[The Crown] At the bar (Open)

Dabin Zulk · November 11, 2007, 02:44 PM

Dabin walked into the Tavern, which had seemed to be slow. Today was his last day as a normal citizen for tomorrow will begin his basic training. He thought it would be good to spend his last few moments at bar. He doubted he would ever find much time for a social life once basic started but it didn't hurt to make friends or at least study the people.

Life was so much bigger than the simple farm he had spent growing up. Streets were crowded and people were on the go. It wasn't as relaxed as his village. He ordered an ale and just listen to the music while a smoky haze danced above his head.

Eyvind Redbeard · November 11, 2007, 03:21 PM

OOC: I took the liberty of timestamping this thread so my PC can join it

Evening of the 11th Brightening of the First Cycle of the Month of Cryxatum in the season of Summer; Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum.

His last night in the Imperial Capital. And there was anything better to do than passing it in the best Tavern of the Empire? Sided by some of his men Daekin Eyvind "Redbeard" Avornmagor entered the Crown Inn and Tavern. They had been discussing strategy ideas and training plans for the Centuri they had been assigned to in Taralon.

"I'd say we make them got through worse things in trainings that what they will find in battle. Give them no time to breath!"

Said a bulky jet black Dorin.

"And don't forget that coordination in the ranks wins battles, we must make sure they are really close to each other and that they work as one."

Said a tall blonde Vagaran.

"Their individual fighting capability must be improved so they know how to use all weapons with the same profiency and that they will know how fight whatever foe they are thrown against without hesitating."

Said another man.

With a laugh the leading man, the tallest of the group, a giant among men with his flaming red hair, turned to his companions.

"Gentlemen, we must focus on one thing at the time while we plan the trainings so we can then apply everything at the same time during them."

"Hmm...maybe you are right, we have spent much time teaching a specific thing to our recruits in the past Eras."

Laughed the blonde man. The other smiled and laughed along.

"Now let's take a sit and drink something. We can start with Coates idea."

The red haired man turned and walked to an empty table, his men sat around it and promptly appeared a waitress carrying some ale for them. Drinking his ale from a large tankard Eyvind listened to his NCOs as they spoke.

Dabin Zulk · November 11, 2007, 03:55 PM

OOC: No I don't mind I should learn how to time stamp better, but its one of the things I get nervous about lol.

Dabin look over as he laid down the 8 gold for his ale. He paid a little bit more, but it was for the tip. He listen to the men and observed for a while, as they talked loudly and laughed. He just watched taking note and studying each of them. Eyvind was the leader of the pack it would seem.

Dabin decided to be nice and introduce himself to the men at the very least. He had no real intentions in joining their party. "Serale Sirs, my name is Dabin Zulk. Newly recruited into the Legion." He saluted the men before him. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing, but then again he has not been officially been drilled in.

Eyvind Redbeard · November 11, 2007, 04:51 PM

The group silented when Dabin approached. They turned to him on their chairs. Coates took a sip on his ale. Dogg, the Dorin scratched his hairy ear. They were all a little bit tense, it wasn't so usual to see common folk interacting with Imperials, and these more than mere soldiers, these were some the best Drill Instructors in the Jade and a comissioned Officer. When the young man presented himself they all relaxed. Jard'en Burkid the third man smiled.

Eyvind stood up and smiled to the newcomer.

"At ease! No need for formalities in here recruit, we are just talking and drinking."

The man said.

"I am Daekin Eyvind "Redbeard" Avornmagor and these are my NCOs."

He presented himself.

"Shield Daekin Dogg, Shield Daekin Coates, Shield Daekin Jard'en Burkid, Senior Legionnaire Drok and Senior Legionnaire Eirik Elebson."

The red haired man said as he pointed his companions. The Dorin, the blonde Vagaran, the Medonian, the beardy dwarf who stood up to get another chair and the young Vagaran who had a harp on his lap. All the of them greeted Dabin with a smile on their faces, except for Dogg who couldn't smile and Drok whose smile couldn't be seen under his beard.

"It is good to meet someone new to the Legions. Please, sit with us this Darkening. Drok even got you a chair."

The Daekin nodded to the dwarf.

"Thank you, Drok."

Sitting again and waiting for Dabin to take a sit the tall Vagaran turned to him and continued.

"So what is the name of this new member of our great botherhood?"

Dabin Zulk · November 11, 2007, 07:31 PM

"Dabin Zulk and it is a pleasure to meet all of you." He was worried at first on how the men tensed up but once Dabin had introduced himself they had seemed to warm up. Dabin took the offered seat. He looked at the men before him. "I hope I didn't intrude or startled you, men. I am still getting used to being in the Capital. Nothing compared to a small farming village."

