[The traditional opening tavern scene to set the stage for the adventure...if you're reading this and not sure what's going on, read the thread announcing all this, and the thread with the character intros. If you want to join in the game, post an intro for your character to the character intros thread, and I'll let you know when your character shows up.]

The Inn of the Broken Sword is a landmark in the seedier section of Artesia City. It sits against the city wall itself, near the gate that leads to the road across the island to the dock city. The inn is the first that foot weary travelers see when entering Artesia City. Many first time visitors end their day there after wandering the city.

The inn is filled with a rough and ready crowd. Experienced eyes can see a higher percentage of adventurers than you normally find in most inns. Artesia City is the frontier, the farthest you can go to escape the strictures and bureaucracy of the Empire. Adventurers gravitate here, to spend their lives probing the monster filled lands of the mainland.

The owner of the inn is a grey bearded man with powerful arms named Varian. He stands behind the bar calmly serving drinks, the two halves of a broken sword affixed to the wall above him.

Sitting in a corner alone is a giant of a man, totally hairless as far as anyone can see. Dressed in leather, with a huge oaken staff propped against the wall, he drinks ale from oversized mugs and watches the rest of the crowd.

A woman wanders the crowd, playing a lute and singing ballads of adventurous exploits. As she passes by this group or that, they smile, laugh, or groan, recognizing their own names in the ballad she's composing as she sings.

All is quiet so far, but the night has hardly begun.

[Post the entry for your characters, and feel free to create other NPCs for them to interact with. If you want to do something that would normally require a roll in most games, but won't affect the scene overmuch, go ahead and decide what happens based on what you think is the most fun/interesting/comical, etc.]

"That's nice, sir," Derissa's voice oozed passed her lips. "Mm...a collector, you say?" her ears perked. "Ah...a great many treasures...oh, of course, I'd love to see your treasures and conquests..." Derissa's golden eyes sparkled as the half-wit of a man in the tavern withdrew a pouch with gems of various kinds within. "Truly a magnificent plunder, m'lord," Derissa cooed. "But, have you had a gemsmith appraise the value?" The man looked at her and shook his head, confused. "Ah, well, how do you know the value if you know not what they are worth?"

"I's bloody di'monds in there, girly!" the man spoke with a drunken brough.

"Ah, but I tell you, I can surely appraise your plunder. I won't even charge you," Derissa smiled.

The man eyed her cautiously. "Why?"

Derissa blinked. "Why should I charge? I try to keep it on the low-down that I am, in fact, an appraiser. Do you realize how many people would start hounding me? It'd be work, work, work all the time! A girl's gotta get her beauty sleep..." The man considered her a moment. The better part of drunkenness, however, overtook his sensibilities and to Derissa, he handed the gem pouch.

Pouring the multitude of emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and sapphires into her hand, her eyes glinted and sparkled as the deceptions began to roll. "Just a bunch of glass," she spoke finally, wrinkling her nose.

"What?!" the man bellowed, almost falling off his chair.

"Sorry, mate," Derissa shrugged, pouring the gems back into the bag. "If you risked your life for this, well...someone certainly had a nice laugh," she quirked a smile and handed the bag of gems back to the man. He waved it off with a dismissive gesture and a grumble.

"Keep th' worthless things. Make yerself a necklace..." Disgruntled and saddened, he removed himself from the table and staggered out of the tavern. With a slight smirk, Derissa slipped the bag into her coat pocket and hopped from the table. Her eyes glanced around the room--all was at it should be, or so she thought. It was good enough.

She shook out her hair and let the raven tresses fall over her shoulders. Adjusting her trenchcoat and beltpouch, she wandered over to Varian, a winning smile on her lips and a wink ready for him. "Hey, V," she began. "How 'bout a tankard, eh? Don't worry, I'll pay ya this time..."

Varian pours a tankard of ale and slides it to Derissa, his eyes narrowing.

"Just in from dock city, and already you're flush? I don't want any trouble here, girl." He leans toward her, his elbows on the bar, and his voice lowered.

"True enough, though, that sot would have lost it all in gambling before the night was out anyway, or been rolled for it on his way home. Mind you don't meet the same fate."

Clearly, little passes Varian's notice in his bar.

The minstrel stops at the bar in her wandering through the tavern. Varian fills a small mug with a clear fluid, which she sips gratefully. Her hair is shoulder length, an unremarkable shade of brown. The rest of her is similarly unremarkable, except for her voice. As Derissa heard earlier, that is quite remarkable.

The minstrel looks at Derissa, smiling.

"Who are you, then? Another adventurer looking for fame and fortune? Best tell me your name now, in case you don't return from your adventures."

"Right enough," Varian agrees. "Merry here will make your name immortal in song, return or not."

"...Well immortal names..i happen to hear. " i start approaching the trio, " benedict is the name, i am a collector of stories and i would love to hear what are your exploits that they would win you immortality"....

Merry nods in greeting to the newcomer.

"The exploits themselves aren't so important," she says, "It's how they're told."

She gestures to a portly fellow swigging ale at a nearby table.

"Old Crow there is famous around these parts because he once passed out at the annual Lighting of the Moon festival. Not a mighty deed, but by the time I was done singing about it you couldn't walk into an alehouse and hear about anything else for a month."

Old Crow grumbles a bit and waves a hand in dismissal.

"That's fashinating...can you share any of your stories..i will pay for your time..." i drop a few coins on the table" and it will not be <glass>" i say looking at the strange woman meaningfully..."i want to hear everything and maybe you might be interesting in a few of my own.."

Derissa was about to comment to Merry about the lack of need in knowing her name, when Benedict spoke for her. She quirked a grin and leaned back against the bar. Her eyes danced as he dropped the coinage on the table.

Hmmm...he could be useful... "Hmmm... braggart or bard?" Derissa smirked to the man. "You have stories, I have stories, this lass has stories...everyone's got a story. Why pay for them? Buy a round of drinks and you'll get further." She smiles and gives him a wink, lifting her tankard to her lips and taking a sip of the ale.

(I wrote something but got......lost in space ????anyway)

"Then drinks it is, and a story from each of us, i consider myself a person who knows many things but there always things to learn, for instance did you knew that the captain of the guard has been recalled ?" I take a look around to see the reaction in their faces. Or on a more theoretical interest where to find the caves of the phoenix ? I may know these things but i also like to hear about the people who first stepped foot to the caves and returned with the tale. The reason for the captains dismissal ; and i don't mean the marriage proposition to chief counselor's younger sister fairytale"

When Derissa claims there's no need to pay for stories, Merry's eyes draw together in the hint of a frown.

"My break is over, heroes," she says, getting to her feet. "I'm off to earn my keep."

She wanders back into the main part of the tavern, singing a song about the founding of Artesia.

Varian chuckles. "Her ale is free anyway, so she's off to look for tips."

Derissa smirks and pours some of the pilfered gems into her hands and gives Varian a wink. "For her, then. She'll find some good use, I'm sure." With a wink, she adds, "See? I can be nice."

Derissa then looks to Benedict. "A captain removed from his post? I'll drink to that! Tell me the story..."