Post by The Stranger on Apr 3, 2008 15:55:08 GMT -5
Barris wiped his dirty sleeve across the sweat and grime covering his forehead. The sun was hot, even in the winter. I'd hate to live here in the summer time, he thought. I'd cook alive if I ever donned my armor. Continuing to make his way through the dry, barren streets, Barris looked like a proper Dornishman. He carried their type of shield slung across his back, and had a short spear handy. Much good that will do me if someone wants to test me with it, Barris mused. I'm even worse with a spear than I am with a bloody longsword. A few minutes later, although it seemed like an hour to him, he arrived at the small and unsavory inn where he had been making his residence since his arrival in the town below Starfall, the castle of House Dayne.
Settling down in the corner of the room, his features hidden in the shadows, a servant brought him a pint of ale without asking. Barris thanked him in his best Dornish drawl, which had improved considerably during his stay. The employees of the inn had grown used to his habits during the last week. Barris would come down into the common room about sunset, settle down in the same corner, and drink ale for several hours. However, the ale, however strong and gratifying, was not his true reason for this practice. He had chosen this inn for its proximity to the castle and its looks. He knew, with soldiers and a castle close by, there would be many whores being holed up in this very inn, for want of secrecy. He himself had once housed a whore in a nearby inn during one of his father's campaigns. And so Barris had picked his corner, drank his ale, and observed.
What he observed was interesting. He saw soldiers come and go, some every night, some three times, some just once. He saw a Lord visit several times late at night, attempting to hide his features under a heavy hood, but Barris knew. The swagger in his walk, the furtive glances he threw around when he entered the common room, the way he snapped at the servants when asked if he would care for any refreshments.
However, this lord, possibly a Dayne, did not interest Barris so much as a man who come on every night that week. The man was unremarkable, average height, stocky and muscular, looking to be about five and forty. He had the dark, bronze skin of a Dornishman and the black, coarse hair covering his chest. Unlike the others, this man was not as secretive about his identity. Two nights before, the man had even took a seat beside Barris, before deciding he'd rather visit his woman than talk with a stranger. But not before he gave me his name, Barris thought. "Tallad's the name, friend. Tallad Smith. I'm the new smith up at Starfall since old Craylen died," the man had said, quite cheerfully. Perfect. A blacksmith. If only I knew a bloody thing about smithing, it would be alright. But I don't. Still, Barris had decided this man would work better than any. He was a decent cook, and if he could gain entrance to the castle, he knew with the plain clothing he had brought along that he could easily pass as a cook in the Dayne's service for a short while.
This night the man entered, jolly as always, and ordered a pint of ale and drained it before climbing the steps to his woman's room. Barris quickly returned to his own room to change into simple clothing and to retrieve two small vials he had kept hidden in his belongings. He settled back down into the corner of the room and waited. The night was late, but the common room had filled with peasants and farm folks, drinking and laughing. Finally, near two hours later, Tallad reappeared. He chatted with an older man and placed a sloppy kiss on the man's daughter before he shooed him away to Tallad's amusement. The smith turned to head towards the exit when Barris called to him. The man, in high spirits, smiled and slid into the seat across from him without so much as a glance as to who he was. "Hi, Tallad Smith, remember me? I spoke to you for a moment a day or two ago. Care for some ale? I'm buying," Barris said, patting the small sack of coins on his belt.
"Why, sure. Thanks, fellow," Tallad said with a grin. "I can have me a couple pints to be sure, before they'll be missin' the likes of me back at the keep." Barris returned the smile and called for two cups of ale. Barris told a couple bawdy jokes that sent Tallad rolling to the floor with laughter. A half hour later, Tallad reluctantly said he must leave. The blacksmith drained his cup and turned to leave. Barris quickly poured some of the ale from his own cup into Tallad's empty one, and dropped a small does of liquid from one of his hidden vials into the man's cup. "Tallad! Hold up, friend. Drink to a fine Dornish night and to the fine women the gods have chosen to grant Dorne," Barris called to the man who had already made it to the exit. Smiling, Tallad rushed back to the corner and smashing cups with Barris, drained his cup. "I really must go now," he said, running out the door. Barris knew the potion would take a moment to kick in. He slapped some coins into a servers hand before slipping out the exit, unseen, into the dark night.