Dabin's roots are the humblest of ones, and yet he was aspiring to be more. "So what is it that you men do with in the Legion?"

Teig O'Maolain · November 12, 2007, 01:07 PM

Having finished his final evening of Barding in the Crown Tavern, Teig noticed Eyvind and the Drill Instructors enter the tavern.

He watched the new comer go to speak to them This one has raw recruit written all over him..

He walked over to the table as the young recruit was asking his question.

He clasped the young man on the shoulder.

Turning around, the young recruit would see a proudly dressed man, handsome, wearing the rank insignia of a Spear Daekin, and calm ice blue eyes that seemed to peer into his soul.

"Well my young friend, that one over there... He notioned to Eyvind Redbeard,

Is probably one of the best commanders a raw recruit could hope for. but don't be the one to wake him in the morning, he can be quite grouchy

he chuckled softly, offering a salute to his CO.

These three are THE finest drill instructors in the legion, that I have ever had the privelege to know and train under. Their job is to break recruits like yourself and turn them into Legionnaires like me. He motioned to the other
men at the table.

And me? It's my job to make sure that they don't kill the raw recruits... too badly... He had a hearty laugh before letting the recruit's shoulder go.

Spear Daekin Teig Titus O'Maolain he said, laughing before pulling himself up a chair.

Eyvind Redbeard · November 12, 2007, 01:50 PM

Eyvind smiled as he saw Teig approaching. He hadn't seen his Spear Daekin in the tavern when the group entered. It was good to be together again in the Tavern after so many Cycles away.

"Come on Teig! I am not that grouchy!"

The Vagaran laughed. O'Maolain's jokes always made him laugh. The man's good mood would be something good to have nearby when the cold of Winter came in a land he knew nothing of.

"Dabin, don't believe what Teig says about me!"

He laughed some more.

"But you can surely believe what he told about our three Shield Daekins. These are the men who trained us when we first joined the Legions. They know how to prepare a recruit for a harsh life. Unfortunately for you they are leaving with me to train the Centuri I was assigned to in Taralon. But don't lose your morale! Shield Daekin Pennington is still in the Jade and believe me he will push you hard!"

The men around the table laughed at the comment about Pennington. Indeed he would push the recruit hard. Pennington's balance in training had earned him the role of lead Drill Instructor of the Jade for this very reason.

Dabin Zulk · November 13, 2007, 12:28 AM

Dabin looked over as he felt the hand of another on his shoulder, it had took him by surprise but he finally calmed down after hearing the light hearted man speak. "Dabin Zulk and it is a pleasure to meet you." He nodded. Dabin was plain compared to Teig in appearances, actually Dabin was average compared to many people. Which was a good thing if you wanted to be a member of the Imperial Shield, of course he was not going to broadcast that out loud. He liked to keep his interest of being an agent for the Empire on the low.

Then the leader spoke on basic and Dabin just smiled to himself. Yes, there was that small part of him that was afraid but really he believed in himself. "I think I will fair fine, not to sound overconfident. Actually, and I know I have to crawl before I can walk, I am more excited after basic and see where I would best serve. It is like going to school, knowing better things are out there when you are done....if that makes any sense at all."

He looked over at the men. "So, I bet you guys have some funny war stories to tell."

Teig O'Maolain · November 13, 2007, 02:55 PM

Teig laughed.
he looked over at Jard'en, and chuckled again.

My friend over here taught me one very valuable lesson. Always wear a little padding around your neck, lest your chain mail catch on your throat. then Teig's face turned grave.

don't mistake me, friend, while I have a light hearted and jovial person, War is not funny. It is one of the truly terrifying and awe inspiring things in this world. Telath is not for the meek, and those who consider its wars to be amusing are often the ones who will be first to fall. He raised his glass in memory of fallen comrades.

That being said, let myself and Eyvind tell you about a certain sword daekin by the name of Kella Greeran...

He smiled at Eyvind, and had to hold back from calling him Captain Alleria.

Dabin Zulk · November 15, 2007, 03:55 PM

He nodded to Teig apparently these men had seen a lot more action than he had imagined. These men were battle hardened warriors. He just sat there with his drink waiting for the story.

By the expression on Teig's face he this was going to be a good one. Dabin just sat there smiling, he knew his other life with Imperial Shields will come soon enough, but no tales of valor or heroics will ever be sung about him.

