Fire Brew
A03: Steel von IronBrew's
It's Variday, Daeshen 17 15:30:19 1020. The full moon is up. The tide is low and ebbing. Chilly rain falls from a grey sky. It's bleak and raw. The wind blows from the east.
There's a corner in the tavern where a half-ourch sits. He has a world-worn expression on his face, and there's a tankard of Fire Bird's Brew clasped in one hand while he awaits his food. There's a harsh wind blowing outside, making the doors shudder now and again, and every time that it does Razen looks up, then down again contemplating his alcohol as if it holds all the answers in the world.
Ga'Elian strides over to Razen's table carrying a full pitcher of the Brew upon his head and juggling a few empty steins.
A new tavern, and one Dax is less likely to be ran out of any time soon. She pushes open the door and walks in, pretty sober, as she woke up not-in-a-tavern. As she starts walking in, she looks around, "Ahhh, now this is a fine place, I bet it's got lots of good times in these walls." And she shakes her head some with a grin. The half-oruch gets a look, then a second look, before she calls out, "'ey! They got ya out!" And she walks over to Razen to pat him on the back with a few hard friendly hits.
Razen smiles at Ga'Elian's antics, unable to keep the expression from his face as the elf joins him. "Ga'Elian." He tips his head to Dax as she also joins him. "And Dax too." He's a bit more reserved than he usually is, but he takes her heavy welcome in stride as though it's a natural greeting, and gestures for them both to sit down. "So they did. I hear it was a hard-fought battle. Were you there?"
Ga'Elian sets the steins down, then reaches up and grabs the pitcher. He fills a stein for Dax and another for himself, then sits next to Razen. He says, "Dangerous business, impersonating a slave. I want to hear all about it."
"I was there. They wouldn't let me follow in deeper. Had ta hold off some soldiers an' things at some gate." And Dax just shakes her head, a bit before looking over at Ga'Elian. Back to Razen, "I told ya it be nothin' good fer doin' wha' ya were doin'." Shaking her head some more at that, she shakes a finger in Razen's direction. "Ya bes' never do nothin' like tha' again else I may not be 'round ta come an' get ya... some o'ta way at least."
Darius looks up from his table and says, "Good to have you back Razen...", as he raises his tankard in salute to the half-oruch.
Razen nods and waves for Darius to join him at his table. "Yelrona is the one that said that I should pose as a slave, but as it turns out the reason they abducted me was because I got a little too close to the person that they had set up as a spy. I should have expected what happened, but they jumped me and took me to Charn." He shrugs. "I suppose you all know that part. I'm sorry you had to go in and fight just to come get me." He seems a bit embarrassed. "This wouldn't have happened if I had been able to fight them off by myself."
Ga'Elian shakes his head. "Charn is bad business. Everyone everywhere trying to scramble to the top of their heap and pulling each other down all the time - and that's for insiders. Strangers are even worse off."
A couple more nods there, and Dax says, "Yer exactly right. You should have ta buy me a drink." She says with a smile in the half-oruch's direction. "Ya made me come an' get ya. Ya still alive, so that means ya tough enough ta live. Tho' being a better fighter prolly would've kept ya safer." And she smacks her lips a little bit, as she looks over at the brew that Razen has.
Darius stands and moves to sit at their table and blinks, "Being a better fighter means little if you're up against the resources of a 'Duke'. The fact that he wasn't means little in the long run." He drinks his ale, "The fact is, you were saved, that's all that matters in the end."
Razen smiles again a little, and pushes the stine that Ga'Elian poured for Dax a little closer to the woman so that she can drink it. Then he takes a deep drink of his own with a soft little sigh of pleasure. "True enough, all of you. I will have to train harder so that this sort of thing never happens again." He shakes his head. "Even so, I can not believe that they really thought that I would say things that are not true for them. I might lie, but it will not be for the sake of some Charn 'investigator'."
Ga'Elian cocks his head toward Darius and says, "Duke? D'you mean that one that Aya says tried to marry her?" The looks at Razen and says, "The guy that captured you wanted you to lie for him to his own people?"
With the stein in front of her, Dax grabs it and gulps down some of the alcohol, and lets out an audible 'Ahh'. Then she settles it to the table, and she wonders, "Did they ya know... use ya against yer will?" She questions a little bit, and then looks about. Not really following the commentary about the investigator or this Duke person she shrugs a bit and smiles wider, "I bet if I 'ad been there they'd of tried somethin' like that. Maybe I'd complain after ta first few, some of them fellas were ta right kind a fella. Ya were bein' asked questions tho'? Tha' seems strange they had ta drag ya all ta way there jus' ta ask questions."
