Gonna give it a lil try- RP

Both of Ian's eyebrows raised. This halfling was getting irksome. Perhaps he should have simply addressed the paladin, but that ship had sailed. He could feel himself on the defensive, and that was no way to start negotiations.

"My apologies, La...umm.. Miss Daisy? I'm a stranger to this part of the world and was unaware that showing you respect, equated to disrespecting those above you. No offense was intended to either of you." Perhaps this is why most of the mages he knew were jerks. Show a little civility and get berated. Well, either that or he was from Thay.

"As for Choices, I'm sure the Lady is quite capable of making her own choices, but I've found nobody has complete control over their own destinies. She has an adventure in her future, of that I have no doubt. If the Lady Ta'Marilyn Ahnalisa Amerilliss Mour approves I would like to be included." A bit of a bluff perhaps. But then again, If she was a paladin... adventure is always in their future.

"I'm certain such a trained eye as yourself will have noticed that I am not a warrior, but I do have a few things to bring to the table. For simply an even share of the profits, I provide insight to both the seen and unseen worlds, I offer my honest advice whenever necessary, and then there's always..." with a twitch of his fingers his half empty mug floated to his hands, "a touch of magic."

Daisy ignored the snide tone in his voice as he spoke with her. She expected no better. After all, she was here to weed out the riff raff, and in doing so, often seemed to get under the skin of those who wished to speak directly with the lady.

She pursed her lips and nodded slightly at his use of magic. Perhaps this is just the sort of fellow Lady Ta'Marilyn could use. The squire turned to address the paladin.

"M'lady, this fellow's intentions seem...genuine."

Thomas approached Teroc with a guilty face, his posture a little slumped and his hands clammering the air around it.

“Teroc… I ehm… I am really sorry about this, but ‘lovely’ Taarkot thinks that this place is ehm..” He lifted his eyes to meet with Teroc’s and then diverted them once again to the floor which he had dragged them along on his way over. “Well she thinks that you might have some knowledge regarding some chicken and ehm..” He hesitated. The six mugs made a heavenly sound as they landed on the table, the foam bulging up over the edge and sliding down the side of the wooden material like a lovers vivacious caress.

"Will it just be the ale, or will you be wanting some food for the crew as well?"

Thomas stared at the beer, a tear in the corner of his eye at the magnificent sight set before him. “We’ll be having pork tonight Teroc!” He exclaimed, reaching for the mugs with both hands.

From across the room Kara was rubbing her forehead in thin patience, watching as the newcomers had managed to steer up quite a bit of attention from the Tavern. No wonder why. The lady, possibly a servant of Sune, was like a clean white spot on a very large dirty-from-it’s-making cloth. What she was carrying herself here for tonight was hard to tell, and a small seed of curiosity was slowly replacing the eagerness to leave the establishment.


The lady was either very frail in emotion, or very lazy, seeing as the little one did most of her talking. She did not seem to come with a certain mission, she didn’t appear to be the ale-drinking sort, in fact: her sort shouldn’t even be around places like this. IF in fact her sort was what both her demeanor and dress suggested.
Kara moved herself over, finding another chair to lean inconspicuously up against while now openly listening in on the conversation between the small one and the travel weary human.

Lady Ta'Marilyn had listened politely to the man that stood before her assuring her of impending adventures and offering, what seemed to be, his meager services. If she was going on an adventure anytime soon she wanted a man who could hold his own and this poor fellow did not look like he had what it took. He didn't even have enough manners to ask her to sit down. She had been standing ever since she entered this tavern and frankly, she was tired of acting on "good breeding". She was a warrior, now, right? She could seat herself without stepping out of the social graces.

"Squire, I believe it is time we sat at a table. Seems conversation with Master Annatar goes beyond the bounds of causal conversation and so I would like to be more comfortable." The young paladin waited until her faithful squire had thoroughly cleaned off the nearest table and chair before sitting down. "And Squire, please order me a glass of wine."

