Before I start, lets get one thing straight. The main character in the following is an original charater created by moi for a long-running d&d game devised by the previously mentioned cookie lady. Any likeness to anyother characters or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. The game itself ran for more than three years, during which a plethora of background information was developed by the cookie lady, to which I cannot entirely do justice to, so I will make do by making it up as I go along. I hope you enjoy what is to follow.......

 

 

 In towns and cities throughout the multiverse, it is the gods give rights of all beings to let their collective hair down and paint the town red at the weekend. Arantash is one such town. It's cobbled streets echo with laughter and lewd singing as its denizens attempt to drink the taverns dry. Watchmen drag the worst for wear and the amateur brawlers to the gaol as merry makers stagger past on their way to the next hostelry. On the main street of the town lies the Two Dragons, a place where adventurers meet and boast of their latest quests and engage in ludicrous feats of bravado involving   quarts of ale. It seems at first glance at the wooden floor that as much ale has been spilt as has been consumed, the floor being awash with liquid. The clientele, are needless to say, not the sort one would hope to meet in a dark alley. All with the exception of one. She sits slumped at a table with her head in a puddle of beer with bedragled locks of ash-blonde hair cascading over her face and into the flood that surrounds her head. With her young elven features and diminutive figure she is dwarfed by the other drinkers that surround her and so looks like she should be at temple school or apprenticed to one of the many guilds that reside within the town walls. As she breaths, she blows bubbles in the foam and very occasionaly, lets out a gentle snore.

 

      The door opens, more outsiders enter into the fray, stepping over the occasional recumbent body as they make their may to the bar. The largest of the five, a half-orc with scars criss-crossing his naked upper torso oders for them all. With pints in hand and a quart jug for the leader they turn to look for somewhere to sit. As they do so the girl awakens. groaning slightly, she pulls her hair away from her face and stands up. Swaying gently like a tree in a breeze she makes her way to the bar, with the optomistic and determined look of someone that knows someone else will probably buy her a drink before she has to profer money herself. Not that she has any anyway. On her way past the newly arrived group the inevitable happens. She knocks into the half-orc. As if in slow motion, the golden liquid held in the quart jug gently spills over the edge and splashes onto the floor. A silence seems to wash over the Two Dragons. The half-orc stares at the girl and growls threatningly.

" I'll have none of that in here". The barman spoke, breaking the silence and reached for the large oak club that sat beneath the bar. "We don't wan't any trouble now"

The low voice of the half-orc spoke " not gonna cause trouble..... yet. She spill beer"

" I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to her". The club now rested gently on the top of the bar. Beads of perspiration rolled down the red faced bar keeper as he grew more nervous.

"Hahahaha. What she do? Bore us to deff wit dancing". The echoes of laughter reverberated around the room. It seemed everyone had stopped what they were doing, as the nights entertainment was about to begin.

 

More next time....