@gohKamikaze
The term 'the Great Old Ones' was not a term Koru had head before at least if he had it was not on the pages of his book that he now flipped through. If it had been there at some point it was now gone as with many of the earlier pages either too weathered to be legible or torn for reasons still unclear. Still it could merely be a term for one of the many gods slain either by their own kind or adventurers with more brawn than brain.

"I can't say that I have?" he looked once more at the roughly drawn map of Hardwick's homeland and back to the grizzled human"Are they the pantheon that resides over this land you call Dunwich?" The section of the bar Koru was sitting before looked much more like a study then a place of merriment, the elf was poring over his book the wine strategically placed in such a way that should it spill minimal damage would be sustained if he was quick.

Drawing her eyes away from the intricate details of the walls and onto he other occupants of the relatively lively tavern she stood still. Her eyes watching with uneasy stares all she could see. Like that of a small rabbit before it was to dash into a bush.

Settling her nerves she decided to not try to stand out. Having observed the stance many had taken in this place she to took a shaken seat at the bar. Her eyes staring in slight awe at the colorful liqoids inside each labeled bottle. All but one having names enscralled apon them words she did not know nor wanted to try to pronounce. A group of two men she could hear were having a conversation. Something about a something she couldn't understand that well. They both seemed strange to her, their apperal had not matched what men wore nor what women wear. The style of clothing couldn't have changed much in the short years she had been away from major society. Right?

Many of those here seemed off but those two in specific had caught her senses. Most likely their perceived closeness to her, which kept her vision on them as she rested against the bar.
@gohKamikaze@Pineappletumble

@Pineappletumble @Song Book @Alisdragon911

Koru's words took Hardwick by surprise, and he shuddered at the suggestion. 'They're not a Pantheon. Well, not my Pantheon. I used to be a God-fearing man, but now I'm not so sure if my God really exists - or ever did.' Anxiety clawed at him like a ravenous beast, and he looked frantically up and down the bar for any sign of Ayeka. Drinking more was rapidly becoming unsustainable, but he needed the whiskey like an amputees needed a crutch; it was the only thing standing between his shaken nerves and full-blown insanity.

'You see, the Great Old Ones... They're not from here. They're from somewhere else, somewhere beyond the realms of time and space. It's...' Hardwick pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the cold sweat that had begun to cover his forehead. '... It's difficult to explain in mortal terms.'

He glanced over Koru's shoulder - a newcomer was resting on the bar not far away, staring idly at the pair with a almost doe-eyed curiosity and innocence. Her shabby grey dress had seen better days and her hair was messy and tangled, yet there was some indescribable quality to her posture that reminded Hardwick more of a small woodland animal than a grubby drifter.

@gohKamikaze

Ayeka is traing hard in the tavern's pool. She guess it is time to head back to the bar. She jumps out of the pool and freeze the water off of her and quickly returns to the bar. She notice that Hardwick is having another panick attack, she pours him another glass of whiskey.She is sorry for not being around but it been awhile since she use her ice powers.

Snarfulblast, jumps up from underneath the bar and begins serving anyone at the bar a drink. "I was not asleep, I swear it on mah beard!" He continues to serve drinks until everyone he can see has a drink in their hand.

The soft tapping of a gentle hand rattles against the hard heavy surface of the taverns exterior doors. A sound so quiet that it nearly goes unnoticed amongst the taverns usual festive hustle and bustle with all the regular noise and commotion that goes with it.

No there was nothing unusual or outstanding about this quiet little tapping, not its time place or rhythm, not even as it repeated itself again. In fact the dull sound was so quiet and mundane it probably shouldn't of even been heard at all! It's volume as quiet as it was. Yet strangely, without reason, it was if the door drew attention to it.

First it was those with nowhere better to look. The relaxed and the thoughtless. They succumb to that soft strange niggle. An instinctive pulling unexplainably luring their face and attention that way. It was a subtle and silent calling.



More heads slowly follow, if only on catching the gaze of others. Only then in the lull of curiosity was the tapping audible enough to be heard.



Patiently someone or something waited on the other side of the tavern doors.

@Song Book@gohKamikaze@Snarfulblast@Dark Light
Koru had to catch himself from choking on his wine, "You'll have to pardon me" he chortled between breaths "a human speaking of such things as mortality is quite hard to take seriously". Pulling a simple handkerchief from another of his many pouches he contains the remaining splutters to its fabrics and gently dabs, "Though I would not write your god off quite so soon as such a large number exist, it would be foolish to suggest otherwise, a name might help me fine any evidence for it"

'ra-ta-ta-tat'

He wasn't entirely sure the grizzled gumshoe had head him, following the human's eyes he found them resting on a woman who looked like she had seen her fair share of travel. Someone who would surely have a tale to tell, but Hardwick seemed to be quite interested in her and he did not want to 'Inhibit his style' as some child would say a few towns back.

