Maeria says nothing though the look on her face and her quiet nod seem to imply that a drink would be very much appreciated after the heat of the desert. As the group enters the inn, they find a table and a round of drinks is quickly brought out to them under the orders of the innkeeper. No more than an hour later, an odd looking gentle-dwarf walks into the inn garbed in a multicolored patchwork cloak with bright red, blue, and green clothing underneath. Your eyes would almost hurt if you looked at him for too long though it becomes fairly obvious fairly quickly that this must be the bard that the innkeeper had talked about.

He immediately walks up and takes the stage and removes a leather case from his back under his cloak. He undoes the straps and pulls out a beautiful master worked harp and strums a quick diddy on it to warm up, "Evening everyone. Me name, as many o' ya prolly know n' 'ave come t' 'ate by now, be Unor Slatecracker n' I'll be yer entertainer fer the night...as usual." The dwarf is quite charismatic and many of the patrons laugh and cheer at his jokes and as he finishes, he goes right into an upbeat drinking song that gets many of the patrons stamping their feet and chugging their ales.

"A long time ago, way back in history
When all there was to drink was nothing but cups of tea
Along came a man by the name of Charlie Mops
And he invented a wonderful drink and he made it out of hops

(Chorus)
He might have been an admiral, a sultan, or a king
And to his praises we shall always sing
Look what he has done for us, he's filled us up with cheer
Lord bless Charlie Mops,
The man who invented beer

The Jury's Bar, the Clancy's Pub, the Hole in the Wall as well
One thing you can be sure of, it's Charlie's beer they sell
So come on all me lucky lads at eleven O'clock ye stops
For five short seconds, remember Charlie Mops
One, two, three, four, five

Chorus

A bushel of malt, A barrel of hops, you stir it around with a stick,
The kind of lubrication to make your engine tick.
Forty pints of wallop a day will keep away the quacks.
It's only eight pence ha'p'ny a pot and one and six in tax
One, two, three, four, five

Chorus
The Lord bless Charlie Mops!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5zXMokthgE
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:26, Sun 13 May 2012.

Unaccustomed to the musical storytelling, Raznik is entranced by the bard, as well as the atmosphere in the tavern. "The ways of these people are so... strange, and the quality of the tale leaves something to be desired," he says to Solomon once this particular dittie is over. The music had caused him to relax a little, however, and the constant worry has lifted from his face for a moment, a visage of calm coming over him.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Tue 15 May 2012.

Solomon stomped his feet and slapped the table in tune with the song.  You all get the feeling he likely would have joined in singing as well, if only he knew the words.  Solomon was a merry paladin.  He knew that any moment he could die, so he was determined to enjoy each and every day.

Solomon laughed and clapped Raznik on the back.  "I'm hoping to hear the more somber tale of Anvilfall before night's end, but can't complain about the more merry tune to raise spirits now."

Felicia enjoys the show, but keeps her drinking light. She has been drunk before and did not enjoy the experience or the hangover she had the next morning.

The night goes on and the bard continues his songs and tales including a captivating song and story about a heroic holdout at an unknown Dwarven Hold, a racy and humorous love story between a gnome and a minotaur, and a few more good drinking songs before he lapsed into some lyric less ambient music. As the dwarf finishes his performance for the night, he bows to his audience and picks up the hat that had been filled with coins from patrons all night long. There had been no mention of Anvilfall however, which makes sense as, according to Temnir, the event was still likely fresh in everyone's memories and it would spoil the cheery mood the lot had finally sunk into.

The bard walks over to the bar where he grabs a drink, claps the innkeeper on the shoulder with a smile and goes to sit at a table against the wall, not far from the group, and enjoy his drink and the rest of his night.

Rising from his chair Raznik approaches the bard stopping a little way from the table, careful not to intrude on his personal space. "I enjoyed your music. Where I come from we tell tales with description, not notes. It was an interesting and novel experience for me."

The dwarf looked up while wiping some foam from his bear, before cracking a smile. "Och, glad ta hear it, lad. Singing ain't really mah thing but I figured it'd liven the mood a wee bit better then a epic. Most people tend ta get a bit tired wit' any true Dwarven tales." Kuldar stands up to his full height of 4'4", and extends a hand enthusiastically. "Kuldar Balak, keeper of tales and a damn good sword arm." Now with direct attention on him, something seems to grab your eye- this is a bard decked out in fullplate, with a broad-headed axe hanging from his belt, and a small mithral shield on his back. Despite looking like he's carrying the weight of a person on him, he doesn't appear the least bit strained.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Tue 22 May 2012.

Carefully avoiding the handshake, but somehow managing not to appear rude, Raznik bows to the dwarf. "Would you come and joni us?" Raznik gestures to the table with his companions.

