Open Chronicles A Rumor of a Cure.

[Mambo]

A Rumor of a Cure

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(For the person who replies first. Other joiners will be responded to!)

You find yourself in a worn down tavern in the lower slums of Alliria, a place full of scoundrels, thieves, and other miscreants. No one stops as you enter as the gentle clinking of glasses, the messy chowing of food, and joyful chatter fills the tavern. The tavern itself isn't much of a sight, broken floors, peeling wallpaper, and grime everywhere. A strong scent of sweat and body odor perfumes the air, probably from the many patrons. The some bar stools appears to be open, at least ones that have a space in between the next person. The bartender is a colossal, burly man who is currently cleaning glasses. He is wearing a white, barely fitting shirt, showing his hairy chest. He seems to be the only one who glances at you as you enter, he huffs, nods his head to an empty stool, and returns to cleaning.

 

[Veris Thymae]

The day in Alliria had already been a particularly long one for Veris and so he began to search for a place to acquire water. By that time, he had spent a couple of days in Alliria though he didn't recall any of the roads that stood before him. Living food was at times hard for him to find in bigger cities. His most recent search for a meal had lead him on a chase of sorts as he admittedly had difficulty catching the small creature. When he finally did manage to catch and eat the creature he realized he had traveled quite a distance. Not knowing where to go or even look to go it had taken him some time to find the tavern. Veris had not recognized the building by name, but seemed to recalls that ones labeled 'Tavern' often sold liquids of varying kinds.

Upon entering the building he made an observation about how crowded the tavern was. He found that usually under such conditions he could remain relatively unbothered. Therefore the building had the potential to be a good resting spot. If of course he could find a seat to sit in and water to hydrate himself. He noticed the large man in charge of the liquids look at him and seemingly signal towards a seat. From previous experiences he reasoned if he sat there he could acquire a drink. So he moved through the room doing his best to avoid bumping into any others. The plant never liked when its vines were jostled abruptly by others. He sat upon the stool and bumped a man next to him with the brim of his large had. Though the man seemed to busy drinking to pay any mind. The man with the liquids, called the bartender he thought he remembered, had become distracted again with his little glasses. So Veris decided to wait patiently for the man to interact with him and sat staring straight forward in his seat.

 

[Mambo]

"Never seen ye 'round 'ere before lad," the large Bartender spoke in a gruff voice as he scans Veris as if trying to get a read of him. "Anythin' oi can get-" he would begin to say before the man who Veris bumped into a bit earlier blurt out. He was a human skinny in frame and had a thin face and a long nose. He was wearing a black leather jerkin and raggedy linen pants. "H... hey!," the man hiccuped, slamming an empty tankard on the bar. The man was obviously had too many drinks and was slurring his words. "G-get meh... anotha!" He snickers as he stares at the much larger bartender. "Lad," he huffed as he glances over to the drunkard, "dis be only yer third and yer off yer rocker!" He looks back to Veris as if to repeat his question before the man burst out again. "Y-yer... no fuuuun!" He cries as he crosses his arms, almost like a child not getting a toy at the store. "Say," the tipsy patron grins at Veris, showing his teeth with some missing, "Have ye... been... tooo the Bayou?"

 

[Veris Thymae]

Veris noticed the bartender man had begun to speak to him and tilted his head up to look at him. He thought it was strange for the man to mention his being new to the area. It was a very basic observation and Veris questioned why the man felt the need to make it. Furthermore, he couldn't see any way in which it related to the procurement of liquids. He decided to make not of it as another of the strange things people so commonly said when making 'small talk'. Veris, however, had no intention of conversing with the man and was relieved when he began to steer the conversation to business. Before the man finished his question he was interrupted by the man next to Veris. Unbothered by the situation and the drunk man's loud behavior Veris continued to stare up at the bartender as he dealt with the situation.

It wasn't until the loud man turned his attention to Veris that he would turn to face him. The man proceeded to question him about having ever been to something known as a 'the Bayou'. Unsure of what this place was Veris stared trying to recall if he knew anything about it. After a few seconds, he decided it would be most logical to answer his question and inquire to learn more. "No. What is this 'the Bayou' of which you speak?" He would say quite plainly his voice sounding muffled from the vines spanning his face. As he waited for the man's answer he stared at him making uncomfortably direct eye contact.

 

[Mambo]

"De Baaaayou Garra...marisma!" The man hiccups as he would clumsily puts a hand on on Veris' shoulder with a wide grin. "A place fuuuuull of danger and... and... excitement! Judging 'ow... ye don't... knoooow... Yeee eva 'eard about de witch doctor?" The patron inquires with a snicker, expecting Veris to ask for more information.

"T'ats enough out of ye," the bartender interrupts as he glares at the drunkard and to Veris. "Don't listen to 'im, ye will just get yerself in danger if ye listen to rumors of scoundrels and chase em." The bartender growls at the drunkard as the patron raises his frail hands into the air as he did so.