Lady Ta'Marilyn motioned for Ian to sit across from her. The poor man looked as if he could use a long soak and scrub, but that was beside the point. Despite his outward appearance of weakness there was something about the man that sparked slight interest in her heart. Maybe it was the way he reminded her of some poor soul who had lost in love. Maybe he was the reason she was here. Maybe she was supposed to help him! This idea gave her a new perspective. It was now time to find out more about what it was he could "offer".

"Master Annatar, I do not know how you claim to know my future expeditions. I am not bound for anywhere at the moment but if I were I would like to know more about these services you seem to have to offer. But first, tell me three things: who you are, from whence you came, and what you seek."

As he leaned his staff against the table and sat down, he found it took all his composure to keep from smiling. This was going well. For starters the 'Lady' had deemed him intersting enough to speak to directly. That was something. If he was going to be successful he would have to focus on what he knew about her.

First, she claimed to be a noble. Of this Ian had no doubt. The way she treated her servant was proof enough of that. Only a noble would require her chair to be wiped clean before allowing herself to touch it. Nobility tended to breed vanity, along with a bit of pompusness. Both of which seemed to be in evidence.

Second, she was a local. She had refered to the town drunk as an 'old friend.' She looked very young, and he doubted she had many 'old' friends. He seemed well established in the tavern, therefore she was from Procampur.

Third, and this was the tricky one. She claimed to be a paladin. Many people may claim to be a paladin, but he was putting a lot of faith in the idea that she actually was. His instincts told him to believe her. The fact that she had chosen a lesser known goddess to be a paladin of helped her. She certainly had the looks of a follower of Sune, but he had never heard she had paladins before. The 'unbelievablity' of that idea, made the idea easier to believe. If it was a ruse, logic would say to choose a god that favored paladins. Helm or Torm being the main ones. They have so many paladins people can't keep count. Sune? That would usually result in more questions than you would want to answer. However the main reason he believed in her Paladinship was her Squire. Miss Daisy truly seemed to admire this woman. Regardless of the demeaning tasks she may require. Vain nobles do not tend to inspire such loyalty, Paladins do.

The last thing that he knew about her was this, if she was a paladin, she was very young. He wouldn't have placed her over 16. To be a paladin required training. They are also not known for living to a ripe old age. From the way the idea of 'adventure' got her attention, he figured she'd never had one. Sune Paladins may have special means to keep them looking young and beautiful, he didn't really know. However watching her in the tavern, she didn't appear to know much about the place. All of which screamed inexperience.

Or he admitted to himself, he may be falling for the wizards first rule. He may be caught believing what he sees, simply because he wants to believe it. Time will tell. She wasn't a complete fool, he noticed when she started to question him. He had expected that.

"M'lady," He addressed the woman across the table from him. "Just because you are not bound for a certain location does not mean adventure won't find you." He held her gaze for a moment before continuing. "Who I am, has already been revealed. My name is Ian Annatar. Whence I came? I call no place my home, but I have traveled this way from the eastern lands. What I seek? That is but one of the mysteries that man has always pondered. I hope to unravel that myself, sometime before my time is over. For the moment, I am content to make myself useful with the skills that I posess." He turned his gaze from the paladin to the squire and back.

"And that 'Lady Ta'Marilyn Ahnalisa Amerilliss Mour, Paladin of Our Lady Firehair, the goddess Sune, in all her glorious beauty' and her squire Daisy, is more information then you have revealed about yourselves. Adventuring is a two way street." He held out his hands and leaned back waiting to see who would speak next.

Daisy bowed and left to go retrieve her lady's wine. The dwarf still sat at the bar draining ale after ale, while conversing with Teroc in a tone that seemed as if he was yelling at the barbarian, though his words indicated they must be comrades.

The halfling climbed up on a stool to get the man's attention, only interrupting to request the wine during a brief break in the conversation.

She was carrying the glass back to Lady Ta'Marilyn's table when she noticed the black-haired woman leaning in closely to better hear the conversation between the paladin and Ian. She was dressed as a guard of sorts, and there was a kind of sharp intelligence in the woman's bright blue eyes that made Daisy believe that her interest was more than just to eavesdrop.

