Sandas is in the middle of a heatwave. For the past few days the highs have been around 100F, and today looks to be more of the same.
Rage says to Kailar, "I need to look in on a friend of ours."
"And who would that be?"
"Furgh. I have a present for him." the mage says. "I have it gift wrapped and all. I think that he will be pleased."
"Well met, Rage, my name is Logan, I am the local friendly neighborhood elven fighter/mage who was just initiated into your joyful group of companions," Logan says with a low bow. "I am told that, with your permission of course, that you might be persuaded to take a scoundrel like myself to a few choice locations that would allow me to boost some of my poor skills," he says with a grin through his black gauze mask.
Rage looks at the newcomer. "Who invited him?" she asks, speaking to Hlarn, Kailar and Sasha, "I do not take kindly to men in masks," the mage says, "Something from my past makes me distrust them greatly."
"Kailar and that most eloquent cleric, Sasha, I think she likes me," Logan replies.
"Actually I believe Hlarn did the inviting. I offered to help you with some components."
Sasha looks up, raising her brow. "Indeed? I do not recall making such a judgement. In fact, I've been absorbed by other matters and have not given you any attention whatsoever. If you chose to take my silence on the matter as tacit approval of you or your ways, you are grossly mistaken," she replies quietly, shrugging her shoulders.
"Rwrrrr, whoa, tough crowd," Logan jokes about Sasha's serious reply.
Rage looks upon the elf with distrust and notices that he is a touch over five feet,and is a well muscled elf, noticeably by his thin and wiry frame. A thin black gauze mask is worn over his entire head, masquarading his features, black hair spills out from beneath the mask to about shoulder level. Blue form fitted robes adorn his body, revealing a bandolier of silver daggers across his bare chest. Black leather shorts match his black leather steel toed boots. He wears two swords strapped across his back and small silver fitted bracers are worn on his forearms. "In response to your second thought, whether you take kindly to it or not, the mask stays.. all the explanation I will give is that it is a reminder of what I was forced to be and to do and until I have come to full terms with it, the mask stays. Kailar and Hlarn have examined me as per your group's lovely torture techniques. I have seen and felt better," he says with a snort, "but I wouldn't have minded Sasha giving me a goose or two, though I now beleive the story that dwarven hands are really soft," he says, giving a look to Hlarn.
Sasha rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
"Now that's the woman I thought you were." he chuckles as he attends to Rage's reply to his insistence on keeping his mask.
"They said the mask is fine," Logan finishes his retort to the magess. "I do hope you can come to terms with it and if you still have a problem with it, to show my faith in you, I will uncover my face to you alone, if I must," he says, haltingly, the unwillingness to do so rather noticeable.
"I was not talking to you," the mage says to the masked man.
"Is it me or did Thyrm just walk in?? brrrr.." Logan says as he crosses his arms over his chest and shakes a little.
Rage turns her attention to Hlarn. "Are we now inviting every piece of scum that walks the street to join our little group? Are are we having open enrollment these days?" Rage snaps, clearly irritated.
"Is it the oils I am wearing? Scum.. humpf, I have been called lots of things, knave, scoundrel, but scum, I beleive I have hit a new low and in such short time. My thanks, m'lday," Logan replies with a deep bow.
"Did I miss something? Are you soley in charge of recruiting now? I somehow got the impression it was more of a 'group' thing. Half our party isn't even here!"
Hlarn gives Rage a strange look. "We have never told anyone they could not accompany us, assuming they serve no evil power or wish us harm. This is not a secret society, with strict membership rules. If you had found someone you thought worthy, no one in the group would challenge you. I think Logan will serve our group well."
The dwarf shrugs, "Besides, if the others dislike him, we can always kill him later."
He winks at Logan.
Logan almost tips over but catches himself at the last moment.
"Heh, real funny, little man," Logan says.