The air was thick and a cold breeze had built up since earlier in the day. Barris could hear footsteps not far ahead and followed them, staying close to walls of the buildings. After less than a minute, he heard wheezing up ahead and muttered cursing. Nodding with satisfaction, he left the shadows and caught up with the faint outline of a man up ahead. Tallad was no slumped against a building, holding his stomach and groaning pitifully.
Barris walked up to the man and calmly informed him that he was dying. "I don't know the proper name for what I gave you, but I call it the groaner. And I can see I chose well," he added, with a smirk. "Here is what you are going to do me, Tallad." Barris showed him the vials, and went on to explain that one was the poison, which was already running rampant in his blood stream, and one was the antedote. "You can still live yet, Tallad." The man's miserable eyes suddenly gleamed with hope. "All you have to do is to convince the guards to let me in the castle when you return. Tell them I'm another smith who went out earlier in the day, and you found me whoring around instead of working. I'll play the part. If you can do this correctly, then I'll give you the antedote and let you live. Otherwise, the pain will become greater and greater until your stomach, in essence, explodes, and you will die a terrible death." The man stared at Barris with hate but nodded his head in agreement. Gritting his teeth, the man walked with Barris to the gates of the keep and performed admirably, hiding his pain the best he could. The guards could care less about the man in plain clothing who was entering with the smith, and barely listened to Tallad's explanation. Once in the keep, Barris told Tallad to take him to his quarters as quickly as possible. Once there, Barris gave him a cup of liquid with drops of the second vial. Tallad promptly choked and died upon drinking it. Antedote my ass. The man had swallowed that tale easily enough, excusing the pun, Barris thought, chuckling to himself. Barris placed the man in the bed in a sleeping position. He looked almost peaceful. Men his age die in their sleep often. Despite his confidence, Barris shaved and changed his clothing with some of Tallad's extras, just in case the guards recognized him. Barris wandered the castle until he found the cook's quarters, and informed the Head Cook he had just arrived and had some cooking skills. The cook grumpily nodded, given him an apron and a place to sleep.
Results:
Barris gains entrance to Starfall as a cook and server.
Barris increases his infiltration skill from expert (improved) to master.
Barris increases his medicine and poison lore from beginner to novice.
Settling down in the corner of the room, his features hidden in the shadows, a servant brought him a pint of ale without asking. Barris thanked him in his best Dornish drawl, which had improved considerably during his stay. The employees of the inn had grown used to his habits during the last week. Barris would come down into the common room about sunset, settle down in the same corner, and drink ale for several hours. However, the ale, however strong and gratifying, was not his true reason for this practice. He had chosen this inn for its proximity to the castle and its looks. He knew, with soldiers and a castle close by, there would be many whores being holed up in this very inn, for want of secrecy. He himself had once housed a whore in a nearby inn during one of his father's campaigns. And so Barris had picked his corner, drank his ale, and observed.
What he observed was interesting. He saw soldiers come and go, some every night, some three times, some just once. He saw a Lord visit several times late at night, attempting to hide his features under a heavy hood, but Barris knew. The swagger in his walk, the furtive glances he threw around when he entered the common room, the way he snapped at the servants when asked if he would care for any refreshments.
However, this lord, possibly a Dayne, did not interest Barris so much as a man who come on every night that week. The man was unremarkable, average height, stocky and muscular, looking to be about five and forty. He had the dark, bronze skin of a Dornishman and the black, coarse hair covering his chest. Unlike the others, this man was not as secretive about his identity. Two nights before, the man had even took a seat beside Barris, before deciding he'd rather visit his woman than talk with a stranger. But not before he gave me his name, Barris thought. "Tallad's the name, friend. Tallad Smith. I'm the new smith up at Starfall since old Craylen died," the man had said, quite cheerfully. Perfect. A blacksmith. If only I knew a bloody thing about smithing, it would be alright. But I don't. Still, Barris had decided this man would work better than any. He was a decent cook, and if he could gain entrance to the castle, he knew with the plain clothing he had brought along that he could easily pass as a cook in the Dayne's service for a short while.