The squire padded over to the woman with silent steps, and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I can assure you that m'lady has no intention of causing any trouble in this place of business." A small smile pulled at the corners of Daisy's mouth. "Unless of course you're keeping an eye on the fellow she's speaking with... If he is any sort of trouble, it would be my pleasure to hear of it so I could inform the Lady Ta'Marilyn!"

"And that 'Lady Ta'Marilyn Ahnalisa Amerilliss Mour, Paladin of Our Lady Firehair, the goddess Sune, in all her glorious beauty' and her squire Daisy, is more information then you have revealed about yourselves.”

Squire. Kara felt dumbfound for a moment. She barely had time to try and piece together where any of the added names could originate from when her attention was taken by the little one.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I can assure you that m'lady has no intention of causing any trouble in this place of business." A small smile pulled at the corners of Daisy's mouth. "Unless of course you're keeping an eye on the fellow she's speaking with... If he is any sort of trouble, it would be my pleasure to hear of it so I could inform the Lady Ta'Marilyn!"

Kara gave the short one a quick scan, and then offered a loose smile.
“You always speak on behalf of your lady?” She left no real question in her voice. “I should think your mistress wouldn’t quite feel at home in a place like this, I feel somewhat ready to escort her to her ‘real’ establishment sooner rather than later.” She tossed a glare towards the bar. “By the looks of it I’ll have to do any work here tonight myself, and your lady is bound to invite trouble with her luminous presence.” She looked down again at the squire, giving her a loopsided grin. “I suppose in that respect, I AM keeping an eye on her company.”

Whatever it was taking Thomas such a time to puck up the courage, it was taking too long. She was however not ready to jump the tavernkeep singlehandedly even though tavern brawls were festive. Patience was truly a virtue.

“By the looks of it I’ll have to do any work here tonight myself, and your lady is bound to invite trouble with her luminous presence.” She looked down again at the squire, giving her a loopsided grin. “I suppose in that respect, I AM keeping an eye on her company.”

Daisy flashed a grin at the guardswoman. "M'lady has cause to believe that the Goddess of Love herself might have purpose for her here in this humble establishment, and she is quite capable of resolving any issues that may come up, in a non-violent manner. Mister Annatar there has proposed an alliance toward adventure. We shall see what the Lady Ta'Marilyn will decide. I assure you we will stay no longer than necessary. Now, I should return to our table before the lady realizes her wine has not yet arrived!"

The halfling bowed and skipped over to the paladin without so much as sloshing the wine. She set the glass down on the table and bowed again this time to her lady, before sitting down in the chair next to her.

"M'lady has cause to believe that the Goddess of Love herself might have purpose for her here in this humble establishment, and she is quite capable of resolving any issues that may come up, in a non-violent manner.”

Violence.Who said anything about violence. Her fingers twitched near the right hand dagger as a sarcastic reply to her own thought.

“I assure you we will stay no longer than necessary. Now, I should return to our table before the lady realizes her wine has not yet arrived!"

With an elegant sideways move the little one had placed herself back in the company of her lady, and with gestures of respect had delivered the wine without fault. Kara gave the bar another scan. Such loyalty, it was a rare sight. Either the squire was paid extraordinarily well, or she was convicted and devoted to her Lady’s cause. Kara settled on a mix between the two as she kept her ear to the conversation, deciding to give Thomas a few more minutes.

Lady Ta’Marilyn reached for her glass of wine as Daisy set it on the table in front of her and wiped the rim off with her handkerchief. One could never be too clean! She listened as the plain man named Annatar answered her queries. He said much and little at the same time. The only thing she learned was that he had traveled from the east. He seemed to know a little magic… Now what was in the east, if only she could remember… She had never been one to study the many maps her father owned. Thay. Was Thay in the east? But he didn’t look like any wizard of Thay she had every seen. Why couldn’t he give her straight answers? Had her beauty confused him so much that he ceased to be able to articulate himself? Or maybe he knew what he was doing. But why was he doing it? The young paladin could not understand. She was wary of this man, for she knew not how to trust him.

She took a sip of her wine before she spoke. “Indeed, you are correct,” she smiled with her lips but not with her eyes. “Heretofore I shall remedy my error by tell you more about myself.”

