Tales of the Old World 1

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Tales_GM> The Teufel river flows steady, carrying a layer of mist into the banks of the Teubrücke, the ends of the docks barely visible from the paved streets. Light carries as radiating glows on the moving mist, on the side of a rough looking tavern, a faded sign reads THE CROOKED HAMMER.
<Tales_GM> Patrons from all walks of life sit around the tables on the front end, drinking cheap alcohol. On one corner of the drinking house a peculiar sight catches the attention of those entering for the evening; a Dwarf unlike the inhabitants of Dawihafen, uncovered tatooed skin, and a bright red mohawk. Opposite him, a tall elf, concentration fixed on a leather-bound tome. Between the two,
<Tales_GM> a young man with a tired, defeated expression.
* Far_Foririan flips the page of his book, trying to dig up more information from it.
<Thorek> The rusty hinges of the main door of The Crooked Hammer whines as Thorek pushes it open. His nose wrinkles at the smell, unwashed bodies packed tightly together mixed with shite alcohol. He well knew the kind of establishments most Umgi drank in, but by Shallya this was not one of the nicer ones. Definitely a place for beggars and gamblers. He walks in, one hand resting on the axe in his belt and the other swaying with each
<Thorek> stride. His eyes peer around the room, looking for any such person that might have the look of a sailor.
* Shivva_Runna says to himself "What a shit night..." as he walks into The Crooked Hammer.
* Seig takes a drink of ale neither disgusted or impressed by the fare.
* Shivva_Runna walks to the curtains and enters the gambling den to pay his tribute.
* Roderick reclines in the semi-shoddy chair and waits for Shivva to move closer. Once he nears, Roderick calls to him in a low tone. "Take a seat it looks like you've traveled far." Roderick slides out the chair across from him with his boot and gestures for him to sit.
<Thorek> The bounty hunter's eyes move across many a face and turned head. He was scanning around so quickly he almost missed it. "Grimnir's beard, a slayer?" He can't help but say in surprise, as he walks towards the group. And sure enough a seamen is with him...and an Elgi? By the spine of the mountain, they stick out like a barrel of shite ale. He approaches the table with the three odd guests sitting at it.
<Tales_GM> The gambling den is looked after by a formidable woman in her 50s, with a sharp eye and a sharper tongue. She is known to all as the leader of the Ranaldan cult in the city.
* Shivva_Runna heads over to Roderick and takes a seat. "Shits all gone, Boss. Everything we worked for."
<Thorek> "Pardon my interruption, sirs, cousin." He nods to the other dwarf. "Am I correct in guessing you all were on the River Swan recently?"
<Tales_GM> "Watered ale?" Sivi Kreutzhame asks Shivva, never forgetting a patron.
<Seig> "Wish I wasn't, who wants to know."
* Afrock nods back.
<Shivva_Runna> "Aye, the usual is fine." He responds back to Sivi.
<Roderick> "Keep your voice down chum. And everything? Nah, we've got our lives still Shivva. Ranald was lookin out for us eh? Grab yourself a drink." Roderick slides a brass penny across the uneven wooden table.
* Far_Foririan looks up at the dwarf who approached their table. "Oh another Dwarf, wonder if I can learn more dwarven from him as well." he says to himself.
* Afrock sighs slowly.
<Afrock> "I imagine you'll badger him till the end of his days."
<Afrock> "Have a seat cousin."
<Tales_GM> Sivi takes the penny with a nod to Roredick and moves to the front to fetch the drink.
<Far_Foririan> "Ah yes you know me too well." he response to Afrock.
<Shivva_Runna> "Ya right, Boss." He pauses for a moment "Better off living and drinking, then dying."
<Roderick> "That's tha right of it Shivva. Get that drink in ya and I'll ya about an idea I've got to get even and some coin."
* Thorek raises an eyebrow at the weird Elgi. Well all Elgi were weird, before turning to Seig. "Thorek is my name. I'm a, how should I put it, a concerned citizen of Ubersreik looking for an old 'friend.' I just so happen to have received some info that lead me to seek you lot out." He looks around before nodding to Afrock. "My thanks cousin." He takes a nearby stool and hops onto it. His back to the rest of the room. He feels
* Thorek a litle vulnerable given his profession, but oh well.
