CH. 1: Haven and Hell

[Just_Ice]

Kynaston scowled.

There was nothing in here that anyone would miss save for perhaps the golden dagger. Acknowledging failure, he tosses the sword and scabbard, held together with twine, to the diminutive fellow. He proceeds to give the woman an exasperated grimace.

"Lucky for you, I'm the kind of man that honours their wagers," he explained to the kender. "Although I wish I wasn't. Besides, I'm not much of a hero- I wasn't anything with it, either. So..."

Turning to the old woman, he scolded, "As far as I know, it's not illegal to lie about your goods, so long as they have no real utility. I've heard some lines about plain pots that belonged to Dwarven Kings. That said crone, you owe the kender an apology. I swallowed my humble pie, and it's time for you to do the same."

[mgbevan]

Contemplating the justice, or was it injustice... of the situation, Gregeddin silently hopes there was some way the girl could escape the alley while he conversed with the guard. Alas, he knows all too well this will not be the case.

Gesturing similarly to the guard "Yay tall? Kender, no?" Then thinking to himself - maybe she could eat the evidence before she is uncovered. Slim chance given her size.

Gregeddin's eyes briefly wandered to the feet of the guard, then with a glint he was back in bravado; "Theft you say?! Well a pity about that reward but perhaps your are right that the merchant will pay highly for the safe return of his prized possessions."

Now looking up at the the clouds and walking closer to the guard, Gregeddin muses enthusiastically "Yes, I imagine the return of their finest goods... Sculpted metals, or perhaps an ancient relic... Yes they would surely reward assistance for that back." Addressing the guard "What was it again? The stolen item that is."

[JadedDM]

Kynaston Trench (Grey Road, South Haven)
The kender catches the sword and takes a moment to admire it with 'oohs' and 'aahs' before unsheathing it and giving it a few practice swings. He must hold it with both hands because he's so small--it's basically a great sword to him.

He then sheathes it again and starts to scoop all of his belongings back into his backpack.

The old woman appears nervous, but attempts to mask it by acting angry. "My merchandise is completely genuine! And everyone knows how kender act. Just because this one hasn't stolen anything from me yet, doesn't mean he hasn't in the past--or will in the future!"

The kender responds by sticking his tongue out at her.

Haahqae (Steel Tankard Inn, Common Area)
"Nay," says the barbarian. "Never saw 'em myself. Always kept to the shadows, but my men claimed to have seen 'em. Said they were scaly and monstrous, they did. At first, I thought they'd just had too much to drink. But then people started turning up dead. My men walked out on me, and the iron in those mines is no good if there ain't anyone to dig it up!"

He appears intrigued by the gnome's suggestion. "Mercenaries, then? Hmm...would cost more, but it might be better than sitting around here, waiting for the Seekers to get their crap together. If the rumors of war are true, then we'll need all the iron we can get our hands on. The sooner, the better." He throws back another ale, then slams the empty glass on the table.

The barmaid returns then, with a plate for Haahqae of eggs and a drumstick. "'Nother ale!" the barbarian says to her, wiping the foam from his beard.

Kendra Synclair (Market Street, Market Place)
Kendra steps outside, into the light rain, realizing she will probably be late if she isn't already. It's about a mile walk to the Holy Guard keep, and half of that distance is uphill. She attempts to cut through the marketplace as a shortcut.

As she does, she spots a man standing on a large crate with a crowd of refugees crowding around him. He is speaking to them about a new god, a god of real power, unlike the false gods of the Seekers. He sounds fairly charismatic, and the people seem to be really taken with his speech.

Gregeddin (Market Street, on route to the market)
"Kender? No..," the guard says, then stops to think a moment. "Then again, I suppose she might be. They do tend to look like children, some even disguise themselves to look as such. Damned crafty."

The guard listens to the bard's musing, then blinks a moment at his question. "Err, uh...oh! Yeah, it was some bread. Little brat took it right off the cart and ran for it."