Darius nods, "That's what I've heard through the grapevine at least, that he was a courtier of the court, though I can't remember his name. Apparently it all was a big ruse." He shrugs and orders more ale, "Politics, I despise it almost as much as I do religion." He grunts then.
The half-oruch blanches and it turns his face an odd color. Razen takes another firm drink from his cup and refills it from the pitcher. He seems glad when a moment later his food arrives. It's a forced break in the conversation that lasts a few seconds. Long enough for him to regain his proper color. "His name was Charles. And he was just pretending to be a Duke apparently." He meets Ga'Elian's gaze. "It was that same man who wanted to marry Aya, and yes he wanted me to lie to his people. To everyone if he had his way."
He clears his throat, eyes flickering toward Dax. "I wouldn't say that they were asking questions so much as demanding that I say certain things the way they wanted. Apparently they thought that they could break my spirit and make it happen." He lifts his stine. "Angoron knows they tried." Razen takes another firm drink and stabs his meal viciously.
"Ohhhh, I understand ya. They were pokin' ya wit' sticks and fire." Dax shakes her head, eyes going wide, before she offers, "Better you than me I'd wager. Ya got a lot of extra meat an' scars look good on a fella. Me? I got well... nothin' of ta sort." And she drinks down more of her drink, not the most compassionate woman in the world. She smiles big at the brew, "This 'ere tastes pretty good. Ya ever sort out tha' woman who be wantin' ta be wit' ya but ya ain't fond of?" She questions to Razen, and looks over to Darius and hrms a bit. "So, wha' make a real duke an' wha' make a ruse duke?"
Darius shrugs, "One inherits a title, or has it bestowed upon him by the ruler of the nation, I'm not sure how you make a 'ruse Duke' as it were"
Razen glances sideways at Dax but takes another drink that nearly chokes him at her next question. "I have been... trapped in Charn for the last few weeks. I was not in much of a position to talk to anyone here in Alexandria." He shakes his head.
"Well, ya been back fer at least a day haven't ya?" Dax questions a bit confused, and then shrugs a little. "Ya must jus' be tired." And then she is drinking down more ale, and then she nods her head af ew more times. "I ain't too good at keepin' time. Jus' ta days sort of blur together. From one day ta evenin' and back again." And she chuckles a few times, then raising up her stein, "Ta ya bein' safe."
Darius raises his own tankard, "To being safe..." and clinks his against Dax's and nods to Razen, "You do need to rest, my friend, the outward scars may fade but those inside take longer to do so."
Razen's tankard joins the rest, clacking against them with a gentle noise. He smiles at his friends warmly and acknowledges their words. "I am tired at that, but I will be hale enough soon." He nods once. "Tell me what has been going on while I was gone. Did I miss anything exciting?"
Ga'Elian raises his near empty stein at the toast to safety. He asks Razen, "So now that you're back, are you still gonna try to infiltrate any slaver networks, or is your cover blown now, to where you're safe to go treasure hunting, and fighting monsters, and drinking with friends?"
Thinking about that for a moment, "Well, not much." And Dax shrugs her shoulders as she hits her stein against the other's containers. And then she gulps down more of it. Standing up a bit she stretches, "I got ta get goin'. Have ta pick up a few things. But when ya free up a bit from 'ere. We can talk some more when ya get all rested an' such."
Razen waves to Dax. "We will meet again soon." He seems certain of this, and then he returns his attention slowly to Ga'Elian giving a little smile. "I think my cover is blown. Besides which I think it will be some time before I go alone chasing after potential slavers. I think it is perhaps a task better done with backup."
Olek walks in just as the toasting is going on. "Ah, looks like I missed the party!" he calls out.
Ga'Elian whistles to the barwench to bring another pitcher of fire brew, then waves to Olek, beckoning him. He calls over, "You want a party, master Dwarf? Come drink with us and tell your tale!"
Razen tips his tankard up, passing off his empty plate to the woman who comes wit the drinks and pouring himself one as well as one for Olek. "Yes, here. We are celebrating my home-coming so join us!"
Olek ehs, but will come over and quaff. "My tale?" he says. "Well, I'll tell you. It's not much of a tale, as tales are reckoned here. I don't know what all everyone gets into, because whenever I go to the bloody Guild, it's 'watch this warehouse', or 'help distribute food'. None of the fighting Charnese or attacking the sewers business."
