Social: Small Halfling, Big Tale

Log Info

• Title: Small Halfling, Big Tale.
• Emitter: -
• Characters: Kal, Vasilly, Cesran
• NPCs: -
• Place: Alexandria - Dragon's Den Tavern
• Time: November 27, 2011
• Summary: A little halfling explores Dragon's Den Tavern for the first time and get's carried away when recounting his past to a new face.

The Dragon's Den is dominated by its large common room, an open area constructed primarily of wood darkened from use and age. Planks form the walls and flooring, and thick, varnished beams stand at intervals to support the ceiling. The entryway is a pair of wide doors that have been painted dark red, and not far from them is a narrow staircase that leads to the upper floor.

The bar itself is the most notable feature, taking up most of the length of the west wall. It has been carved with care to resemble a dragon's tail. Scales and fine details have been lovingly added, and as a final touch, the woodwork has been painted a deep crimson.

Across from the bar is an oversized stone hearth, a fire burning in it most of the year. Mounted above it is an enormous rack of moose antlers, fifteen feet wide. In the middle of the floor are long tables, varnished like the support beams. Smaller tables line the walls, with several nooks for clandestine conversations. A swinging half-door leads into the kitchen area at the back, allowing the hearty scent of cooking food to spill out and mingle with the tang of ale and smoke in the main room.

Vasilly's seated at a table with her feet kicked up. There's an empty bowl of stew on the table and an empty glass next to it.

The door at the entrance of the common room slides open about a foot and Kal slips in, they should really make doors lighter. He flips a coin with his thumb and snatches it out of the air then slides it into the coin purse attached to his waist. Glancing around the room, he tries to spot somewhere to sit that's halfling friendly.

Vasilly glances sideways as she hears the door open, watching Kal come in. She lifts an eyebrow, then looks up as a server comes her way, pointing at her empty cup.

Not spotting a suitable location from where he stands, Kal heads towards the stone hearth and looks up at the giant set of antlers and stares at them for a moment before continuing on, curiously looking at the assorted decorations adorning the walls as he wanders.

Vasilly's at a table by herself, feet kicked up on a spare chair, relaxed. She continues to watch Kal, brow quirking, apparently amused by his staring at the huge antlers.

During his wandering, Kal forgets is pay attention to everywhere but in front of him. He probably should be, because he ends up running right into the legs of a server carrying a tray of drinks. The drinks topple over spilling all over the ground, luckily not on top of Kal. "Oi wench, pay attention to where ye be goin, nearly spilt them drinks on me," he wipes away a bit of liquid that splashed on his chest as he speaks.

Cesran comes into the Den after a long day of in the library doing some research. He moves over to the bar and he manages to avoid the spillage of drinks. "A green hornet please." He says as he looks over the specials on the menu.

Vasilly gives Kal a long look. "That was all your fault." She's blunt. "My drink was probably on that tray."

Kal quickly turns around when he hears Vasillys' comment, "Bah, wouldn't say it be all me fault lass, shoulda been keepin her eye's open. Not everyone be seven feet tall." He gives an affirmative nod as he finishes speaking. "My apologies though if them were yer drinks, never a good time when drinks be spilt. The next one be on me lassie," he offers a smile in an attempt to avoid angering her.

"She doesn't have eyes in her knees," Vasilly points out. She seems calm, just stating the obvious about the waitress's eyes-in-knees situation. "I was drinking ale."

Cesran orders himself a steak rare and some spiced potatoes. He looks over and spots Kal, "Hello there Kal, misunderstandings seem to follow you wherever you go."

Kal turns to back towards the barmaid, "Oi, two ales to tha lass over 'ere," he points over his shoulder with his thumb towards Vasilly, "step to!" he exclaims. He turns around quickly hearing a familiar voice, "Cesran, matey, ever since me ship was sunk, as sad as it be, I been seeing misfortune," he frowns slightly as thoughts of his ship return.

"What ship?" Vasilly asks the halfling. "I used to sail." She waits for her drink, patient for now.

Cesran hmms as he gets his drink and takes a sip of it, "You used to have a ship? What was it called?" He wonders, "How did you lose it?"

Kal's frown quickly turns into a smile as he beams with excitement, "The Fortunes Fool, she be called, a beauty of ship she was. She might not 'ave been tha biggest ship but blimey, was she tha fastest," he takes a few steps back to try and address both Vassily and Cesran.

"How did it sink?" Vasilly asks. She looks toward the bar, fingers tapping the table. Someone's thirsty.

Cesran listens as his meal comes and he starts to eat it, "How big was it?" He asks as he thinks it might be more halfling proportion.