Khush (Road to Haven)
Khush easily finds a dead branch to pick up off the ground. Now it was only a matter of deciding where to throw it from.

(OOC: As I said before, Khush is 100 yards from the goblins. His throwing range is 10 yards for short range, 20 yards for medium range, and 30 yards for long range. How much closer does he move toward the goblins and at what speed does he move?)

Coroccoco (Haven Arms Inn, Common Area)
"Daxia Ch--err, just Daxia, actually," she says, catching herself. She gestures to the seat next to her. "Have a seat, if you like. You are not the first hobgoblin I've seen since arriving at this city, although you are the first to show me anything more than disdain and suspicion. I actually ran afoul of a couple when I first arrived. They pestered me about a blue crystal staff, then confiscated mine--in the name of the Seekers--even though it was simple ironwood." She frowns at the memory. "It was quite rude."

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra pauses for a few moments to listen to what the man has to say about this God of real power. ~Another charlatan?~ she asks herself. It had to be another charlatan. Everyone was trying prey off of these refugees, as if they haven't been hurt enough by fleeing their homes from weird armies and the like. ~At least now I'll have a good reason for being late,~"

[NoTrammeling]

Setting her ham and wine down on the table before her, Coroccoco slips into the seat next to her sylvan companion. Her maul she sets under her feet along with her haversack. Sorted and comfortable, the priestess shovels down a few more slices of ham with the same lack of savour and manners that she showed on her lonesome. Once she's cleared the majority of her plate ad polished off her wine a flash of realization shoots across her face and she lifts a reluctant finger to push the plate toward the middle of the table so that it's within the woman's reach.

"Even among my race," she rasps, "the scent of wet hobgoblin is known to make tempers rise. Perhaps the rains of this land are to blame for their rudeness, normally we are a very... accommodating... people." Her lips twitch in a shade's smile.

"I am a milder breed, having heard the word of Weerschaal, Mother of Equality. Tell me, Daxia Tch, of this Blue Crystal Staff and of what brought you to this place for it is plain you are no immigrant. Myself, I have come as the humble messenger of the Plated One, whose strength comes from Her unity!" A slight shine comes to Coco's eyes, watering with the fervor and love of her deity.

[Haahque]

"I like you, so I would do it for friendship. All I would ask is a meal and a fair share of anything we find, Others might be more expensive, especially if they do this for a living." He pauses long enough to scarf down some eggs. "Oh right, I don't know where your mine is... If you don't think we can be done by supper time, I might also need somewhere to sleep."

Finishing up the eggs he stands, which considering the height of the chair almost makes him shorter, "So I take it you haven't hired anyone yet? Let's start looking."

Haahqae picks up the drumstick and weaves through the crowd to confront the girl with the eye patch.

[Just_Ice]

"Careful with that," the tall man warned the half-ling, "You look ridiculous, but if you want to use it make sure the bluntmost side faces you. I kept the thing sharp as a razor."

Kyne turns to the aged woman and listens to her not-so-convincing outburst. He cocks an eyebrow; everyone in Haven has to deal with Kender, and there's nothing less intelligent for a poor shopkeeper to do than antagonize them. Out of his thoughts, he catches the kender shooting out his tongue at her.

"Stop antagonizing the old biddy," the axeman scolds, "No one's claiming what kender aren't. But I'm sure that's not the full explanation- it's not cheap to get that kind of stuff over the raging river intact, and if you hate kender and thieves so much you should have gotten a proper shop before the goods. Spill the beans, lady- are these even really art pieces? I know there's a problem here, and I've wasted enough time here that I want it solved.

Kyne's brow was greatly furrowed that day.

[JadedDM]

Kynaston Trench (Grey Road, South Haven)
"Don't worry, mister, I take good care of my weapons," the kender says, strapping the sword to his back.

"Of course my artworks are completely genuine," the old woman argues, not giving any ground at all.

"So how come you sell them on the bad side of town? How come the elves sell you their art anyway? Don't they hate humans?" the kender asks. "If this is all true, shouldn't you be rich enough by now to have a real shop instead of a cheap vendor stand?"

