Stoner Halfer
Tenebrae - Tuesday, March 21, 2017, 1:45 AM
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* W01: Wayfarer's Inn *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The inn's main room is large yet cosy, with plaster walls and a low ceiling supported by sturdy oaken beams. The decor is sparse: there's little other furniture save for a few rough-hewn wooden tables and chairs, and the only real object of 'ornamentation' is the large, moth-eaten moose head that's set above the kitchen door at the far end of the room. Still, the inn is pleasant in a simple, rustic way, and the delicious smell of food cooking makes it all the more inviting; the place seems to be more of a restaurant than a tavern, and a bar is nowhere in sight.
The innkeeper's counter sits in the east corner, within a few paces of the main entrance. Behind the counter is a small storeroom where one can purchase traveling supplies. The west corner of the room is occupied by a spiral staircase that leads to the second storey.
It's late, but Lysa couldn't sleep. Sometimes it's like that. Like the light of the sun is beaming in her eyes out of the dark with her eyes closed. So since she could not sleep.. maybe it was just too hot out, she went for a walk.
She ended up here, ordering a stout... and now she sits off to one side, in her tunic and trousers rather than full armor, sipping a flagon of stout as she watches a lone bard sing in one corner. It's a slow night and she's hoping sleep will find her before long.
Skadi hasn't yet seen Lysa arrive or order her drink from the bar; she's far back in the sparse crowds, seated at a table by the fireplace.
It's been a long day, but Skadi is uncharacteristically clean; her work has not involved rooting around in the forests. Hunched over a slim tome, with a collection of calligraphy implements in a leather roll, Skadi is working on a blank page; forming precise, efficient brush-strokes with a fine-tipped quill whose swan feather flicks and swerves in the dim light.
Munch does not sleep. He waits. But tonight he's not waiting either. The squabble can be heard long before the metal man opens the door, dragging a kicking, squirming ball of something small and furry. "Can someone assist? This thing keeps trying to bite me. But I think it might be a person, so I don't want to kill it."
Okay, that gets Lysa's attention right away. She shoves her chair back and strides towards Munch. "Let me be being helping." she states in her readily identifiable accent... at least identifiable to those who know her.
She steps around Munch to see what or who the lizard-guy is dragging.
Munch holds up the fuzzy bundle. It's a halfling, though it might take a few moments to figure it out. The little guy is quite fuzzy, wrapped in uncured hides, ranting in broken Sylvan, and, if the dialated eyes are any indication, stoned out of his gourd. Might have something to do with the bits of mushroom left in his beard.
A blonde head shoots up from the page: Skadi, whose attention is broken by the enterring Munch. She is silent as she stares at the interaction; grey eyes now flitting to Lysa.
Crouching by the Halfling, Lysa looks up to Munch, and then down at the Halfling. She looks concerned, confused, and a few other adjectives of a similar bent. "How.. where..." she says, shaking her head. But she just studies the man, wondering how she might help him.
Munch shrugs, and gives the fuzzball a little shake. "No idea. Came at me quite-like out of the dark, wrapped around my leg and tried to bite me, then started making those noises. Sorta reminds me of a badger."
Pressing herself up from the table, Skadi inserts herself into a narrow channel in the crowd; leaving all her things behind as she begins weaving a way towards Lysa and Munch.
One hand winds around one of Lysa's elbows; not saying anything, for now, as she lingers behind her.
Shaking her head, Lysa states, "Perhaps we should be restraining him for his own good?" she asks. But she reaches into her haversack and pulls a waterskin out, "Perhaps some mead would be being helping." she says... unsure, but trying to find -some- way to help.
Munch shrugs. "Do badgers drink mead?" The metal man isn't clear just what's clinging to the end of his arm. And apparently trying to bite his fingers... Munch doesn't seem too concerned, they are mostly metal.
"He is not a Badger. But a feral man. Or.. Half Man. It is a Halfling, but he has eaten something that has reacted badly with him. Likely something involving those mushrooms." she says, looking back to Skadi as if to confirm that as she gestures the halfling's beard.
Skadi smiles tentatively at Lysa, before tipping her gaze back towards the halfling. Hesitantly, she proposes: "I suppose I could take a look at him, if you don't mind".
