A New Barovia: Chapter One

[BigBadQDaddy]

"Pardon me, but you remind me of someone I knew years ago. A William Tack, in fact. I am Vassili, Vassili Ivanovich. Captain of the militia in Krezk."

Thomas looks at the man in disbelief. "I have heard of you, though you were just a boy in the tales I heard from my father." Thomas stands up rather briskly and offers his hand in greeting. "What are the odds of us coming across each other like this? And do I really so greatly resemble my father? A pity." He says with a smile and a lightness to his voice. "I am Thomas Cante. It is a pleasure to meet you Captain. Please won't you join me at my table? It would be a great pleasure to hear some of my fathers tall tales from another perspective."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Several minutes before dinner:
Khalfani is taken aback when he sees that standing on the other side of the human with the lute is another gnome! He's spent so much time in Barovia looking up at the taller beings that his gaze initially went right over the other gnome.

Gnome: "A thousand pardons," he says to Josem, smiling politely, his eyes downcast for several moments before he lifts his head again. "I feel that my neck has been locked into position for many months," he continues as he looks up at the ceiling in an exaggerated fashion. "It is a rare pleasure. My name is Khalfani Fenimikk." He brings his hand formally toward his heart, touching the light, loose-fitting garments, which clearly are not of Barovian make.

"The fellow, the entertainer," he continues to Josem, indicating and smiling at Robert. "Does he say he purchased his lute in Kartakass from ... gypsies? Vistani? I do not speak his language, but I recognize those words."

He beckons Josem and Robert to accompany him to the dining room. Out of earshot of the barkeeper, he says, "Please, come dine with me. I have heard nothing but stale, dark tales for a long time, and the minds of the locals are as unchanging as the Pharoah's Rest back home."

He is in the middle of conversation minutes later when Vassilli enters.

[A G Thing]

Josem lost in conversation hears the sound of a voice behind him, but it sounds closer than he has heard in recent years of travels. The oddity and rarity of that occurrence is enough to get him to turn to respond... Turning to look Josem see's not only the sight of another gnome but the sight of one who does not seem to hail from Darkon originally. He for a moment simply stares, then realizing how rude he is being, not only to the fascinating bard but now this equally amazing traveler, he smiles wide. Speaking mordentish Josem leaps to rectify the the impropriety. Moving to address the new arrival and to keep his current conversational avenue included Josem turns excitedly to the new arrival of Khalfani.

"Ohmygosh! It is a wondrous occasion indeed! I was just mentally calculating to myself on the percentage that such an encounter could take place, and narrowing that percentage down due to current geographic and social allowances, I had factored it at close to one percent... Well one point two five sev... Wait sorry back on track... Must not neglect my manners... My family would never forgive me if I did... It is my pleasure to meet you Sir Fenimikk... I am Josem Synablathept Ogmonosphere of the Mayvin Ogmonospheres! Of course I don't know any other Ogmonospheres but statistically they must exist! May I also present...? Um...?" Josem glances back toward the bard a rather flustered look crossing his face, then sheepishly looks back to Khalfani before turning back. "Excuse me for just one moment Sir Fenimikk!" With a slightly embarrassed look Josem says with the same level of enthusiasm as before! "Many apologies for my lack of propriety sir! May I ask your name?"

Josem actually waits for an answer, all the while knowing if his Grandfather were here he would have been smirking as he always did when he showed how scatterbrained he could be.

[Ail]

As Josem replies telling him of his pony, he looses a well-spirited laugh...
"Ah ah ah ah... dear gnome, I see you have not believed my words. Touché, as my fencing master used to say. Ah ah ah ah, you must have an amazing pony indeed!"

It was not his intention to insult the gnome, but as an afterthought, he remembers that some people might not like to be laughed at like that. He bows, and excuses once again:

"Had I a hat, as I know I should, I would tip it to you and ask your forgiveness if I insulted you. I didn't mean to, but I like you and you made me laugh, in a happy way. This is an inn, after all, what better place to laugh and be merry than this?"

He notices that the new gnome does not reply to his last answer, but that he asked something to Josem about him. Noticing that, he is going to introduce himself to the new gnome, trying again all the languages he knows, but the other seems to invite him first. He accepts adding in Mordentish:

"Oh, sure, I'm always glad to have a bit of company."


He then watches, amused, the two gnomes excitedly making their acquaintance, until Josem turns to ask his name.


"Robert, Robert de Moureaux",

he says bowing with a florid step, his left hand raised as if holding a hat, his right arm lowered and bent to the right, as if holding his rapier in a rest position.

"Shall we go to the dining room? I happen to be quite hungry!"