Eyvind Redbeard · November 16, 2007, 07:39 AM

Eyvind nodded to Teig and raised his tankard in memory to the fallen. He had experienced first hand what a leader feels when his men die. And he had experienced that without any preparation, when he was a simple recruit. He still remembered the ambush in Old Prime with grieve. Losing fellow recruits and with their NCO dead Eyvind had taken the command of the Manus, men died, Kella had got hit by a crossbow bolt in her leg, Cyrus had almost died and he himself had almost been shoot in his back by a cunnying rioter. It had been bloody and he still remembered it all. He still remembered the vapour cloud coming from the Dwarf Shield Daekin in front of him being crossed and shattered by the first bolt, the same one that took the Dwarf's life.

When Teig mentioned Kella, the Vagaran looked at him. What did the man want? A small grin showed up in Eyvind's face. So you want to play the game, alright!

"Sword Daekin indeed. So I have heard. Things changed during my absence."

He tried to change the way of the conversation a little.

"How is she, my friend? I haven't seen her since I departed to Mystique."

Eirik played with his harp's strings. The young and spirituous Vagaran had heard about Eyvind's fondness for Kella.

"Not you! If you start singing a ballad I will have you running around the outer walls before your eyes blink again!"

The Daekin joked.

"Now seriously, Dabin. She is the nicest person you can find, she simply has a sense of humour that is unique to her. Like I said before in a journey we once took. Respect her and be respected. That's all."

Dabin Zulk · November 19, 2007, 01:36 AM

"Seems like a simple enough rule to live by." Dabin looked at his superiors. "How does th ballad go?" He grinned, if there was one thing Dabin loved, it was song and a humorous story. So many ballads seemed to be about love or great battles. "I respect a man who can play, never had a chance to learn myself, being a simple farm boy. I hope they don't require singing in basic, or my drill instructor will be giving me his back hand through most of it." Dabin joked with the men.

mongarth · November 19, 2007, 07:16 AM

Mongarth walked in to The Crown. He was exhausted after a long days work. He sat on a stool next to the bar and ordered an ale. It was clear that he was gasping for a drink.

Kella Greeran · November 30, 2007, 08:07 PM

"Lud, what's this?"
A Vagaran woman, on the smaller side considering her heritage, stood adjacent to the table. She wore a man's style of clothing in the color of a winter sea, but it was tailored to taper a bit about her shape. One hand was place on her tilted hip, the other held a drink, and a mild look of approbation colored her features.
"My ears are burning."
With little ado the woman tilted back whatever amber liquid was in her palm sized glass. She winced a bit and shook her head, as if trying to shake the bitter taste from her mouth.
"And now my throat is too."
She doled out one of her half grins as she pulled up a chair, stealing one recruit's footrest
"Ginger, Teig I saw you boys from the bar and immediately knew I needed something with a little more bite than ale."
A bit of a glitter could possess Kella when she was in a brighter mood. When drunk, she bloody sparkled like a Queen's coronet. At the moment, she was still in her "glitter phase" but a few doses more of her amber poison and she might start to juggle mugs for Teig and braid Eyvind's hair. For all the resilience she had established, she was still on the smaller side and able to be overtaken with drink. Especially considering her evening's fare of whiskey.

The woman continued, "That and I have been cooped up with the quartermaster for Brightenings on end."
She sighed with mock solemnity, "So men, it is on your shoulders to entertain me and hence lift my drear. And I know Legionnaires can't resist a damsel in distress."

Eyvind Redbeard · December 20, 2007, 08:29 AM

The men around the table laughed and smiled at Eyvind's face when he saw Kella showing up. If there was something he wasn't waiting for was to see her in his last Darkening in Aelyria Prime. His mouth half open and his gaze completely locked in Kella, then he recovered his composture and looking around to see if someone had noticed as he stood up.

"Serale, Kella."

He said while walking in her direction and bowing his head slightly while crossing his arm over his chest in a knightly way. Turning to the men sitting around the table and clapping hands he said.

"You heard the lady! Eirik show us what music you can squezze from that harp of yours! Teig were you the one who wanted to be a bard?"

He grinned to his companion and patted his shoulder.

"The drinks are on me! If this is to be our last Darkening here let us make it superb! Waitress! Bring us something to drink! I am thirsty!"

He laughed as he saw his men standing up and starting singing and playing the harp. Only Shield Daekin Dogg remained on his chair calmly drinking his ale, but not for long Eyvind knew it. When all the men were distracted with singing and drinking he turned to Kella.

"How are you?"

He asked with a gentle smile while taking a small scrol from his belt's pounch.

"This letter...is for you to deliver to your Commanding Officer, but only if you want to. You may read it before delivering it."

He said in a low voice which was a mix of seriousness and gentleness.

Secrets :

After handing her the letter he passed his hand on her hair and turned to the table to grab two tankards.

"This Darkening we drink ale, we don't want to get ourselves drunk do we?"

His eyes shinnying in happyness because she was there, after a long trip like the one he had just returned from and the one he was about to begin, she was there.