“You already know my name, so that question, I believe is sufficiently answered. Though I was born in this great city I have spent the last 5 winters serving at the temple to Our Lady Firehair in the city of Daerlun, just west of here. The goddess, Sune herself has chosen to be her holy warrior for the cause of love and beauty and so I had to depart from our love lady’s temple. I seek to help those in need and defend the cause of Our Lady Firehair where ever I am needed.”

Lady Ta’Marilyn’s heart swelled with pride as she spoke about calling. Nothing in this world could be greater or more wonderful than being in the service of Sune as a holy warrior. She was proud to hold that title, for only few ever did and she knew that was the best of her kind.

She took another sip of her wine to give herself a moment to be composed. Her eyes met Ian Annatar’s with an intense star. “Why do you seek to adventure?” she asked with gravity in her voice. Maybe this time she would get a better answer.

'Good heavens' Ian thought in wonderment, 'She actually wiped the glass! What kind of fop am I dealing with?' He smiled as he thought about his mental checklist. Noble, Check. Local, Check. She's been gone for five years, but his reasoning was still sound. Paladin, Check. Well she was at least still claiming it, and the pride she took in that title had to mean something. If she was lying, he thought that statement would have sounded more like a challenge. Either she was a paladin, or she believed herself to be. And as for being young? Oh a big check in that column. By her own admission she was just forced to leave her temple for her goddess' cause. He was actually kind of good at this.

"Why do I seek adventure? There are many answers I could give you for that. Perhaps I prefer to find Adventure on my terms, rather than wait for it to find me. Perhaps we are all moved by forces beyond our control, and that is what forced me into your path." He gave a chuckle letting his 'mysteriousness' slip just a little, and spread his hands out on the table. "Honestly, a man has to make a living using the skills he has, and I have no skill in farming or making shoes."

Tolian couldn't decide if he could actually taste ash, or if it was just in his mind. The cabin catching fire had been a grim and ironic reminder of the struggles he'd faced in getting to where he was when the he'd first set eyes on the place. The old healer had died 2 winters ago, and his cabin was the the closest thing to home that Tolian had experienced in his life.

Still, he thought, he was grateful he'd managed to get out of it with as many of his things as he had. He wondered if the gods themselves were sending him a message, or if it had just been some freak occurrence. It wasn't often that you saw a lightning strike on a fairly clear day set fire to an old tree that subsequently fell upon the cabin. If he'd been 3 steps closer to the hearth when it happened, he might have not survived.

Still there was nothing left here now, and he didn't quite have enough money or tools to even attempt to rebuild it. "Face it", he thought to himself. "Your just going to have to swallow it down and head into the city and try to look for work there." There was no way that he would be able to stay here and try to rebuild with all of the old man's implements destroyed. It took him the better part of a day to salvage what few possessions he'd gathered from the wreckage. He packed up what he had, and saddled up Mathilda, then headed for the city. The days events weighed on his mind, as well as thoughts about how he'd go about making his way again.

Tolian never felt easy going into Procampur, and he did it as little as possible. He didn't want to attract attention to himself, if possible. He was well aware of the spectacle it could become if he were recognized. He chuckled inwardly on that thought. He was also aware of the spectacle he must be making now, coming into the city will all his belongings in tow on the old mare. He was covered in soot from rooting around the cabin's remains, and he was pretty sure that he smelled as bad as he looked.

There was no shortage of sideways glances and hushed commentary while he sought out a stable & inn where he could bed down his horse & then go get cleaned up. Once he got accomodations for himself and Mathilda, he brushed her out and settled down for the night. After that, he headed for the bath house to try to straighten up his outward appearance.

The hot bath went a long way towards soothing his state of mind. He'd have felt much better when he was done, if not for the looks he always got when he was present in a place like this. He was long past being modest. No, he'd spent too much time as Ramallo's slave for modesty. He was acutely aware of how uncomfortable his presence made other patrons. The scars that remained from his days as a pit fighter were many. Many more were the scars on his back from the scourge his old mistress familiarized him with. As if that weren't bad enough, there were also the burn scars that also covered much of his torso just added to the spectacle that was Tolian Bourne.