Munch ahs, and nods. "Shroom bender. Those can mess anyone up." Voice of experience, perhaps? "Sure. Still kinda bitey, but doesn't seem into it. Still, watch your fingers, yours bleed easier."
Sliding out of the way, Lysa nods to Skadi, "Please. If you can be being helping him. I feel a bit.. out of my depth"
"You might be able to hold his head or his arms in place", Skadi responds to Lysa, as she tentatively eyes the halfling, "I'll mind his fingers, thank you".
It's as Skadi steps further to the fore that Munch might note Althea's sigil around her neck; but she still adds in, for good measure: "I'm called Skadi Ahlstrom; Hearthguard of Althea".
Munch nods. "Munch TerrorMaw, the Golem Who Eats." And the little stoned guy seems to have had himself a couple doses of druadic mushrooms, the sort used to go and recrational vision quests by the type of druid you might invite to your New Year's party, but don't really want in your neighborhood. Most 'vision trips' are pretty mellow, but some get a bit aggressive. Not a lot to be done but let him sleep it off. If he'll sleep.
I am being Lysa Hrolfdottr, Sunblade of Daeus and Minor Sentinel of Althea. I am being at your service. Hearthblade Skadi is being a far more talented healer. I am being doing my best, but she is being far more skilled than I."
That said, Lysa does go to hold the Halflings arms and try to restrain the head as well.
Roselle has arrived.
Munch stands near the door, holding a fuzzy squirming ball, that on a second look, is a halfling, stoned on mushrooms. Lysa and Skadi are takinga closer look at the wannabie druid.
Reflexively directing Lysa a shy smile, Skadi enthuses: "I suppose our skills together will be even -more- effective".
...and then she's folding down to one knee, in the general vicinity of the slumped-over, furry halfling. Her head quirks so that she can visually access it. Her hands -carefully- extend, with the intent of performing a physical examination of his mouth, eyes, and exposed skin; but she'd be ready to jump back in an instant if he got snappy.
GAME: Skadi rolls profession/herbalist: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Skadi rolls profession/herbalist: (8)+11: 19
Munch has nothing to add, just holds firm to the little guy by the scruff of the neck. Or maybe that's the collar of his hide outfit? They're both kinda scruffy and dirty... it's hard to tell.
"I suppose. But I am knowing nothing of how to treat such self inflicted toxins. My only training is in wounds." says Lysa as she crouches there, holding the arms and trying to restrain the head of this hopped up Halfling.
"...No Keith, I don't think Britches /needs/ to be fed any carrots, and y'mother's going t'pitch a fit if she finds out that's where all your dinner's been going..." Somewhere behind Munch comes the sound of voices - two people, going by timbre, one a youngish child, possibly a boy, and the other a sandpaper-honey rasp that Lysa, at least, would definitely recognise. "But Miz Flora..." pipes the protesting child. "It's carrots!"
And this is roughly about when Roselle, looking slightly worse for wear, makes her way into the inn, accompanied by a tall, gangly blonde-headed little boy of about ten, all blue-eyed and tanned within an inch of his life. He's also carrying a very squirming corgi puppy who has, it seems, furred all over him and Roselle in turn. The sheddings are everywhere. It's also the puppy who starts barking at Munch first, and the hopped up halfling, which gets the half-Sil's attention, /and/ the little boy's as well. "...Why, Munch!" Surprised Roselle. "What in Vardama's constipated bowels are y'holding?"
It takes Skadi a little while to assess the halfling; the mushrooms on which he's tripping seemingly foreign to a clergywoman so recently arrived from a place in which they do not thrive.
Transferable knowledge still comes into play, however, as after a decent amount of time, she finally states: "We can purge his stomach. It won't be especially-- well. We really should take him outside", she comments to the group at large. Though she rounds Roselle a quick smile, she's clearly focused elsewhere for the moment. "Lysa-- do you mind getting the blue-capped bottle from my bag? It'll help to combat some of these-- side-effects, too".
