[Play-by-Post] Tales from Fourtower Bridge

[Scroo]

Mardrey pocketed her share of the gold in a little leather bag she produced from somwhere under her overflowing hair. On their way to the tavern she listened to the conversation the dwarf and the large Human had. When spoken to she smiled awkardly, brushed off a withered leaf from her right arm and replied
"Y-Yes, I tend to get along with animals quite well. Certainly better than with other people. B-But you guys are absolutely fine! I-I'm Mardrey by the way. If we want to do this errand together we should maybe get to know each other a little, am I correct?" She tried to make eyecontact with everyone, clearly being very uncomfortable but trying to do her best.
"I normally tend to a little grove. Mother visited me there one d-day and whispered to me, so ever since I help keep Mother in balance. At least I try to! I only came to town to buy some s-supplies that Mother cannot provide and read the sign on the marketplace. How did you f-folk end up here? Are you l-locals?"

Mardrey sweats, she wasn't used to social conversation. Her curious nature started to interest her in her newly made acquaintences though. She is a halfling after all. A little smile started to lift her mouth. This might become interesting.

 

[Scroo]

OOC

Sorry that my replies are pretty slow and far between. This will get better in like 2 weeks but I still try to make at least one post each day until then. :D

 

[ERYFKRAD]

How did you f-folk end up here? Are you l-locals?"

Brytter could only shrug his shoulders in response. "I hight Brytter. I am as much a local as any beast raised in captivity- I might have lived here much of my life, but that does not mean I belong, I suppose."

 

[vazha]

"Mumbles be from the East Coast" - The Half Orc said, downing his ale with gusto - "My da was a right Ol' Dirty Bastard, used to raid with the notorious Wu Tang Clan. My uncle, Methodicus, he be a priest to Tempass, the big ass fightin' god of Northern Barbarians. I owes that man orc everythin' and more - he sees me, a lil' wimp, dissin' West Coast chieftains left an' right and says, like, Mumbles here is a lil' genius, fo shizzle, he be a skald one day and sends me over to Bard's college in da City. They had this diversity program rollin', you see, and they took me in. But, well, it so trans-pyred that I had to ghost fo dissin' some in-fluent-ial sucker whilst high on herbz. Ima be one hunred percent with you tho, girl, I wasn't really digging all that college shit anyhow.
So here I am now,
riding the flow,
Spouting them lines,
like spitfire,
On a big ass quest,
to Acquire,
That bling and them nubile..."- He almost bit his tongue, before recomposing himself - "Ladies. Yo." - he finished, looking at Mardrey somewhat shyly, clearly dreading her verdict.

 

[Nortar]

Words gushed out of the dwarf with the speed of beer poured into his mug.
The more he drank, the more personal the details become.
Soon everyone who cared to listen could know that the dwarf's name was Kilur and he used to be an apprentice in the Locksmith guild.

Kilur's Common speech was both overly formal as if learned by a book, and not very clear. Some words, especially names, rolled off his tongue peculiarly distorted.

The dwarf carried a self-made crossbow with 4 obscure symbols drawn on its stock.
"And this here is my beauty. I traded this stock from a tatter for a bowl of soup and a pair of shoelaces. See this four-rune word, eh? That's why I call her Fouruner. - in Kilur's utterance it sounded more like "forerunner" or "foreigner" - Nay, I have not a glimpse what them runes mean, no one has, but the prophecy... did I tell ye about the prophecy?!"

Well, he did, more than once too.
The wording was never the same, but it went along the lines: "When maiden's scarlet blush unveil the runes true meaning, the Foreign One shall usher forth the rise of what was forgotten."

Apparently, the dwarf thought that gibberish to be a big deal, enough to leave his locksmith apprenticeship and go wandering.

 

[Catacombs]

OOC

Sorry that my replies are pretty slow and far between. This will get better in like 2 weeks but I still try to make at least one post each day until then. :D

Spoiler

No problem. You're participating now, so that matters. It's the holidays right now, so I have no doubt everyone will be more free when they're done

 

[Catacombs]

Now that the New Year's done. Let's get this back on track. Everyone is at the tavern, having a laugh and getting to know each other.

