The mid-day sky seemed to be perfect for traveling. Barely a cloud in the sky, a nice breeze. Indeed, this was a wonderful day to start an adventure. In this perfect weather, the people of Cedarport went through their normal day to day routine with smiles on their faces. For a town, Cedarport is big, though not nearly large enough to be considered a city. It's more populated half, the northern section that splits from the other via a wide river that connects to the seashore and remains wide enough to sail almost all the way up to the capitol of the kingdom has small homes cozily placed together and various shops and workshops.

As you enter the town through its northeastern gate, you come across commotion in the streets in front of two taverns. One has a painted picture of a sword made of ice, underneath the words 'The Frosty Barbarity' and the other with a wooden carving of a goose with its eyes crossed and it's step wobbly. The sign underneath reading 'the drunken goose'. No doubt, judging by the drinks in the hands of the people surrounding the commotion, these are taverns, though why they are side by side may seem peculiar. Seeing the crowd gives a good estimate of the population of the town: mostly humans and halflings, though as you take them in and those walking about the streets, you find that dotted in between the common races are oddities: Half races such as teiflings, half-elves, and half-orcs and most peculiar of all is that you see an ogre in the crowd, cheering with the others rather than bashing in skulls.

The commotion, as you come to stare at it for a moment is two females battling in fisticuffs: one a stout mountain dwarf who seems to be in a headlock, the other a half-elf dirtied by the scuffle. Despite their method of argument, they both harbor grins and chuckles between each strike. The battle is over just as one may get invested. The dwarf lays on the ground with a bloodied nose as the other whips her auburn hair back behind her shoulders before offering a hand.

"You're getting too old to even knock me down Fol, I told you should hire guards" The lean lady states as the other grabs her hand.
"Ah! We've been fightin' for years, you just knew what I was gonna do. Come on, have a pint on me" The other insist.
It isn't much longer before you see them scabble about who's tavern they'll be drinking in and their words turn back to a fist fight, much to the excitement of the crowd.

As you walk along the street you see but a small fraction of the town. The local workers guild: the thistlebeards, all seem hard at work, their stores occasionally having someone come in or out. This section of the town seems to be the 'strip' of sorts, like the center of advertisement to travelers as not only the tavern but an Apocathery, general store and dealer of armor and weapons all side by side. The mark of the guild, a large bee with a pair of glasses over its eyes, is on each of these stores.

You were all sent to see the nobility of Castle Esperglow, though they never set a specific date for you to do so. Perhaps enjoy the town or mid-day? The river is as beautiful as ever and perfect for a dip, and so much of the town has been left unseen to you all. Or, are you in need of the coin your job promises, or do you wish to see the royal family. You know it is not wise to keep people in power waiting after all.

What do your characters do?

@pops @Torack

It was at that very moment that the door to the Drunken Goose opened and 6 people stumbled out. 1 of them was Eldon Goodwin, a human warlock of noble birth who was currently nursing 9 hells of a hangover and leaning on the shoulder of his personal groomer. The next pair to walk through the door was Eldon's best friend, a human rogue of similarly noble birth named Nodrick Wencel Thyrmeon the Third. Heir to the county of Oakenbridge. Nodrick was being propped up by Eldon's messenger. And finally, a dragonborn fighter of not so noble birth emerged from the tavern using Eldon's backpack bearer as a walking stick. His name Belgrax Yoldos. Eldon and Nodrick had only met him the night prior, during which Eldon stood on a table declared that all drinks would be on him that night. What followed could only be described as the biggest booze up the tavern had ever seen. Then word of Eldon picking up the tab for drinks at the Drunken Goose reached the Frosty Barbarity. This turned the biggest booze up the Drunken Goose had ever seen into the biggest booze up all of Cedarport had ever seen. Over the events of that night, Eldon and Nodrick had come to the conclusion that Belgrax was their kind of drinking buddy even if he wasn't a noble like them. And so the merry trio reveled well into the night until they finally consumed enough alcohol to put 6 tarrasques into 600 comas and subsequently blacked out.