Not just anyone could hold a halfling out at arm's length for several minutes. Munch is not just anyone. Glancing over his shoulder, magicite eyes blink with a soft click. "Not sure. He came out of the dark and tried to bite my leg. Think just needs to sleep off some shrooms, but doesn't seem sleepy. Who are your friends?" He looks to Keith and Britches, not qualified to guess which is which.
Looking up to check and make sure that Munch is good, Lysa nods, "Aye. I can be being doing that." she says to Skadi as she gets up and heads over to the pack. She takes the indicated bottles and comes back. Along the way, she gives a tight smile to Roselle. "Hello there Roselle. Who is this young man being?" she asks as she hands said bottles to Skadi.
Looking up to check and make sure that Munch is good, Lysa nods, "Aye. I can be being doing that." she says to Skadi as she gets up and heads over to the pack. She takes the indicated bottles and comes back. Along the way, she gives a tight smile to Roselle. "Hello there Roselle. Who is this young man being?" she asks as she hands said bottles to Skadi. (repose)
"Alright", Skadi informs Much, soft-voiced as she takes the bottle from Lysa. It smells -foul- as she uncorks it, "I'm going to administer this, and then you should take him outside. It won't take long to take affect".
...here it comes. Peeling the halfling's lips back, Skadi attempts to pour the concoction down his throat.
Keith /stares/ at Munch, mouth agape. He obviously hasn't quite seen a construct like this before, EVAR. Remembering his manners after five seconds or so, he hastily shuts his mouth, swallows, and manages a nervous gap-toothed smile at the Very Tall Golem. "Umm. Ummmm...hi, Mister...Mister..." There's an agonized second when he glances at Roselle for help, and the half-Sil comes to his rescue with a twitch of her mouth. "Keith, this is Munch, and as you can see, he's really quite something. Munch, this is Keith, and this..." She reaches down to scritch Britches just under an ear. "...is Britches, Corgi Explorer Supreme -- Oh, hullo Lysa! And Skadi too! Keith, meet my friends Lysa and Skadi...aaaaand I think we're going to just stand back now like so."
She does move back, easing the boy and his puppy /behind/ Munch. "Now stay there, Keith --Skadi, d'ye need me to hold his head? I'm no good at medicine but I can swat him if he tries t'bite you."
Munch mmms, not too concerned, and heads for the door outside. "Hello Keith, Britches. Nice to meet you." Keeping the gagging stoner at arms length, he glances to Skadi. "He gonna puke, or that make everything shoot through?" Kinda matters to know which end to point where.
Lysa has disconnected.
Oh, now that's something Keith perks up at. "Here, Mr. Munch, I c'n show you where they toss really drunk people!" he pipes up happily. "There's even a big bucket an' all for 'em t'throw up in!" He gets a firm hold on Britches, who's wriggling and squirming again in excitement at so many new people and SO MANY NEW SMELLZ OMG, and scurries out the door.
"GO HOME after that, y'hear, Keith? GO HOME. Or I'm going to tell Lavender you fed her cake t'Rascal," Roselle calls after the boy, a mobile brow shooting up in resigned amusement as she watches Munch hauling his furry, stoned victim out of the inn. "Least it's not another damn evil dragon statue an' being spit up on by demonlings," she adds with a sigh, then smiles wryly as Lysa makes a /face/, and gives a huuuuge yawn. "Go on an' sleep then, I didn't think anyone'd be up after we came back." Cue sleepy Lysa to bed!
"I'll be alright, but-- if I'm about to lose my fingers--", Skadi warns Roselle, as she watches the concoction roll past his tongue, "--I hope you have some way that we can reach a hospital quickly".
"He's about to vomit", she then affirms to Munch, "...quite a lot. But he'll be more sober afterwards". Thankfully, they're relatively close to the door.
Munch nods and heads out, following Keith's lead. Hopefully he makes it in time. If not.... hopefully it rains soon. The golem doesn't seem too concerned either way, -his- vomit will etch stone, so halfling vomit isn't a big deal.
Roselle watches as the excited little boy leads the unflappable golem some distance away. "No, m'glad you didn't lose your fingers," she notes to Skadi sagely, then grins wryly as the halfling starts gagging even more. "I'd say he's going to be in for some mighty uncomfortable times very soon. I wonder what on earth he was on - trying t'bite Munch is absolute insanity - but I do hope whatever it was, it's nowhere near for th'boys or the puppies to get at." Because stoned puppies...oh dear.
