The city of Athelney lies in Southern Bruth. Just north of the Besp Wilds that define the borders between Bruth and Skeea.It is a major hub of travel and trade for anyone within The Empire. From Athelney, travelers can head North to Bruth's capital, West towards Garroth, south to Skeea or East towards the rest of The Empire. This proximity has made it a popular location for people interested in seeking their fortunes. Such as you folk. It only takes one to be in the right place at the right time. Vi'lea(@moonblack ), Athelney is the first major city you have arrived in since leaving the Tarvain estate. It may not be far enough away from the estate for your liking. There is still a possibility of encountering someone you know from your previous life with the Duke and Duchess. However, it's likely a good place to rest and take a break before traveling further eastward. You arrive into the city through the western gate. Nicholas(@Auraicide ), Much like Vi'lea, you are arriving from Garroth, but your trek took you a bit farther north and you arrived in Athelney through the northern gate. While Bunny Morphs were more accepting in Garroth than other non-humans. They were still mostly treated like Second-Class citizens. Once in Bruth, the change of demeanour was almost immediate. Perhaps Athelney is someplace you could make a name for yourself or perhaps it's just another step on your journey. Thritch(@GenericEditor168), Your experience in Bruth was nearly the opposite of Nicholas'. As a Rosen, you felt almost completely at home in Skeea. However, once into Bruth, the suspicious looks started coming your way. You know people mistrust Rosen and while your charming personality can often win people over. You cannot stop and chat with every person that comes your way. The change in disposition might have been overwhelming if you weren't already expecting it as you pass through the southern gate. As you can see, you have all started in separate parts of the city. Depending on your choices and actions, you will probably meet and maybe even group up. It's entirely your decision. While Idealy I would prefer you all partying up(and I have plans for you to meet up and do so). There's no obligation. If you don't want to follow a plot hook or do what you think I want you to. Then you don't have to. If you all have your very own separate adventures. That would also be fine. The name of the game is to have fun and do some roleplay.
For the most part the trip to Athelney had been boring and uneventful. Of course, there had been a few small distractions, such as the cute witch Vi'lea had 'bought' the healing potion from. But that was all they were – brief distractions from the monotony of travel. The city of Athelney was the first major location she had visited since leaving home, and she was quite excited to see what it had to offer. As Vi'lea got closer to the city she was pleased to discover that, for once, the stories she had heard about it were not exaggerated – it really was as large and as impressive as she had been told. Getting inside was no problem – the guards at the west gate barely even looked at her. The other people she passed also barely looked at her, seemingly not caring about her at all, but she knew better than to assume that was really the case – pickpockets could be encountered anywhere. Once inside the city Vi'lea stopped in the shade of a stone building just a couple of minutes from the city gate, to both catch her breath and to think about what to do next. I should probably find an inn or some other place to spend the night. Tomorrow I should check out the local markets and also look for any jobs that would let me earn some extra money before I leave the city. After catching her breath Vi'lea resumed walking, slower than before as she was looking for someone she could ask for information. It didn't take long to spot a suitable person – a bored guard holding a spear in his hand, a sword on his belt. “Excuse me, sir.” The elven woman began as she got close to the armored man. “I just arrived in Athelney and I am looking for a place to spend the night. Could you recommend me an inn or some other suitable place? Or at least suggest who I should ask?”
The guard's response is gruff and nearly robotic. As if he gets asked the same question and waves his arm idly towards the Center City. "The Quiet Bowl Inn is the largest one in the city and where most people passing through stay. It's your best bet for safe lodging. There's also The Shattered Skull on the South Side, but that's not the nicest part of town. Lots of thugs and ruffians there. There's also a couple of other smaller places. The Hilarious Hart on Westland Street and The Cold Brook on Coach Lane, but they're usually used by the locals and are much smaller."
