In this world, there are six continents: Cathyria, Kaudos, Druhak, Bishapur, Shan-tai, and the Isles of Mercia. An entire lifetime could be spent exploring these realms.

Our current realm is the Isles of Mercia. This continent is not a single land mass but is made of hundreds of islands clustered together, at the south of the world. In fact, this region is so far south that it should by all rights be a frozen wasteland, if not for an ocean current of strangely hot water from the west. This current and its complex movement through the Isles of Mercia affect the climate in drastic and not-fully-understood ways. Some islands might be sandy deserts or vast jungle forests, especially those in the west where the seas are steadily warmed. Sailing a short distance east, the islands soon change to snow-peaked mountains and valleys of pine. But no matter where one travels, there is always adventure to be found. This is the realm we call home.

Of all the many isles, the largest of them is Kabariya. In the east where the seas are cold, Kabariya is covered with forests of all kinds and is one of the few isles to feel the change of seasons. With pleasant summers and snowy winters, the folk of numerous small kingdoms on the island carve out their lives. Along the length of the isle spans a towering mountain range which goes by a different name in each kingdom. But strangers to Kabariya simply call it 'The Spine,' for it is indeed like the spine of the isle, and eternally present in the eastern horizon.

And if the mountains are like a spine, then the Kingdom of Styrie could be called the neck, for it lies in the uppermost regions of Kabariya. Ruled by King Leopold, Styrie is a land of natural beauty. In the east and south, the snow-peaked mountains of the Spine shelter lush, green valleys and sleepy villages. In the west and north, rolling, fertile plains provide both the food for the nation and even parts of Mercia, by means of many coastal ports. This abundance has long sustained a strong royal army and protected them from invasion by neighboring kingdoms. And no neighbor is more grieved by this than that of Vaterland, the only kingdom farther north than Styrie. These two nations have considered each other enemies for so long that is it not unusual for commonfolk to forget they are at war. Connected on land solely by a narrow strip, the two kingdoms have never been able to progress against the other, and as a result, rarely does the commoner think on the war in his daily life - until recently. For the first time in decades, Vaterland has launched an invasion of Styrie and made progress on their shores, but this fighting has remained confined to the north and changes only by the slowest pace. Among the residents of the south, peaceful village life and more the mundane affairs still rule the thoughts of the simple inhabitants.

One such place is the village town of Varna, nestled in the Varna Pass for which it's named. With high mountains on both sides and dense forests of pine in between, the village town of Varna is built on the River Ebb, and here, the people live content and protected from the outside world. But Varna is not without its own secrets and dangers. There are mysteries which haunt the village town, both in the past and in the present. Although these are mostly ignored by its residents, in a willful effort to preserve their happiness and delusion, theses secrets are beginning to break free. In fact, they were broken free by the exploits of a few strangers that came to Varna not long ago. However, this is a tale best not told as an exposition but as a story, for there is simply too much to say. Where shall I begin? Well, like all great stories, it begins with a musical number. . .

***

quote:

O' Lyla, O' Lyla. Why'd ye leave me so?
Break my 'eart in so many pieces, I don't know what to do.
O' Lyla, O' Lyla. Please again be mine.
Have I ever wronged ye?.. 'Cept for that one time.

Cept for that lass named Sammy.
But I apologized for that.
Same with Tess and Mandy,
Arabel and Charlat.

Megan, Sara, Josi,
Caroline an' Mosey,
Dana, Tess an' Caitlin,
An' that blonde one from the inn.

Aside from these lil' mistakes,
I'm a true and honest soul
Soooo O' Lyla, O' Lyla,
Please don't leave me so!

Jehan let the last note of his voice and lute ring, giving an epic finale to the song. Zoltan and Eike briefly applauded as they walked. "That was funny one," commented Zoltan. These little bursts of song made the long travels much more bearable.

Although Jehan had performed for crowds in the past, only he and his companions heard this recent composition. Well, the donkey too. To their right was a dense forest of pine that soon disappeared at the feet of towering mountains. To their left was a river which swiftly flowed in the opposite direction they traveled, and beyond that, even more forest and mountains. They knew by now that they had entered the Varna Pass which meant that town could not be much farther. Thank goodness, for the old donkey that pulled the cart along was slowing down with each mile. The group of companions all walked, for the cart was too small to ride in; but it stored everything they would need to set up shop in the upcoming village.

Zoltan picked up a rather ugly carving from the cart that Jehan had been previously working on. "Sometime's I can't believe you guys sell these things." "Hey my friend," he responded enthusiastically, "It's all about showmanship! I make the product, Eike get's their attention, and -BAM- sales happen." Zoltan chuckled, "There's a sucker born every minute." "Ain't that the truth," Eike replied.

After a few more minutes, they finally crested a low rise and gained a view of Varna. A lonely dirt road winded up to the little town, which sat at the base of a steep mountainside. Houses of wood and stone crowded close to each other in a small haven of civilization in the midst of wilderness. Varna Pass was considered a safe passage west, so the community of Varna was no doubt accustomed to the wayside traveler. The group paused a moment to let the scenic view sink in. And then they were bored with that.

"Our fortunes await. Let's get going!" Jehan cried with an excessive grin on his face. "By the way," Eike asked. "Did you pay for this donkey in the last town?" Without hesitation and with the same cheerfulness, Jehan replied, "Not a cent!" Eike looked impassively at him before saying, ". . . Sweet!" Zoltan laughed and added, "Hah! Looks like it's west only for us!"

