Throughout Port Neworth the tolling of the church’s bell can be heard as it signals the end of the honest man’s work day and ushered on the evening activities of the seaside city. Many take to their homes after working a long day at the harbor or working a long day of patrol against fhe dangers of the mist. Still, for some of the city, their work was just getting started. The changing of the guard had tired men grumbling down the streets, wishing more for a frothy one than another nippy autumn night. The lamplighter makes his way down the streets, a minor mage still in his first youth. With a snap of his fingers, the oil lamps in their glass houses flicker to life. All the while, the drunkards, scum and sailors all made their way to their favorite establishments.
The Bilgerat Bride never boasted to be much of something to look at, much like the woman it was duly named after. Its ramshackle exterior was washed with salt from the nearby ocean and showed signs of neglect hear and there. A few window panels are missing and quite noticeably not a single shutter matches in style nor color. The door creaks in such a high pitched manner that if such a thing could be vexed by your entrance, it is quite making it known. As if its rough charm were not bad enough, the first step into the bar is an unexpected step up that catches many newcomers offguard and proves quite the lark for the other patrons.
If making it beyond the threshold, most will find it’s interior is in a little better repair. The floor is well sanded and someone only catches on the rarest of nail. Most of the tables are full with people of people seated upon kegs that have been cut in half. The boisterous crowd shout and sing and every so often make their way upstairs to the inn rooms. The area that seems most open is the only one with chairs and appears like the tables might be washed. There it appears the pretty servers, the clientele with affluence and those will coin do their business. Anyone seems capable of walking into these area, save for a red haired boy with an up-turned nose and enough freckles to look like his mum shoved his face in dirt and called him good. He looks barely more than fifteen and his eyes are following anything with just the right curves.
Chatter seems more than alive in the air and anyone could pick up on snippets of conversation as they walked through:
“They say there’s been word of another Dreamer. Coulda sworn it was dyin’ down.”
“Who do you s’pose it was?”
“I don’t know how much stock I put innit, but Ole Antaine says it was the Ard Ri’s son.”
“Ah, well if tha’ devil said it, must be true. Wonder who is next in line.”
“Hey Davy. Here alone again? Where’s Art, eh? He finally manage to bag some wench prettier than your mug?”
“Bloody sod off you chafed bilge!”
“Oi! Davy, I jest. What’s happened?”
“Artie’s wagon done got taken by the mist is wot. The rest o’ his crew, wot was left o’ it, got back t’day a bloody mess.”
The din takes an unnatural hush as a woman wrapped in robes and hood steps in, an invisible tension fills the air but the flow of conversation returns to normal as if nothing had happened.
The barkeep does not seem to notice as he pretends to clean a mug with a dirty rag. He does not appear to be noticing much of anything as a halfling with long brown hair tied back and wearing a loose doublet takes advantage of the eyes following her movements to slip a hand into loose coinpurse. Instead, as another order comes in and he fills it, before contending with the customer that what was floating in the brew was in fact part of the special, the woman moves to the sanctioned off area.
The red haired boy straightens up as he catches someone moving closer out of his periphery and attempts to straighten his hair with a hand that had just been holding a meat pie. The grease slicked fingers only serve to make his hair stand more on end. He muffles without any manners about the gob of food still in his mouth, “Entrensh fee, miff.”
The woman stands there, confused before stating, “But I’m to be expecting someone.”
The boy swallows the bite before lightly thumping his chest to summon a belch before wiping the crumb from his mouth, “Yeah, and I’m sure he pays well enough to Recumben...Recompten… Pay you back.”
“I don’t have anything to pay you with.”
The boy gets a mischievous smile before shaking his head, “You’re pretty, but can’t let you in for nothing. Do you have something I can borrow til my friend gets here?” She looks over her shoulder before withdrawing something subtly from her satchel and displaying it privately to the young guard. He jumps back with alarm as she quickly puts it back in her backpack, “By the Six! No, I won’t even touch that.” He looks worriedly between the woman and the rests of the woman before none too gently shunting her into private area and directing to a far back booth. “Get your arse back there.”
Anesha - Anesha finds that someone her inappropriately in all the confusion. From what she could tell, it was either a one-eyed woman with fewer teeth than she has fingers, and she'd lost a few of those too--or it was a pudgy hunter with the pelts of several kills hanging from his belt and a splintering bow on his back.
Surak - As Surak makes his way into the bar, he attracts the attention of the barkeeps elder mother, who makes crude advances upon him and promises a good time. It becomes apparent that the old dog might actually know a few tricks as a couple onlookers grow jealous of her attentions to the young mercenary.
