Dionysus The bartender works out a decent deal. The rooms are on the house & you get a (low) percentage of the bar.

Arlie_B I then compose letters to Damon telling of all our local business with the Dragons (making sure I don't look too foolish), tell him of the goddess of music crying and stopping the prayers, and then inform him that we're coming back to discuss Berellia and Atanaxus.

Arlie_B If I don't think the letter can be delivered before we arrive, I just keep the letter on my person.

Dionysus Myrmexia, & noted.

Arlie_B then he'll stop by the celebration street for a quick peek/drink (he always wanted to go there)

Dionysus It's called the Merry Pit.

Dionysus And it's a riot, even at this hour.

• Arlie_B stays there longer than he should, hangs from a chandelier at least once.

Dionysus The shemir there are surrounded by revels, mostly old ones oddly enough, & random other races.

Dionysus A tall looking man with a diamond studded coat drunkenly runs into you.

Arlie_B "Bloody 'ell, the drink made off with m' feet."

Arlie_B how is the other guy's mood?

Dionysus He looks drunk & happy, "Excush me, shir."

• Arlie_B dusts himself off. "I'll buy you a drink--" he dodges a pie. "buy you a drink for the inconvenience."

Arlie_B "Name's Arlie," he offers his good hand.

Dionysus "No, no. No one buys Jack the Diamond a drink! I buy everyone drinks!"

Dionysus He throws his handsin the air, spilling his drink, & getting a massive cheer from the crowd.

Dionysus He leaps upon a table.

Dionysus "The Prince of Wealth loves his merry subjects!"

Dionysus He bows, & gets covered in confetti & booze.

Arlie_B OOC I know that name, has anyone ever mentioned it IC?

Arlie_B I forget.

Dionysus Never mentioned IC

Dionysus You've neverheard of him at all IC

• Arlie_B joins in the cheer

Dionysus After that, you lose track of him for a bit.

Arlie_B damn, Arlie wants to mine him for info about the sword of wealth. He'll keep an eye out for alittle while.

Dionysus After about ten minutes, he's back on the table declaring that he once stole the crown jewels of Vesturia.

• Arlie_B shouts "Aye, and the Sword of Wealth, I suppose you stole that too!"

Arlie_B in jest.

Arlie_B when subtlety fails...

Dionysus He laughs, "I have no need of paltry Gifts of Wealth!"

Arlie_B hold on,

Dionysus What is up with Dani?

• Arlie_B climbs up on a table, wincing from the bending motion. "My sovreign, I challenge you to a game of feats! Name your best accomplishment, and I'll top it!" He has a drink in his hand.

Arlie_B I don't know, I can't get her on the phone

Dionysus He sways, "By gods, that's mad! I like it!"

Arlie_B her whois says that she is in lab, and I know she had to do experiments today

Dionysus "You go first!"

Dionysus It would be nice to be told these things /before/ gaming.

Arlie_B I don't think it was expected, she was planning on being done by gaming as I understood it.

Dionysus Ahh

Dionysus "You go first!"

Arlie_B "I once fought in a battle of magic with the Emperor of <this place> and lived to tell the tale!"

Arlie_B he drinks.

Arlie_B obviously old, infirmed, and with a broken arm

Dionysus He laughs, "I once danced with the Queen of Faerie!" faeries haven't existed on Shem since First Shem.

Arlie_B that helps me get a bead on him. "I've been to the summer country and back!" another draft.

Dionysus "I've been to the Summer Country, the Havens, & I have a house in the City of Mists!"

• Arlie_B looks impressed.

Dionysus "In over your head, old man?"

Arlie_B "Anyone cat get a house in the City of Mists! I've been up the Mountain of Trials!"

Dionysus He arches an eyebrow & his eyes glow slightly, "Well, Servant, I've stolen from the Champion of Hatred's personal treasure hoard."

• Arlie_B grins.

Arlie_B "

Arlie_B 0lkdsfg

Dionysus Eh?

Arlie_B Dani on the phone

Arlie_B filling her in

Dionysus Ahh

Arlie_B she says she got up at 9 and started working, in hopes of getting done before gaming.

Dionysus I told her to quit her job next time

Arlie_B "I've killed 100 morags with a word, when the High Priest of Creation failed us." Arlie takes a final draft giving his best pose, before choking and coughing up some of the drink

Arlie_B and wincing from the pain.

Dionysus His eyes go a little wide, then he says, "I saw a god go mad."

Dionysus And his voice cracks with emotion, like he's been trying to forget that bit.

Dionysus He stumbles from his table, tears rolling down his face.

• Arlie_B raises a hand, slowly. "Never met or seen a God, you've got me beat My Liege."
• Arlie_B gets down and helps him through the crowd, to the bar.

Dionysus He gulps, then stands unsteadily, slumping when he gets to the bar with you.

Arlie_B "C'mon, lad, this is a celebration temple, no need for any of that 'ere."

Dionysus He shakes his head. "I thought I could forget it here. Tomorrow, I'll try Blind Row.

Dionysus "

Dionysus Meaning, the silence area.

Arlie_B "I deal with it by making up tall tales, making my memories my own."

Arlie_B do I have any idea which God he's talking about?

Dionysus "You've never seen a god go mad."

Dionysus Nope.

Dionysus The only mad god you know of is chaos, & he was born that way as far as you know

Arlie_B "Nope, I've seen plenty but never that. Forgetting doesn't work though. You live long enough and it's going to come back."

Arlie_B "You gotta do something about it, beat it and make it your own."

