(Archive) New Faces

Players: Elodie

Gavving

Fiery FlagonThe Fiery Flagon has long been a nexus for gossip and comradary in Esgaroth. The room is still scattered with evenly placed tables, each piece of furniture well smoothed and ready to provide a comfortable seat and a place for a mug to the inn\'s patrons. Against one wall, a large brick fireplace stands proudly, a number of iron tools and an extra pile of wood huddled on the hearth. To the side of the fireplace there is a large window with thick glass which looks out onto Bowman Street, the words \"The Fiery Flagon\" painted in common across the pane so they might be read from the road.

The bar occupies another wall of the room, standing as a stout guard before the neat rows of bottles, glasses, boxes and kegs. It is perhaps this piece of heavy, dark wood that shows the most evidence of a recent fire. The base of the bar still shows the scorchmarks from the flames, although the entire bar has been polished so much that it will neither chip nor flake ever again. Carved deeply into the center of the bar is the tavern\'s sigil: a mug overflowing with flame.

Behind the bar a doorway vanishes into a kitchen area, whee rumour has it a small courtyard can be found.

Contents:

Ulfred

Elodie

Brue, Jr.

Obvious exits:

Up the stairwell leads to Sleeping Quarters.

Swinging Door leads to Center of Bowman Street.

Back Door leads to The Market Square.

The dim interior is fairly quiet, as it isn\'t quite time for the evening crowd of single gentlemen to file in after their day\'s work. A couple of travelers lean back on their chairs in the corner, one dozing while the other watches the door. Behing the bar, a freckled young woman with a pert nose is drying out the last of the freshly cleaned glasses from the midday rush, and lining them up neatly in their places.

Walking in from the Market Square, Gavving stops briefly in the doorway letting the sights and smell of the Flagon overtake him. Closing his eyes, Gavving tilts his head back as he take a long, deep breath through his nose. the smells of firesmoke and pipeweed fill his lungs as he exhales quickly and moves from the doorway, letting in a few of the townsfolk struggling to get past the merchant for their late afternoon meal and drinks. Having regains his purpose, Gavving walks towards the bar and sets a small leather pouch upon it. Reaching inside, he pulls out an ornate and finely crafted pipe.

Tilting to his left ever so slightly as to not lose his balance upon the stool, he pulls out smaller leather pouch. Taking his right thumb and forefinger, Gavving reaches inside the pouch and pulls out a pinch of pipeweed and gently stuffs it in his pipe. With weed-filled pipe in his left hand, Gavving pats himself down with his free hand looking for something to light his pipe. Coming up empty, Gavving looks around for something to light his pipe quickly shooting a gaze upon the fire crackling about in the fireplace. A quick smirk dismisses the idea as a few rogue candles upon the table catches his attention. Finding the closest one to him, Gavving quickly leaves his barstool and makes a quick trip to the nearest lit table.

With the closest candle being surrounded by a green and red colored glass, Gavving quickly leans in interrupting the couple sitting there in mid conversation. \"A thousand pardons..\" says the humble store owner as he quickly grabs the candle and attempts to light his pipe. The displeased look upon the patrons\' faces doesn\'t escape Gavving as he is able to light his pipe with a tilt of the candle. Setting the candle down, being careful not to spill the melted wax, Gavving bows his head slightly. \"I am sorry again..\" Looking back towards the bar, Gavving shouts out, \"Barkeep, the next round for this couple is on me.\" The younger Brue scowls as he glares at Gavving \"Don\'t call me a barkeep. I\'m not a barkeep. I\'m your gracious host.\" Gavving throws his head back in laughter as he makes his way back to his bar stool. \"Your father taught you well my boy..\"

Gavving pauses as he exhales the smoke from his pipe. \"Now, let\'s see how much you remember..\" Taking another breath from his pipe, Gavving pauses as he lets out the smoke slowly as it rises to meet the smoke from pipes and the fireplace. \"I\'ll take my usual, but no food this time. My schedule is filling up as we speak.\" Brue nods as a pint of ale quickly appears before the merchant. turning around in his stool, Gavving looks around the place as his sets down his pipe and takes a drink from his mug. Forcing the foul liquid down, Gavving struggles not to release it upon the floor. \"I say my boy, you may be your father\'s son, but you certainly don\'t know your ales.\" Coughing the rest down, Gavving adds \"I\'ll get some more of the good stuff to you as soon as my latest shipment comes in.\"

Elodie\'s hand stills inside one of the flagons as she watches the merchant light his pipe, and her eyes flicker to the patrons themselves. By the time the man returns to the bar, she has finished with the flagon, and disappeared into the kitchen, the door still swinging on its hinges from her passage. By the time Brue is laying out the ale for the man, she returns with a plate of cheese and bread, and a bottle which she takes to the table that suffered interruption of their meal. She gives a wink to the two seated there, with a cheerful smile and soft spoken words that bring a more relaxed posture to the two, and they are back at their meal.

Returning to her place, she resumes her cleaning, her brows pulled together slightly as she concentrates quite seriously on her task. Her countenance remains placid as she listens to Brue handle the merchant.