"Relaaax relaaax!" The scoundrel expresses in worry, "Oi don't wanna be... kiiiicked... out like last time!"

The bartender huffs heavily in frustration. "Does a foine ale sound good to ye lad?" He asks Veris as he turns around to grab an empty tankard.

 

[Veris Thymae]

Veris had never before heard of such a thing as the Bayou Garramarisma. It didn't sound like another city which generally meant it would be a wild place. This piqued Veris' interest as it seemed to present a good opportunity for him to discover new plant life. Though the witch doctor person sounded like they might cause problems should he explore the bayou. He wasn't quite sure who or what a witch doctor was and certainly wouldn't go into the situation blindly. Veris turned to the bartender again as he finished scalding the drunkard. He had meant to ask the man a question but was instead met with one himself.

The question reminded him of why he had even entered the building in the first place. Veris could feel pangs of dryness throughout his body and was pleased with the timing of the question. "Water." He would state simply to the bartender. Then he remembered his question and decided to ask about that as well. "What exactly is the witch doctor?" He asked the bartender. Though kept part of his attention on the other man as well, curious if he would speak up again to answer.

 

[Mambo]

"Water." He would state simply to the bartender.

The muscular bartender bobs his square head as he pivots in the direction of a large wooden jug and pours some water into it, humming deeply.

"What exactly is the witch doctor?" He asked the bartender.

The delirious man would open his mouth slightly before the bartender simple pointed at him without looking as he kept his eyes on the finishing tankard. The patron simply closed his mouth again, looks to Veris with a disappointed expression, and shrugged. The bartender turns again to Veris, gingerly placing down the tankard on the bar in front of him with a sigh. "Lad, oi'll tell ye about dat, but oi suggest not going there, place is full of scoundrels, thieves, smugglers, and not to mention ferocious wildlife. De Bayou Garramarisma is a swamp not far from 'ere to de south." The bartender reaches under the bar and pulls out a folded paper which he unfolds into a map. He points to a large mass of land with his large index finger. "Rumors tell o' a witch doctor which lies in de deepest part o' de Bayou," he continues as he slides his finger slightly northward from the giant lake. "Apparently de man 'as a potion which can cure any disease, no matter 'ow rotten it is. Many tried to find 'im but they never return, such brave fools. Many 'ere say that the witch doctor killed em, oi t'ink it's de wildlife." he clears his throat as he folds up the map again and slides it under the bar.

 

[Veris Thymae]

Veris was pleasantly surprised at the swiftness with which the bartender began to get his drink. He had become used to a few complaints about how he should get something else on many occasions before. However, instead of complaining or even commenting on Veris' choice of drink, he simply got to work. Meanwhile, the man next Veris seemed about to elaborate on what he had said earlier. Though with just one small gesture from the bartender, his mouth was closed and he had clearly given up. By that time the bartender had set down Veris' drink in front of him. Then he began to speak offering information about the bayou as well as a warning. As he reached down to retrieve something under the bar Veris placed his left hand atop the tankard in front of him. He held the jug tightly with his hand as a large dark green vine began to make its way out of his glove and down into the water. The leaves on his head would twitch as a wave of cool relief began to emanate into his hand and then through the rest of his body.

The bartender unfolded the paper he retrieved from the underside of the bar and revealed it to be a map. As he explained more about the bayou and the witch doctor Veris listened carefully and paid close attention. Just as he'd already thought, the Bayou Garramarisma seemed like an ideal place to encounter new plant life. Not to mention the witch doctor seemed like some he could learn a thing or two from as well. Though he did also pose the risk of trying to kill him. Veris supposed he had done worse things for the sake of knowledge, even if it was a bit illogical. "Thank you for the information." He would say to the bartender, thinking some more. "I believe it's in my belief that I should find this witch doctor. He may be able to provide me with some useful information. Can you tell me how to get out of Alliria from here, or supply me with a map of the city?" He asked the bartender as he reached into his mantle to receive his coin purse.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx didn’t have a high opinion of humans and other surface dwellers, but that didn’t stop her from observing them. They often coughed up quite a bit of information that would come in handy in her future expansion projects. Every now and then she enjoyed a drink or two in the surface as it was a nice reprieve from the mushroom extracts.

The Drow found herself in a tavern in Alliria. She ignored the suspicious glances cast her way and made herself comfortable in a table off to the side. Vyx was smoking a pipe, letting plumes of smoke trail from her nostrils as she felt a light buzz. She had infused a mixture of herbs and plants from the Underrealm and it gave her quite the high.

Her keen ears picked up on the conversation about the bayou and a witch doctor. Vyx had been uninterested until it was revealed this ‘doctor’ could cure ailments. Most recently many of her people had been afflicted with the draconic plague and had been under quarantine. She had wanted to simply kill the Drow that had it but her advisors cautioned against it.

The Drow’s red eyes watched the exchange curiously as she drew in from the pipe. She would follow them if they ventured out in search of this person.

