Rala stared daggers at the orc as he regaled them with his story, but she kept her quiet until he revealed his position on the witch. In her eyes he was on her side, he didn't see the folly in slaying for a witch's reward. Whether he was too dumb to understand, too bloodthirsty to care, or truly evil to the core had yet to be determined. Rala didn't like his tone though, so her eyes skimmed over the crowd. She spotted another orc, perhaps an ally of his. As worry swarmed the warrior she began checking her exits and was shocked to see a warrior enter the room, a warrior who seemed to have a reputation.
Her precarious stance on the orc switched quickly as he spoke her words before she could even part her lips. To add emphasis to his words, she stabbed her dagger into the table with a loud thud. "Damn right! the only way he's getting my seat is if I shove it up his ass" She growled out. "who is this punk, anyway?"
Aura watched as her party all gave the same signs of recognition as Gorgash told his tale. She was unsuprised by the groups reactions. Poor Cascade however, had no clue what the group was talking about. Aura was about to open her mouth to reply when the door was kicked open. The Air Genasi, ever the charlatan, just barely managed to hide the fact that the sudden sound had managed to make her heart jump into her throat.
Her eyes followed the source of the noise, a child walking around like he owned the place, and declaring his usual to the bartender. He vaugly reminded her of herself when she was his age, loud, obnoxoius, and much too overly confident. Aura suposed nothing much had changed since then, other than the fact that she now knew when and where to act in such a way. Though the fear in the patron's voice threw her off. Was it fear of the child, or perhaps fear of the child's parents? She didn't particularly care.
Aura nearly choked on her drink when Rala made her comment. She had not been expecting such a response and it took everything in her not to start laughing at the comment. "I too have no intention of giving up my seat. It has been a long couple days and I am not about to move for a child. Especially one who's called Bad Seed. Honestly if he was going to have an intimidating title Bad Seed was the worst option out there" Aura leaned back in her seat, getting obviously more comfortable as she observed the child. Making it clear she had no intention of moving.
Sensing Cascade's confusion and knowing that Gorgash's words probably didn't clear anything up, Flicker took the opportunity where the orc was distracted to address the water genasi. "We've met the person he's talking about before," they said. "Wasn't a pleasant meeting. Would rather not meet her ever again, let alone do her dirty work." The last sentence had a slight growl it in it, likely directed towards Gorgash, though they weren't sure the orc even heard them as he seemed to turn his attention towards this newcomer.
Flicker followed the gaze of their party members over to the human boy as he started approaching their table. "As much as I don't really want to move either," the fire genasi said, grimacing slightly. "I also really don't want to start a fight with some kid over a table. That seems like a little more trouble than it's worth." Even as they said this, however, they made no sign that they were going to stand up.
"Such deals always seem great at first. In the end are you not still just a dancing puppet whose strings are pulled by greed no? Who do you think gathered the cultists and provoked them to attack travelers? How long before you are killed for the hag so she can collect and sell your soul? You got the work we didn't want part of, and I'm pretty sure we were not the first nor will you be the last." As the earth genasi finished his statement, he grabbed his mug and quaffed the beverage. He realized that the others had their attention drawn to the child who was approaching. The glimpse he saw of the blade and armor was enough for Jørmund. The scimitar was finely crafted, far more than what a child would be trusted to carry or posses. There was something about it that seemed supernatural, the armor, javelins, and shield had the same hint in it. The coin embedded in the cross guard caught his attention. He couldn't make out the design but some pieces started to fall into place.
"This should be amusing. Mind you all that it appears this child has dealings with something not of this plane. Do with that what you will." Jørmund gestured to the scimitar and the coin embedded in it.
Cascade was even more baffled as Gorgash spoke and the rest of the party reacted to his words. Thankfully, Flicker took the opportunity to explain the context of the discussion. She gave a quiet "Ohhhh! Got it. Mahalo," to Flicker in response to his words, before she gave a glower towards Gorgash mirroring the rest of the party.
That glower quickly disappeared and gave way for another look of confusion and surprise at the sight of the child entering the tavern, eliciting fearful reactions from the rest of the patrons. She hears Gorgash and the rest of the party react to the child and agree to not give up their seats. She answers the party in confusion and concern, "...He's a keiki. A keiki! I don't understand..."
