Thunder rumbled overhead, a storm brewing high above the city of Darkveil as rain and wind pelted the dark village. An hour after midnight, the village had found itself pretty empty, the streets devoid of citizens as most people found shelter from the raging storm. In any normal village people would have hurried home, lit a fire and snuggled into their beds, cradling away the night. Darkveil however used a storm like this as an excuse to party, as if they needed an excuse. 

The Dancer's Den, a large tavern and dance hall was slammed pack with people, citizens and travelers of all kinds finding refuge from the rain outside. Despite how crazy the storm was or was going to be, any sounds and proof of it was currently being drowned out by the party taking place inside. Dark walls were dimly lit by magically enchanted purple lanterns, giving off a very eerie glow as the sound of music glided over the heads of patrons enjoying drink and company. A band of bards had set up in the back of the room, playing a very up beat melody, giving those here a reason to get up and dance. 

Salazar found himself sitting against the back wall, deep red eyes watching the crowd as he finished his third glass of dragons blood, a unique liquor favored around the ash lands. It would be rather hard to notice the man, or anyone else calling these tables home as the dim light hid those not on the dance floor. The red Tiefling wore a long over coat atop a nice dress shirt and a pair of slacks, a nice red tie hap hazardly tied around his neck. The bit of moisture he had acquired from walking through the storm was already beginning to dry, his body and attitude warming up as the strong drink continued to fill the man. 

The crowded tavern continued to fill up with each minute, people pouring in from the storm. Some of them attended the bar, drowning themselves in booze, while others took to the floor to dance and party their woes away. It really was the perfect life, drinking and tapping his toes while he spectated the goings on. Salazar could not have wished for a better life, enjoying the perks of belong to a wealthy crime family here in Darkveil. And if things continued the way they were going, the night promised to only get better. 

Xalmann walked into the warm, bustling tavern, his dripping dark blue cloak wrapped tightly around him. Only his red lizard tail and his clawed, bare feet were visible poking out from the bottom of the cloak. He lowered his soaked hood now that he was out of the pouring rain. Yellow eyes with vertical slitted pupils scanned for somewhere to sit. The place was packed. People were dancing and waitresses were carrying around mugs of ale and bottles of wine. He didn't like such crowded places. But, past the dance floor, he saw a table outside of the bright lights of the dance floor with plenty of empty chairs.

He made his way around the edges of the crowd, keeping his cloak wrapped around him to block any would be thieves from reaching his possessions that were all attached to the belt around his waist. He walked up to the nearly empty table, every seat empty except for one. A red Tiefling man sat there, drinking a dark red liquid from a glass, the bottle in front of him labelled "Dragon's Blood". He wore a long over coat over a dress shirt with a red tie around his neck. He looked like he had also been caught in the rain like Xalmann, his clothes still a bit damp.

"This seat is not taken?" Xalmann asked the Tiefling man, his scaly red hand poking out of his cloak and resting on the back of one of the chairs.

Tatalia decided Darkveil city was not the worst place to be. The plain and simple truth was that as much as she loved coming up with schemes to get in and out of places she wasn't supposed to be, it felt nice to walk into a "civilized" place openly without chased off by armed elves with swords.

The Dancer's Den was exciting. The lighting was eerie but soothing, even sensual; the atmosphere was engaging; and the party fever was infectious. Tatalia had stepped in to take cover from the storm initially, but not long after she'd entered, she found her feet taking her across the tavern toward the dancers, and... well, dancing happened, as was expected!

Twenty minutes later, the goblin (who had never danced before in her life) had been with three different dance partners. All of them had been around her height; Tatalia quickly learned dancing with anyone human sized was a disaster waiting to happen. She'd also had a glass of wine (which she hadn't had since she stole wine back at Armalane's estate) and had shared the story of one of her escapades to an attentive band of Zeinavian students on vacation. The story of her flight from the spider-infested wood in the Moon Glade was met with some doubt, but also a fair bit of good-natured laughter and more than a few eager questions. All-in-all, Tatalia decided she quite liked the Dancer's Den.

After paying for a refill, the greenskinned explorer staggered away from the dance floor, worn out from dancing and mentally exhausted from answering a flurry of questions. She made her way over to the relative peace and quiet of the darkness... though, frankly, it wasn't half so dark for her thanks to her darkvision.¹

There were a few other patrons lingering in the darkness. Tatalia snatched a rich man's coinpurse by slipping her dagger quickly into her hand, slicing the strings deftly, and then gently cupping the pouch and tucking it away.² She made nary a sound as she did the deed, and still made next to none as she maneuvered through the darkness, looking for a group to sit with, the better to serve as an alibi while putting her feet up to relax.