"I don't know about you 2, but I certainly had fun last night" Eldon said to his companions, though more to Nodrick than to Belgrax "If only the rest of the Company had been there. It would have been just like old times!". Eldon suddenly felt like he had forgotten something. After racking his brain for a moment, Eldon remembered something important...then completely forgot about it again as the nearby fight caught his attention. "Hey look! There's a fight going on over there!" Eldon said before pulling out the belt pouch that contained what little he had left over from the booze up "10 gold pieces says the half-elf gets 2 wins in a row!". Before his bet could be answered though, Eldon noticed someone waving at the trio in a very suggestive manner. Someone very big. "Good gods!" Eldon gasped "Is that an ogre?! What's an ogre doing here? Why aren't people fleeing from him in terror or trying to kill him? Why is he waving at us?...And more importantly, why does he look strangely similar to the incredibly large woman we were all trying to woo last night?".

@rush99999
Having spent the night in the Drunken goose, you know this particular half-elf to be the own of the very establishment: Chayenne Silvermist. She is a fine specimen of a woman: tall and lean with well kept auburn hair that falls to her shoulder blades straight. Her skin is fair, an old olive color as it mixes her mother and high elf father's skin colors into one. Her eyes where wide and ambitious, a sea of pale blue in between her nose and eyebrows. Various stories about her and her brother were spouted by the older tavern drinkers that night, including how they got the name for the bar after her brother tried to fight off a goose who had drinken from a barrel of grain that wasn't properly sealed during a storm and gotten absurdly drunk. Strangely, her brother was nowhere to be found, nor her father. On occasion, an old lady who the others met with respect would come downstairs and talk with the drunkards. Even in their stupor, they remained on their best behavior around her. Rumor has it that she was a strong warrior back in the day, and with cheer strength and her magic belt, managed to to uproot a storm giant from his fighting stance.

Your drinking ability, generosity and merriment last night has not gone unnoticed. The town has come to enjoy you more than most adventurers and sailors who stop by. So far they claim you are the most generous newcomer yet. From your night of mingling, you faintly remember a few things spoken about the town. For one, to the eastern section of town is a temple you heard referred to as the temple of eternal hunger. You have heard adventurers come through looking to try at an ancient fortress not more than a days trip from town, and that royal forces have barely gotten through the first section of this area. You heard other rumors that were a bit more fun as well: stories of how one of the halflings has been meeting with an Ogre and how when he offered it a flower the thing ate it. Or how the blacksmith has been to the doctor on multiple occasions when he sits down on some of the nails he makes. Stories of your own tales seem to amaze them, rarely do they hear true adventuring stories or heroic military conquest in these simple places.

Nodrick rubbed his eyes as they stepped outside into the light. "Yes, a right shame the Company wasn't in full strength. However, we will consider ourselves a vanguard. We will plan an full incursion at a later date." And after a moment of silence, "much later."
While Nodrick hadn't been too boisterous last night, he did spot one or two men in Esperglow livery at the back of the establishment. He hoped they weren't too loose lipped and had trundled off to their master to tattle-tale on him. Regardless, what is done is done. He could only hope their newfound popularity outweighed his image with the Esperglows.

As Eldon pointed out the ogre, images from last night came flooding back. "Oh. Eh. Ah! Yes, of course. Belgrax, we found your fiancée!" Nodrick moved to push Belgrax towards the ogre, but changed his mind at the last second and simply slapped him on the shoulder. "Yesterday a bacchanal, today a wedding. What a wonderful week."
As the memories came back, he not only remembered a large woman being wooed, but also an obscene game of charades, sixteen different drinking games, three near divorces, one actual divorce, an engagement, the official beginning and end of the siege of the Drunken Goose's privy, the midnight repair of the Drunken Goose's privy, and an hour long search for a lost goat that turned out to never have existed.
As Nodrick pushed himself off of Hermes, he wobbled a bit before regaining his feet. The muscle memory of etiquette training on gait and pose kicked into gear and in sheer moments the stumbling drunk had transformed into an elegant gentleman. Perhaps not yet entirely sober, but a gentleman nonetheless.

Saerin Vitaya was in Cedarport because she had a job to do, and that was exactly her intention as she walked into the town. She knew she would not enjoy spending time with the nobility, but was anxious to move forwards anyway, if only to get it over with quickly. Besides, she'd lived poor for too long; it was time to make herself a fortune, rescue her family, then live the rest of her life in a well-measured balance of peace and adventure. Waiting around would only slow the process of dream becoming a reality.

