Brakkus smiles in gratitude and accepts the elf's aid, leaning in to his companion to relieve the weight on his sprained ankle.

You are now at the door of the inn.

At Adonis' shout, the rustling inside stops for a moment, then you hear footsteps shuffling towards the door.  A spying-panel is drawn back for a moment, and then with a screeching and scrabbling the bolt is drawn back and the door opens.

From behind it peers a tallish, portly man wrapped up warmly in skins and furs, with a hat that has seen better days.  Wrapped around the whole is an apron which has seen better days, perhaps before any of you were born.

"Ahem, welcome sirs.  You wish lodging, I presume?  I have not had much business these past times.  You will pay in good coin, I hope?"  His eyes glint rather.

"There is the risk of that, for sure, Master Innkeep!", says Brejgun as he enters, then stops and takes in the room ...

OOC: What's it like inside?

The innkeeper steps back to let Brejgun pass.  He has rather an awkward gate.

Inside a fire burns low in the grate and spills a dim light across a large room, which contains a few rough-hewn trestle tables.   You cannot see any other guests.

There is a doorway beside the fire, hung with a raggedy curtain, from which the faint sweet scent of food that is past its best comes to your nostrils.

Another doorway leads from the far side of the room.

"Come in, come in now sirs" pleads the man in what must be his best attempt at an ingratiating tone "round here at night it does not do to leave the door open for more than a moment."

While still in the shadows outside Eldor pulls up his hood to cover his features before helping Brakkus into the building and sits him down on a stool.

Keeping his head slightly bent so as the shadow of the hood covers his face "Inn keep may I have some warm water so I can tend to my friends leg."

Before the inn keeper could ask any questions Eldor continued " he stumbled along the road a ways back in the growing dark and, though not broken is in some discomfort."

With that he turned back to Brakkus and started to take herbs out of his belt pouch.

Brakkus gives Eldor a strained smile. "Thank you sir elf, I cannot believe I was so clumsy. Perhaps it is time to find a place to grow old in peace and contemplate the universe. Still, it looks like we are having one more grand adventure before I descend into my dotage" he quips.

The innkeeper looks concerned at Brakkus state "sit, yes, sit sir".  He rushes to dust off the table with a tattered rag.

The others make their way into the room after Eldor.  Even in the light from the fire it is not hard to see that they have been in a fight.   The innkeeper shuts and bars the door as soon as you are all in.

"Sirs, I see your journey here has not been easy.  I was not expecting anyone now that night is falling, so only one room is clear.  But I shall put new rushes on the floor of the other room, that the injured among you may rest properly.  And, if it please you to be seated, I will heat up the potage again, for I myself had already dined."

Brakkus cloes his eyes, and sighs. "I'm getting too old for this..." he mutters and concentrates on his sprained ankle, calling on his mystic powers to knit flesh and muscle...

The innkeeper looks around for another moment as if expecting an objection, then scurries through the doorway beside the fire.  Moments later you hear the clanking of what sounds like a heavy iron pot.

Brejgun plops down upon a bench at a table.

"That potage seems mighty alluring right now, Innkeep. I, Brejgun Kregnasson ...". Brejgun makes a formal greeting gesture towards the Innkeeper, "... shall certainly want to parttake a bowl or two. Potage and even semi-fresh bread I wish for right now. What have you in the ways of brew? Ale, perhaps? Or would we be so lucky as to find mead under you roof here?

The roads around here seem strange these days. We sall also be eager to hear what you can tell os of the way things are going on around here in these times.", Brejgun finishes.

After a few minutes the innkeeper comes back, awkwardly hefting a large, battered wooden tub in both hands.  As he passes the doorway his hat touches the ceiling and he jerks his head down, spilling some of the contents down the sides.


He finally deposits it on the table between you, where it steams.  In appearance it is rather a thin gruel with more bones than meat, but it smells good.

"What say you, sir?" he looks at Brejgun "yes, these are hard times I can tell you.  But let me first bring some platters for ye all, and ale."  He turns and hurries back to the kitchen.

The innkeeper comes back with some crude wooden spoons tucked under one arm and two flagons in each hand.   He dumps everything down on the table and says "Be served, gentlemen.  I am afraid after all all the bowls are dirty so it were best you take the soup straight from the tub while it's still hot".

