The Carnival Delivery

[Sir Kaltao]

It was Liberation Day in the city of Arnoram. The streets were alive with citizens in various states of inebriation and would become more clogged shortly when the sun set. The people were celebrating their liberation from a vampire regime that had relegated them to livestock with drink, songs, and dance.

The scene was far more subdued around the Traveler's Inn at the edge of the city limits just inside the city walls. Since yesterday word had been spread around town that a Halfling named Darman was in need of a companion on his delivery job to Genaro, and any interested party would have to meet him at the inn's small tavern so as to join him the next day. As the tavern was full, the Halfling in question sat against the small stables drinking from his flask. In the stall behind him was Roderic, his Bison mount who appeared indifferent to the celebrations and their accompanying noise.

Darman himself was a lithe and wavy-haired fellow, stood three feet tall, and on this temperate evening clad in a light yellow cloak and brown tunic. His round hazel eyes occasionally looked up from the map in his hand to passersby, expecting that any moment he would be meeting a willing partner for his delivery. He was an adept Ranger, he would humbly admit, but the man who had hired him was insistent on getting a partner to ensure the package was delivered on time. Darman prided himself on not being the type of fool to not heed such warnings. He took a swig from his ornate flask and continued to plot out the long journey to Genaro. Forests and plains had been the picture of his homeland, so the path he would have to take through the mountains was slightly daunting.

 

[Psysnail]

The tavern door swung open releasing a few patrons, among which walked a dwarven lass with thick braids down to her knees, riveted with large, intricate gold beads between every other knot of hair, and capping the end of braid. As she walked away from the tavern, her beads occasionally clanking as they collided, she kept sharp eyes out for the man she was searching for. Her eyes scanned the area eventually landing on the halfling. Placing her gaunlet clad hand on the end of the axe that sat on her hip she sauntered over to him "You the one they call Darman?" she asked with a thick accent.

 

[Sir Kaltao]

"Indeed I am" Darman looked up from his map, then rose to his feet. His accent was typical of his childhood on a farm, though years of ranger training had give him a more streamlined figure than some of his kin back home. "I can only assume you're here about the delivery job" The Halfling extended a hand to the dwarf. She appeared to be a good choice in partner. Behind him, Roderic gave a grunt to indicate he was hungry and nudged the stable door.

 

[Psysnail]

The dwarf woman flicked her nose with her thumb, "Aye, I am." she snorted, "Name's Tabitha, daughter of Galin, son of Ganor." she introduced herself as she took a brief bow, "I would be more than happy to accompany you on your assignment, as would Headfiend." she said patting the hilt of the axe on her hip.

 

[Sir Kaltao]

"A fine name for a weapon" Darman complimented his new companion. The ranger had met many dwarves in his travels, and though a few had been too gruff he always enjoyed the way they introduced themselves. He gave each of the sheathed short swords on his hips a pat "I guess if I were to name mine they'd be Knee Cutter and Shin Slicer, but I'd have no clue as to which was which" He laughed at himself and picked up the bag of feed next to him before opening the stable to affix it to Roderic's muzzle. The bison grunted his approval and commenced munching away.

"And this is Roderic, my trusty steed since my training days" He ran a brush through the fur of the animal that towered over him. The bison gave the dwarf the once-over for a few moments then returned to his meal.

 

[Psysnail]

Tabitha looked over the halfling and the bison, they were certainly quite the pair to look at. "So then, what exactly is this job, and when do we start?" she asked clasping her hands in front of her. The dwarven woman was dressed head to toe in fine armor and accessories from her ancestral home. The air about her was regal (as regal as a dwarf could be anyway) and her pride in her dwarven line was obvious in the way she held her head up high and gripped tight the axe forged by her grandfather and carried by her father before her.

 

[Sir Kaltao]

Darman finished grooming Roderick and left the stable, rolling up the map and making his way back into the bar/inn. "Let's go inside and grab a fine ale, discuss the details."

Once inside it appeared most of the celebration had moved on; leaving the bartender and a few who had done a little too much partying and passed out. He hopped up to a stool and told the bartender "Your finest local ale for me in a pint for me, and whatever my new partner here would like" He unrolled the map on the coarse wooden counter. It was a traveler's map that showed the routes from Anoram to Genaro, a coastal city on the other side of a dense forest. There was a paved road marked out for easy travel, but Darman had crossed it out and was charting a route through the forest that would double the already long journey.

"Our job is to deliver a parcel to a man in Genaro by the Summer Solstice Carnival. He hired a ranger as he wants it off the main roads and kept in the wilderness to avoid any highway bandits"