He absent-mindedly rubbed his chest for a moment, his mind reliving the way he'd been burned. He remembered the stink of the inside of the coach they were transporting him in. Ramallo had decided to take him to some gathering. He had no doubt she intended him to be the centerpiece of someone's pit tournament. They never made it to where they were intended to go. The bandits had managed to catch the caravan off guard. Their initial volley of arrows struck a cask on the coach's luggage rack. Whatever had been in it was flammable. It splashed on the torchlights the coachman had lit to be able to see the road better. The result was a specatcular fireball that immediately lit fire to the back end of the coach.

The horses panicked and bolted. The coachman had been distracted by the sudden fireball, and had stood up and turned to see what had happened. The man didn't have much time to ponder what had happened as he fell from the coachman's seat and landed squarely on his head. Even with the commotion, Tolian could swear he'd heard the sickening crunch of the man's neck breaking. The carriage was still burning as the horses, in their panicked run, suddenly veered to one side on the hill. The carriage rolled and came apart. He was chained to the inside of the carriage, and had no way of getting out.

When the remains of the cab came apart he was thrown free, but landed squarely on some of the burning parts. If that weren't bad enough, another part of the burning cab landed on him, knocking the wind out of him, then filling him with searing pain. If the old healer hadn't happened to see things and been close by, Tolian was sure he'd have met his maker then.

The memory of the old man's appearance in his life brought his thoughts full circle, back to his current situation. He decided he was clean enough, and got dressed and left the bath house. Still wondering if he could really taste ash, he decided to find himself a tavern and see if he couldn't wash the taste from his mouth.

He guessed that the Berserker's Festhall would probably be the place he'd be most inconspicuous. He hoped he wouldn't get tangled up in something because someone recognized him. He wasn't worried enough about it to keep him from seeking out a good pint of Lager, however.

It was a boisterous place, and he thought to himself that it didn't seem much different than the places Ramallo had forced him to play her champion in the pits. As alive as the place was, he also picked up on the hushed undertones going on. His eyes gazed on a most peculiar looking gathering at one of the tables. He couldn't help but be intrigued by the site of the beautiful woman and those gathered around her. Why would a lady of her stature be here with a commoner with a walking stick, a city guardsman, and ... her child?

He couldn't help but smile, and think to himself that with all the attention focused on them, that he might be able to relax a little. He went over to the bar and grabbed a stool. He decided to wait to order something, as the barkeeper seemed to be preoccupied with another city guard. Curiousity got the better of him though, and he decided to observe what was going on at the noblewoman's table for a bit. He caught a barmaid's attention, and ordered a Lager, then slid over to a nearby table, and kicked up his feet to watch the festivities.

Isof had enjoyed listening in on Kara's lecture on crime. She really did know her stuff. Isof had a keen interest in crime although he had neglected to apply to the Diamond legion. First, he was not a native of Procampur, so he could not just sign up. Second, he had no noble sponsor to allow him to join. Third, he liked being his own boss. Finally, the Diamond legion had a problem with their people going after criminals in the far reaches of Faerun for months on end.

But then Kara went over to another table as the rank and file of the Legion dug into their food. No wonder she stayed so thin. Food was obviously not a priority with her. But what grabbed her eye happened to be some half-dressed floozy from uptown. Isof was not interested.

He leaned back in his chair, his hands absent-mindedly going to his daggers strapped to his thighs. Parry, slash, spin, stab, block; the attack routines that had been drilled into his head were filling it again. The money he had paid for the tutor was well worth it. He saw the trophies on the wall from grand adventures, and although he would never admit it, he was somewhat starstruck by the guy. Now on his way back to Tantras, he wished he would have spent more time training, but after five sessions, his tutor had received a message and had packed his things. He was on his own.

Isof balanced his chair on its back legs, thinking about the near future. He needed to gain the skills necessary for combat before he moved on to other pursuits. While he was young and physical activity came easy for him. After he felt comfortable in battle, then he could begin tracking down those bastards. There were quite a few of them, and only one of him, so he had to be methodical and precise. Although it wouldn't hurt to wet his blades with some orc blood on the way.

