Session 7-1a: Entering Paxburg!

[Carthrat]

[00:27] <@Dungeon_Ana> With business at last resolved, the merry band of adventure seeking warriors return home! Putting aside the difficulties, trials and travails they have undergone, Darius, Seryf, Saul, Elaine and Gavin return to home. Volte as well, still shaking his head occasionally and muttering about 'fools and undeath'. The road rapidly widens, a trickling of merchants and travellers expanding to a sea sea storm! (More)
[00:29] <@Dungeon_Ana> The sun is fair and the breeze smells of the sea laden with thousands of other scents as they arrive. The Great Western Road runs close to a deep cliff, the last high bastion jutting out into the sea before the natural harbor of Paxburg begins. With an epic view of ships coming in and out, the party can see the vibrant lifeblood of trade. (More)
[00:33] <@Dungeon_Ana> As high masted ships sail, the vast city of Paxburg looms ahead! Great platinum gates are spread wide to allow one and all to enter! There is no fear of a thief stealing theses gates - not with two sturdy Knights of the Crown at point, watching over the masses like protective canines. Such a vast city lies ahead of you now - the streets of Platinum where the elite live, the Giant's underfoot where Elaine and myriad average to pitiously p
[00:34] <@Dungeon_Ana> Elaine and myriad average to pitiously poor reside, the knight's quarter, and so much more. As you pass close to the gates...you are home.
[00:35] <@Saul> "Even though it's only been a few weeks, it still feels good to return," observes Saul, out loud.
[00:35] * @Elaine nods fervently. "Ah, Paxburg, just like I remember it!" Elaine exclaims cheerfully, quite happy at the familiar sight even if she does love the adventures they've had since they left the city.
[00:36] <@Dungeon_Ana> "Aye," Gavin looks to the two knights at the gate, taking the effort of a second to ensure his blade is true but well sheathed.
[00:36] * @Darius yawns a bit and looks around, shifting in his saddle, wondering what's so great about such a closed in, cluttered place.
[00:37] <@Dungeon_Ana> "Civilization," Volte sighs in utter relief. "Finally! No more undead or the idiots that go after them!"
[00:37] <@Dungeon_Ana> It is an oddly mixed bag. On one hand, Paxburg is surely the home of many such electic groups. On the other, you are getting some looks as you get through the gate.
[00:37] <@Seryf> "Mmm," Seryf agrees, smiling and just shaking her head after a moment. "Weeks or decades, the place hardly changes...and do be quiet, Volte, if we were idiots, we'd have given in to the impulse to strange you days ago."
[00:37] <@Darius> "You're still with the 'idiots,' you know. And we still have weapons."
[00:37] <@Saul> "But still plenty of idiots who don't," remarks Saul. "Now, Volte. I don't intend to go straight away, but where are we to meet Demetrius?"
[00:38] <@Seryf> *strangle, even
[00:39] <@Dungeon_Ana> "I'm surprised you couldn't guess." Brushing aside the rest of that with a casual air as he goes along the well worn and solid roadway, "The Platinum Streets. As I said, civilasation again. Bathing, real food, manners."
[00:40] * @Saul isn't sure he disagrees with Volte's assessment of what makes life good. "Quite. Give me the address, and I suppose we'll let you go for now."
[00:40] <@Seryf> "And incompetent fops," Seryf adds, rolling her eyes and keeping her eyes open.
[00:40] * Midnight (~danchou@68.157.11.86) has joined #dunes
[00:40] * ChanServ sets mode: +ao Midnight Midnight
[00:41] * @Darius grunts and continues riding with the group, looking at the residents and the wares of the vendors he passes.
[00:49] <@Dungeon_Ana> "1st Fairgarden. You'll know the estate when you see it." Volte look sabout the mass of humanity, a wave of cheap vendors and inns just inside, assaulting every passerby with gusto!
[00:50] <@Dungeon_Ana> As he begins to go, taking a heavy and calming breath. "It hasn't been fun and you're all a bunch of brutes that I hope Orial has captured by trolls." With this Volte takes off at a rapid clip, melting into the crowd!
