King of Fall - Act I - Game Thread

She winced slightly as soon as she heard Mara's shrill cry from the back. Before Oswald had even come back downstairs, she had a mug of hot cider waiting on the end of the bar for him to bring her. Sometimes it helped. Others not so much.

She busied herself with arraigning hot sweet rolls dusted with cinnamon and sugar onto a platter, should the elf newcomer even bother come in, after Oswald's rude interaction with him.

When Oswald gets in Galas's face and starts yelling, Galas doesn't turn red. His features don't blanch and he doesn't flinch. In fact, he stands up a little straighter. His face goes dead stony; emotionless. He stares directly into Oswald's eyes, unblinking, until...
Oswald breaks eye contact and turns away. Galas watches him go, still stony faced. Then takes a seat at a table near the as yet unlit hearth. He drops his bag and begins working with the woodpile and tinderbox to get a fire going while he waits for Maggie to come back with breakfast.

Making his way to the backroom he sees the hot cider at the end of the bar. "Thanks Maggie" he thinks "I really should control my temper..." he grasps the cider and makes his way to Mara's. Slowly he opens and closes the door behind him. All his heard is a womans muffled voice yelling. Nothing from Oswald.

Moments later he comes out of the room and walks to the bar. He leans over the bar and looks for something. When he comes mes back up in his hand is a fresh bottle of whiskey. He turns and makes his way back to Mara's room twisting the the cork off as enters the room and closes the door.

Again all is heard is a woman's voice yelling with an occasional pause here and there.

Seeing Galas come down and take a seat, she brings over a plate of the sweet rolls to him, along with a mug of the hot cider.

"Pay no nevermind t' him." She said, the smile slipping just a shade. "He been through a lot." Her eyes darted in the direction Oswald went before returning to the high elf.

She went back into the kitchen, and returned later with a platter of fresh eggs, sausages, and battercakes topped with melting sweetbutter. As she set the plate down, she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "On the house, Punkin'. On account a' the ornry ox." She cocked her head, again indicating where Oswald went.

Galas looks "Maggie" in the eye for the first time, his face still a blank.

"No need for that, though I thank you for the sentiment. May I pay you for a private room for the evening? I may need accommodations for longer, I'm not sure yet. I need to make inquiries with Myr Mining Company later this morning."

"Mister! Mister!" He shouts as he reaches Anry.
"I am looking for a place to eat? Did you see that sign over their? I did, but I can't read. Can you read? Is it a place I can get some food?"

Anry walks over to the boy and kneels down so he's looking up a little at him. "Hmm... that one there?" Anry points in the direction the boy is looking. "No, 'fraid not. Looks to be a mining supply store. I don't think a pickaxe would make a very satisfying breakfast." Anry sees the boys face turn down a bit, so he smiles to try and give the boy a little bit of cheer. "Tell you what, though. Someone just fed me a breakfast that I didn't have to pay for. Seems like it'd be wrong for me not to do the same for you. I'm headed to the King's Gold Inn. I've heard they have a delicious breakfast. Do you like batter cakes?"

Anry stands up (and in doing so realizes he isn't actually much taller than the boy) and gives the kid a beckoning hand wave. As he turns toward the inn, he calls over his shoulder, "I'm Anry. What's your name?"

The mention of the Myr Mining Company brought her on guard instantly, and her knuckles whitened as she gripped the platter so hard, she thought it might crack. She fought to regain her composure as she let it go and wiped her hands on her apron, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Who ya here to meet?" She said casually, making idle conversation. "Some of 'em come roundabouts this way ev'r mornin'."

Galas breaks eye contact, shrugs, "I'm looking for work. As a scribe...book keeper...whatever will pay. I don't know these parts, or anyone from around here. I just heard of the Mining Company and," he shrugs again, "Every company needs the services of a scribe from time to time. And every man needs to eat." If he noticed her brief lapse in control, he's not showing it.

The yelling from Mara's room has quieted down. There is a loud "YOU!" followed by is a pause and then Mara can be heard crying from behind the door.

The loud voice from the back caused her to glance that way, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"Scuse me Punkin." She said to Galas with her best sad-smile that seemed to say "It's ok, I've dealt with this before.", before leaving him to his morning meal, and heading down the hallway after taking an empty mug from the counter top.

