Milo
and Yvandel at the Tabard and Tankard TavernEntering the tavern, the pair are faced with a fairly dark interior that takes their eyes a few moments to adjust to. A few lanterns are burning at medium wick at intervals around the wall and a fire is smouldering quietly in one corner. The ceiling is crossed by heavy dark wooden beams, and was probably once white plaster, but has been darkened by years of smoke to a dirty brown. The room itself is an L-shape, stretching away from the entrance some 40 feet by 20 feet on the long part and to the left about 20 by 10 feet on the short. There is a short bar barely 10 feet from the entrance, wrapped around the corner with two doors disappearing out to a probable kitchen area behind. There are several bar stools at the bar, and about 10 tables - most already occupied with people eating and drinking.
Most of the locals look around as the door opens, the buzz of conversation dying for a few moments as people stare at the two quite different looking people stepping into their world.
Slowly the conversation restarts, though
Milo and Yvandel can feel a few suspicious gazes burning holes through them
as they approach the bar. The barman nods a greeting, placing both hands
on the bar. "What can I get you?"
he asks.
Yvandel seemed much less concerned about this particular type of attention, chalking it up to the locals being curious about the newcomers. He takes a few moments as his eyes adjust to study the various people in the bar, wondering what each person's career choice might be as well as if anyone might want to cause them trouble while they are here.
Yv smiles at the bar keep, "I'm starving! Do you have any good lunch specials?" He looked up expectantly hoping that the bar had a speciality that he could try.
The barkeep nods. "Sure - jellied eels are our speciality here. Locally caught, but piced with Paprika from the far south!" he adds proudly.
Looking around the bar, Yvandel's keen eyes take in the work clothes of a variety of professions - including wood workers, a couple of (presumably) off-duty Stone shields, and he guesses a potter from the splatters on his apron. A couple of more studious looking fellows at a nearby table had ink spots on their hands, perhaps indicating scribes. Others sat at the bar and tables nearby gave no immediate clue as to their profession, though he could smell a strong odour of garlic on the man closest to him, which made him wonder if the man was a cook perhaps.
The term jellied eel rolls around in Yvandel's head for a few moments, the thought not that appealing to him, but the young illusionist wasn't terribly surprised that the food had something to do with fishing. "Sounds unusual. If it isn't too expensive, I'll try it." His words are confident but his voice isn't as he commits to a lunch choice.
He looks over at Milo to see if he's planning to eat as well and if he has any thoughts on the special of the day.
Milo had been watching the room as Yv had been talking to the barkeep, and only slowly realised his opinion was needed, "Yes, the eels will do fine for me. Will be something new to tell the others when they turn up." With that he added, "And a good ale or wine to go with it please."
The Barkeep nods, taking their coins and yelling their order out to the kitchen behind before preparing their drinks.
As the pair sip their drinks, awaiting the food, they sit quietly, listening with half an ear to the conversations around them. One of the groups nearest to them and also sat at the bar seem to be talking about the forthcoming celebrations on the 9th Eleasias.
Some wood-working types on a table a little further down the tap room seem to be having an animated discussion about the best types of wood for different things and how hard it was getting good quality wood into the city these days.
The two youngish scribe types who seem in reality to be of a similar age to Milo and Yvandel, speak fairly quietly together, though Milo and Yvandel catch a clear reference to Master's Hall - possibly as their workplace - and gather that the two seem to be slating someone - probably someone they work for.
"Certainly looks like a much more interesting place to find out more news about what is going on around here. I'd be tempted to chat with the carpenters after we eat, if you want to work some of your skills on the crowd or talk to perhaps those clerks. Mmmmm, a nice ale. Hope the others are ok. I also this jellied eel wont give me wind!" Milo says with a smile as he looks at Yv, and then around the room. It certainly looks a lot different to the bar he had ended up in last night. Sipping his ale he waited for his food, chatting with Yv as he slowly relaxed a little.
Yv cautiously looks at the meal as its brought out and slowly takes a bite of it letting the flavor sink in to decide if he likes it or not. With a slight shrug, he begins eatting his meal and taking very small sips of the ale that was brought out for him.
Nodding as he looks around the room again, "Yeah, talking with some of the people here would be nice if they'll talk to us. Those were quite the stares we received when we walked in."
He does notice the scribes as being of similiar age and agrees that they would probably be a good choice for Yv to talk to initially.
"I think that was more to do with being strangers than an unwillingness to talk. I for one would like to hear a different set of gossip that the ones from last night. What say we see if anyone wants a drink on us. I'd like to talk to the carpenters, if you want to check on some of the others. I'm willing to cover any costs incurred." Milo says, his stomach now full, if a little suspect of his choice of food. He suspected they might get someone to open up on some of the rumours going around, especially if someone else was willing to pay for the ale.
Milo and Yvandel split at the bar and approach some of the locals.
Conversation with the woodcarvers is slow going to start for Milo, the locals naturally suspicious of Milo, but the prospect of a free drink loosens tongues somewhat and a certain curiosity about the stranger - especially when the magical tattoos on the back of Milo's hands get spotted by one of the more eagle-eyed carpenters - helps make the conversation more than just an interrogation.
Milo discovered that the main topic of angst that this particular group seemed to be the problems with getting certain specialist woods from the High Forest. The elves never like people cutting trees from their home, but that was not the main issue - more simply that transporting those logs up from Jalanthar seemed to be a problem. The road wasn't good and MoonPass was becoming increasingly dangerous these days - meaning the price of wood was increasing as the cost of protecting the caravans was rising.
Meanwhile, Yvandel introduced himself to the two pen-pushers. Unfortunately, they were unable to chat with him for long since they had to return to work, but being of similar age to Yvandel, they seemed to posses less of the inbuilt suspicion that other locals evidenced, and were quick to furnish the young mage with some juicy titbits of local gossip. One of them pronounced with great gravity that Helm Dwarf-friend was in fact a dwarf who had been polymorphed into human years ago, though his companion scoffed at the idea. Instead, he declared that a more likely rumour was what he'd heard about a witch-hunt going on in the government - people's jobs were up for the chop following the recent downturn in the city's finances!