Of Long Tails, Tall Tales and a Flagon of Ale

Looking for one other person to RP with. Somebody who uses proper grammar and syntax rather than script/asterisk. My replies will be anywhere from 2 sentences to multiple paragraph depending on context or situation. This opener will be longer than most of my posts to set the scene and give a little backstory.

This takes place in Haven (located in Grahtwood) just after the Jackdaw attack. The town has just reopened it's harbor and is in the process of a cleanup. If you want a better idea of who I'll be role playing as, check out Phyriel's character sheet. This is open to any character type and race. Also, this will contain semi-NSFW content such as drug and sexual references, adult language, possible violence and has the potential to take adult themes (but will have to be taken off site if it happens at all--it may be worth noting here that Phyriel swings every which way, so sex and gender identity won't be an issue).


She was lucky to get out at all, that much could be said. The whole endeavor had really taken a turn for the worse. A business opportunity had presented itself and Phyriel would have been lying if she claimed not to be at least a little excited to see Grahtwood in it's green glory. When she made port, she had been sleeping in the comfort of the passenger cabin. A Khajiiti couple, a Redguard Dominion sympathizer, and the seedy Altmer merchant she'd allied herself with were all cramped together on the ship from Skywatch. And approximately zero of the five of them were anticipating any trouble during their trip. A little seasickness, maybe. Not a goddamn pirate attack on their very destination.

The crew had been lucky enough to see the smoke from a distance. However, the ship only had enough supplies for the trip to Haven and it was manned mostly by Dominion marines, they had to make port nearby. All able-bodied folk on the boat were more or less drafted into the fight, willing or not. The only exclusion to be had being the wife of the Khajiiti pair who was with child.

Oh what I wouldn't give to be pregnant right now, Phyriel found herself thinking ironically.

Still, with her bow, she joined the fray despite her sudden misgivings about the whole trip. It was mostly the hope that she'd be repayed for her effort that she didn't consider allying herself with the pirates themselves. Well, that and the fear of being turned undead. That certainly crossed her mind when she saw the shambling guardsmen and women.

But payment was never offered. No, instead, when the whole debacle was cleared up, the people in charge demanded to search the vessals all who had arrived just before, during and after just to be sure there was no pirate affiliation or any further planned debauchery for the now ill outfitted port town. This would not bode well for the little bosmer.

She didn't let them search without a fight, of course. Though when they finally did get their hands on her things, it only got worse from there. Not only did she have the gall to resist cooperation--she was also carrying some potentially illegal paraphernalia. The Altmer she'd travelled with pleaded her case with her, of course. She'd been smart enough to not carry Skooma in bottled form, lest she be shook down--only the otherwise harmless ingredients. But the officials were clearly having none of it that day. Nothing was getting past them and they were quick to confiscate her and her belongings.

It wasn't until three days later, when her case was brought up in front of the Khajiit leader (Galosh or some such) was she given another shot at freedom. The Altmer merchant was present, much to her relief, and insisted that she was his assistant and he had wrongfully requested her to carry the materials that might be deemed illegal. He was verbally reprimanded and she was set free. If the whole thing hadn't left her raw, she might have thought the deed was honorable on his part. Rather than striking up another deal with him, she told him she wasn't interested and made a straight beeline for the tavern. He'd been nice enough to give her a bit of coin for the trouble, though it'd hardly make up for the thing she lost. But hey. At least she could get some booze in her system to help her cool her head.

Upon entering, a few heads turn in her direction. One, two... Five other patrons, a server and a barkeep. She nods her head at the familiar Redguard before taking her spot at the bar. A minute later, she's soaking her woes in a chilled apple ale. A quiet groan escapes her between her third and fourth drink and she sets the flagon down.

Jo'Zrijhi Talog pushed open the door of the bar, prepared to drown her sour mood and aching muscles in a bottle of liquor. She couldn't say why she had chosen Haven of all places. In her opinion, it was a dingy little town not fit to stay in for a few hours, much less for a night. Plus, all the Hoavers and Stranglers gave her the creeps, especially after spending the majority of day within the bowels of Root Sunder in search of a lorebook. To make matters worse, the damn book she sought had not even been there. The only remotely interesting object she'd gotten out of Root Sunder was this little green seed--sadly, even that didn't seemed to have any real value.

However, the childish, immature part of her had been amused by the sparkling effect that occurred when she messed around with the seed. Yet, that was not say the venture into Root Sunder had been worth the weird token. She was a seeker of artifacts, relics, and knowledge--not a damn mercenary or black market dealer looking for anything that might earn some quick coin. Not even helping a fellow researcher find those damn journals had justified the trip in her mind. What had she gotten in return? A few coins--which she didn't even really need. The small finder's fee didn't even cover the cost of her time, damaged armor, or injuries sustained in the ruins. Perhaps, she should have taken someone with her...