 

[Nortar]

After drinking to the new acquaintances, and to friendship, and the success of the job, and the easy road;
the dwarf finally wiped bearded mouth with his sleeve.

"Alright, lads and lasses, I better go grab my things and tell that harpy, my landlady, that I'll be gone just for a week at most, so she won't rent my corner off to someone else. What ye say if we meet at the stables?"

No sooner said than done, Kilur with a backpack stuffed to the brim, was waiting for the gang at the entrance to the stables, to go and pay a visit to Captain Miller together.

Spoiler

I hope it's ok if I'm pushing it a bit forward. I just suppose that we've spent enough time at the tavern to be introduced to each other and discuss any topics as necessary.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Brytter, having all his wordly belongings already on his person, simply takes a long route to the stables. He changes directions frequently, loops around, stops abruptly, keeps varying his pace and generally proves most vexatious to anyone deciding to follow him, all the while swaying a bit every now and then or lurching to simulate the effect of far too many victuals. In all this he keeps an eye and ear out for any likely tail.

 

[Catacombs]

Spoiler

I hope it's ok if I'm pushing it a bit forward. I just suppose that we've spent enough time at the tavern to be introduced to each other and discuss any topics as necessary.

Spoiler

Absolutely fine. I actually prefer this to get other players back on track

 

[Scroo]

After the group said their goodbyes at the tavern, Mardrey went outside and looked for a dove. After she spotted one she started whistling in a certain way until the dove flew away. It almost seemed as if she tried to communicate with the bird. Happy with herself she then went on to the stables where she met her newly made acquaintances again.

"S-so where is this Captain Miller now? I hope we get to see the h-horses soon!"

 

[vazha]

"Walkin' outta tavern like what up, I got a big cock horn..."

Damn it all if W.E. Mumbles, Jr. wasn't a fair sight to any goblin audience that appreciated garish clothing and judged a musicians talent by how many instruments he could play carry at the same time. A monstrous horn, seemingly made from a tusk of some long-forgotten monster, at close inspection was revealed to be a beaten brass pipe-drain, a huge ass tam-tam drum which a particularly gifted painter of probably goblin heritage had adorned with a myriad paintings of copulating goblins in various poses, and... a set of bagpipes far too big and heavy for any human to use, which Mumbles cheerfully informed children and passersby alike was made out of a Storm giants crotch.

"Sorryeh." - Mumbles said, never in want of good manners - "Was taking my time to perfect the beat. Les go see this authority figgah"

 

[GrafvonMoltke]

The blonde fighter, who has so far said only about three words to the entire group, finally pipes up.

"I hope we get to kill something."

 

[Nortar]

"I hope we get to kill something."

Kilur glanced at the blonde fighter sideways.
All that time in the tavern and he did not even mention his name?

"We're going to kill my ass, if we won't get us a cart." - The dwarf looked around, trying to find something that appeared to be an administrative building for the stables. - "Don't know about ye lot, but I've never ridden them horses before. How do ye even steer a beastie that size?"

//Does Kilur know anything about "rent-a-cart" services or something like that? Maybe peasants deliver goods to and from surrounding villages?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"We're going to kill my ass, if we won't get us a cart."

"We must buy the ass before we kill it, I wager. Or at least a mule."

 

[vazha]

Spoiler

Can i roll perception to *SPOT* the local administration unit building? at this rate we ll be getting old before we catch a glimpse of our first goblin. And once i spot it (barring a lucky 1 roll), can Catacombs narrate the encounter so that we quickly sort out whatever we need from him (asses, mules, tits) and vamoos towards teh adventure?

 

[Catacombs]

Spoiler

Can i roll perception to *SPOT* the local administration unit building? at this rate we ll be getting old before we catch a glimpse of our first goblin. And once i spot it (barring a lucky 1 roll), can Catacombs narrate the encounter so that we quickly sort out whatever we need from him (asses, mules, tits) and vamoos towards teh adventure?

Go ahead and roll.

 

[Catacombs]

//Does Kilur know anything about "rent-a-cart" services or something like that? Maybe peasants deliver goods to and from surrounding villages?

You could inquire about that with Captain Miller, who runs the city garrison and has insight into the availability of horses from the city guard. Brytter mentioned going the private route, and there is another stable located in the area.