Ga'Elian wrinkles his elven nose and says, "Thank the gods I haven't had to fight in the sewers much lately. I've had those jobs, and it'll be too soon if I ever have one again.
"As for Charn, I've only had the pleasure once. The Guild had gotten a commission from the government authorities of Alexandros that Charn was building their own Planar Disjunction Cannon. We went and had to sneak into their high-security military compound and destroy the thing. I got separated from the rest of the party for what seemed like weeks in a solitary cell, then when I escaped that, I had to find my way through a maze of identical corridors. Finally I found the others just as they were retreating from soldiers in the bowels of the ship. I happened to have come with some starmetal arrows, and we ended up having to use one to gash the metal walls open so we could both escape and scuttle the ship, thus destroying the Cannon by flooding it with sea water."
"Visiting Charn is not something which I would encourage anyone to do." Razen shudders. "I would rather take a hundred missions touring the sewers." He nods to Olek. "I can understand your frustration though, one does tend to desire a bit more adventure when performing tasks for the guild."
Olek nods. "I'm not itching to go to Charn right away. But maybe some kobolds, or bandits, or giants or something, you know? I heard you had a lot of people in the war in Dran. That must've been ferocious."
Ga'Elian drinks the dregs out of his stein and refills it. He says, "Aye. The Rune-Dran War involved a bunch of folks. For me, it was more about keeping the fighting from spreading out to the natural places, So I actually took jobs in that war for bth sides. We fought other soldiers, of course, but there were also frost giants, rocs, and other beasts. When Heth showed up, though, both sides turned to fight his minions.... well, those that He hadn't raised up as wights before the Runish Counsel Snatched Rune right out of the world and all us with it. It was a good month before we returned to this world again, and we all has to spend the first couple days destroying wights."
"That sounds amazing!" There's a warm light of interest in Razen's eyes as he imagines such a war. "The names that you could earn in such fighting!" He wrpas his hands aorund his mug and settles forward in his chair the better to listen to the recounting. He meets Olek's gaze and jerks his head toward Ga'Elian to express pointing a finger without having to give up the grasp he has on his alcohol. He's been drinking a fair amount. "What do you think of /that/? That would be a fight worth being in no?"
Olek nods to Ga'Elian, quaffs more. "See, that's the sort of thing I want to get involved in." He nods to Razen, "Yeah, that sounds good. Somewhere that I can stick an axe in two or three places. Nothing like the sissy work here. Not even sewer jobs. I'd take sewer jobs, if it came to that."
Ga'Elian lets an undignified burp rip loudly out of him and say, "Well, sewer jobs and rescuing farmers' livestock are the
dues you pay while you wait for the more exciting jobs to come your way. Plus, they're good practice." He stands up and announces for the world to hear, "I gotta piss. Where's the bucket?"
Razen nods in time to Olek's words. "I have heard that some of those sewer jobs get interesting at least." He watches Ga'Elian stand up and smiles. "It is over there friend." He points in the proper direction.
Olek grumbles, "I'd take those jobs, too. I rescued a couple pigs, but all they pay is silver. I'm lookin for the jobs that pay gold. And glory." He shrugs about the bucket. "As long as you go outside, I don't think anyone cares."
Ga'Elian nods and makes a beeline for the door. The chilly wind that blows in from his departure is barely settled when he opens the door again and walks back in, a look of relief on his face.
As Ga'Elian gets up to make his restroom break Razen speaks up to Olek. "You should come with me on my next mission. Perhaps you will have better luck with it. I know that I have been making more money of late than I truly know what to do with." He flashes the other man a smile and then looks up as Ga'Elian returns. "Feeling better I see. Have another round."
Olek nods to Razen about going on his next mission. "When is that, then?" he wonders. He laughs as Ga'Elian scuttles out, and then hurries back. "Don't want to miss a moment of the drinking, then?":
Ga'Elian sits back down and says, "This Fire Brew's good stuff, friend. Besides, you shoulda seen the shocked look on that gobber's face when I just whipped it out and watered the lawn outside! Priceless!"
"Tonight in fact!" He seems excited. "I know I just got back, but I feel the need to stretch my limbs and loose some of the tension that has gathered over the last weeks of being..." He trails off and grins at Ga'Elian. "I can imagine!"
Olek laughs, nods to Ga'Elian. "Priceless!" he agrees. He ehs to Razen, "Tonight? I've got things to do tonight." He grumbles, "this is why I get passed over for missions. I won't hop to the Guild's schedule."
