Open The Bee and Barb Tavern

[TomLeViking]

An unknown voice suddenly broke into their conversation. It was weathered yet loud and imposing;
"So... two renegades and a demon set out to kill a being of immense power, unsure of their company or their strategy. Seems to me you're trying to redefine the phrase 'Fool's Errand'" The voice was that of the old man in dark robes. He had his head down and only his beard was visible from under his hood as he sat in a shadowy corner of the inn.
He laughed at his own joke before continuing;
"I recommend you gather yourselves an army, boys. Only trouble can come of your misadventures." He finished, and waited for a response - though he did not expect a friendly one.

 

[Drapor]

Drapor smiled at the man "Your hearing is impecible, how 'bout you back off, I don't want you to get hurt...Unless" Drapor looked at Elgorym again "Shall we let him join us?"

 

[TomLeViking]

The old man continued laughing quietly;
"And then to top if off, you'd consider letting a man of my physical capabilities into your travelling band of merry adventurers." He smiled, not wishing to put them off, for he did wish to travel with them.
"It seems you need my guidance after all. So, you wish to kill the dragon priest? So he shall be killed..." The man stood up and walked towards the two men. His hands were not visible from inside his long sleeves but they joined along his waist, as if he was praying whilst he walked.

Though he stood upright, his head tilted forward, and most of his face could still not be seen under his draping hood.
"For the sake of pleasantries I suppose I should give you a name. You will refer to me as Saloman. My name is Saloman Valtieri, though it has carried little meaning for 70-odd years. And your name is...?" He said, tilting his head towards Drapor and slighting a grin through his beard.

 

[Elgorym]

In response to Drapor's first statement: "Ri'Saad, my Khajiit caravan friend, said he would be at Riften tomorrow morning. Then, we will travel with them on their way to Morthal. Along the way, we'll be forced to split up when they drop us off near Munaax's crypt and they continue on to Morthal for their next set of trades. We still have the rest of the evening to relax around Riften."

Once the wizard, Saloman, began speaking, Elgorym replied to Drapor's question, debating whether the old man should join them on their travels. "Hmm..." Elgorym pondered the old wizard's abilities as he examined him. "Possibly. I want to know what he is capable of, however." Elgorym whispered to Drapor.

Then, Saloman began his conversation, and asked for Drapor's name. "Elgorym. My name is Elgorym." said the elf, cutting in. "You... You're a wizard by the looks of it. We... We could use you. You appear to have a keen sense of hearing. I appreciate your offer to aid us... But am surprised that you had the audacity to listen in on us." Munaax would be a challenge of course. They needed all the help they could get, but they didn't know who they could trust.

 

[TomLeViking]

"Audacity, dear boy?" He scoffed, though he was not offended. "If I stood in the center of the room playing the drum as loud as I could, could I claim you audacious for hearing it?" He laughed. As he spoke he flailed his hands around, pointing to the center of the room and then back to Elgorym. The old man was sensible and logical, but years of solitude had left him a bit touched in the head and he often spoke in riddles.
"You claim I am a wizard, but that would mean I spent my years of study focusing entirely on magic. In truth, this was not my main pursuit..." Suddenly the room lit up, sending the people of the inn into a daze;
"I just picked this up on my travels" The wizard joked as the light faded and he lowered his hands, which were still glowing from the spell - as much as he joked, he was definitely a wizard and the man had superior aptitude in magic which he didn't like to advertise.

"I am no more a wizard than I am a citizen of High Rock, but you boys, you adventurers, you might just need a bit of magical intervention, that which I can offer you." He smiled, leaving a gap for the next person to speak.

 

[Elgorym]

"Ah, but if you were playing the drum in the middle of the room, the intention would be for others to hear it. Whereas I was speaking with my friend in silence, and you listening in on our conversation was most certainly different. If you were playing a drum in the middle of the room, my hearing of it would be accidental and couldn't be prevented, whereas I fear your curiosity lead you to listen in on me. Though I can see where you are coming, I don't want to be rash, but I do love a debate," Elgorym rambled on.
The wood elf was then amazed by Saloman's abilities with that spell. "Very impressive, however. I do think we could use you. Are you in on it because of the kindness in your heart, fortune, or maybe a bit of both? I do believe you can prove to be helpful... And keep us company."

