Post by Alric, son of Harland on Jan 6, 2006 18:17:13 GMT -5
Alric was laying on the roof of his house, watching a hawk circle over the forest to the east.
"Hey, Hairy!"
"Yes, Taos?"
"Come down here!"
"Can't. Watching a hawk."
A moment passed, and a pebble landed on his stomach. Alric chuckled, and another landed next to the first. Another moment passed, and stone the size of a fist landed a foot from his head.
"WHOA!" Alric sat up and glared down at Taos, who was grinning. "I'm glad you missed."
"I didn't miss. It landed right where I wanted it to."
Alric looked up to see if he could spot the hawk he had been watching, but it was gone. "Ah, I lost him." He slid to the edge of the roof, his feet dangling. "What's so important?"
"We have a new arrival."
Alric immediately forgot the hawk and jumped down. "Is he at the tavern?"
"Of course."
They began walking toward the Silver Moon Tavern, which sat below the Blue Dragon Inn, named for the magical creature that had turned the tide of the final battle in the Beholder War.
"And you got him a drink?"
"Of course. We always bring new arrivals to your favorite table and offer them a drink."
"Sorry. I just love meeting new people and introducing them to The Land. And I want to make sure they get a good first impression. Is he adjusting well?"
"He seems very calm and comfortable. He was attacked by orcs on the way here, and took an arrow to the thigh before he escaped."
The elf and visigoth arrived at the tavern, and Alric rushed through the door and looked to the corner where he met with those new to The Land. There, lounging on the bench, he saw an old man with white hair, a matching beard, and smiling eyes.
"Greetings! And welcome to Mittelmarch!" He seated himself and offered his arm for clasping. "I am Alric, son of Harland. Can I get you anything?"
As the man clasped Alric's arm, he said, "No, but thank you. Your friend with the ears has been a gracious host."
Taos, who now stood beside the table, acknowledged the compliment with a nod and said to Alric, "I've taken the liberty of asking Nellie to double our guest's order." He turned to the old man and whispered loudly, "Alric is always hungry."
"Thank you, Taos. Would you ask Serra to bring me a glass of milk with that as well?"
"Already done. You are predictable."
"Pull up a chair and help me explain things."
Taos shook his head. "I have some things to take care of. It was good to meet you, sir. I hope you enjoy Mittelmarch."
Alric turned back to their guest. "Well...I'm sorry, what was your name?"
The man's eyes widened, and he jumped to his feet next to the table, wincing. "Where are my manners!" He pulled a hat from seemingly nowhere, set it on his head, then pulled it off as he bowed with a flourish. "I am Thom Hawkley, a Bard of Merathia."
Alric smiled as the old man seated himself. "Nice to meet you, Thom. What does a Bard do in Merathia?"
"I am a traveling entertainer. I travel from hamlet to village to town, entertaining the local folk. For a small fee, of course," he added with a smile. "I must ask you something. Neither you, your friend with the ears, or the man in the guard tower speak my language, or even the same language, yet I completely understand each of you, and you seem to understand me."
"It is part of the magic of this land. We don't know how it works, but we can only assume the spirits of The Land made it that way because people from so many different places end up here. Speaking of which, how did you end up here?"
Thom sat up, and took a breath. He was obviously a practiced storyteller.
"There is an ancient tale, in my world, of a great hero who would one day arrive to save us from the evil that plagues us. Every other decade or so, people flock to Tersa, where legend says the hero will first appear. A few weeks ago, yet another pilgrimage to Tersa began, and I joined the caravan from the town I was in. Now, I'm not one for myths, but when the people flock to Tersa, Tersan innkeepers will pay good money for quality entertainment.
"On the third night of our journey, the others in our caravan convinced me to play a few songs. They seated themselves around a campfire, and I performed for almost a watch. As I played the final song of my performance, I noticed that the fire had begun to smoke more than usual. At first, I thought it was raining and I hadn't noticed. But there was too much smoke, and it began to spread through the audience, as though on purpose. The smoke got thicker and thicker, and I heard coughing and some cries of confusion. Finally, we passed out from the smoke.
"When we awoke, the entire caravan, including the horses and carts, was in a wooded area. We were nowhere near a forest when we set up camp the night before, so we were thoroughly confused. I suggested that we send a few scouts to search the surrounding area, to see if we recognized anything. As I have some practice with a blade, I volunteered to go. I headed south, skirted a range of mountains, and noticed a river. As I headed toward the river, I noticed a small building low in the mountains. I headed toward it, and they bade me follow the river until I found your settlement. On the way here, I was attacked by a group of ugly greenish monsters, and one of their arrows found a home in my leg."
"Taos tells me the arrow was from an orc," Alric began.
"They've been attacking us since a few months after we first arrived. The mountains you skirted are the Iron Mountains, and the monastery, as I'm sure the monks told you, is home to the Order of the Rose. The River of Flame runs from the Iron Mountains to Mittelmarch, and then turns southeast. We call it that because it looks like liquid fire at sunset.
"I think we should find your caravan and bring them to Mittlemarch. Would you be able to draw a map to help us locate them?"
"Certainly," the bard replied, and Alric went off to find some parchment and a quill. When he returned, Thom drew a fairly detailed map.
"I fear I must leave you now." Alric stood and offered his arm. "I haven't had an adventure for a while, so I'm going to find your caravan myself. I must prepare for my journey. If you need anything, you'll find everyone in Mittelmarch is very helpful. It was nice to meet you." Thom clasped the proffered arm, and Alric headed home to prepare for adventure.
