Fantasy The Tavern - Reopening!

[Aries0223]

Welcome to The Tavern!


A simple place for all to come and establish bonds, find quests, pass through or just relax and stay a while. Every race is welcome. The only rule... don't break anything. If you do, the bartender will throw you out... literally.


The Tavern is quite large, it's tucked away in the forest. It's made of wood and has a large wrap around porch. the entrance is double doors that lead into the main area.


The downstairs is the bar and lounge area. The center is littered with tables and booths of all sizes. The entire left wall is the bar, with comfortable looking stools. To the left is stairs that lead to the many rooms that travelers can stay in. The back wall has glass doors that lead out to the porch, and the outside sitting area. Beyond the sitting area and down a small dirt path is a fighting pit, just in case things get heated between patrons they can handle everything there.


The bar is owned by Aries, who floats in and out. She let's her bartender, Brutus the Orc run the bar while she's away. He is a massive, 8 foot tall gray orc. The strongest of orc kind. He was once a prized possession of a Gladiator arena, his freedom was bought by years of fighting and training others and a little help from Aries. Brutus swore his allegiance to Aries after she helped him get his freedom and enjoys his new, quiet life in The Tavern.


Brutus is very skilled in the way of combat and is very intimidating. Yet his skill as a bartender and cook are unparalleled. Brutus is actually quite calm and enjoys his work. His voice is deep and gravelly and when he laughs it sounds like a small earthquake. His mission in life is to help those who need it the most, usually orphans of the arena... which Aries is more than happy to lend her helping hand as well.


-Rules-


The rules are quite simple!

• When posting, at least 1 paragraph (5 sentences). I would like it to be 2 or more, but I know writer's block happens from time to time.
  
• Make sure you're posting at least once every other day. (I have a busy life so I understand everyday can be difficult) If you're inactive for a week it'll be like your character left The Tavern To go onto your next adventure.
  
• Brutus will primarily be played by me, but he can be controlled by any player for general things. (Food or drink orders and room requests)
  
• Lastly, have fun. And I hope you enjoy the Tavern as a simple RP that can be serious OR casual... it's all up to you!
  

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus stood on the front porch. He took a deep breath, he had just swept the entire deck and was satisfied with his work. His eyes roamed the scene before him, the large dirt path that led to the Tavern was clear. The trees rustled slightly by a cool summer breeze. There were a variety of flowers growing in flower beds surrounding the walkways and The Tavern.


His massive body turned towards the double doors, he had them opened to let some sun in. He ducked to get into the Tavern and made his way to the bar. Today was going to be good, he could feel it. Aries would be bringing him some news from the Arena later on. Hopefully a few customers would find there way in as well. Brutus grinned, his large jagged teeth gleamed in the gentle summer sun.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine strolled down the dirt path, looking around. Not to enjoy the scenery, she was keeping an eye out for anyone that may be lying in ambush. She was used to it at this point. Up ahead she saw what looked to be a tavern of some sort. Good, if experience had taught her anything about taverns, it was that they were a good place to hide from authorities, as they accept almost anyone into their doors, which attracted a lot of rowdy company. The soldiers tended to avoid these places because they were "Too much of a hassle" to search through and find one fugitive without any evidence said fugitive was even in there.


Looking around once more to make sure she wasn't being followed, she pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus was mid wiping down the bar counters when he heard someone coming up the pathway. His dull red eyes shifted upwards to see a girl coming in through the double doors. He looked her up and down briefly, noting the purple hair. He stood straight, his large hand placing the cloth in a bucket under the bar.


The orc nodded in her direction, "Good afternoon and welcome to The Tavern." His voice was deep and resonated through the entire downstairs. His hand reached behind him for a pint glass, that looked like a shot glass in most race's hands, and set it on the bar. She looked like someone with an interesting story, but one thing was certain... she needed a drink.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine mentally questioned the owner's name of choice for the tavern, but shrugged it off and sat down at the bar, dropping a handful of gold coins on the counter - 15, maybe 18 coins total "What do you have that I can get with this?" She asked the bartender. She also found it odd that an orc, especially a Gray Orc, was the one running the place. She supposed it made sense, though. As long as the orc himself didn't get riled up, he could fairly easily handle any brawls that may erupt in the tavern.


Hmm. Why hadn't anyone else thought of that, she wondered?