She then realizes something and she asks, "...Where's his Ohana?" She then looks over to the kid to see if she could discern if his attitude, bluster, and equipment is hiding a scared little kid, or if he really is a 'bad seed'.
In the middle of downing his second tankard of frothy mead the old orc glanced as a boy strutting by him drew the attention of other patrons from their drinks, even causing a few to scurry out of the tavern like little mice.
Clunk the orc set his drink down on the bar, he didn't need to eavesdrop to hear the useless blubbering of one patron trying to tell the one's at the table to take theirs. Hammerhand wasn't going anywhere - that was without a fight, with either this pompous child or the other orc.
"You ave' some balls to talk like you own dis place humie, but ain't nobody ere taking fuck'n orders from a baby. If you is deservin' of respect then prove it." the old orc spoke up standing from his seat, the chair making a squeal and creaking as his weight was lifted from it.
Aura turned to Cascade. "I was a punk ass kid when I was his age, nobody put me in my place because they were afraid of my father, I pissed off the wrong person, and now going back home is...risky for me. I am not about to move out of the way of some snot nosed brat." She explained hoping that would help the water Genasi understand at least where Aura was comming from. She didn't have time to ask what Ohana meant when her attention was then grabbed by another orc who was seated by the bar.
She couldn't help but snort when the individual spoke up. "So what, you are gunna fight a baby?" She empisized the last word with air quotes. "Doesn't seem very fair considering you are what, four times his size? Though I suppose if the kid can back up his words and at least hold his own against you for a bit I would be a little more willing to move from my, very comfortable, spot." She leaned back more in her chair. If that was even possible and took a long sip from her drink, eyeing both the Orc and the child. What the two individuals did next would say all that needed to be said in her eyes.
Was she egging them both on, absolutley, but she wouldn't mind the entertainment, though she was sure at least Cascade would object to the large orc fighting a child. The air Genasi on the other hand was contend to watch.
Flicker had been waiting to see what their party would say or do before doing anything, when a patron from one of the other tables - another orc, interestingly enough - stood up at confronted the boy. The flames forming around Flicker's head died down as their hair returned to normal, their anger Gorgash temporarily forgotten as they were faced with a more immediate problem. "Okay, we are not doing this," they muttered. They held up their hand towards the new orc as if motioning them to halt. "Can you not start anything, please? This is ridiculous and not worth having an actual fight over."
"Wot would breaking dis kids bones prove?" surprisingly the orc responded with a incredulous snort, he motioned a big meaty hand to the 'Bad Seed' the boy looked like he was barely of age though impressed by the amount of gear he carried and no doubt the great deal of coin jingling in his pouch to Hammerhand there wasn't much sport in fighting this child.
"Nothin' that's wot, sides' be a waste of time to fight such a scrawny lookin' lil pip-squeak. No honor in beatin' up a fee-bal child." the orc chuckled putting emphasis on his poorly pronounced word, he stared at the kid trying to goad him on.
Of course he wouldn't hesitate to give the kid a whooping, but only if he started something, and only then to put him in his place.
"I fink' your friend ere' has more an issue wif me..Ain't that right kin?" Hammerhand gave Gorgash a nod, after all it was time the elephant in the room was acknowledged.
The boy was just about to pass by Hammerhand when the orc stood up. As the fighter voiced his defiance, the so called 'Bad Seed of the Sapphire Lake Hamlets' glared up at the orc, utterly unimpressed by what he saw before him. "Didn't know you were getting back into the leadership business, Gorgash." The boy said while glancing over at the orc that was still seated. "Either way, might I suggest you call off your idiot before he gets himself killed?"
"That ain't no idiot o' mine, Max." Replied Gorgash, who had been watching the confrontation up to this point with an ever increasing look of amusement on his face. "That thing ain't even one o' Gruumsh's lot no more. Do what ya like with 'im."
"So what, you are gunna fight a baby?" Aura spoke up then, earning her own glare from Max for using the word 'baby' to describe him. "Doesn't seem very fair considering you are what, four times his size? Though I suppose if the kid can back up his words and at least hold his own against you for a bit I would be a little more willing to move from my, very comfortable, spot."
