Fernwood Organ Tuning

Log Info

• Title: Fernwood Organ Tuning
• Emitter: Ashes
• Characters: Ashes, Gadget, Knightmare
• Place: A07: Fernwood Pub
• Time: Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 12:18 PM
• Summary: Ashes slips into the Fernwood for a quick lunch. Gadget is there, playing the organ and singing about the good old days. The Knightmare arrives, escorting an old, blind woman. Gadget switches to a more spooky, ominious tone, and Ash is curious about the knight, intrigued by her design but not recognizing she's a Vardamite. Introductions are made, with Gadget and Ashes offering to join the old woman and her guardian for a meal. Ashes slips upstairs to get something from Braelnoir's room. Things continue without her.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-<* A07: Fernwood Pub *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The common room of the Fernwood Pub dominates the inn, spacious and airy because of the high, vaulted ceiling. Ornately carved beams of dark, polished wood form a lattice overhead, supporting the arched roof two storeys above the floor. To the right of the double-door entry is a spiral staircase, winding upwards to a balcony that rings and overlooks the main area. Large windows at this level grant an excellent view of the river to the west and colorful market stalls to the north and east. An air of coziness is salvaged by keeping the pub dimly lit; parchment-shrouded mana lanterns hang at intervals from the base of the balcony, nestled amongst lush, magically propagated ivy and ferns that grow over this false demi-ceiling and the struts that support it.

The bar is sleek and simple, comprised of meticulously polished black lacquer. Tables are set under the darker niches formed by the balcony floor as well as on the balcony itself. A few are deliberately sized to accommodate halflings and gnomes, but the majority are meant for human-sized individuals. A large common table is on the main floor, set before a semi-circular stage situated against the western wall. Beside it, with pipes mounted upon the wall and running up past the balcony and almost to the ceiling, is a refurbished pipe organ made to look like the one lost when the Fernwood was destroyed during the Merkabah Siege.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
Gadget       3'6"     38 Lb      Gnome             Female    Beautiful and unnatural.
Knightmare   6'4"     294 Lb     War Golem         Female    A knightly construct on the hoof bearing heraldry of lost Dragonier.
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It's the noon rush at the Fernwood, and the pub is packed for lunch. Most of the tables and seats at the bar are full. Both servers are out and rushing about, and the hum of conversation is loud. The snow outside has driven people in.

And another one enters the pub. It's an Arvek Nar in a lot of grey, wearing a light grey winter cloak over top. With the hood up, shadows cover her face. She shakes off snow, and the covering, and looks around for an empty spot. Her first choice is the dark table under the stairs, that seems occupied. She picks a seat nearby and stares.

GAME: Gadget rolls Perform/Sing: (10)+4: 14

The clockwork gnome has been poking her head around the workings of the pipe organ in the establishment for the last hour or so. While initially, she had been working at it with a monkey, the monkey was strangely absent as the gnome stood in front of the keyboard. Stepping forward, she pushes down on one of the dozens of pedals beneath it, an ominous, low tone sounding out. Moonstone eyes go wide as joy of the contraption fills the small woman. She reaches up and pushes down on a half dozen keys which harmonize with her pedal choice. A shiver visibly runs down her spine before she changes things up into a new chord that follows from the first. She closes her eyes and lets herself get lost in the music and artifice working together.

The door opens again, punctuating the ominous note with the squeal of frosted hinges and rush of outside air. A wizened homan woman in rags under a heavy, apparantly brand new, cloak shuffles arm-in-arm with a grim faced figure of gleaming steel.

There are a couple of spit takes as eyes find the door's entrants, some murmuring.

For every three tiny shuffling steps of the hunched old woman, there comes a single hoofbeat as the Knightmare carefully escorts her inside, the voice issuing is soft, but touched by a hollow echo, "Steady, madame, there's a free seat to your right. You're almost there." The figure gives the patrons a lookover, taking some note of the musician, as well as the Arvek of similarly welcoming countenance.

Ash's attention is drawn first by the organ music. Recognizing the muscian, she moves over and sits where she can listen. Her cloak comes with her. She makes a slow wave accompanied by a simple, "Hi."

It's at this moment that the old woman and the golem... horse-person enters. That's a fascinating sight and she stares as she is wont to do. Skull-face meets skull-face. It causes her to comment to Gadget, "Look. Spookier than me, more mechanical than you."

Gadget looks up and smiles as she recognizes Ashes. "Hey," she says happily as she keeps playing spoopy chords in sequence. Looking toward the door, she says, "Ooh, I'm providing actually appropriate entry music. Hang on." She turns back to the keyboard and pushes out a crescendo...or tries to. Turns out, it doesn't matter how hard to slam down on the keys of an organ, they don't get louder. Her metal fingers click against the ivory as she continues playing.

