RP: Tend to your knitting

-=--=--=--=-<* Roleplay Nexus: Bubbling Fizzbee's Wizardly Pub *>--=--=--=--=-

The wizard's pub boasts itself as the only pub in existance without dark, shadowy corners. The structure is round and space is added not by wings, but by columns of floating tables and chairs. Gravity's taken a vacation in its interior as has, perhaps, good sense. The backs and shelves are lined with wines and ales of every variety, some which bubble and some which fizz and many which glitter or sparkle.

Drinks arrive as though by magic (ha ha), appearing in place with a pop and gurgle. At random moments, the air seems to sparkle or take on various hues, which only serves to hilight the unusual colors of the foods.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Contents --=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Arisha          Dark skinned elf with white hair                      14s  2h
Astaren         A tall man wearing dark blue robes.                   5m   3h
Cesran          A tall dark-skinned man                               6m   1h
Yelrona         Copper-skinned elf, cheerful, brown hair, green eyes. 0s   5h

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= Exits -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

PREVIOUSLY, ON YELRONA THE HARRIET:

• Astaren, Arisha, and Yelrona are discussing the state of the Rune/Dran war when it comes up that Astaren is a Rune native. This inspires her to hurriedly bring the pair along through the teleportation gate in the sewers, to Rune's Wizardly Pub.

Astaren offers a sniff the moment they get out of the circle. He groans a moment and snaps his fingers with a few quick muttered words. Suddenly he is clean and no longer smelling like he stepped out of a sewer. He sniffs again and his face lights up, "Oh I know this place. I hope the place is still open, suddenly in teh mood for candy." He looks faintly disapointed when they do not stop for candy shopping and instead get a table at the pub.

"Sorry. I'm already late to an appointment... I thought I'd have to miss it altogether, actually," Rona explains, not terribly clearly. "But if you're actually _from_ Rune, we might manage it. Hang tight, look natural. Order a drink. If you recognize anyone, let me know."

Arisha quietly sits down and pulls back the hood of her cloak.....drawing some glances. "And that is why I keep the hood up." She says putting it back in place.

Astaren glances around the pub, "Never got into drinking or bars all that much. Spent most of my time at the Temple to Eluna or the libraries. So nope, do not reconize anybody here." He pulls up a seat and sits down. "Missing apointments is not good, and this one seems important."

Yelrona smiles. "I spent several decades in an Elunite Temple library, myself, before moving out into the wider world." Yelrona nods. "I know how that is. Well, not _exactly_. I imagine it's different here... and was rather different back home, too, come to that." She raises a hand to get some attention, and orders a glass of wine for herself and a pitcher of water for the table.

Cesran opens the door and he looks around. He has a rolled up carpet under one arm and his staff in another. He steps on a couple of books that go floating by and he finds himself a chair and table. "Beef stew and biscuits please and a green hornet." He says aloud and with a pop and gurgle his bowl of stew, a small plate of fresh biscuits and a green liquid served in a martini glass appears before him.

"Places are different in different parts of the world." Arisha says to Yelrona. "So what works in one city, may not work in another." she then shrugs. 'I wouldn't know too much though. I was in a monastery part of my life."

Astaren motions to a passing waiter, "Tea please." then looks back to the table and hmms a moment. "My mom is a cleric for Eluna. I myself also practice the faith." he leans back in his chair and glances around the table, "Monestary? Monk training or another kind of monestary?"

Yelrona nods agreement with her companions, though she's distracted by the new arrival. "My mother was a Seer, also," she notes to Astaren. "Wanted me to follow in the tradition." She shrugs, then looks at Arisha with interest, curious about Astaren's question.

Cesran sets his staff next to him and it floats in the air as does the carpet that he sets next to him. He digs into the meal and produces a book from the inside of his robes that he opens and starts to read.

Arisha says, "Training for being part of the clergy. Sadly, I was a bit too 'martial' to be one with the Mourners and not martial enough to be a paladin." She then chuckles. "being in a monastery tends to change your outlook when someone has faith in you....and you're not expecting a dagger in the back.""

"I can show you the temple of Eluna here if you want. Beautiful place, got a lot of my own clerical training there to. As for faith in a person, everybody has potential." He gets his drink and takes a sip, then sighs. "Why is good tea so hard to come by." putting the cup down and glances to Yelrona, "A seer myself, but a novice still. Dual training as it is. So you need our familiarity, any details past that to help us understand how we are helping you?"

Yelrona bites her lip. "I'm afraid I can't say too much. But if events unfold as I've been given to believe they will, an elderly oruch matriarch will be in this pub later this evening, to make a package drop. Her compatriots will in turn pick up and deliver the package to its intended destination. Blind handoff -- that is, everybody knows only their own piece of the route, to prevent interception. The person picking up the package is a Dran agent, but a Rune native -- if you can believe that! -- and accordig to my information the package contains instructions for how to find the delivery point that require local familiarity to follow. So, for now, I'm just waiting."

"As for tea," she adds, "come find me at the Fernwood some day,I'll show you my favorites so far."

Arisha says, "I can believe it." Arisha says softly. "When your life is devoted to the black bitch, you get used to it after a while....and see it everywhere.""