The goblin found exactly the sort of company she needed right away, a group where she'd fit right in! So, without warning, the goblin literally hopped over the back of one seat and landed perfectly on the other side, then propped her feet up and grinned at the well-dressed tiefling and the red-scaled lizardman standing behind a chair.

"Wow! What a storm they have raging out there! I speak of the dance floor, of course!" the goblin commented with a laugh, wiping sweat off her brow. "If every party in Darkveil is like this, I must've been going to the wrong parties before this!"

Tatalia sipped from her glass of wine, then set it on down and propped her feet up on the table. She made herself completely comfortable, and she didn't ask for permission like the polite lizardman. She also... didn't look particularly well dressed for the party; she just had her usual traveling clothes, her scarf, and her red-tinted goggles. Oh, and she was a goblin. That made her stand out, too.

"Whom do I have the pleasure of sitting with, anyway?" the goblin asked the two men, raising an eyebrow at them both.

---

Abilities Used: 1. Dark Vision; 2. Quick Palm.

The party continued to rage into the late hours of the evening, crowds of people still pouring in at random intervals of time. While he was not much of a dancer himself, Salazar enjoyed watching all of the patrons enjoy themselves. He saw Beth, a local milk maiden, dancing away with her soon to be husband of an orc. He saw other members of local gangs drinking, gambling and just enjoying the vibe. The red man even noticed a goblin just living her best life, dancing with random strangers as if it was her first time ever on the dance floor. He continued to tap his foot and smiled, just overwhelmed with joy. 

A few more minutes passed as a rather large, red scaled lizard folk entered the tavern, alone. Salazar's eye brow raised, as he had never seen this particular person before. They didnt look like they were here to cause trouble, but for sure stood out among the other party goers. To his surprise the lizard man eventually made his way over to the Tieflings table, sliding a chair out and asking if the spot here at the table was free. Finishing off his drink the red skinned man leaned forward and cleared his throat, just about to respond when out of no where their interaction was shattered, the tiny female goblin jumping into the chair out of no where. 

He couldnt help but smile while being taken by surprise. This goblin instantly settled in, making herself comfortable as if she had already been invited to sit. He normally would have taken both of these strangers interruptions as an offense, but he knew neither of them realized who he was, and the night was going so well, there was no reason to cause a fuss. He gave the goblin a chance to catch her breath as she settled in, turning back to the lizard folk. 

"Of course, it seems like someone has already taken your seat though. You are more than welcome to join me at my table."

He then turned back to the goblin with a smile.

"Well hello there little one. You in fact have the Pleasure of gracing the one and only Salazar Sin. Might i inquire what your name is? Its not often i get to welcome a goblin and a lizard to my table. "

Xalmann looked down at the Goblin that had stolen his chair with an emotionless, blank face. He didn't show the annoyance he had toward them, not wanting to cause trouble in such a crowded place. He moved to another chair and removed his dark blue cloak, draping it over his chair to let it dry.

He revealed his shirtless torso, mostly covered in red scales except for the pale yellow scales on his front. He was lean and muscular, clearly a strong warrior. His fighting ability was also apparent from the battle axe and kukri dagger on his waist, attached to a leather belt under a plain reddish-brown sash worn over some slightly baggy leather pants that stopped at his knees. Bandages were wrapped around his lower arms and lower legs.

He sat down in a seat with his back toward the wall, not wanting to be an easy target for pickpockets. His long tail draped over the side of the seat and made him sit a bit far forward on the chair. He glanced at the Goblin before turning his attention to Salazar.

"I am Xalmann Dakarr, Last of the Bloody Axes" He stated before looking at the Goblin, awaiting their introduction.

"Salazar Sin! I'm charmed," replied the goblin, flashing a beaming, sharp-toothed smile at the tiefling, and then another at the lizardman. "And I'm charmed to meet you as well, Xalmann! You must have a story or two to tell," the goblin mused.

The name Bloody Axes was familiar, but the young goblin was having trouble remembering exactly how. She blamed the wine and moved on.

"As for myself, I am Tatalia; scholar, adventurer, and explorer extraordinaire!" Still seated in the most lazy of fashions, Tatalia swept one arm out and dipped her head down, as if trying to bow without actually having to get up. She'd been dancing too long to bother standing. "If you haven't heard of me, you will soon! I only hope it's all good news you hear."

