Re: DnD: World of Eden; Main Campign

[Plagerist]

After the wizard finished talking, Lem got up from his chair and approached the she-elf, who just finished talking to the half-orc. He proceeds to grab the elf by the wrist and pull her to a more vacant area of the room.

"Sorry for the roughness elf, I just overheard the talk between the half-orc, and yourself, and my interests are as peaked as yours. What say we drink over a bottle of mead, and discuss our goals. If they coincide, well, let's just say I am bystander viable to help."

Lem signals the barkeep to send another round, and pulls out a chair near a table, signalling the elf to sit.

[Artyom]

I enter the shop and look around at the stuffed shelves and display cases full of various items. I had earned some money doing odd jobs in past towns I had visited or by donations. Ever since I arrived to Eden, I've kept my face wrapped up in my shemagh for safety precautions. As I glanced between the shelves of items, I figured that it would be simpler to just ask the store owner if he recommended any essential supplies. As I walked towards the counter, I stepped aside to look a rugged looking man depart with what appeared to be rope and some sort of pouch. I shook my head as I reached the counter, were people in this world really stuck with this kind of technology. I nodded my head and spoke, "Hello sir, I'm a bit new in town and have some money to spend. Do you have anything you'd recommend for a traveler?"

(Since a) I'm DM and b) the less posts we have the fast we can go, I'll be typing up the "DM"'s response to my actions if no one minds)

The large bellied merchant threw his arms into the air and gave a smile, "Ahh! Such a good temperament my good man! It is so hard to find good customers in times like these. I would be happy to help you my man." The merchant rummaged through his manuscripts and papers, pulling out a book. "Let's see here... ah yes...! For a traveler as yourself I would suggest a Upotian made bed roll. Not only is it light weight, it is also rain proff which is very useful for when you're out in the wilds. How about parchment as well? Whether it be for starting a fire or making contracts, parchment is a need. And finally, how about a Donnal made water sack? Donnal is quite famous for it's finely crafted works! That would come out to being just about 380 gold coins (300 for roll, 20 for parchement, 60 for water sack), what say you?" The merchant finished speaking, waiting for a response.

*Due to interaction with merchant, Anthony now knows the full list of items offered to the public at Pavent General Store. Information will be based to any and all party members upon contact. Anthoyn gained 5 XP*

Meanwhile, a new customer, a young girl dressed all in black, entered the store. She appeared to be looking for something in particular by the looks of her actions. After looking around for a few seconds however, Anthony's peculiar garments and dress caught her eye immediately.

*Girl dressed in black has the flaw "curiosity" causing her to take a saving throw with a DC of 10 against becoming fascinated with Anthony. Girl dressed in black passed greatly with 25 (20 + 5) preventing her from assaulting him with questions*

Spoiler:

Even though the girl was able to control her curiosity, she was still intreigued by the man's appearence and decided to wait in line behind the man in order to learn more.

*Girl dressed in black takes a Listening check which was a DC of 5 (Base 10 - 5 for close proximity). Girl rolled 18 (17+1) and is able to listen intently. Girl gained 15 XP*

Spoiler:

I went over the merchant's words in my head. Whoa 380 Gold pieces? This guy must be off his rocker! Hmm... well I don't even need the satchel since I have my canteen. And the parchment would be nice, but I don't need that really either. 300 Gold peices for a damn sleeping bag though? I think that's a bit much even if it's supposed to be special. Let me see if I can't pull out anything I learned back in those Arab markets...

I attempt to make an appraise check of the sleeping roll. I rolled a 19 (17 +2)

Spoiler:

*Anthony successfully passed appraise check with a DC of 15 (10 base + 5 for fine item quality) with a roll of 19. Anthony gained 25 XP. Item is appraised at being truly valued at around 200 GP*

I stare at the bedroll the merchant put on the counter and think it's worth about 100 less gold than he says it is. Even if I'm right though, there's no way I could talk him into lowering the price, and even if I do, I don't have enough money to buy it. I sigh, "Sorry, but I don't think I have the money to spare right now sir. Maybe next time then." With that, I start to turn around and bump into behind me, "Gahh... jeez what the hell was that?"

The girl let out a small yelp as she fell to the ground. She rubbed the front of her head which the stranger and bumped into when he turned around. The girl was a bit frazzled, "Ohhh... watch where you are going, you clumsy oaf! Do you not look where you are going?!?" The girl picked herself up, dusted her dress off, and starred up at the stranger before remembering her interest in finding out more about him. She would want to make sure that thinks did not get out of hand, perhaps talking to the stranger would work.

