CH. 1: Haven and Hell

[Just_Ice]

Kynaston stares the Kender down, his huge brow perhaps making him seem angry rather than simply annoyed. Given that there's nothing stopping the rain from hitting him, he looks rather intimidating in this light.

"Show your elders a bit of respect, moron," He commands. "Now, this can all be very easily solved if you show me you ain't stealing any art, 'cause I don't know Qualinesti from Silvanesti from Gully Dwarf."

The beefy man points to the little green backpack. The best way to deal with a Kender is to let them deal with themselves- they think they're real good guys until the cat's out of the bag, and they'll put it out themselves to show it isn't there.

[NoTrammeling]

Taking an unhurried step toward the waitress until she's just on the border of the woman's personal space, Coroccoco slides her woven hat from her head and rolls her neck slowly, luxuriating in the freedom and warmth of the room. She sniffs audibly, getting a feel for her surroundings by looking about and listening to the tone of conversation. Only once she has judged the inn to be her destination for the morning does she finally look down at the waitress, making her mouth into a toothless smile so as not to frighten the lady she speaks in her rasping voice, "Steel enough."

To demonstrate the validity of her cliam the hobgoblin reaches into her left sleeve with the opposite hand, withdrawing three coins held carefully with the tips of her clawed fingers. They look smaller than should be in the grasp of such a large hand. "More of that ham will do. And something hot and spiced to bring warmth to my chest." Coco makes the coins disappear back into the folds of her sleeve and makes no move to join the fire at first, simply enjoying the feel of the warm pleasant-smelling room while she waits for the mud on her feet to dry.

After a moments pause she scrapes the dried mud from her feet and fur by rubbing it against her other leg in swift, sure motions that have obviously been performed countless times. She approaches the fireplace slowly, deciding on which place would be most ideal to begin lecturing on the virtues of Weerschaal. She also checks for Seekers, having no desire to lose her life or be quickly thrown back out into the wet and cold morning before she can plant the seeds of equality in Haven's populace. Lastly she searches for a seat amongst the fireside tables, and more importantly a likely-looking person to spend her morning speaking with.

EDIT: (added the line beginning with "Lastly she...")

[mgbevan]

Taking a stride towards the guard and opening his chest Gregeddin proclaims "Well good sir! Certainly no women walk these streets with enough meat on them to make the butchers and profit!" motioning with open palms at the scabbard at his own waist and the guard's blade. "Please tell me the crime, punishment, reward and with whom I have the pleasure of speaking to in these circumstances and I, like the profiting butcher, can be of assistance to your quest."

[OOC] Can / Has a local history check be made to remember: 1) if the alley is in fact a dead end; 2) if the alley has any reputation for muggings and unsavoury activity? (to perhaps bluff the guard)

[HorizonsDream]

"I've been doing this for little coin for a long time," Kendra said. After all, Norris knew that most, if not all, of her money went to her family.

Though, that wasn't a discussion she wanted to take part in at the moment as her family was a sore spot with her. Instead, she just picked up her armor, tunic, and weapons so that she could follow Norris downstairs. "And some of those people might not have a choice in what they do. They are just trying to survive," she explained.

It was clear she had a soft spot for the refugees. Though, she was able to turn them away at the gate whenever she was on that duty for the day. She wondered how she was able to do it day in and day out the way she did.

[JadedDM]

Kynaston Trench (Grey Road, South Haven)
The kender doesn't appear particularly intimidated; although it is rather difficult to intimidate someone who can't physically feel fear. Instead, he takes a step back and puts a hand on his sword's hilt. His little brow furrows with annoyance. "You are impunging my honor!" he declares, most likely meaning to say 'impugning.' "I'm not a thief, but she is a scammer. Her 'genuine elven art' is just cheap junk. She tricks people into paying good steel for garbage! Why else would she sell something so valuable in this part of town? So she won't get caught, that's why!"

"Lies!" the old woman cries. "A thief and a liar, just like all kender!"

Haahqae (Steel Tankard Inn, Common Area)
"Aye," the barbarian says. The stench of ale on his breath is noticable, even from where Haahqae sits. "I thought I had problems, but this city is even worse off. Bah! I say to the Abyss with this town!" He seems to have had a few drinks already, despite how early it is. A few people sitting nearby look to him uncomfortably but nobody says anything.

Haahqae flags down one of the waitresses, who returns his smile, but it's clearly forced. She appears exhausted, but does her best to appear friendly. "Morning, sir," she says. "What'll it be for breakfast today?"

Kendra Synclair (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
Norris appears about to say something more, but perhaps sensing she didn't wish to talk on it further, he keeps his mouth shut and just follows her downstairs. While she gears up, he searches around to ensure there are no signs of a break-in. Satisfied, he starts to prepare to open shop. "Just be careful out there, okay? It feels like this whole city is one big volcano, just waiting to erupt at any second."

