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

"haaaaak..."
"hoooooorrrrrrrk!"
"HAAAUGHHGHPTH!"

A small yellow with black spots cat can be seen near the fire retching on a hairball. A shortish figure with a worn hat and mismatched cloak and garments quickly moves toward it and scoops it into his cloak, where it seems to vanish. He flicks a gold coin toward a disgusted and rather irritated barmaid, who quickly forgets the scene and stuffs the gold into her pocket.

Several patrons have turned to watch the spectacle. The short figure takes the opportunity to make an announcement.

"I am Varlok Banlin, a wizard of some small talent. It has become necessary for me to make a journey to the Cloudpeak Mountains to gather a rather... rare component for my research." The figure, marked as a sun elf by his features, scans the room. The few patrons that had been interested by the spectalce of the vomiting cat had since returned to their drink and it was clear that few were listening.

The elf cleared his throat and tried again, speaking more loudly this time.

"I require the beard of a Frost Giant. I must gather it myself for particular reasons. Who is willing to accompany me?"

The room fell silent at the announcement. And the elf waited patiently by the fire for a response to his offer. Careful listeners would have heard a gentle vomiting sound eminating from somewhere beneath the elf's cloak.

A tall man clad in heavy armour from his head to toe creaks slowly from the corner of the bar and slams his fist down on the table. Immediately after, a secondary tall man, wearing almost identical gear follows up to his side.

"My name is Aldryk, and this lumbering man beside me is Lotrik. If you're going to need someone to do your fighting against a particularily difficult foe or two, count us in. We are born for battle and destruction and will gladly accompany you. . . "

He raises his heavily placed hand from the tabletop and then nods to the other.

"Of course, we may also require some sort of compensation . . . "

The second armored figure nod briefly before adding: ''Aye, and as my brother said, we ain't working for nothing.''

"Cloudpeaks you say?" Hoihe asks, pondering what else to say "Those mountains mean a fair quality to me... Should you decide to go there... I might accomapny you... merely to make sure that a certain something i made won't get destroyed.."

A fairly tall young woman with pitch-black hair and an eye-patch with the symbol of Garagos on it, looks up from her drink and notices the wizard. Those with some local knowledge of Roaringshore, would know that the woman is Katiara, ferocious daughter of Bjorn 'the Black' Olsen, and notorious mercenary known for her relentless and fearless love for battle.

After his announcement and reactions from a few of the guests in the establishment, she grabs the bottle and walks towards the mage, shoving a few patrons out of the way.

"Oi! Who you think you are?!" a patron protests as he gets shoved.
"What?!" she shoots him daggers, instantly putting a lid on the man's vocal protests, who simply mumbles "Nothing, nothing..."

The woman is quite athletic and has clearly seen plenty of fighting in her short life. She points at the man with the bottle-neck.
"You need a real warrior, Sunshine. Not Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there" clearly refering to Aldryk and Lotrik "or the loose-wristed pompous bladdermouth" nods towards Hoihe.
"I've killed more men, women, beast and monsters than any of them combined. If the price is right and the kill good, my swordarm is yours."

glares at the woman, apparently she managed to disturb a whisper-session ebtwen the wizard and him. "I can easily tell your book is written in red ink good woman...And my wrist is firm as silver itself"

Katiara is obviously ignoring Hoihe. In fact she hasn't even laid her eyes on him once yet. She stands firm, waiting for Varlok's response, taking a good swig from the bottle and then wipes her lips clean with the back of her hand. If not for her eye-patch, she would've otherwise been considered beautiful.

The elf looks at the mighty company that has assembled rather suddenly in the tavern, attempting with little success to conceal the intimidation brought about by such a gathering of warriors who are clearly no strangers to violence. The room has gone silent after the appearance of the woman with the eye patch. The elf attempts to speak, then seems to lose his voice, then starts again.

"I... I have little gold to offer..."

He looks down at his belt and motions to a purse that clearly only contained a few lonely gold pieces.

"I certainly do not wish to offend..." He looked at the one-eyed woman in particular when making this statement.

"I do not wish to offend, but I must take the offer of Hoihe, as I certainly lack gold in the amount necessary to justify such a dangerous journey. I... I thank you for your time." The elf nervously waits for the reactions of the seasoned warriors and glances toward the door.

"Last time I was up there, I killed a giant who had some valuable stuff on him." walks over to the elf and lays an arm around his shoulder.
"Besides, I'm bored. I need to do some fighting."

Obviously unnerved by having the dangerous woman put her arm around his shoulder, the elf managed a shaky response.

"It would be good to have the extra help. I welcome your company."

"Excellent!" she says loudly and slams her hand onto his back "And ease up!"

She walks over to the bar, smirking merrily and silently orders the barkeeper to hand her another bottle. She grabs the bottle and leans up against the bar-desk, uncorking the bottle with her teeth, spitting the cork out.

"So, when we leave, Sunshine?" she takes a swig.

Xanfyrst wrote:"Excellent!" she says loudly and slams her hand onto his back "And ease up!"

She walks over to the bar, smirking merrily and silently orders the barkeeper to hand her another bottle. She grabs the bottle and leans up against the bar-desk, uncorking the bottle with her teeth, spitting the cork out.

"So, when we leave, Sunshine?" she takes a swig.

"We leave tomorrow".


//OOC - I'll be on about 1330 EST tomorrow (sunday) for about 2 hours as long as the kids nap. If that doesn't pan out, then I'll be on at 2000 EST tomorrow for about 2 hours. There are several others coming, so I'm going to try to get as many as possible together.