Knightmare continues her escort, ignorant of her inspirations as the din of the music subsumes the commentary of her regard. Ultimately, the golem helps the woman ease down into a seat.

The stares mitigate a touch, though, peculiarly enough the half elven serving girl emerges from the back room and startles with a briefly bewilered, "Bra-?" before clamming up. She ventures to a table close to the bar to dole out an order, glancing a couple of times at the old woman and her odd escort.

There's a flick of the knight's tail, and a cant to her head as the old woman reaches up a gnarled hand to gently grip the armored forearm with a wheezy, "Thank you, dear."

"You're quite welcome, madame. I will see to meals and a room."

"Yes." Ash nods, not exactly 'grooving' to the music but appreciating it in her own, motionless way. Her ears twitch just a little, they're too large for sitting close to an organ, and she's already overhearing much of the room's conversations without being able to pick out individual threads. She watches Gadget's fingers with some fascination, then looks at the golem once more.

"She's busy." Ash tells Gadget, then makes an effort to attract the server's attention. She waves just as the half-elf looks away. She adjusts her satchel onto her lap, then opens it and reaches around inside. She takes out a small compact and opens it up. The Vardama pamphlet comes with it, and she pushes it back into the bag. That's enough of a reminder though, normal people ask their friends how they're doing, especially when they haven't been around in a while. This is a much better greeting than 'You're still living?'

"How have you been?"

Gadget smiles. "I've been alright," Gadget says. "I've missed having meals with you, though. You don't have to feed me, but it would be nice to have some bread and soup together again." She stops playing, leaving the progression unfinished. "You want to bother that old lady and see if she wants to eat with us while I go get Mr. Jinglewidget from the back?"

Gently extricating herself from the old woman's grip with assurances that she is just stepping over to the innkeeper to handle the details, Knightmare starts to cover the distance with several comparatively light hoofbeats while the ladies by the organ discuss more inclusive social engagement. There is a little dip of the chin as the construct ventures past the now silenced organ with a, polite if hollow, "Ladies." and carries on to begin negotiations with Bill over food and a room, an articulated arm pointing back toward the old woman who seems delighted just to be inside out of the cold.

"Ok." Ashes says, slipping off her seat. She follows after the Knightmare, approaching the old woman. To a random observer it would seem that a little Death is coming for her. The Mourner moves quietly and has that quiet-of-the-grave aura about her. Fortunately, the woman is blind. Ashlee puts her hand on the table, asks quietly, "Would you like company?"

She looks over towards the kitchen, camping another patron will surely get her server attention now. In the meantime she nods once as the golem, "Hello."

Gadget has wandered off behind the workings of the machine. She will almost certainly return after a short time.

The old human stares blindly up into the sound of the quiet query, "Oh...! Oh my, yes, dear, please!" and there is the languid wave of a gnarled hand to the table, "The lady I came in with should be back soon, she said she was making arrangements."

Her tasks resolved with some celerity, the golem begins to make her way back to the table with a steaming mug in her hand. Her head pivots to keep her focus on the organ for a couple of steps in passing as it seems the small woman is giving it a going over, then realigns on her course. Her hoofbeats slow as she nears the table, regarding the Arvek as she carefully leans over the table to set the mug close enough to the old woman's hand for her to feel it's warmth, "I have a warm tea for you, madame." Once delivered, she straightens and meets tattoo with repousse', "Greetings, madame, and well met." she intones softly.

"My friend Gadget will join you soon." The ashen Arvec says, adding an explanation, "I need to get something from a room upstairs."

She returns the Knightmare's solid gaze, "Hello, I'm Mourner Ashlee Ciaradh. I'll be back in a little bit."

That said, she slips away and up to the rooms.

Gadget returns from the back with an albino capuchin wearing the clothes of a gentleman. He holds the gnome woman's mechanical hand as a child would hold their parent's. The gnome approaches the table and says, "Did my friend already leave?"

The old woman carefully feels for the cup with a quiet, "Thank you, dear." before the Mourner's introduction and departure have brought her a little down.

The golem turns at the new voice and looks to the Gnome, "She said she'd return in a little bit." She draws out a chair for the little woman and explains, "I am Dame Betrys of Dragonier, Knight of the Lost Crown." and she turns to indicate, "This is Madame Evryn, we've only just met."

This gets a smile from the human, and the inevitible.

"And you are?"

Gadget bows with her head only. "Hello," she greets. "I'm Gadget Hackwrench, and this is Mr. Jinglewidget." The monkey raised a hand in greeting before letting it fall back to his side.

