Their First
Meeting
Meeting
It all started one night at The Strumpet’s Excuse in the Merchant’s District of Sasserine. Tavis and
Norris decided it was the best place to blow off some steam after being fired from their work aboard
The Wench’s Wrath. Apparently the captain’s wife finally figured out where the name had come from
and forced him to sell the ship. It meant little to Tavis, for the young Minotaur was treated little better
than a slave since they had “acquired” him several years. Sure they never did much to anger him, he is
a Minotaur after all, but he was rarely included in the crew's recreational activities. This could be the
new start he was looking for and be treated with the respect or maybe fear that his large frame entitled
him to.
Norris just saw this as a step to the next job. The aquatic elf had lost everything a little over a year
ago and the storm was the only thing that kept him from the same fate. When the ship saved him he
was able to work out a deal with the captain. He would be their guide since his knowledge of the realm
beneath the waves was invaluable. It suited him just fine, since what was the worst that could happen;
he loses a few surface dwellers.
The two had become friend sharing the common trait of being outcasts among their own crew. They
were both too “different” for anyone to openly speak ill of them, but neither were ever made to feel
welcome. It seemed only fitting to end their voyage together in a public place stared at and whispered
about by the locals.
It was a pleasant surprise when Norris ran into acquaintance at the tavern from his days back home.
Bren was a Shoal Halfling. An offshoot of their land loving cousins, shoal Halflings made their home in
the shallows between the land and the deep blue. They often worked as go-betweens for the races of
the oceans and the land. Bren had helped Norris sell some of his weapons to the land lovers on a
number of occasions and the aquatic elf didn’t mind her darker side.
The three sat and drank for a while enjoying the company of others who could understand being an
outcast. They rarely paid attention to the number of gawkers and were even un-phased by the fact that
the servers hardly paid them notice. The peace was broken when they heard the slanderous shouts of
the tavern’s patrons. Assuming the words were directed at their table they were surprised to see a
crowd forming around a small cloaked figure. Intrigued as to what could possibly draw the crowds
attention away from them they moved investigate.
They got there just in time to see a hand shoot out from the crowd and tear back the hood of the
stranger’s cloak. It revealed a small bipedal creature covered in tiny black and green scales. It stared
intensely at the crowd calculating its situation. Ale flew over the crowds heads and splashed onto the
creatures head, wicking off it's protective scales. The mob began to close in until it was stopped by a
voice that boomed out over the anger cries of the crowd.
“Back off!” Tavis knew his voice would stop the crowd dead in its tracks. It’s also helped that stood
up straight and pushed out his barrel of a chest. He pulled back his hood to make sure the crowd saw
his horns and a snort sent the mob scurrying back to their seats. “Why don’t you join us?” Tavis
offered. Durth figured it was his best option at this point knowing that having a Minotaur guarding your
back could get a kobold far.
The motley group drank a few hours more often laughing at how quickly they could make the
onlooker jump. At that point they turned in for the night agreeing to meet one last time in the morning
before seeking out their destinies. And when morning came they shared a quiet breakfast talking about
possible options for the day. It passed quickly and they forged out into the morning sun with prospects
of a new beginning.
The streets were just starting to wake up. Sounds of workers carried from docks down the street but
here there was no such activity. A few people wandered from here to there trying to get their day
started. Across the street it looked like someone else was trying to get their day started, but at the
expense of someone else. The locksmith shop’s door was wide open and the morning sun poured into
its cluttered interior. Standing among piles of locks, key and tools were two street vagrants. They dug
through drawers and cabinets filling their filthy pockets with whatever they could find. They seemed
oblivious the Tavis’ hulking mass moving to the open doorway.
“What are you two doing?” The statement filled the shop with the resonance of a gong. “You want
some of this? It’s ripe for the pickings.” One hurriedly spoke still focused on what was in front of him.
“Aye we have almost more than our pockets can take; feel free to line your own. The shop keeper won’
t be back for a while.” The other said off-handily as he turned out a drawer of keys. Neither had paid
enough attention to notice Tavis’ advancement towards them during their short exchange and they
surely would have if they knew what was beneath the heavy cloak that he used to hide his appearance.
Nor did they notice the small figure that had snuck in behind the Minotaur and started taking inventory
of what was left.
The one vagrant took notice when Tavis’ large hand grabbed him by the scuff of his rags and
effortlessly tossed him through the shop window. The shutters burst from their hinges as the mass of
filth and flesh flew through them, causing the remaining trespasser to finally focus on the danger at
hand. “Well now there is plenty to split between two of us” Tavis spoke with knowing smile as he
moved up to him. “Ah, yeah two of us. Sure there’s plenty.” The man stammered now getting a close
up view of what lied beneath the cloak. He realized his decision to leave was reached too slow as two
powerful arm grabbed him and lifted him off his feet.
No one noticed when Durth skulked in behind Tavis. “This is a lock smith’s shop so there must be a
master key somewhere” he thought. The vagrants had already trashed the place pretty good, so it was
difficult even for his trained eye to identify anything of value. Always keeping something between
Tavis, his new playmates and himself, Durth quietly moved about the shop. There were piles of locks
and keys everywhere and even found silver pieces that the two must have dropped in their rush. There
wasn’t enough time for sure to search it all so he looked to where the chaos hadn’t hit yet.