 

[Aries0223]

The orc watched her walk to the bar and take a seat. Brutus looked at the gold coins and considered what she could get. Finally he grinned and turned around to make a drink for the female. For being as large as he was he had an amazing amount of dexterity and speed. In a matter of seconds he had poured multiple types of alcohol and a variety of juice into the cup. He turned around and set the glass in front of her with his left hand, his right hand slid 8 gold coins from the counter and into his pants pocket.


"My specialty. Insanely strong, and very good." The red liquid in the glass vibrated slightly as he spoke. The large creature straightened the sleeveless black shirt he wore before leaning against the back counter away from the woman. "So what brought you this way?" Brutus was genuinely curious and held no ill intentions with his question.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine stared at the drink at the moment. Perhaps she should have mentioned that she wasn't looking for anything strong, just a reason to stick around here for a while. Oh well, she figured as she took a small sip of the drink, taking the rest of her gold back. That's another thing to add to the list of mistakes she'd make sure not to make in the future.


"Hiding, mostly." She explained to the barkeeper "You wouldn't happen to know how often the soldiers make rounds out here, would you?"

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus looked at her, noting her reaction to the drink. Maybe strong wasn't her thing... he mentally noted to ask from now on. He crossed his arms over his large chest while she tucked her money away. His eyebrow lifted slightly at her question. Hiding? He knew she interesting.


"Soldiers? Fear not, they don't come here. I am the authority in this area, so you are free to hide as long as you'd like. Once you step foot on that path it's a safe haven for those on run." Brutus had made it clear to all soldiers that they were not to step foot on the property. There was a bit of an issue with them when Aries had first opened The Tavern. The orc sighed heavily at the memory before focusing back on the female in front of him. "Now then... Why are you on the run,young one?

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine smiled a little at this bit of news. This was certainly welcome. And if a Gray Orc was enforcing this area, she knew the guards wouldn't be able to do much about it, if anything at all. If she really could stay here for as long as she needed to... Hmm, perhaps she'd ask the bartender later if she could open an extension of her market back in Tipa here. But not right now, she was fine with the hospitality at the moment.


"I'm a Selkie." Catherine answered the orc's question, assuming he knew what that was "If you've been keeping an eye on the posters around, you may recognize me. Wouldn't be the first time." She concluded. And it certainly wouldn't be the last.

 

[Aries0223]

He was relieved to see this female smile, it was always good to see someone at ease here. Upon hearing her actual race Brutus nodded knowingly. The Selkie were known for their sticky fingers. He had befriended a few in the areana that were captured. The orc learned a lot of his dexterity from her kind.


Brutus tilted his head at the poster comment. He mostly stayed at the Tavern. When he did venture out it was with a goal in mind, he paid little attention to trivial things like wanted posters... however he remembered seeing a woman with purple hair quite often in his travels. It didn't matter to Brutus though, so long as whoever was there was respectful he didn't care about their background.


"Well then little Selkie. I hope you feel at ease. My name is Brutus. Most knew me as the Champion Gladiator for many years." The orc turned for a brief moment to pour himself a glass of water. He pulled out a pitcher for himself, that looked like a normal glass in his hand. He took a big gulp before setting it back down. "Oh... here's the menu if you're hungry." He slid her a menu. It had all the usual bar food on it. He was appalled that it took him so long to give her a menu but there was nothing to be done about it now.

 

[LegoLad659]

This was new, Catherine had rarely run into anyone who didn't know who she was. Or maybe he just didn't care, either way this place was quite welcoming to her, which was also surprising. She also hadn't paid much attention to the Gladiator tournaments, for obvious reasons. She didn't like them. They were just pointless battles meant to rake in money from the observers who couldn't care less about the people fighting in the ring. The thing that turned her off of it the most, though, was the death factor. No matter what, someone had to die by the end of the match. How pointless.


Looking over the menu, she picked a simple meal of bread and fish. Perhaps not the most sensible of combinations, but she didn't really care. She liked both foods. She handed Brutus the money necessary for the meal, plus a mug of water to wash out the taste of strong alcohol in her mouth. After having done that, she decided it was probably safe to introduce herself to him, since he had been so welcoming to her, and he had just introduced himself as well.


"Name's Catherine." She started "Catherine Selani, though most authorities call me the Purple Fox."


