Winnie is busy, on the other side of the room, so a different waitress comes to take the order.  When she returns, she wipes the table quickly and slides the clay tankard onto it.  "Misteess Winnie's own recipe …" she says indicating the mulled cider.

Not only is the cider warmed, it has been infused with herbs and spices that give it that reconisable 'winter' flavour.

Wyn saunters out from behind the bar, whistling jauntily to himself, and pins a notice on the notice board.

After a suitable interval (at least 30 seconds) Gedd wanders over to the notice board and glances nonchalantly at the notice Wyn has pinned up.

The notice reads .....

"Mother preserve us," Berta frowns as she watches her older brother pin up the notice.  It's the whistling she objects to, mostly.

Exchanging a glace with her younger sibling, the warrior-woman grimaces ... but resists the urge to race over to the board, expecting that the contents will reach her ears sooner or later.

Probably sooner ...

Gedd catches Berta's glance and slowly walks over to join her.

"I always knew he thinks it is past time you found yourself a husband, but I never thought he'd go that far," he mutters to her, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Not hungry ..." her reply dies on her lips as Berta races over to the board, hand straying to the hilt of one of the blades that hangs at her hip, face set in a stone-like mask as she stares at the notice ...

The notice reads .....
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:33, Thu 07 Feb 2019.

"Skilled jeweller !"  Bertha reads the notice aloud, the relief in her voice evident ... as is the threat in the narrowed gaze as she turns back to search the crowd for Gedd, which widens to take in anyone else who looks as if they're enjoying the jest at her expense.

"Skilled jeweller !" the warrior-woman mutters again as she takes her hand off the hilt of her sword and crosses the common room to return to her favoured spot, younger brother or no.

"Maybe if he was very rich ... and as nice to look at as all the fancy baubles ..."

A moment's reflection as she casts her eyes over the room once more, then:

"Wonder what Wyn's really up to ?"

"A nose ring! No, surely not. That's only an orcish custom, isn't it?"

Gedd's voice drifts across the room from the table where he now sits with a couple of his friends.

Liam had been sitting at a quiet table nursing a drink. The man was in leathers and a longsword was sheathed at his waist. He was content to watch people pass by on their business. But with several people moving to read the notice that was put up, curiosity got the better of him. He had to read the notice himself.

One of the waitresses tops up Liam's drink.

With the topped off drink in hand, Liam walked over to the notice. He skimmed the text and sipped his drink.

The notice reads .....

Magatha Primrose marched into the Dragon's Den. Not marching like someone who was in a hurry. No, marching in slow, measured steps with her head held high and her back straight as an arrow.

It was almost a strut, Magatha's walk. A prance, reminiscent of trained ponies. It was the formal march of the military on parade, polish, shine, and all.

And it would have been as impressive as intended, if she was not just a touch over three feet tall. Still, she looked proud as a peacock, this gnome woman. And just as colorful with her magenta hair and her chartreuse eyes.

Her top coat was crisp and without a wrinkle. It was dark blue with red and gold accents and a whole lot of shiny buttons. The coat was cut away from the legs like those of a cavalry officer and held in place by a tight leather belt. Her jack boots reached up to her knees.

On top of her head, the gnome wore a hat that reminded one of a sleek ship. It was accented by a large red feather or plume. The red contrasted nicely with her hair. She had a cutlass sheathed on each hip.

"Here I am!" Magatha announced with a flourish of her hands. "Straight off the boat!"

She cast her eyes around at everyone, then over to the bar. "A tall whiskey, please. Something spicy, if you have it."

The halforc standing by the bar gave the little newcomer a long, appraising look before finally nodding toward the other end of the common room.

"The stage is over there," he told her firmly. "What's your act? Singing? Dancing? Acrobatics? Juggling? Go on, tell me you're a sword-swallower!"

The gnomish woman scrunched up her face at Gedd's remarks, then held up her finger in a 'just you wait' gesture.

Next, she marched herself directly to the aforementioned stage. Magatha then gave Gedd a nod and an exaggerated wink. "I can treat you to a bedazzling display of a swordsmanship!"

So saying, she drew out both of her blades and began to move in a swift and deadly form of dance covering the entirety of the stage.

Recognizing Aldori forms, Cass Mordane moved forward to the edge of his seat, removed a wind instrument from his pack, and began to play The Hills Low and Far in accompaniment to the gnome woman's moves. The song flowed with each move as if they had been originally orchestrated together.

Gedd grinned as the little lady marched onto the stage but he watched with real appreciation and applauded loudly when she finished. He stepped behind the bar and poured the drink she had ordered, then took it up to the stage to her while she was still taking her bows.

He handed the glass to her with a smile then went back to his place by the bar.

Adoven applauds. "very nice. I need to strengthen such skills myself. Might you be available for hire?"

The Inn's bouncer and part-owner smiles at the gnome woman's entrance ... not mocking her size (her adopted brother Wilric is probably no taller and certainly was once a force to be reckoned with), but appreciative that there's another sharing her red tresses, though in truth Magatha's locks are far less unruly than her own.

So too the woman seems to know what she's doing with her blades, though Berta has little time for the fashion of the Aldori, finding the dance-like moves too flashy and wasteful - while she too wields two swords, her own preference is to cut straight to the heart of the matter, not to bedazzle ones opponent.  Her size would certainly be to her advantage, though - one rarely finds one so small yet brandishing such sharp blades.

Moreover, she likes Magatha's confidence and bold dress, and no less her choice of drink, adding her own applause to the rest !

A little tired from the journey back from the Kamelands but excited to see what her friends had done with their tavern, Marceline enters the Dragons Den and immediately makes her way over to Berta, the first familiar face she spies in the tavern.

"Berta! Good to see you again."

"Much thanks." Magatha said to Gedd as he handed her the glass of whiskey.

"I am sure something can be arranged." Magatha said to Adoven with a wink and a sly smile.

But it was to Berta Roth that Magatha raised her glass in salute. She had seen those assessing eyes, and approved.

"Oh. It tastes just like smoke and fire." Magatha rasped almost silently as she closed her eyes in pleasure, leaning her head back and enjoying the inner touching of the liquid as it trailed down.

>>From the Water

El came into the Dragons Den with much the same attitude as she'd had outside of it. All smiles and less worn for wear. In a way, she had felt she had something to prove to herself and now that she had, she felt more inclined to enjoy it.

"Oh, this certainly brings back memories." She said to herself, quite brightly, and seemed to stand a bit taller. "I'll fetch the drinks, you lads find us a table. Any special requests?" She asked, before walking off to fetch the order at the bar. She'd no mind to bother a tavern wench unless the need arose.

Andalon entered close behind El and looked around for a table with chairs for six.

"A mug of ale would be most welcome, thank you El," he replied.

Then he lead the way across the common room to an empty table and took a seat. He was dressed in travel-stained studded leather armour rather than the heavier armour or clerical robes he might normally be expected to be seen in around town.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:12, Mon 04 Mar 2019.

Moved to the  El & Andalon table thread -  which just helps to separate out conversations and keep the Dragons Den threads readable.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:47, Tue 05 Mar 2019.