starting somewhere

[Cade_Smith]

Cade pushed the door to the tavern aside and walked into the big room full of people. The lights were bright and happy, inviting to travelers outside and comforting to travelers inside. On the far wall a fire was burning and popping fresh wood that was thrown in from time to time. The young man smiled when the eyes of the people turned to him. It was nice to have happy faces greet him when the memory of his dead family was still on his mind. He did not come to start a quest, or start a fight. Cade came to drink, eat, and be merry.

“Welcome to the Peaceful Promenade, the fine tavern of Underwood.” Cade looked at the man who greeted him and nodded. The bartender was filling a glass with warm mead and placed it at an open seat at the bar. Without looking to see if someone else was expected to take the seat, the sorcerer sat down and put his hands on the cup. He sipped from the large mug and wiped his foamy upper lip on his sleeve.

“Thank you.” Cade responded as he put a gold coin on the table for the bartender to take for the mead. “I’m new in town, what is there to do?”

“Not a whole lot doing around here, Underwood’s a pretty quiet place. You got your locals, your passer-by’s, and your random stays. Which are you?” The barkeep casually chatted with the young man, smiling a friendly but not overly helpful smile. He wiped a glass with a clean cloth, filled it with another glass of mead, and placed it in front of a quiet patron down the bar.

“I guess if I have to choose one, I’m a random stay till I find something to do. I’m a sorcerer, looking to expand my list of spells and challenge something other than saplings in the forest with what I already have. So, nothing of interest to get a young sorcerer on his feet and some money in his pocket?” Cade looked at the frothy mead and tapped his fingers against the outside of the glass with a downcast face, unhappy about the quiet of the Corone nation. Perhaps he’d try his hand at the small island of Scara Brae?

((OPEN!))

[BattleMage]

The main room of the tavern was warm and appealing to the eye. The cozy oak walls were decorated with a variety of artifacts and trinkets, each having a designated plaque describing their origins. A crackling fire burned continuously on the far side of the bar, giving a warm welcome to travellers stopping in by the dozen. The frothy mugs throughout the bar left a pleasing scent, that symbolized the merry making the place was named after. The Peaceful Promenade was it's name and it had been the evening hide out of Derrick Magnum for several weeks.

Despite his handsome sun tanned face and perfect smile, the young elf sat alone at the bar, in his regular seat, sipping his regular drink. It had felt like ages to him since he had suffered the humbling loss in the citadel, to a powerful man named Lorenor, but he couldn't help being haunted by it. The only time the feeling left his mind was when he was drunkly staggering to or from the tavern. Despite being surrounded by the cheerful voices of travellers, Derrick found himself alone starring into the half full mug in front of him. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't forget.

"Derrick, cheer up man! We haven't had a turn out like this in months." Derrick tore his eyes up from the trance, meeting the familiar friendly smile of Pat the bartender. Pat had been Derrick's only friend throughout the last few weeks, his warm tone always seemed to smear a smile across the mage's face.

"Ah what's the point? People come and go." Derrick retorted, before polishing off what remained of his ale. He was the crimson of the mage he had been before his citadel trip. "The only things I'm left with at the end of the day is you and the liquor."

Pat took a second to refill Derrick's mug before chiming back into their conversation. "You know a good lay never hurt anyone pal!" He responded cheerfully, motioning towards the sea of young women who occupied the bar. It had been a while since Derrick had felt the touch of a woman, but he didn't have room in his hectic mind to deal with the drama that came with courting one.

"It's no use." Derrick broke off from his mellow dramatic rant, taking a swig from his frigid brew, "might as well just give up on me."

"Well, I hate to say it but you're stuck with me buddy..." Pat was cut off by the shout of another customer, "Whether you like it or not!" He added before turning to face the man at the end of the bar, leaving Derrick to shuffle his half empty mug across the oak counter top. It wasn't typical for the mage to feel so alone, but he hadn't been able to help it since his defeat in the citadel.

[Cade_Smith]

The sorcerer took another sip, cringing when the bitter taste of the warm brew met his tongue. In his years of growing he had never tasted alcohol of any kind. Cade’s father had been a drinker, when someone is stressed the majority of the time they tend to drink more and harder. But warm mead was nothing like wine from the elf territories, or sweet liquor from the frozen lands to the north. He could not help but show his age and inexperience in taverns. People all around him were downing mugs like they were filled with strawberry sweetened water. With every mug of ale or mead they finished, they grew louder and friendlier. A few clapped a hand on the shoulder of the loner magic wielder, only to be brushed off and find someone else with as much or more alcohol in their system.