Rage mutters something incomprehensible and begins searching through her pouches. "Ahh ... were did I put that ... ah ... there it is ... a caterpillar cocoon ... let's see .. what else ... " she cackles gleefully, looking up at Logan for a moment before continuing her search.
Sasha looks up at Rage, concerned now. "Rage? It might be better not to do those kinds of things to him ... at least here in the Inn. I think the crowd is still recovering from Kailar's Xorn ... "
"A Xorn you say... a xorn," Rage says smiling, "Very good, Kailar."
"I was trying to find out if they have scents. Did you smell anything Sasha?"
Sasha shakes her head, "No, as I said before, I didn't really smell anything in particular. But then again ... some of the smells around this tap room are pretty strong and may have covered things up. Some of these people smell as bad as Gnarsh!"
"If you don't mind telling me ... what is the caterpilar cocoon for anyway..?" she adds, clearly more than a little curious now.
"I mind," Rage replies curtly.
Sasha chuckles, making little mimicking sounds and generally mocking Rage in jest. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to wait and see," she replies, her eyes twinkling.
"Keep it in yer pants, lady, you are not the only spellcaster here," Logan warns as he moves his fingers in the event she utter even one syllable.
"Your prattle irritates me," Rage states, an annoyed tone in her voice, "When I want to hear you speak, I will ask for your opinion. Now put up your fingers and sit there quietly till I call upon you, or I will be required to teach you a lesson."
Logan finds himself a seat and sits quietly, his fingers laced behind his neck. He then puts his legs up on the table and crosses them.
"As I was saying Kailar, I have to send this present to Furgh. After that I have several appointments to keep, and later, I would like to consult with you on a matter of some importance," the mage says to the gnome. "I'm sure you will approve of the later issue."
"Well can we take Sasha along? She is going to assist me in a very important matter. Do you need my help for Furgh's present?"
"I'm ready when you are," Sasha replies, finishing up her mead in a gulp.
"We might have to take the long way back. It's not like we don't have the time."
Hlarn looks at Kailar. "So you are travelling there by road? In that case we'll accompany you."
"Well, sky actually. But your company is welcome nevertheless."
"Now, Hlarn, anything to add?" the mage asks as she moves away from the masked man and closer to the dwarf.
Hlarn nods. "If you are going to see Furgh, take the rest of us along with you. Kailar wishes to test Findus' sense of smell, and we might as well let Logan taste of the intelligence pool. Also I was going to use these dwarvish hammers to finish off the clay golem we left behind."
"I have no intention at the moment of going to visit Furgh. I was sending him a present. I have several tasks that I cannot take much time away from to complete," replies the ever testy mage.
Once Hlarn answers, Logan uncrosses his fingers and raises his left hand, waving it to get Rage's attention.
Rage's glare could melt ice.
"Perhas you would look good as a racoon. They too are masked. Hmmm..." the mage says, stroking her chin. "You have something to add?" she asks a bit sarcastically to Logan.
"Ah, no.. please continue. My momma didn't raise too many fools," Logan replies.
"Enough, I am done. Come Kailar, if you please," the mage says to the gnome. "And then back to my other business."
"Where are we going?"
"To your room. It will take just a few minutes," the mage says.
Kailar and Rage leave the common room.
Hlarn looks at Logan. "Well, she doesn't seem like she's in much of a mood to do any teleporting in the near future. Lets go on over to the practice rings and see how good of a blade you are."
"Damn, do flowers wilt when she walks by?" he asks the dwarf when Rage is well out of earshot. "Ok, let's play!"
Hlarn laughs. "As I said earlier... you might find it easier getting new spells from the guild than from her."
Meanwhile, you now notice a woman eyeing your party's antics.
A young lady, dressed in colorful silks sits at the table nearest the fireplace, reading fortunes for a mere 2 silvers. Her customers apparently like what she has to say for there is often hearty laughter to be heard there as well as the occaisional astonished exclaimation of surpise. Or perhaps they simply like her colorful clothing and very womanly ways. Her smile is always bright, her eyes welcoming and her hands very soft.
