|
Post by Q'tar on Mar 4, 2016 7:51:50 GMT -5
Q'tar lets out a small sigh as he cleans off a table. The evening's festivities have come to an end, and most of the townsfolk have gone home.
Except for one.
The Innkeeper glances over at one of the tables in the shadowed corner of the tavern, and sees the town's leadership. Lord Seth, sitting alone, half drunk bottle and an empty glass on the table. He has been sitting there most nights, just keeping to himself. Or are people too scared to approach him, Q'Tar thought with an inner smile. His antics a few nights ago surely have set the townsfolk apart from him.
Smiling, the Innkeeper pours two flagons of ale and walks over to the table. "Mi'lord, looks like you could use some company," the Kur'asi said softly as he places one of the flagons in front of the squire. "On the house, as always." he said with a warm smile.
He sits in the empty chair in front of the noble and takes a pull from his own flagon. "What is troubling you, Mi'lord?"
|
|
|
Post by thewolfinman on Mar 10, 2016 22:50:13 GMT -5
Seth looks up from his book, a leather bound journal he has been looking through since the most recent events, blinking his eyes back to focus. It takes him a bleary slightly drunken moment to realize that he is being talked to. "You don't have to call me m'lord you know...that would be sir Barnes. I am just a squire."
He takes a swig of the ale Q'tar brought over and throws a chunk of cheese slowly into his mouth.
"Gods I wish he would get here all ready, but of course the damn roads..." he mumbles, referring to the fact that like everything out here, the roads have been reclaimed supernaturally fast by nature.
Turning fully to Q'tar he composes himself, thinking carefully about his next words.
"It is an interesting time in your life, the time when you realize that the world is not quite what it seems to be. When you finally learn that not everything you idealize and believe should be true is."
He takes another hearty quaff.
"Call me naive but I have been in that stage for about 50 years now. The world just keeps reminding me that it isnt what it should be..."
Seth looks back down at his journal. It is full to the brim with hand scrawled notes. He pointedly closes it.
"Amazing when your lifes work has to stay condensed in a little book. A human may not understand with their pitifully short time on this world, but I think you might." He looks up at Q'tar with a slight smile, the first you have seen from him in days.
"50 years worth of work, wasted."
|
|
|
Post by Q'tar on Mar 11, 2016 8:13:47 GMT -5
The Innkeeper looks at the squire with a mix of pity, and anger.
He leans forward. "You are correct, I am considerably older. My people have been here since the beginning of time itself. And we fought for every year of that." He looked around the room. "Do you think our great city just sprang up on its own? No. It took centuries of hard work, and some bloodshed, to get it to its current glory."
He looks around the room. "This is Cynderfall. This is your town. And like every other town in this world, it will not come without hardships and some blood. If you want something to succeed, you must fight for it."
Then he leaned forward in his chair. "And we are here to help you make that a reality." Q'tar said soberly.
Then his brow lightened. "More cheese?"
|
|
|
Post by thewolfinman on Mar 11, 2016 8:30:56 GMT -5
Seth listened to the Ku'rasi's tirade at first in mild, drunken shock, then in confusion, then in slight bemusement.
"First, Cynderfall? Second none of this has anything even mildly to do with this town. There are things at work and on my mind that span potentially several of your lifetimes, and all of mine." A smirk, almost sassy, spreads across his face.
"This town is important, yes, but I am looking at a much larger picture. The painter of that picture has a hell of a whole lot of blood on his hands..." The smirk fades to a frown through this statement.
"I wish I could trust people to help, but alas that has proved unreliable. Perhaps some day. And yes, more cheese."
|
|
|
Post by Q'tar on Mar 11, 2016 8:44:10 GMT -5
The Kur'asi rose from his chair and moved to slice a chunk of cheese for the squire.
"Most curious, sir. You say your woes have nothing to do with Cynderfall, but yet there is something at our doorstep. Something vile, and quite annoying if I say so myself." Q'tar filled the flagons again and brought them to the table. He sat across from Seth once again.
"Our roads are blocked, which means my caravans cannot enter. That means food and supplies will be in danger. Now, while I sympathize with your troubles, sir, I believe the safety of this town should be dealt with hastily. Now we are here to help you in any way we can, because we live here as well. Do you agree?"
He took a pull from the flagon. "Cynderfall. The town needs a name, does it not?" Q'tar smiled.
|
|
|
Post by thewolfinman on Mar 13, 2016 19:01:36 GMT -5
Jace crashes through the door to the Lightning Lounge, sighing inwardly at getting in from out of the wretched brightness of the fading sun. His need to learn of his companions safety burns in his mind almost as hot as his parched throat, demanding both answers and refreshment of the Kurasi standing by the tap.
(Qtar, I remember him. I know him. I hope he's not a part of this...)
Completely oblivious to the jerking, sudden motions he can't seem to help but make, Jace nearly collapses into a chair by the bar. His face is pale, startlingly so, and his forehead is a ruined mess, covered in what looks like a open engraving of 3 bloody runes. He motions to Qtar, and croaks out his request.
