Expedition to Undermountain

[purepolarpanzer]

Suddenly, a loud, jarring crash sounds up through the inn. Several drinks are spilled mid swig as a thick bodied employee or Durnan curses, the pull rope to the elevator in his hands.
Rotten thing! The rope slipped off its pulley again!
He turns, looking over the bar with squinted eyes. He strokes a small beard, then shouts out.
Oy! anyone wanting to go down the shaft tonight can go for free, down and up, if they climb the rungs to the bottom and fix the rope. It slips off once in a while, and it's easy to fix. Just a long climb down, and I didn't bring my sword or armor, so if anythings down there I'd be meat. If not, we need to wait till tomorrow to send anyone down. One whole group for free... come on people!
He is frustrated as several of the more innebriated patrons turn away laughing, and the rest simply shake their heads. Most are either coming up from a trip or unprepared to go down.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Annikko

With the noise and crowd of the tavern, Durnan fails to notice Annikko until she is tugging on his hand to get his attention. Excuse me a moment sir, she says. I'd like to go down. I think your offer must be the Perfect Gem's way of telling me to get off my butt already! She giggles for a moment. Umm, how much does it usually cost to get a ride on the pulley?

[#Raptor]

Akiano

He felt that he couldn't add much too Endirils comment about goblins. He would probably have come to the conclusion that Endiril must have had a unfortunate clash with goblins, if it would not have been for the elevator crashing and the employee cursing loudly.

As he watches the scene, he speaks to Endiril.

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"I suppose this would be a good point of time to mention that I've been thinking, well, perhaps we should form a group? I've been looking for other adventurers skilled enough to go down there, and you seem to fit the bill - and this might just be the opportunity to gain a free ride on the elevator. What do you say, should we take a look at it?"

[Zarah]

Endiril

Akiano's question quickly snapped Endiril from his daze, returning his senses to the tavern. It only took him a split second to answer the question, as if everything they had been talking about just moments before was completely unimportant.

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"It's not exactly my nature to turn down a free anything,"

he replied in Elvish. With a bit of a hole in his pocket, he needed every free ride he could get. Then again, even if he had the money, he'd still try to get anything he could for as little as possible.

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"Besides, this sounds like a cake walk. Let's see who else we can rope into this."

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...so if things go bad, I have a distraction.

he thought as a small grin appeared on his lips before it was flushed away with another swig of ale.

[#Raptor]

Akiano

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"Alright, sounds like a plan to me."

He said, while walking towards the elevator.

Turning his head over his shoulder to talk to endiril while evading a apparently drunk human at the same time, he continued.

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"Perhaps we should ask the gnome here to come with us? Seems like he... or wait, I think its a female. Either way, that gnome seems quite interested in getting down there for free too."

Altough the gnome would be able to hear him - Akiano was now just standing a few steps away from her - he did not feel it would be impolite to speak about her while standing next to her, since only very few gnomes understood elven.

[Zarah]

Endiril

Endiril took a quick moment to look the Gnome over. She seemed to be pretty cheery. Maybe too cheery. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel that she would be able to hold her own when it came down to it. And her eagerness to get into the dungeon would probably prove an easy tool to get her roped in with him and Akiano.

After finishing his quick scan of her, he answered in Elvish,

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"Looks promising. Let's see if she's interested."

[EvilRoeSlade]

Annikko

Annikko turns and narrows her eyes up at Akiano, folding her arms. The effect comes across more as petulant than intimidating. Excuse me? You think I'm a female? And my boobs just grew out too... you're going to make me cry, you know that? She shakes her head, sighing. Elves are never like this in the romance novels.

[#Raptor]

Akiano

Akiano looked at the gnome, his eyes wide open with surprise. Having a little bit of a bad conscience now, he answers - this time in common, perhaps because of his slight confusion. "Uhhh.. I'm sorry, err.. my lady. I just haven't really met many gnomes by now. You look very female. And to be honest... I didin't expect you to speak elven."
It became quite obivious that he felt rather uncomfortable in this situation, with his head blushing, so he decided to change the topic to something that he felt more comfortable about. "Oh, and... as you surely overheard, me and my new acquaintance here, we would like to use this opportunity for free travel, and we where just about to ask you if you wold like to join us, so... what do you think? My name is Akiano, by the way."

[purepolarpanzer]

(ok guys posting a thread to recruit for a replacement for Kyuss)

[#Raptor]

((OOC: Thats good, thanks. But don't we also need a new arcane caster? Apparently Kaelik got banned - see the OOC thread.))

[EvilRoeSlade]

Annikko

Annikko keeps a stern expression on her face for a moment longer before bursting into giggles. Oh that's fine, that look on your face makes it all worth it. And you ought to know better, learning a second language is a requirement by the fourth year in any respectable gnome university. And I've had six years of education in the priesthood!

She tilts her head to the side and begins walking around Akiano, and then turning to peer curiously at Endiril. I'm Annikko Arabelle, though I like to be called Quicktongue, or maybe just Ann if that's easier for you. I wouldn't mind joining you, but why don't you each tell me a little bit about yourselves so I can decide if we'll work well together or not?

[#Raptor]

Akiano

Relieved that Anniko doesn't appear to be holding a grudge, he attempts to explain his skills to her. "Well, I am good with... how to say, I love to fiddle with mechanics - they're fascinating to me. Or say, picking a lock! Its just... something I can't really explain, it tickles my nerves in a real pleasant way. And I'm constantly trying to get better."

Then he pauses for a small moment, looking at the shaft before he turns to Anniko again. "Oh, and I'm somewhat competent with those two." he points at the sheated shortswords hanging by his left and right side. "Altough I believe I probably shouldn't be the one standing in front... not that I'd be overly weak, but I'm not exactly what they call a bruiser."

[Zarah]

Endiril

"I'm not overly thrilled with being in front either, but I can certainly lend my skills toward the challenge. Especially if there's some... monetary incentive," he said, gesturing to the longbow on his back. Although he was reluctant to reveal anything else about himself to such a stranger, he decided to continue anyway.

"The name's Endiril, and I've spent my time among the forests. I figured it was about time to find something a bit more profitable to do. This little bit of goblin hunting sounds like it could be just the thing."