The Blushing Mermaid — A Noisy, Brawling Establishment

[Steve]

Smythe enters the Mermaid...a dark brown hood covers his head, his ears...his eyes barely visible from beneath it—he works to remain unseen, as possible.

For inside the tavern, his purpose is to find another—or others—that also remain unseen, though they may operate in plain sight. His Elvin vision scans through the murky, smoke filled room, looking for a face, any face, bearing particular tattoos, then, with luck, dressed in robes of gray-green—the more ragged, the better.

With or without locating a being as described above, Smythe finds a rumor merchant, and shows him a palm full of diamonds. Then, shuts his hand, just as quick.

"Share this rumor with the right...person...and half these diamonds, will be yours—say unto them that I am buying audience with the Children of the Mother of all Plagues. They will refuse you...then tell them this: I know of the Paladin, as the prophecy says. Let us discuss when the poison is the antidote...."

Smythe then makes a fist, then elongates his index finger to the rumor merchant. "Tell them...I will return here in a days time. At the hour of Six in the afternoon." Smythe places a long emphasis on the number Six, implying the rumor merchant does the same.

Smythe then leaves the merchant, to be on his way...and while he is there, saddles up to the bar, for a deep bodied wine...and to watch the crowd.

[sir_blacksoutalot]

A diminutive misshapen figure reclines at dark corner table, face obscured by shadow and the smokey exhalations of fellow patrons. Beady eyes glint at sight of the half-elf's exchange with the rumor merchant. Now wha'z this halfbreed up to? The haunched dwarf remains at table, face hidden behind large tankard clasped in both hands before him. Out of earshot, his interest remains piqued. We'll be keeping a watchful eye on this one, aye.

[seawied]

A local farm boy can be seen in the notorious inn. After a rounds of ale, the young man starts to brag about his recent "unfathomable" fortunes he has achieved clearing bandits from a cave and collecting broken bits of defeated undead. He speaks with a farmer's drawl and even the most green warrior can tell this farmhand is way over his head.

His naivety eventually gets him into some trouble with the local color. A rather rough crowd starts to size him up and a fight nearly begins. Eventually, humbled, Jimmy Farmer buys them all a round and gives them gifts of honeycake and cornbread.

The next day, Jimmy wakes up with a raging hangover, and the nagging question of who took his boots.

[MopKnight]

Eshewing the celebrations of the victory within the Ford, the undead battered Ilmateri is said to return to her local, the Blushing Mermaid. She sits there silently, drinking with those there who buzz with rumour.

[Steve]

Smythe's lowered gaze spans the main room. The air hot, damp...so different than the winter's chill outside upon the streets of the Gate...starts to bother him, and he makes an attempt to walk through the crowd, to the door.

As he nears the entryway, he locks eyes with another figure seated at a corner table—what appears to be a dwarf, though the misshapen features are at first confusing to Smythe, in the dim of the tavern.

But with milliseconds, Smythe realized the dwarf is very much eyeing him. Yet...the glint from the eyes of this dwarf—yes, it must be a dwarf, thinks Smythe—appear more curious in their watchfulness, than...menacing. It is then that Smythe recognized the luck of coincidence, and instead continuing upon his path to the doorway out, he turns and bee lines to the seated dwarf nearly hidden behind the obscenely large tankard of ale.

Smythe sits quietly, slightly pushing back the hood so that more of his features may be seen by the dwarf, and engages him in hushed tones.

Not after long, Smythe departs from the dwarf's company, and regains his previous way...leaving the Tavern...for now...as to be expected, returning in a day's time, to see if the Rumor Merchant will earn those diamonds.