"Int'resting might work, but 'til we see him perform, we won't know."  The young ranger-in-training looked around the room to see if she could spot a likely candidate for their potential entertainment.  "Berta, does this Folfast just sing, or does he do other things as well?  Like juggling, or storytelling, or the like?"

"Judge for yourselves," the warrior-woman mutters her gaze lifting to the figure descending the stairs.  "Looks like he's up ..."

"Ho !" the towering, lion of a man hollers out, pausing on the stairs to survey the Dragon's common room.  "Pour me a cup, my dear Gedd !  I have a terrible thirst upon me !"

So saying he finishes his descent, turning to glare at the final step as the floor rears up rather too soon, bestowing a withering glance upon it before straightening his clothing and completing his journey to the bar to break his fast with a hair of the dog.

"Better !" he proclaims, running the back of his hand across his lips and bristling beard.  "Much better !  Thus am I fortified !"

Turning around, his gaze passes over each and every patron, with a nod here and a smile there, whether they be regulars or here for the first time.

"What is this ?" Folfast asks.  "My audience awaits !  Where are my players, my troubadours, my fellows ?!!  Where is my fiddle, my fine instrument ?!!"

"Bring them !" he roars.  "Hurry !"

Rana sat up as the loud man trundled down the stairs.  She glanced from Berta to Ush, then shrugged ever so slightly, before putting her elbows on the table (something her mam had always told her not to do), leaning forward and resting her chin on her fists.

"Looks like this could be interesting," she murmured softly to the other two women.

Gabriel stepped into the Dragon's Den, his hair looking as disheveled as ever while his clothes seemed at least a tad bit cleaner than normal; clearly Alanna had made him put on some clean(ish) clothes for their time in Tusk. He glanced warily around the bar, and then noticed Rana and Ush. He exhaled a brief sigh of relief of seeing someone he knew as he walked over to their table, "Mind if I join you ladies?"

"Oh, it's always interesting," Berta replies guardedly but not without good humour, a twinkle in her eye.

The Dragon's bouncer steps away from Rana and Ush's table as Gabriel approaches, favouring the man with a nod and a grin, for her own red tresses are as untamed as his, if not moreso ... though she waits for the two ladies to acknowledge him before smiling at them and continuing on her rounds, all the more necessary now the evening promises to get a little more lively.

Rana's smiled at Berta, then nods to Gabriel as he approached.  She gestured to the empty chairs.  "Of course you can join us," she began warmly.  "Have you managed to get everything done that you wanted to achieve today, Gabriel?"

She looked from the bottle of wine, then glanced to the bar.  "We're expecting some bread and cheeses to arrive imminently, and I'm certain they'll bring an extra glass with them, if you're minded to try the wine.  It's very nice."

Gabriel nods and takes a seat, "Wine sounds perfect," he says we a weary tone. "I think Alanna got everything she wanted, but who knows," he shrugs. "Now she and Marik are off on some secret mission...I'm just glad to not be navigating these streets any longer."

He turns to the half-orc woman, "So Ush, what do you think of Tusk? It's big, isn't it?"

"Secret mission?"  Rana murmured softly, almost to herself.  Marik's business was, well, just that.  "Intriguing.  I'm certain if they wish us to know, they'll tell us."

She glanced across to the bar to get Gedd's attention, then held up her wine glass and pointed to Gabriel, hoping that Gedd understood her mimed request.  Settling back in her seat, she glanced over to where the entertainer was getting set up.

Ush still felt a bit reluctant around Gabriel, however, on their journey from New Dawn she'd worked on conquering that discomfort.  Her response was slightly delayed to his question.

"It's bigger than anywhere else I've been.  More people and all in close quarters."  Ush paused as she searched for the right words.  "There's an odour underlying many of them, like they don't bathe regular-like.  Instead, they put on flowery scents over top, which just makes my nose itch."

"I'll be happy to get out of the city and back in the fresh air."  She took a sip of her wine before adding, "Though I found a few things for my family in a couple of the shops that I think they'll like.  So it's good that way."

Gabriel shrugged at Rana's mention of the secret mission, "I've learned not to ask about whatever they're doing. Usually it has something to do with government New Dawn, which I must admit bores me to tears," he adds in a conspiratorial voice.

He turned to Ush when she spoke and nodded in agreement, "I wholeheartedly agree. While there are some useful conveniences and sundries to be had, I much prefer the fresh air and quiet of nature."