Solomon was talked into imbibing a dwarven stout by one of the locals.  It was obviously stronger than he was use to.  His eyelids drooped and a lazy smile wouldn't leave his face. He seemed content and even slightly amused simply staring off into space.  He was overly relaxed and uncharacteristically quiet.  His head was so fuzzy he forgot about interogating the bard in regards to Anvilfall.

"...filled us up with cheer!" he suddenly blurted out.  He held his mug up high as if in toast.

several awkward seconds later...
"...be sure it's Charlie's beer!" he sang, getting the lyrics all wrong and out of order.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:40, Tue 22 May 2012.

Kuldar looks over in the direction Raznik has gestured, looked like a right solid adventuring party. "What all ye' up to? I don' mean to pry but I've been in town for some time now 'cause the last group I was wit' dinnae need my services further. I been collecting tales, ya see, and one can only learn so much when sittin' on their thumbs." The dwarf spoke with Raznik as he moved over to their table, the town was nice, and the pay good, but it wasn't why he left home.

Kuldar broke out into a hardy laugh at Solomon's words. "Oh ya poor lad, can't quite take tha' drink can ye? Kuldar wipes a tear from his eye, before patting the man heavily on the shoulder.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Tue 22 May 2012.

Felicia raises an eye brow at Solomon's condition. She really liked the fellow in general, but was not fond of drunks. She hoped this was not something he did often. An occasionally tipsy friend she could put up with, however she was definitely not sharing a bed tonight. Being pawed by a drunk was not one of her favorite things.

Following Kuldar to their table, he starts to explain before realizing how little he knows. "We are hunting a necromancer. An absent companion of ours has had dealings with him before. I am afraid I know little of the details."

Solomon laughed and nodded.  "I'm use to light wines.  Not..." he started to say before letting out a pitite little burp.  He sniffed the remains of the dwarven stout and crinkled his nose.  He set it down on the table and shook his head.  "...this.  What do you dwarves do?  Melt down hammers and bells and call it drink?"  Solomon stood and swayed a little.  "Asalam...aslum..musa'lakim...um...goodnight," he stammerred.  He patted Felicia on the head then turned and headed for the innkeeper.  "Key," he said simply.  He smiled and headed up to the bedrooms for the night.  Solomon almost never drank to excess.  Luckily, he realized the potentcy of dwarven stout before it was too late.  He made it up to the stairs unaided.  As soon as he entered the room he undressed, dumping everything he owned into the trunk except for three things.  The tetsubo he laid next to the bed.  Then he slipped a dagger and his beak-shaped helm brooch under his pillow.  Finally, he collapsed into bed with a groan.  Minutes later he was asleep.  He barely moved and he did not snore.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:20, Tue 22 May 2012.

Kuldar smiles and bids Solomon a good night, he was likely going to wake up feeling like all those hammers and bells were ringing in his head the next day. He turns to the others, thinking on what the first man had already told him of their 'quest'. "Necromancers be a dangerous ilk, definitely promises to make for a thrilling tale. If it wouldn' be rude of me ta ask, might I put me skills ta use in yer quest? The life of a minstrel be fine an' all, but I crave adventure."

"You will have to check with Temnir Liyaan. It's his quest we are all on. I don't see any reason for him not to welcome you though. He should be here in the morning, if not sooner." Felicia tells the bard. She has no issues with the fellow.

Those still left in the common room enjoy a few more drinks and some stories of travel and adventure that keeps them up until the last patron exits the inn or retires upstairs to their room. Such is the fate of those who make friends with a bard, after all, their lives are dedicated to stories and entertainment so there's never a dull moment with one around. The sun rises early the next day and finds the group of adventurers scrambling to get ready to make their appointment with Captain Broadarm aboard the questionably named Leaking Lifeboat, a name the group is just now getting to see as the large slender ship has turned in port to reveal a painted picture of a rather worried looking man in a small boat with an large spout of water coming out of the bottom of his boat with the name painted in elegant white letters bellow it.

The boat itself is about an 80 foot long ash wood caravel with two great white masts. The diverse crew is scrambling about on deck, in the rigging, everywhere getting the ship ready to leave port. Many of the crew are dwarvenkind though there are humans, gnomes, halflings, and even a tengu among them though the latter is in the crow's nest, sure to be the butt of many jokes. Captain Broadarm is pacing the deck yelling out orders to his crew with Temnir already on board eyeing the dwarf captain when he spies the group walking up to the docks as does the captain.

Broadarm grasps the railing and looks like he's about to fall over it with how far he's leaning over it and point at Raznik as he approaches, "You there, ya see the sun? See 'ow it's in the sky already? What point o' 'we leave at sunrise' don'tya understand boy? Get on up here you lot, we got distance t' make between us n' this port." He turns away and goes back to ordering the crew around as a pair of them lowers the gangplank for the group to board. Another two come forward to lead Cho'kobo down into the hold where he will stay during the voyage.