[00:51] * @Darius grumbles to himself about too many smelly people, too much noise, and not nearly enough room.
[00:52] <@Elaine> "Well, now that Volte's gone, and good riddance really, what next? I want to stop by the Broken Bow and say hello to everyone," Elaine comments, in particular thinking of her family.
[00:52] <@Dungeon_Ana> People continue to brush by Elaine and company, a motley assortment, many passing quite close by!
[00:52] <@Dungeon_Ana> roll 1d100
[00:52] <+Rei-chan> 12,0Dungeon_Ana rolled :12,0 1d100 --> 12,0 30
[00:52] <@Dungeon_Ana> OOC - Saul, roll 1d100.
[00:53] <@Saul> roll 1d100
[00:53] <+Rei-chan> 12,0Saul rolled :12,0 1d100 --> 12,0 33
[00:54] <@Saul> "As do I... honestly, I need to arrange a place for me to stay," agrees Saul, shoving his hands into his pockets.
[00:56] <@Saul> "...BASTARD!" shouts Saul, suddenly, abruptly turning and running towards an alley, down which a man just recently vanished!
[00:57] * @Darius raises an eyebrow at Saul and swings Serith around to follow him in a rolling gait.
[01:00] <@Seryf> "I thi-eh?" Seryf is interrupted in trying to talk to Saul as he takers off, shaking her head. "Jeez..." she sighs, watching Darius follow. "Think they can handle whatever it is?" she asks Elaine and Gavin, almost curiously.
[01:00] <@Elaine> "Probably. Think he got his pockets picked?" Elaine says in amusement as she also considers going after the angry elf. Saul was the sort to only get that sort of angry over lost money or spellbooks.
[01:04] <@Seryf> "Probably," Seryf shakes her head, thankful for once that elven war training demands she keep her money packed in a way that doesn't make noise, in her pack. "I wonder if the garrison would take in another odd elf for a few days..." she snickers.
[01:06] <@Elaine> "Well, assuming they haven't rented out my room while I was gone, I don't mind if you stay with me, Seryf," Elaine offers, before pausing and looking at Gavin. "You know, don't you think you should go after them? Knowing the noise Darius would make, some of the other local enforcement might think our friends are the troublemakers, not the thief."
[01:07] <@Seryf> "Ah? No, the garrison shouldn't have trouble with me, I grew up there...I was thinking about Saul, actually," Seryf snickers.
[01:07] <@Elaine> "He's not staying in my room," Elaine replies flatly, immediately, and with finality.
[01:09] * @Seryf raises her eyebrows, smiling at Elaine. "That came with a certain vehemence...vehemence of experience?" she prods, indeed prodding Elaine's shoulder with one gloved hand.
[01:14] <@Elaine> "No, but I can pretty much imagine what uncle would do to any man sleeping in the same room as me," Elaine says with a shake of her head. "And he's the one who taught me almost everything I know, remember?"
[01:18] <@Seryf> "...Oh dear," Seryf laughs, heading towards that walled off compound of elves tucked away in the city. "That makes me tempted to drag him into your room some night just to see what happens..."
[01:20] <@Dungeon_Ana> "Aye." Gavin rumbles as you approach, then tipping the top of his helm. "I must report back and take care of matters. We shall meet tonight or in the morrow?"
[01:22] <@Seryf> "Tonight, most likely," Sery agrees, a slight wave of her hand. "If even one of us shows at the Brokwn Bow, the rest would never live down not attending."
[01:23] <@Dungeon_Ana> "I will be there." Grinning to Elaine in a boyish way that adds a charm to his face that is normally away, "To hear you sing of our adventures, Elaine?"
[01:26] * @Midnight (~danchou@68.157.11.86) Quit (Ping timeout)
[01:29] <@Elaine> "Of course! You don't think I'd go home and not have at least one show before we leave?" Elaine answers with her own grin.
[01:30] <@Dungeon_Ana> "Aye." Gavin strokes his chin as he turns and goes, "Just...no maggots in this tale."
[01:32] * @Elaine laughs. "I probably won't get to that tale, but we'll see."