"Water, Mead, or ale. I need something wet, and I need it now! "
With the fluid movement of a skilled Keeper, the Kur'asi pours an ale from the tab and moves towards Jace, grabbing a bit of heavy cloth on the way.
He places both in front of him quickly. "There you go, good sir. And something to clean yourself up with." Q'tar looked over the runes carved in his forehead.
Seems he did not learn the first time about playing with runes, Q'tar thought as he looked upon Jace.
"What happened to you?"
Jace greedily drank the cool ale, a pleasant brew that would quench any thirst. Chasing it with a crust of bread pulled from a pouch, he began to ask if anyone else was made ill by the roast from before. A violent heaving makes him pause. ..then he runs towards the nearest window, expelling bile, beer, and bread.
"Q'tar, everything I've had from you has left me curled up and wretching. What under the sun is in me, too make me so sick? I haven't eaten in days, and I'm thirsty enough to shrivel up. I see Seth over there seems too in his cups to have been affected. Is everyone else the same? "
|
|
|
Post by thewolfinman on Mar 13, 2016 19:01:50 GMT -5
Posted from other thread
|
|
|
Post by thewolfinman on Mar 15, 2016 14:54:06 GMT -5
Seth began his next sentence with an indignant glare at Q'tar. "Of course I know we have a problem at our step! You simply don't...." It was then that Jace rushed into the bar.
After a few mildly drunken moments taking stock of the situation he got up and dashed over to the retching man. A look of concern and aggressive determination fills his face.
Checking both sides of the mans neck he looks at him puzzled and curious, then he looks at Q'tar with concern in his eyes.
"Check the rations."
|
|
|
Post by Q'tar on Mar 15, 2016 15:19:22 GMT -5
Nodding a quick acknowledgement, the Innkeeper moves towards his cupboards where most of the dry goods are kept. After a quick but thorough search, everything looked in order. Satisfied, he moves toward the heavy wooden door in the rear of the kitchen and climbed the few stairs into the chill of the basement. Everything looked fine there.
Most curious, Q'tar thought.
He then climbed out of the cellar and moved to the back door, where his livestock were grazing. All looked healthy.
He walked quickly back to the tavern, pulling some water from the well. After smelling the goblet and satisfied that is had no odor, he walked over to Jace and Seth, goblet held out.
"All of my rations seem to be well, Sir." Q'tar said firmly but thoughtfully. "I do not think his illness came from in here."
The keeper moves to look more closely at Jace, being very careful not to interfere with Seth's examination...
|
|
|
Post by mulcibaer on Mar 16, 2016 21:11:26 GMT -5
Upon closer examination, both Seth and Q'tar will have noticed the faint signs that betray Jace's poor condition. The botches on his forehead appear to be old, dried scars, the blood oozing from them never dripping nor fading to any scrubbing. His complexion does seem a shade lighter, easily accounted for if he had spent a prolonged period in a cave, but nigh impossible for one who had been in any kind of sun for any period. Most unsettling were the eyes, a dark red where jaces clear blue had been. At least, this would have been less curious if the subject in question was aware to the extent he had changed.
"You can't mean I'm the only one sick." Jace continues, his tone dropping to a conspiring whisper. "I did nothing more than any of the other.... wait."
Jace bolts upright, a look of utter hatred overcoming his face. Under his voice, with a contempt none present could mistake, he speaks softly, almost as if the world was forgotten for a moment... "Those sludge born savages in the woods... the ravager and his ilk... I'd wager they know of what's going on more than any other... seems I'll have to pay them a visit. See how strong they are after their souls are consumed by my spells."
|
|
|
Post by mulcibaer on Mar 16, 2016 21:12:58 GMT -5
Without a rearward glance, Jace exits the tavern, fairly disappearing into the shadows of the encroaching night.
|
|
|
Post by thewolfinman on Mar 16, 2016 22:16:16 GMT -5
Seth watches in a minor stupor as Jace insults the ravagers. Not having time to do much more than reach out his hand towards the fleeing infected man before he is gone he simply stands there with his mouth open for a moment.
"Um...I know I am supposed to be eloquent and stately but...what the hell just happened?"
Zack Durazzo co owner of Origin Larp
|
|
|
Post by Q'tar on Mar 21, 2016 8:27:10 GMT -5
Rune scars? I wonder if they are from those runes he found? Q'tar thought.
He took a drink from the goblet he was still holding. Could it be another attempt from the ravagers to out us? And now that Seth has seen evidence foe himself, and that ridiculous
deal that Jakka made.....Yes, I can work with this, The Innkeeper thought as he turned to face Seth.
"They look to be rune scars. NO doubt from the runes he found on our last trek into the woods. No doubt left there by those that Jakka made business with. I wonder what they plan on doing next."
Q'tar said plainly.
Sow the seeds, Q'tar thought.
|
|