*see viewtopic.php?f=11&t=692&p=2093#p2093 for back story*
A sprite walks into a bar in Bitter Point Valley. "Don't even!" she warns the barkeeps with a grin, pointing her hound into a corner to rest.
The Mad Lurker Tavern
Re: The Mad Lurker Tavern
Removing the last of her remnants from the back room, Karli flew up into the rafters to the darkest corner, where she dropped them onto a crate. The crate ended up being of a substantial size. Given that she needed it to rest securely across two beams without fear of it falling should the building get rattled, it had taken too much effort to winch up to its new home. Discovering her own weight acted more as a counter balance when she attempted to drop from the ceiling to slacken the effort, in the end she had made Cael do it.
Double checking everything had its new home, she abandoned her main armour for the time being, returning to the earlier guild equipment for comfort. Thinking things were in about as much order as she could in this location, she dropped back to the ground floor.
"Drayshell wishes to lodge a complaint," Caeldian informed her mundanely as she approached the bar, concerning one of the thieves that often played cards there.
"Is it the fact that I call him Shelly?" Karli asked curiously, grabbing an entire bottle of wyvern's blood from behind the bar, reveling in the fact Cael wasn't inclined to prevent her since having his head scrambled.
"Yes," Cael nodded, motioning to a patron to get in line as he did.
"Too bad," she shrugged, opening the back room and pushing the door open as wide as possible.
"And you're doing what, again..?" Cael enquired tiredly, not having lost his lack of love for change.
"Half full crates of empty bottles don't actually make much gold, I discovered," Karli replied, surveying everything contained and moving it about in her head. "Shocking, I know," she breathed. "Ya... I'm totally not gonna be able to shift this stuff quickly. Pulling a notebook from her waist band, Karli started counting the crates and making a mental note of quantities by shape and size.
"Translation being, move this stuff, Cael..?" he asked, lacking all enthusiasm.
"You know it!" Karli replied with a bright smile. "Just not yet," she added when he moved to do so. "Lemme draw you a diagram of where everything needs to go." Hopping up on the bar, Karli placed the bottle down before laying down on her stomache. Laying the book out before her, she produced a piece of graphite from between the scant amount of cleavage the leather corset would afford her and started drawing.
Double checking everything had its new home, she abandoned her main armour for the time being, returning to the earlier guild equipment for comfort. Thinking things were in about as much order as she could in this location, she dropped back to the ground floor.
"Drayshell wishes to lodge a complaint," Caeldian informed her mundanely as she approached the bar, concerning one of the thieves that often played cards there.
"Is it the fact that I call him Shelly?" Karli asked curiously, grabbing an entire bottle of wyvern's blood from behind the bar, reveling in the fact Cael wasn't inclined to prevent her since having his head scrambled.
"Yes," Cael nodded, motioning to a patron to get in line as he did.
"Too bad," she shrugged, opening the back room and pushing the door open as wide as possible.
"And you're doing what, again..?" Cael enquired tiredly, not having lost his lack of love for change.
"Half full crates of empty bottles don't actually make much gold, I discovered," Karli replied, surveying everything contained and moving it about in her head. "Shocking, I know," she breathed. "Ya... I'm totally not gonna be able to shift this stuff quickly. Pulling a notebook from her waist band, Karli started counting the crates and making a mental note of quantities by shape and size.
"Translation being, move this stuff, Cael..?" he asked, lacking all enthusiasm.
"You know it!" Karli replied with a bright smile. "Just not yet," she added when he moved to do so. "Lemme draw you a diagram of where everything needs to go." Hopping up on the bar, Karli placed the bottle down before laying down on her stomache. Laying the book out before her, she produced a piece of graphite from between the scant amount of cleavage the leather corset would afford her and started drawing.
Re: The Mad Lurker Tavern
Having given the diagram to Cael after double checking he actually understood it, Karli had ducked through the Serenity District to cut down the travel time in reaching Stormport. Slipping off the causeway and into the port city, she went searching for the items and tools still required for the room.
As the back room didn't have windows, she was aiming to randomly acquired as many unguarded lanterns as she could manage. Traversing the city with purpose, she cased The Golden Needle among other businesses, while making inquiries. Managing a few 'free' materials in the endeavour, Karli double checked her map for the location of the bakery to remind herself.
Slipping in through the shadows, she waited to ensure the proprietor was amply busy with customers before slipping into sight towards the back of the room by a guarded door. The guard at the door raised an eyebrow in her direction.
"I'm here to get Mama's recipe," Karli informed the guard, who glanced about before opening the door.
