Lostmoor Tavern
A young man with a streak of green in his hair and a scar slashing across his face at an angle lounges at the bar. The baggage along his sides would be enough for most travelers to consider renting a beast of burden, but he seems wholly unconcerned with the load. A handful of other patrons, mostly those too deep in their mugs to discern how well-informed any particular speaker is, sit nearby.
Jagal: "...never heard of it in my life, but I bet I could hunt it down. If somebody offers a decent reward, of course.~"
A well-dressed young lady dips her head under the doorframe as she enters the tavern with bags of her own. She sticks out like a sore thumb, but the regulars don't seem to pay her much mind, and the bartender even smiles at her.
BARTENDER: “Ach, little Lucya, eet has been a while!”
LUCYA: “Oh Mr. Bartender, g'day to you too...”
She smiles, but it fades quickly as she takes a seat at the bar, coincidentally right next to Jagal.
Jagal blinks a brief double-take at "little" but swiftly settles back into his grin.
JAGAL: "Friends with the barkeep, huh? That get you anything for free around here?”
LUCYA: "Ehh? I guess a free drink sometimes, but it isnae really free, because we're usually bringing in lumber t’fix up the building... But there's no lumber this time. And I'm not sure if... Hummmmm."
She trails off with a sigh.
LUCYA: “Do ye not have money for a drink?”
JAGAL: "Not sure if...?”
Jagal raises an eyebrow.
JAGAL: "But I almost always pay in favors for these kinds of things, yeah. Don't keep much of worth on me... Think I got enough for, uh, this one, though.”
The bartender waves his hand dismissively.
BARTENDER: "Pay in favor, that is fine. I will think of somethink! And little Lucya, the usual?”
LUCYA: "Yes please...”
She turns to Jagal, lowering her voice as the bartender leaves for the kegs.
LUCYA: "That Mr. Bartender, he is a friend of me family, but ye see, I am running away from home!”
LUCYA: "I've really done it now... Auhh...”
Jagal goes even quieter than that, but at least he enunciates well.
JAGAL: "Are you now? Headed for somewhere in particular, or just..." (gesturing) "...away?"
LUCYA: "Away, I s'pose... I don't even know where tae start looking!”
LUCYA: "B-but dinnae get me wrong, they're nice folks, lovely folks... I just cannae stay there! This time I—I swore a vow of iron!"
🎲 Misunderstanding the rules a bit, Amelia rolls Shadow to represent Lucya’s attempt to keep her voice down. It’s a miss lol.
In her dismay she forgets to whisper, and a murmur passes through the crowd.
Jagal seems much less shocked or otherwise solemn, though he does absently scratch his wrist at the sentiment of not being able to stay home.
BARTENDER: “Whaat, little Lucya?? You are joking?”
The bartender returns with the drinks. Lucya's "usual" is a glass of milk.
Jagal squints briefly at the milk, like he hasn't seen very many glasses of that, but shrugs it off in favor of a swig of his own drink.
JAGAL: "Oh, those're fun. This your first?”
LUCYA: "Ehh?? Are they supposed t’be fun?”
JAGAL: "Of course! What's life without a little adventure, some higher stakes? Heck, I've got two vows going right now.”
Jagal pats his arm, as if it's supposed to be some evidence of a vow.
LUCYA: "Two of them?! That sounds scary...”
LUCYA: "But ye must at least know where yer going, right? I've gone and sworn the impossible, just so they'd take me seriously...”
Jagal laughs off the "scary" comment but fades into a chuckle, eyes drifting towards the fire.
JAGAL: "Not as much as I'd like this go-around, but eh.”
Lucya looks away, through the north-facing window of the tavern. If this was a Disney movie, this would be the start of the first number.
JAGAL: "But impossible, huh? So, something a little less predictable than you breaking into song and dance right now?”
LUCYA: "I-I dinnae do that! At least not the dancing part...”
JAGAL: (snorting) "Shame. I was really hopin' to invite you to a waltz, too.”
