Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

[East of Waterdeep: Chizuru Home]

As the group approaches the cabin, Jonas' attention shifts from inward to Nari. He notices her nervousness, and does his best to exude a calm confidence for her sake. The paladin watches her greet her father, quietly observing their reactions with his intense gaze. After Soujo introduces himself, Jonas steps forward, extending his hand for a firm shake. A friendly smile forms on his face.

"Jonas Rokranon; your daughter is a student of mine of sorts. I am here to offer what aid I can for your family."

"And there is..." "Really?"
"And here we have..." "Mayby we have someday time to visit in there."
"Oh look at that!" "Fancy!"

"Daaaaddy?! Mooomma!?"

Wilder stops and allows rest of group take some distance. He takes doze of belladonna, which would kill decent size dog. Slowly his eyes color turn back to chestnut brown. He gives look for Randall: "Not a word." Warm smile spreads to his withered face as he sees family reunion. He moves after the paladin and offers his scared hand to Soujo.

"Wolf-Friend Gareut. Well met." He smiles and nods firmly, while they shake hands. "Hopefully we have time to talk later."

The man squeezes the Aasimar hand tightly, the grip weakens when he speaks about 'aid'.
"Jonas Rokranon, I thank you for coming..." His tone and facial expression would give pause. He stands silently with a presence as though he bares a heavy burden, he then goes to shake Gareut's hand as well.
"Wolf Friend Gareut. Thank you for giving my daughter company..."
While regarding them with an almost equally intense gaze as Jonas, he then looks to Nari one last time and his facial expression drops, turning for the worst. He addresses the latter part of Jonas' introduction next.
"...I fear...There is no more need for aid..." Normally this would be excellent news, but given his tone and air about him, it's the exact opposite. His eyes fixed on Nari at this point.

The young woman returns eye contact with a highly confused, antsy look on her face. Shock could be seen on it as well.
"...What do you mean? Where's Momma? Where is she?" At this point the young woman runs as fast as she can toward the house.
"Momma! Where are you?! Mommy!" She yells out to no answer and she shuffles through the house's rooms quickly finding them all empty. The now hysterical Nari finally drops to her knees next to her parents' empty bed in the house. "...Mommy..." She clutches onto the blankets firmly and buries her face into them. What follows could be heard all the way outside as she screams at the top of her lungs, repeatedly into the poor bedspread.

Meanwhile Soujo still stands outside with the remainder of the group. "She finally lost herself to the sickness four days ago...I apologize but I got the letter out as soon as I could...But if you excuse me there's still one woman in my family left that I could actually help."
He gestures back to the cabin. "Do come in."

Wilder rush past Souja. Warm salty tears flow freely down to cheek as he runs and fall on his kneels at the side of empty bed. He hugs Nari tightly. No need for words, he just is there.

(( This is the short form of my previous post, which was lost in the forum outage. ))

Auriel and Valerius tagged along, as Auriel was the most powerful healer of the group, but kept largely to themselves on the way to Nari's home. Occasionally, when Jonas was not busy with his apprentice, he would join them, and the three would talk and laugh like old friends.

Once they get to the small farm, Valerius and Auriel both introduce themselves politely. When the bad news is broken, the two remain outside for a time, being largely strangers to most in the group, and not wanting to intrude on the highly personal moment.

Eventually, they enter the home and the room where the others stand, and stand there in support. They do not say anything however. What is there to say at a time like this?

((In lack of me not saving any of my posts, I'll just state what the missing posts said.

Gareut, Randy and Soujo went to Nari's side. Soujo gave a sack to Nari which had some trinkets left over from her mother. Nari stopped crying for the moment.

That just about sums it up. xP))

(( This got derailed by the forum outage, so I'll get it back on track since I hate leaving things unfinished. ))

[East of Waterdeep: Chizuru Home]

Most of the rest of that day was spent comforting Nari and her father. The fire genasi's grief was, understandably, too strong for words. Jonas, ever the diplomat, tried to bring the unusual group together, especially at dinner time. The paladin attempted to keep Nari and her father engaged in conversation with he and Valerius, allowing the others to join in as they may. After a restless night for most of those gathered, a new morning came with promises from Randy of showing Nari, Gareut, and anyone else willing where he/she grew up in Waterdeep, among other things. While Valerius and Auriel opted to go their own way and visit Valerius' old friend, Jonas decided to join Nari and the rest; if for no other reason than he didn't trust Randy and Gareut enough to leave Nari alone with them in the City of Splendors.