As they walked, they talked about themselves.

"Haha! I think that's one of your best ones yet! I can't wait to get into town to see how that one does." Eike says while trying to stifle his laughter. He puts his hand on their new donkey companion, admiring how Jehan managed to get away barrowing with a relatively nice animal. He looks over to Jehan, "Now you know we gotta name him. He'll be with us for a long time here and so we gotta come up with some creative, maybe noble. How about Greg?" Eike waits for a response from his companions. His long black hair shifting as he looks between his friends, "Got a nice ring to it I think." Eike puts his staff back into right hand and resumes walking it. The staff is clearly well cared for and looks as though Eike would be very reluctant to let into any one else's hands. It is a nice smooth piece of ebony wood and in shockingly nice condition compared to his worn blue robes.  Although, it has been so long he can't quite remember what color of blue they started out as. Eike's mind is filled with thoughts of the possibilities that are to come from this new town. He thinks to himself, "This is where we are finally gonna make it. This is the turning point. I can just feel it!"

Coming out of his day dream he looks back to Jehan. "I've been working on something new for our shows! A new trick for a new town." He grabs his staff with both hands. Pointing it towards Jehan's lute that is still in his hands. And with a thrust of his staff he shouts, "Doves!" {Casting Doves} Three doves suddenly appear inside of the lute! Eike looks at the birds, but a look of disappointment comes across his face with a frown. "Dang it! One of those was s'pose to be purple." After a few more seconds of thought, "And maybe inside the guitar wasn't the best idea. Oops!"


{09:43, Today: Secret Roll: Eike rolled 21 using 1d100. Chance of a purple dove.}
This message was last edited by the player at 15:11, Thu 02 July 2015.

The burst of doves from within Jehans lute caused him to jump, throwing up is hands and quickly looking at his instrument on his back. "YOU CANT KEEP DOING THAT!" He shouted at the sorcerer, wild flail causing his once well kept long blond hair to become a bit of a mess. Regaining his composure he slid the Lute around from his back and up into both hands, he stood in his tracks, a small ways further than his friends, "It was cool the first time, but im sick of cleaning shit out of here... Gotta warn me first. Remember the first time you tried that? It was late at night and they spent hours nestled in Claire..." Jehan, who one could possibly take for a noble, wore fine clothes, with leather boots, and a red tunic, which he always somehow managed to keep clean. He gave 'Claire' a shake, and a few doves burst loose and fluttered away confused. He flipped the lute, older to be sure, but kept in amazingly well condition, with its custom black lacquer finish. Quite simple to see that this was his prized possession.

"Greg," He said with a chuckle turning around to look at the donkey, "oh please," he continued, walking his way to the animal petting and looking at him, "Hes one of us now, he needs a name that reflects his Noble air of mystery... Though now that I think about it, he is also Strong and Majestic... Perhaps we could name him 'Mystery,' or... 'Majesty." He then grabbed the calm creature by the face and gazed into its eyes. "Yeah no, definatly a Greg." He said, patting him on the head as he walked around the cart, polished rapier tip knicking it as he walked passed making a rather pleasant 'ding' sound. He froze in his tracks, gazing up for a moment. "C sharp... needs to be polished again."

Wedging his way between Zoltan and the cart to grab his small carving he held with thumb and index finger, quickly spinning around to look the large man in the eye with hint of playful fury, "And for your information, you uncultured swine," he shot at the warrior, "This is an unfinished Knight for my chess set ive been working on." Looking down at it again, he could see why he lost interest with this particular piece. "One I finish it, we could make quite a bit of gold on one of those noble types. Just let me do the talking eh?" he said as he flicked the small piece of wood over his shoulder and back into the cart with rather impressive accuracy.

He pulled his hair from its messy stated and tried to make it look like it did before... but it just wasnt the same... "See, if I hadent convinced that dumb bloke that my mirror was magical, i wouldnt have been able to trade it for ol Greg here. Now I cant fix lovely golden locks." With a huff he looked at the town in the distance. "Lets see if we can find a body of water before we make an appearance eh? Id like to look my Sundays best for a group of new faces." Mouth curling up into a smile, "And who knows how lovely the women here are..."

With a mysterious flick of his elbow, he suddenly held a dagger, "keep an eye out for me yeah? I wanna work on this pipe before we get there. Maybe get a pretty penny for it. Just remember to make a sound every now and then so i dont wander off again. You know I can get carried away with these projects sometimes..."

As the curious group walked along the road, the bard began to hum small simple tunes to himself as ideas for their next performance. Often in a world of his own in moments like this, he was often unaware of his own actions, and out of strange habbit, ran his silver studded tongue piercing along his teeth, making an ever so silent clatter as the stud ran along his pearly whites.

[Private to DM Ryan:
Jehan Roux rolled 8 using 1d20+1. Knowledge geography, nearby bodies of water.
Jehan Roux rolled 8 using 1d20+4. Craft check, craft pipe.

Items currently in chest:
Rope, Hemp (50 ft.)
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:24, Thu 02 July 2015.

"I'm a chest! ...that cannot talk!"