Blood pounded in his ears. His horse was running blindly now, he had lost the reins when the arrow had gone through his arm. But luckily it was heading toward Procampur. He couldn't believe that he was only an hour away when they attacked. Normally the Diamond Legion did a better job of patrolling the nearby areas, but those orcs have been quiet lately. Quiet meant breeding. Breeding meant numbers. Something had to be done. He needed to get the package back. He could go to the fraternity of Venturers, but it may take too long to get through the paperwork. He wanted a posse. The best thing to do was head to the Berzerker's Festhall, and hope there were enough to form a pursuit party. They should be able to catch up to them if they hurry before they reach the hills.

Lady Ta'Marilyn smiled at Ian as he talked about his reason for adventuring. It was hard to believe one could be so directionless. It was as if he had no real goal in life and was content to float along its currents as long as he may. He truly was a disappointment. A nice man, but a disappointment.

"If by "forces beyond our control" you mean the gods, then yes, they may well have caused us to cross paths. To what end, I am sure we may someday see."

"I thank you for your kind offer, but as I have mentioned, I am not set on any particular journey at this time. You will be in my consideration should I embark on one such adventure."

"It has been a pleasure to speak with you Master Annatar. May Our Lady Firehair look upon you with favor."

Teroc set a pint in front of Tolian, smiling at him. Then he set another one beside it.

"You looked thirsty, my friend. That and I wanted to try out my new house brew. Let me know what you think."

With that, he left the gladiator at his table, smirking as he went back to his bar. Having a celebrity like that in his tavern, as well as a paladin was going to make for an interesting night. He just hoped the dwarves did not get into a fight.

When he got back to the bar, he slid two more ales to Kiln before he got impatient. Vin came up to the bar and settled his account. Teroc learned not to ask questions about the sphere of darkness that circled his head. One could only take so much philosophy without ale, and Teroc had a good habit of not drinking up his own profits, especially when on duty. The odd mage walked past the group with the paladin without a word or a glance and went out the door. That was a queer one indeed. That paladin deserved at least several glances.

Just like that, the fish was off the hook. 'Well..' he admitted to himself, 'maybe not. If something comes her way while she still remembers him, she may come back.' Still she was out of his sphere of influence and only fate and coincidence would win the day. Something told him that he hadn't made much of an impression, and it was doubtful she'd remember him long. Nothing left for him to do here. For one of his first attempts at subtle manipulation, he didn't do too bad. He actually had a little fun.

Unfortunately, this was a one time ploy. The Lady paladin drew too many stares, and enough people were listening in that he couldn't walk up to the next person he saw and try again. So as far as he was concerned, this was a loss. Honestly he thought to himself. He never did have much luck with the beautiful girls.

He rose from his chair and gave the two women a quick bow. "Very well Lady Ta'Marilyn Ahnalisa Amerilliss Mour and her squire Miss Daisy, one cannot ask for more than that. Should I be able to be of any assistance, I shall be around and you merely have to ask." And with that, he turned back to his original table and walked away. As he sat down to his original seat, he pulled out a book and started reading.

Suddenly the nearly empty mug of Ale in front of the women rose up from the table. It spun around once and flew to where the magus was reading. Without taking his eyes from the book, he held out a hand a grasped the floating cup. Taking a quick drink he set it back on the table as if nothing out of the ordinary had occured. Smiling behind his book, he hoped that would keep him in their memories a 'little longer'.

Tolian thanked the bartender for his generousity, and regarded the large man as he walked back to his place at the bar to tend his other patrons. "Was that a hint of recognition in the man's eyes?", Tolian wondered to himself. Tolian was indeed thirsty. He wasn't prepared to be served like that, and it made him somewhat uneasy. He sat up, and let his eyes scan the room as he took a tentative drink of the tankard before him. He was hoping it was just the paranoia he always felt in taverns.

It was nearing evening time when Engersol trotted through the gates. The guards immediately recognized him, so he did not have to show off his citizen's tattoo. The streets were bustling with people who were calling the end of the work day and were heading to home or tavern, whichever was more comfortable. The horseman steered with his knees through the crowded streets, thanking his wife for insisting on paying a little more for a well trained horse instead of going with whatever was cheaper in quality.