*Girl will cast a Diplomacy check against Anthony. Girl rolled 10 (6+4). Anthony rolled 12 (11+2). The girl lost the roll, but uses her trait "Pout" to attempt to increase her roll. Girl rolled 13 out of 100, gaining +5 to her roll. Girl rolled 15, while Anthony rolled 12, winning. Girl gained 10 XP while Anthony gained 5 XP*

The girl looked down at her dress and pouted, "Oh dear... and this was my favorite dress as well, how will I get the stains out?" The girl then looked at the stranger's knife at his belt then up at his covered face, her eyes peeking under the brim of her hat, "I am so very s-sorry sir! P-Please d not be angry with me! It was entirly my fault, please be merciful!" The girl pleaded as she trembled slightly with an innocent look, whether it was an act or done naturally.

[Artyom]

Feanor:

*Feanor has gained 10 XP for receiving a quest form the Mayor. Feanor has started the quest: Clearing out Renin. Feanor passed the Diplomacy check with a DC of 4 (Base 5 - 1 for bribary) with a roll of 17. Feanor lost .01 GP Feanor gained 15 XP*

Feanor slide the bronze coin to the innkeeper in order to oust any information. The old man pocketed the coin and smiled with crooked teeth, "Such a kind man to donate to the old. Hmmm... as you have probably heard, there are bandits at the nearby ruins. Everyone knows that really, the Mayor just would rather have us forget about it. I have a small group of adventurers staying at the inn tonight to prepare to travel to the ruins tomorrow. Their room should be on the second floor I beleive, perhaps you might want to check with them." The old man pulled out a key from under the counter, "Perhaps you would like to stay for tonight was well? You know... with my bad eyesight and old age, I tend to forget which key goes to which door. If I were yo mistakenly give you the wrong key, you could always return it to me before the guests return hehe..." The old man chuckled slightly before opening up his ledger to show available prices.

Type	Cost
Low quality Bed	15 GP x night
Normal quality Bed	30 GP x night
Great Qaulity Bed	50 GP x night
Low Quality Room	40 GP x Night
Normal Quality Room	80 GP x Night
Great quality Room	120 GP x Night

Inn f1:



Inn f2:

[kst933]

The half-orc gave in and spilled the information well enough, but it was only a few smatterings of rumors. There was little and less to work with but one thing was for sure and that was the presence of a magical artifact of some value in the ruined fortress. "The Key of Donnal," was it? Donnal had been the founder of this town, if Alassea was not mistaken. So, a magical artifact known as a key and could possibly have belonged to the man who created this town. A key to what, I wonder...

She felt a tug on her wrist and saw the halfling attempt to pull her away to a less occupied corner of the tavern. She had no choice but to reluctantly follow, wondering what the little one intended. The elf considered what he had to say and took the chair he offered. It seemed that this one was equally intrigued by the rumors of the artifact but whether or not it was for the same reasons, it did not matter. The barkeep came around with two tankards full of drink. Alassea sipped from her tankard, studying the halfling across from her.

"I will accept your apology for the roughness, though it was still rather impudent of you to eavesdrop." She cocked her head to the side slightly and gave a small coy smile. "As for our goals, I am ascertain that you are as curious as I am about these rumors of a magical artifact in the ruins? By all means I intend to retrieve it, but I am hesitant to believe that I will be able to elude the bandits and acquire the artifact on my own. Now tell me, what is it that you mean to do?"

[Plagerist]

"Ah, getting straight to the point I see," Lem responded to the elf. "Well, I am quite intrigued by the artifact, but, I am not one to use magical artifacts. I would simply like to examine the item, and you may very well be on your way with it afterwards."
Lem signals the barkeep to bring two bottles of vodka.
"Well? Drink down the bottle, if you want to seal our deal."
Lem begins to chug down the bottle.

[Artyom]

For Tuyen:

*Tuyen rolled 10 for Diplomacy check for a CL of 10. He barely passed and was able to use his Dong to pay the barkeep without losing any gold (lol dong...). Tuyen gained 20 XP*

The barkeep took the coin and turned it around in the air before pocketing it, "Well, it has some sort of value to it, so this'll be fine me boy. Don'y get a thinking you'll get away with this elsewhere, you're jst lucky that I like ye boy. Anyway... so, care to earn a bit of gold boy-o? I've got two jobs that need to be done, you can either wait tables as a busboy for a few hours or ye can clear out me cellar of these damn rats if ye'd like. I'd be willing to pay ye with a bit of gold and well as a free meal if ye be interested."

[Garviel Loken]

Feanor evalutes his options carefully. After a short while he decides that the confirmation that there are travellers in town, and that they are not currently at the Inn is enough for him. He thanks the innkeep graciously but declines to stay and heads for the door. Once outside he heads to the right and goes to the Tavern next door. The most likely place for adventurers to be passing time on a dismal day such as this. He slips through the door and enters with barely a soul noticing him. After making his way to the bar he orders himself a tankard of spiced winter ale and enough spiced wine to fill his wineskin.

Feanor takes himself to the hearth, he sits down, leans back and closes his eyes. Far enough away to keep him from being disturbed, yet close enough to hear the ebb and flow of near enough every conversation in the room.