The old woman stutters. "This...that is...!" She turns toward Kynaston. "You're not really going to take the word of a kender, are you? This is outrageous!"

Haahqae (Steel Tankard Inn, Common Area)
"I--what?" the barbarian says, having trouble following, especially after all the drinking he's done. "The mine is to the north, 'bout five miles from here," he says. "Up the road, which is clogged with refugees."

When the gnome gets up and walks off, he remains where he is, waiting for his next ale.

The woman wearing black leather armor and an eye-patch has just given up her seat to a refugee elderly woman, so is now leaning against the wall by the fireplace, a glass of wine in her hand. The black eye-patch is over her right eye; her uncovered eye is light grey in color. She has straight, shoulder-length black hair and wears a serious expression on her face. Haahqae notes a beautiful rapier on her belt as well as several daggers strapped to various parts of her body.

Kendra Synclair (Market Street, Market Place)
Kendra moves closer to the crowd to listen in on the man's speech. He was dressed in fine robes of black with gold trim and wore a dark green cloak. He has long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He appears young--no more than 20, at least, and yet his eyes reflect the wisdom and experience of old age.

"The Seekers offer you falsehoods and false gods," he says. "We want to believe, but deep down, we all know it's not true. This is because the Seeker gods hold no real power. They do not offer magic healing or answer prayers of any kind." The people in the crowd murmur to themselves.

"But there is a real god and he does offer healing," the man continues, drawing a knife from his belt. "And I will demonstrate it here and now." And without a second of hesitation, he then cuts open his free hand and holds it up to the crowd as it bleeds down his sleeve and drips onto the ground. The crowd gasps and talks among themselves, wondering if this man is crazy or something else.

The man then pulls out a pendant from underneath his shirt. It's a beautiful bloodstone gem, inlaid in silver. He softly speaks--to softly for Kendra to hear the exact words, although it doesn't sound like Common at all--and suddenly, the wound in his hand heals as if by magic! There's not even a scar left behind.

The crowd immediately starts talking to each other in amazement; it's clear they are sold on this miracle.

Coroccoco (Haven Arms Inn, Common Area)
The woman looks at the offered plate and politely waves it off. "I don't know anything about a blue crystal staff, to be honest. But the goblins in this city seem eager to find it, whatever it is. Sounds expensive, and kind of impractical. I imagine a staff made of crystal would break easily--unless it was magic, maybe." She shrugs. "I've heard the Holy Guard talking about it, too. Seems like everyone is looking for it."

Her eyes widen a bit at Coroccoco's fervor, and she clears her throat a bit. "I see. I'm here because...well, I'm supposed to meet someone. Someone who is supposed to help me. But...it's been three days since he was due, and I've seen no sign of him yet." She bites her lip a bit, appearing a tad worried.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra's eyes widen in surprise. Most charlatan's didn't have the power to heal themselves, so this was new even to her. Her first instinct was to walk up to the man, and ask him to follow her so that she could take him directly to Elistan. Though, that wasn't going to work with this crowd.

~I need to hurry to headquarters,~ she told herself. Something like this was going to set people into a little frenzy. The Holy Guard of the Seekers were turning people away at the gate, and it was clear that the many people that had made it into the city were not being treated all that well due to the limited supply that Haven had. Something like this could make the people riot for all she knew.

With a frown, she turned from the crowd, and rushed up the hill to the Holy Guard Headquarters. She needed to at least tell her captain of this.

[NoTrammeling]

With a sigh of contented relief Coroccoco's demeanor returns to normal, grabbing for the few remaining pieces of ham on her plate and chomping them down in a manner not far removed from a feeding wolf. Satisfied, she leans back in her chair to consider Daxia's words. Her hands roam for her pipe and pouch as she begins to speak, "Help such a capable woman? And what help would a mage need?" She speaks casually, as if her assertion was plain for all to see.