 

[TomLeViking]

Saloman smiled, shaking his head slightly. "You are good in a debate, to be true." He then addressed the question proposed to him: "I am in 'on it' because if I do not help you, we shall all surely perish, and as for my other reasons... well, that will come later - I am sure it is not customary in Valenwood to reveal one's personal business in a first meeting!" He joshed. "I assure you that my presence in this inn and my hearing of your conversation is all coincidental and in no way my fault, yet I knew to begin with that this chain of events could not be stopped, and I could not be held responsible for the purely sequential turn of events leading all of us to this very moment in time, particularly myself." He smiled, and for the first time lifted his head to the bosmer, as he was a short breton man and stood at eye-level with Elgorym. Under his hood a tribal pattern was visible on his left cheek, and on the right, a blunt-force scar. Over his eyes was wrapped a plain white bandage, and the hood revealed no more. He continued to grin, "But knowledge comes at a price, no matter its use, so I'd best be doing my part, or this knowledge will be useless. These are all the answers you need."

 

[Elgorym]

"You are wise, I see. Many old men I end up meeting are arrogant and rude to me. I appreciate that you are not one of them. Your reason for helping us is more than reasonable; I fear that we may all perish if this dragon priest is not vanquished. Oh, and I understand if your act of listening in on us is merely coincidental." Elgorym said with a friendly smile. He thought highly of the Breton; he was full of years, he seemed like a very respectable and wise man. Elgorym was then told that his morning meal was ready, so he grabbed his sweetrolls and milk and sat down.

 

[Drapor]

((OOC: missed a lot, sorry I was out at my grandmas))

"The names Drapor" This is being said when Saloman asked for his name. Drapor stood there and watch this all happen. This man was cabable of magic far beyond Drapors. Maybe they could "Trade" magic, Drapor laughed at the thought. "I'll be heading up to tell Tiaz about the caravan". Drapor nodded to them both and walked upstairs. He went into Tiaz's room "We need to put this situation to rest. I know about you. You are a type of demon demon, a Kamal. I no that you have some connection to Munaax. I will not tell the otheres about... You. If you don't tell about the little Harkon business, have we come to terms?" Drapor said with complete clarity. He knew that Tiaz wouldn't say no to this offer. It was his safe card to not getting killed.

 

[Elgorym]

((OOC: Oh, no problem. Don't worry about it.))
"Alright, Drapor, go do that then." Elgorym replied to his fellow Wood Elf.
Meanwhile, as Drapor went upstairs, Elgorym wanted to start conversation with Saloman.
"So, I take it you are from High Rock then. What exactly brought you to Skyrim? One of the many wonders here, perhaps, such as the College of Winterhold, views of the Throat of the World, or maybe Solitude's magnificent arch?" Elgorym asked Saloman. He was very curious about this mysterious man.

 

[TomLeViking]

Saloman chuckled slightly and sat down with a groan - his bones were frail.
"I am from the city of Wayrest, bordering Hammerfell to the South, though I daresay I am not of High Rock any longer." He called Keerava over and asked for a glass of water, which she kindly obliged and went off to fetch it.
"I was nobility in my youth, and as such I had an eye for the beautiful daughter of the city's most powerful family. To my fortune, she had an eye for me too." He said with a smirk as Keerava brought him some water and he thanked her graciously.
"So after the seed was planted, I was run out of the city - I never meant to abandon my child, but it's not like I had a choice - the court banished me. And so, for a couple years I traveled around Northern Tamriel; Hammerfell, Cyrodiil, and even a bit of Skyrim in my youth. I practiced the art of magic, as any noble of Wayrest did." He took a sip of his water and wet his throat. "After a time my noble attire wore thin and I became more with the land and the adventurers I traveled with, but I sought out something more; some purpose." He paused,
"And that is when I discovered the Temple of the Ancestor Moths, high in the Jerall Mountains of Northern Cyrodiil. I did my time there before I decided it was time to leave some 30 years ago, where I nestled myself in the beautiful forest of The Rift."

He finished the story of his life, though it was far from complete and a few vital parchments were left untouched. This may have been obvious, but he knew in time he would reveal all to those he trusted.
"So, Bosmer, what of your past?" He said, dipping his head and drinking water, keeping the glass in both his hands.

 

[TomLeViking]

((OOC: Sorry for double-post. I've added a lot of stuff into Saloman's bio because I realised his life was a bit boring, and such a wise old man aught to have done some travelling - so I've amended that. It doesn't conflict with what I've just said though, as I hinted that he hadn't told everything ))

 

[Elgorym]

((OOC: No problem, it's pretty interesting too. ))
"Wow. You have quite an interesting life. It's a shame you were kicked from your hometown though..." Elgorym spoke in awe.
Then the Wood Elf was asked about his past. It was a tortured childhood...
"Well, I come from Southpoint in Valenwood. My parents were Tasha and Alden Rylven and I'm also an only child. You may have heard of them; they're well-known politicians. ...We were a wealthy family with a nice house and a nice farm. One day when I was thirteen, I was kidnapped by Greypaw Bandits and was brought to their shack, where I was gagged and tied to a chair. I managed to escape, but I've been hunting their leader, Jorland Greypaw ever since. After all, it was his bandits that took everything I owned. They burned my family... our house... and my friends. It's painful to remember this. I decided to go traveling, and I ended up at Black Marsh." Elgorym paused for a moment and then drank some of his milk and continued with the story.