"It's nice to meet you both!" the old woman replies, her hands cupping the cup to warm up.

The golem bows her head and answers, "Agreed." She turns her attention to the approaching half elf, who seems less wierded out this time around.

"Welcome to the Fernwood, I'm Kaeryn, how can I serve you, today?" the waitress asks with a well polished smile.

Gadget looks up at the half-elf lady and demands in her proudest, most regal voice, "Mr. Jinglewidget wants hot chocolate. We shall join him with a second." The monkey turns up his nose and looks the part of a noble, or at least a pretend, make-believe noble.

Knightmare doesn't seem to think much of the monkey's status. She's got a good poker face, though, she turns toward the old woman, Evryn, and lightly touches her shoulder, "Order whatever you wish."

The woman looks up to the elf and wonders, "Do you have a nice, hearty stew, dear?"

The half-elf, Kaeryn, smiles and nods to the Gnome, seemingly used to people with familiars, "Very good, ma'am." then, to the old woman, "Of course, we have a vegetable stew, as well as elk, and chicken."

"Chicken, please, dear?"

The golem pulls a gold coin from under a panel in her armor, and hands it to the elfling, "Thank you."

Gadget watches the gold coin as it changes hands. She licks her lips subconsciously until it's away. She looks up at the golem before clearing her throat. "So, what did you two do, exactly?"

Knightmare cants her head a little at the gnome's question and confesses, "I don't understand the question." softly, a little flick of her tail.

The old woman, for her part, finally brings the tea to her lips between her hands as the half-elf ventures off to handle the orders.

"Your jobs," Gadget says, "or the things you do to fill time. What is it you two do?"

"I am a Knight of Dragonier." the construct explains, canting her head the other way, "I found myself here in the wake of certain of my duties. I lingered for refit and repair ere I return." She gestures to the old woman, "I saw Evryn hudding in the snow and chose to see to her wellbeing."

"How noble of you," Gadget says. "I know a little about artifice, if you want me to take a look at you." She grips the edge of the table as she looks over the golem. There is a very gnomish look in her eyes just then, the look of a gnome obsessed. Still, at least she'd be attentive to detail.

Knightmare knows the look well from her genesis. The adjustments. The endless tinkering. Frustration. Disappointment. Still, a hand lifts in a staying gesture, "I thank you for the offer, madame, but i've been taken care of. What of you? You and Mister Jinglewidget?"

Gadget smirks and shrugs. "I do impossible things," Gadget says. She holds up a finger and turns to the monkey. "Will you fetch one of the impossible bottles with a luck clank inside for our new friend to see, please?" Gadget smiles and places her hand back on the table as Mr. Jinglewidget rushes off. He returns a few moments later with a bottle made of glass. Inside of the bottle is a nuts-and-bolts sculpture of a little person. Many of the component pieces are unable to fit through the neck of the bottle. "There we are," Gadget says, carefully taking it with her clockwork hands and setting it on the table in front of herself. "Thank you, Mr. Jinglewidget."

Knightmare parrots a soft, "Impossible things, you say?" though, she doesn't make any further remarks until the monkey returns with the bottle. A bottle that would seem to take doing to fill. There's a ant of her head, then, "How long did that take?"

The old woman, for her part, stares blindly at the voices and wonders, "What is it?"

Gadget pushes it forward. "I can make a few of these in a day," she says. "The little metal man in there is a luck clank. I sell them to people who want more luck. The bottle is not made by me, obviously. But hey, I got the parts inside, so I must know what I'm doing, right?"

Knightmare nods, "Clearly." she replies softly, reaching out an armoured finger to gently poke at the bottle with a light, musical sound.

Gadget smiles. "One platinum if you want one," she says. "Hardly anything. Helps feed me and this poor, starving monkey." Starving wasn't exactly true. While both of them were trim, neither had the gaunt look they once did that would have sold that particular adjective's use.

"Thank you, no." the Golem replies with a little shake of her head, "The Enduring One will call at the chosen time and not before. Luck is irrelevant."

Gadget nods. "It's okay," she says. "I do my best to keep things low-key, but luck clanks have never sold well to war golems. I think you guys like to make your own luck."

The golem is still for a moment, considering that, then nods, "That could perhaps be said." She looks to the half-elf who is now returning with the orders of the women. "But, still, the feat is impressive." She sets a hand lightly on the old human's shoulder again and softly says, "I should make certain the staff are clear on your needs ere too much longer, and I would see to that. Please, enjoy your meal, and you should be well cared for for some time." She draws back then and with a little bow to the table and a, "Be well, ladies. Mr Jinglewidget."

Valedictions handled, the construct makes her way back to the bar to handle whatever considerations she'd just recalled.