrival back to the inn the night before, has been utterly silent and trying to blend into the wallpaper. The second he sees Kessdara, his brow furrows, he scratches his head, his eyes suddenly widen, and then he mostly tries to keep his face averted from the new arrival. With high enough perception rolls, the rest of the party sees all of this, as well as catching him muttering under his breath, "could have swore she was the flamin' pixie for a second," and "keep your distance until you know for sure," and "play it cool, idiot..."
He sleeps well, knowing that he nearly died again today, and happy knowing that he's found some people who can help get him back on his feet.
After the service in the temple, he drops a copper into the collection plate, and (perception: 7) does not catch Krackle's sleight of hand. When the party approaches Ehrland, he stays near the back, awkwardly keeping a hymnal between his face and Kessdara's and hilariously looking elsewhere.
(Just to see if Chrys notices any of Lumen's antics: Insight: 6 )
(edit: LOL, carry on!)
For her part, as a worshiper of Angharradh, Kessdarra mostly kept to herself, saying little. Though she had quarrel with Lady Luck and her followers, she felt like a stranger in a strange land. Tymora was a power largely worshiped by the non-elven peoples, although she was honored and respected among her own kind.
She pondered many things in that moment as she listened to the sermon. Very young indeed for her kind, Kess tried not to think about what she was: she was Tel'quessir, an elf. The flow of time was nowhere near as swift nor as cruel as it was upon other races, and in her most private thoughts she felt sorrow for the fact that she would still be here long after many of her friends, family and neighbors would be gone... at least in presence. They would remain in other ways, such as through bloodkin or history, but that could never replace the love and companionship of friends and family, not truly.
Why was she thinking about that now...? Because of how much of an "adventure" she yet had to face? Probably. And yet... it was one that she could ill-afford to be overly burdened with sorrow upon. Elves lived a long life, after all, and while many would claim such long lives to be a blessing (and they were), they often did so without the understanding of what such a long life would entail.
Even so, as the donation plate was passed around, Kess would discretely slip in two gold coins; while she didn't adhere to Lady Luck, perhaps Tymora had protected her in the midst of her ventures thus far; what then was a bit of gold to help others?
And that was was when EVERYONE started to greet her. Vesper was first, telling her about work, which caught her attention, and then it was the little kobold who looked up at Kess with the most pitiable look in his reptilian eyes that Kess had ever seen in a creature of his like as he asked if she would be willing to come with them.
How do I say no to that face...? Kess thought to herself, stifling a giggle as she looked into the Kobold's eyes, making sure to kneel down momentarily to be at eye level with the little dragonkin, offering him - was it a he? Kess realized she had never asked; it was hard to tell with creatures like kobolds. Anyways, she offered him a warm smile. "I'll at least hear what he has to say... what's the harm? I thank you for the offer... um... I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name."
Another voice spoke next as the party approached one of the attendees they all seemed so fixated on, the dwarven lass clad in trappings that suggested relation to clergy (a priestess or paladin of some kind, Kess supposed). She immediately recognized her as the one who had given the tenants of the Golden Eagle an awakening they'd soon not forget.
As she heard the name for Vesper's band, however, Kess did the best she could to stifle a giggle (Deception: 8 ) at the mention of the words "Pie Pals". It wasn't a belittling giggle of the party's name, but the name didn't exactly evoke imagery of adventurers braving the depths of the world; indeed, the very descriptor gave rise to the mental image of a band of bakers clad in their customary white hats and coats, chasing around goblins and other terrible creatures with knives, spatulas, pans and rolling pins in Kess' mind.
As she sat and waited for the man to respond, Kess glanced around, just taking in her surroundings.
(( Just a check to see if she notes Lumen hiding back there! Perception: 4 ))