'ra-ta-ta-tat' that sound again, it was starting to become a nuisance but nothing that couldn't be shifted to the back of his mind for now.

"Perhaps" he began hoping to gain the human's attention "You should go over and order he a drink? I believe that is the proper conduct when courting a woman in such an establishment to purchase a drink for the maiden" confident he had given the human sound advice his mind began to wonder.

'ra-ta-ta-tat'

Now he was paying more attention the sound's origin became easier to locate. The Door? But why would some one tap at a door a tavern, particularly one that seemed more than open. He looked on with interest fresh page in his book and a well inked quill at the ready, if there was one thing he knew about strange happenings was let others try first if you can.

@Pineappletumble @Alisdragon911 @Song Book @Snarfulblast @Dark Light

'Well, I'm not sure how long...' Hardwick looked Koru up a d down, racking his brain for the correct title (to no avail). '... Your kind lives for. But these things... I'd say they were Ageless Or Immortal, but they transcend time and space.'

He took a drink from Ayeka with a shaking hand, and with a nod of thanks passed her a few more dollars before knocking the whole tumbler back in one go - not all of which ended up in his mouth. Much to his surprise, in the few seconds between taking the whiskey and placing the glass back down upon the bar, he had been served another two glasses - the new bartender, a bearded man, almost literally throwing drinks at patrons with blistering speed. Through the confusion and haze, he could hear the rhythmic sound of knuckles rapping upon wood.

'Their names...' Hardwick was mindful of the girl sitting not so far away. As much as Koru made well-intentioned suggestions of courtship, Hardwick was more concerned about speaking the names of the Old Ones within earshot. Just their names alone had driven men beyond the brink of insanity, and although there was no telling what they'd do to Koru he got the horrible feeling that some of the more alien of their kin might shatter the girl's projected innocence. He lowered his voice and leaned in close to Koru, the whiskey strong and the words slurred.

'Their names... Azothoth, The Idiot God of Chaos who lies at the centre of the universe. Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. Terrible Cthuhlu, the Great Dreamer who sleeps deep within the forgotten city of R'lyeh... There are more, and their monstrosities and horrific spawn are many - but many I can scarcely bear to recall, let alone name.' Hardwick looked at the door fearfully as he realized that It was the source of the constant tapping. Had they come for him?

@gohKamikaze@Pineappletumble@Dark Light@Snarfulblast

Her mind jumped from on subject to the next before a little man had jumped up behind the counter. A little yelp excaping from her mouth along with a few muttered profanities in a far off dialect at all his sudden movements and loud tone.

She was served promptly after some liquid with a strange tint to it. Her gaze now dictated apon the strange little man behind the counter. Following his every movement while the two men conversed and even fewer of the words they said made sense. After
'Ra-ta-ta-tat'
English was hard expeccially when it all sounds like gibberish at some point. Her mind drifted quickly from the bouncing little man andbthe twos conversation to a sound she picked up on. Her gaze determining it was coming from and so she gazed at the door.

'Ra-ta-ta-tat'

Her legs adjusted from just dangling from the stool. Tangling themselves succurly around the legs as she would a tree branch. There are people here. People can take care of big bad things like my friends can.. I hope..

'Ra-ta-ta-tat'

@gohKamikaze@Dark Light@Snarfulblast @Song Book

Ayeka notices a couple of new people in the tavern. She is glad to have some help running the bar but the sound of tapping is hurting her ears. She guess she will see what could happen at the moment or anything trouble could start as well. She continue to serve drinks to keep herself busy and to continue to earn her keep.

The sound rung out followed by an expectant pause...




Then it echoed out again. This time nearly everyone heard it, the room had been slowly growning increasingly silent, many eyes had now befallen the rustic tavern door. Yet still, despite its attention, strangely no one stirred to open it.

"Someone get the bloody door!" Snarf has finally stopped filling drinks to stand behind the bar and wipe everything down. He ignored the tapping to focus on his work.

@gohKamikaze@Song Book@Alisdragon911@Dark Light@Snarfulblast
A chill ran throughout Koru's body, while none of the names seemed to align with any of the gods from religions he had observed he couldn't help but shake the unease he felt. Simply thinking the names left his hands with a tremor so subtle that it might have been merely a draft. For once in a long time, Koru didn't want to pursue this font of knowledge his usually thirst for information being sated unusually early. Against his better judgement he jotted down the names in his tomb and closed it swiftly closed the book seemingly with little care for the ink that might bleed onto another page. This coupled with the terror filled glances he kept throwing the door's way only added to the unease the tapping had sown throughout the tavern.

"Someone get the bloody door!" a rough voice broke Koru's train of thought; the bartender was clearly more irritated then wary of this sound.