<Shivva_Runna> "That's why you're the Boss. You always got tha plans."
* Roderick taps his nose and nods emphatically. "Too right ya are Shivva."
<Seig> "Next round on you then aye?"
* Far_Foririan pulls out his only piece of parchment and writing tools to take notes on this new dwarf, "Note to self, get more parchment," he says to himself.
* Afrock presents a flask to Thorek, "I gift from the mountain."
<Thorek> "Would be rude of me not to." Not that he would much care for whatever swill they make here. "You are too kind, cousin." He takes a swig from the flask, "Grimnir's teeth, now that's spirit." He hands it back in thanks, before Thorek goes to the the bar and orders a round of their swill, though he tries his best to be polite about it.
* Afrock takes a drink and put's away the flask, "Names Afrock."
<Tales_GM> A gentle plucking of a lute begins. Gert Hunder, the intimidating front-end barman, nods to the slim patron providing the entertainment.
<Seig> "Seig, and thank you it may be swill but it wets the throat all the same."
<Far_Foririan> "Note, Dwarfs like sharing drinks," as he writes it down.
<Tales_GM> "What are ya havin, Dawi?" the military-built barman asks in his grizzly voice.
<Thorek> "Whatever my beleaguered friend over there is having, master Umgi." He thumbs in Seig's direction. "Four pours, if you please."
* Afrock looks at his money pouch and grimaces, "Watered Ale."
<Tales_GM> With a nod, he turns around and scoops the drinks from a barrel, placing them in front of the new arrival.
<Tales_GM> The gambling den sees Sivia return with drinks on a wooden tray. She places one in front of Shivva before continuing on to serve other patrons engaged in a game of dice.
<Thorek> "How much?" He asks, Thorek's hand goes into his pouch to dig out his meager coinage.
<Tales_GM> "Seven brass."
<Thorek> Thorek narrows his eyes. "I'd be willing to pay a brass each, I'm a dwarf, I know my alcohol, master umgi." He begins to haggle a bit.
<Tales_GM> "Five brass it is," he replies without skipping a beat.
* Roderick raps the side of the mug. "Drink up mate, we got business to discuss."
* Thorek shrugs. He places five brass on the bar and scoops the drinks up. He brings them back to the table and places them in front of everyone. "Well met Afrock, I take it you haven't been long on your Slayer's journey?"
<Thorek> Thorek takes a test taste of the drink, and does his best not to gag. Only frowning at it before putting it back to the table. He shifts on the stool and gets comfortable.
* Seig takes his drink and nods in thanks.
* Far_Foririan takes some notes on the new dwarfs drinking.
* Afrock tries not to puke while drinking.
* Shivva_Runna takes a slip of the watered down ale.
<Afrock> "Yup."
* Thorek nods to him before then asking, "and you Elgi? I wouldn't expect one of your kind to be....well here."
<Tales_GM> A scrap begins by one the dice tables, between an older scrawny stevedore and a plump merchant. Dice fly in the air, and a table is toppled over between the hurled insults and grunts.
* Far_Foririan looks up from what he was writing. "Well that's is a interesting story. I'm mostly just been working with Afrock as a part of my studies."
<Tales_GM> "The runt and the tub of lard, there! Take it outside before I take your purse and throw you into the river!" Sivi snaps from across the den.
* Afrock sighs and takes another drink.
* Roderick drops his hand towards his scabbard, casually resting his hand on the pommel of his sword, just in case the altercation spills over into his table.
<Thorek> quirks his eyebrow again. An elgi scholar in the human empire? Right then. "Right, well best of luck with your studies, Elgi...what is your name again?"
<Tales_GM> Not hearing her, or too caught up in the heat of the moment, they ignore Sivi. The lute playing stops as she gets up and walks to the brawlers, eyes fixed on her from all tables.
<Afrock> "I simply refer to him as long ears."
<Thorek> He chuckles to himself before taking another long sip. Maybe if he drank more of it would taste better.