 

[Nortar]

Right. If there's no obvious "Stables Bureau" building in sight,
Kilur goes straight to the nearest stables-boy, groom or guard and asks for directions to one Captian Meal-lair.
And if there is such an office, the dorf repeats the said procedure inside.

When (IF) the captain or someone who can speak in his stead is located,
Kilur, while preferring to let someone more charismatic do most of the talking, will still try to vocalize his dwarvenly stubborn idée fixe about getting a cart.

 

[Scroo]

Mardrey would prefer to have her own pony or little horse instead of being crammed on a cart with the others

Spoiler

sorry for the prosper rating nortar, i misclicked on mobile

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Brytter mentioned going the private route,

Spoiler

Someone else gonna hafta cough up the dough though.
vazha Nortar Scroo GrafvonMoltke I really think picking up a couple of reliable mules and a cart is a better investment than free horses. Sadly I lack the gold to put that to the test. Plus if we run into problems and end up having to ditch the horses we are in deep shit. Well you guys are, it's your contract, technically, but Brytter don't leave no crew hangin'.

 

[vazha]

Spoiler

Once again, Mumbles' valiant efforts are crowned with an awe-inspiring roll of 8.

I see the building! It's big! I enter it! Do I roll survival?

 

[Catacombs]

After a few pints of sale and some swapped stories, Mardrey, the Colonel, Brytter, Kilur, and Mumbles headed to the city Garrison to find suitable transportation.

On the walk over, the Colonel, remained unusually quiet.

"I hope we get to kill something," he mumbled to himself.

Kilur shot a look at the fighter, surprised.

All that time in the tavern and he did not even mention his name? he thought to himself.

"We're going to kill my ass, if we won't get us a cart," he said. "Don't know about ye lot, but I've never ridden them horses before. How do ye even steer a beastie that size?"

"We must buy the ass before we kill it, I wager," Brytter said. "Or at least a mule."

After 15 minutes of walking, the party arrived at the eastern gate, an utter madhouse. Travelers crammed the road. Traders, sitting behind stalls along the road, yelling at the top of their lungs -- "Fine Oxtails!" "Armor, Swords, You Name It!" -- trying to catch a potential customer's attention. The party can see a small gate through the crowd, where a small group of soldiers checked anyone coming in one side, and another eying those leaving the city. More soldiers lined the walls, a few manning large ballistas. A massive, iron tower that sat on top of the gate, rose into the air. Rumor had it that this was one of the four towers, capable of seeing miles around the city.

The party searched around the plaza. Mumbles squinted and looked for an administrative building of some kind. There were none. However, he saw a tall solider, with stripes on his arm, shouting and giving orders. Perhaps this was the captain?

 

[Scroo]

Mardrey was intimidated. She wasn't used to all this trouble and that many people and seeing the man in a uniform scared her quite a bit. Yet she took all her heart when she walked up to him, looked at a point slightly above his eyes and asked

"A-Are you Captain Miller? I guess y-you are expecting us but I will let the o-others do the explaining. Can I see t-the horses?"

 

[Catacombs]

The soldier looked around, searching for the source of the tiny voice that inquired about Captain Miller. He looked down and saw Mardrey.

"You're looking for Captain Miller? He's that way," the soldier said, pointing to a door on the side of the gate. "I'll lead you."

The party followed the soldier through the door. He closed it behind them, and the sound of the chaotic traffic outside immediately disappeared. "This way," the soldier said.

The party navigated through a series of hallways. Doors left open showed soldiers relaxing on beds. This was a barracks of some kind. Finally, after passing through a series of hallways, the soldier and the party arrived at a metal door. He knocked twice. "Come in," a low voice said from beyond.

The solider opened the door. A man with salt and pepper hair sat behind a desk, signing documents and handing them to an assistant. "Sir, these travelers were looking for you," he said. "There's five of them, and they seem to be the ones coming for you."

"Thank you," Captain Miller said. "You both can go."

The soldier saluted and left. The assistant joined him. The party filled into the office. There was a small chair for visitors, but everyone found a place to stand.

"A good morning to you all," Miller said. "What can I do for you?