"Y'know what? Yeah. I'm with you on that." Gorgash said with a nod and a grin. "If Max wins the fight, 'e can 'ave me seat. It'd be the least I could do fer a show that good."
"Okay, we are not doing this," Flicker muttered before trying to diffuse the situation. "Can you not start anything, please? This is ridiculous and not worth having an actual fight over."
"Well you're no fun at all." Gorgash commented. "Though I suppose that should be expected from someone what's been blessed by the ponce god."
It was then that Hammerhand decided to speak up again "Wot would breaking dis kids bones prove? Nothin' that's wot, sides' be a waste of time to fight such a scrawny lookin' lil pip-squeak. No honor in beatin' up a fee-bal child. I fink' your friend ere' has more an issue wif me..Ain't that right kin?"
"What? You an' me? Kin? HA!" Gorgash laughed at the prospect before shaking his head. "Nah, you don't got nothin' to worry about from me. Weaklings like you don't deserve death at the 'ands of a proper orc. Death at the 'ands of a kid what's been taught by an annis 'ag though? Yeah I'd say that's a fittin' death fer the likes o' you."
The sound of a sword sliding free of its sheath was quick then to bring Hammerhand's attention back to Max. Just in time to dodge a swing of the scimitar the now quite visibly enraged boy was now wielding. "I am not a baby." He seethed with ever increasing volume. "I am not scrawny looking! I am not a little PIP-SQUEAK! AND I AM NOT FEEBLE!
Max attempts to attack Hammerhand while he's looking at Gorgash, but fails to beat Hammerhand's passive perception with a Stealth roll of 8.
@Dark Cloud and anyone else who wants to be a part of this fight... Roll for Initiative.
Flicker felt their jaw clench at Gorgash's comment, though they weren't entirely sure why. They hadn't really worshiped Corellon - or any god, for that matter - since their early teens. Maybe it was something left over from their upbringing, maybe it was knowing that this comment would deeply upset their religious mother, maybe it was despite their issues with the gods they were still grateful for the gift the Father of Elvenkind had grant them... or maybe they just really didn't like Gorgash and were looking for an excuse to throw him out the window. "Hey, I have a better idea, why don't I throw you out of this tavern and the kid can have your seat?" Flicker muttered, a couple more sparks sputtering out from their hair.
Cascade was surprised to see the orc stand up and speak to the kid and to Gorgash. She listened to Aura as she told her about her circumstances and about how she was a punk kid who wasn't put in her place, and now can't go home because of it.
Her mouth could only hang open agape as she hears the conversation between everyone, Gorgash, and the child. She looked to Gorgash as he called Flicker as someone blessed by a 'Ponce God'. She could feel a slight anger and irritation triggered in her heart.
Oh no no no no no. You did not, sir!
She looks to Flicker and she speaks to her Fire Genasi companion after Gorgash made his statement about the god, and they muttered his threat, "Easy Flickah, I think he just confused you for me. I didn't think it was possible to confuse orange for blue, but here we are"
After she passively insulted Gorgash's Intelligence, she hops off of her seat and moves to stand in front of Hammerhand and the child, and she reaffirms sternly, "Nobody is fightin' anyone today, shoots? Right now, it's Pau Hana!"
She then turns her attention to the child, and she sternly tries to compel him, "By Deep Sashelas's Grace and Peace, Flee! Go in peace!"
For her turn, Cascade moves to stand between Hammerhand and the Bad Seed.
For her action, she uses Command on the child to Flee. The child has to make a Wisdom Saving Throw against DC 13, or he has to use his entire turn to flee.
"Hey, I have a better idea, why don't I throw you out of this tavern and the kid can have your seat?" Flicker muttered, a couple more sparks sputtering out from their hair.
"HA!" Gorgash gave a harsh bark of laughter in response. "I'd like to see you try 'ot 'ead."
"Easy Flickah, I think he just confused you for me. I didn't think it was possible to confuse orange for blue, but here we are" Cascade said before moving off to deal with the brewing tension between Max and Hammerhand.
