A Ship Called Oblivion

[Paks]

As the night wears on, rooms are allocated but there are not enough to go round forcing some of you to share. Xxian and Chip take one, Paks and Lilac another, offering for the silent girl to join them if she wishes. Joe, as promised, has the entertainers room leaving Arak, Agneus and possibly Dirk to share the remaining. The rooms are pleasant enough, the beds are soft with only the odd bed bug biting during the night.

Morning arrives and a banging at each of the doors can be heard as Derek wakens you all before the sun rises. Down stairs in the common room, plates of bacon and eggs are just hitting the table in anticipation of your hunger.

Paks

The ranger is already awake when Derek bangs on the door, she'd bathed the night before and had already donned a clean pair of traveling clothes. Running a comb through her hair, she pulls it back and binds it with a piece of leather. Happy with the job, she grabs her pack and nudges the bed where Lilac lay, "Come on, you don't want to be left behind" she says before heading out the door.

Down stairs, she takes a seat at the table and begins to tuck into a hearty breakfast knowing that is probably the last decent meal she'd be enjoying in a while.

[Mudguard]

Agneus was less than satisfied when his insinuation that Xxian should be getting not two shares but one share of the loot was ignored by said gnome. He had not wanted to labour the point so had left the group with the beginnings of a head splitter and the sour taste of beer in his mouth. Too irritated to even look for a warm bosom to rest his head on, he had asked the innkeeper for his room. He was annoyed to hear that he would have to share it. But he had entered the room and fell into the bed, falling asleep shortly after.
Half asleep he seemed to hear the sound of a large animal moving about the room, but he soon drifted into unconsciousness again thinking of a girl he’d known in Fairingtown. She could do the most amazing trick with her chin…ZZZ.

Agneus woke up and noticed first that the place smelt like a cowshed. He looked over at the lumps in the other beds wrinkling his nose.
He had forgotten the greater part of his dissatisfactions and for once didn’t have a shocking hangover. He washed carefully in the basin provided, then pulled out a stunning turquoise outfit from his kit bag. He removed his black rags and put on turquoise silk shirt and bloomers, crimson fur cloak and turquoise suede shoes with massive fluffy crimson pom poms.
He stopped a bit longer than was necessary in front of the mirror. He swept back his glossy black hair securing it high off his forehead with a turquoise head band. He admired his handsome tanned face, stroked his little black goatie and grinned at the mirror revealing a mouth of sparkling white teeth.
Preening, Agneus picked up his bag and walked down stairs ready to watch the socks being knocked off any female inhabitants of the tavern. He walks over to where Paks is sitting and says “A beautiful morning and a beautiful face.” He beams at Paks and then, noticing the food, sits down and begins to shove food into his gob none too gracefully.

[Zee]

Joe:

*Was sitting in one of the fine chairs in the room as the knock comes on the door in the wee hours of the morn. Whilst the knock did not awake joe, it did awaken his guest for the night. Looking over the top of the book he had been studying intently he smiles warmly at her.* "A good night I hope?"

*A sheepish smile is all the young woman manages before getting herself dressed. Joe watches her for a bit before turning back to his book, giving her all the time she desires to finish cleaning up.* "Now then, shal i sneak you home, or would you prefer to let all the other women be jealous of you this day?" *He smiles at the woman liking her answer as they walk out together, he escorts her to the door and with a bow and a kiss on the hand sends her on her way.*

*Making his way over to the table he sits down at it, taking a look see at the food spread before them. Seeing as the others were already tearing into it, he likewise decides to join in on the consumption. Reaching out for a fruit and a glass of milk he rubs the orange on his shirt before peeling it carefully. Looking up at the table he nods a smiling 'Good morning' to paks and lilac before turning to look at agneus.*

"Well well, if the boy doesn't clean up nicely, if not a little froo-froo looking though." *The last bit he says with a smug grin, obviously hinting at the cheerleader-esque pom-poms hanging from his slippers. He shakes his head slightly as he watches the man eat with the manners of a dwarf, well atleast he should fit in where they are going. Between the manners and the outfit joe manages to stiffle his chuckle though, the man may have the looks down but he is little more than a beggar, and an urchin in his opinion.*

[Paks]

Lilac

I surpressed a groan as Paks nudged the bed on her way out. I threw the blanket back and stumbled to my feet. Making my way to the basin of water, I splashed some on my face, the cold water waking me instantly. I pulled on a nice clean dress, light blue in colour. The dressed fitted nicely and fell almost to the floor. I draped a thick long black cloak over the top and fixed my hair so that it was loose but pinned back out of my eyes. Deciding I looked decent enough, I headed downstairs to join the others for breakfast but so far only Paks and Agneus had emerged from their rooms.

