Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms deities are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!
******
As soon as they were out of earshot of Constable Zorac, Teilla let go of Ricardt and commenced to scold him, "What did you think you were doing, trying to pick a fight like that?"
"But half orcs have no place in a peaceful society!" the paladin exclaimed with righteous indignation.
"That depends on the half orc in question and I don't think the temple would let him be a monk if he didn't have the mindset." She noticed her travel companion's attention wander to something else. Her temper started to flare. "Are you even listening to me?" she snapped and then she turned and saw what he was staring at.
A pack of children were playing in the road, across from a weponsmithy and a blacksmithy. The proprietors of the shops and their wives were having a neighborly chat, enjoying the early evening as if all was right with the world. To Teilla and Ricardt, outsiders to the little town of Whizban, it was one of the most bizarre scenes they had ever seen in their young lives.
The adults were an odd group. The blacksmith's wife was a normal, if large, human woman but her husband looked like a full blood orc. The weaponsmith and his lady were both half-elves but the smith had dusky grey skin indicating a dark elven parent.
The children playing in the street had a somewhat normal contingent of humans, half elves, halflings and half orcs, but also youngsters with tails, skin of every possible color, hair that did all sorts of strange things and all sorts of other weird traits usually associated with mixed races.
"I think we better go find your uncle now," Ricardt murmured next to her. Teilla nodded and they made their way to Gorbsen's tavern.
******
Uncle Gorbsen turned out to be a merry faced man of medium build and middle age. He had an easy, ambivalent manner about him which put his patrons at ease. His tavern was renowned for the good local ale it served. He extended a warm welcome to his niece and her travel partner ad treated them to a mug of the house specialty brew while catching up with Teilla's adventures since they'd last spoke. Ricardt kept quiet through most of the banter. Finally Gorbsen got down to the business at hand. "Well, I suppose you both are wondering why I asked you to come," he said.
Teilla grinned, "It had crossed our minds."
"Well, I've got a slight problem with a shipment of dwarven Brandy that was supposed to have shown up last week. Apparently they forgot that they needed to hire a pack train to get it here."
"That doesn't sound good..."
"It isn't, especially not with the Herb and Spell festival starting tomorrow. I can get the goods but it'll take a few days to argue prices with the dwarves. I'd appreciate it if you would mind they tavern while I'm away."
Ricardt finally spoke up, "I don't think we're suited to this."
Gorbsen turned to him and asked, "Why not?"
The paladin shifted uncomfortably. "It's just... too strange a place," he said lamely.
"Oh, you mean the variety of folks here. Most of the locals mind their own business and are pretty friendly once you get past surfaces."
"What about the rowdies from out of town?" asked Teilla.
"Let the watch deal with them," Gorbsen said reassuringly. "Zorac gets really tough with disturbers of the peace and Josie Kitten, his second in command, is a dab hand at stopping fights before they start. Anyway, this place is allied with so many different races and factions, it would be political suicide for anyone to take over."
Ricardt looked mildly relieved and Teilla asked, "Any other things we should know?"
"Well, the other drinking establishment in town is Sandra's place. She usually caters to a more high class crowd than I do, but with the festival on don't be surprised at who'll walk in here or there. How 'bout I take you over to meet her? She's really classy. Grew up around here."
As they left the tavern and started walking toward the other end of town, Ricardt asked, "Why are there so many... different children here?"
Gorbsen glanced at him and replied, "The monastery doubles as a reform school and orphanage so they come from all over. Also, about thirty years back, someone ticked off the local pixies and they put love potion in everything edible or drinkable in the area. That's where a large portion of the really strange mixes come from. Oddly, I'm told that everyone who was here for the love potion escapade had the best time ever, even if they can't seem to recall details." He chuckled. "Ah here we are." He pushed open the door to one of the lager two story buildings and went inside. The bard and the paladin followed.
They were greeted by a cozily lit interior. The furniture, while slightly worn, was in good repair. A woman stood behind the bar and was talking with a very handsome man. The lady looked up and exclaimed, "Gorbsen! Nice of you to drop by! Is this young lady your esteemed niece?"