This night the man entered, jolly as always, and ordered a pint of ale and drained it before climbing the steps to his woman's room. Barris quickly returned to his own room to change into simple clothing and to retrieve two small vials he had kept hidden in his belongings. He settled back down into the corner of the room and waited. The night was late, but the common room had filled with peasants and farm folks, drinking and laughing. Finally, near two hours later, Tallad reappeared. He chatted with an older man and placed a sloppy kiss on the man's daughter before he shooed him away to Tallad's amusement. The smith turned to head towards the exit when Barris called to him. The man, in high spirits, smiled and slid into the seat across from him without so much as a glance as to who he was. "Hi, Tallad Smith, remember me? I spoke to you for a moment a day or two ago. Care for some ale? I'm buying," Barris said, patting the small sack of coins on his belt.
"Why, sure. Thanks, fellow," Tallad said with a grin. "I can have me a couple pints to be sure, before they'll be missin' the likes of me back at the keep." Barris returned the smile and called for two cups of ale. Barris told a couple bawdy jokes that sent Tallad rolling to the floor with laughter. A half hour later, Tallad reluctantly said he must leave. The blacksmith drained his cup and turned to leave. Barris quickly poured some of the ale from his own cup into Tallad's empty one, and dropped a small does of liquid from one of his hidden vials into the man's cup. "Tallad! Hold up, friend. Drink to a fine Dornish night and to the fine women the gods have chosen to grant Dorne," Barris called to the man who had already made it to the exit. Smiling, Tallad rushed back to the corner and smashing cups with Barris, drained his cup. "I really must go now," he said, running out the door. Barris knew the potion would take a moment to kick in. He slapped some coins into a servers hand before slipping out the exit, unseen, into the dark night.
The air was thick and a cold breeze had built up since earlier in the day. Barris could hear footsteps not far ahead and followed them, staying close to walls of the buildings. After less than a minute, he heard wheezing up ahead and muttered cursing. Nodding with satisfaction, he left the shadows and caught up with the faint outline of a man up ahead. Tallad was no slumped against a building, holding his stomach and groaning pitifully.
Barris walked up to the man and calmly informed him that he was dying. "I don't know the proper name for what I gave you, but I call it the groaner. And I can see I chose well," he added, with a smirk. "Here is what you are going to do me, Tallad." Barris showed him the vials, and went on to explain that one was the poison, which was already running rampant in his blood stream, and one was the antedote. "You can still live yet, Tallad." The man's miserable eyes suddenly gleamed with hope. "All you have to do is to convince the guards to let me in the castle when you return. Tell them I'm another smith who went out earlier in the day, and you found me whoring around instead of working. I'll play the part. If you can do this correctly, then I'll give you the antedote and let you live. Otherwise, the pain will become greater and greater until your stomach, in essence, explodes, and you will die a terrible death." The man stared at Barris with hate but nodded his head in agreement. Gritting his teeth, the man walked with Barris to the gates of the keep and performed admirably, hiding his pain the best he could. The guards could care less about the man in plain clothing who was entering with the smith, and barely listened to Tallad's explanation. Once in the keep, Barris told Tallad to take him to his quarters as quickly as possible. Once there, Barris gave him a cup of liquid with drops of the second vial. Tallad promptly choked and died upon drinking it. Antedote my ass. The man had swallowed that tale easily enough, excusing the pun, Barris thought, chuckling to himself. Barris placed the man in the bed in a sleeping position. He looked almost peaceful. Men his age die in their sleep often. Despite his confidence, Barris shaved and changed his clothing with some of Tallad's extras, just in case the guards recognized him. Barris wandered the castle until he found the cook's quarters, and informed the Head Cook he had just arrived and had some cooking skills. The cook grumpily nodded, given him an apron and a place to sleep.
Results:
Barris gains entrance to Starfall as a cook and server.
Barris increases his infiltration skill from expert (improved) to master.
Barris increases his medicine and poison lore from beginner to novice.
Hope you all are well and happy.