[Artyom]

I put out my hands in an awkward and pleading gesture, "Wait what? On no, no I'm not going to hurt you! Please, just settle down, really I'm not mad at all!" This was bad, thankfully no one else was really around but we were causing a scene, especially when I'm not from this area. I looked down at her, compared to everyone else I've seen in this world she didn't dress too strangely for my tastes. She looked like a classic witch, although younger and cuter. Maybe I could calm her down by talking, maybe asking about who she is/what she is would be best.

*Anthony takes a roll for Arcane Knowledge with a DC of 10. He rolls a 4 (4 + 0), failing badly. Anthony gains 5 XP*

I awkwardly point to her pointed hat and book, "So uhhh... are you one of those... wizards or something like that? I mean if you are that's kind of cool I guess."

The girl looked at herself then back to Anthony with a pitiful look on her face, "Eh... not quite sir, I am a witch you see... have you not ever gazed upon one before? Most individuals do know the difference between various masters of the Arcane. Unless of course you are not from here, which would make sense due to your garb and manner of speaking. Is this true?" The girl attemps to use her knowledge of the world to figure out where the man is from.

*The girl will roll for Knowledge Geography, while Anthony will roll for Bluff. The girl rolls a 12 (9 +3) while Anthony rolls 2 (3-1). The girl wins easily. The Girl gained 15 XP while Anthony gained 5 XP*

I froze slightly before being able to talk, "Ah no, well I mean yes or... well... yes and no. I'm not from here, meaning this area but I'm from somewhere else far away... a desert area, that's why I dress like this." I hope that my horrible excuse was enough to throw her off.

The girl placed her hair on her chin and paced around Anthony, her boots making light clacks each second. She had gathered her thoughts and smirked before speaking, "The desert you say...? I would believe you if it were not for the fact that the nearest desert civilization is hundred of miles away, you would have no business to be here in Donnal in that case. Not to forget, that by looking at your eye and face color, they are too light for a man of the sand. Also, your manner of speaking Common language is too skillful for an Aliken inhabitant and would be too strange for a native of Eden as well. You then my good sir are lying to me, is that not correct? What do you have to hide from a girl such as myself?" The girl giggled in a mocking manner to prove her point.

Shit... she knows the truth, but does she know I'm not from this world? I thought to myself, as long as she didn't know that much I'd be okay. However, even if she did know she was just a girl I don't think she'd make any use of that information. It would be too much to risk though, I'm still not 100% sure of what these people here would think of an Earthling let alone if they know what Earth is. Hell, they might lock me up in a ye olde asylum if I claimed to be form a different world or dimension or whatever it is. I grimaced under my shemagh, "Quite the perceptive one, eh? Well I guess you got me then, but that's all I'll say. No offense Miss, but I like to keep to myself if you'll understand." With that I started to walk to the exit of the shop.

Seeing that her victim was leaving before she got any answers, she dashed out in front of him, "Hey! Wait a second, how about we take a stroll to the tavern and partake of some drinks together, hmmm? We could tell one another about ourselves. We are both travelers as it seems, so I would think that we could benefit from becoming acquainted, no?" She looked up at him with an earnest look. She honestly did want to go to the tavern with the man to learn more about him, bu she harbored no dire motives.

I looked down at her an raised an eyebrow, "Eh, excuse me but arn't you a bit young to be drinking alcohol? I mean they have a law regarding drinking age, right?"

She turned her head slightly in confusion, "A law setting down an age required to drink? You ARE quite the strange man are you not? I have never heard of such a thing in my life, so it appears that we can still move to the tavern. Would you still be interested then?"

I shrugged and shook my head, "I don't think you'd take no for an answer honestly, so I might as well. If I'm feeling nice I might even pay for everything. Anyway, let's head on over then Miss..."

The girl did a shot curtsy, "Alice, Alice Werkmeister. And that sounds wonderfully chivalrous of you Sir..."

"Anthony, you can call me Anthony for now Miss Werkmeister. Let's get going then, it's starting to rain hard after all." I finished as I escorted Alice out of the general shop and towards the Tavern.

[ICEheaven102]

Two job options huh? I doubt I could be a busboy. I drop dishes to frequently and I've been to Saigon only what, 5 times? And that was only for spying. I guess I'll kill some rats. Can't be too hard to kill a couple of rats. I killed bunches of them in the tunnels.

"Alright then, sir. I'll clear out the rats for you."

[Artyom]

For Tuyen:

The Bartender opened up the pass-through on the counter and stepped aside. "It should be an easy job boy-o, just got to kill a few rats, but be way of the momma, she's a mean one. Also, try to avoid banging up any of me furniture or items would ya? However, if ye find anything down there while killing those pests, feel free to keep it, just don't touch any of me liquor!" With that he moved aside and opened the door to the basement, handing Tuyen a key. "Good luck boy, come back you be finished."

