Vasily instantly knows why the man chose to come in here; without a face to recognize the man would be difficult to pick from the crowd. Still, perhaps a bit of luck and a bit of observation could assist him.

He first tries to quickly assess the faces he sees there; especially looking for anyone who was flush or maybe a bit short of breath from the run. Of course he keeps an eye out for the cane or stick, or whatever it was, but he could take his time looking for that after he'd looked at the available faces. Of course the man was unlikely to already have a drink unless he'd taken one from a legitimate patron, so that could be a clue as well, though not a sure one. Most probably anyone with wetness on their shoes was a fresh arrival as well; since it wasn't raining no one's shoes would be soaked, so the normal spray from the sea on the docks would be the only thing getting people's footwear wet.

Vasily takes his time, moving a bit slowly towards the bar as he takes in his initial observations. When he reaches it, he sits where he can turn and see the whole of the room. He fishes a coin from his pocket and sets it on the bar while he waits for the tender to ask him what he needs, all the while examining what he can of the various patrons within.

As the man had been wearing a mask, he would have had time to remove it between entering the back door and stepping out into the main room. Vasily doubts the man could have made it to the front and left through the main door before he got there. Certainly, there would have been some indication from the other patrons that such an even had occurred.

On the other hand, having merely entered and taken a seat would not have garnered nearly as much interest.

Two things wind up calling Vasily's attention to a particular table where two men sit facing each other, apparently conversing pleasantly. The first is that one or two other patrons cast an occasional glance over at the two. The second is that there appears to be a trace of... fear? ...in the one man's eyes. The other man, however, picks up the solitary drink on the table and pretends to take a sip.

As the barkeep moves over to Vasily and asks when he'd like, Vasily can see that the man with the drink has his other arm at his side, possibly with his hand under the table.

Vasily speaks a bit quietly, so as not to be heard by others beyond the barkeep; "Did, perhaps, one of the two men just there at that table just come in? The coin is for you, If I get too thirsty I'll find you again to order."

Vasily tries to keep his attention unobtrusive, since he's sure that the one he's looking for is certainly watching him.

Oblivious to the drama unfolding within, or the chase that had lead Vasily to the Inn, another man paused outside of the very same inn.  Looking up at the Inn, he paused, and considered.  His passengers had chartered passage to Declaine, and it was his destination for other reasons.  Rumour would help him find what he sought... an inn may also be a good place to find some new passengers also.  He smiled to himself and reached a gloved hand out to push the door open and make his way in.

He paused at the door, feeling entirely overdressed for the place, but he made his way in all the same.  Spotting the barkeep, he made his way across the room to the bar, his hands moving to take off those fine leather gloves that he wore slowly and tucking them carefully into his belt.  When he got to the bar, he almost leant on it... but after a moments thought thought better of it and instead lingered close by waiting for the barkeep's attention in turn.  He glanced over at Vasily, and if noticed gave him a nod and a slight smile before turning his gaze elsewhere.

Vasily silently cursed when another patron sauntered in. Still, perhaps it would allow his quarry to relax a bit. He nodded and smiled in return, though did not let his attention linger on the newcomer; if he was there to meet with his suspected quarry he did not yet do so, so, for now, just another factor to keep in mind, not an immediate concern.

The bartender takes the coin and moves as if he's going to get a drink for Vasily, but nods as he does so, also as if he's accepted the order.

Vasily realizes now that the man in question is keeping an eye on Vasily, not out of the corner of his eye nor by turning his head, but by watching the reflection in the glass mug of his drink.


The bartender then stops in front of Valentino and asks what he would like to drink.

The Vodacci eyed the end of the exchange between the pair, and although he wasn't there to catch the specifics, there was something... off.  He appeared thoughtful for a moment, but it would appear as though he was considering his drink choice.  When the barman approached him, his face split into an easy going smile and reached into his frock coat as if to fetch some money.

"I would like to see the Wine list if you would my good man." the nobleman said, his hands gesturing as he spoke, pausing for a moment. His hand withdrew and he slid a guilder across the bar to the man, wrinkling his nose in disgust at using such currency, damn those Vendel.

"I am seeking information also, or at least a well informed man, if now is a good time of course.  You seem, Busy." He concluded, the last word laden with a hidden meaning.