"The days grow perilous, even more so the roads. Especially for those who have two coins to clink and a bite of food to sustain."

[Haahque]

Haahqae attempts to bow as a greeting to the woman in black armour, and is once again reminded of how crowded the place is when a man backs into him and nearly trips. Haahqae offers a hasty apology and shuffles closer to the one eyed lady so that she can hear him without him having to shout.

"I was wondering if you had heard the mountain man's story. He runs a mine that has become infested with demons, just five miles north of here. I was planning on helping him eradicate those demons, but as you can guess, I don't feel confident that my abilities alone will be enough. Which is why I'm talking to someone who looks like she fears no demon."

[Just_Ice]

Kyne shook his head. He'd spent long enough arguing with one hard-head, and now he'd have to deal with the other one.

He put forth, "I don't know what kind of trouble you're in, granny, but I can't help you out of it if you don't tell me what it is. Forget the little guy; if you're smuggling something or worse, the guards or someone less friendly than a kender is gonna find out about it and you're gonna have a real bad day."

"Explain yourself," he demands, straightening up, Or I'm just going to leave you alone with a kender wielding a longsword. A longsword he can barely hold straight, I might add. I'm sure some of your "art" is delicate, especially if it's elven- keep in mind this isn't a threat, so much as an observation."

[JadedDM]

Kynaston Trench (Grey Road, South Haven)
The old woman scowls at Kynaston. "Okay, fine! Maybe it is garbage. What difference does it make, as long as people are willing to buy it? It's a dog-eat-dog world out here, and I've got to do what I must to survive, don't I?"

"What you are doing is wrong," the kender points out, pointing at her in an accusatory manner.

"Who determines what is right or wrong? The gods? Bah!" She gives a dismissive wave. "All that matters in this world anymore is survival."

Haahqae (Steel Tankard Inn, Common Area)
The woman looks down at Haahqae with her good eye, then over to the barbarian. "The rambling drunk? I didn't realize he had a mine," she comments.

There's a glint in her eye as Haahqae explains the situation to her. "You flatter me. But unfortunately, I cannot. I have another job at the moment, and until I complete it, leaving the city won't be possible, I'm afraid."

Kendra Synclair (Old Keep, Waiting Room)
Kendra jogs at a brisk pace through the rain, up towards the old armory that now serves as the Holy Guard headquarters. It takes several minutes, but eventually she reaches the top of the hill and steps inside, out of the drizzle.

The place is massive, and as always her footsteps seem ridiculously loud as the echo throughout the main chamber.

The office of her superior, Captain Orin Windwood, was just down the hall to the left. He was a strict but honorable man. She had no personal relationship with him; he was distant and aloof, but overall fair. Hopefully he would know what to do.

Coroccoco (Haven Arms Inn, Common Area)
Daxia smiles and crosses his arms. "It's a long story. For now, let's just say..," she pauses, as if choosing her words carefully, "I require sanctuary, and this person was supposed to help me find it. But I fear something has gone wrong." She doesn't say anything about Coroccoco calling her a mage, offering neither a confirmation or a denial. Instead, she chuckles a bit nervously and shrugs her shoulders.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra took a minute to wipe the rain off her face and tidy up her hair. There wasn't a whole lot she could do about her clothing. They were wet, and they would remain wet for the rest of the day. It was still better than snow.

Once she felt she was presentable, she walked over to Captain Windwood's office and knocked upon the door. "Excuse me, Captain?" she said politely.

[NoTrammeling]

A muscle twitches at Coroccoco's jawline when the woman reveals her desire for sanctuary, eyes going glossy for a brief moment of remembrance. Sighing, she leans back in her chair to regard Daxia while she gathers her thoughts. "I once knew a girl in such a situation. She did not know the world, and of more importance she did not know herself." Lips curling wryly, she continues, "To this girl, one night of safety would have been the entire world. Alas, I have no more home to offer now than once I did." She stands, slowly. "Will you stay until after my sermon, Daxia Tch?"