<Far_Foririan> "Ah yes, I haven't properly introduced myself, my names is Far'Foririan, though I'm not sure long ears works well with that." He ends with a response to Afrock.
<Afrock> "Or far in other situations."
<Seig> "I went with Forian personally. Its too long to be sure."
<Tales_GM> With a sweep of an old shipwright's hammer, the rotund merchant's knee is stricken with a snap, dropping him to the ground. On the backswing, the lanky stevedore's hand is shattered against the floor. With the two howling in pain, Sivi reaches down and takes each of their purses.
<Far_Foririan> "Yes Far does have a better tone to it." he starts writing again. "Must find out more information on what other Dwarfs name Elven's," he says to himself.
<Thorek> "Valaya, I'm surprised he didn't take offense to that. Well met then, Forian." He nods at the queer-acting Elgi. Before turning to Seig, "and you master Umgi?"
<Tales_GM> "8 brass if you drag them out to the river on your way out," she 'asks' placing the coins in front of Shivva.
<Thorek> "Oh right, Seig, my apologies." He smiles. "Now, down to business." He lowers his voice.
* Afrock slowly lowers his drink and pays attention.
<Seig> "Working the riverbarges, not entirely sure what got the authorities riled up about this one though wasn't carrying much out of the ordinary."
<Roderick> "We'll take ya up on it madam." Roderick scrapes half of the pennies towards him and scoots the others towards Shivva before standing.
* Shivva_Runna takes the coins. "Of Course."
<Afrock> "You have our ears Thorek."
* Roderick grabs both of the men by the scruff. "Clear the way mate so I can drag em out."
<Thorek> "Now as I understand it, the barge you were on has been detained, and you and these two were the only ones allowed off. Now gossip says my 'friend' happened to be on the ship with you. In disguise even. Did any of the other passengers on-board look...out of place?" He pauses. "Besides these two, at any rate."
<Shivva_Runna> "Fortunate falls on our lap, Boss."
* Far_Foririan looks at Afrock, narrowing his eyes for a moment, and then just shrugs and goes back to listening to Thorek
<Seig> "These are the only weirdos I know we gave a lift to, some shady guy wanted passage soon as we arrived though."
<Far_Foririan> "Was he a dwarf?"
<Shivva_Runna> "ALRIGHT PEOPLE OUTTA THE WAY. Nothin' to see here."
<Roderick> "Ranald provides again eh?" Roderick follows in Shivva's wake, hauling the troublemakers out of the gambling den.
<Far_Foririan> "I don't remember seeing another Dwarf on the ship."
* Shivva_Runna starts directing people away from the two 'drunks'.
<Seig> "Id probably know them if I saw em but didn't think much of it until the guards showed up."
<Afrock> "Yes."
* Roderick gives the two a rough shake. "Enough with tha caterwauling you two or I'll do worse than Madam Silvia."
<Afrock> "There were no other dawi on the ship I think."
* Thorek sighs before taking a long gulp of the watered-ale. "Kruk, just my luck." He looks to the Slayer. "I'm looking for an Umgi, not one of our kind, cousin."
<Thorek> "Well at least he's still in the city." He raps his fingers on the rough surface of the table while in thought.
<Tales_GM> Passing by the bar, towards the door, Thoreck, Seig, Afrock, and Far'Foririan, see the procession of two injured men being dragged out by the two gamblers.
<Seig> "Well if there's money in it I don't mind helping your search you might know I currently find myself out of work."
<Tales_GM> Taking the threat seriously, the two unwanted patrons pipe down.
<Thorek> He turns and watches the two gamblers get carried away, distracted by thought. As they make their way outside Thorek turns to Seig. "Tell you what, if you can actually assist me in finding my 'friend,' I'll make it worth your while, since you're offering."
<Afrock> "Will there be a fight?"
* Seig taking a swig of the ale "You're gunna have to clarify what 'friend' means to you at some point but right now I see no reason not to."
<Thorek> "In due time, master Seig."
<Seig> "Humph, no simple mercies eh, drop the master if I'ma be working with you can't be dealing with that."
<Tales_GM> "No fight," calls the barman, passing by your table on his way to shut the door.