“Thank you, sir. You have been most helpful.” Vi'lea gave her thanks to the guard and left the bored man alone. I'm not in the mood for dealing with a bunch of thugs, so The Shattered Skull will be a last resort. Of the other three... I think I will try The Quiet Bowl Inn first, even if it is likely to be the most expensive one. I can check out the other two places tomorrow, if I feel like it. With her mind made up Vi'lea headed towards the center of the city, searching for the inn she had chosen. As she walked she remained alert, both for any sort of danger, such as an opportunistic pickpocket, and for anything (or anyone) of interest. She did not expect to find anything, but it never hurt to keep an eye out, just in case...
The streets of Athelney are quite wide and busy. It's the early evening so everyone is going home from work or visiting the taverns or each other for socialization. With that said, nothing really stands out. The Quiet Bowl is nearly as large as a small mansion. It has a near constant stream of people coming in and out of it. So it's not that difficult to locate. Entering through the front, you find that the massive common room is quite busy. A trio of serving girls rush around as quickly as possible without falling over themselves to wait on several dozen tables and a bar. Most of the tables are full outside of a few in the corner and there's also a few openings at the bar.
Wow, the guard wasn't kidding when he said this place is large! Was Vi'lea's first thought after seeing the outside of the The Quiet Bowl for the first time. Once inside the young sorceress chose the cleanest of the few free tables in the corner of the room and sat down. From her spot she could watch the whole floor: the inn's main entrance, the bar and the rest of the massive common room. At the same time she was out of the way and unlikely to attract a lot of attention. From her corner table Vi'lea looked for the serving girls. Seeing that all three were currently busy she focused her attention on the other patrons, trying to see if there were any that stood out. When one of the serving girls passed close to her Vi'lea called her over, intending to ask her about a room and something to eat.
The serving girl that comes over looks like she's maybe in her early twenties. Her hair is longish, but she has it pulled up in a bun, so it's difficult to tell exactly how long it is and she has faint blue eyes. She's wearing a simple brown dress that goes down to her ankles. there's also a cloth belt around her waist that holds a washcloth for drying her hands on. Her breasts are large enough to noticeably press out against her dress, but not enormous. "What can I get for you miss?" Despite her warm smile and friendly voice, you can tell from her breathing that she's taking a brief moment to catch her breath from all the hubbub of a busy night.
Vi'lea is intentionally slow to answer – both to let the girl catch her breath, and to have more time to discreetly examine the waitress. “Well, for starters, what food and drinks do you offer tonight?” Her gaze briefly focuses on the girl's large breasts before going back up to her face. “Second, I need a room to spend the night. Do you have any available? And third, do you offer any other services?” The elf smiles warmly and looks into the girl's pale blue eyes as she finishes her questions and waits for the answers.
"We have beef stew with bread for 5 silver. For rooms, we have a simple room for 1 silver, a nicer room for 5 silver and an extravagant room for a gold piece. I recommend buying your room early because they fill up quickly. As for other services..." she thinks for a moment. "we have a bard that comes in to sing tonight, but you don't have to pay for that." (OOC: Feel free to hop in whenever you want everyone else.)
Good, looks like money won't be a problem, at least as far as lodging is concerned. Vi'lea made a mental note before replying to the girl. “A serving of beef stew and bread sounds good. Do you also have something to drink along with the food? Preferably nothing strong – I'm not looking to get drunk right after arriving in this city. As for the room, I'd like to reserve one for tonight, but that's- what's your name?” The elf decided to ask and waited for the girl to answer before continuing. “Well, as I was saying, that's quite the difference in price between the nicer rooms and the extravagant ones. Could you explain the difference before I choose? What do I get for my money? You can tell me when you bring my food, if you are in a hurry.” She paused to take a breath before continuing. “The bard is nice and all, but not quite what I had in mind...” Her eyes briefly went down to the girl's ample bosom, hidden by the plain dress. “Do you have a bath for your guests, or will I have to look elsewhere if I wish to wash myself?” (OOC: Didn't feel like stopping just to ask about the girl's name. Hope that's not a problem.)