*Tuyen obtained item: Key to basement door in the Crooked Hoe (.1 lb). Tuyen now descends into the basement, ready to fight. Please proceed to the combat thread to continue, Tuyen.*

[kst933]

"Then it seems we have ourselves a deal," Alassea replied. She took the bottle of vodka and began drinking. It was much stronger stuff than the cheap wine she had drunken earlier. Still, it left a slight tingling but not quite enough to leave her woozy. Setting it down, she looked back over at the halfling. "If we are to be better acquainted, I am Alassea of Illumil. What is your name, if I may ask?"


"Ah course, where be my manners." Lem gets up, and almost falls over due to having a bit much to drink.
"My name is just simply Lem, don't know my last, don't need to know." Lem attempts to bow down, but only goes half way, before he stands up straight once again.
"Oi, bartender, get us another round of...whiskey this time, ah. Got'ta get drunk, ya know, in order to trust a stranger ya know."
Lem appears to hold his liquor not too well.


Alassea chuckles in amusement as she watches the halfling struggle on his feet, quite evidently drunk. This Lem was rather determined to get her and himself drunk. She could hold her own for a while, but she questioned how long it would be before he began causing trouble. The cost of all this worried her. Perhaps he would pass out before they both lost all their gold. With a sweep of her hand, she passed some of the whiskey towards Lem.
"If you say so." The elf sipped at her own whiskey. She studied the patrons of the tavern. None were especially particular except maybe the oddly dressed man by the bar. "Now I wonder if we could find any others to join us on our excursion. It would be folly if we delved into a bandit infested fortress on our own. The adventurers will no doubt be there soon enough."


"WOooh. Hehe, strong stuff right here."
Lem looks at Alassea, and notices her looking around.
"Now now, if you're aware of your surro-*hiccup*. Surroundings, 'scuse me, you aren't drunk enough yet. Oi, bartender another round!.
The bartender comes, with an annoyed look on his face. "Hey, you've been drinkin' for a while now, you sure you good for this?"
"S'course I'm good, here some upfront pay," Lem slams down 20 GP for the bartender.
"Well all righty then," the bartender leaves with his money, and leaves a small bottle of pure alcohol behind.
"Oh what'd we have here, some grade-A alcohol, if this doesn't make you drunk Alassea, then you've got the liver of a god, come on now!"
Lem hands her a glass after sipping down his portion.


She narrowed her eyes at him and burst out laughing.
"Perhaps another time. I aim to keep my wits about me." Smiling, she took the half empty bottle of pure alcohol and put it away in her satchel. Something little like this would always be useful sooner or later. Lem was thoroughly drunk but somehow still chugged down his drinks. She decided to take advantage of the drunken halfling and put her hand on his. "I cannot say that I have seen many halflings around these parts. Maybe you could tell me a bit more about yourself?"


*Alassea's gather information check dice roll is 14*
*Lem's bluff check dice roll is 24*


"Oi now lassy, I only give out information to a friendly drunk, so drink up, or otherwise I ain't spellin out-*hiccup*.

Alassea gave no hint of her annoyance at failing to pry more information from the halfling. But if drinking was the only way to get what she wanted, then so be it. She took the small bottle of alcohol back out of her satchel and opened it. With one last glance at Lem, she drank it all with a single gulp. The elf set the now empty bottle back on the table. A few moments later, she felt the wooziness settle in and the tavern seemed less clamorous to her than before.
"So, *hic* how 'bout it?"


Noticing Alassea's new drunken state, Lem's manner drastically changes.
*Lem had a previous sleight of hand check in order to pretend he was drinking. DM, allowed the check in secret*
"Eh, I haven't got much to say bout myself. Just a normal Halfling. Used to live on a farm, borin' life. I don't know why you would want to talk about a borin' halfling. Why don't you talk about yourself Alassea? You look like an elf on a mission.

The elf did not notice Lem's change in manner in her drunken state.
"No halfling ish a boring hafling, Lem. *hic* But I musst say you are not wrong when you said I'm an elf on a mission. How clev-*hiccup* -er. I'm simply a shtudent of magic who wishes to *hic* deshtroy the darknes in the name ov Toldir. It's all I've *hiccup* known and all I'll do."


Lem was incredibly amused by the giddy Alassea, but decided he would get no more information out of her, since her speech skills were begging to deteriorate.
"All right then, that was enough fun for tonight, how about I get you a room in the inn? I need you well-rested for tomorrow. The inn's on me. Oh, and you really should be more careful around strangers, they can easily take advantage of yo-. Ah what the hell, you probably don't understand me right now."

[Artyom]

Alice and I quickly ran across the cobbled street past the Inn as the rain started to fall with force. I opened up the door to the Tavern for Alice and followed her in, the heat and noise of the building hitting us immediately. The Tavern was surprisingly crowded for this type of a town, most likely most of the patrons were out of town travelers. From what I could see most of the patrons were crowded around the large platter table along with the smaller tables in the middle, leaving the bar counter and outer edges empty. I deceided that the bar counter would be best and would be appropriate considering that I was still wary of this girl. I sat down at one of the stools, took of the straps of my backpack, slipped it under the stool in front of me, and spoke to the barkeeper, "Evening, mind if we get something to eat and drink?"