Lucya bristles a little at the invitation, but she lets it slide. He wouldn't know, of course.
LUCYA: "Me dearest friend—he's ironsworn too, ye see—he left for the mountains years ago, and no one's heard from him since... I never understood why, but—when I swore I'd find him, it's like it wasnae even me talking! Was it like that for ye too?!”
JAGAL: "Yeah. Yeah, it's always like that. I think that's how you know it's a real vow. Well, that and the iron. Swear it on anything interesting?”
LUCYA: "Um, just me axe..."
She nods to the sizeable blade strapped to her belt.
LUCYA: "Mr... um, ye've been very kind, listening to me blubber on, but I just dinnae want ye to get the wrong idea...”
JAGAL: "Jagal. Or The Jackal, if you prefer. Maybe Jack if you're feeling extra friendly.”
JAGAL: (waving it off) "I'm just enjoying some conversation, don't worry about it. But you're looking for somebody, too, huh? I can do a little scrying, actually. Doesn't always turn up much... 'S why I ended up in this town, but I'm not gonna get a lot of tips from a guide that's gone missing, huh?”
LUCYA: "Oh... Oh! And if I helped ye find it, ye could...!”
Lucya lights up like a Christmas tree.
LUCYA: "Um, me name's Lucya! I dinnae really have any nicknames...”
Jagal grins a bit wider at her reaction. Primarily a Gottem moment, but her enthusiasm's a little endearing, too. In a patronizing sort of way. He raises his glass somewhat in a mock toast.
JAGAL: "Pleasure to meet you, Lucya. ...Lucy? Eh, the best nicknames come along of their own accord.”
Judging by the way she squints, she doesn't seem to like "Lucy" much.
JAGAL: "How well you know this town? Don't tend to visit the same place twice, myself. Just glean whatever info I need from establishments like this. Haven't turned up much so far, but I guess this kinda thing doesn't interest many people. Wouldn't interest me much, if I had better options.”
LUCYA: "Me folks aren't usually in town for much longer than it takes to sell off our wood... But maybe Mr. Bartender will know something?”
🎲 Lucya rolls to Gather Information. It’s a weak hit. She gains momentum, but discovers a new danger. We roll on the oracle tables for ideas and get the words “blood” and “focus.”
BARTENDER: "Aye, I've heard of the think. The keeper's a real shifty one—off on edge of town, where no one can see why wildlife dropping dead on their property. Or somethink like that. Is nasty business, whatever eet is.”
JAGAL: "Sounds pretty nasty, sure. Still bet they'd love someone getting their scrying guide back, though...”
🎲 We roll some traits for this NPC. Their name is Eleri, they’re anxious, and their goal is to harm a rival. Because of the previous rolls, we decide that some kind of nefarious blood magic is involved.
LUCYA: "Do ye know their name?”
BARTENDER: "Celery? Larry. Nay, nay, Eleri, that's the one.”
JAGAL: "Eleri, on the edge of town. All right! Good enough starting place for me.”
Jagal finishes off his cider and turns to Lucya as he stands. He debates whether she'll be any use to him—at least, before the part where he scams her for a worthless scry.
JAGAL: "Staying or going? No hard feelings if you'd rather skip out on the mysterious horrifying dead animals part.”
LUCYA: "I said I'd help ye, didn't I?”
JAGAL: (shrugs) "Didn't know the details at the time, though. Only fair to give you a chance to back out.”
Lucya hops to her feet and thanks the bartender with a smile. She fixes her dress and scoops her bags up under one arm.
BARTENDER: "Be careful, little Lucya...”
LUCYA: "Aye, I won't let the wee man out of me sight!”
Jagal wrinkles his nose at "wee man" but knows darn well that making a fuss over it would only compound the issue.
JAGAL: "Right. Let's go find us a scrying guide." (with a wave) "Thanks for the info, Barkeep.”
The bartender nods as they leave, still a little baffled by their conversation.
NEXT: 002: Eleri's House