She stiffens a little as you ask her name. "Oh! Sorry. I was supposed to introduce myself when I first come over. It's just been so busy tonight...My name's Meryl." Meryl politely listens to your remaining questions. "I'll ask about the rooms. As for the baths. The regular room and extravagant rooms have bathtubs, but the simple bedrooms don't. You would have to go to the public bathhouse for that if you purchase just the simple room night. It's really just bare bones." You get the implication that Meryl enjoys speaking with you. At least she seems to appreciate that you didn't just bark what you wanted at her then ignored her. "Meryl! Your order's up!" You hear the voice of the bartender call at her. The bartender himself is an older man in his mid-forties with a rough unshaven brown beard that's slowly turning gray around the edges. "Y-Yes Sir! Sorry. I have to get back to work. Your food will be up shortly" Meryl snaps back into work mode and scurries off towards the kitchen.
As she watched Meryl get back to work Vi'lea considered her options. Maybe I should pick the extravagant room. I've been traveling for a while, so it will be nice to enjoy a little bit of luxury. Still, I think I'll wait for Meryl to come back and tell me more about the rooms before I decide. Hmm, I wonder if she would be willing to help me with my bath? With that thought Vi'lea went back to watching the patrons and the serving girls. Maybe I should have asked when the bard will be here... oh, well, I'm sure I'll find out later.
This has been a good day. Sun is shining. Fresh air. Just the open roads. Nicholas was in a good mood as he looked up at the sky in awe before his face landed into something solid that sent it both of them to the ground. His ears already picked up the drawing of weapons and the sound of armor moving, before he noticed the two armored men walking with someone who looked to be a very annoyed aristocrat. "Boy, watch where your going. Do you know how I am? I am of the noblest blood line of Athelney. My forefathers- Nicholas had two thoughts as he heard him speak. Blahblahblah I'm a loser. The second. Wait. Athelney? "You said, Athenley right? Huh. I always thought that was close to Skeea." The nobleman gave Nicholas a look that he remembered well as the one someone has when they wonder how someone could be this stupid. "Wha-Yes. WHERE do you think you are?" "Wait. This isn't Midcort?" Asking an honest question caused even the typical stoic looking guards to stare in awe. "Mid-NO. Are you a complete fool?" Nicholas only had one reaction for when people asked him that. "Oh. Whoops." He laughed a bit as the noble still stared at him in hatred. "You've wasted too much of my time already. I'm leaving." The three men began to move past him all with the belief that this would be the last they would ever see of him, but Nicholas felt something. A chance for opportunity. Maybe this wasn't fully on the agenda, but there was a royal asshole victim, if he ever saw him. Keeping his distance and with the still brainless look on his face, he began to tail them at a safe distance.
Meryl comes back after a few minutes with a pint of a Light mead. She sets it on the table in front of you along with your meal. "I checked what you get with each room for you. The Simple room is pretty much just a small square room with a bed in it. It's really just some place for the lower class folk to buy if they don't have a room. The Regular room has a single bed, a dresser for your things if you decide to spend more than a day and a bathtub. The Extravagant room is a double-bed with a dresser and a bathtub. It also has its own table if you wish to bring meals up to your room." (OOC: I wasn't really expecting you to come up with your own plot hook, but that's fine. I'll roll with it) You follow along at a safe distance behind thewealthy aristocrat as he travels toward Athelney. However, before actually managing to arrive inside the city itself, his entourage turns onto a small and lightly forested road that leads to his private Villa. The forest is not very thick, but it's dense enough that you can only get the rare glimpse of the torchlights from the city itself glinting through the trees in the evening air. The Villa itself is a two-story manor with a walled off courtyard in front of the entrance. Near the gate into this courtyard stands another armored man with the same crest as the aristocrat's bodyguards. He bows for the pompus man and leaves him enter before locking the gate behind him.
Thritch walked quietly into town, trying to be as inconspicuous as he could. He needed a place to stay, but before that, he needed money. He looked around, trying to find some who seemed like they knew the town, and who wasn't part of a group or regularly talking to people. (O.O.C. Sorry fir the uninspired post, it's... uninspired.)