(I think I'm gonna go take a nap for a little bit. I may be on later today, but I might not until tomorrow morning. If the latter is true, then good night ( ))

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus waited patiently for her to finish looking over the menu. As she got her order figured out, his mind wandered. He thought back to his life in the areana. That was the worst part of his life... it was kill or be killed and Brutus was definitely not going to be killed.


After a while his master took him out of the fights to train new recruits. His task was to create cold hard killers that could handle the areana. It wasn't until Aries came along that he thought freedom was a possibility. She freed multiple slaves of the areana that day. But only Brutus followed her, even though she made it clear she did not require a favor in return. The large creature smiled to himself. This was his home and he couldn't be more pleased.


He cleared his throat when she told him her order and gratefully took the money she handed him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Catherine." With that he ducked under a door behind the bar that led to the kitchen to make her food. He quickly cooked the fish and cut a piece of fresh bread.


When it was finished he walked out and placed the food in front of Catherine. He took up his spot leaning against the counter. Brutus looked out the window, he wondered if more people would wander this way.

 

[LegoLad659]

"You as well." Catherine replied as Brutus headed into the kitchen. When her food came out, she started eating it silently, considering their conversation over for the moment, unless he had anything else to say. As she ate, she made a mental note to definitely come back here. Not only was it a safe haven guarded by an orc, but the food wasn't bad at all either.

 

[SleepiestBear7]

Aghared walked down a dirt path he found while wandering around. There weren't any guards patrolling so he was alert in case some bandits wanted to ambush him. As he continued he wondered where this would take him. Maybe on a new adventure, or to a peaceful village. The dirt path ended and he found himself in front of a very nice looking tavern. Just then he realized that he was getting tired. He needed somewhere to rest and meditate, so that he could regain his strenght. He walked up to the double doors leading to the inside and pushed them open.

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus looked towards the girl as she ate her food. She seemed to enjoy it! "So, Purple Fox... how exactly did you get your name?" The orc was quite curious. Selkie's were known thieves, but to have an actual title from the authorities was impressive to say the least. He wanted to know more of her. He smiled, well attempted to. A smile on an orc looked a little... scary to say the least.


Before any answer could come out of Catherine the double doors swung open. A man stood at them. Another customer! Looked like things might pick up after all. Brutus set a coaster on the counter, he would set it wherever the man sat down. "Welcome to The Tavern. Have a seat and let me know if you need anything." His voice boomed through the Tavern again. It seemed this afternoon might be busy. His dull red eyes shifted back to Catherine, he didn't want their conversation to get forgotten. The 8 foot tall orc was quite good at carrying on multiple conversations and tasks.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine looked behind her at the doors as someone came in, then turned back towards the orc "It just came with being good at what I do." She explained to him "I've been pulling this off expertly since I was a kid. Needless to say, the authorities don't like me very much. In fact, there are some Selkies that don't like me either." She shrugged and took a gulp of her water. One Selkie in particular came to her mind, but she wouldn't bother him with her unless he asked.

 

[Aries0223]

The orc listened to her intently. His eyebrow arched at not being liked by others of her kind. Now that was interesting. To not be accepted by some due to her being good at what her race does. "That is impressive. Tell me Catherine... what is it that you desire most?" Brutus enjoyed hearing what people wanted out of life. Especially from one who could steal just about anything.


There was something to be said about what someone wanted out of life. It wasn't necessarily a loaded question either. He had a lot of experience with all kinds of creatures, but the answers... those were always different. This orc had more wisdom than any other would acknowledge. They were known for savagry and not their brains. Brutus tilted his head slightly, his dull eyes looking at her curiously.

 

[LegoLad659]

Catherine considered this question for a moment. Nobody had really asked her that before, and to be honest she hadn't thought about it either "I really already have everything I want..." She began "The market is going well, I'm able to get a lot of rare artifacts to sell there, and I really enjoy what I do. Not really much more to say than that..." She took another sip of her water "Though... If I had to pick something, it'd probably be to change the Selkie community for the better. Killing people to steal from them has been a growing technique for a long time, and I think it's starting to get out of hand, really. I don't approve of killing anyone unless it's absolutely necessary, it's a pointless waste of life and potential. That's how I see it, anyway."

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus listened intently. His giant hand came up to scratch his jaw thoughtfully. Her ultimate goal was not unlike his own. She even had her own shop, that was quote impressive.


