The dust inside danced up into the air in little nebulous sequences above the fine wooden surfaces of the bar. Before it settles Conda is already taking steps toward the open door, both copper colored eyes set keenly ahead to where the door rattles on its hinges. His crimson red coat comes into the place like a drop of blood, lapels searing with decorative silver lining; reflecting dim light up into his fearfully sharp face.

“Well this is fun. Nobody in sight, yet I feel I’m not alone. This being the famous Nameless Tavern I expect my arrival will be met in due time.” He thinks with a twisted delight.

“In the meantime- a drink!” He says aloud as he strides up behind the bar to sort through fine wines until he finds “Eternities Crux,” one of his favorites of this millennium. It’s been said that the High Elves drank this before battle to feed them with a ferocity which, of coarse they inherently lack. That’s all fable though. What they really used it for was to kill themselves off. Some young, but mostly elder’s would take it to quicken the last few hundred years of life in 2x the speed. This latter is fact, Conda knows... he was there among the High Elves.

With a fine drink by the bottle, and the place seemingly to himself, he sits and looks around. One or two lanterns flicker about.
“Not a bad place I admit. This will do for a few nights stay at least. It’s a perfect kind of quiet... better enjoy it while it lasts.”

A gentle “eep” sounds out a distance down the path as an odd looking purple creature in the form of a teenage girl quickly ducked behind a rock, peering past her shelter with wide, bright white eyes.

“Come on Vivi... pull yourself together.” She muttered, glancing at the path, and checking behind her as she soldiers bravely on.

The dusty forgotten steps led to the entryway, dust still billowing in the shafts of sunlight as she poked her head inside, looking around. Her gaze freezing on the state of the interior as a visible shiver ran the course of her body.

“Theres no way this place is occupied, maybe the sign is just a remnant of the last owners?” she mused quietly, before steeling herself and crossing the threshold.

“H-hello? Is anyone here? I came because I saw the help wanted sign...” She half-yells in a shaky voice, holding her wrists as her bright white eyes darted to every shadow lurking in every corner.

@Vismar

Conda sets the bottle down with a conscious effort to make a little noise. He suspects he is not entirely too visible and wants to give away some of his secrecy for the hell of it.

"Well who could this be?" He thinks, knowing well it could be anyone.

Conda turns around on his stool to face the bar, pulls a beautiful ornamental ivory pipe out from his inner coat, then tobacco. A deep orange flame burns bright on his match, moving with one languid motion in the dim lit tavern- then nothing but smoke and ember and an outline of Conda sitting there breathing deep moving breaths in between puffs of his pipe.

"Puff" his face lights up- a strong brutal jaw with a single scar set across it.
"Puff" his mouth and nose both angular in their own ways...
"Puff" eyes bright copper, constantly searching and cruel in nature.

He can now see it's a girl.. a young one.

Finally Conda calls at the visitor.
"I just know you didn't travel all this way just to stand at the doorway, correct?"

@Triesa

The girl stumbles a little and ducks behind the door as the voice calls out from the darkness.

“N-no! Of course not, I’m here for the help wanted sign, figured I would... um...” she finally gets a look at the mysterious voice’s owner: tall, rugged, cold. She knew the look in his eyes. She didn’t like it at all.

“I thought this place was abandoned at first, are you the owner, mister?” Slowly she works up the courage to approach, though sticking to the light of what few lanterns remained lit in this place.

"Hahah! noo I'm not the owner this time around, I have other business to attend." He said in a suddenly jolly-ish voice.

"Do you drink? come have a drink.. I don't bite. Besides it's cold out, you need to warm up... I can see you shaking from here."

Conda takes another swig of Eternities Crux and smiles through his silver teeth. Takes another puff and blows out three perfect smoke rings.

@Triesa

Encouraged by his jovial laugh and words, Vivi ventures deeper into the tavern, taking a seat next to the odd gentleman.

“I drink, yes. But I’m going to pass... if you’re not the owner then I don’t want to anger them by taking what isn’t mine. Especially as I have no way to pay for it.” She chuckles softly.

At this distance, it was a lot easier to see her features. She was slight in build, but not gangly. Youthful in appearance, modest in the chest, and wearing what appeared to be a shirt and skirt made of the same material that she herself was made of. That semi-transparent purple goo; oddly enough she didn’t seem to leave any residue where she traveled, but her “skin” did glisten slightly, as if damp.

She looks the gentleman up and down before speaking once more. “Do you know the owner? What is this place? I’m Vivi, what’s your name?”

@Vismar

Conda is glad he didn't wholly scare her off since he has that effect on some people. He's done some pretty heinous things over his life time, but he's played the part of the good guy at points too. You have more fun inflicting pain.. but more control helping others.

"aah, very honest not to take a drink, such a rarity to find where I've come from. We could, for your sake start a tab and hand it over to the owner when he arrives. Up to you."