Moving so quickly to get to the meeting, the fact that the group is lacking a member and has picked up a new one gets seemingly overlooked until the ship has already pulled away from the harbor. If Temnir had noticed, he made no mention of it upon them boarding the ship.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:12, Wed 23 May 2012.

Looking a little annoyed at being accused so early in the journey, Raznik hesitates before stepping onto the gangplank. Bowing to the captain as he arrives on board, he speaks loud enough for his companions to hear. "Apologies for the lateness. I was under the impression the agreement was to leave at noon."

The captain turns around a thoughtful look on his face, "Well I be not one t' tell the tides their business and they be goin out early today so if ya ain't late with me, yer late t' the world." the captain turns away before his shoddy explanation can be questioned, obviously knowing he was the one in the wrong.

Kuldar seems very pleased to see so many dwarves on the ship, he immediately introduces himself to some and exchanges stories of their home towns. He was always curious to see how dwarves that lived in different fortresses varied, he found beard trimming was a rather widely changed social etiquette, but for those that had come so far from home he wasn't sure if any upheld their traditions. "Well I gotta say I was a wee bit cautious at first, but any ship manned by a Dwarf is a fine ship indeed."

As Kuldar is exchanging tales with one of the sailors, a loud sort of guttural screech can be heard, as a large(medium sized) Boar is bounding down the streets. The beast seems to be wearing some kind of chain harness, and jumps from the dock onto the ship, rushing to stand behind Kuldar expectantly. "Kilgur! What took ye so long?" The boar squeals like one would expect a dog to bark in reaction, though Kuldar's face doesn't seem to imply he can actually understand the beast. "Right right, this be my mount and companion, Kilgur." He pats the wild pig on the head which seems happy for the attention and almost strikes a pose for the new audience.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:34, Wed 23 May 2012.

Solomon was quiet once again this morning.  Though he wasn't under the effects of a full-blown hangover, he didn't feel well.  He also didn't have enough time this morning to visit a local herbalist as he had wished.  That meant the sickness of the sea would likely visit him once more.  Solomon looked none-to-happy as he crossed the gang plank.

As Kilgur the boar bounds up onto the ship, Captain Broadarm's eyes widen and he comes almost jogging over looking back and forth between Temnir and Raznik, "Now wait just a minute. Ya told me stabling fer one animal not two!" to Temnir, "I already made concessions fer yer extra passenger on yer behalf but I ain't runnin a bloody soup kitchen here now am I? Ye gonna pay fer the animal's stabling or did ye bring 'im as a snack fer the crew?" The captain looks to Kuldar at this last bit, a hopeful and hungry looks plain on his face. Upon closer inspection of the other dwarf, his mustache wrinkles up into a smile, the first any of you have seen from the salty dwarf, "Wait one minute lad, I know you. Yer that bard who's been around these parts fer a while. Last time I was in port me crew and I 'ad a right thumpin time with yer performances." Rubbing his chin through his beard he looks back to the boar, "I still do 'ave a mind t' cook the thing, it been a while since I 'ad good boar meat, but I'll tell ya what, you give us a few songs along the way to boost morale, n' the beast can ride fer free. Deal?"
This message was last updated by the GM at 17:55, Wed 23 May 2012.

Kuldar let out a hearty laugh at the Captain's recognition, sometimes being stranded in town with nothing to do but earn some gold was a good thing it seemed. "I cannae accept such a thing, I was gonna give some entertainment along the way as it were!" He shuffles around in a satchel, pulling out a stack of platinum coins and handing them to the captain. "Use this t' get some meat if'n yer hungry, in this town merely sayin Kuldar sent ya might get some good laughs in."

OOC: Giving the captain 150gp for supplies and such, if they want pork that should get them quite a bit.

Temnir strides over to Solomon, taking up next to him. "So I saw Maeria leaving town last night while I was on business. She say anything to you why she was leaving? Well, no matter it seems you lot found a suitable and possibly more profitable companion to replace her." Temnir looks over his shoulder out towards the docks and the streets beyond as if looking for something.

Felicia follows Solomon up the gangplank to the ship. Sensing that he's not at his best, Felicia doesn't crowd him, but does stay near. She looks over the ship and crew once she's on the deck. They do seem to know what they're doing.

"The adventuring life isn't for everyone.  She may have been content with the gold she got for selling those magic items," he explained to Temnir.  Solomon headed below deck to check on Cho'kobo.  As he headed down the steps he withdrew a mint leaf, one of the few items the inn keeper was able to provide.  He ran it over his teeth and gums, before simply chewing on it, to help freshen his breath.