Helix: The Brazen Strumpet

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth. while at the Brazen Strumpet.

To Cosmo, "You get him in the mood and I have paid a wench from the Pheasant to give him a bubble bath. I have no experience if such matters but I must believe his madness was caused by his experience in the Mounds and his tattoos are a map of some significant feature, apart from his own derriere."

He talks plans with the gnome to hypnotise Alastar so we can suggest him to bathe (which would be for the public good anyway) and I can copy the map he has on him while he relaxes

Hopefully ...

[Nordbo]

Cosmo

(out of earshot from the beggar): "The Pheasant ? Why not here, from this establishment? Plenty of crumpet around from what I can see." (ogles a few barmaids inside). "Ahem, not to question your judgment and benevolent financing of this affair, sir - it's just that my mind-clouding skills have somewhat of a short span of effectiveness. Bath and wench need to be very close by when I begin, or the tramp may snap to sooner than we wish."

[Spearmint]

The Brazen Strumpet

I will advance the dates to May 10th once you can conclude you expedition planning here and any role play with current patrons, Alastar or random groups.

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth]

To Cosmo "She is in the stables ready. Bollo was quite happy to provide a bath and hot water but insisted we wash him in the stables as paying guests use the facilities upstairs. So I paid for the tin bath and wench. Once you are ready to 'do your stuff' I can arrange them to be there promptly."

So basically you say, "give me ten minutes" then while you do the spell, in that time the water and wench will go to the stables. Not sure how it will pan out, sure SM will throw some pandemonium in...

Golgarth to Liebish

Golgarth sees the newcomer to the tavern. During his stay he will approach the half-elf and introduce himself, bringing an ale to break the ice.

"Good day. Liebish you say? I am Golgarth, a cleric of Cromm Cruach.
I can see you have the air of an adventurer, an explorer. A fine staff you wield.

I have some companions who are seeking extra brave and bold explorers willing to venture to the famed Barrow Mounds. We are investigating a
particular mound supposedly used as a lizardman temple. If that strikes your interest I would be glad to tell you more."

[Monsieur Rose]

Sir Dewey

After getting wind of the plan to bathe the beggar, Sir Dewey enters and joins in.

"I will assist. Though I do not believe him to be an errant knight, it would be a great service to the town to bathe him."

"Good to meet you, Leibish, Son of Gondol. I am Sir Dewey. Pardon my curiousness, but I overheard your interest in oddities. I myself have an interest in unusual books and tomes. Have you heard tales of any such things around?"

[Paladin]

Gerard Desrosiers

Gerard dusts himself off outside, stamping his boots to relieve them of possible mud and detritus before entering the tavern. The bearded friar is empty-handed and wears plain brown garb over his armor. He is of middle years and thickly-built, particularly around the belly, and smiles at anyone who cares to say good day as he winds his way to an empty table.

Gerard eases into a chair and groans softly as his feet experience immediate relief. "Thank heaven for that," he puffs, grimacing as the muscles in his lower back slowly relax into the chair. "It's a bloomin' chore getting old," he grouses wearily.

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus shuffles, rather almost stumbling, down the stairway from the second floor and motions to a serving wench. This appears to be a regular occurance as he is soon handed a bottle of wine. Making his way between occupied tables and chairs, he plods to a quiet section of the tavern.

He pulls up short directly behind Gerard's chair as if struck by lightning ...

"By the gods!" He croaks. "Friar John?" Moriartus staggers to the opposite side of the table and it becomes readily apparent he is quite disheartened at Gerard's appearance. "Oh, my apology, sir." He stammers. "I thought ... I thought ... ne-nevermind."

He turns to walk away, but pauses to address the cleric again. "You're a friar though, are you not? Could I interest you in an adventuring opportunity? I am leading an expedition to explore the barrow mounds. It is quite dangerous. However, the rewards can be equally as substantial."

[Nordbo]

Cosmo

replies in the affirmative to Golgarth: "I will be ready but shall we set a time for this....maneuver? Like, tomorrow morning?"

and has now also paid for 4 additional nights of board & lodging (-32sp).

[Paladin]

Marcel Gerard Desrosiers

The sudden and tempestuous visitation prompts a raised eyebrow and Gerard leans back in his chair. He gestures at the seat opposite his own. "You look like you could use a chair, son. Take your ease, if it please you."

He cocks his head and appraises the stranger. "I'm Gerard rather than John, I fear. You seemed surprised to see him...has something happened to a comrade of yours?"