Graciously accepting a second tankard, and taking possession of his swiftly fetched instrument, Folstaff lumbers into action, striding purposefully across the common room to the stage.  His drink carefully placed in a safe spot where he can both keep an eye on it and reach it easily, he tunes his fiddle with an expert ear, teasing his audience, and smiling broadly at any calls to hasten, seemingly unmoved by their pleas.

At last the big man deems his fiddle ready and nestles the chinrest comfortably, bow poised ... then starts to play, a simple tune but lively and more than familiar to those who reguarly frequent the Dragon, waiting, as is his wont, for cups to be filled and shouts of approval to die down before he launches into the song.

OOC: The Lay of Middlemarch (fashioned after the traditional "To market, To market, went my brother Jim ...)

Lord Henry, Lord Henry, in his ermine-trimmed gown
Master of all and the talk of the town
He's taming the Middlemarch, these lands that were stole ...
And with him in charge ye'll have ale in thy bowl !

Mayor Cass sits on council and weighs up our pleas
With one eye on the traders and one on the fees
If ye want to do business then heed my advice ...
Bring a basket of pastries and be sure ye ask nice !

Bishop Andalon's the chancellor with his hands on the purse
A man good with money, those funds to disburse
A prelate of Abadar and a bit of a pranker ...
It's only expected, the man's a real banker !

Lady Pipre's our Advocate and dabbles in Alchemy
With dress inappropriate, she's fond of a daiquiri
To all disapproving, she says they can hang ...
One way or another, she's going out with a bang !

Folstaff grins broadly at the crowd.  "You thought perhaps I might have bitten off more than I could chew with a rhyme for 'Alchemy', eh ? Never doubt me, my fine friends, never doubt !"

Now V&A Shipping has fingers in pies
Adoven and Viktoria chasing the prize
They'll supply damn near anything, anytime, anywhere ...
Though it may damn well cost ye thy first-born and heir !

Dame Berta, Dame Berta, was eyeing the crowd
All ready to pounce if we got a bit loud
Young Thomas was frisky, had drunk too much stout ...
He reached for her ... arm and she punched his lights out !

"Well, my worthies ?  Any requests ?  Throw a name my way and I vow I'll do my worst !"

"One of these days ...." Winnie mumbles to one of the servings staff.

Ush perked up a bit when Folstaff took the stage, then chuckled softly at the song.  She didn't really know any of the noteworthy people he sang about, but it didn't make it any less entertaining.

When he called for suggestions, Ush glanced around the room wondering whose name would be put forward.

"Tell us about Winnie ...." calls someone who has clearly had a few ales.

Aye and Big Job Tic called out drunkenly from a table near the fireplace.

Rana found herself tapping along with the rhythm and chuckled softly at Folstaff's prose, of a sort.  It had been a long time since she had seen an entertainer in a tavern and, whilst not the best she'd ever heard, it was rather good.  She glanced at Ush, then Gabriel, to see if they were enjoying the diversion from the norm.

Folfast raises a brow at the names suggested.  "It seems we have revelers amongst us who are most fearless or perhaps foolhardy ... else very much in their cups !" he replies, with good humour, as he returns to the main theme.  "Still ... ne'er let it be said that Folfast was any less than doughty and stout-hearted !"

We all love our Winnie, our wise Dragon's Queen
She rules with a kind heart and manner serene
Of the flowers in the meadow she's most beautiful ...
And can always be trusted to keep thy cup full !

"The lady herself is present, of course," Folstaff raises his bow in salute to Winnie on the other side of the room.  "To say other than that would be ungallant, and ne'er have I been accused of that !"

Big Job had a large part in Pipre's success
Kept a smile on her face and her House clear of pests
Now Barleyboro's bailiff, he goes door to door ...
But he's not one to go where he's ne'er been before !

"And we must hope for Tic Hucklebuckle's sake that the gentlemen in question ne'er hears of this !  But what is sauce for the goose ..."

"I was out on the trail with Tic Hucklebuckle"
"Though we lusted for quiet, I just had to chuckle"
"For Tic is possessed of quite curious sight ..."
"He's blind in one eye - it's the left or the right !"

Folfast punctuates the last line by waving his bow first to one side then the other.

"Come ! Come !  Give me others whose names shall be forever immortalised  in song !  Do not let your courage fail you now !"

