"Ah, the sweet sounds of a crowd that loves Rao-ul!" a dashing felinoid with a ragdoll coat and tiger stripes thought to himself as he took the hand of his fellow tavern denizen.
"Oh Rao-ul's ravishing Narry, will you honor Rao-ul with a dance?" He asked with a fancy bow while kissing her hand.
"Only if you keep talking sweet to me." Narina, the best barmaid in Drakkenreach smiled.
Rao-ul pivoted up with a flourish as the house band picked up the pace with a lively dancing tune for the entertainers. He took Narina by the hand and waist and led her in a galloping waltz around the room. Narina's skirt twirled and flutterd against Rao-ul's legs. The higher it flew, so too grew the cheers of the patrons, culminating with Rao-ul tossing Narina into the air then catching her. He put his dance partner down and repeated his fancy bow.
"Oh sweet Narina! Your fair flows like the stream of stars above and your eyes are even more lovely than the kobalt mists of Naverengard! If only Rao-ul could keep you to himself, Rao-ul would never have to seek his true love, but no! The lovely Narina belongs to the night! The lovely Narina must spread cheer that Rao-ul would be selfish to keep to himself! No! Poor Rao-ul can only enjoy the sweet Narina for the nightly dance, as he must... but only to then let her slip back in to the crowds to dance the sea of life!"
Rao-ul repeated his fancy bow, earning the crowd's applause and more importantly, the coin that they would generously give to the bard. He took Narry's hand and kissed it. Standing up straight with a sidecocked smile, he gazed in to her eyes.
"Lovely Narry, Rao-ul... is not through!" He purred and led his partner back in to a waltz. The elven beauty's dress spread out as Rao-ul twirled her and led her about as if presenting the elf's loveliness for the approval of the men in the tavern.
Rao-ul's nose filled with Narina's scent, which he could then separate and detect the difference between cheap perfume and the elf's natural scent. The combination of the two and Narina's gentle smile and curves created an experience he very much treasured.
"Narina, Rao-ul would love nothing more than to know that you are his true love... so that Rao-ul could take you as his most precious bride... so that Rao-ul could spirit you away to far off islands!" He crooned, which was rewarded by Narina's practiced swoon, a definite crowd pleaser.
The elf gracefully swung her torso up to the point her lips softly and swiftly slid past his with only brief, intimate contact.
"Rao-ul, ye bonney cat, ye. Tae be mah true love, I fear I may ask ye to give up ye life. Like ye cannae trap me, I cannae trap ye! I cannae bare to not see you do what ye love. Nae to love ye, I may only follow in ye footsteps!" Narina recited.
Rao-ul clutched his hands to his heart. "Oh Narina, you do so understand Rao-ul! That you met Rao-ul with love in the moonlight, but to understand that he seeks his true love that you cannot be, is true love shown to Rao-ul. Until Rao-ul finds his true love, he shall also pine for you in the very moonlight!" He proclaimed to the audience.
"Well done!" He whispered to Narry. "The accent was a little off, but Rao'ul does not think the crowd cares."
"I have a good teacher." She smiled back.
"Shall we again?" He extended his hand to Narry for another waltz around the floor. Narina squealed with delight as he again led her in a promenade around the floor and as they pranced in their waltz, Rao-ul naturally made eye contact with many of the women there, both spoken for and not, making them also feel as important to Rao-ul as the lady he danced with.
"Are you sure were on the right path?" Rook Sawnver asked her son, who was intensely studying a metallic artifact.
"Yes, Mother." Akaro replied. "The design is from the Norrelheim Smitheries, not sure the period, but the inscription, that's where the mystery still lies. These inscriptions are as old as the device." The young artificer held up the device which showed the odd lettering perfectly inscribed. He adjusted his goggles which he enchanted to allow him to read any language. That it was not readable to him made the mystery even more enticing.