Still, how reasonable this dream was was up to debate. Darhin Trex was obsessive, he wouldn't stop looking for her. Saerin couldn't settle down until he was either dead or otherwise without the means to track her. Even now she was watching for anyone suspicious.

Anyway, Saerin's progress to Castle Esperglow was delayed suddenly by a commotion in the streets. A crowd of drunkards, by the looks of things, and a fight in the middle of the road. She'd always found drunk people and even just the concept of excessive drinking annoying - it made people even louder and more invasive than normal, alongside removing all concept of knowing when to give up. This was something she'd been on the recieving end of more than once, being fairly pretty by most men's standards and travelling alone. Not that she didn't drink herself - she had always preferred hard spirits - it was just that she didn't bother anyone else when she did it, as long as they didn't ask for it.

The noise was obnoxious, the whole event was, but this was a new town to Saerin, and she didn't know any other ways to get the castle, so she just decided to walk straight through. Head down, walking quickly, trying not to draw attention to herself in order to save herself from the disaster that would inevitably come from any interaction with these half-wits. But then, she heard something that came so close to pushing her over the edge, that she just had to say something. Calmly.

"And more importantly, why does he look strangely similar to the incredibly large woman we were all trying to woo last night?"

Say something. Calmly.

"Oh I don't know, you imbecilic fuck, that must be her brother!"

Saerin said. Calmly.

It was as she turning to face the speaker, a dark-haired, finely-clothed man, that she regarded his companions, who by association she also developed an immediate dislike for.

The night before for Belgrax was hazy, his head throbbing madly as he limped out of the tavern using a small man as a cane, ignoring his protests and cries of indignation, his tail whipping the human anytime he decided to buckle his knees. All he could remember was spending a grand and amusing time with nobles of all things. Nobles! He considered the entire lot nothing but pampered children with balls smaller than tiny pebbles, screeching like women at the thought of getting their pretty little hands dirty. And yet, these boys were a fun time, showing him that there was more to noble pansies and they knew how to drink like real men. They still needed a crowd of people around them like children, alas, but he could forgive for that, especially since he was using one of the poor sods as a cane.

Then Nodrick pointed out the woman - an orge of all things - that they were pursuing last night, precariously waving at them. He barked out a laugh and laughed even harder when a human woman insulted the noble. "Could it be that we were trying to get both the brother and the sister at once?" He asked grinning. "Tiamt's scaly tits but I'm through with this ache!" He remembered tripping over some barrel and nearly spraining his ankle while they chased after some goat that he'd been convinced had stolen his coin pouch. He realized only after he woke up that his drunk self had that he'd left it in a locked chest so that it wouldn't get nicked.

He mentally patted his drunk self on the back, always looking out for him.

"What is that look I see in your eyes, human?" He asked the woman, baring his teeth in a savage grin, "not appreciative of seeing a hungover dragonborn? Alas, your looks don't phase me, so stare as you wish or walk away. I think we'd prefer the latter what with your dampening mood and all."

Saerin's comment cut through the air like a chill wind. Nodrick grinned at Belgrax's gruff choice of words, but thought better of it and composed himself. He quickly looked her up and down, and decided her apparel and demeanor meant she was a mercenary of sorts. A mage perhaps, judging by the apparent lack of muscle. He had dealt with the sort before. People his father hired to 'solve issues'. Mercenaries were usually a good lot, eager to drink and gamble, and more often than not very keen on playing a joke or two. Did this one consider herself a cut above the rest, perhaps? Only one way to find out.

"Ah, milady," he said making a half bow at the waist. "Pleae forgive the uncouthness of my entourage. You must have a keen eye and be a veritable treasure trove of knowledge about creatures to so easily determine the sex of no less than an ogre. Unless.."

Nodrick made a display of looking Saerin carefully up and down, taking in every detail, and ending it with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.
"Unless you are the ogre's sister! But of course, do beg my pardon, dear ogress. You seemed so much... taller last night."