The crowd roars and cheers Folfast as he continues his song, although  Winnie throws the customer who names her, a hard look.  However, but appears pleased by Folfast's verse, although less so by his qualification afterwards, but once the verse is completed, she steps up on a chair  and bows flamboyantly to her clientele.  Still on her chair, she indicates that Folfast should keep the tune going, and then in a clear voice sings ...

Folfast, our bard, is not seen ‘til late
We know he will sing, that’s part of our fate
His words are amusing, his tunes bounce along
He keeps us amused with his magnificent song.

Then, with a theatrical bow, she hands the song back to the resident singer.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:11, Sun 08 Jan 2023.

Gedd was kept busy filling orders behind the bar for longer than he might have wished but as soon as there was a break he made sure one of the serving girls delivered the bread and cheese to Rana's table, then loaded a couple more wine glasses and four mugs full of ale onto a tray and delivered them to Rana's table himself.

"I hope you are enjoying the wine, but some folk prefer our Poacher's Pale Ale. You are welcome to try it for yourselves and make your own choice. If you like it, I'll invite you to join me in a toast to the man responsible for its recipe - our very own Pete the Poacher, retired. I know he's around here somewhere, but he's quite good at staying out of sight when he wants to!"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:13, Sun 08 Jan 2023.

"Thanks, Gedd.  It looks like people have finally woken up for the day in here."  She glanced towards Folstaff as she spoke, then to the proferred glasses of ale.  "Again, very much appreciated.  I'm certain the ale will be as good as the wine.  And, if Pete's moniker indicates his previous profession, I imagine staying out of sight was a very useful skill.  It is one that, I think, would be handy for me to become better at if I'm being honest."

She waited until Gedd left the table, before returning her full attention back to Folfast.  She plucked up her courage and called loudly, "Tell us about Cyrus!"

Tic laughed loudly at his verse and switched his eye patch from tight to left.  He takes a long drink before calling out again. Yes do all the founders, Andalon and Valoria.

"Elga Verniex!" came another suggestion, from over in Tic's vicinity. One she couldn't resist making, enjoying the performer's talent, and wishing him to continue, though feeling a tad guilty for tossing a name (not to mention a personality) like Verniex.

Winnie laughs at the suggestions coming in for Folfast, glad that she doesn't have to find rhymes for some of those names.

"Thou are too kind," the troubadour bows his head in gratitude to Winnie both for her contribution and that that he was the honoured subject of her impromptu verse.

"Lord Cyrus has been retired from adventuring life for some time," he notes, nodding to Rana, "but still the tales of his exploits abound ... a stalwart warrior true ... but mayhap not in his element when care and quiet was the order of the day !"

Lord Cyrus went bounding through the Orcy Ring
Their arrows bounced off him, the foe scattering
He clattered down tunnels with gusto and wit ...
And with courage and virtue fell into a pit !

"Did I hear you mention old Pete, that most worthy of fellows, he who holds dear the secret of that blessed nectar Poacher's Pale ?"  the bard calls out, to Gedd over at the bar.  "I've an ear for every muttered word that falls from his lips," he informs his audience.  "One must be alert for the utterence of those sacred words 'here's your pint !' must one not ?"

Old Pete's been around fore'er and a day
And he'll be with us ever much longer we pray
He'll outlive us all for he's hearty and hale
And attributes his long life to his fondness for Pale !

"Andalon ?" Folfast raises a brow at Tic in mock outrage

"I've sung already of the praises of our good chancellor. Mayhap there is another of that name ?  Or should I believe instead that thy attention is fixed on thy cups and not the gems I lay before ye !  Pay better attention, thou sot !  My prose is destined for legend !"

"Lady Valoria, however ..."

As Keeper of Spellbooks and Lord Cyrus' wife
Poor Lady Valoria has an eventful life
Her husband's is trying but arcanely inept ...
Now her grandma's a frog and ... ribbet ribbet !

"I am but mortal, have pity !" Folfast implores Sejana as she calls out a name, though his eyes twinkle as he sets his bow to meet the challenge.

Now they says she's a witch is old Elga Verniex
And if ever you call just to pay your respects
Wave hello to her scarecrow as he quivers and flaps ...
But just keep your hands of her prized Rattlecaps !

"A woman who's as fond of her mushrooms as I !" Folfast notes with approval.

"Come !  Who's next ?"
This message was last edited by the player at 07:11, Tue 10 Jan 2023.