Conda shifts around on his stool to face the girl.

"Vivi... that's a fine name. My name is Kanaconda, Conda for short."

"I see you're not the average human, your purple- my favorite color haha! what is your kin young one?" he asks the girl.

@Triesa@Dark Light
"Pleased to meet you, Conda." She offers a small bow as she sits to the man's left. "I appreciate the hospitality but I'll wait on the drinks until after the interview."

She points to the help wanted sign in the window, "It says 'Sir D.Radshaw.' on the help wanted poster, but you're the only one here. Though, maybe he's elsewhere in the tavern..."

At the question of her 'kin', Vivi smirks awkwardly and rubs the back of her head. "Well, ya see, eh heh... I'm not quite sure myself, I used to be called AM-66. But I like Vivi more, it's friendlier!" she offers a hand cheerfully to shake.

She recognized it was probably risky to be so open to strangers, but for some reason, she felt safe in this dilapidated old tavern. She was somewhat concerned about it's abandoned appearance, and the itching curiosity as to whom the owner was, tickled her every thought.

@Vismar

"Nice meeting you." Conda's hand extends to Vivi's and takes hold. Her hand is softer than he's ever felt, but no ooze. He wonders weather she can feel the coldness of his smooth pale skin. He shakes with a delicate touch as he dosn't know what her body consists of.

"Yes, that name has been there on the poster since I arrived. Possibly Radshasw, applied then realized no ones around, or something worse happened to him." He says, silver teeth flashing and gleaming in the dim light.

"It's a shame you don't know your background- have you ever looked into it?" Says Conda, then takes a long sip on his pipe.

@Triesa


Vivi can't help but smile warmly; the odd gentleman had a very delicate touch for someone looking so hardened by life. Perhaps she'd misjudged the man.

She grabs a loose bottle cap off the bartop, and places it on its side, spinning it with her fingers then letting go as it remains spinning upright like a top, or a coin. She watches it with a great deal of pensiveness, until it slows to a stop and falls over with a clatter, eliciting a gentle sigh from the goo-girl.

"I know as much as I care to know, and a great deal I wish to forget." She mutters morosely, "But then, don't we all?" A wry chuckle escapes her as she withdraws her hand back to herself, kicking her feet gently in the air. "What about you? You've a face that tells a story all its own. I'd be interested in listening, so long as we are waiting for the same 'Sir D. Radshaw', and of course you're willing to tell."

@Vismar

Conda let's out a deep throaty laugh, thinks down at the bar table for a moment, and laughs again.

"You'd like to hear my story huh? I've been around for a few years that's for sure. You'll have to do with a piece of my story..."

~

"Back in time on the world of Sairubatta, when the seasons came in full swing and the trees grew true- I was only about 600 years old since my maker set me loose. I was young and hungry for blood. My tastes had evolved from that of the poor, straight to kings and queens. I preferred women's blood, but the adrenaline in men's during or after a battle gave me more power. Finally after tiring myself out on the many small hunts around the city of Davura (the 5th biggest city on Sairubatta,) I turned to the war for greater feeding.

As you may have guessed by now, I am what they call in standard English... a vampire. But probably not the one you're aware of- I am a Rasluka vampire, one of the only types to drink and eat food and stay out in daylight.. however daylight does take a toll on me, often it takes twice the energy to function, and it brings on the need to shield my skin, and feed a lot sooner.

As I was saying, I turned to the war, and army for the delicacy's of blood. So I enrolled In Davurian- West Ranks. Our enemy, the Die Skull barbarians held sway over the Davurian lands for hundreds of years until modern society grew into the great city we knew. Davura wanted the outer regions, but that was met with great hostility by the Die Skulls, so war broke out.

The night I arrived to the front line with a small outfit of mortal men who looked worried. Probably worried that the army has been out matched by the ferocious barbarians, as of recently. I just wanted to feed... and I did. The next day we were sent out across a large field to get to the tree line and set up our next base camp. Except the enemy had other plans; plans to drive us back and into the yawning grave. The battle was rough and many died on both sides but we pushed on. We wore plated armor which I had no taste for as it slowed me down and limited my field of vision and motion.. so I held up behind a great tree as arrows and cries of agony both shot back and forth in the air. I took my armor off and grabbed my sword and advanced. I advanced with the turning of day into night. I charged with the dusk and all the fury of Hell. Chopping down enemy's left and right, luring them away from the field enough to injure them and feast on their blood, giving me greater vigor... nothing ever tasted so good.

Of coarse since then I have tasted the most unimaginable blood from a variety of creatures and humanoids. I was young at this time and this was the best so far.