<Thorek> "I'm sure we'll find you a fight Slayer, just not in here." He turns to Seig. "As you wish, Seig."
<Far_Foririan> "Yes, we must find a excellent fight for Afrock."
<Afrock> "I'm in."
<Seig> "Well that figures 'friends' don't usually involve fights but what can you do."
<Tales_GM> With the temperature dropping as the river is reached, the four figures are obscured by the mist, invisible to anyone beyond a distance of 20 feet.
<Thorek> "Naturally, elgi. Slayer's tend to seek them out after all."
<Roderick> "Go on mate." Roderick maintains a firm grip on the unwanted patrons. "Be quick."
<Tales_GM> "Hey, w-wait! Stop!"
<Far_Foririan> "I will say, how tough of a job will it be finding this "Friend" of yours?" he says to Thorek.
* Shivva_Runna takes the cloak, pendant, and boots from the drunks.
<Roderick> "Pipe down." Roderick growls. "I already seen the Madam take your pockets. Nothin ya can offer to make me stop."
<Shivva_Runna> "Thank you for your wonderful 'donations'. Hehehe."
<Roderick> "Be grateful I don't have im carve ya first."
* Roderick drags them both to the side of the river and tosses them in, dusting his hands for a job well done.
<Tales_GM> Two hefty splashes end the ordeal.
* Roderick turns to Shivva after the drunks are spluttering in the cold river. "Now let's go dump what ya found and let the madam know they won't trouble the den again."
<Roderick> "Comon."
<Shivva_Runna> "Ranald is smiling upon us, Boss! We better make an offering. You know his cut for today."
<Thorek> "All I'll say for now, is he might have help in high places. He's...no longer in the good graces of the current authorities if you catch my meaning. Hopefully not too tough, if Valaya smiles on us."
<Roderick> "Of course we will, another reason ta head back to tha Hammer."
<Thorek> "For now though, stay here. I have a gutter with my name on it." He hops off his stool and goes off to empty his bladder.
<Tales_GM> As Roderick returns to the Crooked Hammer, the barman nods him over.
* Roderick shakes the moisture out of his cloak and stamps over to the bar. "Ya can let the Madam know it's done and all."
<Tales_GM> "Good," he nods, "Offering to Ranald may bless yer evenin' some more," he says tapping the surface in front of him with two fingers.
* Roderick nods and places two pennies on the bar. "I don't know if my evening can get too much more blessed but either way it's better to stay in his good graces eh?" He slides the two coins across.
<Tales_GM> He leans forward.
<Tales_GM> "Ye heard about Steiger?"
<Thorek> The dwarf finishes his task and returns to the common room, on a hunch he enters the gambling den and looks of the source of the commanding female voice. If anything she sounds like she's in charge around here, and might have a lead or two to give...
<Roderick> "Heard he was disgraced en movin about in our circles. Tryin to run so I hear."
<Tales_GM> In fact, Silvia is berating another patron, for the intoxicated bargeman has inadvertently short-changed the price of his drink.
<Tales_GM> Hunder nods, lowering his voice. "Worse. Huntin' him down's the law. Pissed off the general or somesuch. Got a shifty fella stop by earlier says he saw 'im... dressed as a woman."
<Thorek> The dwarf will wait for her to finish her berating before he approaches. "Excuse me, mistress Umgi. Do you have a moment?" He keeps himself polite among the various tables of dice.
<Tales_GM> "Buyin' in for dice? Cards?" she sharply replies.
<Thorek> "Information." He says simply.
<Roderick> "...a woman..he must be desperate for sure. This shifty fella, any ideas on who he was?" Roderick draws two more pennies out of his pouch and places them on the counter in front of him.
<Tales_GM> "Sure you can afford it?," she eyes Thorek over.
<Thorek> "Some I would think, and my word to pay any debt. You should know Dawi keep to our word, less we risk the wrath of the community. And the Grudge."
<Tales_GM> "Fella was on his way outta the city... says he arrived on the River Swan - ye see the barge they took by the docks today? She's the one. Anyone else know about yer lady, it'll be 'er crew," he gives a quick nod to the corner of the room. "The sore thumb bunch o'er there been talking about the barge fer a good while."