[A G Thing]

As they follow Khalfani, Josem answers Roberts previous questions...

"Well it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last Sir de Moureaux, and do not worry about the laughter before! I can see that my training of Yaoental could seem amusing, now that I reflect upon your response! But I assure you he is quite intelligent. I expect with future lessons I will see a level of progress high enough to perhaps try and teach him such complex behavior. One day I hope to teach him how to understand complex poetry but that may take some time!"

Josem is estatic answering all of Khalfani's questions about Robert.

"Well Sir Fenimikk, Sir de Moureaux claims that the Vistani trained Kartakan crafts people are the ones who he employed for such craftsmanship, and the statement that it is assembled from Verbrekan wood in my limited knowledge I think does match such claims but then again I have not had a chance to read on the subject enough. I cannot be sure that it is not some other regional wood but he is a rather interesting fellow and I am sure he can fill me in on many a myth and legend for my research! Of course so could you! I would love to talk more and relate to your tales! You look as though you have traveled far and wide and I have heard tales of other lands beyond the worlds end mist! I plan to visit them all and discover the truth of many mysteries in my life and I would love to get a fellow travelers perspective!"

[steveflam]

Thomas looks at the man in disbelief. "I have heard of you, though you were just a boy in the tales I heard from my father." Thomas stands up rather briskly and offers his hand in greeting. "What are the odds of us coming across each other like this? And do I really so greatly resemble my father? A pity." He says with a smile and a lightness to his voice. "I am Thomas Cante. It is a pleasure to meet you Captain. Please won't you join me at my table? It would be a great pleasure to hear some of my fathers tall tales from another perspective."

"Ah, well then it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Thomas. But do call me Vassili, ok?" He shakes Thomas' hand and does in fact join the young man at Thomas' table. Once sitting, he turns to Thomas. "So, what brings you to Krezk? And how are your parents? I have since married, by the way. She is at home right now. You must come join us for a meal."

His expression changes to sadness and he looks at the ground, before looking at Thomas. "I also have another person at my home, Jacob. He has since gone mad with a degenerative disease affecting an elf's mind in their later years. I am sure you know much about him, but don't judge him too harshly he is not what he once was."

The man looks in the direction of Khalfani and notices the gnome with two strangers, one of which is another gnome! He waves to Khalfani and beckons him over.

[steveflam]

Coin gets a seat and notices Vassili moving to join Thomas. They speak and then he notices the Captain beckon over two gnomes and a stranger. The man Vassili joined is the one Coin was behind at reception. There are a few other patrons, but they appear to be locals.

[Zilfer]

Coin taking a look about notices a few more people coming into the room. They were very short, like children but they didn't look like children. Weird, then he wagered a look about the room to see who was already sitting around. He noticed a man looking at him, but also looking at another table. The man he think if he had over heard right was captain of the Militia. Why anyone would take an interest him these two brought up the question as to what he wanted. He was sitting there alone just like him. Coin decided what the hell, maybe he could strike up a conversation.

He got up from his table and strolled like he was going to walk past the man's table and once he reached the first chair he spun it around towards himself and plopped down crossing his arms over the back of the chair leaning in towards it. He tried the first language that came to his head.

Mordentish: Seen you cast a gaze or two my way. Don't suppose you'd mind some company, I don't like to eat alone. Makes people stare.

Only after saying that did he think of the irony that he had been stared at the guy just a few seconds ago. Aw well he was out to make the best of it. He waited for the man's reply after casting another curious gaze at the two small people in the large room full of people. They kind of stuck out like a sore thumb to him, he hadn't seen anything like them.

[BigBadQDaddy]

"Ah, well then it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Thomas. But do call me Vassili, ok?" He shakes Thomas' hand and does in fact join the young man at Thomas' table. Once sitting, he turns to Thomas. "So, what brings you to Krezk? And how are your parents? I have since married, by the way. She is at home right now. You must come join us for a meal."

"I would like that very much. As for my parents, Mother is doing quite well actually. She would rather I not be 'gallivanting about searching for trouble' as she would say. As for my father he is doing as to be expected given the hard life he has lead. He complains of the 'aches in his ole' tired bones' and all of that."

His expression changes to sadness and he looks at the ground, before looking at Thomas. "I also have another person at my home, Jacob. He has since gone mad with a degenerative disease affecting an elf's mind in their later years. I am sure you know much about him, but don't judge him too harshly he is not what he once was."