So the dragonborn thought Saerin was scared of him? That was almost ridiculous enough to clear up her bad mood. Sure, he looked tough, but Saerin was accustomed to much worse than 'tough'.

"Oh, your majesty!" Saerin said, in a sarcastically ceremonial voice. "Please accept my sincerest apologies for not appreciating you enough, I shall do better next time!" She then switched to a more serious tone, drawing a dagger, and saying "Your scales are black, dragonborn. Still, what I normally deal with? It tends to get darker."

As Saerin said this final word, she held the dagger up, near the dragonborn's head, and clenched her forearm, hard. The veins in her wrist bulged, and then suddenly burst. Blood sprayed forwards, onto the black dragonborn's face, while the dagger was now charged with electricity, tiny bolts of lightning wrapping around the blade and occasionally sparking slightly. Saerin stepped backwards, so that there was a full five-foot gap between her and the dragonborn, moving the dagger lower but still at the ready. "If you want me to leave, you can-"

"Unless you are the ogre's sister! But of course, do beg my pardon, dear ogress. You seemed so much... taller last night."

Saerin had mostly been ignoring the third companion up until this point (simply by not spouting insensibilities quite as much as the others, he'd managed to become her favourite of the three). But this, finally, managed to get under Saerin's skin as well. So instead of continuing her confrontation with the dragonborn, she simply dropped her arms to her sides, sighed, and said "Never mind."

Saerin put the dagger away, ending the rite and restoring her blood to her body, and walked towards Esperglow Castle, repeating in her head 'It's not worth getting arrested, it's not worth getting arrested, it's not worth getting arrested', but not really believing it.

Eldon was just about to answer the woman's insult with a witicism of his own, but After hearing Nodrick's remark Eldon started snickering profusely as he attempted to hold back a torrent of laughter that his friend's words had sparked within him. Nodrick had always been the best when it came to comebacks. Then the woman pulled a dagger on the trio. Eldon became very tense. Even more so when the woman performed a crimson rite. Fun was fun, but blood hunters were no laughing matter. Eldon breathed a sigh of relief when the woman lowered her weapon and walked away. Even with a 3 vs 1 advantage, Eldon didn't want to fight a blood hunter unless he absolutely needed to. Needless to say, Eldon was happy the woman had backed down. "Well she's certainly having a bad day" Eldon said once the blood hunter was out of earshot. He then turned to his fellows and smiled. "Now then" he said "The fight between the dwarf and the half-elf still seems to be going on, and I do believe I made it known I was willing to stake 10 gold pieces on the half-elf's victory. Any takers?".

@Torack @pops

Belgrax took a step back once blood was shot into his eyes crying out in shock, as he felt acid swimming its way up his throat ready to spray it at the crazy woman. When he managed to wipe the blood off his eyes however, he saw her walking away and decided to calm down. Getting into a fight with someone like that was never a good idea, especially if they were crazy enough to rip open a vessel just to momentarily blind him.

At the question, he looked over at Eldon then in his coin pouch. "My bets on the dwarf," he said. "Stout creatures those. Powerful lot." Even as he said it he recalled seeing the dwarf on the floor when they stepped out of the tavern, but an angry dwarf was a better dwarf. Stronger chance of winning, or so he hoped.

"Huh," Nodrick exclaimed in surprise as the woman backed down. "Well I'll never. Is a 'nevermind, sir' too much to ask for in these parts?" He shrugged. "Have it your way, sellsword. I'm disappointed. You lot generally put up a far better show than this."
Nodrick looked up and noticed the position of the sun. It was getting a bit late, perhaps a tiny bit of haste was called for.

"Lads, I'm of a mind to get going between now and soonish. We're expected at castle Esperglow, and if we hurry, we might just catch luncheon." He looked Belgrax up and down. "Well, Eldon and me, anyway. Unless you're hiding a fiefdom under that hauberk, you'll have a hard time getting in."

"But!" Nodrick continued, "I could pass you off as my bodyguard, and get you into the servants quarters. I'm sure the cooks can whip up something half passable for you, Hermes, James and Bernard, and we could send a chamber maid or boy your way to brighten the evening. Eh? Eh?"
There was nothing disingenuous in Nodricks tone, it seemed like he honestly thought he was doing Belgrax a good turn, despite addressing him as an inferior.