To be continued......
Norris decided it was the best place to blow off some steam after being fired from their work aboard
The Wench’s Wrath. Apparently the captain’s wife finally figured out where the name had come from
and forced him to sell the ship. It meant little to Tavis, for the young Minotaur was treated little better
than a slave since they had “acquired” him several years. Sure they never did much to anger him, he is
a Minotaur after all, but he was rarely included in the crew's recreational activities. This could be the
new start he was looking for and be treated with the respect or maybe fear that his large frame entitled
him to.
Norris just saw this as a step to the next job. The aquatic elf had lost everything a little over a year
ago and the storm was the only thing that kept him from the same fate. When the ship saved him he
was able to work out a deal with the captain. He would be their guide since his knowledge of the realm
beneath the waves was invaluable. It suited him just fine, since what was the worst that could happen;
he loses a few surface dwellers.
The two had become friend sharing the common trait of being outcasts among their own crew. They
were both too “different” for anyone to openly speak ill of them, but neither were ever made to feel
welcome. It seemed only fitting to end their voyage together in a public place stared at and whispered
about by the locals.
It was a pleasant surprise when Norris ran into acquaintance at the tavern from his days back home.
Bren was a Shoal Halfling. An offshoot of their land loving cousins, shoal Halflings made their home in
the shallows between the land and the deep blue. They often worked as go-betweens for the races of
the oceans and the land. Bren had helped Norris sell some of his weapons to the land lovers on a
number of occasions and the aquatic elf didn’t mind her darker side.
The three sat and drank for a while enjoying the company of others who could understand being an
outcast. They rarely paid attention to the number of gawkers and were even un-phased by the fact that
the servers hardly paid them notice. The peace was broken when they heard the slanderous shouts of
the tavern’s patrons. Assuming the words were directed at their table they were surprised to see a
crowd forming around a small cloaked figure. Intrigued as to what could possibly draw the crowds
attention away from them they moved investigate.
They got there just in time to see a hand shoot out from the crowd and tear back the hood of the
stranger’s cloak. It revealed a small bipedal creature covered in tiny black and green scales. It stared
intensely at the crowd calculating its situation. Ale flew over the crowds heads and splashed onto the
creatures head, wicking off it's protective scales. The mob began to close in until it was stopped by a
voice that boomed out over the anger cries of the crowd.
“Back off!” Tavis knew his voice would stop the crowd dead in its tracks. It’s also helped that stood
up straight and pushed out his barrel of a chest. He pulled back his hood to make sure the crowd saw
his horns and a snort sent the mob scurrying back to their seats. “Why don’t you join us?” Tavis
offered. Durth figured it was his best option at this point knowing that having a Minotaur guarding your
back could get a kobold far.
The motley group drank a few hours more often laughing at how quickly they could make the
onlooker jump. At that point they turned in for the night agreeing to meet one last time in the morning
before seeking out their destinies. And when morning came they shared a quiet breakfast talking about
possible options for the day. It passed quickly and they forged out into the morning sun with prospects
of a new beginning.
The streets were just starting to wake up. Sounds of workers carried from docks down the street but
here there was no such activity. A few people wandered from here to there trying to get their day
started. Across the street it looked like someone else was trying to get their day started, but at the
expense of someone else. The locksmith shop’s door was wide open and the morning sun poured into
its cluttered interior. Standing among piles of locks, key and tools were two street vagrants. They dug
through drawers and cabinets filling their filthy pockets with whatever they could find. They seemed
oblivious the Tavis’ hulking mass moving to the open doorway.
“What are you two doing?” The statement filled the shop with the resonance of a gong. “You want
some of this? It’s ripe for the pickings.” One hurriedly spoke still focused on what was in front of him.
“Aye we have almost more than our pockets can take; feel free to line your own. The shop keeper won’
t be back for a while.” The other said off-handily as he turned out a drawer of keys. Neither had paid
enough attention to notice Tavis’ advancement towards them during their short exchange and they
surely would have if they knew what was beneath the heavy cloak that he used to hide his appearance.
Nor did they notice the small figure that had snuck in behind the Minotaur and started taking inventory
of what was left.
The one vagrant took notice when Tavis’ large hand grabbed him by the scuff of his rags and
effortlessly tossed him through the shop window. The shutters burst from their hinges as the mass of
filth and flesh flew through them, causing the remaining trespasser to finally focus on the danger at
hand. “Well now there is plenty to split between two of us” Tavis spoke with knowing smile as he
moved up to him. “Ah, yeah two of us. Sure there’s plenty.” The man stammered now getting a close
up view of what lied beneath the cloak. He realized his decision to leave was reached too slow as two
powerful arm grabbed him and lifted him off his feet.
No one noticed when Durth skulked in behind Tavis. “This is a lock smith’s shop so there must be a
master key somewhere” he thought. The vagrants had already trashed the place pretty good, so it was
difficult even for his trained eye to identify anything of value. Always keeping something between
Tavis, his new playmates and himself, Durth quietly moved about the shop. There were piles of locks
and keys everywhere and even found silver pieces that the two must have dropped in their rush. There
wasn’t enough time for sure to search it all so he looked to where the chaos hadn’t hit yet.
To be continued......