Tales of Faerun

[Alaylyne]

Sefris enjoyed the rain that came down upon them, her eyes closed as it fell on her face. She was strangely quiet during the whole journey, mostly keeping to herself when not messing around her notes and maps.

 

As soon as they arrived in the stables, she gave her stallion to the stable boy, almost forgetting to throw a nasty glance in his direction before walking off. She yawned and ruffled her hair, walking over to Aedan.

 

"Looking for a tavern?" she asked the Fallen, tying her hair up in a pony tail. "You never showed me your wings because of that annoying squid head." she said with a faint smile before deciding to let her hair down. Pony tails just weren't her thing, what was she thinking?

 

Her eyes followed everything that moved as she walked, looking for a store where she could find a dress of some sort, plus a mask. She didn't really like wearing all that woman-stuff, but if she's forced to, she doesn't want to look like a complete idiot. Something red and attention-catching sounded good. And fancy black gloves. Heck, she might uncast her Alter self during the ball, just to stress her mask further. She smirked, thinking how good it will feel not to have her wings stuck in her back, along with her teeth, claws and scales.

 

She was actually looking forward to this masquerade ball.

[BaldurAnthology]

While Rhaine was busy stabling Ghost, Caladus, under the pretense of helping unload her bags and unsaddling her horse, quickly stuck a hand into Rhaine's bag and found a spare pare of boots and her nightgown, stuffing them into his own pack, and hoping she wouldn't notice. He then moves on to attend to Dark Thunder, giving him a good brush down before saying

 

"Hey Rhaine, is it alright if I went for a look around the shops? I got something I have to get!"

 

Shaori chatted most of the way to Arabel with her sister, who seemed pleased to hear her chatting and giggling like a young girl with her first crush. When she saw Rhaine entering the city gates and stable her horse, she goes into a dive, and lands, flapping her wings for balance. Giving Cal a brief kiss on the cheek as a reward for helping Rhaine with her horse, she says

 

"This place is huge! I don't think I've ever seen a city this big!"

 

Tyra pulled into a dive, seeing her sister swoop down towards a stable and finds Shaori landing near her friends. She lands, and nods at Rhaine. She liked Rhaine, there was a tough, yet caring air about her. She made a mental note to ask her to dinner.

 

Saerileth comes in and dismounts Binky, handing him off to a stable hand.

 

"The only city I have seen before now is Sigil. This is better!" She gazed at what little of the city she could see from here with wonder and innocent childlike fascination sparkling in her eyes, totally forgetting today was her 16th birthday.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine, still preoccupied with tending to Ghost, as he had a large stone stuck in his shoe, spoke to Caladus without looking up, "Go ahead, Caladus. I can't keep you."

 

She then continued to pick gently at the stallion's hoof, his leg between her knees. The roads had been terribly muddy since the rain, and his feet were clogged with the mess. The stable boy had offered to take care of it for her, but she politely declined, insistent that she care for Ghost herself.

[BaldurAnthology]

Caladus walked through the streets and soon found himself in front of a shop titled Etienne's Finery. He nods to himself and enters, whereupon a man walks up to him and sniffs disapprovingly.

 

"I am sorry, but we do not allow.. vagabonds in here. Leave, or I will call the guards." The man says, pointing at the door.

 

"I have ample money to pay, I am a noble invited to the ball, and need to get a dress for a lady. may I peruse your selection?" Caladus says, jingling his bag of gold.

 

"I am exceedingly sorry sir. I did not realize that they would invite people from.. where is it you are from?" The man asks.

 

"I am originally from the Underdark, but I left and became a noble in Trademeet. I travel with Rhaine Alcinea, and have been invited to the ball in one week's time by Arva and Reona themselves." Caladus says, glancing at the ballgowns on display, trying to figure out which would go best with Rhaine's mask, and wings.

 

"Underdark? Rhaine Alcinea? You must be Lord Caladus! I heard what you and your friends did for my brother and cousin in Skull Crag! Please, if there is anything you wish, no charge, it's the least I can do!" The man says, gesturing to his wares.

 

Caladus's eyes are drawn to a gown with a look almost like the night sky, with a banding of silver across the front of the chest. Looking closer he sees the price on a small plaque near it, and pulls the 5000 gold from his endless bag of gold.

