Darmus By Night

[Ravenloft]

Night was setting in as Cervantes strode into browning. Decent folk were hidden in their homes. Whores and thieves claimed the streets as their own, making no secret of thier presence. As he made his way to a darkly lit tavern, no one dared to stand in his way, in fact, people parted, letting him pass. The doors to the tavern swung open as he stepped in.

 

[Valdimer]

Valdimer Elsworth


The full moons of Darmus shown down on Valdimer as he rode on his weary horse. What lights that did shine in Browning shown in the distance as Val made his way to the Capital city of Darmus. His armor trail worn, his sword nearing dullness, a well deserved rest was indeed set for Valdimer when he reached Browning. The city lights grew brighter as he finally reached the city gates. Riding in, half heartedly straightened himself on his horse. "Ahh, a tavern." he said, his eyes catching the swinging of the door, and the swaying of the sign in the slight wind. Riding up, he loosely tied his horse to the hitching post, and made his way into the establishment.........

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne Bloodstone

Thorne watched the tavern uneasily from under the hood of her black cape, her grey eyes narrowing in carefull inspection of the crowd. Her gaze fell back to her book, her reading of the text resuming as she kept alert with her other senses, waiting for trouble if it chose to find her. A dagger strapped a forearm gave her a little comfort, the knowledge of how to use it furthering that feeling. She turned the page and continued reading.

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

"I look for a magess!" Cervantes announced to the tavern as a whole. "Wealth is a promise to any who comes forward." He added as his lip turned up in a knowing smirk. Just then, another man came in behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Cervantes saw his traveling companion. "A might bit slow in your old age eh Val?" Cervantes shot in a calm tone. Then he returned his gaze back to the crowded tavern.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

Thorne looked up from her book at the mention of "magess" with an arched eyebrow. She was hesitent to trust anyone, especially when wealth was a promise, but she could use that money. She closed the book and took a carefull look at this man, her defences up. She wouldn't make a move either way, yet.

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

Hopping up onto an occupied table right next to him, Cervantes spoke again. "Come now! Browning, the capital city of Darmus, and you expect me to believe no magess to be here? I'd sooner believe a dwarven brewery had run dry! Hah!" Three miners sat around the table Cervantes was now standing on. One of the three was now wearing his flagon of ale and simply did not look pleased. Cervantes paid them no mind as he looked about the room, his head lowered, hair hanging limply over his eyes.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

Suddenly whisking the book under the table, Thorne dropped her head, allowing the cloak to cover her pale face. She did not know how to read this man, or even what his line was, but she wasn't going to fall for any of it. Her grey eyes peeked out from under the hood, letting her observe the world from her narrow field of vision, but allowing her face to remain hidden.

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

Cervantes' gaze fell upon a lone figure in a smoky corner of the tavern. Lowering his head just a touch more, he sniffed once, narrowing his eyes. It was a woman hidden under the cloak...

One of the miners stood up and was about to speak, only Cervantes hopped off the table completely ignoring the man. He began to push through the tavern toward the woman.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

Tensing, Thorne hoped that he was headed for another table. She pressed her back to the wall, withdrawing further into the shadows as her hands gripped the book.

 

[Ravenloft]

OOC: Pic of me as Cervantes

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

"Hello Magess..." Cervantes said smoothly as he planted his hands upon Thorne's table and leaned forward. "I gather you to be rather untrusting? Good, that would be a credit to you... Later on." Placing a black leather pouch on the table top, Cervantes pulled a chair out. "May I sit?" Before she could answer, he already had though. His booted feet kicked up onto the chair next to him as well. "Thirsty?" He asked as he waved for a barmaid.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

Sitting there, agape at the boldness of the man, Thorne nearly dropped the book she had clasped in her hands. Her eyes then fell to the pouch, examining it without daring to touch it. "What do you want?" she whispered in a smokey soft voice, her resolve keeping the tremors out of her speech patterns, barely.

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

"My fellow and I are on something of a quest..." Cervantes said cooly as he motioned toward Valdimer, who was already at the bar. "We need one who is proficient with magic though... And I would prefer that someone to be you. Or someone much like you." Cervantes said as he turned to look her over. The bar maid came over to them and he ordered a pitcher of ale and two flagons for the table. As the bar maid turned away, Cervantes took a glance at her form, then returned his eyes to Thorne. He pushed the pouch toward her. "This is yours regardless, but if you will acompany us there will be much much more to be earned."

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

The thoughts flashed through her head as he spoke. She could handle simple quests, and from the looks of that bag, it was going to be a profitable one. She regained a bit of her composure, reaching up to push the hood of her cloak off, revealing the blue black hair with odd streaks of red running through it. "What is the quest? and Where did you learn to be so damn arrogant?" she said, her voice becoming more resonant as she spoke at her normal level, still soft, but able to command attention with the words. She spoke again, reguarding him with calm eyes. "Also, what exactly are you and your fellow expecting of me in the way of magic? I will need to know all of this before I accept or decline."

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

Taking in the sight of this woman's truly unique hair, Cervantes smiled. Slowly, his eyes settled upon her pursed lips. "We must retrieve a... Magical stone from a dragon's hoard for my friend here..." Cervantes stated as as the bar maid returned with their ale. he poured some into a flagon for himself and brought it to his lips. "And as far as learning to be arrogent... Lets just say I was born that way." He looked at her over the flagon as it still rested against his lips then he tilted it up and drained it completely. Setting it down he looked into her eyes. "We need you to deal with the dragon, and her traps along the way... Anything she might have in place, waiting for someone to disturb her..." Cervantes said, seeing wholey unconcerned over it as he poured a second ale.