Alric
"Hey, Hairy!"
"Yes, Taos?"
"Come down here!"
"Can't. Watching a hawk."
A moment passed, and a pebble landed on his stomach. Alric chuckled, and another landed next to the first. Another moment passed, and stone the size of a fist landed a foot from his head.
"WHOA!" Alric sat up and glared down at Taos, who was grinning. "I'm glad you missed."
"I didn't miss. It landed right where I wanted it to."
Alric looked up to see if he could spot the hawk he had been watching, but it was gone. "Ah, I lost him." He slid to the edge of the roof, his feet dangling. "What's so important?"
"We have a new arrival."
Alric immediately forgot the hawk and jumped down. "Is he at the tavern?"
"Of course."
They began walking toward the Silver Moon Tavern, which sat below the Blue Dragon Inn, named for the magical creature that had turned the tide of the final battle in the Beholder War.
"And you got him a drink?"
"Of course. We always bring new arrivals to your favorite table and offer them a drink."
"Sorry. I just love meeting new people and introducing them to The Land. And I want to make sure they get a good first impression. Is he adjusting well?"
"He seems very calm and comfortable. He was attacked by orcs on the way here, and took an arrow to the thigh before he escaped."
The elf and visigoth arrived at the tavern, and Alric rushed through the door and looked to the corner where he met with those new to The Land. There, lounging on the bench, he saw an old man with white hair, a matching beard, and smiling eyes.
"Greetings! And welcome to Mittelmarch!" He seated himself and offered his arm for clasping. "I am Alric, son of Harland. Can I get you anything?"
As the man clasped Alric's arm, he said, "No, but thank you. Your friend with the ears has been a gracious host."
Taos, who now stood beside the table, acknowledged the compliment with a nod and said to Alric, "I've taken the liberty of asking Nellie to double our guest's order." He turned to the old man and whispered loudly, "Alric is always hungry."
"Thank you, Taos. Would you ask Serra to bring me a glass of milk with that as well?"
"Already done. You are predictable."
"Pull up a chair and help me explain things."
Taos shook his head. "I have some things to take care of. It was good to meet you, sir. I hope you enjoy Mittelmarch."
Alric turned back to their guest. "Well...I'm sorry, what was your name?"
The man's eyes widened, and he jumped to his feet next to the table, wincing. "Where are my manners!" He pulled a hat from seemingly nowhere, set it on his head, then pulled it off as he bowed with a flourish. "I am Thom Hawkley, a Bard of Merathia."
Alric smiled as the old man seated himself. "Nice to meet you, Thom. What does a Bard do in Merathia?"
"I am a traveling entertainer. I travel from hamlet to village to town, entertaining the local folk. For a small fee, of course," he added with a smile. "I must ask you something. Neither you, your friend with the ears, or the man in the guard tower speak my language, or even the same language, yet I completely understand each of you, and you seem to understand me."
"It is part of the magic of this land. We don't know how it works, but we can only assume the spirits of The Land made it that way because people from so many different places end up here. Speaking of which, how did you end up here?"
Thom sat up, and took a breath. He was obviously a practiced storyteller.
"There is an ancient tale, in my world, of a great hero who would one day arrive to save us from the evil that plagues us. Every other decade or so, people flock to Tersa, where legend says the hero will first appear. A few weeks ago, yet another pilgrimage to Tersa began, and I joined the caravan from the town I was in. Now, I'm not one for myths, but when the people flock to Tersa, Tersan innkeepers will pay good money for quality entertainment.
"On the third night of our journey, the others in our caravan convinced me to play a few songs. They seated themselves around a campfire, and I performed for almost a watch. As I played the final song of my performance, I noticed that the fire had begun to smoke more than usual. At first, I thought it was raining and I hadn't noticed. But there was too much smoke, and it began to spread through the audience, as though on purpose. The smoke got thicker and thicker, and I heard coughing and some cries of confusion. Finally, we passed out from the smoke.
"When we awoke, the entire caravan, including the horses and carts, was in a wooded area. We were nowhere near a forest when we set up camp the night before, so we were thoroughly confused. I suggested that we send a few scouts to search the surrounding area, to see if we recognized anything. As I have some practice with a blade, I volunteered to go. I headed south, skirted a range of mountains, and noticed a river. As I headed toward the river, I noticed a small building low in the mountains. I headed toward it, and they bade me follow the river until I found your settlement. On the way here, I was attacked by a group of ugly greenish monsters, and one of their arrows found a home in my leg."
"Taos tells me the arrow was from an orc," Alric began.
"They've been attacking us since a few months after we first arrived. The mountains you skirted are the Iron Mountains, and the monastery, as I'm sure the monks told you, is home to the Order of the Rose. The River of Flame runs from the Iron Mountains to Mittelmarch, and then turns southeast. We call it that because it looks like liquid fire at sunset.
"I think we should find your caravan and bring them to Mittlemarch. Would you be able to draw a map to help us locate them?"
"Certainly," the bard replied, and Alric went off to find some parchment and a quill. When he returned, Thom drew a fairly detailed map.
"I fear I must leave you now." Alric stood and offered his arm. "I haven't had an adventure for a while, so I'm going to find your caravan myself. I must prepare for my journey. If you need anything, you'll find everyone in Mittelmarch is very helpful. It was nice to meet you." Thom clasped the proffered arm, and Alric headed home to prepare for adventure.
Alric