Early that morning Jonas left the cabin to take a walk, needing some time to himself to pray to Torm. He stumbled upon a small pond with a very nude Randallona bathing in it. The two just stared at each other for a few moments in their sheer surprise. The paladin turned quickly, pinching the bridge of his nose, muttering "Yes, I really needed more awkwardness between us. Grand."

The aasimar returned to the cabin, just staring at everyone inside for a moment before saying merely "Yeah." He speaks to no one about what he saw and goes about his business at normal, thinking to himself that at least this time the view was much better than when he visited Randall in the Fist prison.

As the day advanced, the mood calmed more and more. A relief. Everyone's efforts weren't in vain as the conversations turned more lighthearted.

Soujo lets out a well needed laugh as he finishes a particularly embarrassing story that all parents share with their child's friends.

"So there she was, standing stark naked, covered in mud because we told her not to get her clothes dirty!"

The poor Genasi just rolls her eyes and sighs as her father finishes his story over the dinner table. The rest of the night seems to end on a much lighter note than when it began.

Much to look forward to in the days to come.

Morning.

Gareut and Nari sit next to each other at the table, eating, when Jonas walks in with a rather shocked look.
"Yeah..."

"Everything alright?" Her head perks in curiosity. Oh she had -no- idea.

Wilder smiles widelly as quiet paladin returns. "Hopefully comrade didnt do anything what we all would regret..." He leaves that issue behind and continues eating his still steaming hot morning porridge. Gareut licks his lips and nods thanks to the cook. Seems like something have brought his usually smile back which have been lost for so long.

"So Randall will be our guide, eh? Alright then... Mayby we have some free time to cheak places which were... erm are stil special to you Fire-Heart?" He looks around and seems like he is ready to go when ever Randall comes back or rest of group is willing to leave.

(I'm really sorry for the time it took.. I had the white page syndrome.. I couldn't type anything, tried it for hours but nothing cames out.. Anyway, feel free to interact with any part of it from the start.)

[East of Waterdeep: Chizuru Home]

As the day passed, Randall kept herself really quiet. She knew that opening her foolish mouth would just make things worst, for now, and she didn't want that to happen. Not today, it was too serious. Still, the tall woman was there for Nari, if she ever needed a hug and a reconforting look from her. At the dinner, Randall said that she was going to show the group her birthplace, or at least to thoses interested. She also added that no one of her Waterdeep's friends had seen her -recently-, and that it'll be a bit strange. After the dinner, Randall had a discution with Souljo, Nari's father, near the man's wine cabinet. The woman semnt interested in what kind of taste Souljo had in the alchool department. They talked about how Randall met Nari for the first time, and the shy reaction she had back then. They talked also about her martial training, but not for long since Souljo didn't seems to be that much interested. The woman told him also how Nari helped her going trough a tough time, and that Randall would be forever indebted for that.

At night, instead of sleeping inside with the others, Randall went outside to enjoy the stars and the moon. She remembered some things from the past, and she sat near a small pond near a campfire, where she stared at a parchement for hours, then started to write on it. She stayed there all night, resting only about one or two hours. But it wasn't a problem, the rude woman was used to it. In the morning, before the other woke up, she finished to write her second parchement. "I'm.. thinkin'. 'bout.. ye.." She ended it with thoses words. She then said, without writing it. "An' I still.. feel the same." The woman then thought about the teaching that Tamara, the blind bard, taught her. She said that as a lass, Randy would need to wash more often. So the woman had the habit to go swim at least once a day since that. Randall took her clothes off, and jumped into the pond, swiming in for some time, until she saw Jonas walking out of the Chiruzu's house. The woman stared at him a moment. Normally, that would have been a scene Randall wouldn't care much, an everyday scene. Normally, she would have said something silly, but this time, she just felt kind of strange, and didn't say a word. The tall woman reached the shore, and took the blanket she brought out, wich she rolled up around her before heading in the house, her clothes in hands.

As the woman saw the people eating, she smiled at them. Her hair were still wet, and some somes water drops were rolling down her face.

"Hey there, comrades. I hope ye'r ready for today.. Hope it'll change the mood. An' hey, Souljo, ye'r welcome to come as well, ye know. Even to Baldurs if ye want.. So ye can see yer pretty daughter more often, eh."

Randall went to dry herself and put her clothes on.