"Sandra, this is Teilla and her partner Ricardt." The paladin's eyes got round again. sandra was an exotic beauty, dressed in white and rich shades of green. Her blue skin was flawless and her artfully twisted ebony tresses nearly hid the two small horns at her hairline. "Pleased to meet you," she said warmly. Ricardt took her proffered hand and bowed over it. Sandra gestured to the other half of her earlier conversation, who got up and came over. "This is Marco, an old friend from school."
Of medium height and build , From a distance Marco would have seemed unremarkable. Up close, Teilla was having trouble taking her eyes off him and was suddenly a bit short of breath. He had flaming lustrous hair, grass green eyes and a ready grin that seemed to light up the whole room. Something about the way he moved suggested he had elf blood somewhere in his parentage. "Nice to meet you," he said and then turned to Teilla. "Say, didn't you compose the 'Ode to Summer' that has been migrating around the western plains?"
Teilla flushed and nodded as Marco continued, "It's a good song. I hope you'll let me take a copy for the rest of the troupe from the temple of Oghma in Larston." He smiled at the blushing half elf.
"Marco you're embarrassing her," Sandra sighed. 'She's not used to that much praise all at once. And you're glowing again."
"Sorry about that," he grinned. "Is Miranda going to be able to make it this year?"
"She should be. It looks like most of the old gang will be here this year. Oh, by the way, Miranda's new employer is likely to show up too."
"Sounds like fun. I'll leave you to your new visitors then." Marco flashed one of his incandescent smiles, waved to all and wandered out the door.
"Everyone else here is mixed, but what is he?" Teilla asked in a stunned voice.
"He's got more than a bit of nymph blood that's all," Answered Sandra. "Anyhow, what's up Gorbsen?"
"Just wanted to show Teilla and Ricardt around before I left," Teilla's uncle replied. "Oh and thanks for that case of elven liqueur."
"It's nothing, just a thank you for your help cleaning up after that wizards duel in here last month."
Ricardt was shocked. "Wizards duel?!" he choked out.
"Yes," said Sandra. "Don't be so surprised! People do strange things after they've seen the bottom of their cups too many times. I've got a few scrolls of anti-magic field kept handy for just these situations, so you needn't worry about me for this week." She smiled at the paladin reassuringly. "Good luck minding Gorb's place. It's sure to get busy tomorrow."
They said their farewells and walked back to Gorbsen's tavern.
******
As soon as they were out of earshot of Constable Zorac, Teilla let go of Ricardt and commenced to scold him, "What did you think you were doing, trying to pick a fight like that?"
"But half orcs have no place in a peaceful society!" the paladin exclaimed with righteous indignation.
"That depends on the half orc in question and I don't think the temple would let him be a monk if he didn't have the mindset." She noticed her travel companion's attention wander to something else. Her temper started to flare. "Are you even listening to me?" she snapped and then she turned and saw what he was staring at.
A pack of children were playing in the road, across from a weponsmithy and a blacksmithy. The proprietors of the shops and their wives were having a neighborly chat, enjoying the early evening as if all was right with the world. To Teilla and Ricardt, outsiders to the little town of Whizban, it was one of the most bizarre scenes they had ever seen in their young lives.
The adults were an odd group. The blacksmith's wife was a normal, if large, human woman but her husband looked like a full blood orc. The weaponsmith and his lady were both half-elves but the smith had dusky grey skin indicating a dark elven parent.
The children playing in the street had a somewhat normal contingent of humans, half elves, halflings and half orcs, but also youngsters with tails, skin of every possible color, hair that did all sorts of strange things and all sorts of other weird traits usually associated with mixed races.
"I think we better go find your uncle now," Ricardt murmured next to her. Teilla nodded and they made their way to Gorbsen's tavern.
******
Uncle Gorbsen turned out to be a merry faced man of medium build and middle age. He had an easy, ambivalent manner about him which put his patrons at ease. His tavern was renowned for the good local ale it served. He extended a warm welcome to his niece and her travel partner ad treated them to a mug of the house specialty brew while catching up with Teilla's adventures since they'd last spoke. Ricardt kept quiet through most of the banter. Finally Gorbsen got down to the business at hand. "Well, I suppose you both are wondering why I asked you to come," he said.
Teilla grinned, "It had crossed our minds."
"Well, I've got a slight problem with a shipment of dwarven Brandy that was supposed to have shown up last week. Apparently they forgot that they needed to hire a pack train to get it here."
"That doesn't sound good..."