Arlie_B "That's freedom."

• Arlie_B gives him the next drink.

Dionysus "I tried. I... I tried."

Arlie_B "You can try harder. When you're not sad about failing, thats when you know you've done enough."

• Arlie_B takes a drink as well.

Dionysus He coughs, "It's not that easy... It's... I can't..."

• Arlie_B grins. "Bullshit." "And if it's easy, it's not any fun."

Dionysus He looks you in the eys & grabs your shirt front, "If you had seen a god go mad, you'd not fare as well as I have, Servant. Don't be a fool."

Arlie_B "No, I'd try and fix the God's mind."

Arlie_B "Or something ridiculous like that. But I AM a fool."

Dionysus He shakes his head. "I almost died, & then... Someone saved me, but I... I don't know. I came looking for my son, but the pain..."

• Arlie_B moves his hand back. "But I'm certainly not going to tell you that sulking about it is going to make things any better, or that you have the right to sulk."

Arlie_B "Pain is how Shem tells you you're still alive."

• Arlie_B indicates his arm.

Dionysus He sighs, "I'm not from Shem."

Arlie_B "Well she's tellin' you all the same."

Dionysus He shakes his head, "You simple little man. Have you no ability to fathom what this is like? I've seen a god /go mad/. The effects of that have ripped the planes apart. Light & dark fight side by side against the wrongness wrought by this, & I was there to witness its beginning. It's rippled through my soul."

Arlie_B "No pulling rank Your Liege. You're drinking with the rest of us tonight. And of course I don't know what I'm talking about specifically. Doesn't stop me from being right."

Dionysus he sighds & drinks.

Arlie_B "You should come hear us play. We're a group of musicians, and we're gonna put the world back together."

Arlie_B "Heal the summer country."

Dionysus "You're all right for a complete idiot."

Arlie_B "Can I be a seneschal?"

Arlie_B "You don't mind me asking, which God?"

Dionysus He shudders, "I told you, I can't... explain it. There was more than one god, but... Something is echoing in my head. The wrongness... I can't understand it anymore.

Dionysus "

Dionysus "There's /too much/. So I have to forget, to, to understand."

• Arlie_B thinks for a moment. "We're 'ere with the creatures of Creation. Make something you do understand, get your feet, and then start pushing back against it."

Dionysus He shakes his head, "That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, even if I were sober."

Arlie_B "You should of said so! There's a difference in running from something, and turning a corner so you can kick it in the jollies as it goes by."

Arlie_B "Confidence is what I'm talking about, mate. Here I am, I have to find the sword of Wealth to stop a war, avenge the bastard reever king that mutilated my wife, and learn how to play with one hand. I get my feet again by lecturing someone who probably has heard it all before, just 'cause hearing myself say this makes me believe it all over again."

Dionysus He shakes his head, "The Sword of Wealth was really stolen?"

Arlie_B "That's what the Dragon Emperor says. THe current plan is to find it and hand it back in return for not starting a war with Maraddon."

Arlie_B "That's the first reason I challenged you to the duel, to get your attention. Only later I realized you needed a drinking buddy as a distraction."

• Arlie_B gives him a wink.

Arlie_B s/distraction/distraction from what ails you./

Dionysus He coughs, "Who did it?"

Arlie_B "No clue. I tried to set up a meeting with the Sathers to find out, I got these last set of bruises from the Wealth church after punching the bastard Sather that threatened my wife."

• Arlie_B takes a drink.

Arlie_B (thinking, if that doesn't endear me to him, nothing will.)

Dionysus He laughs. "Fucking Sathers. My father hates them."

Arlie_B (this is awesome, Billy.)

Arlie_B "Personally, I think the Emperor still has it. I hear it's a hard gift to let go of, and when someone won the Dragon tournament, the sword conveniently disappears."

Dionysus He shakes his head, "The Emperor of Kren'atan?"

Arlie_B "That's the bastard, there."

Dionysus He laughs, "You think the Emperor of Kren'atan is hiding the Sword of Wealth just so he can hold onto it?"

Arlie_B "I wouldn't put him above it. Why? You know something I don't?"

• Arlie_B grins haphazardly

Dionysus "Well, I gave him the Sword, with my father's blessing upon it, as the reward for the tournament. I'm certain he wouldn't've tried to keep it."

• Arlie_B smacks his head with his good hand and smiles. "There's the blessing and curse of being mortal-- You can only know so much."

Dionysus He shakes his head, "The Sathers aren't a bad guess, though. Have you asked any thieves' guilds? Even if one didn't do it, they usually know who /did/ do something like this."

Arlie_B "Aye, not yet, but if you've been in the Champion of Hatred's treasure vault, you've got a better bead on that crowd than I. I figured all it would take is one braggart like me to start a false rumor and make their information worthless."

Dionysus "Huh?

Dionysus "

Dionysus "I'm a little drunk. I don't understand that last bit."

Arlie_B "It's no problem, I just thought I'd get worthless gossip. I'll check them out, thanks for the tip." /me starts to stand up. "And I've really abused your time, my Liege. Allow me to make it up to you. I'm part of the Colour of Sound, the band that's going to save the world. Come hear us play all this week at XXXX. If you're still looking for a way to take your troubles, see what one of our sets c

Arlie_B an do for you. We've got a saint of music staying with us this week, and when she sings I can't think of anything else."

Dionysus He drinks & laughs, "I might do just that, man. Thanks for the drinks."

Arlie_B "With your leave." he half bows with a sharp intake of breath. "See you this week!" as he leaves.