Alice followed Anthony into the Tavern, relieved to be out of the cold rain and in a warm building. She took up a seat at the bar next to him, and removed her cap before stuffing it into her small satchel with ease.

The Barkeep took out a small notepad and a quill, "Of course, though we be running low on food we have plenty of drink. I assume this lass is with ye too? What'll the two of you have then, hmmm?"

One thing about this world that was an inconveince was the lack of menus, so you had to guess at what restaurants had available. I was a bit hungry, but since I had a few MRE's saved I should save some money. I looked at the various bottles the barkeep had on the shelves, "Yeah... give me some Apple Cider, a loaf of bread, and some butter if you have it please."

The barkeep nodded as he wrote, "Aye, a good choice, not many order the cider which is a specialty of Donnal. And for the wee lass?"

Alice put a finger to her chin in thought before speaking up, "Hmmm... could I possibly have a bit of mead, a haunch of roasted pork, and a glass of Honey water sir? If that is not too much to ask of." She added in as well, "And we will be eating together, so you can place all of the cost on one bill if you do not mind."

The barkeep nodded, "Such an outgoing lass! Haha! Alright I understand, I'll get a working on your order quickly then."

I raised an eyebrow as the barkeep left to put the order in, "'Eating together'?"

Alice nodded, "Well you do know that I cannot possibly eat a whole haunch alone, correct? I thought that you could have some of my meal while I could have some of yours, is that not fair?" she said in a matter-of-fact attitude.

I shrugged, "Makes sense when you say it like that though, I hope you can hold down your alcohol though. Anyway, so what's a girl like you doing in a place like this? Isn't it a bit... dangerous?"

Alice shook her head with a frown, "You underestimate me sir, although I may look younger I have lived to see 18 celestial passings during my lifetime. I am of agreeable age to go and do as I please, mind you. Better yet, I should ask what a man so strange as yourself is doing in a place like this." Alice moved her hand slightly towards Anthony's face wrap out of curiosity.

I saw Alice's hand move towards my shemagh, I wasn't going to have any of that at least not yet. I gently patted her hand, "Whoa there, slow it down a bit girl, I'm still a bit cautious about who I trust here, no offense. Tell you what though, you tell me your story first and maybe if I trust you enough I'll tell you mine, what do you say?"

*Anthony initiates a Diplomacy check against Alice. Anthony rolled a 13 (12+1). Alice rolled a 16 (12+4). Alice won, turning things in her favor. Alice gained 15 XP Anthony gained 5 XP*

Alice retracted her hand and rubbed it. "I refuse!" she said turning her head away dejectedly, before looking back at him peeking with one eye, "Unless you reveal your face to me and answer any questions I have."

I groaned in defeat, this girl was a lot more clever then she lead on to be, "Ack... fine, fine. I don't like it, but I don't have much of a choice do I? Bah, so then go ahead little witch."

The barkeep came by and placed down the witch and the mercenary's drinks before departing. Alice took this oppertunity to sip from her tankard of mead in victory before continuing with a small smile, "Hehe... alright then I shall start. Well as you know I am a witch, or better yet a witch in training. I belong to neither the Divine or Chaotic sects, preferring to observe my own set of rules of Arcane use. As such, I do not posse any Deity or religion, but I am not opposed to finding one in the future. As for my lineage and background all I can reveal is that I am from the city of Sharnoth where I had started to study the Arcane arts. However I had grown weary of lesson after lesson and have decided to set out on a journey to learn more about the world while training myself. I do not have any goals in mind as of now however. That is all that you need to know for now, how about you then sir?" she finished, looking at him curiously.

So then she was a witch? I wonder if she could actually use any magic or if it was all a bluff, I haven't seen any magic since I arrived here. Anyway, it was my turn to fill my part of the deal, so I leaned in close to Alice and started with a whisper, "Alright then... what I'm about to tell you, you cannot tell anyone else unless we trust them, alright? Now I'm not sure what kind of races you have in this here world of yours, but I'm a normal human. More specifically, I'm not even from this world, I'm from Earth actually. As far as I know, this place isn't Earth, so my theory sounds just about right. I'm not sure how Earthlings are seen in this world, so that's why I prefer to keep a low profile." I wonder how crazy I sound.

