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Drow Wars, Chapter 1 (Group A) [NSFW]

When they had gotten past the strange creatures and past the causeway onto the mainland, Iodae paused a little. "That sounds like good choices Aelandra. However I'll have to admit that I wasn't dressed for this weather when I left home." She wasn't sure if she'd ever feel comfortable in restraining clothes like those of the colder regions wore. "So I would like to acquire some sort of clothing more suited for this climate soon. A warm cloak perhaps."

She looked, first at the windmill and then at the village in the other direction. "But we should also see what we can find out about this Starkweather fellow and his sword."
 
As they went, Temmendra reached back to pull out her bedroll, and unfurled it like a sheet. "Here. Use this for now, hun. It's something, at least."

The deck of cards rarely left her hands since she woke in this place, and she toyed with them as if without thinking. "I think we should make ourselves known in the village first, just to let the people there know that we're not robbers, or anything. They might not appreciate us snooping through the windmill otherwise."
 
"Okay then. We visit the village, and try to be friends with them, and to get to know the people and the area here. After all, the voice said that the people here are ours, or something similar..." Aelandra was happy that they would possibly get to speak with people. She was kind of good with people, more so if they found a common language. "However, I do not have too much coin, coming from the jungle." she still gripped her bow, and remained behind the other two - or three, if the big cat went forward instead of eyeing her in the back.
 
"Well, I don't know about all that. I know a thing or two about the occult, and when a strange, disembodied voice tells us those sorts of things, it has to be taken in the abstract. 'Cuz I highly doubt whoever lives in that place will be keen on us walking in and claiming it all for ourselves."
 
"I can't accept that. I will make do for now." Iodae said as the kind half-orc offered her the blanket. Of course there was the thing that she wouldn't be seen wearing a blanket for the cold. She'd rather have a real pelt or something that at least looked decent rather than something hastily thrown together - what would people think of her.

"I think village is a good starting point." She said as the three of them and the lion began to make their way towards the village.

To the other's thoughts about the people being theirs she said, "There was a lot of what that voice said that didn't make much sense. First of all we are a bit away from the equinox if I'm not mistaken. And it sounded like she considered us her children.... And then the thing about the soul returning to the flesh. But the bit about the land and the people...." For her being a druid that one was the easy one,"... well I assumed she was referring to our responsibility."

That was many words for Iodae. And thoughtful too for her standards at least.
 
"If they do not need our help or protection, we would need a different livelihood. But they know the area and its inhabitants, and whoever is the leader or owner around here." Aelandra did not shrug, but she was a little bit fearful that what they would fing in the village would be not tolerant about their races or even culture. But she also hoped that they would find a common ground for their future.
 
"In any case, let's try being nice and polite. They'll probably help us if we are."

Temmendra replaced the bedrolls, and produced in its stead a couple of gold coins. "And don't worry about money. I have some cash with me, and village folk don't deal with huge sums."
 
Iodae nodded. She had spoken more words today than on a normal day. Living in the wild with her lion she rarely saw other people. Not that she disliked them, but it she had a responsibility to the land. Now her land lay many hundreds of miles away judging from the temperature and someone else needed her.


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After about half an hour walk the three approached the village. The little settlement had clearly seen better days. Many of the wooden buildings seemed to have partly collapsed. The town square was little more than an open muddy space, cut with the ruts of wagon wheels, with a squat stone well in the middle. Off to one side was an inn, the largest building in the vicinity, whose sign proclaimed it to be the Golden Nugget. Opposite the inn was an open shop with baskets of dry goods set out front. An aged woman sat by the basket mending a net and narrowed her eyes at the strange quartet.
 
Being a city girl, and the most modestly dressed, Temmendra figured that she was the least outlandish of the trio and the lion, so she approached the old woman. She raised her hand in greeting, and in her other was the harrow deck. "Heeey, good morning, ma'am. You probably guessed that we're not from around here. We're a bit lost. Can you tell us where we are, and if there's a place to stay around here?"
 