[01:33] * @Seryf snorts softly at that, smiling and continuing to walk. "Mmm...it's weird to be 'home'," she shakes her head, murmuring to herself.
[01:35] <@Elaine> "How so?" Elaine asks curiously, arching her head to the side. "Except for the fact that nobody's even gone 'Hey Elaine! So you're back? Going to be at the Broken Arrow tonight?' or some such, which is very annoying by the way, I don't think there's anything weird."
[01:38] <@Seryf> Seryf snickers, , flashing Elaine a smile. "It just seems like more has happened...I feel like I should have a few decades behind me rather than a few weeks," Seryf murmurs,s hrugging. We've changed a lot...frighteningly so in some ways, the city...is the same as it was fifty years ago. And I'm sure you'll get more fans when we get closer to the Broken Arrow itself," she assures the younger girl.
[01:40] <@Elaine> "I hope so," the bard grumps a bit. "I mean, what's the point of having my job if nobody recognizes you in your hometown? Jeez..."
[01:43] <@Seryf> "If your hometown isn't where you've been doing any of your wild and high adventures?" Seryf suggests. "Besides, everything takes tiem....bepatient and take your time, and everything will fall into place, even if it takes years."
[01:49] <@Seryf> *time...be patient
[01:49] <@Elaine> "Bah! I've been here for what, years? What, I go out for some fun out of town for a few weeks and everyone forgets me? That's just not fair, you know? I demand justice for this...err, injustice!" Elaine exclaims as she pumps her fist up.
[01:53] * @Seryf can't help but find herself laughing with Elaine's declaration, quickly hugging the much, much younger woman. "Now now, Elaine, give yourself a decade to make us all famous, and then you'll be known as 'the bard that made those people famous'," she teases, grinning.
[01:57] * @Elaine frowns and grumbles. "But... I wanna be famous now..." she almost whines as she's hugged.
[02:00] <@Seryf> "Do I need to sling you over my shoulder and spank you for being greedya nd impatient in the absence of your mother, Elaine?" Seryf asks teasingly, releasing her friend and continuing to walk. "You're too much fun to talk to sometimes..." she admits, snickering. "And to be older than."
[02:03] * @Elaine pouts. "It's not my fault you've had, like, 100 years more than me to grow up."
[02:10] <@Seryf> "You're also as cute as an adolescent fox trying to hunt snow hares," Seryf adds, unable to keep down quite all of her mirth, and tapping Elaine's nose. "At least you have wonderful teachers...or, well, maybe just one wonderful teacher," Seryf pointedly corrects herself, "in the art of growing up?"
[02:12] * @Elaine merely grumbles again.
[02:23] * @Seryf smiles cheerfully at Elaine, patting her on the back. "And of course, I'm joking, but it's only been what...a score of minutes since we entered the town? Give your fame a little time to go, 'laine," Seryf snickers. "You almost seem like my little sister sometimes, or at least the last time I saw her...it's been a few decades."

[Merc]

[22:47] <Elaine> "Yeah, yeah," Elaine says, as they reach a fork in the road where their paths would have to split if they each go their own ways. "Well, I'm going to the Broken Bow. I'll see you later, Seryf?"
[22:48] <Seryf> "See you tonight, Elaine," Seryf agrees, smiling and patting her friend's arm. "Don't get in any trouble while I'm not around," she warns, winking at Elaine and jogging off in the direction of the elven community.
[22:51] <Elaine> "Err...no promises," Elaine says sheepishly as she quickly takes off before Seryf can say anything.
[22:56] <Anastasia> OFf Elaine goes! With Seryf going to visit friends, Elaine has free run back on her home ground! The familiar becomes moreso as she passes the busy streets, on and on! A few elves are in the crowd, but mostly a throng of humans as she approaches home at last! LAded with stories, no less!
[22:56] <Anastasia> *laden
[22:57] * Elaine looks around to see if she spots any familiar faces along the way.
[22:58] <Anastasia> Oh, a few you know in passing, customers and vague friends. No keepers yet, but you still have a block or so to go. Mmm. The smell of the cooking inn a block from the Broken Bow. The scent of meat and bread comes out, a familiar one.