"Just at the moment I am, but it won't be a minute," the bartender replies to Valentino.

"As for a wine list, I think you may have mistaken the Blue Goose tavern for one of those posh places in Charouse. We got red wine and white wine. One of each."

He draws a mug of ale and sets it on the counter about half way between Valentino and Vasily.

"What kind of information you looking for? You might need to go the Academy for a well-informed man, but he ain't gonna know much about what really goes on. No one there is going to know a damn thing about the ship what got sunk."

Valentino chuckled at the regard about the wine.  I suppose it had been too much to hope that the place would stock wine of Vodacce... or even of Castille. He supposed that it would have to do although politely did not say as much "Well.. I suppose I will have a glass of the House red then."

"I said well informed, not well educated. I want to know what is really going on; The sunken ship is a good starting point.  I must say that it was a fairly concerning event for me and my crew.  It seemed strange behavior for pirates... I didn't see them steal a thing."  he went on, concluding with a question, "Quite odd don't you agree?"

His 'order' having been delivered, Vasily sizes up the situation. He certainly would like to talk to this fellow, as opposed to having the whole thing erupt in a melee. Perhaps if he just took a seat at the table, the man would be inclined to at least pretending to discuss the matter with him while he planned his next move, whatever that may be.

Vasily stood up and took a path angled away from the target, but behind his back where the mug would not provide a view. Then, assuming the man was try to keep a low profile and wouldn't blatantly turn around to watch, he then cut towards the table, hoping to get there and take a seat quickly enough that by the time the man realized what was happening, Vasily would already be talking as he sat down; "Hi there. I'd like to have a seat with you fellows; I think we have something to discuss."

The man is momentarily surprised by Vasily's bold move, but recovers quickly enough.

"I think not," is his reply, as the gun he was pointing under the table at the man across from him now moves to point at Vasily.

"Do not interfere with matters that are not of your concern. Be gone! And take your pet with you!"

Apparently he's mistaken Vasily and Valentino as being together.

Vasily keeps his hands clearly above the table, where they can be seen and smiles a friendly smile. "Now, now; if it were not my concern, then I certainly would have not had to face down a giant monster of a lizard, would I have? I have no interest in your involvement, save to be assured that such a thing will not happen again.

As for my 'pet'; I have none such, and am at a bit of a loss to what you are referring."

Whilst he had been mostly paying attention to the Innkeeper, the Vodacci had kept an eye on the unfolding drama.  Due to other ambient noises in the taproom, he didn't catch the whole conversation, but was able to catch the last few words, spoken in what one assumed was a slightly raised voice.

Almost feeling the sleight upon his honour in the words, he turned slowly towards the table, leaning his back on the bar as he watched the men at the table, and cocking his head slightly as he watched.  One hand rested idly on the pommel of his blade and he rested the other on the bar, close to the coin he had left there.

Alicia had watched suspicious individuals before. But, she could not correlate this one to the monstrous creature back inside the building.

She had general ideas how Sorcery worked. In fact, others had informed her that some of her own activities bordered upon Sorcery. But, if the man were a Sorcerer, and he somehow controlled this creature, perhaps he could control more than one? And, what if he had more than one under his control now?

She knew quite a bit about Jarrun's abilities. Therefore, she wasn't too fearful that he might not be successful in his combat with this one. And, if he were injured, she always could fix him up again! However, if another creature were to appear, that might be fatal for him.

And so, the scientist had decided to explore some more, had tried to circle around where the man had disappeared.. alas, without success. It was time to return to see how Jarrun had fared, so she went to the opening in the wall that the creature had entered...

Alicia sees what she expected to see--a large hole in the back wall of the chandlery. She'd heard the commotion, but still, seeing the smashed wall was astonishing. Likewise was the sight of the creature that had made the hole. He was trussed up like a game fowl now, and Jarrun was standing guard over him.


Vasily can now see that the man is holding a 'wand' in his other hand. He also sees the man's eyes widen at the mention of the lizard.

"What do you know of the 'lizard', as you put it?" Kalen responded to Vasily.

"I had nothing to do with that. You can't prove otherwise. When it smashed through the wall of the building, I ran like any sensible man would do! I am not so confident in my pistol that I thought I could stop it. It looked like it would take a cannon to stop it, and I didn't happen to be carrying one with me."