"In Black Marsh, I met a friendly and strong Argonian named Derkeethus. He's actually coming with on our journey, but I believe you've never been properly introduced. Derkeethus came with me on my travels after I stayed in Black Marsh for a while and we became friends. Our travels have lead us all across Tamriel and its wonders. I came across Skyrim 4 years ago, when I was 21, and I decided to stay around here. Derkeethus decided to settle down for a while and go to Darkwater Passing to make some coin mining and helping other adventurers. I hunt, help others, and delve into dungeons. I'm not quite sure why I stay here in Skyrim, but I'm fascinated by its wonders and its actually where the Greypaw bandits moved to. I seek revenge on those bandits, and one day, I will get it." Elgorym paused again and took a breath, and tried to remember what important things that he was willing to share happened after that.

"Me and Derkeethus continued this for a while, settling down and going on adventures with each other. But a week ago, I had a dream about Munaax destroying Tamriel. No, not a dream, it was more of a vision. I knew what was happening in that vision was going to happen. So I sought out inns with Derkeethus, a common place for adventurers to meet. I met some more friends while doing this that decide to help me. Those Greypaw bandits will have to pay the price though. I plan to get rid of all of them... And visit Valenwood again to search for friends and adventure." Elgorym laughed and remembered the good days he had before he lost everything he loved.
"I also remember another thing. When I was very small, my father gave me a young horse that I would, one day, learn how to ride and take care of. I named her Honey, and she's followed and helped me. She's also the one thing I didn't lose that day." Elgorym Rylven decided that was enough to speak about for now. He would tell them other things later.

"Well, that's enough about me for now." the Bosmer announced.

 

[TomLeViking]

"Quite the existences we both have," Saloman laughed, "However, I daresay you've still got most of yours left." He pondered for a second about what to say next, but stopped himself and continued a different line of conversation;
"I spent quite a few years in Black Marsh myself, actually, when I continued the life as a merchant I had before I joined The Order. This was some 25 years ago, actually, but I stayed in Black Marsh til I was in my 70s, moving caravans between Argonia and Morrowind. This many years after... well," He motioned towards his face but quickly resumed the topic of conversation;
"Never have I seen such a fascinating culture - closely rivaled by the Khajiits, mind you, and it was in Morrowind where I had the pleasure of meeting some... respectable characters who I was able to help." He took a drink of some more water. "So, when did you meet this Drapor fellow?" He said, bowing his head as he often did when listening.

 

[Drapor]

((OOC:Tiaz, im jsut going to take it you said yes XD)) Drapor smiled and walked out the door and back down the stairs. He walked over to Elgorym and Saloman "Umm, Saloman was it? Im sorry but can we talk in private for a moment? I need to talk to you about something" Drapor gestured to the door.

 

[Elgorym]

((OOC: Sorry, probably my last post today; it's my birthday. ))
Just as Elgorym was about to answer Saloman's question, Drapor needed to speak with Saloman urgently.
"Alright, Saloman. We can talk later, then, I suppose." Elgorym sat down next to Derkeethus and began a different discussion.

 

[Drapor]

((OOC: Happy Birthday! ))

 

[TomLeViking]

Saloman didn't say a word to Drapor. He stood up slowly and turned to face him, bowing his head slightly. He did not move, however, and waited until Drapor walked into the room before he slowly followed suit, keeping his head down and his hands together.

When they got into the room Saloman stood before Drapor and said quietly:
"What was it you wanted to speak about?"
He lifted his head just enough that Drapor could see a friendly smile through his beard.

 

[Drapor]

"Do you know any dark magic?" Drapor knew the man must had some, everyone did. But this man.. He had something off about him. Maybe his smile, or his eyes. He felt like he could see Beyond when he made eye contact. Then the question purposed was answered.

 

[TomLeViking]

Saloman looked suddenly shocked and thought for a second before he could answer;
"I don't know why you'd be interested in anything of the sort." He snorted as his smile faded. "I've never colluded with the daedric or deceased, and I would urge anyone considering it to join them." He began to walk out but then he turned to face Drapor again, "It is unwise to deal with those who have nothing to lose." He then stood blocking the door, not saying anything more, expecting Drapor to explain his line of inquiry.