Gregeddin (Market Street, on route to the market)
The Holy Guard blinks in confusion at the man's bravado and poetic prose. But it seems to do the trick; he appears quite impressed. "Well, uh, it was a girl. About so high," he gestures here, holding his hand about three feet off the ground, "and the crime is theft. I saw her come this way, but I lost her. I can't really offer a reward, other than justice done, although maybe the merchant she stole from might offer you something if you help me track her down."

Gregeddin is fairly certain the alley is a dead-end. However, it doesn't have any more of a reputation for unsavory activity than any other alley one might find in the city.

(OOC: Gregeddin makes a Local History check [17] (1d20): 10, pass.)

Coroccoco (Haven Arms Inn, Common Room)
The woman seems to grow friendlier at the sight of the steel coins, and departs to get the hobgoblin's request.

Looking around the room, Coroccoco notes there are no Seeker priests or Holy Guard present in the common area. That should make things easier.

A minute after she finds a place by the fireplace, the same waitress returns with a plate of ham and a glass of spiced wine for her. It smells divine. If only she could eat like this everyday!

Glancing around the room, she notes most of the people in the area are refugees. There are a few travelers, as well. The one that sticks out the most is a red haired woman dressed rather richly. This makes her stick out like a sore thumb among all of these poor and downtrodden folk. She also spots a female dwarf wearing some very bright and vibrant colors. Finally, there's a strange 'man' or man-shaped thing, anyway. He is dressed in thick robes with the cowl down, and his hands are completely bandaged up. Not even the slightest bit of his skin is able to be seen.

[HorizonsDream]

"That is mostly because it is," Kendra says with a small smile. "You aren't out in the thick of it, so you don't really understand what it is like out there." Sadly, she understood what was going on out there better than most. People were unhappy, refugees and those that lived in Haven alike. "Part of me just wants to run away from it all."

[Haahque]

"I'll have the eggs, and a drumstick please." he replies, trying to sound cheerful, then turns to the barbarian.

"The problems of this town are quite apparent at a glance, and also rather mundane. What I'm interested in is what brings a big strong man like you to a place like this? Are your problems at home those that you would seek out help against, or problems that are better left alone?" He's fairly sure his comment about the towns current problems is too wordy for the uncivilized, and it's just as well the barbarian gets only an idea of what he says instead of understanding it. When he speaks of the mountain man's own problems, he slows his speak and uses smaller words to make it easier to understand.

[NoTrammeling]

Still standing the pugilistic pilgrim tosses a piece of ham, whole, into her mouth, bolting it down before its even half-chewed like some hungry animal. She takes large quaff from her wine, letting the warmth bloom through her core out to her extremities until even her toes are curling at the alcohol's kiss. The edge of her hunger abated, she moves slowly toward the richly dressed woman easily weaving her way through the crowded fireside area with her plate in one hand and her goblet of wine held above her head in the other. She comes to the table and stands there without sitting, choosing to respect good manners for the nonce.

"That garb is a spark in a pile of tinder," Coco comments keeping her tone decidedly neutral. "That you'd be so be so bold to go about like that means you're either incredibly naive or have no need to fear the mobbing refugees." She looks pointedly about. "And no bodyguard."

[Breila]

Quietly, Khush takes out his sling and a few stones from his belt pouch. He aims and shoots at the nearest goblin, hoping to smack him in the back of his head, then ducks again to avoid capturing anyone's attention. Not waiting to see if he has hit, the next stone will be fired at a tree behind the goblins and as far away from him as possible, to direct their attention there (I know that'll be next round, just explaining his intention).

INIT 8, miss

[Just_Ice]

Kyne raised a brow at the kender going for his sword. He'd forgotten all about their fearlessness- but he also was not expecting him to care for honour.

"Stay your hand," the mercenary warned him, "Or you'll truly be an idiot. You have been accused of stealing from an old woman's livelihood- if you fail to prove otherwise even other kender will spit on your grave. If you can't prove it to me, good luck with the guards."

He continues, "There are some plausible reasons to be selling art here- perhaps these are made by obscure artists or were practice works. Even if it is fake art, it is still art; it is not a poor tool that breaks or clothes that unravel. You would be much better served to show you are no thief, Kender."

Looking the little man dead in the eye, he decides to place a different sort of pressure on him. "If it is a matter solely of honour, then I shall make you a wager; if you are no thief, I will give you my longsword- I purchased it for fifteen steel of hard earned coin. In return, should your sack contain a painting, you will agree to pay the penalty: return what is stolen, and five silver for every piece of art. What say you?"

[JadedDM]

Kynaston Trench (Grey Road, South Haven)
The kender looks Kynaston up and down appraisingly. "I'm not an idiot, or a moron!" he insists. "But...a hero is nothing without his sword. And you'd really be willing to risk giving it up?" He thinks this over. "I guess if your honor is at stake, too, then it's okay."

He steps back, shrugs off his pack and dumps its many contents to the ground in a pile. A careful search reveals the following items: a couple of small bells, a spyglass, a flask with white liquid in it (and a picture of a bug on the glass), a flute, a bottle of what appears to be glue, some dried up grapes, a handkerchief, a tuff of white hair, a can of tomato sauce, some blank scrolls, charcoal, a pink sweater (kender sized), rope, trail rations, a horsehair toothbrush, a waterskin, scissors, a sugar cube, a dagger that appears made of gold, a small jar with a pickled eyeball (clearly non-human) in it, three socks (none matching), and a piece of paper with writing on it.