Zoltan gave a good laugh at the burst of doves. "Do you think that they are brand new doves or are they perhaps teleported from another location?" He stretched out his arms above his head and looked to the sky thinking about what adventure might be awaiting them this time. He stood tall with broad shoulders atop his stocky build. He pushed his black hair out of his face. It had been a while since it was cut and he was finally able to tie it back to keep it from his eyes, but he managed to lose his string.

He cast his eyes to the mule and gave it a pat. "I don't know about his name. He is sort of a lowly animal, a traveler. Perhaps something more fitting would be Jehan or Eike? Just add the title 'the ass' to distinguish." He scratched its ears. "Jehan the ass, oh wait, I can see where there would be confusion." He had to try hard not to laugh at his own dumb joke. "Maybe Gregory would be better. Greg for short. Grego for medium."

He fiddled a little with his belt so his sword wouldn't make a tinkling nose in the scabbard every time he took a step. His clothes were a bit worn, but look like they were probably expensive a while back. He had done his best to keep them nice, but after so much time there was only so little to do about it.

"And maybe if your carvings were were more than a 'pretty penny' you wouldn't have to lie about the properties of your items, hmm?" He looked at Jehan with a raised eyebrow.

Jehan hummed a slow tune as he whittled bits and shavings from a piece of wood. The pared trimmings floated to the ground, leaving a trail of crumbs behind him. His tune matched the pitch of the nearby river which hummed with the sound of rushing water. He interrupted his song and said, "Let's go by the river and relax. I'd like to finish this thing before we get to town." His companions bore no complaints, for they had all the time in the world.

Guiding the donkey, Greg, off the well-trodden road, they trudged a short distance through the tall, beige grasses and to the banks of the river Ebb. Eike was the first to lie down; comfortably inclined on the slope of the bank, he laid strewn on his back. The river steadily moved eastward, the direction back from whence they came. The waters frothed and spumed in many places, for the river was fairly shallow and filled with rocks and sunken branches. Although a very small boat could guide its way through, no true ship could ever come here. Where there water wasn't white with foam, the surface was a pure crystal blue, which was a sign it must descend from the mountains somewhere farther upstream. Across the river was a mile or two of dense pine forest that was abruptly contained by the wall of mountains beyond.

Zoltan crouched by the river's edge and filled his waterskin. Jehan approached next to him. He glanced down at his 'pipe' which was turning out a tad more phallic than he originally intended {Craft Check: Meh}. "Meh." He set it down on the ground for a moment. "I'll try and fix that in a second. But I have more pressing matters right now – like fixing my hair! I wonder if I can't get a good reflection off the water..." Crouching next to Zoltan, he peered into the blue where he saw a blurred and distorted vision of himself. "That one ugly guy," Zoltan commented on the reflection. "Well, at least... -huh? What's that?" Jehan, in a rare act, left his own retort unfinished and pointed toward the middle of the river. Zoltan followed his finger and squinted, "What? I don't see anything." "I thought I saw something sparkle over there, just under the water," he answered. "That's just foam." "...Maybe. Hmm..."

Eike watched the clouds drift overhead. "Sure is a nice day."



{These options are purely suggestions meant to inspire all the possibilities available to you. You may, and are encouraged, to undertake any course of action your creativity can think to do!}

[Private to Jehan Roux: Jehan Roux
Knowledge Geography ~ You don't know too much about this area. There's the river Ebb, which might spring from a waterfall upstream, past town, but you know little other than this.
]

Much like a rodent of some sort, Jehan had an affinity for shiny things and would not allow a possible treasure go by un-discovered. With a smile, he quickly began to frantically remove his shirt. Zoltan looked over with a raised eyebrow as he carefully set down his tunic and weapons on the ground with a gentle brush to get any residual dust off. "I dont know about you two-er... Three, sorry Greg; But I could fancy a dip." Finally removing his boots he began to wade into the water, spine suddenly darting upward making his stand awkwardly stiff with shoulders and arms curled in displeasure. "Its uh." He said begining to shiver. "Cold. Very cold. Much like the heart of my dear-" before he could finish, he had slipped on a rock, completly submerging himself for a few seconds.

An explosion of water and high pitched squeals echoed in the peaceful air. "Wooooo thats a nippy one. That'll get you going..." He huffed to himself as he regained his composure and the two men laughed at his clumsy mishap. "Well," He stated, clearing his throat after his violent, feminine outburst, "seeing as im in here, could one of you throw me my soap? Theres something over here i want to that caught my eye maybe..."

Jehan Waded out at first, but then began to swim to the sparkle that caught his attention a moment ago..

[Private to DM Ryan:
Jehan Roux rolled 13 using 1d20+4. Craft check, craft pipe (after swimming).
Jehan Roux rolled 9 using 1d20+2. Swim check, to item location (Edit to sheet typo)
Jehan Roux rolled 10 using 1d20+2. Search check, Item of interest in the water.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:56, Sat 04 July 2015.

Eike looks up when he hears the splash and starts boasting with laughter seeing Jehan in the water. "Well of course you're not going to see anything now! You fell in like a bafoon and stirred up all the water. You should'a sent Greg in." He says while shaking his head. Eike grabs his staff with both hands to help himself up and walks over to the chest to grab the rope. Handing the rope to Zoltan, "Well here ya go. Let's get Jehan out of there."