"You are a very interesting Selkie, putting your kin ahead of yourself. I think you will complete your goal one day. I hope to finish mine as well, to close the Gladiator circuit for good. For now... I help young slaves gain their freedom. I have killed many... many innocent lives." The orc paused slightly. Thinking back to the horrors he did, he shuddered. "I do not enjoy taking others lives unless necessary. Unfortunately while I was enslaved at the areana, it was kill or be killed and I wasn't ready to leave yet." Brutus felt like the Selkie was trustworthy enough. It was refreshing to meet someone who abhorred killing as well. Most didn't care who they hurt, as long as the ultimate mission was met.

 

[SleepiestBear7]

When Aghared opened the doors three things surprised him.


First: that the tavern was in very good condition, despite being in the woods.


Second: that behind the bar stood a very tall grey orc. He never saw an orc bartender before.


Third: that there was a lady with purple hair on one of the chairs that was talking with the bartender.


This was a strange tavern indeed, but he liked it. The dwarf made his way to one of the chairs and sat on it, then he remained silent. He didn't want to interrupt any conversation that the other two were having.

 

[Aries0223]

Upon the new arrival of the dwarf, the orc nodded his way. "What would you like?" A menu was placed in front of them man in a blink of an eye. The orc was quite fond of multitasking and could easily keep multiple conversations going. He was happy that neither were rude to him. Most race's despised orcs... not that it was unbelievable. His species was well known for causing wars for fun.

 

[SleepiestBear7]

The dwarf quickly looked over the menu. When he was done he took some gold coins, maybe 20, from a bag on his belt and placed them on the counter. "I'd like a jug of ale and a fish, please."


Aghared never understood why everyone was so rude with races such ad the orcs. It's true, they were famous for starting wars just because of their lust for fighting, but the order of monks in wich he grew up teached him that everyone is different and everyone has a chance to redeem himself with the gods.

 

[LegoLad659]

Brutus listened intently. His giant hand came up to scratch his jaw thoughtfully. Her ultimate goal was not unlike his own. She even had her own shop, that was quote impressive.
"You are a very interesting Selkie, putting your kin ahead of yourself. I think you will complete your goal one day. I hope to finish mine as well, to close the Gladiator circuit for good. For now... I help young slaves gain their freedom. I have killed many... many innocent lives." The orc paused slightly. Thinking back to the horrors he did, he shuddered. "I do not enjoy taking others lives unless necessary. Unfortunately while I was enslaved at the areana, it was kill or be killed and I wasn't ready to leave yet." Brutus felt like the Selkie was trustworthy enough. It was refreshing to meet someone who abhorred killing as well. Most didn't care who they hurt, as long as the ultimate mission was met.

"That must've been more than unpleasant." Catherine commented. Again, a pointless waste of life for the entertainment of heartless brutes who would no sooner throw their best friend into the ring than actually put themselves in danger "I wish you luck, Brutus."

 

[Aries0223]

Brutus waited patiently as the dwarf decided on his order and got his money together. "One jug of ale, and fish. Coming right up." The orc flashed a smile before ducking into the kitchen to prepare the meal. While the fish cooked he grabbed a large jug from the top shelf and poured the ale. He placed it in front of them man and was back in the kitchen.


A few minutes passed before the gray orc reappeared baring a delicious looking plate of food. He set it in front of the dwarf with a smile. "Here you are. Enjoy!" Brutus wanted the patrons to enjoy their food before he started in on conversation. Food was best enjoyed in silence... At least that was his philosophy.


 
Upon hearing Catherine he nodded somberly. He was unsure if he offended her, he certainly did not mean to. His giant hand came up to scratch the back of his head. He was actually quite a gentle giant when it all came down to it, very unlike his kin. He looked at her glass of water and topped it off.


He cleared his throat, which sounded like rocks grinding together. "Tell me more of your shop. I believe the owner was debating adding more to The Tavern in time..." Brutus was very sure actually. It had to be impressive, and hold rare to come by items To be considered however!

 

[SleepiestBear7]

As his food arrived he flashed the grey giant a big smile "Thank you, my orc friend."


With that he quickly started eating while listening to the conversation they were having. He always enjoyed hearing what the other people were talking about, because everyone had something interesting to say.