“Is it always this loud?” Whispering was as useful as thinking to himself, Cade could not even hear his own words. He sipped another gulp of his drink and twisted his head towards the door and away from everyone in the tavern. The sorcerer smiled when the barkeeper came back his way, trying to show that he was not as affected by the alcohol as he looked. Pat nodded at him as if he knew that the young sorcerer was not used to the drink. “What?”

“Nothing nothing, I was just noting that you weren’t liking the drink as much as you seem to be. You know, we have things other than mead and ale here if you’re looking for something less harsh?” Pat smirked and chuckled as he poured another drink and pushed it down the bar to a waiting patron. The man was condescending and rude, just like Cade’s father had once been. Thinking of his lost family made the young man clench his lips tight and curl his fist under the countertop.

“No thanks, I’ll deal with this.” Cade turned away from the man and looked down the bar, at what appeared to be the only person other than himself that was alone and quiet. Perhaps he was looking for someone to talk to. Maybe he knew more about Corone than Cade did, which was not saying anything since the sorcerer had never moved away from his home till it was burnt to the ground. Instead of worrying about his past, he concentrated on making conversation with the man in the present. “Say there, mind if I drink with you?”

[BattleMage]

The question came from a stranger sitting not far from Derrick's regular spot. He quickly established that the young mild mannered man was a mage too. He wore a staff on his back and was surrounded by an unseen essence that reeked of magical properties.

This guys a mage alright, and he's the first I've come in contact with since my arrival in this dull town.

"On any other night I would tell you to badger off." He paused and patted the vacant chair to his left. Derrick managed to conjure a smile, revealing a set of perfect teeth from beneath his tender lips. It was a sight that was forgotten, even to the young adventurer himself, "but I could use the company."

The bore of the small town had left a seemingly unquenchable thirst for companionship. The old bartender was a nice guy, but Derrick couldn't quite see their friendship blossoming much more than it had already. Sure the free drinks were a nice gesture but Pat could be rather annoying at times, always offering advice when it wasn't needed. He needed someone with character, someone who could bring something to the table, and he felt that the young mage could possibly fit the description.

The racket of the bar around him began to fade away as Derrick took a moment to down his remaining ale. It was a bit watered down, but it was free, which ultimately evened out the sour taste it left in his mouth. Already he could feel himself losing the desire to drink as thoughts of adventure once again filled his mind.

Maybe this is just the guy I needed to meet.

[Lamjack]

During this time, Dace Ryan was having problems in the bathroom.

He'd just finished taking a duce, but the toilet was over flowing. "How does an outhouse overflow" he screamed, frantically looking for something to stand on to avoid the feces and urine spilling out of the narrow hole. Dace Ryan knew he had to fix the toilet, or he'd never be allowed into the Peaceful Prominade again. After a few moments, he decided that's what would happen. There was a window of the far end of the room. Dace Ryan would go their and climb out, never to be seen in this town again. He trudged threw the water until he reached the window. He opened it and looked out. To his right, he saw a large take of water with a pipe leading into the building. Dace turned and followed the pipe in the room. It lead to an area right by the overflowing hole. Curious, Dace splashed over to the pipe and saw that a hinge had come loose. "Duh!" he screamed. At that point, someone knocked on the door. "Um, someone's in here" he yelled. Running out of time, Dace reached into his toolkit and grabbed his wrench. He tightened the hinge and the water flow stopped. Apparently this outhouse had a way to drop in water to get rid of the smell of poo at the bottom of the hole. That said, there must be a way to drop the water into a well. Low and behold, down in the midle of the hole was a small flap. "I can't belief I'm going to do this" Dace Ryan said. He reached his hand down into the hole, brushing aside poo and lifted the flap. Slowly but surely all the water in the room flowed back down through the hole, leaving trails of garbage and feces on the ground. "Yuck" Dace said, brushing his hands against his pants. He walked to the door, opened it, smiled to the guy waiting and said "It's all yours..." The groan he heard as he walked away made him laugh.

Dace went to the bar, smelling atrocious. "Bartender, give me the strongest thing you've got." The bartender flaired his nostrals, but got the drink. While Dace Ryan was waiting for his drink, he saw some guys looking at him. "Like you guys have been to the bathhouse recently either."

[Amber Eyes]

As Kyla stepped into the old tavern, she glanced around. The scent of tobacco was strong, and reminded her of nights spent in taverns with the men who raised her. Happy memories mixed with not so happy ones, and crowded Kyla's head. "No time for this now." She told herself, "there are more important things at hand."

There was a group of women in the corner, the typical bar fly girls, wearing very little clothing, and a whole lot of makeup. They were obviously looking for a few free drinks, or something else entirely, but Kyla didn't have time to think of that either. On any other night, Kyla would have at least given them a hello, but tonight she was on a mission. Kyla remembered only a few words from her childhood, and she was determined to find out what they meant. She needed to go to the archives in Radasanth, to search for clues. Perhaps the barkeep would be able to point her on her way. As she stepped up to the bar, she got a better look at the patrons, including one who was covered in what could only be human excrement.