Zoltan sighed as he stood up. "Alright, alright," he huffed with a stretch. He took the rope and made a slip knot so Jehan could hang onto it better with his hand or wrist. "Catch, and not with that fat head of yours," he said not wanting to choke him out. Well maybe a small part of him did, but was was kind of fond of the strange fellow. He Gave the rope a good toss towards him.
22:22, Today: Secret Roll: Zoltan Zanderhawk rolled 15 using 1d20+1. Tie/throw rope.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:33, Fri 03 July 2015.

Eddies formed near the banks of the river where fallen branches had caused the water to whorl. Through these, Jehan waded into the current with careful steps. The height of the shallow water slowly climbed up his legs and caused small shivers, for the mountains had thoroughly chilled it, though not to the point of being unbearable. It reached only to his waist as he neared the deepest point in the center. Eike and Zoltan watched from the banks, expecting something ridiculous to happen. And happen it did.

Slipping on a rock on the riverbed, Jehan fell backwards into the water with arms waving and was briefly submerged. His head immediately popped back above the surface and began to cry, "I'm drowning! Help me, I'm drowning!" He splashed with flailing limbs in a panic. Eike and Zoltan, not moving, exchanged smirks with each other. Finally Zoltan called out, "You do realize you can just stand up, right?" Jehan ceased his cries and flailing, and realized he was, in fact, not drowning. He stood back up. "Oh. Uh, I knew that." He shook his head like a dog, and his blonde hair sprayed droplets of water every which way. His hair was a hopeless mess now. He continued, "Say, throw me a rope anyway for coming back. The current's a little strong." Rolling his eyes, Zoltan retrieved their rope, made a loop at the end, and tossed it to him. "Thanks," he coughed as he grabbed it, clutching it in one hand.

As his eyes lowered back to the water, he once again saw that something beneath the surface – something shiny. "But I didn't get soaked for nothing! There's totally something here guys. I bet it's treasure!" "Maybe gold," said Eike with a slight hopefulness. "Or a gem," Zoltan added in the same tone. Jehan yelled, "Here I go." And he dunked his free hand and head beneath the water and groped for the shiny object. After a few moments, he swiftly stood up straight again, water pouring in rivulets from his soaked hair. He raised his hand in triumph, "I got it!"

Both Eike and Zoltan's jaw dropped, and, in unison, said something like the following: "Ahhhhhhh!" Jehan pushed aside the wet hair across his face, "What, what is it?" He looked at his find, still raised above his head. He was right - it was treasure! A ring! But there was something fairly unusual about it. Mainly the fact that it was still being worn by a severed, skeletal hand. Jehan joined in the group scream.

Three voices sounded in unison across the fields: a lovely sounding chorus, if not for the fact one of the members were not holding a severed skeletal hand... After emptying his lungs with his initial scream, Jehan took a deep breath and frantically shouted, "PULL ME IN! PULL ME IN!" With the aid of his two friends, who pulled him though the current, the disturbed bard moved as quickly as he could, knees leaping out of the water, as if he were a solider practicing a march, except for the constant muttering under his breath..

As soon as he reached the shore, he pulled off the ring quickly, trying to keep note and remember which finger it was actually on and dropped the hand on the bank. Keeping his long stride, he made his way up to the chest repeating to himself; "Ew. Ew. Ew." Etc. Opening the chest and grabbing his bar of soap, he took a break from his disgust and looked at the donkey, "Why Greg? Why did you let me do that?" Greg responded with his usual blank stare and a flick of the ear.

Another round of "Ew's" and Jehan was back at the waters edge, frantically scrubbing the hand that held the one he found beneath the water.

After a few moments, the disgust and horror had began to subside and the chills running up and down his spine finally stopped. He tried his best to make his hair presentable but alas... The multiple submersions soaked it. Only time would tell how it would look, much to the vain bards dismay.

Wringing out his long hair as he walked to the other two men, he tied his hair back up into a pony tail and looked down at the ring, now in HIS hand. "So uh. Ya know how people say they would forget their heads if they werent attached sometimes? If this guy is still around, im going to pick on him for weeks." He stood and studied the ring, trying to forget what it was originally attached to... Jehan took a closer look at it, taking notice of what it was made of, any distinguishing markings as well as trying to remember what finger it was on.


Jehan Roux rolled 12 using Knowledge religion ring.
Jehan Roux rolled 12 using Knowledge arcane ring.
Jehan Roux rolled 12 using Knowledge local ring (lost, reward maybe?).
Jehan Roux rolled 11 using Appraise check, ring, value, craftsmanship etc,
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sun 05 July 2015.

While Jehan is looking at the ring, Eike walks over to the hand and picks it up. With hand in... hand, he walks up to Greg. "Watch this. He's gonna flip out. Shh..." Eike slowly walks up behind Jehan. He holds the hand by the wrist and pulls up his sleeve so the hand acts as his normal hand. He puts the hand on Jehan's shoulder, "So what did you find?". Making sure to keep the severed hand on Jehan until he notices.

After Jehan's screams subside once again, Eike walks over to the chest and puts the hand inside {Eike deposits the hand into the chest.} He then picks the ring up off the ground after Jehan dropped and begins to look at it. He turns it over and over in his hand, looking for any kind of markings or writing on it and attempts to determine what type of material it is made of.

{ 15:02, Today: Secret Roll: Eike rolled 12 using 1d20+3. Knowledge Arcana; Ring.
15:02, Today: Secret Roll: Eike rolled 15 using 1d20+1. Appraise check; Ring.}
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sun 05 July 2015.