 

"I will not cheat a tailor out of his fine wares. However, I am going to need that dress sized to fit the lady in question, I have decided to surprise her with these things, and 'borrowed' her night dress from her belongings." Caladus says, handing over the night gown.

 

The tailor gets to work tweaking the dress to fit Rhaine's measurements, making idle small talk as he worked. Before long the dress was ready. Caladus pulled out a small wooden contraption Byron had designed for Tailors to keep wares from getting wrinkled, and puts the dress on it, the magic within the wood bonding to the dress. Depositing it in his pack, he says,

 

"Might I get another night dress too? She only has the one. Something nice."

 

The shopkeeper nods, and brings out not just one, but two nightgowns made of a very fine silk, and adjusts them to the measurements as well.

 

"Would there be anything else sir?" The shopkeeper says, smiling as Caladus once again paid him for his work.

 

Caladus shakes his head. "Not unless you know a good place for my travelling companions and I to lodge?" The tailor beams happily.

 

"Of course I do! Go to The Pride of Arabel, tell Dave I sent you. Have a good day now!" The shopkeeper ecstatically puts the coin away in a strongbox and Caladus goes to the cobbler next door, ordering a pair of shoes to go with the dress, and getting Rhaine some expensive new boots with a minor enchantment that would soothe aching legs and feet. He then returned to Rhaine, who was still tending to her horse.

 

"Rhaine, I have a surprise for you! Also, I apologize in advance."

[AurianaValoria1]

In the hours that had passed, Rhaine had slowly moved on from Ghost's hooves, brushing him down and combing the knots out of his mane and tail. She was now working on braiding his mane, so it would not become tangled during their long stay in Arabel. She had the handle of the curry comb in her mouth, humming an old Harvest Fair tune, when Caladus reappeared, saying something about a surprise. Ghost whinnied softly in greeting, but remained still.

 

The Doomguide's brow furrowed at the druid's words, and she plucked the comb from between her teeth, "Surprise? And what are you apologizing for?"

[BaldurAnthology]

Caladus places the nightgown and shoes he had borrowed on a ledge beside Rhaine.

 

"For taking those from you without asking. I needed your measurements to get you.. these." Caladus reaches into his backpack of holding, and retrieved the "Hanger" as Byron had called it, on which the ballgown was attached, still as pristine as when it was in the shop, and hangs it on a nail, placing the shoes at the base of it, and the two new nightgowns on the ledge beside her old one.

 

"I hope you're not angry, my friend."

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine was completely abashed. She was slightly irritated that Caladus had managed to go through her things without asking...or without her knowing. But she was even more shocked when she saw the garments that the druid hung near her. Two were silken nightgowns that looked positively luxurious. The other was a breathtakingly beautiful gown, made of black satin and velvet, haltered so that her wings would not be hindered. Delicate silver embroidery lined the waist and neckline, creating a "belt" of edged shimmering thread. Into the velvet bodice had been sewn countless tiny clear crystals, so that it sparkled like stars with the slightest movement. These crystals had also been sewn here and there into the satin skirt. Below rested a pair of black suede boots. And it all matched her mask perfectly.

 

The Doomguide stepped closer, but dared not touch the garments as her hands were still filthy. It was only after a few moments that she realized her mouth was hanging open, and she closed it abruptly.

 

"I...I don't know what to say."

 

She couldn't stop a sheepish grin from spreading across her face. She was, admittedly, a little nervous about wearing something so obviously expensive...and revealing. The neckline was far lower than anything she had worn before. Rhaine knew she had needed such an outfit, however, and she had not been looking forward to shopping for one. Caladus had taken care of that little problem for her, and for that, she was grateful.

 

The Doomguide shook her head fiercely, "You...you..." she slapped at him, "You shouldn't have done it! But...thank you. I will wear them with pride. And I think I can forgive you for plundering through my belongings this once."

 

After a few more moments of staring at her new clothes, she spoke again, "Well, since you are already familiar with my Bag of Holding, would you please put these inside? I'm afraid my hands are far too dirty to handle such finery."

