Otto Bumgarner's Story

Otto entered the bar. He just came back from a supply delivery to an archeological dig. He loved seeing the old world. HE took out a gold plate and looked at the photo he had taken of him and some old weapons.

"Once I take over my parent's company, I can start my collection" he whispered to himself. He stowed he plate back into his pocket and hoisted his pack up on his back. HE looked around the bar. Usually there was a captain or a first mate in here looking for buccaneers, but there wasn't yet. He walked up to the bar. There was a young man wearing a sword on his back, Otto smiled, such old fashioned. He put a seat between himself and the man with the sword on his back.

"Hello George, how are you." he asked the bartender coming up to him.

"Fine, just fine Otto, what will it be?"

"Glass of Absinthe, make it strong, but burn some of the Alcohol off"

Xavier looked at the man who sat on the stool a space away from him. He examined the man, he seems to be around his age and saw his mechanical right eye. "Kind of cool?" He mumbled. He then ordered another drink, but this time the same drink that the man near him ordered. "Hmm? do I look strange to order the same one as the guy near me?" He thought to himself.

"Well, I had an accident, it kinda helps me see, better then wearing an eye patch " he gave a small laugh. HE then noticed the man ordered his drink "I'd careful drinking that stuff. It is 138 proof alcohol, that's why I asked to burn off some of the alcohol. But this stuff also contains large amount of wormwood, which is a powerful hallucinogen. You look like the type who has never tried this high society crap." and he took a swig from his glass. He then held out his hand

"The name's Otto Bumgarner, and yes from Bumgarner shipping company."

"... add some ice and a sugar, and lend me an absinthe spoon." He said to the bartender and he stirs his drink with the spoon. "Well this should weaken it even a little." He said as he drinks it. He then faced Otto and said"Well it's good. I'm Xavier Skywalker, a mercenary, Nice to meet you too Otto."

"I personally like mine strong, and that's why I asked to burn some of that alcohol off, so I can get the effect of the wormwood before I get drunk." and he took another sip. "Ya, I'm here just look for another job, I'm a ships physician for long trips." He took another sip, as he did, the colors around him started to flow together, and he started to feel loose and relaxed.

"So..... what's up with that large sword? Swords haven't been standard in army or civilian life for what... 200 years? Even back in my days in the royal air force, my rapier here" and he tapped his rapier "was considered old fashioned, and I was actually the last graduation class to receive it."

"Well just to pay respect to a deceased friend, but this is not his sword, my own, just based on his." He said to Otto. "He was a soldier and I was an infantryman, such great gap in rank, but we become friends, he trained me to become strong so I rose in rank. He wanted to become a hero, but ended up becoming a criminal and killed thousands of units to survive, well he died in the end though, but for me he is a great hero, I went to the place where he died soon after and I dug his grave there, and made his sword as the headstone. I continued to train until I am of the same rank and as strong as he was, well I'm just a mercenary now. Thanks for listening." He said to Otto.

The noise of the bar died down in a decrescendo until it was silent. Everyone had turned to see who it was that had created such a silent stir in the Whistling Pipe. It was a woman, naturally.

Amelia von Rosenberg was a well known woman in, not just Axis, but throughout most of Arcanum. She was a witch, a blasphemer against The Master Builder, and most notable of all, a vampire.

The vampiress's limbs were slender and lean, though they held the supernatural strength that came with all of the Blooded. Her stride across the floor of The Whistling Pipe was so smooth and perfect it was as if she glided, or floated just above the wooden boards. Amelia had golden eyes that were unnatural to those who lived in Arcanum. With those eyes she stared down those she passed by, not sparing Otto nor Xavier.

When Amelia reached the counter, she remained standing as if she were not going to stay long. "An Unfortunate Soul, please Mr. Bartender," the vampire cooed in her silken voice.

Xavier didn't like the disturbance she caused and as well as the words she said. "Bartender, another glass of absinthe with sugar and ice like before." He said to the bartender. The bartender paused a bit, but walks to him somewhat in a hurry, he saw the bartender having a cold sweat. The bartender then poured the absinthe his glass, but it spilled a little as the bartender's hands are shaking a little. He didn't mind it, he just stirred it again with the absinthe spoon and drank. He just sat there in silence.

A black eyebrow lifted as the bartender decided to service another man before herself. Amelia watched like a bird of prey as the man's hands shook pouring and serving the drink to Xavier. The edge of her hard, black, mouth twisted upward. She could smell his fear, the sweat trickling down his throat, and the blood pumping so deliciously through his arteries.

"An Unfortunate Soul, Mr. Bartender, or do you have plans to keep me waiting all day," Amelia voiced in her deceptively alluring voice.

"N-N-No ma'am. I'm right on it, I am," he stammered.

When he placed the cold, red, drink in front of Amelia, she thanked him.

As her hand wrapped around the glass, the bartender grasped his chest and gasped in pain. He was having a heart attack.