"It isn't, especially not with the Herb and Spell festival starting tomorrow. I can get the goods but it'll take a few days to argue prices with the dwarves. I'd appreciate it if you would mind they tavern while I'm away."
Ricardt finally spoke up, "I don't think we're suited to this."
Gorbsen turned to him and asked, "Why not?"
The paladin shifted uncomfortably. "It's just... too strange a place," he said lamely.
"Oh, you mean the variety of folks here. Most of the locals mind their own business and are pretty friendly once you get past surfaces."
"What about the rowdies from out of town?" asked Teilla.
"Let the watch deal with them," Gorbsen said reassuringly. "Zorac gets really tough with disturbers of the peace and Josie Kitten, his second in command, is a dab hand at stopping fights before they start. Anyway, this place is allied with so many different races and factions, it would be political suicide for anyone to take over."
Ricardt looked mildly relieved and Teilla asked, "Any other things we should know?"
"Well, the other drinking establishment in town is Sandra's place. She usually caters to a more high class crowd than I do, but with the festival on don't be surprised at who'll walk in here or there. How 'bout I take you over to meet her? She's really classy. Grew up around here."
As they left the tavern and started walking toward the other end of town, Ricardt asked, "Why are there so many... different children here?"
Gorbsen glanced at him and replied, "The monastery doubles as a reform school and orphanage so they come from all over. Also, about thirty years back, someone ticked off the local pixies and they put love potion in everything edible or drinkable in the area. That's where a large portion of the really strange mixes come from. Oddly, I'm told that everyone who was here for the love potion escapade had the best time ever, even if they can't seem to recall details." He chuckled. "Ah here we are." He pushed open the door to one of the lager two story buildings and went inside. The bard and the paladin followed.
They were greeted by a cozily lit interior. The furniture, while slightly worn, was in good repair. A woman stood behind the bar and was talking with a very handsome man. The lady looked up and exclaimed, "Gorbsen! Nice of you to drop by! Is this young lady your esteemed niece?"
"Sandra, this is Teilla and her partner Ricardt." The paladin's eyes got round again. sandra was an exotic beauty, dressed in white and rich shades of green. Her blue skin was flawless and her artfully twisted ebony tresses nearly hid the two small horns at her hairline. "Pleased to meet you," she said warmly. Ricardt took her proffered hand and bowed over it. Sandra gestured to the other half of her earlier conversation, who got up and came over. "This is Marco, an old friend from school."
Of medium height and build , From a distance Marco would have seemed unremarkable. Up close, Teilla was having trouble taking her eyes off him and was suddenly a bit short of breath. He had flaming lustrous hair, grass green eyes and a ready grin that seemed to light up the whole room. Something about the way he moved suggested he had elf blood somewhere in his parentage. "Nice to meet you," he said and then turned to Teilla. "Say, didn't you compose the 'Ode to Summer' that has been migrating around the western plains?"
Teilla flushed and nodded as Marco continued, "It's a good song. I hope you'll let me take a copy for the rest of the troupe from the temple of Oghma in Larston." He smiled at the blushing half elf.
"Marco you're embarrassing her," Sandra sighed. 'She's not used to that much praise all at once. And you're glowing again."
"Sorry about that," he grinned. "Is Miranda going to be able to make it this year?"
"She should be. It looks like most of the old gang will be here this year. Oh, by the way, Miranda's new employer is likely to show up too."
"Sounds like fun. I'll leave you to your new visitors then." Marco flashed one of his incandescent smiles, waved to all and wandered out the door.
"Everyone else here is mixed, but what is he?" Teilla asked in a stunned voice.
"He's got more than a bit of nymph blood that's all," Answered Sandra. "Anyhow, what's up Gorbsen?"
"Just wanted to show Teilla and Ricardt around before I left," Teilla's uncle replied. "Oh and thanks for that case of elven liqueur."
"It's nothing, just a thank you for your help cleaning up after that wizards duel in here last month."
Ricardt was shocked. "Wizards duel?!" he choked out.
"Yes," said Sandra. "Don't be so surprised! People do strange things after they've seen the bottom of their cups too many times. I've got a few scrolls of anti-magic field kept handy for just these situations, so you needn't worry about me for this week." She smiled at the paladin reassuringly. "Good luck minding Gorb's place. It's sure to get busy tomorrow."
They said their farewells and walked back to Gorbsen's tavern.