Feral Flame Tavern - A Collaborative Fantasy Adventure

[TarnishedPrincess]

Setting:

This is the Feral Flame Tavern, a generic Fantasy-themed tavern where those with an interest in fantasy-themed roleplay can meet in character and break the ice with new members.

For anyone else who remembers the AOL chatroom RP days of the internet, I thought I’d bring some of that experience here. I hope this thread will be a great way to introduce characters to each other, meet others with a writing style you like, and just break the ice of RP in a more casual setting.

Some suggested norms/etiquette to help with RP:

- (()) denote Out of Character chatter
- Write action and dialogue like typical paragraphs in a story.
- Describe your own character’s actions and choices. Not others’ (unless you have their consent.)
- If you hit it off with someone, take the spicy RP out of this thread to your own threads, to respect everyone’s different preferences.

That said, have fun describing your entrance to the tavern, and happy role-playing!

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

((I’ll make a character introduction post, to give everyone an idea of how they might post their own RP intros.))

Elle looks down at herself in her torn rags and besmirched flesh. Behind her, the alley she emerged from lay silent and empty. No sign of her pursuers. Good.

Pulling the thick cloak she’d managed to steal over her suspicious raiment, she pushes through the sparse cobblestone street to the nearest tavern, a wooden sign emblazoned with a flame in the shape of a dragon hanging over its door, the words, “The Feral Flame” glittering beneath it.

It seemed respectable enough, but not too much so. Hopefully the perfect place for her to lay low and regroup.

Climbing the steps, she opens the creaking door and steps inside to a smattering of distrustful stares thrown her hooded way. Ignoring them, she steps up to the bar and places a silver coin on its surface. “Dinner for one. And wine, if you have it.”

A nod from the burly barkeep, who slides the silver to himself and calls something to the kitchen, and Elle makes her way to the table in the darkest corner, hoping any prying eyes will lose interest in her so she can eat and think in peace.

 

[Nico231]

((I’ll bite))

The tavern door swung open, shining light into the place. Before the tavern patrons stood a human, of intimidating presence. He was adorned in a bear pelt cloak, his face covered with a myriad of scars, the result of hundreds of battles.

He looked serious, as if he never let his guard down. He sauntered through the tavern, completely ignoring the suspicious eyes trained on him. It was as if he had no fear. His name was Asvard, a man revered for his hunting prowess and his contributions to any cause he fights for.

Asvard sat down and hung up his cloak on his chair, revealing he had brown hair that went halfway down his neck like a waterfall. He went up to the bar, slamming two silver coins onto the counter, and barked in a gruff tone. “Give me some Fairy Ale, and make it hard.”

He turned and went to sit back down as the barkeeper took the 2 coins. He relaxed and took a deep breath, trying to calm down and unwind after his last hunt that almost ended in failure.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

At the loud entrance by the bear of a man, Elle’s eyes snap to the door and follow him warily as he sits. He didn’t seem to be searching for anyone. By his attire, she would guess he was some kind of warrior—or perhaps a mercenary?

A waitress sets down a plate of chicken and vegetables, and a goblet of cheap wine in front of her. The gears of her mind begin churning as a she brings a forkful of meat to her mouth and chews, watching the man.

Could he be an ally, or would he turn into just another threat?

 

[Nico231]

Asvard sat patiently while he waited, and 30 seconds later, his tankard of Fairy Ale arrived. It was a bit sweet with a tart aftertaste. He took a swig as he sighed, ruminating on the hunt he just got back from.

He was hunting a Chimera, he remembered it’s physical traits well: a lion’s head, sharp bovid horns, mighty feathered wings, a dragon’s tail, and clawed feet. He had killed many chimeras before, but something happened and nearly screwed him out of a handsome reward for killing it.

As he was lost in thought, he felt a pair of eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. He turned to face the woman adorned in tattered rags, his dark blue eyes locking onto hers, they seemed to permeate the darkness as he gritted his teeth.

He wasn’t sure what to make of this woman, but he knew what he’d do if he deemed her a threat. He took another swig of his ale as he kept eye contact with her, his face unchanged from when she first saw him enter.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

Elle pulls the thick cloak tighter around herself to hide the tattered clothing beneath. Why did this man’s gaze make her feel naked, even with this massive cloak shielding her?

Her eyes remain locked with his, though. She wasn’t one to back down from a confrontation. A fact that had gotten her in trouble back home on more than one occasion. She was careful to keep her expression neutral as she took a sip from her wine goblet, then raised it slightly to him in a subtle toast. A peace offering for possibly disturbing his meal with her stare.

 

[Nico231]

He observed her toast and without a change in his expression, raised his tankard and nodded. He was curious to say the least, so he stood from his seat, threw his cloak on and went over to her table. He sat across from her and set his tankard on the table.

He eyed her suspiciously before speaking, he told her, “You shouldn’t stare at people like that, these people don’t like it one bit.” He looked around before turning back to her.