I took a seat next to Paks and dished out some bread and eggs onto my plate and began to eat. I spotted Joe walking past with a pretty young woman on his arm. I looked over at Paks but she seemed to be ignoring his conquest, I smiled a little to myself. When Joe took a seat at the table, I politely said good morning and listened in as the bard began to tease Agneus on his atire.

"Yes, he does scrub up nicely doesn't he? It's amazing what a bath and a clean set of clothes can do for anyone really" I said, pouring myself a juice.

[Jereth Ingsbe]

Stomping down the street, thick steel shod boots pounding loudly on the cold morning cobbles, the black bearded dwarf muttered and grumbled irritably the whole length of the docks before he arrived at the Salted Dolphin again. His had been a long night spent mostly in waiting, but the bright new battle axe resting on his shoulder and the rattling burlap sack hanging from his belt are signs it wasn't a wasted night. With a final curse under his beard, Arak reaches for the door.

Stepping inside, he notices that at least some of the longleg nancy's are out of bed and eating, which reminds him that he'd been busy, and so the square shouldered dwarf stumps his way over to the table. With barely a grunted greeting Arak sits and begins to pile food on his plate, grits'n'gravy, several biscuits, a fistful of bacon and sausages, and an ale he finds he must specifically (and loudly) call for.

Noticing the beggar was out of his costume, Arak snorts between mouthfuls, "If'n ye be wearin tha to Khardfee, 'ware ye be used as a footstool." He shakes his head, not only at Agneus but also at the others at the table, still trying to console himself that he was traveling with so many fops by reminding himself that there was money to be had. At least the taller woman seemed to be sensible enough to have proper travel clothes.

Finished with his meal, Arak sits back and goes about grooming his beard, using the highly polished flat of the battle axe as a mirror, plucking crumbs and smoothing burrs. He no longer has the plain brown cloak, where it went a mystery, but now is seen a somewhat patchwork but well maintained set of black brigandine armor with chain mesh added. On his head he dons a black-steel skullcap with a single three inch spike at the top and star shaped polished metal studs ringing the brow. Pulling on a pair of what appear to be thick leather forge gloves, similar star shaped metal studs are seen lining the knuckles, knuckles that he crack as he laces his fingers behind his head and leans back on the rear legs of the chair and looks to the shorter of the two women.

"So lass, ye got any potions fer headaches? Cuz, I don't gotta remind ye, we be gettin on a boat with gnomes, and at least one bard that'll probably be makin passes at anythin tha don't have a beard after a few days."

[Paks]

Lilac

I grinned at Arak. He certainly looked the part. It boosted my confidence knowing that at least he knew how to look like a bodyguard.

"Oh aye, I have just the thing for headaches, have no fear" I said, "I also have a great receipe for an excellent sleep potion that, by the sounds of it, may just come in handy. Slip a little into, say some rum and within a minute the gnome...er person in question will be out like a light."

[Zee]

Joe:

*Smiles slightly at arak and his comment before chuckling a bit.* "I can assure you dwarf that I will not be making any passes at anything with out a beard, simply because it's been a few days. Although, I may make a few passes at some of those bearded dwarven women when we get there, it would be about time that a few dwarves were born that well... look a little less like you. The homely featrues, the beard, and the unseemly bad attitude, kind of hard to tell you all apart after a while."

[Jereth Ingsbe]

"As if there be a belle in Khardfee that'd take a shine to ye, ye newborn-chin beanpole. Ye humans would do well to learn from dwarven consistency and style."

Arak strokes his thick beard purposefully as he speaks, eyeing Joe with little more concern than he'd give someone forging an axe out of bronze. Inwardly, the dwarf fights hard not to crack a smile, knowing the bard HAD to have been joking, and a good one at that. Dwarves were dwarflike for a reason, and Joe would have an easier time wooing a block of granite than a proper dwarven woman.

"Yer time'd be better spent thinkin up a tavern song that won't get ye dunked head first in a barrel of spirits strong enough to take off what 'lil hair ye do have."

[Zee]

Joe:

*Chuckles slightly at arak.* "I wouldn't worry too much, it's not my first time to the dwarven lands. Learned a tale or two that always seems to go over nicely. Of course all anyone really needs to know is a handful of drinking songs and those won't go wrong with a dwarven crowd. Ne'er shal I see the day though when my head is dunked into a barrel by a knee-higher, plus I can't imagine a real dwarf doing that anyway. Waist of good ale it would be."

[Xxian]

A commotion coming from the back kitchen sees two gnomes running out into the dining room laughing like mad men, a string of sausages trailing one of them.

Heading straight for the adventure party that was assembling, the older gnome tries to use a chair to launch himself onto the table.

Misjudging, Xxian cops the table end right in his stomach, his arms flailing about knocking cups over and overturning plates, his stumpy little legs kicking wildly trying to find traction.