Zoltan got a good laugh out of Eike's joke and all of Jehan's screaming. "What? Never touched a dead body before?" he said although it had startled him at first. He stepped over to Eike and looked at the ring wondering if it was worth anything and how that person managed to lose their hand in a river.

"How do you think this fella got his hand chopped off? Or do you think the rest of them is still down there in the drink?"

18:06, Today: Secret Roll: Zoltan Zanderhawk rolled 8 using 1d20+2. Appraise check.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sun 05 July 2015.

"So, uh, can I have the ring back?" asked Jehan, his voice still hoarse from screaming, again. "Not till I've had a good look at it," Eike replied. He turned the small piece of jewelry over in his hand, ignoring a strange compulsion to say 'my precious' as he did. It was a reddish-brown color, although parts of the band had grayed from sitting in the water so long.

"I wonder how long it was in the river?" Zoltan asked. Eyes still focused on the ring, Eike responded, "Couple years maybe, based on how that hand looked." He brought his face close to it. "Not magical. Looks like it's made of copper, with an agate gem on it. See? You can tell by the streaks. Could be worth a few gold pieces, maybe more if we found someone gullible." "Yea, that sounds about right," Zoltan corroborated. Eike finally tossed the ring to Jehan. He brought it to the level of his eye. "Was on the index finger of the hand, so it isn't a wedding ring. But hey look! You missed something." Zoltan and Eike came over while he pointed at something on the inside. Inscripted on the inside of the band were two fine letters – initials!


"M. K." Eike repeated, "I wonder who that is?" "Maybe someone in town?" Zoltan proposed. Jehan gripped the ring in his hand and shoved it in one of his pockets. "Well, there's only one way to find out!"

After Jehan had wrung his clothes dry and the party packed their things, they guided Greg and the cart back up the bank of tall, beige grasses and to the road. The sound of the river faded behind them to a gentle hum that could only be heard when the wind stayed still. Before long, they merged back onto the dirt road and headed to Varna.

"What a lovely place," commented Zoltan as they neared the town. And indeed it was. Nestled beneath the tall cliffs of the mountain range and built on the banks of the river Ebb, the town buildings huddled close together in a pocket of civilization. And from the cliffs to the river, Varna had built a wooden wall, which was not very long, but this was simply due to the fact the town wasn't very large. In truth, anyone traveling through Varna Pass had to travel through Varna proper; the only alternative was going to the other side of the river where sat a dense pine forest. But to the lack of road there, not to mention wild beasts, most would consider that a stupid idea.

Finally they passed through the tall, wooden gatehouse, the doors of which they likely closed during the night hours, and into town. Most of the buildings and houses were made of wood with only several special buildings made of stone; but almost all of them had the same roofing, a red clay tile that they undoubtedly made right here in Varna. The main road continued straight on through town, but passed a number of shops catering to travelers, including a sizable innhouse near the town center. The party was excited, for the whole town was theirs to explore! Oh, and Jehan finished his pipe.

   The first steps into this new location werent as exciting to Jehan at first as it was to the others. He was still getting over the fact that he managed to fix his slightly 'Phallic' pipe and wondered how he got that to work... Looking up from the simple wooden pipe, his eyes widened and a smile crept along his face. He was like a child in a candy store, or a squirrel with attention deficit disorder. He looked around wildly, and with a sense of wonder, he loved new locations and found it hard at times to look at one thing at a time. "Isnt this place lovely? Its been so long sense we've been in civilization!" With arms outstreached, the strange bard walked up to the nearest stone wall and gave it an embrace, which looked more like he had just slapped his body against the wall, "I love you civilization. Yes I do."

After a moment of being picked on (again) the men decided that the tavern would be the best course of action for the time being, that way they could get some ale, and a nice warm meal for once. Eike tied Greg near the stables in a place designated for horses and other beasts of burden. Jehan gave the creature a quick ruffle of his fur and gave him a pat before he froze in his tracks again. Ideas had a bad idea of shutting down the rest of the bards basic motor functions... "Hey Eike, I have an idea." He said quickly flipping around, leaving his hair to follow. Eike still stood next to Greg with an expression that could best be taken as 'Oh no.' "Seeing as we're going this lovely establishment... Why not give them a test run eh? Put on a bit of a show for them, just to see what sort of people we're dealing with here. Maybe get enough to pay for dinner, eh?" After a few moments of discussion, the sorcerer agreed.

The door to the tavern swung open with a little too much gusto, causing the patrions to look quickly in alarm, much to their relief, it was only to (of not the strongest) men carrying a chest in a quick hobbled manner through the open door. Dropping it with a thud next to a table, Jehan stood up straight and placed his hands in the middle of his spine and arced his back, releasing a rather satisfying and maybe slightly alarming crack. "Upon reflection, why didnt Zoltan carry this? He could have done it himself..." He large man let out a swift exhale as he chuckled to himself sitting on the chair behind the chest, crossing his legs, waiting for the two men to complete their task he had grown so accustom to at this point. Jehan walked up to the bar to speak to the owner. "Remember my friend, just like we practiced" he said over his shoulder to Eike.

"Excuse me fine lass," He began. The woman looked up, and the man who attempted to be suave, "We are traveling actors, would it be quite alright with you if we took a moment of your fine establishments time to play a quick song for all of the wonderful people it holds?" The woman gave a short laugh as she cleaned out a mug, more than likely immune to Jehans charms, but it never hurts to pretend sometime. She gave a nod of agreement and the bard smiled and knocked on the counter and turned to face the tavern.