“I’m Asvard, the Berserker of Avalhorn. I’m a warrior from the north.” He seemed proud of his title, and rightfully so, he was revered in many of the kingdoms he had visited for his strength and skill.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

“I can see that,” she said, her murmured voice nearly lost in the din of the tavern. She took another sip of her wine before nodding at his introduction. “Asvard of Avalhorn. You can call me Elle. From nowhere. Though I have been meaning to travel a bit.” She smirks behind her goblet at the private irony of her statement.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

“The Avalhorn warriors are an honorable people, from what I’ve heard…would you say you follow their same code?”

 

[Nico231]

He took a hearty swig of his ale, and continued to chat with her. “In Avalhorn there are two types of warriors, the Svakis, or common warriors, and the Sterkers, which are the elite warriors from the tundras of Avalhorn. I am a Sterker, so I follow the creed, ‘Fight to the bitter end, and die with honor.’ That is our way.”

He cracked his knuckles as he continued, “So Elle, what brings someone like you to a dingy place like this?” He looked around before locking eyes with her once more. “This is a place where shifty individuals gather: thieves, warlocks, witches, anyone in the moral gray or evil gathers here to do business.”

He followed up by saying, “I’m not one of them, I just like the drinks. They make their Ales hard, perfect for a Sterker such as myself.” He took the time to admire her features, since despite her tattered rags, she was quite beautiful.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

She nodded at his affirmation that he was Sterker. She remembered a little about them from her history lessons, and knew that they did live with honor. She might be able to trust him…she had to try. She doubted she’d get out of here without someone recognizing her at the gates—unless she had help.

“I needed a place to…lay low for a bit,” she began cautiously, her eyes flicking from his to the doorway, to the rest of the room, and then back to his eyes. “Maybe meet a new friend or two…. What of you? What brings you this far south?”

 

[Nico231]

He chugged his ale and then slammed the tankard on the table. “I was sent south to achieve glory for my people overseas.” He took a deep breath. “Avalhorn doesn’t have much sway in these parts, so my King asked me personally to come down here to show our Nordic might to gain some recognition worldwide.”

He realized he finished his ale and went over for another one. He refilled his tankard and sat down again. He looked her in her eyes yet again, “Your eyes are constantly shifting, is something troubling you?”

Her shifting eyes made him feel uneasy, as if he should anticipate a fight. He clenched his fist tightly as he looked at the door. “Elle, calm down, no one will bother you if I’m here.”

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

She fixed her eyes on him again as he sat back down and called her on her hyper vigilance. Hopefully he was just particularly observant and no one else noticed how suspiciously she was acting.

At his question, she downed the rest of her wine and nodded. “I appreciate that you form a good wall between others’ attention and myself…but if anyone recognizes me, you might be in danger. So if you’d rather not complicate your journey, I’d understand if you left my table right now. However…”

She glances around one more time to make sure no one is watching them, then leans forward to whisper. “If you want to get that recognition you came here for, you could help me get out of the city, and I’ll tell you everything—and how I can make a name for you not just in the south, but in the entire continent.”

 

[Nico231]

Upon hearing what she said, he took another swig of his ale, “I take it you’re some kind of rogue then?” Her hyper vigilance pointed him in that direction. He didn’t know if he could trust Elle, but he had to try.

“Alright Elle, I’ll help you get out of the city, but on one condition. You have to tell me the whole and honest truth of why you’re trying to escape the city.” He took another swig of his ale and then stood up to stretch himself out.

“Agree to my terms, and I can assure you that no one will so much as stare at you as you leave the city.” He seemed quite confident in that assertion.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

She smirked at the barbarian’s guess at her being a rogue. “You could say that. And I know I can trust your word as a Sterker once given, but I cannot risk even speaking of my circumstances until I’m safely outside and away from the city. I know my word is not as sterling as your people’s, but I give it nonetheless: if you get me out of here safely, I will reveal myself to you. And I promise your people’s reputation and honor will spread beyond even this land.”

 

[Nico231]

He didn’t like this arrangement one bit, but he felt he had to take a leap of faith and trust her. “Very well Elle, I’ll help you out, if it means I can earn the respect and glory of my forefathers before me, then I shall help you. But if I find out this is all a lie...”

His voice went colder and deeper, “You will rue the day you ever tried to fool a Sterker.” Elle could tell that Asvard was not kidding, after all the Kingdom of Avalhorn was one of the scariest Kingdoms to be at war with. Not only for their military might, but also their brutal torture methods and executions.

After that threat, the clock tower tolled nine times, implying it was 9 PM now. He stood and chugged the rest of his ale. “Come on Elle, let’s get out of here and come up with a way to get out of Lerinal.” He held his hand out to her as a sign of trust.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

At his threat, she only met his cold gaze without a blink, nodding once in acknowledgement as he stood and held out an arm to her.

Staring at it for a moment as if considering whether it would turn into a snake and strike, she finally reached out from the thick cloak to clasp his hand in return.

Her arm looked so slight and pale compared to his, smeared with dirt and bruised though it was. Her grip—though Asvard could tell she squeezed as firmly as she could—barely registered in his massive palm.

“Then we have a deal.”

And with that, she followed him out of the room.