"Wait for him in the office," the guard instructed her heavily. "And keep yer nose out of his bizniz. This is your only warning..."
Nodding with a quaint smile, Karli slipped into McManna's office, waiting for the door to be closed behind her. Not actually interested in a meet with the baker, Karli immediately approached the escape door to the back alley. Trying the handle to discover it locked, she looked the door over seeking the actual location of the lock.
"How do they even manage this..?" she muttered quietly to herself, finding no lock to pick, bar to lift, or any other indication of how the portal was secured. Deciding it would be far more painful to have to sit through a meeting than the alternative resolution, after several discouraging long moments of no progress, Karli turned towards the desk.
Feeling as though knowing what was coming wasn't about to make it any more tolerable, Karli approached the desk and the piles of paper on it. Having played this game before, Karli grabbed one of the papers from the desk, dropped, and pivoted knee to knee to clear the desk, spotting the guard. Now armed with a small club, their strike missed her and she grinned, dropping the paper she had taken off the desk.
"I told you to stay outta McManna's bizniz," the guard remarked dourly.
"Just lemme..." Karli began, raising her hands; the world suddenly exploding white.
As the back room didn't have windows, she was aiming to randomly acquired as many unguarded lanterns as she could manage. Traversing the city with purpose, she cased The Golden Needle among other businesses, while making inquiries. Managing a few 'free' materials in the endeavour, Karli double checked her map for the location of the bakery to remind herself.
Slipping in through the shadows, she waited to ensure the proprietor was amply busy with customers before slipping into sight towards the back of the room by a guarded door. The guard at the door raised an eyebrow in her direction.
"I'm here to get Mama's recipe," Karli informed the guard, who glanced about before opening the door.
"Wait for him in the office," the guard instructed her heavily. "And keep yer nose out of his bizniz. This is your only warning..."
Nodding with a quaint smile, Karli slipped into McManna's office, waiting for the door to be closed behind her. Not actually interested in a meet with the baker, Karli immediately approached the escape door to the back alley. Trying the handle to discover it locked, she looked the door over seeking the actual location of the lock.
"How do they even manage this..?" she muttered quietly to herself, finding no lock to pick, bar to lift, or any other indication of how the portal was secured. Deciding it would be far more painful to have to sit through a meeting than the alternative resolution, after several discouraging long moments of no progress, Karli turned towards the desk.
Feeling as though knowing what was coming wasn't about to make it any more tolerable, Karli approached the desk and the piles of paper on it. Having played this game before, Karli grabbed one of the papers from the desk, dropped, and pivoted knee to knee to clear the desk, spotting the guard. Now armed with a small club, their strike missed her and she grinned, dropping the paper she had taken off the desk.
"I told you to stay outta McManna's bizniz," the guard remarked dourly.
"Just lemme..." Karli began, raising her hands; the world suddenly exploding white.
Re: The Mad Lurker Tavern
Coming to, in the back alley with a brilliant headache, Karli was glad to have reached her destination just not in the manner she had wished to avoid. Muttering towards her hound as he drifted in and out of seeming existing, standing guard over her against a shady wall, she sighed. Looking skyward for a time reference, she checked she still had all four wings before getting on with things. Locating the hammer she was after, she dropped it in her pack as she made her way out into the main streets.
Moving towards the beggar quarters and Stormfury's many taverns, she stopped briefly when she reached Igor's usual loitering location. Offering him an orange from her pouch, she reminded him her offer still stood if he was willing to give up his grey flannel shirt. Being declined, yet again, Karli navigated the taverns close by, one by one putting feelers out.
"I may a ghost or two," one of the patrons at 99 Scurvy Corners informed her as she left the information with the barkeep, having listened in to her discussion.
"Than tell them to come see me, at the tavern in Bitter Point Valley," Karli told them straight. "If they aren't strong enough to make that trip, they aren't strong enough for what I need them for," she remarked, moving to leave.
With only the black markets to hit, Karli picked up someone else's drink before slipping outside.
Moving towards the beggar quarters and Stormfury's many taverns, she stopped briefly when she reached Igor's usual loitering location. Offering him an orange from her pouch, she reminded him her offer still stood if he was willing to give up his grey flannel shirt. Being declined, yet again, Karli navigated the taverns close by, one by one putting feelers out.
"I may a ghost or two," one of the patrons at 99 Scurvy Corners informed her as she left the information with the barkeep, having listened in to her discussion.
"Than tell them to come see me, at the tavern in Bitter Point Valley," Karli told them straight. "If they aren't strong enough to make that trip, they aren't strong enough for what I need them for," she remarked, moving to leave.
