Ferfren turns to Mig
“The defenses lad.”
“We have a master stone mason in town, we should put his knowledge to use.”
Women, children, barely a man between 15 & 50, you couldn’t keep a cow out of this town.”
Glimmer enters the tavern in search of Taklinn. She walks to the bar and orders a pot of tea. She eyeballs the strange group at the table and approaches them, teapot in hand.. "Hello my dears. And Ferfren. Hello love," she says to Taklinn and bends to give him a small kiss on the lips. "OOOF! Wings of the Fae, couldn't you warn me you had fire on your breath?" Glimmer says of the flask she knows contains the wretched stuff. "Mind if I join you fine gentlemen for some tea and conversation? Good then!" Glimmer pulls a chair to the table and sits down abrubtly, pulling out some dried flowers and a vile of what seems to be nectar. Taklinn would notice that it is actually some of the fae spirits she sometimes partakes of. "What a day it has been already!"
Talles crosses the room, and standing beside the table between Mig and Ferfren he slams his fist on the table.
“The Expendables came to this town to help it and its citizenry survive, that has never changed.”
Ferfren passes the Talles the flask, and continues the rant.
“And as for senses lad, I would ask you the same.”
“If by his rule you mean Fredrick Douglas, there is no question. This is his town, which is why the Expendables are here protecting it. The only question is to you and your friends.”
Talles stops Ferfren in mid rant.
“Careful friend there is much this whelp doesn’t understand.”
Talles leans in close and whispers something inaudible into the ear of Takilnn.
“You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is ?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you says, "What's mine ?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is ?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone ?"”
Bob Dylan
Taklinn winks back to Glimmer as she makes her exit. He snatches his flask from Talles, and says "Either way me conscience will be me guide." He then moves Closely to Ferfren and Talles and says something inaudible before saying "Walls never were built with words and ale!" He then looks to Mort for guidance. "Where do we start?".
"So yer telling me you want to build a wall, lad?" Mort takes a swig from the flask, thinks for a moment, and then takes another. "Well, first thing sonny, yer gonna need a crew, an' some stone, an' a plan... How big of a wall boy? Whatcha tryin' ta keep out, or ya tryin' to keep something in? I don't be seein' any livestock so I doubt yer worried about wolves. Ya got trouble with the neighbors boy? Somethin' not sitting well?"
"Ya got no stone, ya got no wall... If'n I were you. I'd start there."
Drux walks in to the tavern in a hurry seeing the party he heads that direction. "How goes it Taklinn? Still haven’t received any recruits to help with the wall, has Mort agreed to help yet?" Drux fires at the Dwarf in a hurry. "Please just give me some good news." he mumbles to himself then turns to Mort. "So you going to help us we have an army trying to take our town from us at that doesn’t bode well with me and you're the best shot we've had in a while for some good news. So what’s it going to be?" Drux finishes and begins tapping his foot in wait of an answer.
Taklinn listens to Mort and nods his head and rubs his beard. As Drux comes in and begins to talk, Taklinn takes the flask back and takes a pull. Clearing his throat he speaks "Well Drux perhaps we are jumping the gun a bit. Forgive him Master Stonesmith, as nobody around here has ever witnessed Dwarven negotiations" he says as he passes the flask back to Mort. "As fer the stone, we ain't got a quarry, which has been our biggest problem thus far. If ye know of a good source fer stone, we would be willing to pay fer a good bit o' the stone, if the price be right. Once we know fer sure how much stone we can acquire, I'm thinkin' that will determine the size and scope of the wall." He pulls out his pipe and packs it down, then he pulls an ember from the fire with his calloused hands and lights it. Exhaling the smoke in small rings, he continues. "As fer the purpose of the wall, it is mostly fer defensive purposes. Its needin' to be high enough to make it difficult ta scale, with enough of a walkway on top so as ta be able to move about if we are needin' to displace to support another side of the wall, with perhaps a small tower or two to rain arrows or oil upon the enemy." He sits and strokes his beard and thinks over anything else he can picture for the walls he envisions in his mind. "It is a difficult problem we have, but I am sure I can rustle up a good bit of town to assist in gathering stone from around here, as well as to help build the wall. I trust that ye enjoy a good challenge Master Stonesmith, because I'm knowin' it is a mighty task that we are undertakin'." Taklinn sits back and continues to smoke his pipe, deep in contemplation while he awaits the venerable dwarf's reply....