Haahqae (Steel Tankard Inn, Common Area)
The barmaid smiles and heads toward the kitchen to get his request.

The big barbarian seems to calm down a bit at being asked about his troubles. "I run a mine in the Kharolis Mountains," he explains. "Or I did. Some monsters got in and have chased off the miners. Demons, they say. Bah! Whatever they are, the miners are terrified. I came here looking for help, but the Seekers are useless. They can't even protect this town!" Again, this draws some uncomfortable looks. A few people look over to the front doors, as if expecting the Holy Guard to burst in at any moment for some reason.

Kendra Synclair (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
"And the other part of you?" asks Norris, stepping forward and taking her hand into his own. "What does it want?"

It continues to rain outside, still lightly. The soft patter of it hitting the ceiling is still audible, becoming noticeable every time there's a silence.

Khush (Road to Haven)
Khush slings the stone and ducks again, unaware if he even hit anything. He doesn't hear anything at all to suggest he hit or that the goblins or woman even noticed. It's likely that he may need to get closer to have a better chance of making a good shot.

(OOC: Khush slings a stone at Goblin 02 at medium range (-2) (1d20-2): 4, miss.)

Coroccoco (Haven Arms Inn, Common Area)
The woman looks up at Corocco in mild surprise, but seems to quickly recompose herself. She smiles and says, "I'm tougher than I look."

Seeing her up close, Coroccoco can discern a few additional details about her. Her long red hair, in two separate braids, which cover up her ears. Her face, while pleasant, reminds the priest of an elf. It's well-known that elves don't have red hair naturally, though, suggesting she has some mixed blood.

Her eyes are an azure blue and her nose, which scrunches up when she smiles, is dotted with freckles. Her clothing appears to be clean and in good repair; it's difficult to be sure without feeling it for herself, but Coroccoco could swear it's made of silk or some other expensive material.

Although quite pretty, at least by human standards, and despite her claim to the contrary, there doesn't appear to be anything about her to suggest she is strong. She's thin and fairly wispy in build. She carries no visible weapons and wears no protective armor. However, the way she carries herself suggests she is confident that she can take care of herself.

[NoTrammeling]

Corocco cocks her head unsure if she should be amused or respectful of the woman before her. Whichever her choice may be, she remains standing because joining a stranger at their board is disrespectful without their invitation as far as she understands human culture. Tossing another piece of ham into her mouth with two fingers from the had holding her wine, she chews on the savory meat and the scant information she has on the woman before her.

"No weapons. And you don't look like you could throw anyone about. Hmmmm." Coco takes a large gulp of spiced wine to wash down her pork. "And you do not balk at me as most humans would, but then..." She leaves the rest unsaid, choosing another gulp of warming wine. "In this life I am Coroccoco prophet of Weerschaal, I tell you this only so that I might know the name of such an interesting woman."

[Haahque]

Haahqae thinks about drafty mines filled with unknown terrors and shudders. A mine usually offers little in terms of knowledge, and is difficult to plan an ambush or trap in without detailed information about the specific mine. However the big man had mentioned demons, which were known for their wielding of magics, knowledge he wouldn't mind acquiring, and it could get him in a favorable view of the tribe, step 1 to unlocking their ancient and powerful secrets.

"Demons you say? Did you get a good look at them? I'm all for helping out a good man in trouble, and the seekers seem indisposed at the moment. I picked up some skill with the sling while protecting livestock from wolves as a young one, but I'm just one gnome, it would be smart to bring along some more people." The livestock story was a shameless lie, but he guessed the barbarian wouldn't care where he learned to use a sling. "Have you tried asking that girl over there with the eye patch or that man in green over there? If that doesn't work my next plan is basically to walk out onto the street and ask anyone wearing Brigandine or Studded Leather."

[Breila]

Khush thinks for a moment. He wants to create a disturbance, but not draw attention to himself.

He looks around for a dead branch. If he finds one, he plans to hurl it into the fiolage of a tree or bush a safe distance from him but close enough to be certain to make the leaves rustle.

[HorizonsDream]

~Run away too?~ Kendra asked herself but she knew better than to say such a thing to Norris. Instead, she looked down at their hands. "The other part of me wants to help," she admitted as she looked up to Norris.

She had asked herself so many times over why she just didn't settle down with the man stand before her right now. He was handsome, nice enough, and well off money wise. Plus, he seemed to love her to pieces. She didn't really have any passion for him though. Maybe if she had met him on her own instead of having her family set them up, things would have been different.

"Listen, I need to go," Kendra says as she kisses him on the cheek really quick, and reclaims her hand as her own. She offers him a tiny smile as she rushes out the door after she grabs a stale piece of bread for breakfast along with her armor, tunic, and weapons. It was time to enjoy the little amount of time she had to herself as she walked to work in the rain.