\"I don\'t need any shipments right now. I\'ve taken care of it\" replies Brue and he nods to his barmaid taking the couple\'s order to the table. Gavving smiles as he take another drink from his mug \"If you are fine passing off bilge water as ale that is your choice.\" Gavving takes notice of the barmaid as she handles the table he interrupted. Rubbing his chin in thought, Gavving turns his his chair, now facing the rest of the room \"But you might want to check with your father first.\"

Watching the barmaid, Gavving adds \"But I see you have made some improvements to this establishment.\" Finishing his drink, Gavving sets he mug on the bar and nods to Brue, who quickly whisks the mug away. \"Excuse me my dear..\" Gavving calls out to the barmaid \"Might I have the pleasure of a few words?\"

Elodie finishes her task, reaching forward to turn one errant drinking vessel that was askew, to her tastes. \"What few words would ya be lookin\' for, sir?\" she asks neutrally, intent on making sure everything is just right before she looks up at the merchant. \"I\'m sure I can a few fer ya.\" One floating curl is blown off her forehead with an exhale, here lower lip cupping out to direct the breath.

Gavving smiles as he motions for the barmaid to join him at the bar \"No need to call me sir my dear. I serve no House.\" Gavving takes leave of his chair and takes the barmaid\'s left hand with his and kisses it softly as he bows and says \"I am Gavving Tull. I own the Tull Import Company found in the Market Place.\"

Sitting back down in his seat, a bit of embarrassed redness is found upon his cheeks. \"I couldn\'t help notice your handling of those customers at the table.\" Looking around as if someone was watching him, Gavving lowers his tone as he adds \"I would like to hire you for something if you are are interested. I\'ll pay you double what you make here\"

Straightening her posture after leaning in to hear what the merchant said with a lowered voice, Elodie raises her eyebrows a fraction. \"Are ya plannin\' on adoptin\' me an\' makin\'me yer partner, then?\" she asks congenially, without bothering to lower her own voice. \"I\'d need to check with Uncle Brue on that one, as I don\'t know how these adoption things is handled.\"

Stifling a huge laugh, Gavving grin as he tries to contain his laughter \"No my dear, I already have a partner albeit a fat one, but he\'s a good man.\" Looking around the room again, Gavving leans in and whispers \"I need you(r) ears. More specifically, the information that flows through them.\"

Leaning back, motions Brue to bring his another drink. Without looking at the barmaid Gavving adds \"In my business, information is profit. I like to know about a person before they walk through my doors visitors and townsfolk alike. All I\'m asking is that you relay any information you hear in the bar to myself. And I\'m willing to pay you for that information.\" Looking back at the barmaid, Gavving smiles lightly as he concludes \"You will be in no danger I promise you..\"

Elodie nods once considering as Brue serves another ale. \"Ah, I see. If that\'s bein\' tha case, than it\'s not Cousin Brue\'s salary that ya need ta double, but that of every other person who comes in wantin\' tha information in ma head. There\'s quite few folks around here as wants to know what\'s goin\' on.\" The eyebrows that raised earlier climb again. \"Why would I be thinkin\' I\'d be in any danger, Mr. Tull?\" She wraps her fingers lightly about her towel, letting her arms hang loosely in front of her

A sly smile quickly appears and Gavving takes another sip. \"You are in the wrong business my dear. Rule of Profit 284 Deep down everyone is a businessman.\" Taking another drink quickly, Gavving adds \"You are correct. There are quite a few people around here who want to know what is happening, but for the wrong reasons. I know of several..let\'s just say savory characters who want to know everything about the wealthy in this town. I know of a least several people in every House that would want information about the other Houses. Secrets are a commodity.\"

Gavving leans in and whispers \"And there are those who have killed and been killed for the secrets they know.\" Leaning back and resuming his drink, Gavving adds casually \"I don\'t care about secrets or the House matters. I\'m interested in the person themselves.\" Gavving winks as he adds \"That way I know how to get them to buy something.\"

Elodie raises one shoulder, her voice low, \"well, it\'s no secret how to get the young Lord Arathmor to buy. He\'s tryin\' ta change tha face of Arathmor House, make them seem more like us, an\' more involved with helpin\' tha people of Laketown. I\'m sure ya can figger a way ta handle him.\" Then, with a toss of her braid over her shoulder, she turns to serve a table just sitting down. \"I\'m sure tha people of tha Houses aren\'t hangin\' around here tellin\' me much about themselves. They tend ta keep themselves in their houses an\' order tha ale an\'wine shipped to them. An\' tha servants take tha delivery.\" Then she moves off to take the orders of the thirsty people.

Gavving smiles again as the talk of the young Lord Arathmor brings a glint in his eye \"I know all about the young Lord Arathmor and his intentions for the town.\" Gavving\'s sly smile returns as he adds \"Rumors also flow about his relationship with you, but I am sure those are just rumors.\" Gravving smiles and winks as he finishes his drink.

A man from the docks enter the Flagon and sees the merchant sitting at the bar and shouts out \"Master Gavvin\' your ship has arrived\" Gavving nods in acknowledgment as the man departs. Getting up from his bar stool, Gavving bows to the barmaid as he makes his way towards the exit. \"It was a pleasure to meet you my dear and I\'m sure we shall see each other soon. If the winds do happen to whisper in your ear of something that you think might be use to me, please do not hesitate to find me. I will make sure you are properly compensated.\"

Stopping at the door, Gavving adds before his exit \"Please stop by my shop when you have some time. I think I may have something for you. Until then my dear\" Gavving bows a final time before departing.