The flagons are full of dark beer.

He stands back and puts his hands on his hips. "Now sirs, while you dine, ask me your questions.   For I too will need my night's rest before too long."

Eldor moved over to the shuttered window, leaning his bow against the wall within easy reach he slid the bolt back and opened it a crack to look out.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:50, Sat 06 June 2009.

The innkeeper glances over at Eldor's hooded figure with unease.  "Quiet one, your friend".

Beren looked at the innkeepers hands. "You must have good self control, not even flinching from the contact with hot spilled soup! I guess years of experience hardened you to such discomforts..."

Yet, hardened to pain as one may be, one could not control the physical reaction to burning. Their last adventure having made Beren a bit paranoid, he studied the innkeepers' hands and reaction to his comment before eating the gruel, famished though he may be.

[OOC: do I need to make a roll to see if his skin reacts normally? Is the soup even hot enough to cause that? Are there diseases that could cause insensivity in limbs that someone learned like Beren could realistically know?]

The innkeeper looks at his hands for a moment, the backs of which are indeed rather red, then grins apologetically "as you say, sir, I have been burned many times afore - out here I do not have many servants to help me like those in the the kitchen of a great lord.

And, well, ever since the dark times which have fallen on these lands, even the lad who used to help me is no longer."

Beren squinted his eyes, still not touching the broth, and asked the innkeeper: "How so? What happened to him?"

[OOC: If any of you touches to food, Beren will try to stop you by stepping on your foot or elbowing you, or staring at you.
Also, will likely not post again till wednesday.
]

The innkeeper looks rather crestfallen and says "I don't rightly know, is the truth.  One morning he gets up to fetch water and doesn't come back.  Oh, I looked for him and all but never saw nothin'.    They say there be beasties around these parts but him being a young lad an all, like as not he just run off with some fool idea in his head.".

He moves towards the other door.  "Well sirs, while you dine I shall be preparin' your rooms.  Now they are the first ye shall see upon coming up the stairs.   Bein' as I am tired I am like to lay myself straight down to sleep.    But I pray you, do not be openin' the door" - he nods at Eldor.

Brakkus was about to slurp down his gruel when he is stopped by a kick from Beren. He puts down the bowl and waits for the inkeeper to leave before raising his eyebrows. "You believe this food is poisoned?" he asks sotto voce. "I suggest I try it first, after all the things I've put here over the years poison is the least of my worries" he exclaims, patting his belly.

"Here goes nothing" he says with a smile, and quickly finishes off his soup and ale, then sits up and burps mightily. "Give me a minute or two and if I haven't keeled over tuck in" he says, leaning back and closing his tired eyes.

Brakkus seems none the worse for wear and the soup does smell good, at least to your empty stomachs.   The innkeeper does not return to the room and the fire in the grate is beginning to burn a little low.

Once the innkeeper had left the main room " I think I will go for a quick scout round I heard something I wish to check out. If I'm not back soon be prepared you may need to fight your way out of here."

With that he slipped out the inn door and into the shadows. Making his way over to the outhouse he draws an arrow to his bow and edged into the darkened building, his elven sight allowing him to scan the interior.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:58, Mon 08 June 2009.

Brejgun watches as Brakkus plays the role of taster, then decides that if it's god enough for the old man it's good enough for him. He helps himself to some sustenance, with perhaps a slight prayer Loki's way, not to have prepared anything vile.

At Eldors words, however, he perks up.

"You heard something? What was it? What irks you about it?"

Brejgun is not particularly inclined to let Eldor go out alone.

"Are you sure you want to examine such things by yourself, as the state of the area has turned out to be?"

Just before closing the door behind him he whispers " No disrepect but I can move very quietly on my own. Come find me if I'm out too long"

Bjorn too follows Brakkus' example, and looks up from his slurping momentarily to call softly to Brejgun at the door "he's right lad - that 'un'll see his way around i' the dark a sight better that you.   All the same, best keep us weapons 'andy.  No tellin' what he might stir up out there - round these parts b'ain't only goblins on the prowl."

Arkenos nods his agreement and takes care to place his sword in easy reach along the bench before helping himself to soup and a little ale.