Dusk turned to night and now I really had the advantage over all on the battle field. My teeth led the way to the so-called 'battle heroes' and I took their lives after I took my drink. Undoubtedly with my help we surpassed the tree line within the next few days, and on the forth (with our new camp set up,) we stormed the Die Skull's outpost. We came with sword and shield and flamed every hut and outpost with people in it- the rest we would inhabit. Naturally I got in deeper in the encampment before the others and slayed and fed, slayed and feed, gaining a power I would ever be chasing after the war... at least until I grew up more and started traveling other planets and dimensions.

I pillaged until I heard cries... not cries of fallen men, but children, then a woman- it was coming from one of the huts, so I walk up cautiously. As I do, a man named Liswarg Samula- one of the more fierce, smarter, and faster men- runs up behind me and tosses a torch on top of the huts roof setting it a flame. So I run in to see what was going on. A young girl- and what I believe was her mother, sat in front of a young boy (younger than the girl,) lying on the ground and he looked very ill. His mother dabbed a wet cloth on the boy's forehead in between pleads of mercy from me. I was a cold killer, but I was not going to kill women and children unless they deserved it. I knew Liswarg was not all right in the head and probably even heard the innocent cries before he tossed the torch, so I knew I would be met with adversity If I tried to save the family and he saw. Never the less, I carried the boy out of the burning hut in my arms and yelled at the other two to leave "NOW!"
~
Conda slams his fist down on the bar table, rattling the empty wine bottle a little. He squeezed his fist. Eyes on fire in reminiscent clarity. He glances over and see's both fear and interest somewhere in Vivi's white eyes. He focuses back at the table and packs the pipe bowl with more tobacco and lights it.

"Puff." And continues...

~

"Finally we get out of there just as a wood log falls down into the middle of the hut. I hand the sick boy into the mother's arms and tell her

"Get out of here, they're coming- And tell your war chief the Davurian's plan to take your town in the next fortnight."

And so they run away with the other's from the encampment, plus a few warriors. I turn Back to Liswarg and he's screaming at me as he assumes a battle-ready stance with me.

"What the fuck are you doing Avren! No survivors! Never! You're going to pay for this!!" He screams at me.

I'm far from scared, in fact pretty amused. He charges, swings, I parry and kick him to the ground, but he doesn't fall completely, instead stumbles back. I lunge with my sword and stab at him under the armor plates at his armpit. I did hit him but he grabs the hilt of my sword before I can retract. He pulls me to the ground with him and we exchange punches. He is more protected, but he will tire sooner and I have speed. I break loose to bring my sword over my head and I follow through with chopping his right arm off at the elbow. Liswarg lets out a tortured scream which brings a smile to my face. I pull out my knife while he's wallowing over his arm, and bring it down square into his neck. He's dead, and the women and children are safe to flee at least for a couple minutes.

I fall back on a bed of dead leaves and the wind blows a cool breeze over my face as I look up into the sky, trying to count the squawking birds, bringing my breathing into a calm state. Finally the rest of the Davurian men run in on the camp, flailing more torches and swinging swords at those which haven't escaped yet... it's a pity, but there's nothing I can do to save them now..."

~

Conda gently tamps his pipe and licks his lips.

"Well Vivi, that's a piece of my story. Thanks for listening; all the talk of blood and swords probably isn't to your liking but I thought it would be a good example of who and what I am. Despite what people think, I'm not all bad...I just don't have the same empathy that most people do."

Kanaconda sits, and listens to the stormy wind hitting the tavern outside, hears the gentle breathing of the girl beside him, and listens to the sands of time...

@Triesa


Vivi fidgets nervously as the story continues. Listening intently but with concern slowly etching it’s way into her features.

“You’re right, I’m not a particular fan of that story, but I appreciate your honesty all the same... I know what fighting is like, I hate it. But if it gives you meaning, then I’m glad for you, I’m still trying to find my meaning.”

A little more fidgeting as she spins her bottle cap once more. “Um, mister conda, one last question?”

“What’s a vampire?”

@Vismar

"Well I'm never going to sugar coat my stories. I told you that one because it was a defining tale, where I learned ruthlessness and compassion don't easily mix. And I knew you could handle it... I mean you made it to this tavern didn't you, you must have fight in you."

"To answer your question simply; a vampire is an eternal being often confined to the embrace of night, lurking and hunting mortals of many kinds for their essence, which is often blood. The sun is an enemy more or less.

Haha, but don't worry you're not in danger... in fact you're probably safer with me than without me."

Conda winks at Vivi.

@Triesa


Vivi smiles nervously, but nods in agreement. “Well I thank you for your protection, in that case. If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to explore the tavern a little, it’s all secretive and interesting, and I really want to meet the owner. I’ll be back though, I assume you’re staying around for a while?” She inquires, hopping down from the stool and looking around the room.

@Vismar

"I'll be around, yes." Conda smiles and nods his head to Vivi.