With only the black markets to hit, Karli picked up someone else's drink before slipping outside.
Re: The Mad Lurker Tavern
Stormport's black market was as always busy, seedy, and filled with as many hostile gazes as it was untrustworthy ones. Navigating both the visible and hidden stalls, touching a few bases, and asking a handful of harmless questions; pickings on free items were slim with the volume of people about that day. Finding the drink had done little to lessen the headache she was still sporting from her efforts to get the hammer, she finished up by dropping the same request she had at the taverns and headed back to base.
"Some officer of some sort showed up here, asking questions," Caeldian greeted Karli as she arrived back at the tavern.
Immediately ducking behind the bar for something to cure her head, Karli grabbed the first thing available, staring up at Cael. "What kinda questions?"
"The validity of our legality," Cael responded, impressing Karli with how smart that made him sound.
"The back room is no longer for body disposal," she warned him knowingly, quickly consuming a large quantity of the bottle in her hand.
"Dropped them out the back," Cael replied stoically, moving to fill a request for one of the regulars.
"Did you know McManna has more than one heavy guarding his office..?" Cael regarded her blankly, not recognising the name. "I didn't know he did either..." Karli remarked when he had nothing to add.
"Rough day?" Caeldian asked casually, watching her finish the bottle and accept it when she offered it.
"I've had worse," she replied, sure he didn't actually care. "Yer gonna have people showing up looking for me soon, I hope. Don't drop them out the back," Karli requested, not feeling any closer to cured and grabbing another bottle. "I'm looking to hire someone that specialises in roguish attire, so do not, for the love of Zoran silence any, unless I tell ya otherwise..." Leaving Cael the floor, Karli grabbed an extra bottle and took to the rafters and her hidden corner.
"Some officer of some sort showed up here, asking questions," Caeldian greeted Karli as she arrived back at the tavern.
Immediately ducking behind the bar for something to cure her head, Karli grabbed the first thing available, staring up at Cael. "What kinda questions?"
"The validity of our legality," Cael responded, impressing Karli with how smart that made him sound.
"The back room is no longer for body disposal," she warned him knowingly, quickly consuming a large quantity of the bottle in her hand.
"Dropped them out the back," Cael replied stoically, moving to fill a request for one of the regulars.
"Did you know McManna has more than one heavy guarding his office..?" Cael regarded her blankly, not recognising the name. "I didn't know he did either..." Karli remarked when he had nothing to add.
"Rough day?" Caeldian asked casually, watching her finish the bottle and accept it when she offered it.
"I've had worse," she replied, sure he didn't actually care. "Yer gonna have people showing up looking for me soon, I hope. Don't drop them out the back," Karli requested, not feeling any closer to cured and grabbing another bottle. "I'm looking to hire someone that specialises in roguish attire, so do not, for the love of Zoran silence any, unless I tell ya otherwise..." Leaving Cael the floor, Karli grabbed an extra bottle and took to the rafters and her hidden corner.
Re: The Mad Lurker Tavern
"Cael!" Karli barked at the barkeep as he kicked off a situation when one of the applicants she had put word out for arrived. "What hole have you been livin' in!? He's a centaur, not someone's mount!"
"Hooves have a designated area at the base of the tree!" Caeldian barked back.
"So will you in a minute!" Karli shot at him, pointing him back behind the bar, having removed himself to evict the arrival.
Motioning the centaurian to a suitable table, Karli flew ahead to land on it, requesting those seated relocate to another spot. "Take your chairs with you," Karli suggested, gesturing to Cael to get the small group some drinks as compensation.
The response to her request for leather workers had been slow at first. Only the odd artisan here and there for the first week or so. When those few had confirmed for others the request was both genuine and the offer profitable, it seemed even those who were already employed wanted to take a stab at it.
Unfortunately it had also resulted in a lot of filtering. Not only was she getting the people she wanted, she was also getting a lot of people she didn't. More than once she had someone arrive who wasn't even acquainted with leather armour, intent on selling her up to a material that was impractical; including wood...
Sure she had made her mind up about someone a few days past, she held out just in case. It was offering some solid networking opportunities. It was also allowing her to create an inventory of talent about the realm which would prove to be beneficial in the future.
A few more final enquiries with the man and Karli felt reassured her original choice remained unchallenged. This one hadn't even arrived with an example of his work. Recognising their young age and noting their inability to haggle, she chalked it up to inexperience and bid them to stay for as long as they like, on her tab, as an apology for her barkeep's ignorance.