[ Waterdeep ]

Some time later, everyone had finished eating and was ready to go. Souljo decided to stay, but said he would think about Randy's offer, even if he wasn't sure of it yet. So the group headed back to Waterdeep, following Randall. After a few hours of traveling, the group finally arrived at Waterdeep, yet again. The tall woman grinned at Valerius as he didn't semnt to be used to walk that much. Poor horned guy. They walked trough the trade ward, now having the time to enjoy whatever the traders were doing. Jesters, bards of all kind, were trying to get the people attention, to bring the people at their kiosk to sell them their stuff. Jewels, squirels, clothes, armor, turkey, painting, and much more. You could find everything there. Randall nodded at some of the merchants who awnsered by a wink or by keeping their usual seller faces. The woman didn't realize that they wouldn't recognize her with the new body she had. Then, they reached the south ward.

"Erh.. We're near my birth place, comrades. It's where the beast was raised also, eh.. Until I got six years old. Then, my mom was ki-" The woman stopped talking and looked down, realizing the mistake she had just done. She opened her mouth and -bang!-, something she shouldn't bring back came out. They were suposed to be there to change the mood. Randall then whispered a bit later, when Nari was a bit behind or in front..

"That's when my mom got killed, an' that I got myself to daggersford for three years.. In a damned orphanage, eh. Dunno why she got killed.. The guy who had rent her went kinda crazy. Orphanage.. I don't wish that to anyone. Still, that's where I had my first kiss from someone my age an' some stuff that follows, eh. The priest daughter was damn pretty.. But they kicked me out, so I got back here, in Waterdeep. Never got why that damned priest did that, but I was old enough to live by myself at nine, even if it was almost the case in that damned place.. Oh ! There it is !"

[ Waterdeep, Beaumelon's bordello ]


The woman grinned as she saw the big house.

"That's the Beaumelon's bordello, comrades ! Spent a good part of my life there. Hey, see that dark street over there ? When I was four or five, don't remember much, I got beaten to hell by some folks that wanted to steal me. Sadly for them, I had nothing, eh. But I told them to come an' try me the next day, that I would have something then. They came an' I really had somethin', a small iron bar. Know what ? I got beaten to hell again ! I was only five, damnit. What did ye think ? An' yeah, they.. they stole my iron bar." The woman then grinned widely and laugued.

There was a big guy drunk as hell sleeping in the street near the bordello, and three girls without much clothes on smoking somes wierd cigars near the entrance door. The house semnt kind of old, you could see cracks in the red painted wall, and you could hear some girls moaning inside. Randall glanced at Nari and lifted an eyebrow. The fat guy sleeping on the road belshed somes, then started to snores. The woman glanced back at Jonas. She knew that Nari would really feel bad in that kind of place, so she tried to bring some humor to it.

"I think -Jonas- might get shy to get there while they.. well, ye know. I'll get inside an' tell the lassies to put some dresses on, an' kick the arses of thoses guys out."

The woman went at the door, but a blonde girl cames out of it before she could enter.

"Hey ! Aisha ! Uh.. I mean, Leena. Ye look so much like yer mom... It's unbelivable. But prettier, an' younger !" Randall winked at the blonde girl.

"Hi there, madame. You know my mother ? Did you ever work here or.. Oh no, I would remember ! Perhaps your the kind to be interested in.. what we.. -sell-, here ?" The blonde giggled and glanced at the people behind Randall.

"Hm.. Lass, listen. I'm.. erh.. I'm Randy. Yeah, the hungry bear, remember ? It's kinda complicated.. I got some wierd curse on me that makes me looks like a lass, meh."

"Oh right, you slept with him ? Where is Randy ? Been some time since he last came here. There's some girls inside that would like to play the bunny thing."

"Erh.. It's really me." The tall woman then leaned over Leena's shoulder, and whispered something at her ear. The blonde giggled and did a mischievous smile as she heard what Randall whispered.

"Oh well.. I trust you, hungry bear. Hey ! I can hire you now !" She laughed slightly.

"Well, erhm.. I need to ask ye a favor, lass. Here.." Randall handed her a pouch, and whispered some other stuff at her ear.


The blonde woman then went inside the house, and after a few moments the moans of joy stopped. Some guys with a broad peacefull smile came out of the house, and then Randall motioned at the group to follow her inside. Couchs, an alcohol bar, painting of not really clothed girls on the walls, and an odor of strong parfum. That was the show they had inside. Some girls then came down the stairs, somes that winked at the group, and somes that simply smiled shyly and waved a hand.