Alice could see his hazel eyes as he leaned his face into hers, making her a bit uncomfortable. An Earthling? she thought Extremely rare in this world but not impossible, was he telling the truth? She spoke after processing the information, "I-I see... that would explain quite a bit then... it is not impossible however. What you speak of being another 'world' is referred to as being another plane of existence to us. There are many planes as our great scholars have discovered, some containing gods, other beasts, and many more that we have not discovered. I have heard rumors of humans that are not native of Eden however, and they often brandish technology and clothes that are very different from our own." Alice turned a bit red and played with her fingers, "Regardless... I am not intimidated or off put by this fact, in fact I am curious and would like to take a gander at your face if possible."

The Bartender walked over yet again, this time with the food that the two had ordered.

I smiled under my shemagh at her demeanor and patted her head, "Foods here, so not right now dear, maybe later though if you can whittle down my will though. Speaking about later, were you intending on staying in town for long?" I cut apart the loaf of bread, spread butter onto a few slices and placed a few onto her plate.

She sighed slightly in defeat but perked up with the morsels of bread on her plate and his slight sign of affection, "If you insist, but I shall too then when the time comes. As for my intentions... I had heard rumors about the abandoned fortress nearby, but I alone would be no match for any troubles inside of it. So, I believe I was just going to continue my travels alone south from here. I will need to find a way to make money soon though..." She finished and started eating, cutting her meat into small pieces. It wasn't exceptionally good, but she could tolerate a meal after walking all day. She also kept a keen eye on her companion, trying to catch a glimpse of his face while he ate.


I nodded, wanting to eat more than talk. I had been used to eating with my face being covered up from all of the sand back on earth. I loosened my shemagh slightly so that I could fit my tankard underneath to drink, betraying not an inch of my skin. I took a fork and stole some of Alice's meat off of her plate. It was decent, but I've had worse. While we ate I took a look around the Tavern. A group of rough looking travels sat by the dining table and spoke loudly to one another. A man was playing some sort of stringed instrument while others stood by and sang along. In a corner table sat what appeared to be a drink woman and a midget, which looked pretty bad for the elf, but who was I to judge? Finally by the hearth appeared to be the same man I say exit the general store earlier, which wasn't surprising considering how small of a town this was. Finishing my recon, I continued to eat and chat with Alice, looking out for the both of us.

[ICEheaven102]

I walk back up from the cold, dark basement. I notice there are some new people in the tavern, a man in a cloth mask and a little girl in a Victorian style dress.

I walk up to the barkeeper.

"Alright, sir. I finished killing the rats for you. In the dead bodies, I found this."

I show him the ring.

"Do you have any idea what this is?"

[Artyom]

Minutes before Tuyen climbed the stone steeps back into the Tavern, the sound of his rifle reverberated through the floor above him. The few patrons who noticed the sound grabbed at their ears in confusion while the drinks laughed and giggled about obliviously. The Bartender looked about the room a bit nervously until Tuyen emerged from the basement unscathed. The bartender smiled and dpatted him on the back, "Good job me boy! I assume that loud ruckus down there was you, so no need to worry. Good thing that you cleared out those rats, and what's this?" The Barkeep took a look at Tuyen's ring.

*Barkeeps preforms a Appraise check for no charge*

"Hmmm..." the barkeep sracthed his beard, "Well I can tell ye much, but it appears to be a bronze ring from the looks of it... it doesn't appear too special but then again, I'm no wizard. Must have fallen off of a visitor and through the floor boards, so feel free to keep it. It must be worth around 100 gold or so, but don't take me word for it." With that the barkeep handed the ring back and handed Tuyen a small bag, "And here's your payment, 50 Gold peices sounds jst about right and any amount of food you'd like to eat tonight, you just name it boy-o. But besides that, thanks for ye help!"

*Tuyen's ?????? Ring is now an Unidentified Bronze Ring. Tuyen gainedd 50 XP and 50 GP. Tuyen completed Rats in the Hoe Quest.*

[Artyom]

I continued to eat and chat with Alice until I heard a gunshot come from below the floorboards. I hadn't heard the sounds of rifles or the whizzing of bullets in a while, but my instincts kicked in almost immediately. I took a hold of Alice and covered her head, "Get down! Be careful!". I wasn't sure where the shot had come from, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I honestly had no idea what the technology of this world could accomplish, but there had to be some sort of firearm available in this world.

Alice was taken off guard by Anthony's sudden actions. The loud noise she heard had startled her, but she was not frightened or feeling any other emotion besides annoyance. She swatted at the hands that held her down, "Ahh! Stop it will you? Damn it, you will make me spill my ale if you are not careful! Gah, begone Sir Anthony, begone!" With that, she kicked him in the shin to make him let go and dusted off her dress before looking at him with an angry expression and her hands on her hips.

I grabbed my shin in pain, "Ouch, what the hell? Ahhhh... holy shit that hurt, what the hell are you wearing on your feet? You didn't have to kick me you know? I was protecting you!"

Alice turned her head away in irritation and continued to eat, "Hmph, from what were you trying to protect me from? That loud noise? I may appear young good sir, but I am no longer afraid of thunder mind you." She cringed and bite her lip at saying something so demeaning.