No sooner had she left the elf's sight, than her posture changed immediately. She stood straighter, walked lighter, and with definitive purpose. Her senses now on-edge, as she let her slippers fall from her feet for the quietest steps possible. Having lived here the past few months, she knew where the creaky floor boards were, and avoided them at all costs.

Approaching the door, she held her breath and leaned carefully in, placing the cup on the wall silently, and putting her ear to the other end.

On the otherside is heard in sobs "Benn... Benn... Why did it have to be Benn? Why couldn't it be you? You should have been first! "

Then a muffled cry... into a pillow. The cries get softer... And softer.


Soon it is quiet. Then movement of walking. Clinking of glasses and bottles like some one is cleaning up.

She removed the cup from the wall with a frown creasing her brow. The name Benn ringing a bell in the not-too-distant past. Then suddenly it clicked, and her eyes widened in shock. The mine. The explosion. That meant Oswald was...

The cup slipped from her hand and landed on the ground with a sharp clatter. The noise snapping her out of her memories and back into the present. Without even stopping to retrieve the cup, she hurried back out into the common room, and went back into the kitchen, where she busied herself with continuing the morning preparations, and cursing herself for not putting the pieces together sooner.

This was suddenly a dangerous place to be, and she wondered how much longer she should stay.

Earidan's face beams, he had no idea what a batter cake was, but it sounded really good.
"Anry? An old friend of mine used to go by Anna? Do you know her? You have very similar names". Earidan then takes a breath and makes a short, perfunctory bow.
"My name is Earidan, Mister." After introducing himself, Earidan instinctively says, "You see, my father doesn't feed me much, since he can't find much work. Very busy my father is and his err... condition... makes him angry. Earidan's stomach fell again, why did he lie? Is it so bad now that it has now become a habbit? And the coins he stole from the specialty store continued to feel heavier. Anry notices the boy's fallen face, but soon the boy bounces back to reality and runs up besides the rogue.
"Where ya going, Mister?" The young boy shouts as he follows along behind Anry.

My right hand dripping blood, my left hand steaming, I emerged onto the parapet, the wind whipping my long hair out in a streamer in the same direction as the billows of smoke from the burning city below. Arrows from the archers on the wall burst into flame before they could reach me, the heads dripping down to the walk as molten blobs. My eyes blazed, and the weak minds of the archers collapsed. They drew swords and turned on their captain, slaying him before he could fire the ballista that he was aiming at me. Then the archers threw themselves off the crenels, falling wordlessly to the cracked stone far below. The King's champion stood alone between me and his liege. "MONSTER!" he screamed from his fanged mouth. I smiled, and dodged the bugbear champion's first thrust, stepping in to grab the furry visage in my left hand. His eyes burst, and his face smoked and melted as the song of Fassenach swelled within me. I stepped up to meet the terrified gaze of the humanoid king, lava dripping from my fingers. I would avenge the elves at last! As I reached for him and his skin began to crack with the heat of my left hand, I heard insane laughter. Looking behind the king was a dwarf, cackling and undaunted even though he was next...

He awoke with a horrible start, wide-eyed and without breath even to shriek. He looked at his left hand and was relieved to see that it was normal...his hand, not something made of stone. He took a ragged, relieved breath...

...but then he saw his right hand, and the memory of who he was returned slowly to him. He was not Kagaron, though the memory seemed real. He was...Venger...Venger Gale. Dwarf. King's Gold Inn. Stowald. Dishonor. Revenge.

As he started to hear the murmuring of Fassenach in the back of his mind, Venger struggled to his feet and quietly busied himself with wrapping his right hand in a bandage again. He was in a common sleeping room, bunked up with others, though there hadn't been many people staying there recently. He found his night cap on the floor. *Huh. That explains the dream. Must have fallen off in the night...* Stowing his gear in his pack, he made his way downstairs again.

The others see a young, short-bearded dwarf descending the stairs. His right hand is bandaged, and when he's thinking about it, he moves stockily, sturdily, as dwarves do. But those who've been working the Inn - who've seen him dance for coin - have noticed that when he's not thinking about it, he's often weirdly graceful, gliding along with a smoothness and poise that seems out of place with his short, barrel-shaped frame.