Astaren shakes his head slowly and take another sip of his tea, "Interesting. The key is not what is in the package, but where it is going." He muses to himself and puts his cup back down. "As for a person of Rune, easily believable. No matter, the country, the city, the race, people must choose their own paths. Even if that means bringing harm to others." A grin then, "As for the tea, absolutely take you up on that." A glance to Arisha, but he decides not to ask and looks back around the tavern.

Cesran overhears Yelrona and he hmms as he uses the last biscuit to get the last of the stew from the bowl. He picks up his staff, carpet and drink and makes his way down towards Yelrona, "Greetings, I am Archmage Cesran. I'm from Alexandria, which from the sounds of it you all are. I am here to help Rune defeat the Iron Tide. If I can be of assistance with your investigation I'd be happy to."

Yelrona looks up at the man's approach, winces. This is why she'd been reluctant to explain too much, for fear of being overheard... but, well, they'd been willing to follow her into a war zone with no explanation, just her word that it would help. She'd owed them _something_. But now she had a self-styled archmage to deal with. "Pardon my bluntness, but... why should we trust you?"

Arisha looks to Yelrona and shakes her head, but shrugs.

Astaren glances up to the man, looks him over and shrugs. "Seems the explination was a bit premature, my apologies for asking. As for trust, his approach is a interesting way of gaining some. Somebody truly meaning ill will could easily have simply kept back and watched." Shrugging his shoulders and picks up his cup to take a sip of tea.

Cesran moves his hand to clamp it over the snout of the crystal dragon head on the top of his staff. There is some mumbling and the staff head moves trying to get free of Cesran's hand. "You are right to be untrustworthy. Ral-sara that is enough if you can behave I'll take my head off." There is a muffled sound of agreement before Cesran removes his hand. The snout moves around and opens and closes her mouth, "I think you chipped a tooth." The staff says. Cesran smiles, "We have been away from Alexandria for a while, tracking down the still living head of a villain. What would you accept as proof that I am who I say I am. We could go Spectrum Lyceum. I'm sure they'd be happy to verify my identity, but you might miss the person you are waiting for. I'd rather not waste of my spells proving to you that I am who I say I am as well."

"No apology required," Rona assures Astaren. "I would have asked in your place, as well. I appreciate that you followed me this far _without_ an explanation, actually." Cesran she regards carefully, as though trying to discern his motives through a sheer exercise of will. "There's no point to you proving _who_ you are," she replies. "Your identity doesn't mean anything to me anyway, it's your loyalties I'm in doubt about. Who is this villain you've been tracking down?"

Astaren motions to a seat for Cesran and glances over to Rona, "You were vouced for, indriectly but vouced for. Ga'Elian knew you, and spoke of trust. He elected not to kill me in the forest, but helped me. So I trust him. I came to extend that trust and see if more could be built upon. If we do not show at least some levels of trust, there we have nothing to fight for." Shrugging his shoulders and taking a sip of his drink.

Arisha says, "Not trusting each other works in favor of the black bitch." She says darkly, but shrugs and quetly listens before she goes to sip tea."

Cesran hmms, "The son of Nikmok. His still living head was stolen and I have been to the battlefields of Kor and back. I have fought for Rune. I was here when Heth attacked. If you did know who I was then you'd know that my loyalties are to Rune. If you don't trust me or don't want my help that's fine. I just thought that I would offer my magic to aid you in acquiring this package." He moves to have a seat and puts the carpet down next to him. He leaves the staff standing next to him. "I should be all the proof you need. I am Ral-sara! Staff of Power!" Cesran takes a long drink of his Green Hornet, "Sorry I just finished enchanting her, she is rather full of herself at the moment."

"That seems common for enchanted staves," Rona observes drily. "But all right, Cesran. Thank you for your assistance. If you don't mind my asking, though... who is Nikmok?"

Astaren visible winces at the mention of Nikmok and the escape of the head. He sets down his cup of tea and shakes his head slowly, "A champion of Caracoroth, the Nightmare, master of evil lycnthropes. His head was hidden away because he kept sprouting prophecies that were rather blashphemous. Disturbing if somebody found it and released it." Shaking his head and looking down to his tea, "Need to track that down sooner or later." glancing back up and over to Cesran.

Yelrona raises an eyebrow. "_Accurate_ blasphemous prophecies?"

Arisha says, "Sadly, I must be going. I don't think I'd be of much help to you anyways. I'm a bit too obvious for you guys to sneak around with." She then chuckles. "I do wish you luck in what you're doing though.""

Astaren shrugs his shoulders at that, "Prohpecies are a mixed bag even on the best of days. The future is a multipathed road. You can find the most ilkely path, the obvious one, or you can see a less likely path or even an inprobably path. So they are a potential truth, somethign that can happen. And knowing that, allows people to work against them, or work for them. If you have a prophecy how to destroy rune, one that is a very unlikely path, but the wrong people learn this they can act on it. Blasphmous because they were probably against Eluna." A quirky smile offered at that. He glances to Arisha and nods, "Take care, nice meeting you. I am sure we will meet again."

