The Happy Drover is a run down Inn just outside the city walls, close to the animal pens that are used when stock is brought to town for the meat market.  It is also know as a meeting place for some independent trade caravans and and their mercenary guard units.

There is a small bar selling a variety of cheap ales, wine and ciders  with high stools so that customers can sit up at the bar and chat to the bar tender, as well as a few smaller tables and chairs.  The large common room has trestle tables and benches and there is a darts board in the corner -  but at this time of the year it doesn't see many customers.  Indeed, at this time of the year The Happy Drover doesn't see all that many customers at all - and it has been so quiet recently that the waitress was laid off.  If you want to get served you will have to go up to the bar and get it yourself.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 08:40, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

The barkeep stands behind the bar polishing the bar top with a dirty looking cloth.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 11:31, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

Adoven walked into The Happy Drover and sat at the bar. He notices not too many patrons in the bar yet. He grabs a stool near the barkeep and orders, "Hello there barkeep. Could I get a dark beer and do you guys have any food this time of day?"

"Yeah." the barkeep responds laconically as he puts the cloth down and pulls a mug of dark for Adoven.  "Are you one of Mr de le Maistre's men?" he asks as he puts the ale on the bar top.

"As of today, yes." Adoven tosses a few coins to the barkeep, "How many of us do you expect to get in here?"

"Well, he booked a barrack room, and there are ten bunks in there, but he didn't say how many." the barkeep shrugs and he picks the right money out of the coins on the bar.  "But there is stew on for you guys at Dinner time.  And he is picking up the tab for that." he adds with a grin.

"He said you guys were heading out west?" he half suggests as he draws a small mug of a lighter ale for himself.

"That's what they tell me. Seems there are a few different charters out there. I'm excited to see what ours brings us.  Just getting out of the city is going to be great. Hopefully make some friends and find that glorious treasures of war!" Adoven sipped on the beer as he waited for others to join him at the inn.

"Not a city boy then?" The barkeep asks, giving his customer the chance to chat, if he wants to.

Bai stood outside the inn for a while, watching the sky with a smile on her face. After she had her fill she ventured into the inn took in her surroundings. She noted the barkeep and approached, "I was told you'd have a room for me? I'm working for Mr. de le Maistre. Oh, and if I could have a plate of whatever you've got I'd love that too."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Sat 05 Mar 2016.

Moto was happy with the signing bonus. As he walked toward the inn, he noticed a young woman looking up in the sky. Moto looked up briefly, but saw nothing. Perhaps rain in the future..maybe not. Funny enough, she entered the same inn he was headed towards.  Moto waited to order before speaking to the barkeep. “I too work for Henry de la Maistre. Food and a good shout ale...please.” Once he had his ale, Moto moved to one of the back tables.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:25, Sat 05 Mar 2016.

"Dinner's later." The barkeep responds to Bai's question about food, although he is happy to put up Moto's ale and a drink for Bai should she ask for one.  "But Mr. de le Maistre is paying for that." He adds softening the comment slightly.

A very brief look of annoyance crosses his face as he notices the gear that people are carrying.  "Come on, I'll show you to your ...  room." The barkeep says hesitating slightly over what to call it.  He takes a key from a hook at the back of the bar and walks across to open a door leading of from the common room, and holds out an arm to usher you in.

Inside there is a single large room, with six sets of two tier bunk beds along the walls,a table in the middle of the room and a small iron stove at the far end.  A barracks style bunk-room with enough space for a dozen people.  "All yours, folks.  You early birds get to choose the best beds ...  I'll be back at the bar if you need me." He finishes as he leaves you to the room

Adoven followed the barkeep to check out the living quarters. Great....bunk beds. So much for privacy.

Adoven scanned the room for the best bed and decided they all looked the same so he grabbed a bottom bunk in the corner and tossed his backpack on it. He sat down and waited for the rest to arrive. He was eager to meet his new associates. Hopefully they clicked.

The clanking and heavy footfalls preceded Vik by a good deal of distance. Short though she may be, she carried her gear herself, as her captain had taught her, and grimly, without complaint. The cast-iron pot beat against side of the backpack along with her gait.

Gripping her pack with her gloved hands, she strode into the Drover, immediately sliding the pack from her back and gripping it, placing it down as she approached the innkeep

"Innkeep! I've need of your services. Firstly I'll be needing somewhere to hang my swordbelt-"

She unlatched the first of her belts, which kept her axes and shortswords, and held it to the side of the counter, so as to show it without scratching the wood.

"-and I'll be needing a pint, two if you'd be so kind. Maistre sent me, and I understand I'm to billet myself at the accommodations he's paid for."

Taking out her coin purse, she shook out and then stacked ten silvers, sliding them towards the innkeep

"This I'm leaving with you. Payment for the aforementioned ale, and for a pitcher of wine with my dinner. Further expenses might accumulate, and if there is any silver left when I leave I will collect it, and leave a suitable payment for your service. Should my coin prove too poor to pay for my appetites, I'll give you more."

She straightened and looked around, seeing if the rooms were visible from where she stood.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:42, Sat 05 Mar 2016.