Nasika - CEASE THERE CITIZEN! You were held up by the local guard! They insist you must have been up to no good and demand to know your business in Port Neworth. They inspect you over, and some even speculate that you might have stolen your gemstones from a nobleman. However, they let you on your way, after assuring you they will be having an eye out on you for the length of your stay in the city.
Salius - Turns out one of the tavern patrons was in a caravan you had helped protect recently and you were personally responsible for saving their life. She buys you a drink from the top shelf and expresses her gratitude.
Crela - The inkeeper notices your bow and makes comment you must be some hunter. He points to his Raizhog head mounted up above your head with a smirk and tells you he killed it himself. You can tell he's bluffing, though. Whether or not he'd be keen on your pointing that out would be another story.
Erylis - She finds herself being asked to brew a potion to cure baldness by a woman in an obvious wig. She is terribly touchy about the subject of her hair, however, and should anyone suggest the potion is for her or that her bad wig is in fact fake, she will throw a fit and storm off without paying or the potion.
Akade - WINTER'S WRATH! Your name preceeds you! As you come to the Bilgerat Bride, people begin to whisper, aghast that someone so famous would come to such a place. In fact, many of them soon begin to clamour to talk to you, surprised that such a small feminine thing could be so powerful. Some of the women tease that you're a damned sight prettier than they are while many of the men line up, trying to get you to arm wrestle them at a table.
James Brown - HOW THE FRACK DID YOU GET INTO TOWN?! Somehow, you managed to make it into town... Not just to the outskirts, but straight into the heart of it, before anyone noticed. The poor soul who finally noticed you nearly died on the spot when they did. However, seeing how he thought you were a demon come to visit him and steal his soul, he wasn't about to try and force you to go and do anything. After all, wouldn't you just kill him on the spot? Instead, he tried to appease you by running off and trying to find a more appatizing mortal... Like his younger sister.
Deekin - Entering the Bilgerat, you notice that the bouncer was about to come and have words with you about bringing Zane in. It seems that with a quick glance at the sabertooth's... saberteeth, he quickly thought otherwise of it and simply let you be. However, none of the serving girls have come by to offer you anything and everyone seems to be offering you as wide a berth as the busy inn can afford.
Lyrman - After performing at the Bilgerat for a few nights running, you've come to know a few of the normal clientele by name and some of the servers quite intimately. Luckily, things have not even gone south! The coins seem to be flowing a little more smoothly tonight, or perhaps that is the grog. Either way, they seem to have a nice enough disposition towards you.
Otel - FORSOOTH, FAIR MAIDEN, I AM YOUR HERO, you have captured the attentions of a rich noble with your performance tonight! He is entanced with your movements, taken with your grace, and utterly speechless that you travel with that rogue Lyrman! While he is in the Baelmyst doing business, trying to secure a contract for their wood to build ships and send furs and exotic meats, he is actually from Enruba. He wishes to take you back to be his eternal bride, in a more civilized land, where you will never want for anything. He is quite insistant upon it, and if you would just wait, he will go to the jewellers in town this very instant and find the finest ring to have upon your finger, who cares if they are open, they will open for him!
Neriah - You make it to the Bilgerat and you manage to find the tracker that you have heard so much about. However, it just so happens to be peg-legged ratman who has had one eye scratched out and the other clouded over with cataracts. He's in the corner, hand fumbling for a cheese sandwich on the table. It doesn't look very promising that he would be able to teach you. He might have a few tricks, but maybe someone else?
Blaine - On your way into the Bilgerat, a child comes up to you and Ranger, while he is still in his horse form and exclaims how he is such a pretty pony and tries to pet him. As Ranger changes into a hawk and goes soaring, though, the child shrieks and goes running for their home. The parents have nothing to say but to shake their fist at you and curse, "WIIIIZAAAAARDS!" as the little girl clutches to their pants and sobs, obviously traumatized.
Jorrosa - YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME, as Jorrosa makes his way in with a caravan of weary mages clear from Vossheim, skirting the deepest parts of the Baelmyst and to Port Neworth, they promise his protection through the long journey will not be forgotten. They bestow upon him an amulet that bears the sigil of their magi association, so that he might show it and let others know of his deeds.
Aliquipiso - During your stay within the Bilgerat, everyone that comes near you appears to grimace and turn up their nose. Some go so far as to mutter comments, "Do you smell wet dog?" Some of the sharper nosed individuals, you notice, are moving further and further away from you, whether they noticed it is you or not.