"Pardon me lovely women and handsome gentlemen!" He belted out, with a strong bold voice. This wasnt his first performance and it wouldnt be his last. Besides, a little confidence goes a long way sometimes. "Lend me your ears, I have traveled from afar to share a tale of love lost... My heart has been weighed down for far too long and I must share my woes." He spun his Lute around from its safe place on his back and into his hands, making sure it was in proper tune before he began, of course it was, but it never hurts to double check. The room slowly began to draw their attention to the man as he walked toward his two companions, slowly, the rooms chatter got quieter and quieter

The bard took a seat on the chest he and his friends had brought in and looked down toward the ground as people grew silent. His previous joking demenor had melted away, he looked almost sad... He began in the quiet of the tavern, beginning by fingerpicking, a basic C-G-D-E Progression, with the occasional hammer-on and pull-off to add flair. He raised his head as he completed his first two measures, and began to sing after a brief pause;


Jehan stood from his seated position, classical finger-picking slowly morphed into a strum, building in intensity as he progressed, eyes closed, and upset face, to convey as much emotion as he could, bringing thoughts to mind that would actually create an upset feeling in his head. The bard slowly walked closer to the people of the bar as he continued:


On the last line of his song, the build began to deminish, turning from intense powerful strumming to soft, more spaced out strikes of the chord, on the last few words, only a single strum was loosed from the Lute, and after his last word, a resounding C chord slowly radiated from his instrument.

Jehan Roux rolled 19 using Perform Lute
Bardic skill Fascinate used (I can use this whenever I think? wasnt sure if I needed to specify)

[After I finish the performance, I have a private word with the tavern owner: Jehan Roux rolled 13 Gather information about town, rumors and SUBTLY, MK.]
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Tue 07 July 2015.

Zoltan kept his shoulders back and his head up as they made their way into the city. He couldn't help himself from laughing at Jehan hugging a building. He enjoyed the journey as much as the destination and was mostly content wherever he went. Although he was glad to see some new faces and hear different voices. Agreeing that the tavern would be a good place to settle down for a little while he followed them to the door.

He followed them inside. "Yeah you get some cash for my ale," he said taking a seat next to the trunk. "And You looked like you could use the exercise."

Once the bard had himself set up and began playing, Zoltan ordered himself a tankard of ale and sat back to listen. He wondered why Jehan was singing about his near drowning in waist deep water and smiled to himself thinking about it. While the man played Zolatn tuned his ear to the other patrons to listen for any information about the town and who MK might be.

22:42, Today: Secret Roll: Zoltan Zanderhawk rolled 21 using 1d20+1. Gather Info.

Eike stops and stares at Jehan while he gets a little too personal with the stone work. He laughs to himself quietly to see such a reaction. The staff was set firmly on the ground while Eike rested with both of his hands on the top of it. Waiting for Jehan to compose himself once again. He also loved new locations and settings as well. There were always new opportunities to be had and new faces to. He had been a stranger to so many new places he could hardly remember the last time he found himself in a place he could call home. Since he was a lad the roads have been his home.

Eike leans over to Zoltan, "After you been with 'em for near as long as I have, ya get use to his... quirks." He paused for a moment thinking back to the times him and Jehan had spent together. "Ooh! You should have been there the time we got lost on this road near the boarder of Kabariya. He said it was a "short cut". Well little did we know, this little short cut went clear through a desert! That would have been then last of us we hadn't come across another traveler with some food and water. We had to use the last 10 gold pieces we had just to buy ourselves a flask of water and a banana! A bloody banana!" Eike shrugs his shoulders and lets  out a sigh of relief. "But 'ey, we made it! Jehan's the story teller though. Maybe we'll get him to go on about that tale at the next performance."

After discussing the performance with Jehan, they empty the contents of the chest and leave them with Zoltan. Everything except for the hand. He puts it underneath his robe and catches Zoltan making a wrinkled face at the sight. Eike walks up the bar once more and orders a drink. Without even taking a seat, he washes it down almost as fast as it was poured, clearly he was not a stranger to drink, nor to Jehan's "ideas". He walks over and joins Jehan in front of the crowd.

Eike stands on top of the chest and after Jehan's introduction he proclaims, "We have traveled far and wide and across many lands. Some journeys have been favorable, and other hurtful. Tonight we will share with you a tale of one of those many journeys and some of the mysteries we have found along the way." Eike waits a moment and steps off the chest. He knocks it once with his staff. "For this very chest is just once of those mysteries. You see, this is no ordinary chest. This is a chest of TRANS-for-muli-gation! It will turn mere copper pieces into doves! But with a little help of course." Eike motions to the crowd and opens the chest and shows them. "See. No doves to be found. Who will put some copper into the chest to see some doves? The chest only needs 5." He wait as a few people put some money into the chest. {Assuming they do, otherwise he asks for it from Jehan and he just puts it in.} While the copper pieces are being put into the chest Eike takes the severed hand and positions it into my sleeve as if it were his hand. He steps next to Jehan and turns back to the crowd, "But of course you cannot make doves with simply a few pieces of copper. It needs one part of life, just one more ingredient. Jehan here, give me hand with this." Eike stretches out his arm with the severed hand, but keeps the sleeve over the hand. "Here... Just pull... and put it into the box." Ask Jehan pulls, Eike lets go of the hand and it looks at though Jehan has just pulled it right off. With a gasp from the crowd and a larger shriek from Jehan, he throws it into the chest.