Attempting not to gag, Kyla said, loudly enough for everyone at the bar to hear, "Anyone care to give a girl directions?"

As Kyla asked the question, she noticed on of the women in the corner speaking a little too loudly to her friends. "Look at that, gal walks in here like she owns the place, and thinks they'll just give her whatever she wants."

Feeling a bit awkward, and out of place, Kyla cleared her throat before continuing in a more hushed tone. "Please, it's very important that I learn how to get to Radasanth."

[Cade_Smith]

He did not seem like a very nice guy. The return to Cades question was something that was what someone would expect from the bully at school. This bully was lonely though, and agreed to invite the sorcerer to sit next to him. Cade moved his ale and his body from one stool down the bar to the one next to the other man. He sipped from the mead and did not like it just as much as he had not liked it earlier. His face remained firm, and he tried his best not to look like a little kid compared to the other man. “Good to meet you man. I’m Cade. You alone tonight too?”

Before he could get an answer though the man who smelt terrible sat next to him and Cade could not help but wipe the tears from his eyes. He smelt like raw sewage. It hurt his eyes, and made him think of a cat box that had not been cleaned in years. “I might not have been to a bath any time lately, but it smells like you took a bath in the toilet.”

Finally a third person arrived. Behind her the calls of the women for sale were rudely thrown at her back. Cade wanted to crack a few of them over the head for being so rude, but he was not willing to get into a fight with a bunch of people in a bar he was not a normal person to. He was not a local, he was a passer by or random stay. Even he was not sure which he was yet. “Have a seat miss, I’m not sure where Radasanth is, but maybe one of these two might know where it is?”

[BattleMage]

Derrick paused and took a moment to better situate himself, he couldn't help but to feel like a slouch hanging loosely from his seat. The arrival of the you man, Cade, had also brought a couple of other people, one of which smelt like raw sewage. What had began a lonely night was quickly shifting into a social gathering, whether Derrick liked the idea or not, he was stuck here. He shifted his attention from the young magic user to the other two people. The one with the distinct smell was a tinkerer, Derrick guessed he had probably got curious in the restroom and found himself elbow deep in shit. The other was an absent minded young lady, who had barged in moments prior making her presence very known. It was like one big disfunctional family and Derrick was stuck in the middle of it.

Oh lonesome nights. Derrick made a quick mental note that maybe he was better off alone.

"Well I was alone, but I guess I'm stuck with you guys for now." Derrick retorted revealing halfcocked grin, deep dimples now emerging on his sun tanned cheeks.

Derrick attempted to take his last swig of ale but was interrupted by Cade's wise remarks towards the tinkerer. "I may not have been to a bath any time lately, but it smells like you took a bath in the toilet." Derrick fought hard to supress his laughter, but ended up laughing anyway, spitting ale all over the polished counter tops.

Ignoring Cade's conversation with the young lady, Derrick moved on. "So Cade you fancy yourself a mage or is that staff just for show?" He questioned raising his own staff, Astra, from where it leaned to his right.

[Cade_Smith]

“You’re not stuck with us, you could leave if you wanted, but I think you have your reasons for staying, huh?” Cade smiled and sipped the mead; still wincing with the warm liquid but not as much the more he drank. His head felt lighter, but he felt great. The young sorcerer looked at the bright young woman, and the other two that he had slowly gathering around him. It felt like he was back home, sitting around with the merchants children that had come with their parents. Thoughts of his past made him smile, except for the ones of the fire that had burned down the outpost. “You seem to want friends, people that would be happy and cheer you up. So here we are!”

He listened to what the elf said, still happy as a peach that he was talking to a real life elf. Cade had never met one of the pointy eared people. Stories about their skill with magic and the bow was something he had clung to as a child. However, meeting one face to face was like seeing a legends name suddenly given a face. Cade looked at the staff and wondered if that was what gave mages power, or if his own staff was what had given him magic? The Astra staff was carved to a point at one side, and had a rounded top on the other side.

“My staff? It’s just a piece of wood I carry around. I didn’t know it gave me power or made me a ‘mage’. I was wondering what caused me to have magic. How does a staff make you a mage? I was told that I was a sorcerer, because I don’t have any training with my magic but have magic anyway.” Cade took a large gulp, forcing it down before he looked back at Derrick. If he had training he might not have lost power when he was asleep and caused his family and the merchant outpost to burn to the ground. He normally had a downcast face when he thought about what had happened, but with so many happy faces around he had trouble being sad. “You have a staff too though. Does that make you a mage?”