That said, Zri gave up her disdain for the town of Haven in search of a tavern and a place to rest. She looked around the small bar--not that she really knew anyone that would spend time in a place like this. Zri just liked having a knowledge of her surroundings. She ignored the slight odor of the place and headed towards the bar. After the day she had, Zri needed to be in the immediate vicinity of liquor, and even across the minuscule bar was too far for her taste in this moment. Easing the pack off her shoulders, she sat it on the ground with great care and took a seat next to a Bosmer.

With a snap of her fingers, she hailed the attention of the barkeep. Not particularly mindful of her rude demeanor, she demanded a bottle of rum. For the barkeep's trouble, she pushed a few coins his way and waved him off when asked about change. The first few shots were downed in rapid succession. It wasn't until round three or four that her sour mood lessened enough to pull the damn seed back out of her pack. She may not see any value in the small token, but that didn't mean the scholar in her wasn't curious about what it meant.

Already having had a couple drinks down, she eyeballs the new arrival. Once the barkeep sees to the Khajiit's order and she's had the opportunity to down a few gulps, Phy finally (Phynally?) decides to speak up.

"You look like you've seen better days," she comments. Her eyes flick down to the seed, then back up at the Khajiit's face. She takes another drink before continuing, "Name's Phyriel--devout follower of Dibella and otherwise useless. What's your name?"

Pouring herself another glass of rum, she glanced at the Bosmer next to her. "I'm Jo'Zrijhi Taloj, however most call me Zri." She downs the next shot. "And, I decided to wonder into Root Sunder, alone." She sighs.

"All I will say is all those Crocodiles, Lurchers, Spriggans, and Stranglers had a lot worse of a day than me." She reached for the bottle of rum, readying another shot. "All for a lousy 211 coins and this odd little seed, which makes me sparkle..." She got distracted by the small token for a moment before turning back to Phyriel. She starts to go into a rant about the cost to fix her armor and the tip that didn't pan out, but stops once she realizes it doesn't matter.

Instead she studied the Bosmer before asking. "Phyriel, devout follower of Dibella, what aspect of beauty do you follow: aesthetics, beauty, love, or the erotic?" The scholar in her wanting to know more.

She's impressed and it shows on her face as Zri describes her encounter. When asked, she pauses to consider it carefully, tilting her head just slightly. "I don't think I could choose a single one of those, actually. Nor have I ever been faced with the question.." She shrugs her shoulders, "Though erotic would probably be my first pick if I ever had to make a decision." She chuckles softly, "Easily the most fun domain to choose, don't you think?" With that, she takes another drink and calls the barkeep back over. She requests a local Bosmer apple ale for the two of them.

"Friend of mine told me about this stuff. Said it goes down smooth and leaves you feeling warm," she explains. She takes a sip of hers and lets out a pleased "Mm!"

"Though I wouldn't pick it just based on what it entails, but more what it completely encompasses, you know?" she continues, taking another drink of the ale.

"Well, I'll take that to mean you aren't in a cult..." Zri commented, almost to herself. "Although I am sure a Dibella Cult surrounding the erotic would be an interesting group." She reasoned. "That said, I concur--that would be the most fun domain to choose." She brings the cup of apple ale up to her face and smells it before taking a drink. "Hm. Not bad. A lot different taste than my usual rum." She comments with a gesture to the bottle on the counter.

She turns serious for a moment, adding, "As for your decision-making process, it seems that considering those elements would make the final answer all the more sound." She finishes before changing the topic once more, "Saying you're useless is an unusual way to introduce yourself to another..." She comments, but doesn't question it, not thinking it was her place.

She glanced around, looking for the cook. "Are you hungry?"

She immediately perks up at the prospect of food, "Always!"

"Useless is really the only good way to describe me now," she laments with a fake smile, "Just got out of jail not too long ago. Barely ten gold to my name."

She puts on a good face, smirks and holds her drink up, "To new beginnings perhaps?"

"To new beginnings." Zri reaffirmed, tapping her cup against Phy's.

Locating the cook at the other side of the room, Zri stood, commenting on Phy's confession. "People can come back from jail... It isn't a death sentence, and depending on the charges it can even help with reputation." Not really phased by the idea the Bosmer had been to jail.

"Any food preferences?" Zri asked, as she brought her pack onto the bar stool and pulled out her coin pouch, draping the pack over her shoulder.