Eike then closes the chest with his staff while Jehan begins his song. He stands as straight as the dark staff. It's held tightly at the top with both hands he remains motionless as if concentrating on the chest.

As Jehan starts nearing the end of his song, Eike starts motioning over the chest and waving his hands over it. Every so often giving it a light 'whack' with the end of his staff. After the song had settled Eike speaks up, "Now not everything that seems so dark and filled with sorrow is void of  glimmers of delight. I hope none of you had forgotten the promises I made of this extra ordinary looking extraordinary chest!" Eike gives the chest one more hard 'whack!'. {Casting doves} "Doves!" he shouts as the lid bursts open in a flutter of feathers and wings. As they fly off he takes his bow with Jehan.

02:04, Today: Secret Roll: Eike rolled 15 using 1d20+5. Perform; magic act.
02:06, Today: Secret Roll: Eike rolled 14 using 1d20+3. Gather information; initials MK, rumors, news about the town.

Patrons of the tavern gave their full attention to Jehan as he played his heartfelt ballad. Of the twenty or so listeners, a handful even began to rub away the tears in their eyes, moved by the emotional lyrics and melody. Finally the song ceased and the crowd broke into a melancholy applause. But their sorrow was reversed when Eike sealed the show with a shocking removal of his hand and finally the sudden release of doves from the chest, a majestic ending. They briefly fluttered through the air and around the ceiling before landing on several tables - to the awe of those sitting at them - and walking on the tabletops. The applause heightened into jubilant cheering at the wonderful performance. Mugs were raised and men stood from their seats. But best of all, the coins rained down.

Most of the coins were tossed into the chest while Jehan and Eike took a bow beside it, and more still landed on their table. After the rain settled, Eike ran his hands through the pile, and Jehan picked up the others (from patrons too drunk to aim well). In the end, they counted 19 silver pieces and 37 coppers.

The innhouse was left with an ecstatic and friendly mood as people returned to their drinks. Jehan and Eike sat back down on the opposite benches of their table. "I think that went pretty well," said Jehan while he strummed a random chord of his lute. "Good showmanship my friend," Eike complemented. "And to you," Jehan returned. "Now, let us celebrate with some ale! Hey Zolt-" Jehan turned his head one way, then another, but Zoltan wasn't seated with them. "Huh, where'd that big guy go?" "He's over there," Eike pointed out. Zoltan was sitting with a few locals at a nearby table. "Let's go see what he's up to." Both Eike and Jehan got up from their seats.

Outside, the innhouse had looked much like the other buildings in town, though perhaps a little bigger; tall, round posts held up the four corners of the structure with planked wood in between, plus the red-clay roofing that seemed ubiquitous in Varna. Inside, it looked even bigger, mostly due to the high ceiling. At the rear of the innhouse was an open stairs to the rooms above. Before it, near the center of the room, was the innkeep and bar, and behind the bar were shelves of dishes, ales, and other strong drinks. Also, the antlered skull of an elk above that. There were about four tables with chairs closest to the bar, and several longer tables with benches farther away. But Jehan and Eike's favorite part of the room was undoubtedly the stage; they would definitely make use of that in the days to come. They would probably make even more money in the late evenings, when the crowds would start to swell. Ideas for future performances raced in their minds.

They were still thinking of such ideas when they walked next to Zoltan. He was have an engaging conversation with three other men. Jehan leaned on his shoulder and said, "Hey bud, we're about to go get drinks. What ya want? Oh, and who are your pals?" Zoltan glanced back and replied, "Oh hey. Good show by the way. Guys, I'd like to meet Luca-" he gestured to a fellow with a bushy brown beard, likely approaching his fifties, "Thomas-" then to a younger man next to him with short blonde hair, "and, uh, sorry. I've forgotten already." "Christoph," a middle-aged man pleasantly corrected. All three wore common trousers and tattered brown shirts made from the wool of some animal. They were also working men, for dirt smeared the edges of their faces.

"Come, join our table," offered Luca, speaking in a deep grandfatherly voice. "There's nothing quite like a friendly chat with strangers."


This message was last edited by the GM at 01:06, Fri 10 July 2015.

Conversation with the three friendly strangers was at its end and with a raise of his mug, the three departed, leaving Jehan, Eike, and Zoltan sitting at the table, weighing their options...

"So that sounded sketchy... They way they described that bloke just up and leaving in the middle of the night. Also kinda sketchy we just so happened to find his dismembered hand in the river just a stones throw away eh?" Jehan leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs and put his elbow up on the back of his chair taking a sweeping look at the people of the bar, seeming to be in a bit of a more upbeat mood because of their show. This made him happy, though Jehan enjoyed making money above... most everything, he also enjoyed making people smile; It was in his top three favorite things.

"Personally," He said without turning his head to his companions, "I say we check out our handless friends brother a visit. Maybe we can get more info, or maybe even a monetary reward for its return - But keep quiet about the fact we have it" He added with a whisper. "Its pretty close too, and the 3 fellas we're kind enough to point it out to us. Shall we?" He purposed.

