Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Two

[Adam]

"It's been ages since I've had the pleasure of a fine Lamordian blood pudding. Is your chef familiar with how best to prepare it?"

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain says "I should be in an easier to see spot so the would note writer thinks I'm the only look out for the meeting, but in a place that I can have my back to a wall. "

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

He nods at Alain's plan. "Very clever."

Dorgio does not, in fact give Cirdan a disgusted look. Instead, he eyes a jar of the crayfish, and promptly buys it. He stands for a moment, watching them, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"And forgive my Mordentish," he tells the merchant. "But what is a River King?"

[steveflam]

Norzak eyes the wares. "That looks good" he says to the merchant, pointing to the crayfish. He tosses the man a few silvers and grabs a frog. "Awright frog." He eyes the frog as he speak to it. "I'm on the top 'o' tha totem pole 'n' yer on tha bottom. I'm hungry, so yous lost, mack."

Looking at everyone, he says "Cheers!" and bites the head of the frog off, chewing it slowly. He belches, then says "It tastes like chicken!" Then he continues eating the frog until nothing remains. HE makes a show of licking his fingers one by one. "Can I have some crayfish, bub?"

[ewancummins]

"It's been ages since I've had the pleasure of a fine Lamordian blood pudding. Is your chef familiar with how best to prepare it?"

''I don't know m'sieur, but I will ask.''

The maid curtsies before leaving the room.

Jacquleine makes conversation while she and Benn wait for their food to be brought to them. She seems genuinely interested in both Benn and the project he has proposed. She inquires as to Benn's marital status, among other things.

After a little while, the maid returns with a bottle of wine, and also a platter of sliced fruit and soft cheese. She sets up a small folding table and brings out silverware and also a goblet for Benn.

The maid speaks to Benn as she sets the table.

''M'sieur, the head cook is preparing your blood pudding now. It will be a little wait. Shall I bring you anything else in the meantime, m'sieur?''

[ewancummins]

"And forgive my Mordentish," he tells the merchant. "But what is a River King?"

''The River King? You are a stranger, I can tell by your accent. Well, the River King is a sort of god, I suppose. Not a great god like our Lady, of course -''

Here the man gives an apolegetic look to the disguised Cirdan,

''- but still, we must respect him. He doesn't expect much, just a little offering now and again.
You'll likely never see the King, not so as you would know you were looking at him, anyway. A lucky man might see one of his daughters, though. Yes, and a wise man would keep his hands to himself if he did.''

"Can I have some crayfish, bub?"

The merchant stares at the frog-chomping Norzak for a moment before regaining his composure.

''Oh, euh...yes! Of course, m'sieur nain. How many would you like?''

[steveflam]

Norzak belches profusely, his beard waving in the air. "I'll take them three, 'n no need to cook em. I'll eat em raw, bub." The dwarf reaches into the cart and opens a jar, removing a crayfish. It struggles in his hand, but he brings it to his lips, and says to it "Ye look unhappy, bub. Here lemme 'elp ye." And he bits the head off, water and ooze dripping from his mouth. It appears to be crunchy. The he eats some more until the whole crustacean is gone. He gets another even as he belches. "Mighty fine grub ye got, mack. E'en it ain' cooked, tis fine by me. Ye's a good fisherman ye caught me snack!" He slaps the man on the back as he bites the head of of another crayfish.

[ewancummins]

Norzak belches profusely, his beard waving in the air. "I'll take them three, 'n no need to cook em. I'll eat em raw, bub." The dwarf reaches into the cart and opens a jar, removing a crayfish. It struggles in his hand, but he brings it to his lips, and says to it "Ye look unhappy, bub. Here lemme 'elp ye." And he bits the head off, water and ooze dripping from his mouth. It appears to be crunchy. The he eats some more until the whole crustacean is gone. He gets another even as he belches. "Mighty fine grub ye got, mack. E'en it ain' cooked, tis fine by me. Ye's a good fisherman ye caught me snack!" He slaps the man on the back as he bites the head of of another crayfish.

The man laughs as Norzak pays him for the three jars of crayfish.

''Ah yes, these are good. Cannot say I've ever had the raw, though. You must be hungry, m'sieur!''

[ewancummins]

meanwhile, in Lady Renier's salon....


It isn't too long before Benn's blood pudding arrives- a thick sausage-like item. The cook has sent along a small loaf of pumperknickel, sliced into finger thick slabs. A small dish of butter and a butter knife are set to the side of Benn's broad platter. The cook has also thoughtfully added a bowl of choucroute [ sauerkraut].

''I trust this is all to your liking m'sieur. Please let me know if I can do anything else to serve you.''

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain looking at Norzak eating " I think I've lost my taste for food , I'll eat something later!!!!!!"

[ewancummins]

Near the Great Gallows, in the Court of Crows, shortly before midnight....


The scene is still and quiet under the light of the crescent moon. The air is cool, but not unpleasantly chilly. The Great Gallows seems somehow bigger now than it had appeared by day. The half dozen hanged men still hang limp in their nooses. Other than those unfortunates, the area looks deserted- even the carrion birds have retired for the day, it would seem.

The stillness is broken when a wild gust of wind tears through the area, sending fallen leaves flying through the air and setting the hanged men into a macabre twirling dance.

A lone man enters the Court of Crows on foot, coming from the north. He walks slowly, hesitantly approaching the gallows. Several times, he pauses to look about, then walks on with measured steps. He of middling height and plump, and wears a long drab coat, a bicorn hat pulled snugly down onto his head, and a long scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face. His features thus obscured, one can see little more than the pale skin of his hands and the upper part of his face.

The strange man takes a seat on the stairs leading up to the gallows. He glances up at one of the corpses swinging slowly overhead, and makes a gesture- raising his fingers to the brim of his hat then reaching down to rap his knuckles against the wooden stair on which he sits.

[steveflam]

Norzak eyes the fellow from the vantage of his hiding place, a dark dank alley. He nocks a bolt in his light crossbow, and keeps a bead on the man. When the man raps on the stair, the dwarf looks around to see if that was some kind of signal.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain does the same except for taking a bead on the fellow,but he does look/listen ( Spot/Listen checks please) around for the same type of things.

[ewancummins]

If the rapping was some sort of signal, no response seems forthcoming. The man remains where he sits. No one emerges from the shadows to join him.

After a minute or two, the stranger reaches into his coat and retrieves a pipe, a leather pouch, and a small wooden case. He packs the pipe with what's probably tobacco from out of the pouch, then uses a flint and steel from the case to light it. Soon, he's puffing away, seeming perhaps a bit more at ease, compared with his earlier air of agitation. A haze of bluish white smoke fills in the air about his head, now and then being dispersed by an errant night-wind.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan, who's cowering next to Norzak, touches the hilt of his sword, and the other hand goes to the helmet he has laid down next to him...

Is Cirdan still disguised?