"And my contacts have seen my rubbings." Sonnet, their brown-skinned rogue added. "So far, none of them know but they are continuing to inquire as their own time permits." She pulled her cloak back to reveal her silky black hair and the henna art that framed her soft face.
"They don't match ancient dwarven." Akaro added. "They may not be of this world."
"What do you mean?" Rook asked.
"Magical comes to mind, but its not magic I've ever seen." Akaro replied. "It's too perfectly shaped to be draconic or demonic."
"Maybe its from the stars." Grogo, the party's dark-skinned strong guy said.
"The stars? Seriously? Denizens from the stars?" Sonnet grumped as her dark eyes flicked between Grogo and Akaro before settling on Rook. "Who'd wanna intentionally come to this planet, even if there were some kind of life out there."
"It would be arrogant of Vallarians to assume that we are the only sentient life. Grogo's right, it could have come from another world or realm." Rook defended. "We've seen enough weird to know." She added.
"And I thought the only weird around here was Akaro." Grogo laughed.
Akaro ignored the muscle man twice his size and continued to fiddle with the spherical contraption, but even for all of his skill and knowledge he could not get a response from the artifact. It was a puzzle beyond his power to solve.
"Rao-ul is here. He knows shit. Let's ask him." Grogo suggested. Rook nodded her approval and waved her arm to Rao-ul.
Rao-ul, still locked in dance with Narry, didn't miss Rook's wave. Leading her towards Rook's table, he extended his paw out to catch a coin tossed up by Rook. Nimbly while still with an arm caressing Narry, twirled the coin around his extended claws allowing the tarnished gold to shine in the sconce lights. With a few more twirls, Rao-ul kissed the coin then rolled it down his arm, to his paw and finally to his claws. He delicately slid the coin in to Narry's cleavage with a sly smile. He raised up and elegantly bowed to his beautiful dance partner and then again to the crowd who voice approval with much wanted applause. Other couples moved to the dance floor as the house band started playing more relaxed, common music.
Rao-ul excused himself from Narina's presence, shooing her away with a pat on the behind.
Rao-ul slid to an empty seat at a table where four rugged adventures are drinking and discussing plan. He drew air deep in to his nose and then let out a laugh, swiping a cigar from Grogo, a dark skinned mountain of a man.
"Hey! That's mine! I got that in Tyree!" Grogo protested.
"From Oskar's Humidorium?" Rao-ul asked and took a puff. "Ugh. Toreodore Black. Keep it." Rao-ul grimmaced.
"He told me this was Wharo Kush!" Grogo grumped.
"I told you Oskar was bullshitting you." Rook, the party's leader and mother hen scolded.
"Yes." Rao-ul affirmed. "Oskar, he never sell good leaf to ruffians like you!" He said with up-pointed finger. "Fortunately for my friends..." Rao-ul produces a cigar from his coat. "Rao-ul appreciates the finer things in life." Lighting the Wharo Kush from the table lamp, the cat takes a couple of puffs then hands it off to Grogo who takes in the aroma.
"Yeah, that's the stuff!" Grogo smiled and offered Rao-ul a coin in return, which the bard accepted with a nodding smile.
"My friends! Where are we to go?" Rao-ul asked.
"WE are looking for the Norrelheim ruins." Sonnet, the team's rogue replied.
"Ah, see, Rao-ul means the royal 'we' where 'we' does not actually include Rao-ul. Rao-ul has many sticks in fire, no time to go to Norrelheim." He dissmissed the theif.
"You know where Norrelheim is?" Akaro the artificer asked, looking up from the lockpick set he was repairing for Sonnet.
"OF COURSE Rao-ul knows where Norrelheim is. Rao-ul has been there. but there was no coffee shop so Rao-ul did not stay."
"Where is Norrelheim, Rao-ul?" Rook asked directly with her normally intense face becoming more intense.
Rao-ul drew in a breath and looked up. "Now let Rao-ul think..."
"Maybe this will help you think." Grogo said, putting down a pouch of coin in front of Rao-ul.