<Tales_GM> "Go on, dwarf. What do you want to know?" She says, skeptically.
<Thorek> "There's a man been trying to escape the city recently. In disguise, recently rebuffed from the River Swan. Would you have a hunch as to where the krutting manling might go to ground?"
* Roderick slides the two coins over and nods appreciatively. "Thanks mate." Roderick steps away from the bar and convenes with Shivva. "Go get what ya can for what ya got by the river, I'm gonna see about that plan I was harpin about."
<Tales_GM> "Plenty of folk trying to get away," she reaches for a die and places it on the table.
<Tales_GM> "Ask Ranald what the price will be."
<Shivva_Runna> "Aye, Aye Boss!"
* Roderick makes his way towards the table with the odd array of patrons.
* Shivva_Runna goes to find the fence to sell the pendant.
<Tales_GM> The dice drops, and bounces, before settling.
* Thorek picks up the die and rolls it. He personally wasn't much for gambling so he wasn't all too enthused to throw the bones.
* Far_Foririan finished writing his notes from meeting Thorek and then pulls out his book to see what comparisons he can find.
* Roderick takes a seat at the recently vacated stool at the table.
* Shivva_Runna makes 10 pennies from the sale of the pendant and the boots. Shivva offers one of the coins to Ranald by gambling it away.
* Seig raises his eyebrows at the visitor. "Can we help you?"
<Tales_GM> "Eight pennies refresh the memory," she says casually watching the die settle.
* Shivva_Runna makes his way back to Roderick.
<Thorek> "Seems your Ranauld isn't very fond of me." He pulls out the last of his coin and hands it over.
* Roderick cracks a friendly smile, his hard features don't lend themselves to this contortion of the face. "Of course ye can, that's why I sat, forgive tha rudeness but I heard you all were discussin the River Swan, yeah?"
<Seig> "Mentioned her aye, pissed I got kicked off it for sure."
* Far_Foririan is currently reading his book and pays no notice to the human.
<Tales_GM> "Docks are sealed tight. Anyone's leaving, they oughta brave the roads. If your man's one of us, he won't care where to flee. Any reason to think he was friendly with the Jungfreuds, he'll be headed to Black Rock, leaving West on any of the exits north of the Teufel."
<Tales_GM> She pockets the coin, and turns to another patron, taking his in exchange for chips.
<Roderick> "Kicked off? Crew or cargo, which were ya?"
<Seig> "I'm sure you can guess who of the three of us were crew and who were cargo."
<Seig> "But none of us special. Its why we got let go."
<Roderick> "Oh I didn't imagine the bearded one or the long ears to be crew but you coulda been cargo as well."
<Thorek> "My thanks." Before turning to rejoin the others at the table. Quickly he sees a new umgi has joined them, and he's taken his seat. He decides to approach the man from the side, so as to not spook him. "Make a new friend Seig?"
<Roderick> "Well I got a question if ya oblige."
<Seig> "The Riven Swan is a mightily popular girl."
* Far_Foririan looks up at the return on Thorek, "Ah, welcome back."
<Seig> "Go for it I doubt I'll have a satisfying answer either way."
<Roderick> "Do ya recall an woman so ugly as you'd believe she was a man if not for tha chest?"
<Thorek> "Aye sure is." He eyes the newcomer before crossing his arms, but intends to listen.
* Seig sits quietly for a second, the cogs clearly turning in his head "...Now that you mention it... pretty sure that was the shady so and so I saw talking to the Cap..."
* Roderick glances to other stunted one who has come up aside him and eyes him warily.
<Seig> "Why who are they?"
<Seig> "Fairs, fair after all."
<Roderick> "A good question for sure, you happen to recall a direction...or could ya point me to your former captain? He might be able to point after her."
<Seig> "Information is a two way street friend."
* Thorek pulls another stool from another table and brings it to the table, sitting himself between Afrock and Roderick.
<Roderick> "I did say it was a good question didn't I? Now if ya don't know just say so, or maybe I'll just try my luck with your old boss, I imagine he's a purse of information eh?"