Perhaps Tatalia was being a little too proud, but... dammit, she was having a good day! It was hard to get off of that excited high after spending the day in Darkveil. Taking one last sip from her wine glass before setting it aside, Tatalia dabbed at her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief (which she'd definitely stolen just the other day) before flicking a glance up at her fellow tavern-goers, her skin seeming weirdly pale in the dim purple light above.

"So! You both look like capable and interesting people. What's the most exciting thing a girl could do in these parts?" Tatalia grinned once again, her eyebrow bounding high above her yellow eyes. "Anything of historical interest? Perhaps some dangerous escapade that needs undertaking? Or maybe you've just got a story or two to swap?"

A light chuckle escaped the dark skinned man as he followed the example made by Tatalia, the small goblin, moving his leather booted feet upwards and propping them up on the table top as well. He leaned back in his chair slightly as the lizard man took the chair next to him, the trio getting comfortable. It was not a common experience to have two random strangers just approach and join Salazar for the night, he welcomed whatever exciting new adventures this would bring. He was very taken by the goblin, her personality and energy was palpable, and he could feel his own energy rising just by being in her vicinity.

"Well it is very nice to meet you Xalmann, and you as well Tatalia. Excuse my rudeness but I don't believe i have seen either of you in Darkveil before, is this you first times gracing our beloved city?"

He was very proud of Darkveil, after having a questionable youth he had learned to embrace the chaos that came with living in the Ash Lands, having joined a prominent crime family came with its own perks, and a life style he was fitting into very nicely. Many of the locals that called this place home knew his name, or at least of him, so it was a tad refreshing to meet to people who could have cared less what his name was.

"Well miss, as far as things to do, Darkveil has plenty of exciting tourist activities to get lost in. However with the storm raging outside, this is probably the best place you could spend your evening. As for stories, I have dozens, but from the look of things, the two of you have far more interesting things to tell than I ever could. How did two out of place folk come to find yourselves in a place like this?"

He was very curious to get to learn more about Tatalia and Xalmann, after all it never hurt to have more friends in a position like his.

"I do not know Darkveil. I am from Marsh Flats. I am looking for a god. Dagon. He destroyed my tribe. The Bloody Axes. I will kill him" Xalmann said, anger rising up into his face as he says Dagon's name. The claws of his hand that was resting on the table scratches deep grooves into the wood as he growls "Dagon" under his breath. A waitress began approaching the table to ask the new patrons what drinks they'd like to order, but turned around when she saw the fuming Lizard.

He closes his eyes and breathes deeply for a moment, getting his anger under control. He opens his eyes and looks at Salazar again. "My apologies. Yes. It is my first time here."

The waitress hiding nearby, ready to call security, sighed in relief and approached the table again now that she saw that the red Lizardfolk was calm. She walked up to the table and put a hand on her hip before speaking in a cheery voice "Hey there, what're ya drinkin' tonight?" she said, glancing between Xalmann and Tatalia before looking toward Salazar. "Another bottle, sweetheart?"

Xalmann just stared at her silently, not knowing what to order and not really wanting any alcohol. For some reason, the smell of alcohol turned his stomach.

Tatalia idly slipped her goggles over her eyes as Xalmann talked when nobody was looking, the better to hide the look of absolute shock and grim realization that came over her. The goggles did wonders to maintain her poker face.

Dagon. Bloody Axes. Tatalia was able to put together exactly what the lizard was talking about, and she did not like the reminder. That he called himself the last of the Bloody Axes gave her an idea of exactly what sort of fate befell him after he awoke in the village: abandoned by his other surviving tribemates, left to die in the aftermath of the battle... The very thought made Tatalia's stomach boil in self-hatred and disgust.

However, thanks to the goggles and a lifetime of hiding her emotions, Tatalia was able to weather the emotional storm, keep a straight face, and clear her head. (How many different storms was she going to experience in one night, anyway?)

"Oh, let me order a drink for you both!" Tatalia declared, definitely not trying to soothe her guilty conscience with a show of generosity. "How about raspberry tea for me? I've had enough wine. Actually, get three orders of that; one for each of us, plus a drink of whatever they each want!"

Tatalia didn't know why she ordered tea for everyone, but decided her guilty-feeling brain was making stupid decisions and she just needed to accept that. She didn't even like tea. Why did she order tea?!

The goblin turned her attention to Salazar, doing her best to distract herself. She decided to think of a fun story to tell, one that would get her mind off of matters.