Gorgash only chuckled in response. Then he turned to look at Flicker. "You'd think a worshipper of the dolphin-fucker would be able to come up with somethin' actually clever." The orc jabbed behind the paladin's back. "But then again, Sashy is one o' the ponce god's goons."
When Cascade issued her Command, it looked for a moment like Max would succumb to the compulsion. However, just as he began to start stepping back, Max grit is teeth, shut his eyes, and martialled his willpower in a moment of supreme effort. "Fuck your peace." Max took a step forward. "Fuck your god." Max took another step. "Fuck your insatiable marid whore mother!" A third step. "And FUCK YOU!" With that final shout, Max lunged forward, leapt up onto Hammerhand's table and brought his scimitar to bear. The blade swung twice, once towards Cascade and once towards Hammerhand. Neither swing found its mark, with Cascade just barely managing to block the blow in time and Hammerhand's chain shirt withstanding the much less effective second strike.
"WAIT!" A voice cried out then. A man rushed out from behind the bar, eyes wide with fear as he moved into speaking distance. "Wait! Please! Hold on! You don't know what you're doing!" The man called out to the party.
With a roll of 13, Max resists the command. Max then moves 5 feet and makes a multiattack. The first attack misses Cascade with a 17. The second attack misses Hammerhand with an 11.
The Innkeeper enters the Initiative order with a roll of 11, takes the dash action, and moves 60 feet.
Jørmund stood up with a hole knocking his seat over and pointed to the child. "Right, enough of that, stand still! Jørmund bellows at the Bad Seed. He paused long enough to make sure spell took hold. He looked to Gorgash. "You done just talking dancing monkey? Seems to me that's all you're made of. Better run off to your master rather than press your luck here. I'm sure she'll have plenty of work for you." Jørmund shifts his shield into place and wraps his right hand around the grip of his mace turning towards the Inn keep. "We don't know what we are doing? We are being bothered by some bratty child who thinks wearing leather made from the skin of humanoids is a good idea. I believe we know full well what we are doing. If your worried that harm will be done to him it won't. This child isn't worth our time unless he decides to persist in trying to harm us."
Jørmund casts hold person on Max with a DC 13 wisdom save.
"Yer fuckin' fortunate that you didn't split a hair on the ladies ed' you little brat!" the orc loomed over the boy, the gall on this little shit to attack someone who had nothing to do with the quarrel pissed Hammerhand off.
"I'd ave' broken every itty bitty bone in your body you little shit, tha' fact you piss your britches the second someone says one fing about you shows you ain't deservin' of any respect and the skins you wear are disgustin' excuses for trophies. You better get the fuck out of my sight YOU USELESS EXCUSE FOR A WARRIOR." the orc yelled, practically breathing down the kids neck.
Hammerhand attempts to intimidate Max but fails with 5 then uses action surge to perform the dodge action.
Realizing he let himself lost his temper the orc gruffly sighed, rolling his shoulder but watching the boy intently as if waiting for him to attack again "Oi shut yer fuckin gab, I know wot I'm doing."
Hammerhand snapped at the innkeeper with a huff before regarding Gorgash with a snarl "An' the rock eds' got a point maybe ye should run back teh the hag? Or maybe ye should go ask yer ponce god wot to do? Scratch yer ass maybe? Kill a few humies in the name o' 'honor' sure is honorable gettin' a child to fight for yeh your as worse a excuse an orc as me."
Mocking his kin, his former God and so called traditions, Hammerhand couldn't help but belt out a loud and boisterous laugh at Gorgash and Max the Bad Seed finding both of them not worth his time, both were poor excuses for warriors in the fallen chieftains eyes.
"Yer fuckin' fortunate that you didn't split a hair on the ladies ed' you little bra-"
This would be as far as Hammerhand would get before Max, having effortlessly shrugged off Jørmund's spell, spat into the orc's open mouth.
Gorgash gave an uproarious laugh at the sight of this, slamming his fist down repeatedly as he doubled over the table in a fit of sublime schadenfreude. "Run off?" The seated orc then said in response to Jørmund's words after taking a moment to right himself. "In the middle of a show this good? Don't be daft! I wouldn't miss this fer anythin' Ms. Midnight could offer me."