Thomas' expression turns from wonder to reserved sadness at the mention of Jacob and his degenerative disease. The Dark Elf was a living legend in the eyes of his father and to hear of his condition brought no small amount of pain.
"I am sorry to hear that. I...forgive me. I would like to meet him. The Elf saved the lives of my father and his comrades many times and offered volumes of knowledge gained by his years. I feel I need to pay him respect no matter how much the shock may pain me."

The man looks in the direction of Khalfani and notices the gnome with two strangers, one of which is another gnome! He waves to Khalfani and beckons him over.

Thomas looks in the direction Vassili's attentions turn to. When Vassili motions the others over Thomas says in a slightly hoarse voice, "Friends of yours?"

[BigBadQDaddy]

-Deleted-

[steveflam]

Thomas and Vassili

"Well I know Khalfani. Now, the other two I do not. One gnome is strange enough. But two? That is downright odd." He scratches absently at his neck, gold shimmers there slightly..

"Yes, you can meet Jacob when you come. Like I said, don't judge him too harshly. And if it weren't for him, I would certainly have undergone a different fate. I owe him much which is why I take care of him. Oh, Delsenora is in town and she cares for De Casteeles owl Lupzig. Don't let her impress you too much. She is quite the handful. I think she just wants to make sure he father is comfortable."



Coin and mystery figure

The figure eyes Coin. "How observant of you, young human," exudes a melodic elvish voice and female at that. Darren also notices white locks now. "Judging by your look, you like to sneak around, like me." Their table has less illumination and the female elf, lowers her cowl.
Before him is a dark skinned elf with the whitest hair!

[Zilfer]

Coin got a quizzical look when the figure spoke. Not only was it female which he wasn't expecting but on top of that she had called him human. Human? Had he heard that right, or was he just too tired from his journeying. That would imply she's not human. He was about to ask what did she mean but he was cut off as she lifted her cloak back a ways to let him see. He jumped, or half stood up. He wasn't sure which but a jolt had gone through his body when he saw her dark skin and white hair. From where he came from he didn't see things like this, he was beginning to wonder if he had wondered into a land of fantasy or if he was still dreaming on the road having had too much wild mushrooms or something.

"I'm good at sneaking through the forest if that's what you mean," said Coin returning his composure back to what it had been. He felt silly for jumping at such the slightest thing, was a different skin color, well she had weird ears too but other than that there was nothing too threatening about her at the moment. "Forgive me, it was rude of me to act so. I was taught to have better manners than what you saw. Allow me to introduce myself."

He pulled forth a golden coin as he said his name. "They call me Coin, not my birth name of course but because I collect coins no matter what the kind," he said flipping the coin around his fingers a few times before tossing it into the air, catching it, and then putting it back away. "Might I ask your name?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

"I am Josem Synablathept Ogmonosphere of the Mayvin Ogmonospheres..."

Khalfani speaks in Gnome, "The Ogmonospheres?! Truly? The Ogmonosphere Adhesive is a wondrous substance -- widely used by masons and carpenters back in Har'Akir! It retains its stickiness even in the arid air of that land."

"I cannot be sure that it is not some other regional wood but he is a rather interesting fellow and I am sure he can fill me in on many a myth and legend for my research! Of course so could you! I would love to talk more and relate to your tales! You look as though you have traveled far and wide and I have heard tales of other lands beyond the worlds end mist! I plan to visit them all and discover the truth of many mysteries in my life and I would love to get a fellow travelers perspective!"

Khalfani nods enthusiastically as the three men sit at their table. Then he looks at Robert and says in halting Mordentish, "But first, apologies must I give to you, sir. Mordentish is a difficult speaking for me. I did not intend rudeness by not speaking to you to your face. Please forgive -- I shall do my best to speak with clearness... clarity? Yes, clarity."

He now addresses both Josem and Robert as he continues speaking in Mordentish, "Yes, traveled far I have, Sirrah Ogmonosphere... Josem, yes? There are few of our kind in my home of Mudar, in the harsh, beautiful land of Har'Akir, where the sun Ra is god, friend, and enemy. But we gnomes ... we are made of strong packaging, um, that is not right... we are... resilient! Yes, that is the word. Many years ago, the Fenimikks, Shazigs, and Boddymips left this larger land -- what you call the Core -- to find adventure, fortune in the desert lands of Har'Akir, Sebua, and Pharazia.

"Happy am I in Har'Akir. I am a writer, a scholar, yes? People in Mudar come to me for knowledge of strange matters and for understanding of books or scrolls found in old temples or brought to us by Vistani. But odd images -- dreams -- come to me in my sleep, tell me that information and knowledge must be found here, in the horribly cold land of Barovia. So I pay gold to Vistani and travel, first to Darkon, then make my way to Nova Vaasa, and finally to here... just in time for spirits of the damned to be released and for all of Barovia to be separated from other lands for very long time, like flies trapped in glass bottle." He pauses. "Very BAD time. But put it to best use I tried. I did much reading to learn about history of region, and I try to help others who get in trouble with ugly goblyns."