Surak - As Surak makes his way into the bar, he attracts the attention of the barkeeps elder mother, who makes crude advances upon him and promises a good time. It becomes apparent that the old dog might actually know a few tricks as a couple onlookers grow jealous of her attentions to the young mercenary.
Nasika - CEASE THERE CITIZEN! You were held up by the local guard! They insist you must have been up to no good and demand to know your business in Port Neworth. They inspect you over, and some even speculate that you might have stolen your gemstones from a nobleman. However, they let you on your way, after assuring you they will be having an eye out on you for the length of your stay in the city.
Salius - Turns out one of the tavern patrons was in a caravan you had helped protect recently and you were personally responsible for saving their life. She buys you a drink from the top shelf and expresses her gratitude.
Crela - The inkeeper notices your bow and makes comment you must be some hunter. He points to his Raizhog head mounted up above your head with a smirk and tells you he killed it himself. You can tell he's bluffing, though. Whether or not he'd be keen on your pointing that out would be another story.
Erylis - She finds herself being asked to brew a potion to cure baldness by a woman in an obvious wig. She is terribly touchy about the subject of her hair, however, and should anyone suggest the potion is for her or that her bad wig is in fact fake, she will throw a fit and storm off without paying or the potion.
Akade - WINTER'S WRATH! Your name preceeds you! As you come to the Bilgerat Bride, people begin to whisper, aghast that someone so famous would come to such a place. In fact, many of them soon begin to clamour to talk to you, surprised that such a small feminine thing could be so powerful. Some of the women tease that you're a damned sight prettier than they are while many of the men line up, trying to get you to arm wrestle them at a table.
James Brown - HOW THE FRACK DID YOU GET INTO TOWN?! Somehow, you managed to make it into town... Not just to the outskirts, but straight into the heart of it, before anyone noticed. The poor soul who finally noticed you nearly died on the spot when they did. However, seeing how he thought you were a demon come to visit him and steal his soul, he wasn't about to try and force you to go and do anything. After all, wouldn't you just kill him on the spot? Instead, he tried to appease you by running off and trying to find a more appatizing mortal... Like his younger sister.
Deekin - Entering the Bilgerat, you notice that the bouncer was about to come and have words with you about bringing Zane in. It seems that with a quick glance at the sabertooth's... saberteeth, he quickly thought otherwise of it and simply let you be. However, none of the serving girls have come by to offer you anything and everyone seems to be offering you as wide a berth as the busy inn can afford.
Lyrman - After performing at the Bilgerat for a few nights running, you've come to know a few of the normal clientele by name and some of the servers quite intimately. Luckily, things have not even gone south! The coins seem to be flowing a little more smoothly tonight, or perhaps that is the grog. Either way, they seem to have a nice enough disposition towards you.
Otel - FORSOOTH, FAIR MAIDEN, I AM YOUR HERO, you have captured the attentions of a rich noble with your performance tonight! He is entanced with your movements, taken with your grace, and utterly speechless that you travel with that rogue Lyrman! While he is in the Baelmyst doing business, trying to secure a contract for their wood to build ships and send furs and exotic meats, he is actually from Enruba. He wishes to take you back to be his eternal bride, in a more civilized land, where you will never want for anything. He is quite insistant upon it, and if you would just wait, he will go to the jewellers in town this very instant and find the finest ring to have upon your finger, who cares if they are open, they will open for him!
Neriah - You make it to the Bilgerat and you manage to find the tracker that you have heard so much about. However, it just so happens to be peg-legged ratman who has had one eye scratched out and the other clouded over with cataracts. He's in the corner, hand fumbling for a cheese sandwich on the table. It doesn't look very promising that he would be able to teach you. He might have a few tricks, but maybe someone else?
Blaine - On your way into the Bilgerat, a child comes up to you and Ranger, while he is still in his horse form and exclaims how he is such a pretty pony and tries to pet him. As Ranger changes into a hawk and goes soaring, though, the child shrieks and goes running for their home. The parents have nothing to say but to shake their fist at you and curse, "WIIIIZAAAAARDS!" as the little girl clutches to their pants and sobs, obviously traumatized.
Jorrosa - YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME, as Jorrosa makes his way in with a caravan of weary mages clear from Vossheim, skirting the deepest parts of the Baelmyst and to Port Neworth, they promise his protection through the long journey will not be forgotten. They bestow upon him an amulet that bears the sigil of their magi association, so that he might show it and let others know of his deeds.
Aliquipiso - During your stay within the Bilgerat, everyone that comes near you appears to grimace and turn up their nose. Some go so far as to mutter comments, "Do you smell wet dog?" Some of the sharper nosed individuals, you notice, are moving further and further away from you, whether they noticed it is you or not.