Seeing Maggie coming out of the kitchen, Venger calls out: "Good morning, Maggie! If you have something ready to eat, I'll partake. Otherwise, it's off to seek my fortune again, and I'll see you at noonday..." Then Venger notices the elf in the common room and does a double-take. He starts to perform a strange, intricate bow that would've been old-fashioned in the elvish court a thousand years ago and then stops, gripping his injured hand and massaging it. "Good morning!"

Galas is concentrating hard on his meal, the first such he's had in a long time. He hears the dwarf hail Maggie and looks up to see this young dwarf staring at him. The dwarf starts a bow, weirdly mirroring Galas's unconscious gesture toward Maggie earlier. How...how could a dwarf know...well, at least I know my disguise is crap.

At Vengar's greeting, Galas stands up and performs the full version of the formal greeting of his people. Touching left hand to forehead and bowing at the correct depth for when one is unshure of another's station. "Good morning sir. You have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know some of my people's customs, but I have never met one of your folk before. Would you care to join me for breakfast?" Galas reaches up and removes the weird, misshapen cap that was covering his pointed ears. His hair is silver-blond and tied up in a sloppy bun at the crown of his head.

He pulls out a chair for the dwarf.

"Heya there sugarbritches!" She replied to Venger, upon coming out from the kitchen. "Gimmie jus' a sec and I'll be servin' ya up proper!" She headed back to prepare his platter. Similar to Galas', but with a bit heartier stock. Roasted mutton spiced with cloves, and thick breads with plenty of gravy for the dipping.

"You 'n yer fortune and glo..." She started to say as she re-emerged, but paused slightly at the sight of the elf and dwarf introducing themselves to each other.

Without missing a beat, she set the platter down at the table, and pulled a damp cloth from her apron, and set to busying herself by wiping down tables and chairs.

"Finally... Shes asleep. " Oswald thinks to himself. He moves his hand to Mara's where she was still grasping the mug of Cinder whiskey mix. He removes it from her hands and covers her with a blanket. Looking around the room he see more mugs and empty bottles. "Well i have some time now."

Oswald starts picking up around the room until his arms are half full of dishes. He then smakes his way to the door and slowly comes out of the room, closing the door behind him. "She is right though. You should have been first. "

He starts to Move toward the kitchen when his foot kicked a glass on the floor. He stares at it and shakes his head. "Must have miss that one earlier ". He leans over and picks it and heads to the kitchen to unload the dishes onto the counter.

Inside the kitcken he gets the smeel of the breakfast he was orginal suppose to miss. Oswald grabs a plate and fills it with battercakes and sausage and head out to the tables to eat. Their he sees Venger has awaken and was talking to the new occupant... Who was an elf.

"Well that makes sense. " he was thinking of his earlier altercation. "I really should apologize for earlier. "

He walks by the dwarf and nods "Venger" and then stares at the elf "uh.." His says looking at him and then to the side. Then looks at him again and hive him a nod and walks toward his table. "That should do it." He thinks.

He makes his way to the corner table and as he passes Maggie he states "She is resting..."

After that he sits at his table. His back is facing everyone and he starts to eat alone. Like he always does. "I miss Benn also."

Galas's keen eyes observe the Inn and it's strange occupants, feeling the strange undercurrents between the denizens. He looks at this dwarf. This strange dwarf, who knew how to bow like an elf...

"It's a pleasure to meet you. If you'll sit, and enjoy breakfast with me, perhaps you can tell me of The Myr Mining Company. I've heard your folk know much of digging beneath the earth. Uh..." Galas gets a bit awkward, because that's about all he knows about dwarves, "I'm here looking for work. Perhaps you can introduce me, or point me to the right people?" his face turns a little red as he wonders Is this offending him? Are all dwarves miners?

Anry enters through the door of the King's Gold Inn with Earidan following closely behind. He scans the room, and notices several parties (including one comprised of a dwarf and an elf?) enjoying what looks and smells like a tasty breakfast. Only seeing one person who seems to be working, he approaches the woman wiping down the tables.

"Um, hi. I'm Anry." Anry scratches his head. "Mr. Oglesby said y'all serve a tasty battercake here, and I was hoping to get some for my friend here." Anry looks at Earidan, and back to the woman. "Should we just sit down anywhere, or..." Anry trails off, not really sure of the customs of human restaurants. He peps up a bit and smiles wide. "But, whatever it is that's cooking smells delicious."