Ga'Elian takes a deep swig then says, "Well, the Guild is pretty easy with it's gold as long as you give'em a decent story. Why don't ya round some buddies and strike out on your own? Find some monster to kill and they'll pay ya. I, for one, know that the Felwood is just teeming with all sorts o' things... Giant spiders, trolls, the occasional demon, ghouls, maticores, owlbears... You name it. And the Guild'll pay for all of 'em."
Razen nods to Ga'Elian and finishes his tankard with one long pull. There's only enough left to fill his so he waves over for another one. They've been drinking quite a lot. Him perhaps more than the others. It doesn't seem to be affecting him much though, so perhaps that's why. "Aye. I suggest that if you can not find one of their missions that's fitted to your schedual or your liking."
Darius grunts, "Personally, the only good Charn, is a dead Charn, they're either slavers or in league with them."
Olek nods at what Darius says, and replies to Razen, "I don't really know anyone, though. Much less to go fighting with them. And if I did, the Guild never has anywthing when I can go. I still do a bit of work on my own, and I'll be buggered if I'll go when I'm doing something else."
Ga'Elian looks around the common room for a few moments before his gaze lands upon a table where a group of ladies clad in leather and wearing weapons sits. He rises, saying, "'Scuse me, gents. And walks over to the ladies' table. He pulls out the one empty chair there and sets one foot on it, leaning in and says, "Good evenin' ladies. Any chance one o' you might be interested in bringing a half-elf into this here world?"
At this, one of the ladies (debatably the ugliest of the group) leans back and hollars to Razen, Darius, and Olek. "Heya, is your elf here any good at fuckin'? I ain't never been screwed by such a pretty boy." The other ladies chuckle.
"You know me now friend, and I would happily go hunting with you to fight some monsters or creatures that need killing..." Razen trails off and watches Ga'Elian rise up and head over to the table. He blink's at the elf's comment and then lets out a little amused noise. "Half-elves." He laughs again as if there is something funny about it. Then he speaks up, calling back to the woman. "He's fantastic in bed! You should give him a try if he's inclined!"
Olek snorts at Ga'Elian's attempt to get some. He says back to the lady, "Sex is like snow. You never know how many inches you'll get or how long it will last." He asides to Razen, "That one's a two-bagger. One for over her head, and one over yours in case hers gets torn."
Darius just shakes his head and raises a tankard and says, "It could be worse... at least she doesn't have 3 legs... I could tell you stories about picking up barmaids in strange taverns..." He grimaces then and belches.
When the woman stands up, she dwarfs the brazen elf. She must be a giant-born as she stands some 8 feet tall. She says, "Alright, elf-boy. Let's go in the back see how you perform. If I like you, I'll buy all the drinks for your friends there. If not, you buy for my table." Ga'Elian looks up at her, his eyes stopping for a moment at those jotun-sized breasts, then says, "It's a deal." She leads the way into a back room and he follows.
Razen laughs at Olek's comment and shrugs. "I am not a good judge to be honest." He seems more concerned about what Darius says though, looking at the man in confusion. "Did she hit you that hard over the head then? That you thought she had three legs?"
Olek looks up and up, then laughs at Ga'Elian. "Well, good luck," he says. And to Darius, "If she had another leg between the normal two, you're in the wrong kind of tavern, chum."
Darius looks at the woman, then at Ga'Elian and mutters, "Lucky rotten bastard..." He then blearily looks at Razen and Olek and explains, "Let's just say I had one too many tankards of ale, and 'she' was a very pretty half-troll man that wasn't too particular about sex and where he gets it from... In my defense, I wasn't the only one who got a surprise that night."
With a bet on the line for the cost of drinks, this is gonna be a quickie, no doubt about it, but for the moment, the big woman and little man shut the door behind them, and not much more can be discerned, at least without getting close to the door...
The half-orc glances toward the door a few times, but seems secure in the knowledge that Ga'Elian will win the bet. He returns his attention to the conversation and lets out an amused noise. "Sounds like quite a night. What surprise did you give to him then?" He seems genuinely curious, his eyes flickering over the other man, and he lowers his voice a little, but not as much as he thinks he is. "Are you really a woman?"
Olek nods to Darius, "I'll bet that was a surprise. Half troll. Gah." He shivers, quaffs more ale, orders another round, and quaffs half of that. He shrugs about Ga'Elian being lucky, and says, "I dunno, I've seen a couple jotunbrud around the toilets, and I don't think he's got what it takes to do the job. But he's a wizzer, maybe he can magic her satisfied." He watches them head out.