"And a task I'll be takin' on. Fer a wall of that size, I'd say ye be needing all the stone that 6 lads could haul from the ground o'er a mestrun. Bring on yer strong backs, yer quarry tools, and your barrows and I'll show ye to a place where you'll find no stone that rings truer. Of course, if'n ye be in a true bind, it seems ta me that that tower o'yer yonder be made of arcane craft and would make for some fine defense. That there stone sings of sweet melodies and songs made for heroes. Should save you about half the time ta use whatcha already got."
Mort nods approvingly, "That stone should make for a neigh impregnable gate, but you're not likely to see another tower so fine any time soon. The choice be yours laddy. And if'n ya ain't got the tools to do the job, we might be able to come to some arrangement."
((Anyone that wishes to participate in Phase 1 of the building of the wall, please send me a PM and I'll assign arbitrary downtime in 3 day segments - I'm restricting this activity only to those who have been adventuring in the last 3 months and would have an active interest in the defense of Jastrey. If you haven't been around in a while and would like to participate, please send me a PM saying why your character would be interested in building the wall and I'll take them on a case by case basis.))
Glimmer walks across the tavern and plops down in Taklinn's lap just as Mort is finishing up his conversation. "Hello loviekins, what did I miss? I heard the part about the tower. I do agree the stone is quite marvelous; much like the stones of my old homeplace. I doubt we could convince Astrum and Garith of such however." At that, she turns her attentions to Mort, accidentally smacking Taklinn's face with her wings as she repositions herself to speak properly to Mort. "Mr. Stoneshaper, I'd like to assist in the building. I do however have a question of great importance to me. Would it be possible to have an archer's tower or platform at the least somewhere along the wall? As I am the only one with use of a bow in town, I'd like to use my skill to best benefit my town. I'd be happy to build it and assist anywhere else I'm needed." After her statement, Glimmer pulls out a flask of her own version of her mate's Firewater, takes a long pull, annd then offers it to Taklinn. "Do be a dear and have some love. I suppose I shall have some of your holy water, being that I must become accustomed to it."
Taklinn takes a pull from Glimmer's flask and chases it with his own firewater. "Aye that stone sings loud and true, but those wiggle-fingered mages won't come off of it. I tried to convince them a few menstun back, and about got a lightnin' bolt in me arse fer it!" he laughs heartily and nods to Mort. "Thats not to say that their tower couldnt be incorporated in the design of the wall though. That way they ain't got nothin' to do but roll outta their beds and start shooting their magic out their bedroom windows! The stone that ye have on the wagons out there wouldn't be up fer barterin' would it? It rings pure an' sweet, and could save us a bit of diggin' if ye catch me meaning. As fer Strong backs, I have a few lads in mind that could help out." He stands up abrubtly, almost dumping Glimmer unceremoniously on her rump. "If ye would excuse me Master Smith Stoneshaper, I need to go get me barrow and tools from me home, but I will be back soon to begin doin' whatever it is that yer needin'" Taklinn says while dipping in a low and reverent bow, before heading off quickly in the direction of his home.
"Well it's about time to see some action come of this meeting, here I was thinking that all dwarven negotiations were just a bunch of dwarfs getting drunk off wine and then falling off their stools. I will most definitely be helping with the entire wall Master Stoneshaper sir." Drux finishes as little of his edge wears off but is still very high strung.
Taklinn looks at Ferfren incredulousy and says "WE? Since when did ye become concerned with the defense of Jastrey? Does that mean that ye have come to yer senses lad!?" Taklinn asks hopefully, studying Ferfren for signs as to whether or not he is still under the strange charm of Fredrick Douglas. "Or do ye still hold to yer beliefs that we are to fall under his rule come spring? Never afore have I seen one of me kind so dependent upon someone else, but ye are right about one thing; with a Stone smith in town, we definately have work to do!" Taklinn says as he pulls his flask out and takes a strong pull before offering it to Mort, Mig, and finally Ferfren in turn.