"-Oh also" he blurted out, almost choking on his ale as if the thought had escaped on its own, "I would like to check out the store in town, see what they have for sale and what sort of deals I could get on pipes or other miscellaneous carvings I could make in my spare time. Would a small detour be alright?"

"Oh, I cleaned up my pipe and it looks about 78% less... Manly. Either of you blokes fancy a free pipe? I'd be happy to hand it over to you instead of selling it to a stranger."

[Would like to check the shops stock, as well as see if I can cut a deal for crafting pipes or other small nick-knacks for trade or sale if it would interest the shopkeeper. Would also like to spend 9 CT for 11 Skill points]

[Private to DM Ryan:
Jehan Roux rolled 12 using 1d20+5. Appraise check, shopkeeper, price gouging or good deals.
Jehan Roux rolled 5 using 1d20+1. Knowledge local MK (Forgot his name...).
Jehan Roux rolled 8 using 1d20+1. Listen check, conversations that may help us/of interest.
Jehan Roux rolled 3 using 1d20+1. Spot check, People keeping an eye on us.]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Mon 13 July 2015.

Eike finishes the last of his drink and thinks on what the men said of Manuel. He holds his staff in his hand ready to leave.

He nods in agreement with Jehan. "That doesn't sound quite right to me. It's not normal for someone like that to just get up and leave in the middle the night. Doesn't sit right with me neither." Standing up from his seat, Eike looks down at the chest that has a few more coins in it. Clearly pleased with how the first performance in Varna went.

Looking back up to his companions, "Yes, I would like to have a chat with the brother, along with the Baron. He may know some more about it as well. And I'd be all up for a little money making adventure." He chuckles to himself, "Heh, maybe we can actually make a good name for ourselves here before people start to realize how much of their coins end up in our chest here."

Taking a look to Jehan's pipe. "I saw what that looked like earlier today... Not putting that anywhere near my mouth..."

Swirling the contents of his tankard, Zoltan listened intently. With a good swallow he leaned back in his seat. "I'm bettin' someone was after the fellow. Maybe he owned money to someone, maybe he even owed that here ring." He took another drink.

"There should be someone who knows about his sudden leave of absence, and perhaps needed... a hand in getting his affairs set in place that one night." A dumb smile at on his face and he tried to wipe it off with another gulp of ale.

"And that person would probably be family, like the brother. So yes, let's head on over there. We can stop at a store on our way." With one more swig, he finished his drink.

Several patrons waved goodbye as the party exited the tavern. Jehan and Eike both waved back, pleased at their early popularity. "We're going to be a hit," said Eike. Jehan buoyantly skipped onto the street, clearly in a good mood. "Fame and fortune here we come." The door closed behind them, and they were once again back on main street, at the Town Square.

A skein of geese flew distantly overhead making a ruckus; the honking and noise steadily faded as they flew farther away. Large, fluffy clouds now covered the narrow sky of the valley, but their color was a soft, light gray, bearing no risk of rain; a typical day in the mountainous ravines of the Spine. In truth, the Town Square of Varna really wasn't a square at all but rather a spacious dirt circle. Here were most of the town's essential buildings, including the General Store which stood just across from the tavern. Before leaving, Zoltan glanced back at the sign on their now favorite establishment: Varna Inn. "Well, that's easy to remember," he noted.

"Come on, let's stop at the General Store," Jehan spoke. Together they crossed the street and entered the General Store, which on the outside looked scarcely different than any other building in Varna – made of wood and roofed with red-clay tiles – the only difference being a large glass window in the front of the building. Sitting in the window was a rocking chair, as well as an assortment of other common goods. They entered inside, accompanied by the ring of a bell attached to the door.

"I'm going to talk with the shopkeep," said Jehan, "be right back." While Jehan went to speak with the shopkeeper, an old man with wispy white hair, Eike and Zoltan perused the isles of the store. Most of the items were common things but necessary ones to those who lived here: pickaxes, shovels, pots, plates, chairs, lanterns, and other mundane objects. Zoltan walked past a tall stack of ten chairs and down an isle of furniture, which had an assortment of tables packed closely together. Most of the tables were brown and plain and evidently made by the locals; only one was different, a desk that was such a dark shade of brown that it looked nearly black - imported. All the furniture browsing inspired Zoltan with ideas for decorating his own future house.

Jehan returned from the shopkeeper while Eike was closely examining a cup with a poorly painted animal on it, trying to decide what it was; he had narrowed it down thus far to either a bear or a cat. As Jehan approached, Eike glanced up from his important work and asked, "How'd it go?" "Good," Jehan replied. "Shopkeep over there says he could sell my crafts for me at a 25% commission. Not awful for no labor I suppose. Spent some Clay Tokens. Prices are pretty normal here. He also offered to buy my lute for four gold buy I said no way Jose!" "Good thing too. We need that to make bank!" Suddenly there was a loud crash as something landed on the ground. Jehan and Eike hastily looked around until their eyes landed on Zoltan, who stood over a fallen stack of stools with a guilty look on his face. "Oh, uh, my bad."



[Private to Jehan Roux: Imbellem

You gain -11- Skillpoints! {-9 Clay Tokens}

Spot & Listen ~ You DON'T roll these.
Appraise ~ You DON'T roll these. Common items can't be haggled; when asked for, their prices are automatically adjusted based on your charisma and current environment.
Knowledge Local ~ You've never heard of him.]