"Right, one small bet and then we get going. I add ten gold to the victory of the Drunken Goose." Then somewhat louder, "Drunken Goose one, Frosty Barbarity nil. We go to best of three. All agreed?"

By the time the knife was put towards the dragon born, the crowd has started to turn their attention to the four soon-to-be adventurers as they came to a sudden grumble of yet another wave of bets for the new fights. They seemed evenly placed, some on the girl. Others on the three. When her blood burst from her the whole crowd came to a shush. Whispers of the crimson rites filled the area. As the blood hunter moved to leave the people parted a perfect way through the sea of people like her, all looking on in amazement. A small gnome man with spectacles nodded to her with a warm smile and a little hafling child began to cheer for her, spouting how she wanted to be cool like her.

As soon as she was gone, the crowd erupted in laughter and rudeness around the remaining three. Playful pushes on the shoulder as they teased came from all about.
"hahaha! You three were too afraid to take on one girl! I thought you were adventurers, what happened to all that moxy from last night?" Came the voice of a particularly tough looking human with ginger hair and a hairy chest. Only a second of razzing occurred before the attention went back to the fight between the two tavern owners. It ended just about then when-
https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/11530
The Half-elf sprung forward in a moment of distraction by the dwarf, landing a powerful knee to the dwarf's forehead as she let out a growling roar. The Dwarf went down, groaning as she stayed down. Cheers fell around the lady and soon the Taverns where back to drinks and the dwarf was off to find a gaurd for her tavern.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You make your way to the Esperglow castle, moving southwards, crossing the wide river, nearly a fourth of the distance you travel is over the water. Interestingly the other side is ungaurded by walls. The land before you is open and filled with farms, most of which being cash crops and cows. Cedarport has notoriously delightful steaks, and the Baronlords (which you easily guess they are judging by the gaint Manors and small houses behind them) seem to be aware of it, as their meat sells for high prices. You turn your attention to the east, seeing the esperglow castle walls, the peak of the castle overtop. It is a beautiful building, made with large flying butresses holding the circular centerpart up, and large spires on each side, tippws with a circular golden globes on the top. As you near the gaurds ask you to state your buisiness. The two of them look stoic, covered in shiny and bulky armor, their faces obscured slightly with Barbrute helmets.
"If you have buisiness with the Esperglows, any embesarries here, or one of the minor royals currently staying here, present proof or begone" He gives off in a gruff tone, his body remaining upright and firm, his eyes remaining stagnantly in place. Each player, in one way or another, has been given a form of proof they are allowed to be here: be it your scroll of pedigree, a letter with the proper stamp, or other form.

Despite everything, Saerin found it within herself to return the smiles she received from the crowd, especially the halfling girl. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be admired, and while she certainly didn't want to return to her days in the arena, there was something pleasantly familiar about being looked up to by someone.

The walk through Cedarport was suprisingly therapeutic. Even with such a rough introduction to this town (Saerin was happy in the belief she'd never see those imbeciles again), Saerin was beginning to enjoy herself. The scene was peaceful, bordering on idyllic, and as Saerin walked she began to grow more and more uncharacteristicly optimistic. She thought of her job with the Esperglows and what she'd spend the payment on. Rescuing her family was an obvious start, but what then? Life-threatening work pays well, perhaps only one or two jobs and she could afford a home. Maybe develop a reputation as a mercenary, build up a fortune and buy a manor where she and her family could live...

Back to the present. Guards, asking for identification. Not a problem. Saerin presented the necessary documentation, introducing herself at the same time, "Saerin Vitaya, mercenary on contract under the Esperglow family, here to find out what the job is. Good enough for you?"

Eldon narrowed his eyes at the ginger haired man as he walked away. The crowd's jeers had bothered him, but that man's insult had been the breaking point. Eldon took a sip from his wine glass and watched as the man tripped over and fell face 1st into a puddle by complete accident and definitely not because Eldon summoned an unseen servant to make the man trip and fall. Eldon turned back to the fight just in time to see the dwarf get beaten a 2nd time. "Looks like you've lost the bet, Belgrax" Eldon said as he held out his hand for the money he was now owed "I'll be taking my winnings now if you'd be so kind".