Gerard gestures to his roadworn clothing and oft-mended armor. "I am a friar, yes. Given to long walks and foolish life choices." He chuckles and his eyes warm. "What of this adventure? Once my weary feet have returned to their normal size, I'd like to be upon them."

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

To Cosmo.

"Okay, we get Alastar tomorrow on market day after breakfast. I will make sure he is around and we go straight to the bathtub."

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus takes a seat as offered, opposite Gerard. He seems to relax somewhat as the apparent shock to his psyche dissipates. "Thank you, sir. Oh, but where are my manners. My name is Moriartus, formerly of the Collegiate Arcanium in Ironguard. I suppose, like yourself, prone to foolish life choices as my presence in Helix can attest."

He pulls a cigar from a pouch, offering one to Gerard, before lighting it and puffing a drag. He studies the friar with a hint of amusement teasing the corners of his eyes. "Adventuring, they say, is a young man's profession. It heartens me to see one occupied by such older than myself. Twenty years ago, I followed my friends into a glorious search for treasure in the Moor ... the results were not so glorious."

Moriartus sighs and twists the cigar between two fingers as he reminisces. "Once more into the fire, as they also say, and yes, on a recent expedition we lost three good men to the lures of a harpy. John, a friar such as yourself, among them. The other two are twins, homely as they are strong. Mercenaries hired out by the local guild. I intend to find them, if yet they live, but this expedition is focused on treasure."

"I enlisted the help of Mazzah the Magnificent. A powerful, if quirky, wizard who lives in the village. As payment, he has requested canopic jars. The contents of these often of use in his research. So, the objective is exploration of the burial mounds that dot the Moor. Any canopic jars we find are reserved for Mazzah. Any other treasure split equally. In exchange, I have financed the upfront cost for shared equipment and hirelings. I assume the risk if we return empty handed. Otherwise, that cost is deducted from the treasure.

"We leave at dawn on the 10th. How do those terms sound to you?"

[Darithe]

Listens with amusement to Golgarth and Cosmo's plans to get the beggar to bathe, though she offers little help in achieving that goal. She spends her days mostly amusing the children of the village with magical tricks, chatting with the patrons of the Strumpet, or enjoying dancing to the music whenever a minstrel performs. At night she studies her spellbook in preparation for the coming excursion.

[SilverBen]

Golgarth sees the newcomer to the tavern... will approach the half-elf and introduce himself, bringing an ale to break the ice.

"...I have some companions who are seeking extra brave and bold explorers willing to venture to the famed Barrow Mounds. We are investigating a particular mound supposedly used as a lizardman temple. If that strikes your interest I would be glad to tell you more."

Leibish stands in respect of the cleric before him and graciously accepts the ale offered. He returns to his seat to enjoy it, releasing a sigh of satisfaction and opening up the conversation with: "Yes, I am interested to learn more, Brother Golgarth. Let me not forget to say that I am first grateful for your offer - I am in need of a livelihood and adventuring is where I have decided to begin. What does this mound hold that draws you to it? Is it mentioned in songs or tales? What can you tell me of your company, how many are you now and who leads it? "

[Nordbo]

What can you tell me of your company, how many are you now and who leads it?

Cosmo
raises his hand and ad-libs an introduction: "We are the Spider Subduers. Sir Golgarth here leads our fearless troupe. Gallantly."

[SilverBen]

My apologies I missed several posts earlier this week when I was not receiving email notifications from the US server. Below is my attempt to catch up in a single post that doesn't break the narrative flow.

Sir Dewey
"Good to meet you, Leibish, Son of Gondol. I am Sir Dewey. Pardon my curiousness, but I overheard your interest in oddities. I myself have an interest in unusual books and tomes. Have you heard tales of any such things around?"

Yes, Sir Dewey, my father taught my many elven songs of wondrous tomes, and told me they all to have some kernel of truth hidden in the melodies of dreams. He meant, of course, they cannot all be true and, if they were, the state of this world would be far different. But my father taught me one other important lesson, that those kernels could grow and nourish the world if handled with wisdom.

Cosmo
"We are the Spider Subduers. Sir Golgarth here leads our fearless troupe. Gallantly."

To Sir Golgarth
Unaware that the gnome was listening, Leibish shifts his glance between Sir Golgarth and the gnome. "Sir Golgarth?" he repeats, belying a moment of humiliation. He places his ale on the table and rises to his feet explaining, "My apologies for not properly addressing you, Sir Golgarth. And, yes, I would certainly be happy to join a party you gather to follow Alastar's tattooed map. Have you any hint of oddities, tomes, or other artifacts of your interest in the lizardmen mounds?"

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

Responds to Liebish.