As he reached the Festhall, he slid off his horse, who calmly waited for instruction, and on hearing none, ambled over toward the horse trough for a drink. The man who came through the door of the Festhall was of average height, and slightly large build, but only around the middle. He wore a purple riding hat with a long tan feather that had black streaks in it. His simple riding clothes hid layers of protective leathers inside without drawing too much attention, and would not now, except that there were several holes in these protections, some of which were still bleeding. There was an arrow through his right arm, between the bones and near the wrist, which caused his hand to droop unnaturally.

As he came in the door, the normally cheerful ambiance of the place changed about three shades darker, as if someone had placed a large blanket over the hall. When Engersol saw he had people's attention he opened his mouth and spoke with no small amount of venom. "I was beset by orcs. 100 gold for every able hand that goes and hunts those sons of pigs down. 20 gold for proof of any recently killed orc. 500 gold to split between whomever brings back my cargo. I am looking for people who can leave immediately."

After the announcement, Teroc lifted his voice. "Regulars! You know the drill. Those of you who are new and are interested in this orc hunt, meet over at the stage area. Let's see if we can't get some people on the road in ten minutes."

As he was speaking he was continuing to fill mugs. He passed out a couple to waiting customers, but also pressed one in Engersol's hand. "It's good that you came here. Take this for the pain."

The bar took on a new life as the bartender completed his announcement. A tense kind of energy seemed to fill the room. An energy that Tolian was accustomed to. He took another drink of his lager, then stood to his feet. He turned to the injured man, and regarded him a moment. Tolian raised his deep, gravelly voice to a level that would pierce the noise of the crowd.

"How many orc?", he asked. "What armaments did they carry?," he continued. " What direction, and what type of cargo, sir?"

A shocked Ian nearly dropped his book as the door burst open. 100 gold? He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen 100 gold all at once. If this didn't qualify as an adventure he didn't really know what would. Still orcs? They must be pretty dangerous if they warranted this kind of bounty.

Suddenly he remembered the Paladin and her Squire. He wondered if he could convince them that this is what he predicted all along. Quietly closing his spellbook and stowing it back into his bags, he turned his attention to the ladies. With his best attempt at calm and mysterious, he raised his eyebrows and gave them an inquisitive look.

Engersol thanked the barkeep and started making his way over toward the stage area. He took a long drought of his ale. Ten minutes! He knew he could trust Teroc to get things moving quickly. Now if only he could get some capable adventures from this lot. He scanned the crowd as he walked over toward the stage. There was definite interest in some faces he saw. Whether it was the gold or just killing orcs, it did not matter to him. He hoped to get a little of both.

"How many orc?", he asked. "What armaments did they carry?," he continued. " What direction, and what type of cargo, sir?"

Engersol looked over at the eager young man and grimaced. "I want to only have to explain it once, instead of twenty times." Then upon thinking he might ward his first avenger off, he hazarded a wry, crooked smile. "At least let me sit down first! Although I like your spirit. If I thought you could take them all, I would send you right away! No, lets see if anyone else wants in and then I will explain everything."

500 gold pieces… That was a whole lot of gold, even for a more wealthy citizen. Either the orcs had been many and the man was desperate, or the man was simply loaded with cash and in a dark mood calling for fight. Whichever of the two worked for Kara. She had already given up on Thomas, and instead of heading back to the landlord demanding men with a little more fire in them, perhaps whomever signed up for a brush with death would do. In fact she wouldn’t have wanted anything less. As for herself; death was always a good partner. It increased your payout if you just knew how to keep it a friend.

She took her leave from what had moments ago been a quiet conversation, and moved towards the staging area.

"I'll go" she raised her voice, "If I can see a handfull".

Tolian frowned at the man's remarks. He'd thought the man had opened a forum for discussion with such a bold and loud statement. When the man apended himself, Tolian decided to go join him at his table. He picked up his tankards and headed towards the wounded man's table by the stage.