Whatever confidence he might have had seems to have vanished at Vasily's gambit. His eyes dart over toward Valentino, clearly not convinced that the two of you aren't in cahoots.

"Well, then, if you were not involved at all, you would certainly not mind letting me examining that," Vasily nods towards the mostly hidden hand holding the wand, "nor, of course, explaining why your flight seemed to begin not with the lizard's appearance, but, rather, with mine as I made my way past the incapacitated beast and into the alleyway."

Vasily smiles calmly and continues to keep his hands well away from his weapons. He does, however, turn slightly in his chair so that he can catch a glance at the direction this man seems to be looking. It just wouldn't do to get ambushed. Of course all he sees there is the Voddacce that came in and ordered at the bar.

"Why are you so nervous about that fellow? Did you run to this bar in hopes of meeting him, but having me here somehow puts that meeting at risk? He's very sly if that is the case; I saw no hint of recognition or care in him at all."

Sly, was certainly a word that could be used to describe most Vodacce, and whilst he didn't understand the whole situation, it was clear that he was something of a wild card in the meeting of the two men.  How entertaining, he thought, this will certainly be a pleasant diversion.

Both men appeared to be looking at him, and so he slowly moved his hand from the pommel of his sword, and raised it to his hat.  He greeted them with a slight tip of the garment, more of a slight pull on the rim than actually a tip of the hat.  A small, almost lazy gesture as he continued to watch the situation.  The hand dropped slowly once more to rest on the pommel of his sword, almost as though it was accustomed to being there.

The players are here, he thought, now let us see how the rest of the scene plays out.

Of course, the other explanation is that Vasily and Valentino are both strangers, assuming that this guy is native to DeChaine, which he looks like, though those things are always rather hard to tell, and therefore assumed you two were 'together' since you entered the tavern at about the same time, albeit from different directions.

"The creature is the Beast of DeChaine," Kalen explains. "It has been plaguing the city and nearby farms for several months now."

"This..." he pulls the wand out from under the table but does not point it at Vasily, "mere musical baton is hardly a weapon to challenge such a beast. So I fled from it. That is not a crime. And you cannot prove otherwise."

"I saw a woman at the mouth of the alley. I thought she might have had something to do with the Beast. Or maybe not. I considered going to her aid, of course, as any gentleman would, but then thought that would be foolish if she was controlling it. She did not appear to be in any immediate danger, and if she wasn't controlling the Beast, surely she herself would flee as fast as she could."

"In any case, sir, of what concern is it of yours? Who are you to confront strangers?"

"I've been to the Green Flagon on many occasions, though I do admit to never having come in through the rear door before, though I have exited that way once or twice. When I saw Fred here, I decided to buy him a drink. Isn't that right, Fred?"

"Oh, I do beg your pardon, Fred! I'm not sure if your name really is Fred. Casimir called you Fred. I was going to ask you if you'd seen Casimir lately."

It is clear that this man is nervous now, talking to calm his nerves. He has confidence when he holds the upper hand, but clearly isn't sure that he currently does.

"No, sir, my name is not Fred. It is Caleb. And I do not know this Casimir of which you speak," says the man sitting opposite Kalen. "But you can certainly buy me a drink!"

Vasily is not sure what Caleb's thinking is, but seems to have figured out that the odds are suddenly in his favor and sees how he can get a free drink out of the situation.

"Caleb? How peculiar! And why would Casimir tell me your name was Fred? Most peculiar indeed. The offer of the drink still stands. Bartender! A drink for Caleb here!"

"And you say you don't know Casimir? Perhaps you know him by another name, just as he seems to know you by a different one, though I can't imagine what that would be. He's an elderly gentleman, auburn hair going to gray, often plays chess in the park?"

"Well, never mind. We can get to the bottom of this at another time."

He then turns back to Vasily.

"Since you and the gentleman at the bar came in at the same time, I naturally thought you were together," Kalen says to Vasily as he gestures at Valentino.

"My apologies to you, sir!" he calls out to Valentino as if Valentino had overheard the conversation, a fairly reasonable assumption. "Perhaps you would care to join us for a drink to allow me to make amends?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 16:20, Wed 07 Mar 2018.