"To be honest with you", Skadi is quick to climb to her feet, though she lingers near the doorway to continue including Munch in the discussion, "...I'm not one hundred percent sure, either. But getting it -out- of him is never a terrible thing". Scanning a look up and towards Roselle, Skadi smiles tentatively, "I hope I won't need to be pouring something down -your- throat in a moment, Roselle. How are you?".
Munch returns a little bit later, sans halfling, boy, or puppy. "Seems he wasn't the only one. Couple of others in various states of herbal mental alterations, and a couple guys watching over them. Keith took off in what I guess is towards home. That cared for, what are you up to?"
"Oh no, only thing you'll be pourin' down my throat any time soon is more alcohol than I should be drinkin'," Roselle assures Skadi with a crooked grin. She's looking /just/ a little worse for wear - her braid's slightly awry, missing a few silver rings off its ends, and her clothing looks as if she's been climbing through the remnants of rock dust, or raiding old tombs, or something similar, given the liberal dusty smudges at random.
As Munch comes back, she turns to look uuuuup at him and laughs. "Oh /dear/, there must be a grove of herbal mental alteration plants around here then, p'raps - and oh /good/, yes, Keith needs home. His mother'll worry, and Britches doesn't need to be out so late, he's just a pup still. I'm just trying t'get myself tired enough t'sleep, since Halo's already upstairs resting and I don't want t'disturb him - what're you doing here, and Skadi too?"
Skadi, by contrast, looks tired by not disheveled: her clothing reasonably in place (though crumpled from where she'd been walking or sitting), and her eyes lined with faint, weary smudges. It is definitely the end of a long day. "I work in the mobile clinic at the Pointe markets, twice a week", she explains her presence to both Roselle and Munch; finally taking a good look over the latter for the first time, "I thought I'd take a moment to breathe before heading back to the city".
Munch doesn't sleep, so might be out and about anytime. Not as if there's anything in the darkness worse than him. "Camp out near the Fellwood was having some troubles, something sniffing around. Only caught a glimpse, but it caught wind of me and took off. Followed the trail for a bit, pretty sure it won't be back, whatever it was. Dire cougar, maybe."
Roselle studies Skadi for a moment, then nods sagely. "You need a good stiff drink, s'what you do, an' then /some sleep/," she says with a bit of a smile. "Breathe yes, but rest is even better. If you'd like, I can accompany y'back to the city. Can't say I know much about medicine, but I /do/ know a fair bit about weasels and keeping idiots at bay." She then tilts her head as Munch explains his presence. "Dire cougar? I didn't think they'd be in these parts, but...it makes sense. Have you seen or heard tell of any dire wolves though?"
"I'd like that", Skadi responds to Roselle, her voice characteristically low; unsuited to the Inn's progressively rowdy clientele. It might be that she relaxes a touch, too, at the prospect of company. Grey eyes dart towards Roselle's missing silver, before refocusing on Munch. Blatantly curious, even if she doesn't immediately press. "...I've seen dire wolves. They're common, in the Emereth", she carefully chimes in, "Notsomuch here, I wouldn't think".
Munch considers a moment, and shrugs. "Not that rare, either. Know are dire wolves around, but havn't seen any recently. Guess might have been a wolf I tracked, but prints looked feline to me. And wolves tend to work in packs. Why do you ask, something up?"
Roselle glances Skadi, then at the clientele in the inn, eyeballs the available seating areas, then gestures with her chin in the direction of a somewhat quieter table close to the entrance, but at the furthest corner. "Reckon it'll be quieter there, an' you won't get any more herbally-intoxicated halflings coming to chomp you on th'leg, Munch," she says with a grin. "C'mon. Besides, Skadi, y'look tired enough you'll fall asleep standin' up. When was th'last time y'ate?"
She adds, as she turns towards said table, "And...noooo, nothing /really/, about th'dire wolves. Just...I've been looking to find one is all." A pause, a somewhat unusually measured one. "I used to have one, many years ago, when I was first livin' in Alexandria. I miss him."
Roselle has left.