"Please! You don't understand!" The innkeeper persisted with increasing desperation. "Max isn't just any ordinary child, he's a bad seed! Don't you know what that means?!" A moment later, any member of the party with proficiency in History, Arcana, or Nature would realize that the term 'bad seed' does indeed ring a bell to them.
Max rolls a Natural 20 to resist Jørmund's casting of Hold person.
With an annoyed sigh Aura turned in her chair to look at their orc "companion", the breeze that seemed to constantly flow through her long white hair having become a strong wind at this point as the Orc they had traveled, whom she had initially liked, was beginning to piss her off. Not only had they found out he had enjoyed doing the hag's dirty work but now he had decided to start insulting her party members. She no longer cared about the strange child and his...more than apparent anger issues.
"Oh, so the hag lover feels it has the right to talk about other people's gods and beleifs. That's rich honestly, you know I never really liked the generalization that your kind was stupid and brutish, unfortunatley you only seem to be proving them correct. Luckily we have you kin here to balance out the stupid. I suggest you shut your trap before I shut it for you, and while you are at it, your kindness is no longer welcome here we can pay for our own meals and drink. I would rather not use your soiled money anyway."
The she had a strange calm in her voice and the smile never left her face as she remained seated, the only thing suggesting her mood being the wind from nowhere whipping through her hair.
Aura attempt to cast levitate on Gorgash and move him high enough in the air that he cannot reach either the ceiling or the chair's/tables.
Gorgash must make a DC 13 Con save (which I am sure he is good at but it's worth a shot)
An easy grin settled on Gorgash's face as he felt the lifting winds that Aura had set upon him. Taking up his tankard just before the spell could truly begin to lift him in earnest, Gorgash kicked back as he rose and reclined in the air when he stopped. "Thanks fer the lift, air 'ead." Gorgash said to Aura, blithely ignoring the barbs she threw at him. "I've got a much better view o' the show from up 'ere."
Gorgash is a willing recipient of Aura's spell, and so does not need to make a save.
The more Gorgash spoke, the more the whole stress of their current situation - not to mention the stress of the last few weeks - finally got to Flicker, and they started moving their hand as if to try and uppercut the orc. However, it was at that point Gorgash started to slowly float upwards and, in their anger, Flicker was unable to register that this was the work of their teammate, instead seeing this as another trick by the orc to enrage them.
They saw red. Quite literally, as their eyes shifted from orange to red in colour and their vision was overtaken by illusions of crackling flames. Their hair became flames once more. Without even thinking, a flame started to engulf their fist mid-swing. The fire then extended upwards, attempting to lash the orc across the face with the flames.
Oh my. Flicker spends 1 ki point to use Fangs of Fire Snake, to turn their unarmed strikes into fire damage and increase their range by 10ft. Flicker rolls to attack: 14 Assuming that wasn't going to hit, I spent my inspiration to give myself advantage and got... a 24 (a nat 20) Because it is a critical hit, Flicker does 10 points of fire damage... ... AND because they are VERY angry right now, they spend another ki point to an extra 5 points of fire damage, making it 15 in total.
Due to Gorgash's elevated position, Flickers attack was unable to strike Gorgash's face. Instead, the snake-like flame that Flicker had produced through their attack lunge forth and sunk it fiery fangs into the left cheek of the levitating orc's posterior. "WOO!" Gorgash exclaimed as he pelvic thrusted up and away from the fire, spilling much of his drink and setting in the process. After taking a moment to steady himself on the corner of a wall he had been sent floating past by Flicker, Gorgash began to laugh again. "Well I'll give you this, 'ot 'ead, you certainly know 'ow to bite back!" Gorgash joked before putting two fingers to his lips and whistling.
A howl came in response to the whistle, followed a few moments later by Gorgash's dire wolf bounding into the tavern and over to where Gorgash was floating.
"Oh good gods!" The innkeeper yelped as the large lupine beast stopped right behind him.
"Ah steady on, innkeep. Gornash won't bite." Gorgash said reassuringly.
The force of Flicker's attack causes Gorgash to move 15 feet away from Flicker.
Gorgash enters the Initiative order with a roll of 20 and whistles for his dire wolf.
Gorgash's dire wolf, Gornash, enters the Initiative order with a roll of 16 and dashes to Gorgash's side.