While Aleandra had been born in the jungle, and grew up mostly there, she had seen and visited villages and cities with her elven parents. So, seeing the signs and able to read it was followed by understanding. While Temmendra stopped to converse, the golden haired beauty approached the door of the inn, and unless Iodae hurried to open it before her - she was the most manly of the three, and human enough to possibly hear about chivalry - she would enter the establishment and look around, going as far as checking or asking about the prices and the type of coins and other goods they would accept. Aleandra was very closely acquainted with gold, seeing that it was one of the things coming out of deepest Cendra jungles, where her bloodline and possible god resided, and its serpent people lived.
 
The Town of Bronce​

Temmendra could hardly move inside the dingy store. Barrels and crates threatened to trip her up and fishing nets dangled from the ceiling. There was a strong smell of preserving vinegar and tarry hemp. Judging by the dust, some of these goods appeared to have been here for decades. Trade is obviously far from brisk.

The basket woman looked at the half-orc. The way Temmendra was dressed helped little to disguise her origin and it seemed like the woman with the basket had her share of prejudice. However she mumbled an answer, "Bronce. The town's called Bronce. And you can stay at the inn." She pointed at the inn at the other side of the square. But she was not adverse to the prospect of earning a few pieces of gold or silver. "But what can old Mother Bailey offer such three beautiful women?" She asked, referring to Temmendra and her two friends that seemed to be heading for the inn.


As Aelandra approached the door to the inn, the large black woman moved quickly in front of her. "Take care little one." With a non-verbal command she ordered her lion to wait at the door. Iodae then opened the door, shielding the smaller Aasimar with her own body. Once she was certain that there was no danger ahead, she nodded to Aelandra and held the door for her.

Iodae did actually have a bit of gold in store. She had collected some over the past years and had not really had anything to spend the money on.

As they opened the door to the inn, the conversation stopped and all eyes turned to look at the strange duo entering. You now understand why the town looked so empty. It seemed everyone was here. Like the other buildings, the inn looked like it was steadily falling apart. There was no sense of happiness only a glum resignation. A few heartbeats passed, then the drinkers resumed their conversation, more quietly than before.

The inside of the inn was pretty run down. It had clearly seen better days. The ceiling and walls were yellow from smoke and other things and everything looked like it should have been burned or at least washed a decade ago. A slightly overweight man in his thirties stood behind the counter cleaning a mug with a towel. He eyed the two strangers, waiting for their next move.
 
Temmendra gave Bailey as pleasant a smile as she could. "Oh, thank you, Mamma, but I don't need anything in particular. What's the word around here? What can you tell me about the area around this place?"
 
Surprised over the half-orc's politeness the old woman began to speak. "Well Bronce have been here for ages. We are on the north tip of the island of Chillhame so about a three day journey to Saragost. But if you want to know more then you could ask the headman of the town Murphy or the priest," She nodded towards what looked like a collapsed church, "Father Bronson. He's a nice fellow that father." She said with a small smile.

OOC: If you want more detailed information you can either keep asking the right questions or make a Diplomacy roll
 
"Ah, that's very helpful, Mamma! I think I will go find him once my friends and I get settled in." Temmendra followed where Bailey indicated, and took in the state of the town. "By the way, I don't like to pry, but did something happen here? Usually the churches are a the best-kept places in towns. Was there a fire?"
 
"Good day good man. I would like to inquire about the prices here and what kind of coins are accepted, or other wares that are sought to buy..." Aelandra is being her usual charming self, as she tries for some basic diplomacy. Then she turns towards Iodae "Maybe we have enough coins together to buy some food for us and one drink for everyone?"
 
"Nah. The church have looked like that for years. It was before my time that the mine ran dry. So there have not been much in the way of money here since then. With the capital so far away almost no one ever comes here." She smiled at the girl. "You take care young one." She said as Temmendra left for the inn.



The bartender didn't take his eyes off the two. His eyes seemed glued to Iodae's impressive cleavage and it took him a few seconds to pry his eyes away to answer the aasimar. "Well. As long as it's gold, silver or copper we accept anything." His eyes lit up when she said something about a drink for everyone, perhaps this was turning out to be a good day for business. "Well that'll be five gold mi'ladies. JINNIE!" The man called.