He starts by giving a correction. "Cosmo may young gnome friend is honouring me beyond my status. I am simply Golgarth and have yet to earn any reputation beyond following a vocation as an Acolyte of Cromm Cruach. We were accompanied by a paladin of Ygg who heralds from more noble stock than I, Sir Dewey, when a few of us recently ventured into the northern forests on a business enterprise. The village of Helix has few industries to speak of beyond subsistence farming, though it has a notable cottage industry with weavers at the looms crafting wondrous textiles from the silk of spiders. A dangerous task to collect, the profits seems to be most generated in the selling of the branded articles. Capitalism, bah humbug!

I digress.

The attempt to bathe the poor and distressed beggar is but an act of civic kindness though my ulterior motives are sadly less so. I have heard the man, wether it is true or not, was once s knight who braved the Barrow Maze and became cursed or afflicted after seeing his comrades slain. The induction is he tattooed a map upon his skin of a portion of the labyrinth that leads to a great treasure or relic.

My current expeditiin is in support of a former officer of the Duchy, Foxrell. There is one particular barrow mound which has some significance to the tribal lizardmen who ward the place. The expedition aims to uncover what unholy rituals they perform in that place which they treat as sacred and to drive them away back into the swamps from whence they came.

As to songs. We can write our own and have the bard sing tribute to our heroic endeavours. Lord Krothos is supporting this noble quest with a retinue of guards.

So, I am recruiting those strong of arm, stout of heart and steadfast in faith to share equally in the risks, rewards and honour that such an expedition may provoke.

We leave from the market place in the morning of the 10th."

[SilverBen]

Leibish swipes the ale off the table, studies the remainder with intensity, and finishes it off in several gulps while still standing. He raises the empty mug, and declares "Dirges tell of how the lizardmen have been a blight on this land for too long. We will write a new song of how their rituals were disrupted and the vile creatures were pushed back into the swamps! Yes, Brother Golgarth, Sir Dewey, and Cosmo, I will meet you in the marketplace for departure to join your party."

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

To Liebish.

"Great and not a moment too soon. I know the local church are fresh out of Holy Waters. Their font is do basic and the demand far outstrips supply. So I encourage you to bring at least a first aid kit. I think the idea is to travel light and strike fast. Hopefully the expedition leader has learned from his previous endeavour which, well by all accounts and there is only his as he was the only survivor, did not go too well."

He will tell Foxrell of the new recruit as that adds an additional conscript from the manse to our ranks. Then he will deal with Alastar.

[Paladin]

Marcel Gerard Desrosiers to Moriartus

"A pleasure, Moriartus." Gerard smiles and ruddy cheeks crease beneath his beard. "Reminds me of a villain I once read about...the nemesis of a certain detective with an almost supernatural attention to detail. Lovely series." He raises his eyebrows and shrugs. "Though I suppose I should've put my rather large nose into my prayer books more often, rather than works of fiction."

The cigar prompts a warm, genuine chuckle and a muttered "Oh, yes. Thank you. How long has it been?" He holds a taper close and takes several short puffs to ensure a good light, then sighs amid a wreathe of exhaled smoke. When Gerard's eyes open, it's only to watch tendrils and wisps of smoke curl before his eyes as they dissipate into the tavern.

"Twenty years is a long time, my friend. You look like a man who's learned much about the world--and himself--since those days." Gerard crosses himself with a thoughtful frown upon the mention of Friar John's demise. "Blessings upon the poor soul," he intones, then lowers his eyes to mutter a brief prayer.

"Perhaps we may find your other companions," he says upon looking up. "I'm pleased to accompany you, if you require the aid of a humble friar. I'm old, fat, and slow. But on the plus side, my power is rather limited." Gerard winks and takes a deep pull on his cigar. "I'd grow moss upon my toes lingering here, though I fear my purse is too light to support me even that long."

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus shrugs with an affectation of one who has stoically accepted his own mortality. "It is a long time, yes. Although, I am unsure if age has bestowed its equivalent value in wisdom. Perhaps that is why I am here."

The crust of bitter memories is cracked with a chuckle in response to the friar's self assessment. "A humble man I can use, for I am stubborn and and inflexible in matters of honor and duty."

He pats his abdomen with a conspiratorial wink to Gerard. "The food here has yet to endow me as generously, but time has made me old and swap rot has made me slow." Moriartus indicates his staff to emphasize the latter point. "Let us combine our limited powers then, and inspire the bards with our deeds. He rises from his chair and salutes Gerard with a tip of his staff. We assemble at dawn on the 10th. Until then, Friar Gerard!"