"How I came here is actually a boring tale! I just hitched a ride with a caravan after hearing rumors about a digsite that needed a historian. They were false rumors," Tatalia noted, sighing briefly before brightening her smile. "But... Since you're so interested in stories, would you care to hear about how I survived a swarm of giant spiders in the Spider's Canopy? Or perhaps you'd like to hear about the world's most ridiculous looking chimera?"

The energy was weird at this table, Xalmann came over very tensed, an obvious aura of rage and anger boiling deep beneath the surface of the lizard. Tatalia was the opposite, a ball of good hearted energy and joy exuding from the creature. She even slipped on a pair of tinted goggles after already being in a dark, dim room. This was a very interesting duo that had decided to join his table, almost a jest from the gods. Salazar just listened to each of them, taking in their stories, picking up on mannerisms and clues to who each of them could be. More drinks were ordered as both the red scaled lizard and the goblin offered to get more for the table. An odd turn of events, for he was normally the one ordering drinks for tables, it was nice to be treated for once. 

"Woah Xalmann, kind of intense there buddy, not really sure who the bloody axes are or what the hell a Dagon is, but i wish you the best with that. "

He chuckled lightly as the waitress went about preparing new drinks for the table. Now fully leaned back in his chair, the red Tiefling crossed his arms and got comfortable, prepared to enjoy the tellings of a Goblin. Something he never thought he would be the witness to.

"Oh I do love stories, I myself have rustled with a few spiders, but I am very interested to hear your tale! "

Xalmann looked down at the raspberry tea that the waitress placed in front of him awkwardly. He was a bit ashamed at his actions, but the thought of Dagon always made his anger flare up. The best he could do was quickly tamp that anger down again. At least he had learned that this man didn't know about Dagon. It was likely no one in this place did. It was far from the Marsh Flats.

He started to wonder why he had even come all this way as he poured a bit of the raspberry tea into his mouth. It was pretty good. It was much sweeter than anything he had tasted before. The sweetest thing he had tasted until now had been the fruits and berries that his tribe had stolen during their raids. He looked at the Goblin who had ordered the drink for him. Why is she wearing those goggles now? They seem a bit strange.

"I would like to hear about the spiders as well" he said to her as he continued to drink the tea.

Tatalia's ploy to use her goggles to mask her concern was working wonderfully! Mostly. Probably. She decided not to dwell on that!

"Oh, very well! Then let me tell you about a little story I like to call... The Sticky Situation!" Tatalia grinned at the tiefling and lizardman both, then took a slurp out of her raspberry tea, set it down, and flopped forward so her feet fell off the table and her elbow sat upon it instead. She leaned toward her taller companions and began her story.

"Betwixt the hours of dusk and night, I tread into the gloom; and into the darkened woods I fright I danced with Lady Doom!" The goblin grinned toothily as she rhymed, but thankfully didn't plan to keep the rhyming scheme up for long. Perhaps Cantio's music was rubbing off on her.

"My companion - a bard - went with me into the Shadewood, seeking a shortcut to reach Eclipse City faster than we otherwise would. Unbeknownst to us, the shortcut I'd chosen was, in fact, the Spider's Canopy, a realm where eight-legged monstrosities the size of enormous dogs reign supreme!" The goblin's goggles twinkled in the purple light above as the storm outside in the inn kicked up dramatically. "He told me a tale of a unicorn that roamed the woods helping lost travelers, but I didn't believe it. After all, such stories are mere fairy tale fantasy!

"Then, suddenly, a vast throng of giant arachnids began chasing us through the trees! A veritable army! And though we ducked and dodged and dove for cover, the beasties kept coming, racing across the forest floor, leaping from branch to branch, climbing above us on the canopy!" The goblin's storytelling was hitting a fever pitch, and she gesticulated with her arms as she regaled her fellows with her tale, spreading her arms out when describing the size and making wild motions when discussing the chase. Clearly, she liked telling the spider story.

"My companion and I became separated, and I went back to rescue him! But this became my downfall, as that is when the spiders snatched me, dragging me off to become their dinner! But I know a trick or two of my own," Tatalia mused, raising her finger with a wag, "and I discerned the creatures were communicating with one another! So I cast a little spell I learned to let me understand other languages... and they were, indeed, speaking a language! A language of song, in fact!

"I was brought before their mother, a monster the size of a castle, who I parlayed with for a time. She deigned to let me live in return for some sing-song of my own, but not before biting me! You can see my scars here," the goblin added, pulling her scarf away and tugging her shirt down a bit, revealing an old, twisted looking wound on her shoulder. Whatever had bitten into her was... massive.