[23:00] * Athene (greek@deja-FF8CCE70.pantheon.org) has joined #dunes
[23:00] * Elaine hears her stomach almost threatening to begin grumbling, and speeds up her pace past the inn. The Broken Bow served better food. It was after all her mother's cooking, and nothing beat a mother's touch.
[11:51] <Anastasia> Racing on! AS Elaine's stomach rumbles - home! The Broken Bow's sign is freshly painted, it's namesake shown below a  plentiful and alluring pile of food and ale. The doors are open already, the sound of conversation coming out as well as those smells. If the pub down the street made Elaine hungry...
[12:02] <Elaine> A part of Elaine's mind is fairly annoyed that she's made it to the door without a single greeting, while the other has become too focused on the thought of food and family, and Elaine quickly enters the pub, looking for the familiar face of one of the pub's workers, preferably her mother's or uncle's.
[12:16] <Anastasia> Aaah, the spread of the Broken Bow. Familiar faces run about in the large, open front area, tables already filled and food being scarfed! You aren't sure who says it first - crusty old O'Reilly at the bar, pretty young Saradusa, or even someone you don't know, but..."Elaine! Hey, isn't that Elaine?"
[12:19] <Elaine> 'Finally!' she thinks triumphantly, as her ears start to hear some chatter about her, and gives a quick cheerful wave to everyone, while her eyes continue to hunt for her mother or uncle.
[12:23] <Anastasia> The clatter ofa  tray being dropped is heard as from the doro to the kitchen, "Elaine!" A familiar call as a human dart comes to her daughter! "Thank the Gods, you're in one piece?
[12:25] <Elaine> "Mom!" Elaine exclaims as she takes it like a human dartboard, and hugging her mom once they make contact. "I've missed you!" she says with a pleased grin.
[12:27] <Anastasia> "So have we, and I'm glad you came back in one piece." Grinning even amid her growing wrinkles and signs of age, "You've come back safe and you also have come back in good graces and honorable?"
[12:37] <Elaine> "Well, I'm not dead, so yes to the first, and would I be out in the open if I wasn't in good graces and honorable?" Elaine asks as she lets go from the hug with a grin. Pausing, she considers what she just said and shakes her head. "Actually, don't answer that, but let's say I have and assume I'm saying the truth, shall we?"
[12:40] <Anastasia> "Yes." Mother agrees, as a hand goes out and grabs your ear. "Elaine, what did I tell you about this, hm?" Leaning in as she drags her child along, "We're going to have to have a talk about this over lunch, aren't we?"
[12:48] <Elaine> "Hey! I'm not a child any more, don't grab my ear, motheeeer!" Elaine whines as she winces as her long slender ear is grabbed and used to forcibly drag her off.
[12:53] <Anastasia> This is to no avail, however! Elaine is dragged back into the warm, familiar kitchen, sat at the worn and heavy wooden table there! Without even stopping Mother goe sto get a bowl from the pot of stew simmering.
[12:53] <Anastasia> As you sit down, carrying in from outside, "Yep, she's back," A voice is noted to say.
[12:55] * Elaine grumbles as she rubs her sore ear. "Jeez, mother, did you have to drag me by the ea...who said that?" Elaine starts to say before accusing loudly with narrowed eyes as she stands up quickly, glaring at the door out of the kitchen and towards the tavern area.
[13:09] <Anastasia> You get several familiar looks back and a few you don't know, but one voice amid them says, "At least she only used one ear." Your Uncle is coming over from in front of the fire, smilng at his 'niece'.
[13:12] <Elaine> "Hey, uncle. How's business been faring without your star attraction?" Elaine asks. "Missed me too much?"
[13:45] <Anastasia> ""Still good." A teasing smile comes along as he heads into the kitchen, scooping Elaine up into a small hug. "Speaking of, I'm supposing our 'star attraction' has a few new ballads?"
[13:51] <Elaine> "Quite a few!" Elaine says with a grin of a cat that just ate a canary. "Want to see my new sword?"