"Welcome into my world, comrades. Erh.. They're doin' their best to not be themself too much for ye all, I know that it's not everyone who like it. But still, if any of ye.." The woman glance between every member of the group and blinks. "Well, seems ye'r the only one alone exept me, Jonas. If ye need a lass, it'll be free for a comrade of mine. Also, there are rooms up there, or.. if ye dislike it, there's a inn at like three streets from here. An' Nari, we'll have to go get that dress I promised ye later, I won't forget it! But first, let's sit down an' talk a bit with some wine or anythin' ye all want. Probably some orange thingy for fireheart Nari, some rum for comrade Wolf-friend, some holy water for comrade sweet cheeks, hey, I'm kiddin'! There's probably spiced whiskey aroun' for ye, mighty Jonny. An' for me, erh.. let's see.. Hey ! See that red stain on the floor ? That's exactly where my mom gave birth to me an---" The woman's voice got suddently burried by another.

"NO WAY ! It's Randall that got droped right there by his mom, eh. Not a lass like yah." Said a high pitched, but still male, voice.

"Hey ! It's ye, Goglu ! Goglu Twoshoes, comrades. The gnome who crafted my first golden teeths on my other body. He's kinda a fine singer also."

After some time, the fat gnome with a big nose and a pointy hat understood and accepted Randall's fate.

"I'm sad to see yah like this my ol' friend.. Oh noes..!! OH NOES !"

[Waterdeep, Beaumelon's bordello]

"That's the Beaumelon's bordello, comrades ! Spent a good part of my life there..."
"So, this would be home of somesort for you, comrade?" He eyes the building and near by people and smirks a bit. "We had this kind of houses back at Luskan... Bordello, filled with bed specialist, aye? Meh, I can always take a drink or two and listen tasty rumours from you past, Randall." He smiles warmly and takes step closer to Nari as they walk inside. Ragged wilder blinks. Bright colors, half-naked womans, the style of furnitures, the strong smell of perfume and whole look of Beamelon's Bordello is just stunning. He blushes a bit, tries to hide it under shadows of his burned tricon hat. "Well, we hadnt anything like this... Our things were smokey taverns at docks, filty. This is a palace, comrade."

"...Rum for comrade Wolf-Friend..." Gareut takes offered mug and nods thanks to the waitress. His gaze starts to wander around, he look through half-naked womans like they would be air to him. He smiles lovingly to Nari and nods towards the table. "Shall we, this could be fun, eh? Open minds, remember, opens minds." He winks to Jonas, which could be first time when Gareut does anything this unformal towards "the Leader of the siege."

When the group takes seats from table which have great view to the main hall, Wilder lets out;"...Eh, Comrade said that he will give his mothers dress to you, Fire-Heart. Are you sure about that, it could be anything." And quietly mutters; "Or nothing."

When time pasts Gareut turns the conversation to more merrier subject. Luskanian dagger throwing game. Which involves a lot of sharp daggers, one shining bottle filled with finest rum and unlucky sailor or/and fancy female "Bed specialist."

[Waterdeep: Beaumelon's Bordello]

While Jonas seemed interested enough during the trip through the Trade Ward and listening to a bit of Randallonna's childhood, by the time the small group came up on Beaumelon's Bordello, the paladin's mood has soured. His expression is neutral and his body rigid as a statue at the awkwardness of this situation. The aasimar's hood comes up, and he pulls his cloak around himself to hide his shiny chainmail.

"I think -Jonas- might get shy to get there while they.. well, ye know. I'll get inside an' tell the lassies to put some dresses on, an' kick the arses of thoses guys out."

Really? Really? The paladin shifts his weight at this comment, but still remains silent, listening with growing irritation. He wraps his cloak a little tighter around himself, glancing around warily, waiting to be stabbed in the back and robbed of all his possessions.

"...some holy water for comrade sweet cheeks, hey, I'm kiddin'! There's probably spiced whiskey aroun' for ye, mighty Jonny."

"I have some water in my flask, I will be fine, thank you." Sweet cheeks. Jonny. Jonas by this point is fairly certain Randall would have a stroke if he ever actually called Jonas by his proper name.

"Shall we, this could be fun, eh? Open minds, remember, opens minds."

Shortly after the wink from Gareut, Jonas slips away as Randall interacts with Goglu Twoshoes. The paladin flashes an apologetic smile at Nari before ducking out. Wishing he had just sucked it up and been the third wheel with Valerius and Auriel, Jonas meanders around before getting an idea.


[Waterdeep: Sea Ward]

He moves at a brisk pace toward the wealthy Sea Ward, relaxing gradually as he gets away from the rather distasteful South Ward. Once in the Sea Ward Jonas heads to the villa he and Ali had rented out the previous year, staring at it for quite a while.

"I hate you, Waterdeep."

Some time later Jonas can be found at the temple of Selûne, speaking quietly with some of the priests and priestesses who had helped his dear friend the previous year.