"OH YES! Rao-ul remember now!" He smiled as he investigated the coin sack. "North of Drakken reach, take the Prince's road until you hear Wood Hollows. It is a halfling village, mostly friendly, but one of thier own is a werewolf with very vicious teeth like this!" Rao-ul held his hands up to form nasty teeth in front of his mouth. "And EARS!" Rao-ul pointed his fingers up next to his own. "More FIERCE than Rao-ul is, but in easy to manage compact size! His name is Pedro and he is their elected sheriff." The bard warned.
"Duely noted." Rook replied. "Sonnet?"
"Memorized so far." The thief replied. "Then where do we go?" She asked.
"Now let's see..." Rao-ul pondered as Narina arrived with more tankards. Rook paid up this time, placing another bag of coins in front of Rao-ul. "Yes, now Rao-ul remembers. From that village, go north east on the path to Serpent's Keep, but DO NOT GO to Serpent's Keep. The Prince say no one is allowed there. Instead, turn north at the gate and follow the wall. You will then arrive at the home of Dogfish Bill! If you give Dogfish Bill a loaf of bread and one copper coin, he will lead you to the hidden entrance to Norrelheim."
"But you said you know how to get to Norrelheim." Grogo protested.
"YES! And that is how you do it! Dogfish Bill is only living person that know secret entrance! He very much loves bread and copper and that is his fee. Anyone wanting to actually get there must ride in cart with bags over their heads." Rao-ul told them.
"Lame." Sonnet sighed.
"Rao-ul's information has always been correct." Akaro pointed out. "Even if he takes his gorram time relaying it."
"Be kind." Rook scolded her son. "Thank you, Rao-ul."
"But of course, dear friend Rook who is like the fiercest of wolves hunting in the snow at night!" Rao-ul cooed.
"Hey! Rook is blushin'!" Grogo laughed, adding to their leaders embarrassing amusement.
"Hey Rao-ul, have you ever seen on of these?" Akaro asked, handing the odd sphere artifact to Rao-ul. He looked it over and squinted a little before pulling out his reading glasses.
"Ah! 3rd Geshrin Period! Likely crafted by Narwan Skrig or by an apprentice under his direct supervision... hm. No, wait..." Rao-ul ran his fingers over the inscriptions and the glass like structure that was deeper in the recesses of the sphere.
"This was supposed to be a mana battery." Rao-ul concluded.
"See, that's what I thought too, but I tried recharging it and I couldn't store anything in it." Akaro said."
"er... Rao-ul is bard, not wizard." the cat-man shrugged. "But Rao-ul give you 400 coin for it."
"No deal." Sonnet said. "I could get 1 large for it any Thieve's Guild fence, which is exactly what you would do. I could have your credentials with the Guild for that." She warned.
"Ah but you see, Rao-ul's credentials are BETTER than dear Sonnet's. Snaug would not have otherwise, and speaking of wise, it would not be wise to threaten Rao-ul, for Rao-ul has many sharp teeth!" He hissed.
"Hey! Easy!" Sonnet put her hands up. "It's not for sale. Akaro wants to know more about the inscriptions is all. He figured it was a battery of some kind." She said in her defense.
Rook came up with an idea. "Rao-ul, if we offered to make worth your while, would you be able to help us identify valuables?"
"Rao-ul get's a cut?" He asked.
"Yes. One fifth of the haul." She offered.
"Mother..." Akaro grumbled.
"Kar, this could be my chance to retire." Rook said.
"Yeah." He sighed with concession. "Ok.
"Then its settled, Rao-ul?" She asked.
"I suppose Narina could use a few nights of entertaining on her own, afterall, she wishes to follow in Rao-ul's storied footsteps, to skald her way in to bardic legend like the Great Rao-ul!"
"Ok, can we like sleep on this?" Sonnet asked flatly.
"Yes, it is late. Sleep. Rao-ul will count his coin and dream of adventure!"