Amelia just stood by and watched, drinking from the thick fluid in her glass. "How unfortunate," she crooned. "We may need another bartender, and soon."

Xavier stood and stopped her by holding her shoulder tightly. "Hold it right there miss. I'm the one who called him so if you have a problem you should have pointed it at me not him!" He said to her showing hint that he is angry and grabbing tighter with great strength he got from his trainings. "Clearly in my eyes, you killed the man." He added with angrier tone.

Otto rolled his eyes as Amelia entered. HE had seen her once or twice at parties of other rich and famous people. "Feeding off the despair of the weak, typical vampire." Otto murmured into his glass. HE saw George serve her a glass, which the wormwood from the absinthe was making the colors of the glass and the bar look like one. HE suddenly grabbed his chest, and his face was filled with pain. Otto reacted immediately. HE grabbed a device out of his back and jumped of the bar. As he did, George collapsed onto the ground. Otto kneeled next to him, he cupped his hands together and started to beat above his heart. HE then gave a few blow into George's mouth t expand his lungs.

" Don't die on me George!" Otto started to crank a small lever on the device around and around. He then removed to small metal rods. HE touched them together and speaks flew from them. He slapped the rods on George's chest. George jolted a bit and his shirt stared to smolder a bit, but Otto quickly patted it out. Otto continued the process, ignoring the voices around him,

"I think he may very well die," Amelia spoke in her velveteen but acidic voice. "That would be such a shame. You should try to save him. Tick... tock..."

When Xavier grabbed Amelia, he might as well have been grabbing at cold marble. She flashed a white smile at him, though her eyes showed no humor at all. "Me? Kill the man? Why he's having a heart attack. How could I possibly have done that?" A single laugh rumbled like a purr in the back of her throat.

Ignoring the hand on her, Amelia took another dainty sip from her drink, and set it down.

"Good luck in saving him. I am sure you will need it. There are many fine coroners around if he does not, however..." Amelia threw her head back and laughed as she exited.

Xavier was not able to stop Amelia for whatever reason, he didn't follow her, but instead he quickly jumped over the counter of the bar and kneel next to the bartender and in front of Otto. "Is he alright?!" He asked Otto slightly panicked.

Idris pulled the hood of her emerald cloak over her head to protect against the rain that had suddenly started to fall. The change in weather dampened her spirits somewhat but she would not let it ruin her day. She smiled at passers-by as she walked to the shops. First she stopped at the grocer's and filled a filet bag that she procured from a pocket of her dress. She loaded up with plenty of hearty vegetables, a few good cuts of meat, and several bushels of useful herbs. Her bag full, she paid the somber looking woman standing behind the counter. The woman did not return her smile as Idris recieved her change and turned to leave.

Her next stop was the carpenter's shop, where she was able to purchase some very simple, but serviceable furniture. "Um...." she pipes softly to the strong-looking carpenter "I will need some help to get this all to my home.." The burly man's worried face cracked into a warm smile for an instant.

"I'll bring it around in my truck first thing in the morning, if you don't mind waiting. Just leave your address with me." He pushed a pad of paper across the counter and Idris wrote down her address. A strange look crossed the man's face when he read the address but he reigned in his expression so quickly that Idris was unsure if she had really seen anything at all.

"Thank you very much." She said. He merely nodded in response.

With her shopping done sooner than she expected, she ran home and dropped off her groceries and went out again in search of new adventures in town. She took a taxi into the larger city. All the people swarming around frightened and thrilled her. She noticed, for the first time, that she was dressed quite differently than these city folk. Her cloak and dress lacked any of the curious buckles and brass hardware that seemed to accent everyone else's clothes. She hoped no one would notice..

She was certain that she must have looked like a frightened kitten when she walked into what appeared to be a popular pub. When she walke din, the bartender seemed to be having some kind of heart attack. Her heart sank in her chest and her palms started to sweat at the sight of this. She didn't know what to do. Her parents had taught her simple healing incantations as a young girl that sound save someone on just such an occasion, but they had also given her dire warnings against using magic where anyone could see, for fear of the persecution against magic that the cities were so infamous for.

The sight of the poor man clutching his chest broke her heart. There were frightened tears in her eyes as she cast a furtive glance around her and muttered the healing incantation as quietly as she could. The didn't wait to see if the man recovered, but she was fairly confident in her abilities and she sighed as she sat sown at a table near the bar, praying to the Gods that no one had noticed what she had done.

Not too long after Idris entered did Ellie, tugging Alek along, enter as well. "I'm sooo hungry Alek. I hear this place has good sewer rat kabobs and baked pigeon and potato surprise and... huh?" She stopped. There were two men hovering over a third man, one shocking him and the other supervising. Further inspection showed a woman and one more man sitting apart and alone at their respective tables.

"Alek," Ellie said, scooting behind him. "What's going on?" A chill ran up her arms and Ellie's shoulders shivered. She had a most odd feeling but she shrugged it off. Maybe it was just a drafty room.