I shook my head in confusion, "Thunder... I... what...? That wasn't thunder Alice, that was a gunshot. You know from a fire arm?" I held my arms in the air in a gesture of confusion.

Alice looked at her friend as if he were insane, "A firearm... here? Are you sure that you are not mad Sir Anthony? I understand that you might not be from this world, but weapons using explosive power or magic are extremely rare in this area of Galos. It would be a rare day to find one in a shabby town such as this!"

I guess she can be quite stubborn, it'd be good to remember that for later along with the lightning thing. I looked at her, pulled out my 1911, and placed it in front of her on the table, making sure that the safety was off. "Guns are rare then, huh? What do you see before you then?" I say to her.

Alice placed her utensils down and raised an eyebrow, "Well... ehhh... I honestly am not sure what I am looking at right now..." She picked up the object before her and had a bit of trouble holding it up, "O-Oh my, it is quite heavy, perhaps it is some sort of bludgeoning weapon then, hmmm?"

I took my handgun away from her with one hand, released the magazine onto the table, pulled the slide back, and caught the ejected round. "Nope my dear, this is a M1911a1 semi-automatic handgun or firearm. I'm a bit surprised you couldn't distinguish it. I was trying to make a point that maybe itsn't so absurd if someone had a gun here, right?"

The girl reached into his hand and grasped the bullet residing inside, "W-well I might have been mistaken then, but that is a strange weapon you posse, how does it even work?" Alice tilted her head in confusion.

I took away the bullet, put it in the magazine, slammed the magazine back in, and racked the slide with a loud click before putting it away. I help a finger to my wrap, "Maybe another time when I'm not so tired alright? Let's jst relax for now an-" I stopped as I noticed a young boy climb up from the stairs of what I guessed to be the cellar. He was wearing clothes that reminded me of Asia and a rifle behind his back. He had to have been the source of the gun shot, this could be interesting. "Well, well, what do we have here...?" I said to myself quietly.

[ICEheaven102]

I put the gold coins in my pocket along with the ring.

Gold coins? Neat, if I were back home, I would be rich. I suddenly hear my stomach rumble, and my eyes begin to blur.

Man, for rats, they sure took a toll on me.

"Excuse me sir, about the free meal, I would like to have something. Maybe some bread with a chicken leg, and with a glass of water."

Behind me, I notice the man in the cloth mask stare at me. I wonder what he wants.

I then notice he's holding a pistol and showing it to the girl next to him. Wait a minute. That pistol.... It's an M1911. The standard issue pistol of the Americans, as Satoshi told me. What would an American be doing in a place like this? If he is, maybe he's that secret agent service Vinh told me about. FBI? CDC? CLR? CAI? I don't know, something with a C. Vinh makes some crazy ass stories anyway. I should watch my back though....

[Artyom]

The bartender shook his head, "The least I can do me boy, just take a seat and I'll have your food out soon." The bartender poured a jug of water for Tuyen and set it down next to Anthony.

Alice leaned in next to her friend and whispered, "Why are you so intrigued with that young man? Do you know him by any chance? His clothes are not similar to yours, but they are foreign." Alice used Anthony's bigger form to hide herself while she secretly peered at Tuyen.

I leaned back over to Alice and shook my head, "No, well not personally. I mean I reconize his way of dress and weapon, but... how can I explain this? He looks like he's from the past, know what I mean? It's just kind of confusing because really he lived about 30 or 40 years before me in that case. Have you ever heard of people from different parts of history being transported to other "planes"?"

Alice pondered a moment before nodding, "Not personally... however it is quite possible as time does not correspond between planes. If you and him were to be from different eras, but transported to the same plane during the same time period, it would not matter where you are originally from but where you are now."

She made a good point, "Quite the smart one arn't you? That makes good sense then, might as well see 'hi', right?" With that I turned to my other side and looked at the young man before me in his humble looking clothes. I had loved history when I had taken it in school, hopefully some of it would finally pay off. I spoke in a casual tone, "So then Charlie, what brings a person like you to a place like this, hmmm?

[ICEheaven102]

The American walked up to the table and took a seat beside me.

"Charlie" was what he called me. American code for Viet Cong. It's probably best that I question him, ask why I'm here.

"so, Yankee. Why did the CLR bring me here? What do you want from me? Why was I transported to this place? If you want information on our tunnels, interrogating me will have no use. I will never break. Besides, you're losing this war anyway. I'm sure the people of your nation do not approve of your actions. Am I correct, Mr. CLR?"

[Artyom]

I laughed to myself, "Mr. CLR? Like the drain cleaner? If you're trying to make a joke then I think you meant Mr. Clean buddy. Anyway, have no idea why you're here, huh? I was in the same position that you were just about a month ago. I'm gonna take a shot in the dark, but your talk of tunnels, war, and Yankee make me want to guess that you're a Viet Cong, right? Well for your information, I'm from an America that is about 30-40 years after the Vietnam war. How'd you get here anyway Charlie?"