Goes back behind the bar and fishes out another wine bottle, throws down a silver coin, and sits back at his seat.

"The night is young." He says under his breath with a wry smile.

Vivi nods back and quickly scurries toward the stairs leading to the upper level. Practically skipping the entire way, she places a single foot on the first step and freezes as it gives an agonized creak.

She smiles apologetically toward the only other person present (so far as she knew.) and slowly made her way upstairs, one squeaky step at a time.

Upstairs was a rather different sight than the main floor below; softer lighting and finer decor were hallmarks of this area, with doors leading to numbered rooms on either side of the central landing.

“wow... fancy, you would never think it by looking at the outside of this place. If I get hired I’m going to make this ramshackle tavern look like new.” she thought, darting between the different doors and even taking the opportunity to lay on a few of the scattered plush chairs and loveseats.

Eventually her mind drifted back to thoughts about the mysterious owner. “surely the owner has an office or something here... maybe it’s behind one of these doors? I’d love to meet them.”

And so Vivi began trying different doors, looking down hallways and trying to find this mysterious being, if they even still existed...

@ The Bar

"She is indeed. Young and eternal"
Without word or warning a gentle yet confident voice adds itself to Conda's self conversation, resonating from the other far end of the bar.

Slightly concealed in recoiling shadows a figure emerged and moved towards him, no creak of a door nor stir of a floor board to signal his sudden appearance, not even the soft sighs of his breath. Where once only shadows dwelled now came a well postured man. He moved with an air of certainty and authority. His motions carried a masculine grace and he held himself with a polite proper etiquette.

His face clean and dark hair well kept, nearly to a standard as equally immaculate as the fine intricately detailed suit that adorned his slender physique. The facade of appearance was completed and complimented by his steely eyes, a wistful gaze, a chiseled jaw line and the ever charming white grin.

Following a small flourish of his hand he leant over in a faint bow as he greeted the patron.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." He says kindly. "Welcome to my humble establishment, I hope the drink is to your liking."

With a smooth fluid motion he retrieved the coin placed upon the bar before watering a rag in the nearby sink and dragging it across the bench surface, scrubbing away at the dust. Ever whilst showing an interest and attention to anything Conda had to say.

---

@ Random Rooms

The first few rooms were as one might expect. An ornate bed and dresser. A plant, some old art and a doorway to another room. Then things began to change. As she moved further down the hallway the rooms no longer held consistency, while still stocked as a place of slumber the decor and decorations were of another time. Or of another world...
With things ranging from the unimaginably bizarre to breath takingly beautiful, rooms naturally adapted and were customised to their guests needs and desires. These rooms while apparently vacant still held true waiting for their patrons to return to them.

Vivi gets an unexpected startling fright as behind door 17 a blonde haired man sat slumped against the far wall beside the bed.

@Dark Light

Conda listens intently to the strong musicality of the man's voice as he draws near; still staring into the fiery embers of his pipe.
Also picking up on the tiny little steps of the girl upstairs.

"You're the owner of this place I take it? Otherwise, you're stealing coin from me." He says in a oddly distracted way.

There's some tension in the room as both of them are quite...
...

"HA-ha! of coarse you're the owner! It was only in jest... only in jest." Conda's little outburst had him throw his head back a bit as smoke shot out of his closing silver teeth.

Then stillness.. then nothing but his bright copper eyes moved. They glanced over at the man, revealing light crow's feet above a large carnivorous smile. Conda looked deep into the man's eyes delving to see what the man consisted of.

"strong, intelligent- good." Thought Conda.

"Where are my manners." Conda takes off his hat and sets it to the left of him. Slick rows of jet black hair, neatly combed front to back and behind his ears juxtapose his pale white skin.

"It's nice to meet you, and yes I'm impressed with your selection of drink. Say, you know there's some girl up there (*Conda points straight to the ceiling) bustling around, looking for you I bet. Er names... Vivi, I think."

Dorian stands tall polishing the glass in his hand. His eyes lock off on something or nothing in the distance as he replies to Conda with a simple faint smile.
Conda might notice that the cleanliness of the bar is not correlating equally to the effort of the barman. The bar and surrounding area was already seemingly far less decrepit and dusty after only a little work and attention. It was as if their very presence was awakening the tavern. It was subtle and slow but something was deffinatly happening.

"A meal?" Dorian asks Conda as he holds up the glass for inspection. Dorian looked back to Conda.
"So what do you make of this... Vivi? Do you know why she is here?"
It almost felt like a rhetorical question but was a question none the less.

@Dark Light

"Sounds good to me.. It must've been a week since I last ate any food. What do you have?"

"As for Vivi, well she has a good heart, honest, but timid.. I think I scared her off. I believe she wants in on your sign posted outside actually- but she told me she hates fighting.. I don't know how she'll hold up in an adventure with high risk. Eh, judge for yourself."