<Seig> "Hah, if you can get to him pick up my damn wages too."
<Thorek> "I would have hoped to wait 'til we were out before saying this. He would be the disgraced former Captain of the guard." He says in a lower tone. He then looks to the newcomer. "Given your line of questioning, master umgi, would you be interested in a job?" He interjects.
<Roderick> "That's an assumption eh dwarf? No guarantees we look for tha same broad..specially since you say man and I said woman, though granted it's hard to tell by lookin at her."
<Roderick> "Now if ya have a job I'd need ta know details and pay then we can go further."
<Thorek> "The one I look for is in disguise, logically this woman would probably fit that. Now as to the details. The disgraced Captin of the Guard, a mister Steiger, is wanted by the occupation authority." He lowers his voice to a whispers. "Treason. Now I'm looking to take him alive, and unharmed and turn him in. For quite the pretty bryn." He opts to use the dwarven word for it.
<Roderick> "How much is a bryn eh?"
<Thorek> "No number to that word, umgi. But I'd say two gold pieces each of you, and maybe a bonus on top, if we can bring him to the occupational authority no worse for wear. Maybe a bruise or two, but no worse."
<Thorek> He of course is keeping this as quiet as he possibly can.
* Roderick lets out a low whistle. "And iffn he's worse for wear?"
<Thorek> "No bonus. But he must be alive, and able to speak. Better if he can walk, unless you want to carry him."
<Thorek> "A deadman keeps his secrets, after all."
* Roderick nods thoughtfully. "And what assurances do we have that you'll pay once ya got him your irons dwarf?"
<Far_Foririan> "Well, dwarfs always keep their word, at least from my research that is to be true."
<Thorek> "You mean besides having to look over my shoulder for a knife in the back? If you're much familiar with dwarven kind, you'll know we keep our word on pain of death." He'll nod to Afrock.
<Thorek> "I'd rather not have my name stricken into the Dawihafen book of grudges."
<Afrock> "Thorek promised a fight."
<Roderick> "Is that so elf, and I expect one of the dwarves will tell me no elves lie. Nah nah nah, I need assurances here."
<Afrock> "I shall hold him to it."
* Thorek folds his arms. "And what should count as an assurance?"
<Roderick> "A contract. Collateral. Payment upfront. The usual assurances ya ask for in a place like this." Roderick cracks another 'friendly' smile.
<Seig> "That one there wants to die cause he broke some promise and I doubt that one wants to do the same so not sure it gets much better."
<Seig> "Think they call themselves slayers."
<Thorek> "If you want a contract written up, by all means. I have no collateral or coin." He chuckles then shrugs. "Just used the last of mine for some information."
* Afrock nods, "Aye."
<Thorek> "You're well learned for an umgi, Seig.
<Seig> "You pick up stuff on the rivers."
<Thorek> "Perhaps an oath in front of the barmen?"
<Roderick> "The madam will do. Specially if you want it quiet."
<Thorek> "Easier for us to come to her, or her to us?"
<Thorek> "I assume your companion is in as well," he nods to Shivva.
<Roderick> "Yeah he is in."
<Shivva_Runna> "Yep."
<Roderick> "Shivva go run and grab the madam."
<Shivva_Runna> "Yes, boss."
* Shivva_Runna runs off to get Sivi.
<Tales_GM> Shortly after, she arrives at your table. "Getting a band together, then?"
<Seig> "I'm the lead singer can you tell?"
<Tales_GM> "Not at all."
<Roderick> "Another job another crew madam. We just need a witness for an oath if you'll oblige us."
<Tales_GM> She tosses a coin in the air, and catches it in her palm, looking at its face.
<Tales_GM> She looks up, nodding as she pockets the coin.
<Tales_GM> "Say your words, Ranald is listening."
<Thorek> "In the name of my Ancestors, I Thorek Damnazeki swear an oath, that everyone of this party shall be paid their share of the bounty. Two gold per, and bonus pending. In Grimnir's name." He takes up his axe in one hand and raises it in the air.
<Tales_GM> "Ranald be witness," she says, sealing the deal.