Relieved that she'd found someone willing to front the cost of dinner, her grin widens and her tone softens. "Absolutely anything that isn't prison food," she says.

Touching back on the previous point, she sighs, "Well, it's not so much the reputation I'm worried about as it is the things I lost as a result." She sneers, "Contraband, they called it. Apparently the Dominion is cracking down," she complains. "As a result I've lost business opportunities and, well, all of my stuff." She lets out a half-hearted chuckle, "But if my luck is turning around, maybe I can find someone who'll let me spend the night with them."

There's a moment where she thinks to give Zri a suggestive wink, or even something as subtle as a raised eyebrow. Instead she just dips back into her drink and starts formulating possible outcomes for the night in her head. Zri had been kind to her thus far and she wouldn't want to push it.

As the chef listed off the items on menu, Zri took a moment to look back towards Phyriel. Clearly, this Bosmer had fallen onto some hard times--saying so herself--only ten gold to her name and her belongings seized by the government. Yet here Zri was, complaining about making a couple hundred gold for retrieving some journals in ruins and caves that she had intended to explore anyway. It definitely put a few things into perspective...

Zri ordered Sweetbread, Bear Flank Pie, and Bear Soup. Directing the chef to where she was sitting at the bar and returned to her seat next to Phy. "Food should be out shortly." She informs Phyriel. "I didn't know if you followed the Green Pact or not, but I figured Sweetbread, Bear Flank Pie, and Bear Soup would work either way."

"Ever consider stealing your belongings back?" Zri asked. "I'm sure it is easy enough to figure out where the guard stores seized possessions..." She reasoned.

She mutters a sheepish thank you when Zri mentions the order. Though when asked about stealing her belongings back, her face reddens.

"That had originally been the plan when they first took my bag." She lets out another heavy sigh, "But they were too smart for that. Destroyed my tools, poured out any vials and burned the raw sugar cane." Her voice grows harsh and bitter, "One of them even thought himself funny and stuffed my coinpurse in his pocket. Everything else is useless or just petty belongings. Hardly worth the trouble."

She catches herself. "Ah, listen to me whine in your ear. You're kind and I'm sorry for all my complaining."

"Isn't complaining about our problems part of why people frequent bars?" Zri turned on the stool, leaned her arm on the bar for the support, and, finishing off her apple ale, flagged down the barkeep for another round for both Phyriel and herself. "The other part, obviously, being to drown our problems in liquor..."

"You know I ran a few errands for someone in your trade other day..." Knowing not to specify what that trade was, Zri pulled out a map of Haven. "You can find most of the supplies you need in and around town, if you know where to find them and when to strike... However, going about regaining your business might make you a few more enemies." She held the map in her hand, not opening it until she received some kind of answer from Phyriel.

She had no connection with the people in this town, thus no loyalty to the residents that decided to make skooma. "I could show you where from the markers on my map of the area...if you like?" However, Phyriel had made a bleak day a little less deary, and for that she could trade in the underhanded dealers of this drab town.

Her eyes gleem with need when Zri mentions the map and divulges what she knows. "Making enemies is part of the business. We compete against each other like any other trade and as a result we have to refine and improve our wares," she explains.

She raises an eyebrow suspiciously, "Though this one has to wonder what the catch is..."

"No catch." Zri assured her. "I just don't see any reason to protect the illicit businesses of the residents of Haven." She pauses for a moment as the food arrives--enough for two or more. "Not to say, I am one to usually divulge this sort of information. However, the dealers in this town don't appear to be connected to any higher organization, thus it will have no real baring on my reputation."

Turning back to the counter to access the food in front of her--not of the best quality, but not the worse she'd ever had either. "With that in mind, it appears you could use a break, and I'm willing to give you one."

She picked up a knife and cut off a piece of the sweetmeat. "Plus, having given you this information will start some form of an alliance between the...business...here and myself." She took a bite--not bad. "That is something I didn't have previously, thus your gain is my gain."

Phy listens intently, taking her first taste of the bear soup before she responds. "By alliance are you saying you want some sort of cut then?" She considers it, taking another spoonful of the soup. "If that's really all, then consider me sold."

After a moment of consideration, Zri nodded. "A share of the profit will do..." She relents. "However, don't worry about paying me until you get back on your feet." She decided, looking the Bosmer up and down.

"You are no use to me dead." She explained calmly, as she cut off another piece of sweetbread and ate it. "I don't invest in this kind of business lightly." She continued. "I have my reasons--and I am sure you have your reasons, as well--for getting into this kind of business."