Darius glares at Razen, "A punch in the face for the confusion and no, I am not..." He sits back now, a little peeved, and says to Olek, "He loses then, the bet was for him to satisfy her sexually, magic doesn't count." Not that he likes magic any better than politics or religion, a fighter through and through.
Since nobody made any remote attempts to keep the escapades in the back room a secret, about half the common room glances to the door every now and again. Before long, the woman's laughter can be heard.
Razen looks wistful for a moment and then flashes a grin at Darius. "I thought you looked too handsome to be a woman, but considering the story it seemed worth the question." He looks around the table then. "I think he can manage without magic, in fact I would lay wager that he can. If she does not come out satisfied with what he gives her /I/ will buy rounds. But if she does then you each buy me a shot and I will share with our elvish friend."
Olek smirks at Darius's comment. He's no wizzer, either, to judge from the axe and breastplate, so what does he know about what could be done? He says to Razen, "Well, buying a few drinks is probably a good price for a twopenny upright in the back room with a giantborn." He shrugs to Razen, "Who knows. Who cares. Not my type anyhow. Too tall."
A crash now follows, as of something wooden smashing.
Darius raises an eyebrow at the noises and says, "So you say, but I wouldn't mind a go at her, those jotunborn have stamina to spare and they have big..." He indicates his chest, "If I had to chose a way to die, death by snu-snu sounds good to me."
At long last, the door opens. Out walks a swaggering Ga'Elian wearing only his hose and tunic as he buckles the belt around his waist. His quiver and haversack are slung over opposite shoulders, but that's it. The look on his face is amused more than anything else as he strides past the ladies' table. Behind him the giant-born reaches into her shirt to readjust her right breast. Her expression is as ga-ga-eyed as her hair is roughed up, and she follows Elian to the guys' table. She reaches into her purse and puts some coins on the table, plenty to pay for the drinks, and says with a wink to Ga'Elian, "Drop in and see me again sometime, babe." Then to Razen she asks, "Are all elves as wild and frisky as him?" She returns to her table without waiting for an answer and when she sits, Darius catches a momentary eyeshot right up her skirt between her thighs.
"I find myself longing after the Jotun myself." He seems to think about the thought fondly and drinks down his drink with one long pull before standing up to pour himself another. There's a slight sway as he sits back down. Seems as though the brew is finally starting to take effect. A moment later the woman in question is dumping money onto their table and he laughs arching an eyebrow at his companions. "What did I tell you?" He laughs again and stands up once more to pull out the chair for Ga'Elian. When the elf is in reach Razen clasps him on the shoulder firmly.
Olek laughs at Darius, and says, "Yeah, that'd be about the best way to go, if I had a choice. I don't expect to be given that option. But it'd be nice." He shrugs to Razen, and says, "We still can't say if it's skill or magic. But I'm not complaining about free drinks."
Darius raises his tankard in the direction of Ga'Elian and says again, admiringly, with feeling "You goddamned lucky rotten bastard!" When he gets the eyeful upskirt, he grins and says, "Now how can I follow after that?" He then shrugs at Olek, "That's why I'm a mercenary, I fight hard, drink hard and fuck harder. I have coin to spend and women and ale to spend it on. Life is good, aye?" He says to the rest as he starts to slur words from the drink.
Ga'Elian looks up, grinning, and says, "I think that now that I've broken down the wall, you might have your pick o' the others just for the asking, Darius. Hell, why not all three at once?" He glances back at his latest conquest and winks, then says to the guys, "I need to go wash that stanky cvnt-juice off. You dudes have fun." Looking at Razen he adds, "Welcome back, friend. I'll see you around." At this, he gets up, reaches into his shoulder bag and grabs out his cloak. Clasps it on and reslings the quiver over his shoulder then heads for the door.
Razen lifts his tankard in farewell to Ga'Elian, tipping it back and drinking it as a salute and because he's had enough to not care. Then he seems to change his mind and then picks up the pitcher and follows after the elf. "Wait and I will come with you friend. I need another bath myself after all that time I spent in the prison." Nobody thinks to stop the half-ourch from taking the pitcher with him. After all... one rarely wants to tangle with a drunken man his size.
Olek laughs and toasts Darius. "Here's to drinking and fighting and fucking." He quaffs, laughs at Ga'Elian, and nods as he heads off. "I'm gonna go find a place to piss, now that the bathroom's wrecked here. You fellas take it easy." He finishes his beer and heads out.