While the two young men talked, the bartender brought over Tuyen's food before departing with his standard grin. Alice on the other hand stared plainly at the two, taking notes of their conversation.

[ICEheaven102]

Drain cleaner? Mr. Clean? Americans are indeed strange people. It seems this man is in a fairly similar position as myself. And from the future too? So it doesn't seem it's just me that's been teleported to this world. If he's from the future, he should know the outcome of this war right? I must know, I must know the fate of my country.

"Well then, Yankee. I happened to be surrounded by your troops in a battle, but then I see a flash of light. When I regained vision, I crashed through the wall of this town and I walked into this tavern. I also gained the ability to speak your language. Very strange, like something out of a fairy tale. How did you get here Yankee? And a question. Since you are from the future, what is the outcome of the war? Did we win? Did you and the Southerners win? Did we become another Korea? What of China and the Soviet Union?"

[Artyom]

I sipped my cider under my face wrap and listened to the VC talk. Seemed like he was in a very similar situation to me, but he was talking it well thankfully. He didn't seem like much of a threat either, so maybe I could get him to cooperate easily. I put my pitcher down and spoke, "Well Charlie, let me answer your questions one by one... I got here the same as you did, although not as roughly. I was in the Afghanistan, you know in the Middle East? I was going on patrol with other mercenaries when we stumbled upon what I was pretty sure to be a Genie. Long story short, things got bad and the damn thing transported me to this world. I've only been here for a little over a month though, so I don't know too much about this world, but my acquaintance over here is a native." I leaned back and pulled my stool out a little to let the VC get a gaze at Alice

Alice gave raised an eyebrow in annoyance, 'Acquaintance? Quite the harsh use of words...' then nodded awkwardly, "Yes what he says is indeed true Sir Charlie. I do not know a vast amount about either of your situations, but you are indeed in my world rather than your own."

I shrugged, "See? Anyway what was next? Oh yeah, the outcome of the war. I'm a little rusty on my history, but I believe we pulled out in the 70's letting the North take over the South. Saigon turned into Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam was united under the communist regime. Vietnam' still united today, but it's more socialist and trades with the US and other countries around the world today. The Soviet Union fell in the 90's and became the Republic or Russia or just plain Russia really. They're doing well for themselves, although sometimes the US and them still don't see eye to eye. China is semi-communist, but is reforming it's ways really but pretty much they're the same. The only real communist countries left in the world are Cuba and North Korea Charlie. That answer your questions?"

Alice listened intently, writing on a scroll to record what she heard for future questioning. Although she had heard of Earth before, she had no idea of what the world was like or what technology it possessed. If it had users of the Arcane, perhaps she could learn untold knowledge from them.

[ICEheaven102]

"The future world sounds quite..... Interesting. It seems Communism has taken a huge fall."

The little girl looked at me and explained what the Yankee said was true. She looks around 12 years old, judging from her size. I think I should introduce myself to these people, rather than let them call me "Mr. Charlie" all the time.

"By the way, my name is Tuyen Truong, captain of a Viet Cong squad. And what your names?"

[Artyom]

I patted the VC on the back, "The name's Anthony Tuyen, nice to meet you don't be surprised if I call you Charlie every now and then though."

Alice smiled slightly and did a mock curtsy with the hems of her dress, "Alice Werkmeister, very nice to meet you Sir Truong I hope we will get to know each other more in due time." With that being said, Alice finished drinking her honey water and started on the ale, the effects starting to show not too long after.

I pushed back my plate since I had finished eating, "So then Tuyen, what do you plan on doing know that you kinda know where you are?"

[ICEheaven102]

"Haha, you shouldn't be surprised if I call you Yankee."

I just notice my food is beginning to get cold. I takes a bite out of my chicken leg and another out of my bread before I talk again.

"I'll be honest, I have no idea. I'm sure in this kind of world, there's goblins and ogres and elves and such. Heck, maybe I can save a maiden from a dragon and get married. Although.... I have heard of a magical arcane thingy in a ruin somewhere near this town though. That sounds pretty interesting. Maybe we can go together?"

[Artyom]

Alice looked at Tuyen and replied, "Yes... I have heard rumors of such an object as well. I was interested in finding it initially, however I could never do it on my own. If you would be willing to accompany me however, that would be grand. What say you sir?" She turned to Anthony.

I looked at the two of them and shrugged, "Well I guess I don't have much other choice, right? I'll go with you two then, but not today. It's raining hard outside and we should take some time to gather some supplies as well. But until then we can just stay here at the Tavern I guess, there should be something to do to keep us occupied. Also, you have any valuables or supplies on you Charlie? Money? Food? Ammo? Supplies?"

Alice nodded in satisfaction and swung her feet back and forth, "I have a small amount of money and some palm bread, not much else. We could pool our gold together if need be however."

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