After rummaging around in her pack for a few moments, Zri produced a small coin bag, "Here is another investment--to help get the supplies you'll need to get the equipment. Take it as an advance on the risk you are taking to get this equipment--I don't care how you use it as long as you get the equipment." She elaborates.

Once she is done explaining her terms. She opens the map but doesn't offer Phyriel a glimpse just yet. "Are you still interested?"

She maintains eye contact as Zri explains and nods her head in agreement. "I think we have a deal," she affirms.

Once the map is unfurled, she waves over the barkeep and has him fetch a piece of parchment and a writing utensil. He produces a small page and a piece of charcoal for her and she immediately takes to scrawling a rough duplicate. She makes a few of her own notes on the bottom while asking plenty of questions. It was clear Zri knew a little more about the area than she did. Once she's finished, she eats a little more and rolls the map up to stuff safely in her pocket.

"I won't need much to get the job done. You've gotta learn to be resourceful in my line of work, so if you can slide me enough to get a new tool set, that's all I'll need." She tilts her head from side to side, humming quietly as she considers a proper amount, "In Auridon I'd estimate around 50 gold, but here? Let's go 45. I can fletch my own bow and arrows and with the money I make from this little project I can get myself some new leathers. Don't worry though. You'll see a full return plus interest as time goes on if you make this kind of investment."

She takes what she needs from the coin purse and passes it back to her, then shrugs her shoulders, "And if our partnership continues after this, we can develop a mutually beneficial business relationship."

She thumbs down at the map, "I'll get the job done by high moon tomorrow night. Where would you like to rendezvous?"

"Hm." Zri considered her question for a moment. "How about up in Elden Root--bigger place; more secluded areas." She said after some consideration. "Probably best to not keep meeting in the same places. How about we meet in the tunnels beneath Elden Root?" She decides.

Zri uses the same map of Grahtwood. "There are these tunnels under Elden Root known as the Middens--it is where Elden Root hides its impoverished." She explained, frowning for a moment at that thought. "You won't find any guards, and I don't see the people that reside there being much of a threat."

She settled that matter before returning to Phyriel's previous statement. "I can see this being a more permanent business relationship, if all goes well..." Pouring another glass of rum, she offered Phyriel the bottle of rum, as well.

"Funny you should mention the Middens," Phy says with a mouthful of sweetbread, she swallows before continuing, "That's exactly where I was headed when I made port." She rolls her eyes, "Y'know. Until that whole Jackdaw thing happened."

She takes the bottle, filling her glass and drinking it down as quickly as she can. "Aaah, thank you for that. I'm gonna need a few stiff drinks if I'm gonna sleep proper in a tree tonight."

Her fingers play with one of the gold pieces she'd been given and looks up at Zri, "So, do you normally help dealers who are down on their luck? Or did I catch your eye somehow?"

Zri pushed the rest of her food aside, having taken what she wanted. "You intended to stay in the Middens?" Zri asked, but didn't pause for an answer--ignoring the comment about her sleeping arrangements for the night.

After taking a moment to consider Phyriel's last two questions. "I can't say I am one to help anyone, much less a former dealer that just got out of jail..." She takes a drink from her glass. "However, let just say I didn't expect coming to this tavern would make my day any better, given my thoughts for this forsaken place..." She glanced around with disdain. "I think I prefer the Middens to here..." She noted. "Plus out of the six people in this tavern...I did take a seat next to you.."

She pauses to take another drink of her rum. "Opposed to going up stairs or outside with it--which would speak the fact that you did in fact catch my eye." It looked she was about to say more, but instead cast her gaze down the glass of rum.

"Not to stay, no," she corrects, "Just do some dealing. Should come as no surprise that my wares would be popular in such a place, right? Still not the kind of place I think I'd like to spend a lot of time in."

She's quiet while she considers what Zri said, then comments, "If Bosmer are what you're interested in, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're in a place like Grahtwood..." she says, lowering her voice just slightly. A smirk grows on her lips yet again and she turns on her stool, leaning on the bar while she looks Zri up and down.

"I'm sure the Middens due offer a large customer base..." Zri reasoned with a frown. "However, it is a depressing place to be--all those people forgotten by the system..." Her eyes wondered back down to stare at her rum. "I'm curious to see if the Queen can make a difference for the Middens, or if they are doomed to waste away down there..."

After finishing off her glass of rum, Zri turned back to Phyriel. "Well, Grahtwood is considered the land of the Bosmer...However, it is a matter of finding Bosmer that don't mind Khajiit...I mean look at the amount of conflict that has been found between the two in recent history..." She pauses, realizing she is getting too analytic, and watches Phyriel assess her.