An angry looking woman appearing from whence he came brandishing a kitchen utensil that was obviously doubling as a weapon this day, was all the incentive the smaller gnome needed to give his uncle a shove putting him firmly on the table.

Standing up, Xxian looks back, and with a look of sheer terror spreading over his face, he runs full noise, the full length of the table, scooping up whatever food he can on his pass.  His nephew taking the opposite route, ducking down and running under the table, trampling toes and anything else that resided down there.

Coming to a grinding halt at the end of the table, Xxian swings off the table edge and pops himself back to the floor, grins and runs for the door.

On reaching the door, he ushers through his young partner in crime then cries: "come on, we late, no time for wasting.... ALL ABOARD!!!" then runs of, the two of them laughing hysterically.

[Mudguard]

Agneus was just wiping his mouth on his sleeve when the gnomes burst into the room.
He  stared with horrid recollection,first at the string of sausages which flew by and then at the woman brandishing a kitchen implement.
Ouch! That little bastard just stood on my foot!
A certain mature married noblewoman had taken unreasonable exception to him 'borrowing' her pocket money and his subsequent suggestion that she 'have some space to think about the future of their relationship'.
Oh the broken glass, the waving of cleavers! He had escaped out the window stark naked and promptly been chased by guard dogs off the premises. How he'd got over the wall 'intact' was beyond his comprehension.
Agneus leaps up in a dream of horror, grabs his bag and skeedaddles out the door.
He looks left and right, clips his heels and charges after the gnomes.
There goes my ticket out of here!

[Paks]

Paks

Listening in only slightly on the conversation, the ranger finishes her meal and takes a drink of juice. Just as she's finishing that, the two gnomes come bounding into the room causing chaos along the way.

Letting out a sigh, she picks up her pack and places if over her shoulders. She straps on her sword, picks up another large wrapped bundle and grabs her staff. "well, looks like breakfast is over, might as well make for the ship before Xxian gets himself in even more trouble."

Lilac

I jumped back in my chair a little as Xxian and Chip flew into the room, creating so much mess as they flew by. I nodded at Paks' words and gathered my pack. I also had a large bundle like hers, it contained our armor. She had warned me that it might not like the salt air so our best bet would be to thoroughly oil it and wrap it tight and hope to the high seas we woulnd't need it in the mean time. I followed after the gnome, eager to start my journey to the dwarven lands.

Derek

Not even bothering to comment on the gnomes behavior, he'd already made quite a few coins out of the pair, the barkeeper makes straight for Joe and holds out his hand. Sitting in his palm are two golden coins. "Seems the patrons were rather generous with their tips last night. I hope that if you travel this way again some day you'll do us the honour of performing again."

Without waiting for a reply, he turns to Arak, "I believe you owe me for the repair of a certain table which now has a nasty axe mark indented in it. Time to pay up"

[Zee]

Joe:

*Nods to the barkeep.* "Indeed if im back then I shal come and visit you again. Though this time i'll let you keep it all. The room was well enough and the food was fine, I will be sure to tell others of the friendliest inn this side of the crossroads river." *After a few moments he rummages around in his belt pouch, spotting the three gold remaining within. He hands one of them over to the man.* "That ought to cover any table repairs and what antics the gnomes caused, I hope. As much trouble as this seems to be I don't know why i'm tagging along..." *He pauses for a moment and watches as the two women leave the inn.* "Anyway though, I suppose it is time I did. Fare thee well and may your earnings be plentiful." *He bows politely to derek before turning heel to follow the women, keeping his distance so anyone passing by wouldn't notice his casual glances towards a pair of bottoms.*

[Xxian]

Children had gathered at one particular ship at the docks and were deligeted by a show that was being performed by what looked like two gnomish pirates.

The duo of appropriately dressed, including eye patches, however short statured sea villains were engaged in a vigorous sword fight, using what appeared to be broom sticks for swords.

The ships crew seemed none disturbed, possibly a little amused if anything, at the pirates antics as they busied themselves readying the ship for cast off.

An assortment of barrels and crates were being loaded, mostly sealed, presumably general freight, some open with fruit an vegetables overflowing from them.  A foursome of younger crew members busied themselves meticulously folding what appeared to be a large cast net further down the dock and an old weathered man smoking a pipe pacing to and fro keeping a watchful eye over all.

[Paks]

Paks

Heading out of the Inn, the ranger takes her time making her way to the docks. Passing through some markets, she stops and purchases a bag of mixed dried fruit and a freshly baked cheese and herb bread. Snacking on the fruit, she offers some to Lilac and continues to follow road leading to the sea.

Reaching the docks, it's not hard to find the ship that belonged to Xxian. Leaning on her staff, she watches the gnomes playing at being pirates with raised eyebrows. Waiting for Joe to reach them, she looks over at both the healer and the bard, "Are you sure we want to do this, weeks at sea stuck with those two?" she says, pointing to Xxian and Chip.