"Her daughters chased me out of the woods, but not before I met my bardic friend... who rode astride the very unicorn from the stories he told me about! Together, the three of us made a daring escape, with the bard and myself hurling the contents of our backpacks at the spiders to slow them down! And then... we escaped the forest, just like that!"

The little goblin leaned back into her seat, away from the red-scaled and red-skinned listeners. She smirked, then took a sip from her tea again, raising an eyebrow at them both.

"Of the adventures I've been on, I'd say the excitement of that one was... maybe a seven or eight out of ten," she added in the most nonchalant tone she could muster. Tatalia liked impressing people.

Salazar rest back in his chair further, getting comfortable as he cradled the warm cup of tea in between his hands, listening the the goblin woman recount her tale of bards and spiders. It was hard to not allow a smile to spread across his face as the story unfolded, her excitement obvious from the energy she was exuding. He had heard stories like this before, grand epics told around a camp fire or among friends over a cup of ale. Those in his circles loved to tell their stories, but theirs often included some form of crime or violence. Most of them being made up or exaggerated tall tales to gain favor or used to brag. Weather that was the case here or not, it mattered none, for the story was very thrilling and the joy it brough her to tell it was just as warming. As the story concluded Salazar leaned forward, placing his now empty cup on the table and offered a very small, light clap. 

"My how exciting, I must say I have never had a run in with spiders quite like that one, and your story further reminds me why I avoid that part of Charon."

He let another chuckle out as the red skinned man turned to his reptilian friend, patting him on his shoulder.

"And how about you mister Xalmann, any exciting or grand tales to tell? Maybe you can tell us of these bloody axes, or who this Dagon fella might be."

Xalmann listened to Tatalia's story silently. He had never seen giant spiders himself, but they sounded strong. He wondered if he might fight against some one day. The story was interesting and enjoyable enough. He wasn't sure if it was true, but he didn't really care that much if it was made up. It was an entertaining story. He grabbed his glass of raspberry tea to take another drink.

As he started to lift his glass, Salazar started patting him on the shoulder. He looked towards the man, listening to him speak. At the name Dagon, the glass of tea in his hand started to boil and steam, the ice melting away until the glass was empty except for a slight residue of burnt tea and raspberry. His face was filled with rage again as he growled out "Dagon... He ordered us to run through fire. He said he would reward us. We thought he would protect us from the fire. He did not." he said, trying to stay as calm as possible. He breathed deeply, calming himself down.

The waitress who had turned back at the sight of the Lizardman again returned with a new pitcher of raspberry tea. She refilled Salazar's glass before looking at Xalmann's. "I'll... get you a new glass" she said, slightly nervous, but trying to act cheerful. She almost reached for the empty glass before Xalmann placed it on the table, causing the wood beneath it to sizzle from the heat of the glass. "You know what, you keep that one." she said as she finished topping off Tatalia's drink and then leaving quickly, leaving the rest of the pitcher on the table.

"I do not wish to talk about that anymore" Xalmann said a bit awkwardly. He turned to Tatalia. "I would like to hear about the chimaera."

Trying not to feel guilty beyond measure was quite the feat for Tatalia. She failed. She felt very guilty, because she absolutely played a part in "Dagon" getting a bunch of lizardfolk killed.

Sure, they were a warlike tribe that killed outsiders! Sure, they raided other villages and took captives to sacrifice to strange gods! But that didn't justify tricking a whole swathe of their people into killing themselves. Nothing justified that.

It was only thanks to the good graces of her goggles and a well-trained poker face that Tatalia was able to hide her involvement a while longer.

Yes! Ah, the chimera! Quite the unusual creature, actually," the goblin began, lenses gleaming as she told the story. "So, my companions and I encountered the most peculiar creature while delivering a letter! It was massive, easily the size of a drake - though definitely not the size of a dragon, mind you - and was moving about the treetops above us. Suddenly, it descended down from the trees and prepared to attack! And it looked..."

Tatalia suddenly smacked a piece of paper down onto the table. "Like this!" she declared with a huge, goofy grin.

It was a strange picture to say the least. The page was a bit wrinkled, but nevertheless was very clear: a chimera with the head of a frog, another of a bird, and with a tail that ended in a snake's head! It was... a ridiculous looking monster if ever there was one.

"Chimeras come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes," Tatalia explained casually as she let the others view the page. "They all have some manner of special abilities. This one was rather unique, however! It had vocal mimicry abilities, keen intellect, a tongue that could grab victims from afar, a hypnotizing gaze with the snake's eyes... a perfect ambush predator, truth be told. Don't ask me how the ridiculous creature flew, however."