Koru sighed, as much as he would have liked to let the others deal with whatever strange occurrence the worry looks of the current patrons were either too afraid or busy to answer the call. Packing his book away Koru took long strides across to the door, hoping his body language would be enough to hide the fear behind his eyes.

Gently he opened the door and observed whatever was on the other side.

@Pineappletumble

Standing there innocently was a young girl little older than 10 years of age. Long golden blonde hair hung from either side of her head in simple ponytails. She wore an old timely white fashioned dress with yellow hemming and hand-stitched floral patterns.
Her naive face bore an expression of startled surprise as she looked up with her big bright brown eyes. She fidgeted nervously from side to side as her outstretched hand dropped and intertwined with the other behind her back. After an awkward fumbling moment and a little mumble the shy girl averts her gaze to the floor without saying anything.

@gohKamikaze@Song Book@Alisdragon911@Dark Light@Snarfulblast
One of the last things Koru had been expecting behind the tapping door was a young girl, stranger still was the tavern's location appeared to have shifted from when he last walked through it. Relaxing he knelt down so he was eye level with the young girl, a warm smile on his face. Based on what he had been told this girl didn't seem like any emissary for powerful and cruel gods.

"Hello there little one" he positioned himself so that all those who wished to know what had been causing the tapping was could see "Can I help you in any way?"

His relief wearing off Koru couldn't help but feel a little silly at his apprehension.

@Dark Light@Snarfulblast

Ayeka feels the other bartender shove her out of the way, she wonders why he is in a foul mood. She notices a elf open the door and sees a girl standing there. She is curious about this girl and why she is here. Ayeka ears twitch as she overheard what the wood elf ask the girl and maybe she could help to.

@Alisdragon911 "Sorry lass, just need tah grab something." After brushing aside the bartender next to him, albeit a bit rough, he grabs a bottle of whiskey from under the bar counter. Looking towards the door he see's who was knocking on the door, a little girl.@Pineappletumble"Well don't just stand there little lass, tis cold outside and tis warm in here, and ye can get some grub in yah."

@Pineappletumble@Alisdragon911@Snarfulblast

Shyly with practised plea-full eyes she looks up to the man a says with a soft stutter. "I've lost my straw doll, can you help me make a new one?"
With her soft tone, that gentle quiver in her voice and the deep innocent eyes full of hope and possibilities, the young girl could melt the hearts of monsters, and worst of all she knew it.
Childish manipulation aside, behind her was a clear blue setting sky. Mountains rolled out as far as the eye could see and a soft glow emitted from just over the first. The gras was green and yellow, sporadically placed amongst hard reddish yellow dirt. A path was worn in the ground and ran from the girl to that place just over the first hill.

@gohKamikaze@Song Book@Alisdragon911@Dark Light@Snarfulblast
The wood elf ran his hand along his jaw thoughtfully; a straw doll was always something that had struck him as a peculiar thing. The idea of a cheap alternative to keeping a child entertained was not a strange concept but he could never quite wrap his head around it, still making a simple doll it couldn't be too hard and he probably might have something in his book.

"Well I'd be happy to lend any help I can" he stood giving his back a stretch and proceeding to the counter "As the barman said, you should probably join us inside as I fear any instructions I have may be quite deep in this tome" Now seated more comfortably he began combing through his pages, a little slower than before, no need to rush if he didn't need to.

Edit: Spelling

A tall shadow stretched out onto one of the tavern walls, a pair of glowing green eyes opening from it's own darkness to look towards the tavern door. Knutik had regained the courage to peek out from the shadows after his previous startle. He had heard, no, felt the tapping on the door. Gentle quiet vibrations echoing through the walls he was hiding in, ever so subtle. Knutik had different ways to sense the world around him than completely physical beings, one could say he could feel the wind outside despite being within the tavern. After the tapping repeated for the fifth time he wondered why it wasn't being answered and decided to investigate.

When he opened his eyes to the main room he curiously watched as someone went to finally answer the tavern door. It was an elf. Knutik learned about them from story books and movies... but he still thinks they're just fancy humans with pointy ears. The one who was tapping on the door turned out to be a little girl. At first she seemed harmless until she spoke. Her voice sent a chill up his spine, made worse by the fact that he didn't have a spine. Knutik found himself beginning to slowly cringe back into the shadows. He learned that creepy little girls with innocently spoken voices were always a sign that something bad was going to happen... or so it always turned out to be when watching horror movies with unaware humans. He would actually mimic the scare tactic, especially on Halloween. He was so lost in his own flashbacks that he didn't see the elf move to sit at the bar. For the moment Knutik just watched the little girl closely through suspicious eyes that blatantly said 'I've got my eye on you missy'. Whether he'd actually make a move to do anything if something did happen is doubtful.