Wait a minute, she thought to herself.

"The bird!" Ellie shouted out, pointing to the signal that Talos had placed. "That's the guy. That's our guy! That's the one we have to go talk to, although..." Her voice dropped into another whisper and she leaned in toward Alek's ear. Not that she had to nor did she not realize this but Ellie liked reasons to be close to Alek.

"I didn't exactly tell him that you were coming too. He may be a bit... surprised."

Otto charged his device one more time, took the metal rods and slapped them down onto George's chest, then patted out his smoldering shirt. He then felt his arm to feel his pulse.

"I think he's alive, but his heart is weak. There is not much more what I can do, the rest is up with the lord." HE put his arms under George's arm pits. "Can you grab his legs Xavier, his bed is upstairs" Otto looked around, he were staring, but no one was helping "Self-centered bastards" Otto murmured to himself.

Xavier does what Otto said he grabbed his leg and lift it up and went upstair with Otto, carefully not to shake him much, they go to his room, and they lays him on his bed, but Xavier felt that there's something strange, something he saw and felt many times. "I don't know but, He got healed too quickly, not just from the device you used, I think it's Magic?" He said to Otto. "I don't know but, I just felt like it is, maybe someone here helped him, I saw many magic users from the many missions I done, so somehow I know it." he added.

Alek's boots padded silently, even against this floor, but without his cloak that was still around Ellie's shoulders, he was a black blot against a lit room in his matte armor and, as he felt, stuck out like a sore thumb. He felt unease in this place, and his yellow hues shifted from table to table, gathering as much information as he could from the people around him. He was a hunter, specifically for vampires. And if Ellie was to be here, then he'd not allow anything to happen to her. Not while he still drew breath.

Of course, Ellie was as subtle as rooster's cry. He glared at her when she got excited over finding the marker that signaled the table in which the person whom sought after them sat, his golden yellow eyes like coals in the pits of hell. He held his tongue, however, not verbally outing his displeasure-- Until Ellie mentioned what she had failed to mention before now. "You didn't.." He hissed his whisper back, although his face remained a stone of no emotion. "Ellie, you remember what happened last time you didn't tell someone I was showing up, right..? And that I for one do not like surprises?"

Mentally he sighed, backing away from Ellie slightly as he began to prepare a mental rush of possible scenarios that could possibly take place from now on. All Ellie had mentioned before now was that this man wanted to see them. Both of them. "Lead the way, Ellie.. I do believe you're going to be the death of me one day." He said, as he had said a thousand times since she had started falling him around.

Talos simply sat and waited. He was a man of conviction, and did not take to idle fancies. Never one to gawk, never to show his hand. He simply sat and waited. Given the bartender was out of commission, he didn't look entirely conspicuous with his lack of drink. Not, of course, that he would say no if someone sought to give him one. Templar he may be, but even he could appreciate a fine brew, especially when it might help him keep out of the direct gaze of evil.

He did not wait long. Few came and went while he was there. The Bartender turned out to be fine, which was all well and good as far as he was concerned. Looking towards the door, he sees a similarly inconspicuous couple; a female Elf, rattling on about this that and the other, and more immediately concerning... the man next to her. Wearing armor as dark as Talos' was bright, he was pale, bright eyed, and clearly looking for a target. Talos was new to this realm, so perhaps that was just the way of the people... but he could not know, yet.

He was spared the trouble of confronting the man by their noticing him. A shriek from the elf, directed towards him, told that she was his contact; and the rest of the bar would know as well, now. Talos could not suppress his glare, as he had expected at least some manner of... professionalism?

He had been expecting an elf woman, and it seemed this was she... but then who was this man? A proper liason to whom she was an assistant, Talos could only hope. It would explain his hunting gaze, and the fact he seemed to be reprimanding her now.

Regardless, Talos did not like the way the situation was shaping up. He subtly shifts his seating to be able to stand quickly, should the need arise, as he sits and waits for the two of them to approach.

"Well I'm pretty sure that it was magic that caused his heart to stop working" Otto said, taking a pipe out of his pocket, lighting it, and taking a few puffs off it. "But magic fixing it, unlikely. Technology is what allowed us to learn the anatomy of the human body. Doctors barley know how the heart works, and they are the ones that cut the body open and examined it." Otto walked over to George's desk and started to to write a message on a small pice of paper.

"SO all I did was give his heart an electrical charge, for Just a few years ago we learned that our brain sends out electrical signals to all parts of our body, isn't that incredible!!" He finished the message and rolled. HE placed it in a small tube that was on the leg of hawk. HE carried it to the window and let it go. Just then a young man bursed into the room.

"Where is George! Is he all right?"

"He's ok for now Timothy. I just sent for a doctor. Just go back down to the bar and take over for George." Tim nodded and left. Otto then put his arm around Xavier's shoulder, while taking a puff off his pipe.

"Come on Xavier, lets go back down to the Bar. Two ex military now buccaneers, who wouldn't hire us?"