A scowl came over Belgrax's face, and he was already vexed by that strange woman and now this man sought to insult them too. It was a good thing, he thought, that the man slipped and fell; it wouldn't do to go and kill the local populace out of anger when he was needed for some strange job by the noble. At the mention of his name he looked over to Eldon and sighed, his face darkening even more. "I suppose a bet is a bet," he said pulling out all of his gold and handing it to him. He grinned suddenly, baring his sharp teeth to the world. "Well, I'm done messing about around here. Gentlemen, it has truly been an honour drinking with you. Who knew nobles could be so interesting."

He gave a mock bow and shoved the pack carrier away before walking off towards the remainder of the city towards Esperglow where he saw the strange woman from before talking to a guard. His eyes widened for a moment, was she trying to get him arrested? For insulting her? It couldn't be, no one would go to castle guards for something so little. But then... it him then and his black scales lightened a bit. He stomped forward, making his way beside the strange woman and pulled his document from a belt pouch.

"It seems fate intends on making my life miserable this day," he said to her while looking at the guard. "I suppose you're here too at the behest of the Esperglows?"

"Well," Nodrick said to no one in particular, "it's just a courtesy, to let the fairer sex have a small victory now and then. Also-" Nodrick saw nobody was paying actual attention and had gone back to their drinks as the fight was settled. "Don't mind me."

"Yes," he said to Belgrax at the mention of him being grateful of being allowed to join him and Eldon in their revelry. "We're not beneath making merry with the common folk now and again, are we, Eldon? Best of luck to you... Belly."

He watched as Belgrax went on his way.
"Queer fellow, that one. Most of his kind tend to be so.. stern. Remind me to offer him a job if we ever meet him again. I could use a lackey who can hold his liquor."
He turned to Eldon. "Where to now? Straight to the Esperglows? Or do we have more pressing matters to attend to still?"

Saerin turned as she heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind her. The black dragonborn from earlier, and not all that happy to see her. The feeling of course, was entirely mutual. Initially, Saerin didn't say anything, but the frustration was clear as day on her face; she was extremely unhappy to be dealing with this one again, and she was worried for a moment, from his expression and gait, that she'd have to fight for her life. The truth ended up being far, far worse, which Saerin realised as the dragonborn retrieved the document. She wouldn't have to defend herself against this man, she'd have to work with him.

Saerin spoke very slowly and tensely. "Yes, I am here for a job, they contents of which they have declined to share so far. I was not made aware that I would be working with anyone else. So let me make one thing perfectly clear: you need to stay out of my way. I can handle myself just fine, and I swear if you get me killed, I'll haunt you and your family so bad the other ghosts will start having nightmares."

Saerin turned back to the guards and said, in a much calmer and politer tone "So, are these genuine? I'd like to get going."

"I hope we meet again, Belgrax" Eldon called after the dragonborn as he walked away. Eldon had only known Belgrax for the span of a single party, but that was more than enough time for him to form an attachment to the dragonborn. Eldon's attention was then caught by Nodrick asking him where he wanted to go next. "I think we've kept Lord Esperglow waiting long enough" Eldon said "Let's go find out what adventure the man has planned out for us".

His emotionless draconic eyes stared at her as she spoke, the scales on his neck his neck and shoulders shifting and rippling ever so slightly. He'd seen her kind before, too many times in fact while he was still serving in the military. Individuals with rough pasts who were trying to prove themselves somehow, and her words that she could take care of herself was enough to know she was that type. Anyone worth their shit would know one alone person was weak, without brothers and sisters by their side they'd have no hope of making it through; there was strength in numbers, and her words spoke as if she was trying to convince herself just as well as him.

He gave her a nod and stepped back respectfully. There was a way to deal with those sorts, one learned many ways to deal with all sorts of people as a squad sergeant, to work with their strengths and weaknesses. With this woman, considering he wasn't at all her leader, he decided giving her space was perhaps the best way to her good graces; if they were going to be working together they needed at least some sort of mutual respect between them, even if they hated each other there had to be something that would prevent one from stabbing the other in the back. Respect was almost always that something.

Belgrax waited until she gave her documents then presented his to the guards.