[Ptolus/AD&D] In-character thread #1 - The Gold Ladder

[skofflox]

"You can keep your coins, all of you. This is on the house. You are going to need a little kick where you're going."
 

Clapping and rubbing my hands together as the mead is set.
"Many blessings upon this house."

I pocket the coins,raise my mug to Otho and the busy Cadfan then hold near my breast and give silent thanks to Charlathan for this gift of (free!) mead before quaffing deep.

"ahhh" wiping lips with my sleeve as his comment sinks in...

[Drohem]

Rissthil Tanlithrin walks into the Gold Ladder with the rest of his fellow ex-crewmen from the crippled Dawnbreaker.  He looks up at the vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows with mild curiosity.  Once inside the building, he finds a table with the rest of his elven kin and unloads his wet gear onto it.  He shakes and stamps off the excess water, and then takes off his oiled leather cloak.  He splays it out over the back of a chair to dry properly.

Can't waste gear by letting it stay wet! Rissthil fondly remembers his grandfather scolding him as a young elf aboard ship.

The elven sailor took a good look at the other groups of people gathered here.  There was a large number of men here, and they all had gear ready to go.  He also mentally makes note of the two half-orcs who look vaguely similar, and the two dwarves here as well.

This must be something fairly big, Rissthil casually thinks to himself as he takes note of the number of people gathered.

While he busies himself with getting his wet cloak off and putting his gear down, he listens to the conversations going on around him in the room.

Once Cadfan sets out mugs and drinks on the bar, Rissthil walks over to the bar and stands near Gareth.  He takes a mug and pitcher and pours himself some mead.  

After he pours himself a mug of mead, he sets down the pitcher and looks up to the others gathered near or around the bar and says loudly so that he could be heard, "Greetings, prospective co-workers!  I am Rissthil Tanlithrin.  I am most interested and intrigued now about our mysterious employer and the proposed job."

[skofflox]

Belching..."Well met Rissthill." as I raise my mead in his direction,finishing with "Runch." barely audible around the mug...

[Drohem]

Rissthil smiles and nods toward Runch as he also puts his mug to his lips and takes a good drink of the mead.  He takes a moment to taste it before he swallows.  Satisfied that it wasn't bilge swill, the elven sailor drinks freely.

[Lilaxe]

Smeads gets up and approaches the bar, accepting a mug of mead. I take it and raise it, nodding toward everyone else gathered.

"Well met all, some of you I know from our ill fated ocean trip. I am happy to have my feet on land again."

[Cranewings]

The door slides open only so wide as to let a cat in; through the crack comes a tiny, unarmed elf in a red cloak. Standing maybe 4'6" and weighing somewhere around 70 pounds, a small shoal elf lifts back his hood and looks around for others of his kind. Spotting a few, he walks that way coughing a little.

[thedungeondelver]

Ylarum raises his fist in greeting to the gathering adventurers in the room, then turns back to his crew.  

"Fellows, I see someone else is buying our drinks tonight, or at the least the house is carrying the tab.  A pint all, but keep a clear head.  Kos knows what the evening has in store for us.  All equipment squared away?  Good!  Good lads, all.  Let's sup, then."

[Benoist]

Assuming Tudd is with his brother, here's the map using the tokens showing your positions in the room as I understood them (with the grey circled NPC behind the bar being Cadfan). See the Player Characters' thread for the tokens and who's who (you might as well get used to them; for those who don't have a pic for their characters yet, [Ru]] is Runch, and [Ga] is Gareth). Sigmund (Tudd) hasn't posted yet, and you guys might want to interact a little bit more with each other or Cadfan. That, and it's the week end too. So I'm going to wait a little bit longer before moving on.

[Imperator]

Smeads gets up and approaches the bar, accepting a mug of mead. I take it and raise it, nodding toward everyone else gathered.

"Well met all, some of you I know from our ill fated ocean trip. I am happy to have my feet on land again."

I raise my mug to smeads and toast to that.

"I always knew that getting a honest job would be a terrible idea. It almost killed me!"

[Drohem]

Rissthil also raises his glass to Smeads' toast and to Gareth's quip, and takes a drink of the mead.

After he sets the mug down from his drink, Rissthil asks Cadfan, "is this possible job a legal one?"

The elven sailor gestures to the other elves with a sweep of his arm and continues, "we are newly arrived to Ptolus, and perhaps not well versed in the laws of the city."

[Benoist]

Cadfan snorts at the mention of city laws: "The true concerns of the Commissar and his men are unknown to most people of Ptolus. They just stay in and around Dalenguard. I'm guessing they're still afraid Ghul might return from the dead or something, but who really knows, right?"

"Originally the Church did not approve of the construction of the city around Dalenguard. Still doesn't, as far as I know. So it started out as legal as legal might be when the Emperor of the Church looks down upon you waving his finger around." Cadfan starts laughing at the image, but the laugh soon morphs into a deep cough.

When it stops, and he has had the time to catch his breath, the dwarf goes on: "So delving isn't exactly legal, but it's not like the Empire's envoys can do something about guys like you and I showing up everyday at the gates or the docks to search for some gold lying around. This place isn't 'legal', certainly not inside the city walls, but if we don't make too much trouble for the citizenry, there's no reason for them to intervene."

"Nah. It's the Brotherhood of the Sword that keeps things from getting ugly with the populace, really. It's a group of war veterans who pledged allegiance to the Church in exchange for a pardon, though the Church itself considers them to be borderline heretics. So they go about town and keep the peace, while the prelates are busy playing politics with the rich and powerful of the place."

[Drohem]

Rissthil looks the old dwarf in the eyes, nods, and says genuinely, "thank you for your straightforwardness, Cadfan.  I appreciate it."

[Benoist]

"Oh it's quite alright, my lad."

Cadfan smiles, but then, a perplexed look comes upon his face. "I have a question myself, if you don't mind me asking. How come are you elves around these parts? Have you come to join Iridithil's home?"

[skofflox]

After draining the mug in a few long,gulping swallows and placing it upside down upon the bar I lean towards Otho saying "A fine bit o'fadoodle that." as I give a slight nod and raise my brows in the direction of Smead and the others.

"Now I can see your a devout fellow." as I point to his begging cup then look to his weapon before continuing "If you don't mind me ask'n, hav'e taken to thigging as part o a vow?"

[winkingbishop]

Othos swiftly drains his first mug and fills his second.  Wiping off his mouth and beard, taking in Cadfan's exchange with the others he says: "Well, it all sounds well and good enough that we go down there for sport.  Probably good for the city in the long run anyway!  We can't have things crawling their way up on helpless folks."  Turning to face everyone and no one in particular with a wide smile, "Isn't that right men?"