Vi'lea took a quick look at the delivered food, confirming it was what she had expected, before turning her attention to the waitress. “Thank you, Meryl. You have been most helpful.” That's when the elf realized she had forgotten something. “Oh, right! My name is Vi'lea. Somehow, I forgot to introduce myself even though I asked you about your name earlier. Sorry.” She gave Meryl an apologetic smile. “Anyway, sometimes I like to eat in my room, so I'll take the extravagant room. I'm not yet sure how long I will be staying in Athelney, so for now I'd like to have the room for the next two nights. Who should I give the money to: You, the bartender, someone else? Also, I have been traveling for a while and a quick bath before bed sounds really tempting right now.” Especially if I have some company during it. She added in her mind. “But I am not sure yet when I will be going to my room – probably after I hear the bard you mentioned, maybe even later, and I don't want to waste someone's time preparing a bath for me only to leave it unused for hours. How long would it take to prepare a bath for me?” Vi'lea paused briefly to catch her breath and couldn't resist taking another quick look at Meryl's ample chest. “Sorry for all the questions, like I mentioned earlier I am new in Athelney. I hope I am not boring you.” She smiled again as she looked at the waitress' eyes.
Nicholas wasn't about to abandon whatever he had planned that he would think of the details later. He made up his mind to stroll around for a bit and check for any weak points or oversights that were overlooked. This guy seemed like the common fat old arrogant noble who believed themselves too important to be touched. Likely he wasn't checking for weaknesses in his defense. The prospect of not being able to get in easily wasn't something that bothered him either. He at least knew where the place was and could come back to it if no golden moment presented itself. Worst case scenario was that he was going to need help. Obviously, he wouldn't be able to explain with what since he was puzzling that out and most probably would never agree if opened with "because he bumped into me on the street and was pretty rude about it." But it wasn't so much the action, as what it represented in Nicholas's eyes. He had no plans to let it go even if it wasn't today he could do something about it. (O,O,C(whatever that means) I was just more of unsure where character narrative started and where the gm inputted for character openings. Not really trying to purposely derail the whole storyline. But if you aren't complaining about it, I won't think too hard.
In an attempt to remain inconspiciouous and avoiding any large groups, you move into some of the more back streets. Here you can see a couple of people wandering about their daily lives and a handful of beggers tucked into the corner alleys. "You can pay the bartender for the room. He will give you the key. For the bath, you can tell one of us when you're ready for it and we'll get someone to draw it for you." she gives you a friendly smile. "Also I don't mind the questions. It gives me a chance to take a little break. So if you have any more. Go ahead and call me over." Meryl takes off back to work and you hear a few strummings of a lute from the front. A fairly attractive half-elf woman sits on a stool and starts playing a tune. She's wearing a green tunic with brown sleeves and matching trousers and her trousers match the color of her sleeves. She has brilliant blonde hair that hangs loosely against her shoulders. Since she's not wearing a dress or something more revealing, judging how large her bosom is is quite difficult, but they appear to be smaller than Meryl's. Her song is a tune about two rival kings fighting over a fair maiden and various hijinks between the two kings as they attempt to win her confession. The building itself looks fairly solid. The walls themselves seem to be in pretty good condition as well as the back of the house. However, you notice two things of note. The first is a large number of thick vines growing up the east wall. It might be possible to climb up them and enter the courtyard that way. There's also windows on the back of the house on the second floor facing outside. Obviously you can't really reach them, but maybe you could devise a way up. OOC is "Out Of Character" and is pretty much just small/short comments out of character about the current situation. Anything with longer discussion can go in the Player Info/Discussion Thread.
Thritch looked around for someone as non-human as he was, eventually spotting a wolf-woman* off on her own, apparently doing some shopping. He walked up to her and asked, politely, "Hello, I'm new to this city, and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions I have about it." *Has lupine ears, tail, and eyes, but is otherwise human.
The answer to the question "Why the hell do you just carry rope around with you?" would be answered with this. Removing one of his leather boots, Nicholas proceeded to tie the rope around and it and fill the boot with stones on the ground for added weight. With a proper anchor, Nicholas threw it into one of the open windows to secure a proper line to climb. Having at least some sense in his head, he gave it a test tug before starting to climb to be sure it would work. O.O.C: My stupid laptop posted before I was done typing. Argh.