Jumping down off the table, Karli whistled to get Cael's attention and pointed him towards the centaur, adding an extra gesture in follow-up to prevent tourist service. When Cael moved to fill the demand Karli hopped off the floor, the back of a chair, and a wall to disappear back into the shady ceiling rafters.
"Hooves have a designated area at the base of the tree!" Caeldian barked back.
"So will you in a minute!" Karli shot at him, pointing him back behind the bar, having removed himself to evict the arrival.
Motioning the centaurian to a suitable table, Karli flew ahead to land on it, requesting those seated relocate to another spot. "Take your chairs with you," Karli suggested, gesturing to Cael to get the small group some drinks as compensation.
The response to her request for leather workers had been slow at first. Only the odd artisan here and there for the first week or so. When those few had confirmed for others the request was both genuine and the offer profitable, it seemed even those who were already employed wanted to take a stab at it.
Unfortunately it had also resulted in a lot of filtering. Not only was she getting the people she wanted, she was also getting a lot of people she didn't. More than once she had someone arrive who wasn't even acquainted with leather armour, intent on selling her up to a material that was impractical; including wood...
Sure she had made her mind up about someone a few days past, she held out just in case. It was offering some solid networking opportunities. It was also allowing her to create an inventory of talent about the realm which would prove to be beneficial in the future.
A few more final enquiries with the man and Karli felt reassured her original choice remained unchallenged. This one hadn't even arrived with an example of his work. Recognising their young age and noting their inability to haggle, she chalked it up to inexperience and bid them to stay for as long as they like, on her tab, as an apology for her barkeep's ignorance.
Jumping down off the table, Karli whistled to get Cael's attention and pointed him towards the centaur, adding an extra gesture in follow-up to prevent tourist service. When Cael moved to fill the demand Karli hopped off the floor, the back of a chair, and a wall to disappear back into the shady ceiling rafters.
Re: The Mad Lurker Tavern
"Brace yourself," Karli ordered Caeldian calmly as she dropped down from above onto the bar with a book.
"I thought you left ages ago," Cael remarked, not looking away from sorting the glasses and bottles behind the bar.
"I also returned ages ago," Karli confirmed, placing a foot on his head when he bent down to get at something towards the back of a shelf. Grabbing her foot, he resigned himself to offer her the attention she was demanding. Holding the foot in place until she took it back, he stood himself straight.
"What?" He asked bluntly.
"This," Karli stated, holding the book forward. "It's a book on all the races of the realm," she informed him, opening it up to a page with an illustration.
"That's a troll" Cael nodded.
"Read it and get back up to speed," Karli ordered, dropping the book before him. "Your reset when Anister scrambled your head..." She paused briefly, unsure why that event of everything she had ever seen, was still bugging her. "Ya, it's well behind what's currently happening. You probably don't realise how much has changed. So before someone shows up for a friendly pint and you kill them because they look like they crawled out of Everhell... Read the book."
Leaving Cael with his homework, Karli departed to close the deal with her choice armoursmith and make an appearance at each of the locations she had put forth the request to report the position filled. As the target location was far closer to town than the tavern, Karli saw her hound onto the patio before laying a hand on his head and activating her guild ring, replacing it promptly.
Evading everyone in town by taking the roof tops to the north gates, Karli slipped onto the causeway to turn off quickly. Approaching Bahr-Kul, she made steady progress until she reached the humble abode; half bracken, half cave.
Picking up the sounds of something nearby, Karli readied her weapon cautiously as she crept forward. Pausing and pointing her hound towards it, they sniffed the air before laying down. Accepting the omission, Karli lowered her weapon and cleared the remaining distance.
Recognising the opponent she was approaching, Karli pulled a boiled sweet from her pouch. "Heya, Wybatt," she greeted the ogre child as he sat crushing rat skulls with a troll femur.
"Karli!" he declared excitedly, getting up and turning to face her. Standing to his full height, he smiled down at her expectantly.
"Where's your little big sister?" Karli asked him kindly, switching to speaking ogre.
"Behind the hole," he replied, reaching for the candy as he did.
"Thank you," Karli replied, surrendering the treat.
"Wymarc," Karli called, moving around the half hidden home to the back yard where she discovered the woman in question in the process of removing the hide from a freshly slain tattooed lizardman.
"Tattooed hides are my favourite," Wymarc remarked, maintaining her focus while finishing the final incisions on the corpse. Turning to face the sprite only after she had peeled the skin away, she draped it over her shoulder.