 

[Valdimer]

Valdimer Elsworth


Valdimer watched, somewhat rather amused, at Cervantes way of making thier proposal. Shaking his head, and giving a slight laugh, he made his way to the bar, and ordered a shot of blue lightning. Laying his 2 gold coins on the bar top, he turned his attention agian to Cervantes. Easily shooting the shot down, he continued to watch as Cervantes singled out one of the few maidens in the bar that werent employeed there. Motioning for another shot, he continued his observation. Allowing himself another slight grin, Valdimer ran his fingers through his long black hair, and made his way to the table.


"You'll have to excuse my unmannered friend here. His mother surely did not beat him enough as a child." he said, pulling a chair out for himself. Taking a seat, he agian took his newest shot, and set the small glass on the table, and threw another purse of money along side Cervantes. "Perhaps that will encurage your curiosity a little more?" he said, pulling Cervantes feet off the table..........

 

[Firesprite]

the barmaid, Lissa

Slipping out the door from the taverns kitchen Lissa darted swiftly to the stable.
Entering an unused stall I knocked lightly twice then once then twice again. I could hear a quick rustling as the occupant on the other side released the hidden catches and the door swung in.

With a few whispered words I imparted my message:
"Sir, there are two, newly arrived, one brash and arrogant like you said, and the other smooth and charming. they come seeking a magess to quell the dragon so they can steal a magic stone. Thorne was there and they speak with her now!"

Departing with a large gold coin stowed into an inner pocket, Lissa returned to her duties in the tavern. Watching and Serving at table, if the former paid more than the latter, she could live with that. She has been promised more.

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

Cervantes' hand flew across Val's face with a loud smack. He shot his fellow a look as he set his feet back onto the chair. Without a word, Cervantes followed the re-enterance of the bar maid. "
"Bar maid! Here to me!" Cervantes called out as she returned, waving his hand. He knew deception was in the air, but it wasn't from the magess... "Bar Maid... Here now!" He growled as he took the magess in with his dark, lusting eyes.

 

[Valdimer]

Valdimer Elsworth


Cervantes' hand hit Val hard...hard enough to knock a normal man from his seat, but Valdimer held steady. Rubbing his cheek, Val spoke, quite softly..."Cervantes......please...dont hit me agian. I value you to much of a friend to slaughter you in front of this fair maiden here." he said, giving Cervantes a very unhappy glare. "Now, back to buisness....My dear....exactly what type of magical abilities do you hold? " Val said, watching agian as Cervantes made bold of himself.......

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

"Oh, now Val... You know it is all in love..." Cervantes mocked, he took such pride in mockery the his lips curled up in a wolfish smile. "Still, we need you, we have the gold to pay you for three life times. You just have to live through a dragon and a month..." cervantes said just as calmly as a man talking about velum paper... "Are you in?" He asked smoothley.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

Gazing at the money, Thorne's hands tensed around the book. It was more than she would need, but still, a dragon and a month? What was the catch? She leveled her gaze to take in the two men, distrust evident in her eyes as she studied them both. With a deep breath, she pryed one of her hands off the book and slipped it out to close around the purses, pleased to see that no tremor betrayed her inner thoughts. Her eyes hardened to a steel grey as her mind made up. "All right gentlemen, you have yourselves a bargain, as long as you accept my one condition. That condition is that if either one of you lays so much as a hand on me without my permission, or to save me from danger when I am otherwise occupied, I am allowed to express my scorn, physically"

 

[Firesprite]

The Barmaid, Lissa

With a start Lissa jumped at the rude summons from the arrogant man, hoping he hadn't marked her returning from out -of-doors.
Taking up a fresh pitcher of ale and smoothing back the wisps of hair that framed her face, she slowly approached the table.

Trying to appear nonchalant as she came closer, and adding a distracting sway to her step she heard enough of Thornes words to deduce that she had fallen in with these hard men.

Filing the information away for retelling later, she smiled at the man sprawlled confidantly at the table.

"How may I serve you tonight, Milord?"

 

[Ravenloft]

Cervantes:

"Is that your only condition? Heh, very well then... I accept. We shall not be geared to leave till the morning, magess... So rest yourself and you would do well to memorize a few protective spells tonight..." Cervantes said with a roguish smile as the bar maid once more returned. "Serve me? On your hands and knees would be preferable..." Cervantes said, still smiling as his hand stole a brushing touch along the maid's hip. "Short of that, simply keep the ale coming, my friend here has something of a thirst to be quenched, as do I..." Cervantes added, his eye's thirsting for more than brew as he looked the maid over.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

Thorne:

Wondering who she was going to need the protective spells against, the dragon, or the rouge, Thorne nodded and gathered her cloak around her, bringing out the book once more and flipping to the spell she had been memorizing before the man had entered. She mused that the spell on the next page would probably also come in handy, if she was to be dealing with this man for an entire month. She could handle a dragon, and she could then go on and do what she wanted to do, live her dream. The hand she had around the purses withdrew into an unseen pocket, hiding the money away, her face turning to impersonal distaste at the man's behavior over the woman serving. She was in for a Long month.

 

[Firesprite]

Lissa

Ignoring the hand brushing her hip Lissa refilled the ale mugs. With her back turned to the man the others called Cervantes, Lissa took note of the heaviness of the bags and the gentle clinks they made as Thorne secreted them about her person.
Deciding there may be better money to be had attaching herself to this small party than continuing her spy work at the tavern, she resolved to make herself useful.
Not resisting was her first step towards that goal, so when Cervantes grasped her by the waist and pulled her down onto his lap, she allowed the rough handling.
Brushing her hand lightly against her belly she could feel the carved charm peircing her belly button, her protection against pregnancy.