Hearing the approach of someone in armour, the barkeep looks up expecting to see a large man walk through the door.  However, he nearly maintains his composure when he sees the young woman, and there is little more than a widening of his eyes as the girl approaches the bar.

He is just about to step out from the bar to show her the barracks room when she orders ale.  ”Light or dark,” he asks, somewhat belatedly adding a ”Ma’am” as she hands over a stack of coins.

He takes the coins and steps out from the bar.  ”You are in the barracks through here.” he says as he takes her through to the large bunk room.  ”One of your colleagues is here already.” He says stopping at the doorway.

””Shall I bring the ale through or will you be coming bac to the bar?”

"I'm late I'm late!"

The pattering of footsteps grew louder.

"I must be late, please don't be late!"

Rikka burst through the door, panting heavily-and just behind the rather more punctual Vik.  Given how she had only a battered looking leather jack and a sword at her side that looked like it had been passed down at least two generations without a proper reforging....

Well, problems are problems no matter who you are.

"Rikka here!"  She waves to the room, trying to catch her breath.  "Was I too late?  I overslept last night and I had to try running most of the rest of the way here."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Sat 05 Mar 2016.

Just as he is returning from showing Vik to the barracks another one bursts through the door.  "Whooooa" the barman tries to slow Rikka down.  "There is only a few here yet." he says guessing that she is another on of de le Maistre's mercenary band.

"The barracks are through here ..." he says indicating the door way again.

In a field near the Happy Drover a couple of peasant children overlooked something of a scene. A yak stood, its shaggy fur curling nearly to the ground as it chewed incessantly. It's dark furred face looked placid and stupid as it regurgitated some cud, chewed it, and then swallowed it back down into a different chamber of its unusual stomach. Layers of old blankets, once colorful but now faded, and leather harnesses are strapped down with bundles of equipment; it didn't seem to mind or even notice the weight.

Next to the yak was a girl. Asleep, her hair a mess, and currently being poked with a stick wielded by one of the children. She wore a dark coat that looked to once belong to a noble but it has been stained with soot and acrid chemicals to a dingy dark grey. The front has been roughly tailored to button along the leather cuirass that ended just low enough to expose an eyeful of tightly squeezed bust. The bottom of it, likewise, ended prematurely to show off wide hips and slender midriff. Slung low on those hips is a belt and scruffy black leather shorts that ended at the very tops of her otherwise bare legs. One of those legs were badly bruised; black, purple, and yellow from her drunken journey here dangling from the yak's pack saddle. Her feet are mostly bare, just cloth wrapped around the ball of her footpad and bottom of her heel. She turns in her sleep, presenting her back to the startled children, showing the three holes in her short coat that looked suspiciously like they were made by arrows.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:23, Sat 05 Mar 2016.

Young Rook was happy to take the meeting at the Silver Dagger originally proposed by de la Maistre; he'd never seen the inside of a place like that. The job was just the icing on the cake. It gave him the opportunity to explore the Stolen Lands with most expenses paid. But he was mostly glad to get out of the city.

Even with with extra coin in his pocket he felt a weight lift off of him as he moved through the city gates. It was beginning to warm up already and as such the human had removed his leather cloak and rolled it up along with his bedroll atop his backpack. He carried a sturdy leather coat on one shoulder, his other arm carrying a longbow. His quick movements slowed to a stroll as he passed by the stock yard. What caught his attention, though, was the yak standing in a field beside a pair of children armed with sticks. A stern look came over his face when he got close enough to see what they were actually doing. "Y'all scat, get!" He grunted with narrowed green eyes, swinging the end of his bow at their backsides and making a short hissing sound upon contact.

With the children mostly gone, though Rook still kept an eye over his shoulder for them, he squatted near the sleeping girl. First clearing his throat, he waited to see if the sound was enough to wake her. Knowing that it probably wouldn't, he followed it up with a gentle nudging with his bow, not unlike the poking of the stick "Excuse me. There's an Inn just up the way here. You don't have to sleep outside."

Seeing the room was good, not great. Moto nodded in thanks to the barkeep. Sitting down at the table with his ale, he filled his pipe and lit it with a quick flash of his fingers. Letting out a breath of dark smoke, Moto finally took off his hat and his catlike yellow eyes looks over the room. “Fellow explorers, I think it would be well to introduce ourselves. I am Moto Trema, and I have a gift with sword and spell.” Moto then offers out his peace-pipe to whomever would come to the table.

Borric walked into the establishment. He wore scale mail armor over his trousers and shirt. A dark cloak was on his shoulders. He paused at the threshold and looked over the group already assembled. "Barkeep." He said as he walked up to the counter, "I understand that accommodations have been arranged. Henry de la Maistre has sent me here for the evening before we are to set out."

"The name's Borric."

The barkeep nods at Borric and guides him towards the barrack rooms along with the others, "This way sir."

Not the normal bunch of caravan guards then, he thinks to himself, as he considers the strange combination of people heading into his large bunk room.

"Stew for dinner, later this evening.  And you all get a free ale with that.  Anything else you wanr you can get from the bar." He announce to everyone in earshot.