A few seconds later a busty woman in her thirties appeared from the back. "Yes dear..... Oh we have visitors." Realizing where her husband's gaze was she continued, "Eye up Bernik Oakenbough." Which elicited a few chuckles from the other patrons.

Bernik mumbled something and said, "Three meals for our guests." He looked at the two women, "If they can pay."

Luckily, Iodae had fished five dirty pieces of gold out of her purse and threw them on the counter.

"Ah yes come this way." He all but fell over himself to help the two women with money. He led them to a table and wiped it with his towel before offering them the seats. "Please sit down ladies. I will bring the drinks and food as soon as possible." And to the rest of the room he called out, "And drinks for everyone on our beautiful guests."

His announcement elicited a approving sound from the room.
 
Temmendra entered the inn just as this transpired. Like the rest of the town, this place struck her as dismal and dingy, reminding her of the slummier parts of her own home city. Her companions were easy to find, of course, and she sat with them at the table the bartender set up for them. "So, from what I was able to find out, this was a mining town, but business dried up a long time ago. That's why everything looks a little gray. The old lady was kind enough suggest we meet Father Bronson at the church."
 
The smaller 'blonde' waited for their food to arrive, and only then did she ask Jinnie or Bernik about the windmill and the wooden remains between the hills. "Is that the old mine perhaps?"
 
Iodae moved over to make room for the half orc in their booth in the inn. She pondered at the information that Temmendra brought. "That makes sense. A priest should know quite a lot about the place. Perhaps he also knows about this weather fellow."

When Jinnie brought the food for them she smiled at Aelandra, "Well yes dear. It surely is. It has been closed for over one hundred years. I recall granny telling about a flood and no one has gone up there for years because of the haunting." She looked at the three women with serious eyes and with a low voice said, "Ghosts."
 
In that same unthinking way, Temmendra shuffled her cards on the table as she listened. Out of curiosity, she drew one of them, but kept it face down as if waiting for the right time to turn it over. "Um, one more thing, real quick, so that we don't keep you from your job: what do you know about those stones out there past the causeway? We ended up there, and were curious."
 
"And anything about the windmill? Maybe other places of interest around?" Aelandra added curiously, while starting to eat her food.
 
Jinnie nodded, "Those stones? You mean on that little island? The Tump? I don't know anything but they have been here forever. Thousands of years if you believe rumors." She pondered a second about what the half-orc had said, "Are you stranded - from a ship?" But Aelandra quickly had her attention averted to something else.

She got a more serious look on her face when asked about the windmill. She looked around and then in a low voice said, "Don't go up there. For your own sake."
 
"Well, now we're curious! What's the matter with the windmill? Is it structurally unsound?" Temmendra said, well aware that it was probably something worse.

"Or maybe it's ghosts. Wouldn't that be something?"
 
The woman was about to say something when the door opened and four men entered. They seemed to be led by a large man in his forties with a bad attitude. "Jinnie get us something to drink." He shouted and his eyes found Jinnie at the table with the four. She had shut up the moment they entered the inn.

JimO.jpg
The man immediately recognized that he didn't know the three women at the table. "Well hello." He said, "Lookat dat boys. Seems dem whores have arrived." As the four men threateningly approached the table of the trio, Jinnie looked at him, "Take a seat Jim. I will bring you something to drink. And don't insult our guests, they are paying customers."

But Jim didn't seem to care what she said, "Take it easy sister in law. I just want to have a pleasant conversation with these beauties."

Jinnie left and the four men stopped before the table, "So watta ya say? How much for getting some pussy for me and my men?" The four were blocking any retreat for the three women and their mannerisms were quite threatening.
 
Temmendra put the card she had set down back on the top of the deck, where it returned to her pocket. She knew good and well what this was, but what could she do? There was only so much energy that she could draw from her cards. In all honesty, was confrontation even necessary?

Again, smiling as pleasantly as she could, Temmendra stood and held her hands up. "Eight silver from each of you sounds reasonable, right, hun? For group, I could do it all for twenty one instead."
 
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