"Since it seems I am not going anywhere for a few minutes, how much worse could my luck be?" Logan says to Hlarn and approaches the colorfully garbed woman.
"Well met, how much for a reading?" he asks with a slow nod of his head.
The lady looks up, smiling broadly. "For such a mysterious one as you, three silvers only. There is much hidden in your heart, it will be a job for me to get a good reading on you," she says, her smile still in place, but her eyes a bit more serious now.
"Just be gentle," he says as he places four silvers on the table and slides them to the attractive fortune teller.
She smiles, sliding the coins into her hand so quickly that they seem to have disappeared.
"Sit down. This will take a bit of time ... " she says softly. She takes his hand and gently rubs his palm. She then places a small amount of an aromatic oil in the center of his palm and slowly massages his hand and once done, takes his other hand and repeats the process.
"Ooh," is his only response.
She looks up, her eyes seeming much darker than before. "You weave a tangled web Sir. What a burden you must carry that is not yours to carry. Is it the future you wish to be knowing about? Or have you a question of your past?" she asks, her voice husky now.
A flash of irritation is noticeable even under the black mask, as his body momentarily stiffens when she mentions his past.
"The future will suffice, lass," he says after a moment of regaining his voice.
She nods, her eyes narrowing momentarily. "The future it is then, though you know that without your past, the future has little meaning and all will be for naught." She holds up her hand to forstall a retort on his part and concentrates once again on his hand, closing her eyes.
Soon, she begins to speak in very soft tones. "Your demons pursue you, even here ... but you will find one who will help ... if you can but trust enough to accept it. You are coming to a crossroad ... your past and future ... tangled ... you must chose. Your lucky numbers are 5, 11 and 31. Your lucky color is yellow ... but beware the one that was once enslaved ... the powers gone astray ... "
She shakes her head, opening her eyes suddenly. She slips the coins back on the table. "Here ... youi get a refund ... " she mutters, gathering up her stuff quickly and rising to leave.
He gently grabs her wrist. "Hold up, lady, you saw something. Tell me... my life can depend on it!" he emphasizes by blocking her exit.
"And perhaps my life will depend on remaining silent of what I saw ... " she mutters, a touch of fear in her eyes and beads of sweat forming on her brow. She wrenches herself out of his grasp and rushes to the exit.
"Nice try," Logan says as he takes off after her, he shouts as he follows her, "my past has been a living hell, first my tribe is slaughtered before my eyes, I am then sold into slavery, abused by the slavers, but rescued by a kind mage. Then he is slain and I was blamed for it. Soon after, a damned vampire came after me, no matter where I go, I am hunted to some extent, help me escape from my past," he pleads as he catches up to her, "I don't know what to do anymore," he says, falling to his knees in frustration, but still holding her by her wrist or hand.
The woman stops, stunned by his actions. She looks around, not knowing what to do for a moment.
"Please ... Sir ... I can't help you ... you are haunted by things bigger than I can handle ... " she stammers, trying to help him to his feet.
She looks to the table where he came from and nods at them. "Go back to your friends ... it may be they are the ones that can help you ... if you let them. Go with them ... but beware ... for it will be a most perilous journey ... without guide nor truth ... but in the end ... it may serve .. that is all I can say .. I must go now .. " she says suddenly, looking scared now, her face paling suddenly and looking at something behind the man. She wrenches herself away in a panic and flees the inn.
"Fine, leave," he whispers, "as I figured, I must do this alone," he says in a grim voice as he enters the inn. "Hlarn, let's go spar, I want to hit something HARD," he says with a tone of finality.
A tall, cadaverous looking human brushes past Logan, apparently pursuing the fleeing gypsy woman out of the inn.
"Hlarn, I'll be right back," Logan says as he pursues the human.
A short time after he left, Logan returns to the common room of the Inn of the Drunken Dwarf. Soon after that, Kailar joins you.
The rest of the night passes...