The smile and the enthusiasm in his eyes reappear as he continues, "But that is past. Future is already better looking with new faces ... and with fellow gnome to speak to! To your heath, both of you!" He raises his mug of ale and toasts Josem and Robert.

The man looks in the direction of Khalfani and notices the gnome with two strangers, one of which is another gnome! He waves to Khalfani and beckons him over.

Khalfani looks back, "Is he waving to me? Oh, wait, I believe I know that man...." He gets up and walks over to Vassili.

[Ail]

Robert nods as Khalfani speaks and encourages his efforts in Mordentish. He is genuinely interested in what the gnome has to say.

"Goblins? That's what they are? I had noticed the strange creatures, yes, but I never heard there would be goblins in Barovia. Why are they here? It's so strange... and I had never seen goblins in my life. Can't say I wanted to, either."

He relaxes for a bit, his lute sitting on a chair at his side, his pack on the ground beneath it. He always tries to unload as soon as possible, as he's way more agile when he is light.

He absent mindedly plucks at one of the strings, while waiting for his food. Then Khalfani rises, and he looks over, saying


"Funny, I'd say that man was actually inviting the 3 of us, not just Khalfani. Let's go, Josem, more people to meet over there."


He gets up, picks his things and waits to see if Josem is coming too.

[steveflam]

Coin got a quizzical look when the figure spoke. Not only was it female which he wasn't expecting but on top of that she had called him human. Human? Had he heard that right, or was he just too tired from his journeying. That would imply she's not human. He was about to ask what did she mean but he was cut off as she lifted her cloak back a ways to let him see. He jumped, or half stood up. He wasn't sure which but a jolt had gone through his body when he saw her dark skin and white hair. From where he came from he didn't see things like this, he was beginning to wonder if he had wondered into a land of fantasy or if he was still dreaming on the road having had too much wild mushrooms or something.

"I'm good at sneaking through the forest if that's what you mean," said Coin returning his composure back to what it had been. He felt silly for jumping at such the slightest thing, was a different skin color, well she had weird ears too but other than that there was nothing too threatening about her at the moment. "Forgive me, it was rude of me to act so. I was taught to have better manners than what you saw. Allow me to introduce myself."

He pulled forth a golden coin as he said his name. "They call me Coin, not my birth name of course but because I collect coins no matter what the kind," he said flipping the coin around his fingers a few times before tossing it into the air, catching it, and then putting it back away. "Might I ask your name?"

"Ah, yes you may. Mine is Delsenora. Now, what brings you to Krezk? Oh Lupzig, come meet my new friend Coin." From atop the rafters descends a magnificent owl who alits on the dark maidens shoulder and hoots at him. She reaches into a pouch and tosses a piece of meat in the air which the bird grabs with practiced ease, gobbling it down. It hoots again and stays on her shoulder looking around the room, much to the dismay of the gathered patrons.


From across the room, Vassili sees Khalfani approaching with the two people but he also sees Delsenora's shenanigans and shakes his head, laughing to himself. "I must confess, I'll never get used to her ways, Thomas. Excuse me but a moment, would you. That is Khalfani and two people I do not know. Just introduce yourself, he is a nice man."

Vassili moves off in the direction of Delsenora and Coin. At their table he chuckles and nods to Coin before turning to Delsenora.
"Del, you know that Lupzig should remain out of sight o r at least outside. People don't have your same sense of humor, my dear. Be a sweetheart and respect the others, ok?"

"Vassili! I was just introducing her to my new friend Coin here. He looks like a nice guy, he might even be able to help you. But only if you ask nicely, party pooper." She pouts and winks at Coin. "Lupzig, go back. I'll call you later." The owl flies up and hoots in protest until she's disappeared into the rafters.

"Help me with what, Del?"

"You know what, those grisly events silly."

"This isn't the time or place, Del. Oh, your father wanted me to tell you hello, so hello. Mr Coin is it? Well I am Captain of the guard in Krezk. The matter Delsenora speaks of is better discussed at my office. Be there tomorrow morning at 9 a.m and I can elaborate further. Enjoy your meal." Before Delsenora can react he slaps her on the shoulder and walks away quickly, laughing heartily.

"OOO that was quick, you brat," she calls after him. Turning to Coin she says "Well, you going to eat? The food is really good here."