[BaldurAnthology]

Caladus grins, then laughs watching Rhaine's expression go from irritation, to almost blushing to a slack-jawed amazement at the dress and other things he bought her. He dodges the playful swipe, not wanting any more dirt on his clothes then already were, and does as she asks, placing his own pack on the ground near where Rhaine was working, and remembered something.

 

"I just remembered, Happy Birthday Saerileth! It isn't every day a young lady turns 16 is it? Oh and the tailor told me to head to The Pride of Arabel, and tell Dave that Etienne sent us. Apparently the man named Dave who runs it had a brother who worked in the mines of Skull Crag, same as Etienne who ran the place I got your dress. If you are done with your horse, I suggest we go to the inn. Unfortunately we may have to share rooms, there are quite a lot of us. I'll head off to the inn to make the arrangements." Caladus leaves his bag with Rhaine, and rushes off through the streets, soon finding a large expensive looking inn, 3 stories tall, bustling with nobles and the like. He walks up to a large beefy man in an expensive waistcoat, and asks,

 

"Are you Dave?" The large man sniffs disapprovingly of Caladus's travel worn clothes and replies,

 

"That I am. What is a vagabond doing asking for me?" Caladus simply smiles and calmly answers.

 

"I am Caladus Silvercloak, Etienne sent me here." Dave did a double take, and gives Caladus a deep bow.

 

"Very sorry my lord, I did not know you were in Arabel! I take it that you would be travelling with Rhaine Alcinea, and the other adventurers I heard so much about from my brother? He sent me a letter. Thought he'd been driven mad in that mine, but when Etienne came to me with a similar note from his Brother and Cousin, I realized it must be the truth. I take it you need rooms? I will provide 7 rooms, top quality. It's all I can spare, the others are full. I assume you would be staying at least a tenday? That would normally be 40 gold a night on each room, with you staying ten days, it would come to.. oh!" The last half of his statement was cut off by Caladus handing him 3000 gold.

 

"That ought to cover the rooms, as well as at least a good meal for tonight, won't it?" Caladus smiles, then hands over another 2000 gold.

 

"That should cover meals for the week." Dave the innkeeper stared in disbelief at the 5000 gold now in his hands, and nods, calling to have rooms prepared.

 

"I shall be back with the rest of them later on. Have the rooms ready by the time we get back, would you?" Caladus returns to the stables and finds Rhaine still there.

 

"Lodgings are set, sort of. 7 rooms at the Pride of Arabel. We may have to share."

[Naktis]

Aedan kept looking around the town when Sefris approached him. "That I didn't." He said and grinned. "You said you have wings too. I'll show you mine if you show yours too." He said eyeing the sun elf beside him. He was actually grateful that she was with the group when he met them. Someone sensible.

 

Nawen still felt very nervous in the town. So many people... she stayed beside her friends and kept looking around. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting anyone in here. She noticed the beautiful ballgown that Caladus brought to Rhaine. It was one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. She also heard that it was Saerileth's birthday today. They should throw her some sort of celebration and while they're in this huge town they can also look for gifts. "Now, what would she like?"The ranger thought to herself. "I have some things I'd like to sell. Anyone want to go with me? I mean later once we'll settle in the tavern and have something to eat. I'm starving!" Nawen suddenly spoke after Caladus returned from the tavern. There's no way in Hells that she'll walk here alone.

 

Illius was sitting at his table, this time reading a book. A bunch of nobles were walking around the tavern chatting about the upcoming masquerade ball and what are they going to wear. He shook his head and smiled slightly.

 

The sorcerer raised his head and saw that the innkeeper was talking with someone. He overheard the word vagabond. Yet to him the man did not seem like one. In fact, the stranger who was talking with the innkeeper seemed familiar. He closed the book and arose from his seat when the so called vagabond left. He brushed past the nobles towards the entrance to see if he was right.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine headed to the Inn with the others, it was clear, in an alien sort of way that he was nobility of his kind, his walk, his robes, his jewelry, his large full collar. The inn was quite lavish, clearly expensive, so he would have no qualms staying here... and the floor seemed not to be rotting wood, it was finely polished... perhaps the cellar was stone? If so he could complete the ritual before the ball.

 

Aricia had not forgotten Saerileth's birthday, in fact she had her present all ready for her, in an ornate small golden box. She also needed a gown.. perhaps she would buy Saerileth one, to go with her other gift.