Of Swords & Spellwork

[ViceVersus]

This is a training roleplay between myself and the user mummydove.

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Cairns looked like a spread hand, nestled there on the shore of the sea. It's palm was Cairns proper, a tangled web of shops, taverns, apartments and mystery; its fingers, five major docks for the harbor, wide and crowded.

Leareth stood at the top of the hill, looking down at the city sprawled before him. It was good to smell salty sea air after weeks of riding through the desert. The man cut an ominous figure in his hooded, travel-worn cloak. His steed, a great, proud stallion, gave a snort, and stirred, wanting to rest.

As Leareth made his way into the palm, he found himself lost in the hustle and bustle of that country's most notorious port city. Criminals and upstanding citizens alike came from all around to this place. It was a raucous city full of gambling, drink, and women.

Leareth did not raise his voice or even raise his eyes to meet anyone as he came to a stop outside of an inn called the Varnish Glass.

__________________

Inside the Glass, things were as lively as ever. The alcohol was flowing. People laughed and were merry. A large pirate crew had come into port just last night, and for the most part the crew were merry as they were merciless.

When the tall man in the cloak entered the bar, no one paid him any attention. He made his way to the counter and sat quite still until the bartender wandered over, and asked him if he wanted a drink.

"Nothing for me right now," said Leareth, quietly. "I am waiting for someone."

Rather quick post, but there's at least some framework of an introduction. If you could have your character there at the bar, that would be awesome. My plan was to have Leareth recruit someone on a mission. What the mission is, we'll have to find out.

[mummydove]

Sea salt filled the air as Avalon walked down the beach. She listened as the waves crashed against the shore and rocks. Avalon buried her feet into the warm sand. She stood in the sunlight. She absorbed the heat. Avalon had closed her eyes as she thought about the day. A few minutes later, she opened her eyes. Avalon glanced around before she walked towards a large rock. She leaned against the rock. Avalon wiped grains of sand off her feet. She pulled out black leather boots from her satchel. Once her feet were clean of sand, she pulled on her boots.

A while later, she appeared in front of the Varnish Glass. Avalon took in her surroundings before she entered. She stood for a minute before she headed to her destination. She took a seat at the bar. Her gray eyes observed the man next to her. Next, Avalon waved the bartender over. She ordered a drink. Her eyes wandered back to the man beside her.

"There is no need to be wearing a cloak inside. Though, you wearing a clock isn't any of my business. You could be hiding from someone for all I know," Avalon told the man. She dug into her bag looking for a few coins. Once the bartender came, she paid and grabbed her drink. Avalon took a sip as a soft sigh escaped her lips. Her head turned as a drunken pirate bumped into her. She quickly snatched a pouch from his belt and dropped it into her bag. She only nodded when the pirate apologized. She placed her bag on her lap. Then she turned back to take another sip of her drink.

[ViceVersus]

"Perhaps you are right," Leareth removed his hood, revealing a long gaunt face. He shrugged the cloak back so as to free his arms, which were wrapped in off-white strips of linen.

The man's dark eyes caught Avalon's trick with the purse. He gave her an odd sort of smile.

At that moment, a great crack ripped through the room as a heavyset pirate fell on a table, collapsing it immediately. Roars went up. This was, it turned out, the perfect place to have a private meeting. Such great commotion was always in play that two individuals chatting quietly at a bar would go wholly unnoticed.

"What brings you to Cairns?" asked Leareth softly.

[mummydove]

Avalon looked at the man and simply nodded in response. Her eyes widen slightly when she heard a crack. Avalon rolled her eyes before she glanced back. She looked away from the pirates then back at the man. She gave him a small smile. Avalon licked drops of liquor off her lips. She rolled her shoulders back as she felt her body relax.

"I am just resting here for a while while. I really enjoy the shore here. Right now I am just simply traveling through Cairns though. I wonder how rowdy these pirates will get tonight. Though besides that, I am curious to know, what brings you to Cairns?" she questioned. Avalon ran her fingers through her auburn hair. She took a gulp of her drink. Avalon crossed her ankles. Then she began to unbutton her long wool coat. Her eyes scanned the room as she observed everything. Avalon gaze returned to the man. "I'm Avalon, what do they call you?" she asked.

[ViceVersus]

"I have been called many things!" Leareth chuckled. "You may know me as the Midlands Bandit, however."

As for what had brought him to Cairns, the Bandit did not answer.

[mummydove]

"I've never heard of the Midlands Bandit, how did you come to be called that?" she questioned. A small smirk tugged at her lips when a questioning thought popped into her head. Avalon tucked in her white dress shirt into her brown trousers. She pulled out a cap from her bag. She placed the cape on the bar. Avalon twirled her hair and tucked it into a bun before she quickly pulled on the cap. She proceeded to tuck in any loose strands of hair.

[ViceVersus]

"A host of misadventures!" the bandit answered, again, not really providing any information. His face was pock-marked and full of scars, tanned, leathery. He watched her fold her hair carefully into a cap. "You seem to be hiding yourself just as much, madame."

[mummydove]

Avalon laughed softly and shook her head in amusement. "Well, that may be true, but thing is, I don't want any of these pirates to recognize me, pirates cause a whole lot of trouble. It is best to hide," she told him. Avalon held her bag close. Then stretched her legs out in front of her. "Would you like a drink?" she asked.

[ViceVersus]

"Water or tea for me," Leareth nodded. He steepled his fingers. "Pirates aren't bad sorts. If they make a promise, they usually keep it. If it serves them, of course."

[mummydove]

Avalon nodded and waved the bartender over. "Can I have tea for my friend here please..." she paused to face him once again, "Pirates usually do keep their promise, but they like to cause trouble too." She glanced back as a group of drunk pirates began to sing. She was glad no fights broke out yet.

[ViceVersus]

It was a well-known shanty, one that the pirates sang. More joined in, and soon the entire tavern were slouching together, red-faced, roaring to the ceiling.

The song told the tale of a fair maiden taking to sea to find her lost husband, noble, alone in a row boat, and encountering a terrible beast who reared from the ocean, maw dripping, scales shining, gills heaving. She stood with a pure heart and did not back down from the beast, did not bat a lash even as the ocean surged around her.

Towards the end of the song, when the melody lengthened into a proper chant, was it revealed that the monster was actually the maiden's husband who had been transformed by a horrible curse. The maiden fell into the ocean's embrace, into the creature's embrace, and they were together again on the seabed.

Leareth smiled along with the cheer in the room.

"Such a dreary song!" he raised his voice to be heard, leaning closer to Avalon.

[mummydove]

Avalon paid the bartender once she received the tea. She slid the drink in front of the bandit. She laughed softly after he spoke. "It isn't that much of a dreary song. It has a happy ending," she told him. Avalon also raised her voice as the cheers roared through the bar once again.