"An' hey, Soujo, ye'r welcome to come as well, ye know. Even to Baldurs if ye want.. So ye can see yer pretty daughter more often, eh."

"That is quite alright, miss. Thank you for the offer, but I still have much to prepare around here." The man lowers his head respectively to Randall...onna.

A smile crosses onto Nari's face as she listens to her dad turn the offer down, knowing full well what he means by preparations.

"Then you have to promise to come along next, Daddy."

"Of course I will."
----

The Genasi woman listens quite eagerly as Randall speaks of her past. She looks about the city in awe as they make their approach on Randy's old home. She looks rather unsettled about the atmosphere of the area around the building, clinging on to Gareut.

Randall wrote: There was a big guy drunk as hell sleeping in the street near the bordello, and three girls without much clothes on smoking somes wierd cigars near the entrance door. The house semnt kind of old, you could see cracks in the red painted wall, and you could hear some girls moaning inside. Randall glanced at Nari and lifted an eyebrow. The fat guy sleeping on the road belshed somes, then started to snores. The woman glanced back at Jonas. She knew that Nari would really feel bad in that kind of place, so she tried to bring some humor to it.

Randall's inner thoughts were correct, though Nari does her best to keep her discomfort to herself. This is Randy's home after all, her feelings shouldn't matter at all.


"I think -Jonas- might get shy to get there while they.. well, ye know. I'll get inside an' tell the lassies to put some dresses on, an' kick the arses of thoses guys out."

The woman just blinks. "Th-they're...naked in there?"

They end up going inside anyway.

Nari keeps unusually quiet when Randy introduces herself to the blonde woman, clinging onto Gareut for dear life, much like a little shy girl hiding behind her parents while meeting someone new. She stays like this for a good while.

"Welcome into my world, comrades. Erh.. They're doin' their best to not be themselves too much for ye all, I know that it's not everyone who like it. But still, if any of ye.." The woman glance between every member of the group and blinks. "Well, seems ye'r the only one alone exept me, Jonas. If ye need a lass, it'll be free for a comrade of mine. Also, there are rooms up there, or.. if ye dislike it, there's a inn at like three streets from here. An' Nari, we'll have to go get that dress I promised ye later, I won't forget it! But first, let's sit down an' talk a bit with some wine or anythin' ye all want. Probably some orange thingy for fireheart Nari, some rum for comrade Wolf-friend, some holy water for comrade sweet cheeks, hey, I'm kiddin'! There's probably spiced whiskey aroun' for ye, mighty Jonny. An' for me, erh.. let's see.. Hey ! See that red stain on the floor ? That's exactly where my mom gave birth to me an---" The woman's voice got suddently burried by another.

Nari nods her head a few times. "Thank you for showing us part of your past, Randy...I know you're not one to do that sort of thing..."

"Shall we, this could be fun, eh? Open minds, remember, opens minds." He winks to Jonas, which could be first time when Gareut does anything this unformal towards "the Leader of the siege."

She does her best to try and lighten up, but it's no use. She's way to uncomfortable by the parading half-naked woman and men running about, and her beat red face shows it. She looks to Jonas as he gets up to leave with a "please no!" look in her eyes.

"...Eh, Comrade said that he will give his mothers dress to you, Fire-Heart. Are you sure about that, it could be anything."

Nari attempts to use this as a scapegoat for the current situation at had. She nods her head a few times. "I truly can't wait to see it, Randy's been talking about it for awhile now, but I probably wouldn't do the dress any justice, heh. Besides, I think Randy should wear it, 'twas her mother's after all." She smiles some, with complete honest toward Randy and Garuet.

Valerius and Auriel had, on returning to the City of Splendors, broken off from the pack to go tend to their own errands.

Their trip would take them to visit Valerius's associate -- a middle-aged wizard and potion-maker named Kappiyan Flurmastyr -- and throughout the rest of the city, including a brief stop at the House of the Moon (though unfortunately they just miss Jonas).

At the end of their event-packed day, they make their way back to where the whole group had first arrived, and have a picnic. They wait there until nightfall, to see if any of the others seek teleportation back to Baldur's Gate.

If not, they go back home alone. Poof!

[Waterdeep]

By late afternoon, Jonas decides it would be a good idea to find the others so that they can meet up with Valerius and Auriel for the teleportation home. The paladin returns to Beaumelon's Bordello, once again wrapped up in his cloak in an attempt to get there without being accosted. Arriving inside to see Nari still uneasy even after several hours at the place, he clears his throat and speaks up.

"Unless any of you are wanting to return to Baldur's Gate the long way, we had better get moving to join back up with the others."