He's trying NOT to look smug or proud of having defeated the Beast in single combat mano y mano, but he can't help himself. Perhaps a better term would be... satisfied. He accomplished what he'd set out to do. What more could he ask?

Now that it was all over and he had the leisure of studying the Beast, he admits to himself that his action might have been incredibly foolish at the time. In retrospect, well, the results speak for themselves.

"I do not need any acclaim," he protests to the shopkeeper, though only half-heartedly.

"I had not heard of this Beast of DeChaine of which you speak. Perhaps if I had, I would not have been so rash to challenge it."

"Look at that maw! At those teeth! It could have bitten my head clean off! And that tail! I've heard tales of crocodiles and the dangerous tails they use. Another reason a wise man would have steered clear of such a creature."

"It is clearly not a natural animal. A product of sorcery, perhaps? Who around here could have created such a monstrosity?"

He wasn't really expecting an answer. He looked around, though, as if that person might be standing there. The commotion... and the danger... had died down, and customers... most likely spectators... were cautiously filing into the store to get a glimpse at the Beast.

That's when Jarrun spotted Alicia! It didn't surprise him that she'd be the one to look through the jagged hole in the rear wall, rather than come through the front door like the others. He strode over to the opening, and extended a hand to help her step up into the shop.

"You missed all the excitement!" he exclaims, as he escorts her over to still trussed up and still thrashing Beast.

"What do you make of that?"

Vasily takes note of this man's face, Caleb/Fred's face, as well as the name Casimir and the description given. He examines the, now visible, wand. Then he smiles. "Very well, since you've indicated you'll have nothing to do with such unusual occurrences, I'll take you at your word. The creature has been subdued by a mountain of a man, and no one seems to have been hurt. We'll call this one a success for the good of the town. And, while you're buying both of these men drinks, I'll go ahead and get one for each of us, just so no one has to feel left out."

Vasily calls to the barkeep as well; "Please bring one for myself and this gentleman as well, on me."

At the invitation to the Voddacce, Vasily slides his chair over, closer to his quarry, to make room for the added person.

"Perhaps after our drink we could go back and you could meet the man who could best the Beast of DeChaine with his bare hands!"

At the invitation, the would consider for a moment before inclining his head and moving over.  "A day in which a man offers me a drink, is rarely a bad day.  I will join you.  A Glass of of the House red if you please!"  He would say, gesturing to the barkeep at that last statement before retrieving a chair and sliding it into the gap made by Vasily and seating himself.

"Oh meeting such a man would certainly be interesting.  If this Beast is as mighty as the name suggests, this man must be a giant.   But I am getting ahead of myself; I am Valentino Iocovelli, Owner of the Buchepalus." He says, the manner in which he said his last name suggested that he was used to people knowing the name where he was from.  Alas, he wasn't in Vodacce any more.

"It is good to meet you... Caleb was it?  Or Fred?" he said with a smile to the poor fellow who seemed caught up in a game that was quite simply beyond him.  Turning his attention then to Caleb and Vasily.  "I didn't catch your names... Messers?" His manner and temperment seemingly naturally friendly, able to set someone at ease.  Kalen may find himself warming up to the young Vodacci, maybe he could be a potential ally rather than a potential enemy in whatever is happening?

Action : Activating Virtue "Friendly" to make Kalen treat Valentino as friendly for one scene.

"A good day indeed!" Caleb agrees as he raises his drink. He seems to be recovering from the strange appearance of Kalen. "I am Caleb Orndir. Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."

Kalen seems less nervous now, but that's been replaced with suspicion and confusion.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:24, Thu 08 Mar 2018.

"I have no business at the chandlery," Kalen replies, "so I see no reason to go there. Besides, if some brute of a man was able to wrest the Beast of DeChaine barehanded, would that not make him more dangerous than the Beast?"

He paused then as if considering something. He realized that there are enough people in town that could identify him, so there wasn't any point in not telling them his name.

"I am Kalen Macleod."

"Vasily Pavlychenko. Please to make your acquaintance.

Ah, the man, though certainly a spectacle to behold, has a heart of gold. Still, he doesn't possess a wand of Matsushka, like you, Kalen, so he had to gain control of the Beast in a more mundane, if spectacular, way."