Yelrona nods. "I understand. Be safe," she tells Arisha.

Arisha says, "I'll be around. I'm hard to miss." She says waving with her left hand....that onyx left arm of hers."

Cesran shrugs his shoulders, "It's hard to say. I've neve personally heard any of them and I doubt the Elune faith wishes for any of them to be out, but I was there when the investigation started and have done all I could to help find it. I have all that I need and am gather a party to go after him. This war between Dran and Rune though has waylaid my plans. I have to be here to help defend Rune from Masterly. He must not be allowed to conquer Rune. There would be dire consequences. I've been to the future and seen one possible outcome." He takes a drink, "Your friend here is right prophecies are at best to be ignored because they can be twisted and shaped to match the actions of those that have completed them. I put no trust in them and feel sorry for those that do. You can't let some ancient writing by some half crazed half blind /prophet/ guide your actions. You have to do what you think is the best in any circumstance." He waves and notices the arm. "Hmmm too bad she had to leave. That was an interesting prosthetic that she had there. I'd have liked to ask her more about it."

Yelrona nods. "Agreed. I used to say to my father that --" She cuts off as the door opens, and a seven foot tall green-skinned oruch woman walks in with a bag of yarn and knitting needles, sits at a table and orders a flagon of ale.

Cesran continues to drink but he turns Ral-sara so that she can get a look at the green skinned oruch woman. "So do you want to be turned invisible?" He asks Yelrona.

Astaren holds up a finger and waggles it, "Oh they can be very true. There are forces out there beyond our knowledge or our understanding. Prophecy is in a way stepping back and watching the fabric of reality from a different perspective. Where you can see all the actors, all the pieces, and all the paths as they interact. Yet our ability to understand this is limited and we interpet them in riddles and mysteries. I think there is something to it, but we must always act with what we know and what we can act on. To many people focus on what they can't they forget what they can." He takes another sip of his tea, and continues to act completely non-chalant despite his companions reactions. Only the briefest of glances offered towards the woman.

Yelrona loudly replies to Astaren. "You're right enough about people focusing on what they _can't_ do, that's for sure." More quietly, she considers Cesran's offer. "Maybe. Can you create an illusion of that bag when I take it?"

Cesran holds up his hand to Astaren, "They are only true because we make them true. You are right in that we do sometimes get glimpses, but I don't put all my faith in prophesies and those that petal them." He hmms as he stretches to get a look at the bag and not seem obvious about it. "Easily done." He takes out a rod with arcane runes on it. "And I won't make a big fuss either."

Astaren says, "And that is all they are, glimpses. Which is where we agree, we cannot put to much stock into them. I still take concern over that head. Hidden away for what it was said for, I suspect was something more." he is leaving the discussion of how to steal the bag to them. His attention is instead on the rest of the room, watching people and gaging for something.

Yelrona whispers to Astaren. "Can you get to the other side of her and make a distraction on my signal? Anything will do... pick a fight, knock over a display. Just don't get yourself arrested."

"When he does that," she adds to Cesran, "Cast the illusion. And, yes, the invisibility would come in handy." She ducks beneath the table as though picing up something she dropped.

Cesran nods a little bit, "The invisibility first and then the illusionary bag. I have to keep concentrating on it so make it quick." He says as he takes the rod in one hand and holds onto his staff in the other.

Astaren sighs and appears he was expecting something like that. He holds up a hand to his head, "Be careful, I suspect the other has been in the tavern the whole time. Keep an eye out for that." Explaining why he was watching the tavern as closly as he was. He picks up his empty cup of tea and starts to make his way over towards the bar. As he walks along he trips on the far side of the womans table and crashes into the next table over with a oompf.

Cesran casts his spells, first the invisibility to make Yelrona unseen and the turns so he can see the bag and he makes an illusionary double over it. He does so without saying a word thanks to the rod although he does have to move both the staff and rod around.

Yelrona agrees privately with Astaren's judgment, but can't see how that changes what they have to do. She taps Cesran's knee before moving quietly, stealthily, to close the distance between her and the oruch woman... not _counting_ on the invisibility, though certainly appreciating it. Far more significant is the illusion. She hadn't expected to have that option, but with Cesran's help they can snatch the bag without the enemy even knowing that they have it, giving them much more of a lead than she'd even hoped for. Deftly she snatches the bag while the oruck stares skeptically at Astaren's delightfully clumsy performance, quietly cheering as the bag appears to remain.

Astaren stands up and brushes himself off a bit and looks at a couple of beer stains on his robes. He sighs and smiles sadly to the two people's drinks he spilled over, "My apologies, I have a lot on my mind. My parents evacuated two weeks ago and I have not heard from them yet. A lot on my mind. Here allow me to pay for your next round." Hoping they accept the apology. He then turns to the bar and drops off his cup and pays for his drink. Appearing to be getting ready to leave.

Cesran leans on his staff a little as he continues to concentrate on the bag. It will look and feel and even smell like a real bag.

Yelrona sneaks to the rondezvous location she'd selected with her co-conspirators before executing this plan, and waits for them to join her, so they can decipher the first of the localized cues together while Cesran preserves the illusion.