Kal's facial expression turns into a scowl, "Tha blaggard coxswain got to drinkin a wee bit to much while I was catching me rest, drove her right into a reef. He's lucky he didn't make it outta there or I'd a keelhauled 'im me self." He turns his head to the side and spits on the ground. He turns to Cesran, "She only be fifty feet from fore to aft, but what she be lackin in size she made fer in speed. Never came across a ship she couldn't outrun."

Vasilly grins. "How'd you get out if he didn't?" Her ale arrives, and she lets out a sigh of relief.

Kal returns a grin to Vasilly, "That be another mystery of tha sea lass. I like to think me small size helped me make it outta live, swam to tha flotsam from tha wreck and crawled inside a barrel. Lucky fer me the barrel had some food in it, Just floated around at sea fer while till tha barrell washed up on shore."

Cesran listens as he eats, "So let me get this straight you washed ashore in a barrel? That is pretty lucky. I am sorry about your ship and your crew. Did you just have the one crew member?"

"That is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard," Vasilly announces. She sips her ale, laughing to herself. "Halfing in a barrel, out to sea. Almost as bad as..." then she frowns and knocks back the entire glass.

"Aye, fortune favors the bold matey, as far as me crew," Kal stops in mid sentence and turns to Vasilly, "Nothin ridiculous bout it, lass, it be tha truth, don't ya know we halflings be havin lady luck watchin us close."

Cesran nods, "It's one of the most..." He tries to think of a nice way to say it, "Interesting stories that I've heard of in a while. I've heard that saying before and perhaps there is some truth to it."

Picking up her second beer, Vasilly shakes her head in disbelief. "How long were you at sea?"

"Don't know how long exactly lass, seemed like I be out there fer weeks. Luckily fer me size tha small bit 'o water I had left be enough to keep me alive, though it did run out before I came ashore. Started seeing things out there when tha water ran dry, things I knew wasn't real." Kal finishes his statement and walks up to the table Vasilly is at and places a few coins on top to pay for the two drinks.

Cesran finishes his meal, "Well lucky for you that you were able to make it ashore. You looked like you are all recovered though."

Vasilly just shakes her head at the halfing. "Where's the barrel?" she asks, arching an eyebrow at him as he approaches.

Kal takes a few steps back from the table and looks over to Cesran, "Aye, thank ye." He looks back to Vasilly, "Don't know where tha barrel be, long gone by now. Washed ashore a few weeks ago."

Cesran smiles, "You're welcome." He sips his drink, "It's probably has some other halfling stuffed inside of it."

"Really? You expect me to believe that you survived by floating in a barrel, and you didn't save it? You think luck's going to give you another barrel the next time your boat sinks?" Vasilly just shakes her head at him.

"That barrel be nearly bigger than me, can't be draggin somethin round like that. After I get me another ship there be plenty of barrels, an this time I be knowin ahead if it happens again," Kal puts his hands on on his hips and nods matter-of-factly. He looks over to Cesran, "That barrel be big enough fer only one halfling. If it still be around there be nothin but stale bread."

Cesran shrugs a little bit as he takes another drink, "I've seen stranger things in my short time here in the city, a halfling in a barrel wouldn't surprise me."

"How will you know if it'll happen again?" Vasilly wonders aloud after another sip of ale. "Weren't you asleep last time it happened?"

Kal gives a small smirk, "Aye, I was. That's what be makin' a good cap'n though, always havin' a plan, always bein' one step ahead." He straightens his back and adopts a prideful stance.

Cesran nods a little bit, "Being prepared is a good way to look at it. I earn my living by being prepared."

"So when you're captain of a ship again, you're going to always sleep in a barrel, is that what I'm hearing?" Vasilly asks, grinning.

Kal tilts his head back and lets out a laugh, "Not be sleepin in a barrel, but there always be one close by." Kal lets out a small yawn before speaking, not making an effort to cover his mouth, "Speaking of sleep, bout time fer me to be headin to tha quarters. I'm Kal by tha way, Cap'n Kal," his introduction directed towards Vasilly.

Cesran nods, "Have a good night than Kal, are you going to be sleeping in a barrel tonight for old times sake?"

Vasilly laughs, draining her second cup of ale.

"I'm Vasilly," she adds.

Kal smiles at Vasilly, "Pleasure meetin ya miss Vassily." He turns towards Cesran and gives another chuckle, "No barrel tonight matey, got a bunk callin me name." He pauses for a moment to let the chuckle pass, "May the wind always be at yer back and the sun upon yer face." With that Kal turns and heads towards the door, pulling it open just enough for him to slip out.