Not full ogre in comparison to her many siblings. The realisation had taken nearly two decades to sink in with her father who left her no choice but to kill him when he attempted to purge his nest of someone else's child. Carrying the fresh hide towards the staging rack, she kept working while they conversed.
"What brings you to the Kul?" Wymarc asked casually.
"You still interested in the gig at the tavern?" Karli asked her hopefully, sure Wymarc had few prospects. "You're the best currier by far," Karli nodded. "You would be a respected addition to the guild craftsmen. I'd hate to discover you've changed your mind."
"Well, I would be able to bring back plenty of boiled sweets for the Wy clan with that commute," she smirked, getting the hide secured inch by inch.
"Is that an agreement, than?"
"Is there anything to sign?" Wymarc asked in return.
"I'll draw up some papers," Karli confirmed. "Pop into town after and grab an acorn from the catacombs."
Pulling a chain from around her neck free of the stained work apron she wore, Wymarc displayed the guild ring strung onto it.
"You were that sure I was going to give you the job?"
"There are no guarantees in life," Wymarc shrugged. "Fortune favours the bold."
"I thought you left ages ago," Cael remarked, not looking away from sorting the glasses and bottles behind the bar.
"I also returned ages ago," Karli confirmed, placing a foot on his head when he bent down to get at something towards the back of a shelf. Grabbing her foot, he resigned himself to offer her the attention she was demanding. Holding the foot in place until she took it back, he stood himself straight.
"What?" He asked bluntly.
"This," Karli stated, holding the book forward. "It's a book on all the races of the realm," she informed him, opening it up to a page with an illustration.
"That's a troll" Cael nodded.
"Read it and get back up to speed," Karli ordered, dropping the book before him. "Your reset when Anister scrambled your head..." She paused briefly, unsure why that event of everything she had ever seen, was still bugging her. "Ya, it's well behind what's currently happening. You probably don't realise how much has changed. So before someone shows up for a friendly pint and you kill them because they look like they crawled out of Everhell... Read the book."
Leaving Cael with his homework, Karli departed to close the deal with her choice armoursmith and make an appearance at each of the locations she had put forth the request to report the position filled. As the target location was far closer to town than the tavern, Karli saw her hound onto the patio before laying a hand on his head and activating her guild ring, replacing it promptly.
Evading everyone in town by taking the roof tops to the north gates, Karli slipped onto the causeway to turn off quickly. Approaching Bahr-Kul, she made steady progress until she reached the humble abode; half bracken, half cave.
Picking up the sounds of something nearby, Karli readied her weapon cautiously as she crept forward. Pausing and pointing her hound towards it, they sniffed the air before laying down. Accepting the omission, Karli lowered her weapon and cleared the remaining distance.
Recognising the opponent she was approaching, Karli pulled a boiled sweet from her pouch. "Heya, Wybatt," she greeted the ogre child as he sat crushing rat skulls with a troll femur.
"Karli!" he declared excitedly, getting up and turning to face her. Standing to his full height, he smiled down at her expectantly.
"Where's your little big sister?" Karli asked him kindly, switching to speaking ogre.
"Behind the hole," he replied, reaching for the candy as he did.
"Thank you," Karli replied, surrendering the treat.
"Wymarc," Karli called, moving around the half hidden home to the back yard where she discovered the woman in question in the process of removing the hide from a freshly slain tattooed lizardman.
"Tattooed hides are my favourite," Wymarc remarked, maintaining her focus while finishing the final incisions on the corpse. Turning to face the sprite only after she had peeled the skin away, she draped it over her shoulder.
Not full ogre in comparison to her many siblings. The realisation had taken nearly two decades to sink in with her father who left her no choice but to kill him when he attempted to purge his nest of someone else's child. Carrying the fresh hide towards the staging rack, she kept working while they conversed.
"What brings you to the Kul?" Wymarc asked casually.
"You still interested in the gig at the tavern?" Karli asked her hopefully, sure Wymarc had few prospects. "You're the best currier by far," Karli nodded. "You would be a respected addition to the guild craftsmen. I'd hate to discover you've changed your mind."
"Well, I would be able to bring back plenty of boiled sweets for the Wy clan with that commute," she smirked, getting the hide secured inch by inch.
"Is that an agreement, than?"
"Is there anything to sign?" Wymarc asked in return.
"I'll draw up some papers," Karli confirmed. "Pop into town after and grab an acorn from the catacombs."
Pulling a chain from around her neck free of the stained work apron she wore, Wymarc displayed the guild ring strung onto it.
"You were that sure I was going to give you the job?"
"There are no guarantees in life," Wymarc shrugged. "Fortune favours the bold."