[13:51] <Anastasia> "New or newly pickpocketed," Your Uncle waggles a finger as he goes to sit at the kitchen worker's table.
[13:53] <Elaine> "Hey, you taught me better than to pickpocket and you know that," Elaine grumps out as she starts to take off her chain mail. "I -earned- Silmara," she states firmly as she pulls back her shirt to show the scar in her shoulder area from where Strum's sword went through. "Trust me on that much."
[13:57] * Serith (~iron_drag@c-67-163-114-219.hsd1.tx.comcast.net) has joined #terrorofdunes
[13:57] * Anastasia (~dunefar@ip24-253-133-211.hr.hr.cox.net) invites you to join #terror
[13:58] <Anastasia> "My." Your uncle murmurs in held understatement. "I see that."
[14:02] * Elaine nods as she pulls up her shirt edge again, before she flashes someone walking into the kitchen and nods. "Well, I actually got that from a knight with butterfingers, but it didn't exactly help against the troll we were fighting. You'll get to hear the story later on with everybody else," Elaine replies before unsheathing Silmara, and holding it firmly with a grin. "Still, feast your eyes on my prize for my troubles there."
[21:36] <Anastasia> Your Uncle chuckles as your Mother thwaps her daughter with a wooden soup spoon! "You're lucky that's just old Tabitha. Manners, Elaine, unless you want to go further into the Giant's Underfoot and to those dens where the women only wear daggers and leather belts?" (More)
[21:37] <Anastasia> Peering in to view Silmara as Elaine holds it out, "It looks to be a fine blade. Silmara...is that Elven?"
[21:40] <Elaine> "We're in the kitchen! Nobody that matters is gonna see anything!" Elaine complains. Sighing, she does nod to the last question though. "Yeah, 'Stout Hearted'. It was a gift after I managed to teach this uppity sword called Greedslaker who's boss while fighting that troll I mentioned. No stupid sword was gonna possess -me-!"
[21:42] <Anastasia> "Ahem." Clearing his throat as he ever so lightly blushes, "Elaine, you ARE a grown woman now. Any male would 'matter' if you go lifting your tunic."
[21:42] <Anastasia> OOC - Gah.
[21:44] <Anastasia> "Ahem." Clearing his throat as he ever so lightly blushes, "Elaine, you ARE a grown woman now. Any male would 'matter' if you go lifting your tunic." But as Elaine goes on he listens, e yes sparking in amusement. "Aye, it sounds as one of your lurid tales of adventure.":
[21:49] <Elaine> "Bah, none of them are brave enough to peek into the kitchen, and you don't count," Elaine replies. "But yeah, that was the most interesting of the bunch. We've had quite a few adventures along the way. I've gotten a lot stronger." The last bit is said with a challenging grin.
[21:53] <Anastasia> "Really now?" Mother's eyes show amusement, even as Elaine gets a rap to the back of her head again! OW! That wooden spoon stings! (1 damage.)  "You've kept your actions well and your head up high? That knight friend of yours has kept an eye on you?"
[21:58] <Elaine> "Hey! What kind of mother hits her own daughter?" Elaine asks as she rubs her head. "And I suppose. He's at least helped me get better with the broad sword, anyhow."
[22:01] <Anastasia> "One that cares." So putting the spoon aside and wiping her hands on her apron cloth, "Good. It's reassuring one of the Knights of Solamnia is travelling with you. Such a cute boy, too." The last is added with a rare, fanciful chuckle.
[22:04] * Elaine makes a face. "Bah, you're out of luck if you're trying to pair us up. If he likes anyone, it's probably Seryf," Elaine replies. No need to let ideas fester in her mother's brain, lest she go out of her way to embarass her when she sees Gavin again.
[22:06] <Anastasia> "Elaine." Mother eyes you seriously now, as your Uncle simply gets up and starts heading off at a quickening pace. "You are grown now, and if you can find a good, reliable man to stay with you, let alone an honorable knight..." Closing her eyes and sighing, "You would be foolish otherwise."
[22:08] <Elaine> "I think I've got a few more years of foolishness left before I have to think of settling down, mother," Elaine says flatly.