 

[Nico231]

He walked out of the tavern with her and kept looking over his shoulder. “You certainly are banged up, anyone could see that. I guess you weren’t kidding about needing to get out of here.” He saw the gate leading out of the city, but the drawbridge was up, so he looked back at her.

“The drawbridge is up, and we can’t wait until the morning.” He lead her to the outskirts of the city, and brought her to a cabin in the woods, there was a ton of skulls on pikes surrounding the perimeter of the hut. “Welcome to my cabin, it’s a bit small, but it’s warm.”

He lead her inside and got a fire going. “So where are you gonna go? Urbeth is right next to Lerinal, and is pretty quiet.” He stoked the flame and then turned to face her. “I have to leave tomorrow morning anyways, so I might as well travel with a companion.”

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

Keeping stride with him as best she could as they walked down the dark city-streets, she nudged him in the side at his constant glances behind them. “My dangers are in front of us.” She nodded toward a couple of guards stationed before the closed and massive city entrance.

As the barbarian had said, the drawbridge was up. No one could leave or enter the city easily, as no magic teleportation could breach the city shields. The walls themselves were smooth and tall, with patrolling guards at the ramparts above it. Lerinal wasn’t called “the fortress city” for nothing. It housed and protected the mighty King of Fairel, after all.

She smiled bitterly at the thought, then followed Asvard away from the open streets towards the back of the city, where lumber yards and farmsteads dotted open fields before being enclosed once more by those massive city walls.

A rescue attempt would have been futile from without. So it was up to her to make her own escape. Then, maybe, she could contact and rejoin her allies.

At his cabin—and the gruesome fence of skulls—she hesitated. She had heard plenty of stories of the Sterker’s brutality, but had never come face-to-face with it. She glanced up at her tentative ally, the many scars along his chiseled features, and wondered if she weren’t safer running away now and finding her own way out…

But as she thought back to their travel through the streets, how the guards’ gaze landed squarely on him, barely noticing the waif of a figure behind him, she set her mind and followed him in.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

She sat on the floor near the fire, holding out her slender fingers to warm them, her hood still drawn about her face.

At his questions, she shrugged. “Perhaps. I will make that decision after we have made it safely out of the city…”

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

She couldn’t be sure how he would react once he found out the truth of her identity. She needed time to form an escape plan from him, if he turned out not to be as trustworthy as she hoped.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

“So…I see a few ways we could approach this.” She held up a slender finger for emphasis. “One, you smuggle me out of the city somehow, tucked away inconspicuously enough that the guards wouldn’t think to check. I’m not sure how we would accomplish that, but it is an option.”

Another finger raised to join the first. “Two, I disguise myself convincingly enough to pass as your travel companion, complete with a believable enough cover story that they would not look at me too closely or question our legitimacy.”

A third finger lifts. “Or finally—and likely most dangerous—we somehow scale the wall up, avoid detection by any guards, and scale down the other side. All without raising any alarms or being detected, even once outside. A long shot, in my opinion.

 

[Nico231]

He thought about it as he started brewing some barley tea over the fire, he turned to her and said, “I think your second idea would be the easiest to pull off... But if we have to brawl our way out, I’m ready for that too.” She could see that on his back was a battle axe, stained red on the blade from the blood of those he fights and hunts, but also a brown shield with the Sterker’s crest in red, which was of a moose.

The tea kettle started to whistle after some time. “In order to sneak you out of the village, we’ll need to get you some new raiments, otherwise sneaking you out will be too difficult.” He poured some barley tea for the two of them and grabbed a jar of honey for flavor.

He sipped his tea and sighed, “Were your pursuers just guards? No assassins? If there were some assassins after you, then we need to get out quick.” He knew many people were assassinated in Lerinal and the Assassin’s Guild thrived in these parts.

 

[TarnishedPrincess]

After dripping in a spoonful of honey and stirring, she sipped her own tea and mulled over his words. At the warm earthy flavor, she closed her eyes and sighed, the first moment of peace she had felt in too long. Strange that it would be felt alone in an isolated cabin with a giant of a male Sterker.

But she felt oddly safe with him. At least, for now.

Opening her blue and green flecked eyes at his questions, she stared at Asvard and considered how much she could tell him. Then decided to take a small risk. “If anyone connected to the watch were to recognize me, the entire city guard would be on us in a heartbeat.”

 

[Nico231]

He chuckled, and his chuckle turned to a hearty laugh. “If that were to happen, then Lerinal wouldn’t have any soldiers to protect this dump they call a fortress.” He took a sip of his tea and locked eyes with her yet again.

“We need to get you some new raiments so I don’t leave the King without an army.” He noticed her eyes and cracked a half smile. “You know Elle, your eyes are certainly beautiful, like sapphires and emeralds.” He drank some more, and stood up looking at the fire.

“I need to get some more wood to burn.” He left the cabin and went to hack some more logs. A short while later, Asvard sliced several logs in half, which Elle could hear him do, it sounded almost as loud as a cannon.

He walked back in while hoisting a few logs on his right shoulder and dropped them into the fire. “When you finish your tea, you should get some rest, we have a lot of walking to do tomorrow.” He removed his cloak and blouse, revealing his chiseled and broad physique, before he sat by the fire and began thinking.