 

[Mambo]

"Thank you for the information." He would say to the bartender, thinking some more. "I believe it's in my belief that I should find this witch doctor. He may be able to provide me with some useful information. Can you tell me how to get out of Alliria from here, or supply me with a map of the city?" He asked the bartender as he reached into his mantle to receive his coin purse.

The bartender furrows his bushy eyebrows as Veris as he explains he wanted to go into the Bayou. "Oi gave ye me best warnin' lad, if yer set on dis, go out of de and turn left, keep goin fer a bit, and ye s'ould find yerself at de gates," he explains as he gestures to the door. "Oh, and no need to pay. Water is free 'ere," he smiles lightly as Veris would reach into his coin purse before returning to a more stern look, "best o' luck lad, don't die out dere." The bartender bobs his head as he began to tend to other patrons.

"Hey, tell me... if he is real. Aaaalright?" The drunkard snickers as he clumsily got up from the seat, pat Veris on the back, and stumbled to the door, tripping a bit while on his way there.

 

[Veris Thymae]

Veris listened carefully to the bartender's instructions on how to get out of the city. He didn't want to let history repeat itself and get lost yet again in the city. Though to his surprise, all he needed to do was simply take a left turn and keep going that way. It made him wonder how he ever got so confused in the first place. The thought wouldn't stay in his mind long as he quickly became more concerned with the task at hand.

He'd slip his small coin purse securely back in its pocket glad he didn't need to pay. Veris would stand from his stool waiting a few seconds before he let go of his drink. The empty tankard would slide towards the back of the bar as Veris pushed it so the bartender could collect it. Without any other words, he was on his way out of the bar. The empty space he left behind would quickly be filled by other patrons and the hustle and bustle of the tavern would continue.

With his staff in hand and his bag at his side, Veris exited the tavern. He'd switch his staff over to his other hand while turning left as per the bartender's instructions. Continuing straight he would move his right hand into the bag hanging below it. Before reaching the Bayou Garramarisma he wanted to have an idea of the number of seeds he had left in case a fight took place. As he made his way to the gates he would be far too busy thinking and preparing himself to notice if he was being followed. Though even if he did see the Drow he was apt to assume she was merely heading in the same direction. So after finishing his supply count, he would continue on his way, the city's gates eventually coming into view. Provided there were no issues along his way he would proceed through the gates and head to the bayou. Along his journey, the scenery around him would gradually begin to change. Mainly the ground began to gain moisture and lose solidity rather quickly. Eventually, there would even be certain spots where the ground was almost liquid itself. Though the plant life around him would begin to change as well, a sight which Veris was happy to see. It was a bit of a walk but eventually, he would finally reach the bayou and begin looking around. He had never seen something like the Bayou Garramarisma before so he was sure to stop for a bit just to take in the sights.

 

[Vyx'aria]

Vyx had enough information to get going. Her gaze flickered briefly to the strange human with the staff. He smelled human, but there was something oddly earthly about him. What kind of creature was he? The Drow was largely unfamiliar with many races of the surface, and she certainly didn’t know them by smell.

He appeared to be curious about the witch doctor, and she would follow him. Vyx didn’t give off any odd vibes despite her usually suspicious nature. She fell into step a respectable distance behind him, not bothering to hide.

The staff in his hand looked curious, and she would perhaps swipe it to take back to a sorceress in the Underrealm. All manners of plots began to swirl in her mind, but for now she simply observed and followed.

After a while, he abruptly came to a stop and appeared to simply….stare. Was he just sightseeing? This put Vyx in a predicament, but she remained a ways behind for now, though the ruse was going to be difficult to keep up. If there were dangers on the road, she would rather he face them first.

Veris Thymae

 

[Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr]

The Golem made his usual rounds in the Arrack Slums, going through the west gate to the lower city and passing by Sando's brothel. He then headed down the muddied cobblestone road that stretched out into the marshes of the west side of the slums. Years of being one of the few watchmen who dared patrolling the slums on a regular basis meant that most of the people here were used to his presence but still cursed, mocked, and goaded him. As usual, he paid them no mind.

As he strode down his route he noticed a new out cropping of housing and establishments around the main west road of the slums. The Golem decided he should adapt his route to expand a little further outward, he continued until he reached the streets furthest street lamp across from a new tavern or bar, which after a certain amount of time he would turn north to patrol his newly expanded route. As he stood watch there, unmoving like a rusted statue, he watched an amusing little scarecrow man begin to move down the path, a warmer shade than the slums usually made. Just after him a drow, a shade that the Golem was much more familiar with. It was female, had fine black clothes, and walked like the roads were pathed for it: it was of noble origin, the Golem knew that a drow noble is more trouble than a hundred drow shmucks. The Golem had enough intuition to tell that this one was trouble, but he needed to catch it in an act, so he resolved to follow it, using his patrol route to conceal his ghosting of it.