The Sarcophagus Legion VI

[HorizonsDream]

Imani makes herself comfortable on the cushions, and orders a salad along with whatever special they have for dinner. "Seems that this woman is very popular around here," Imani says.

[Breila]

"Indeed" Babushka looks over the crowd. "Should we order a little bit of everything on the menu and share?" she asks the group.

[Jenara]

"Indeed she is a beauty." Jerrard comments with a sudden flush to his cheeks, "I mean i assume so." sinking down he nods. "Yes a bit of everything would be interesting."

Locky says nothing, bouncing up and down in excitement.

[JadedDM]

Not long after ordering, the server brings back a large plate that consists of beyaz peynir (literally "white cheese"), kavun (sliced ripe melon), acılı ezme (hot pepper paste often with walnuts), haydari (thick strained yoghurt like the Levantine labne), patlıcan salatası (cold aubergine salad), kalamar (calamari or squid), enginar (artichokes), cacık (yoghurt with cucumber and garlic), pilaki (various foods cooked in a special sauce), dolma or sarma (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as bell peppers), and köfte (meatballs).

The meal is also served with a bottle of a colorless, unsweetened anise-flavored alcoholic drink that the server refers to as 'arak.' It's quite potent, and is to be mixed with water first, so the server brings them several cups and a pitcher of water, as well.

The whole thing comes at a price of five silver.

[Breila]

(OOC: Jaded, you're making my mouth water. Despite having just eaten)

Babushka takes two silver out of her newly bought purse."My share and Ulster's" she explains.

[Jerrard]

Jerrard places 3 silver in a pile on the table. "I will cover the rest." He glances around.

[JadedDM]

Having been paid, the server leaves them be, until he is needed again.

Ulster looks at the large plate of various food and hesitates, undecided. "There's so much...not sure where to start," he admits.

[Jerrard]

"Start at the beginning my friend." Sampling little pieces of everything, he winces at the pepper, the taste was a little too much. "I wonder when the show starts?"

[Jenara]

"Oooo different." Locky starts dipping into everything, licking her fingers she looks just like a child eating quite madly. "This is good." she adds biting on a Bell pepper.

[JadedDM]

As if in answer to Jerrard's question, the innkeeper steps out into the cleared area and raises his hands to get everyone's attention. The crowd quiets down to hear him speak.

"Welcome, welcome all," he says. "I am your host, Wahid, and I hope you are all enjoying yourselves so far." The crowd cheers and applauds to this. "Very good, very good," he says with a polite bow once they quiet down a bit. "Now, without further ado...the reason you have really come." The crowd erupts again, the excitement rippling in the air.

Wahid walks off, and a small group of men take their positions in the cleared area, carrying various musical instruments including a sitar. Malika arrives last, to more cheers, hoots and hollers. She is wearing the same outfit Jerrard saw her practicing in earlier today. Smiling, she waits for the crowd to simmer a bit, then nods to the musicians. They begin to play, and she starts to move along with the music.

Within moments, the entire audience has gone completely silent. Only the music and the light clanking of Malika's jewelry as she moves is heard.

Her body bends and gyrates in an almost hypnotic pattern, slowly at first but picking up in speed as the music tempo increases.

Thuskar watches her closely, never taking his eyes off of her. Ulster, who had been in the process of placing a piece of cheese in his mouth, freezes in place. His hand just hovers there, holding the cheese, his jaw open ready to receive it; but it never finishes it journey, as he is completely enraptured by the performance before him.

[Jenara]

"She is very pretty, I like her wiggly bits." The Kender comments totally innocently, "Do you have wiggly bits like that Imani?"

[Jerrard]

Jerrard tries to avert his eyes, indeed she was pretty, was he blinded by her looks?

Nearly coughing at Locky's question he blushes a deep crimson, hiding his face he just nods, and tries not to make eye contact with Malika, he fails on occasion.

[HorizonsDream]

Imani isn't nearly as entranced in the show as the men are. Though, she is impressed with the woman's skill, and she can certainly see why Jerrard is attracted to the woman. Imani chokes a bit on some calamari at Locky's question. "Well, uh," she stammers. "If you mean can I move like her, then yes," she says.

[Breila]

Of all the people in the audience, Babushka is possibly the least impressed. Sure, the woman was pretty, and she seemed to have joints in places other people didn't, she was very dextrous indeed. But the music to her was mostly noise, shrill even when the flute was involved, and so Babushka quickly turns her attention to the food, profiting from the fact that her companions seemed to have lost all appetite...

[JadedDM]

Jerrard tries and fails to not make eye contact with Malika. She certainly seems to make it a point to stare directly at him while she's dancing, a smile upon her face. Thus, whenever he looks at her, their gaze locks.

As the dance continues, a strange feeling of peace and serenity falls over the audience. It makes the party want to stop everything they are doing and only watch the dance. The rest of the world seems to melt away, leaving only the dancer. Locky and Jerrard quickly shake it off. Babushka, who wasn't impressed at first, suddenly becomes enraptured with the dance, unable to tear her eyes from it. Imani, Ulster and Thuskar are likewise enthralled.

The innkeeper, Wahid, approaches the table with a large, empty bowel. He sets it on the table. "If you enjoy the dancing, please show your appreciation with a hefty donation." This seems perfectly reasonable to Babushka, Ulster, Thuskar and Imani, who all immediately empty her coin purses into the bowel. Wahid also accepts any further donations, should Locky and Jerrard give anything. He then approaches the next table and says the same thing. Various men in the audience begin emptying their coin purses into the bowel, as well.

By the time he passes by every table, the dance ends. The audience erupts into applause and cheers as Malika takes a bow. She gives one look of distaste at Wahid as he carries the bowl, now overflowing with coins, to the back. But quickly replaces it with a smile to the audience. Shaking their heads, as if from a trance, Ulster and Thuskar begin cheering, as well.

==============

Locky makes a saving throw (+2 bonus for kender blood) (1d20+2): 21, pass.
Babushka makes a saving throw (+4 for gnomish blood, +1 for not paying as much attention) (1d20+5): 9, fail. Babushka hands over 4 STP, 7 SP, and 5 CP.
Jerrard makes a saving throw (+1 for Solinari in full sanction) (1d20+1): 18, pass.
Imani makes a saving throw (1d20): 9, fail. Imani hands over 16 SP, and 16 STP.
Ulster makes a saving throw (1d20): 4, fail. Ulster hands over 1 SP, and 5 CP.
Thuskar makes a saving throw (1d20): 15, fail. Thuskar hands over 25 STP, and 8 SP.

OOC: It should be noted, that those who failed their saves don't realize anything is amiss. As far as they are concerned, it was completely their decision to make the donation and they have no qualms or doubts about it.