Chapter 1: In Rusling

Sep 20, 2026 10:04 pm
@ The Red Oak Tavern
You've each been in around and out of the village called Rusling, at least long enough to know how the seasons go there. Winter is cold and wet with a bit of snow on the barely-frozen ground, and the cattle huddle together to graze on the wilted grassy hills. Spring is warmer, and wet, with flowers and gardeners planting and cattle lowing to breed. Summer, hot and dry, the hay is tall. And now autumn, cooler, damp, and most of the harvest in.

You know on a late September day like this, Stott Prince Enedwaith ought to be holding forth with his lads in the Red Oak Tavern. He ought to be plotting with Gunder and Jane: just where to find the best of the marsh hogs for the annual hunt. Maybe he shouldn't but he probably would give a quick squeeze to Silene, the wench of the tavern. His men would turn to Snori for sharpening and other repairs to the boar spears and swords. And they'd all look warily to Mimnern for her reputation for animal-ken.

But this is not an ordinary late September day. Unlike the past twenty-five years, Stott Prince Enedwaith did not come east from his brother's castle in Tharbad and stop here at the end of summer. No, this year Stott Prince came earlier in the summer and rode straight through, onward north and east to the hall of Fidd Earl Hollin. And this very afternoon he's come back, after a honeymoon there in Hollin, bringing with him his bride, Fidd Earl's young niece Mianne.

Here they are at the best table in the Red Oak Tavern, eating supper while the villagers crowd the windows to peep at them from the muddy street. You're all in here with them, and a select group of other reputable or interesting village folk.
OOC:
What is each of you doing as the Prince and Princess sup? @testlum,@Sixkiller,@Joe_Blivion
Sep 21, 2026 9:56 am
Likely most of Rusling's folk would count themselves fortunate to dine in the presence of Stott Prince Enedwaith; for Gunder, the invitation seldom comes without an undercurrent of unease. Not for the Prince himself - in those conversations around the annual hunt, Gunder usually finds himself speaking more than he was wont - but that he's within notice of such nobles as this.

Underneath the table, a warm nose nudges against his calf. Jane, perhaps sensing his worry. The deerhound's too well mannered to whine. Cutting a bit of gristle from his plate, he slips her the morsel before he resumes eating. Unless spoken to, he's content to listen as others fill the tavern with chatter.
Last edited September 21, 2026 12:47 pm
Sep 21, 2026 4:30 pm
Posco was feeling a bit guilty, leaving his family to do the late-season harvest, but... well he was doing his job after all! He had come down to Rusling in early August, with the early-season harvest (and some of the aged wraps), as he had for the past couple of years now. And although he had gotten it all sold a couple weeks ago, he still lingered in Rusling for a time... as he also had done for the past couple of years now.

And that's was why the feelings of guilt. But...

"It's important research!", he told himself. Studying up on the latest trends in flavors and bouquets that the people were favoring, for next harvest!

He liked the Red Oak Tavern, it was the beating heart of Rusling, and he had somehow earned himself a spot there as one of the queerer folk to frequent the village.

He saw his friends were about when he had entered some hours ago, some of them also amongst the queerer folk, and he had went about to greet them. But then as he often did, he set about the serious business of filing his belly!

With that out of the way, he was now just having a thoughtful puff on his pipe, while scanning the room looking for a suitable dancing partner for a jig or two.
Sep 21, 2026 9:04 pm
The guests of the Red Oak Tavern need not have been so wary of Mimnern. Dressed in a blue cloak with a silver scarf over her chest, the sorceress had dined in great halls before and knew the ways of the high. She even had a fellowship of a sort with a select few there.

There was the taciturn Gunder and the deerhound Jane — truthfully, and here the unwise think her queer for it, she found the animal better company than the man. After them was the hobbit Posco Deepwell, whose thirst for adventure, even if unrealized, was rather unlike the rest of his kin. She did think his pipe-weed was some of the finest from Bree.

Having supped with the merry couple, Mimnern began to recite a sequence of jaunty rhymes. Most were abridged and sanitized limericks from her people. The men of Dunland loved a bawdy remark or two. Much too rough for polite company.

"There was a young person in pink,
Who called out for something to drink;
But they said, ‘O my daughter,
There’s nothing but water!’
Which vexed the young person in pink!"

It was to the tune that another round of ale passed by.
Sep 21, 2026 9:35 pm
Sixkiller says:
"There was a young person in pink,
Who called out for something to drink;
But they said, ‘O my daughter,
There’s nothing but water!’
Which vexed the young person in pink!"

It was to the tune that another round of ale passed by.
tibbius sent a note to Sixkiller
There's general laughter at Mimnern's clever rhyming and others in the room take a turn at their own rough efforts toward a limmerick or sestina. Then a fellow in the corner pulls out a harp and strikes tune:
The Gardens of Osgiliath says:
In the gardens of
Osgiliath, my love -
The lilies lie on little lakes
where flowing water slakes
our eyes' thirst for beauty.
Between the lakes are
wa-aa-aterfalls
where we make pledges truly.
The turning seasons never
make the flowers shiver -
oh, they pass by smoothly.
In the gardens of
Osgiliath, my love.
He has quite the voice.
Sep 21, 2026 9:50 pm
Snori is enjoying the company of the companions he has come to grow fond of during his time in Rusling. He felt a fellowship with them due to all of them still being viewed as outsiders, having all emigrated to the village at a similar time.

He has grown more accustomed to the ways of men, of late, though he still finds their ale to be a wee bit weak. He sits contentedly nursing his weak beer, as he doesn't fancy making his way through these crowds for another.

He has just enjoyed roast meat, no doubt, slain by Gunder, is in the process of preparing to light his pipe full of Posco's fine weed and is chuckling at Mimnern's jaunty rhymes. He reflects to himself, what fine companions.

As the music starts, he gets slightly lost in it, recalling the great bards he used to hear, as a young beardling, in the halls of Erebor before the desolation of Smaug.
Last edited September 21, 2026 10:39 pm
Sep 21, 2026 10:19 pm
Joe_Blivion says:
As the music starts, he gets slightly lost in it, recalling the great bards he used to hear in the halls of Erebor before the desolation of Smaug.
OOC:
We're 50 years after Dain King Under the Mountain came back into his birthright. Why has Snori not returned to Erebor?
Sep 21, 2026 10:38 pm
OOC:
I had forgotten about this and was thinking more prior to/during the Hobbit but no worries. I will retcon to say he fled Erebor as a young beardling and ended up enjoying life on the road helping people in need and the freedom that grants.
Sep 22, 2026 12:57 pm
@ The Red Oak Tavern
Stott Prince is quite drunk now, and as you all might have expected, he reaches out as Silene passes by with a clay mug in her hand, gets a good grip on her waist, and snugs her in for a sloppy kiss on her bosom.

Dark-haired and buxom Silene giggles and jiggles, taking a sip from the mug and then offering it to Stott Prince.

Mianne Princess turns pale as her pale blonde hair and leaps to her feet, dumping her cup in Stott Prince's lap and stomping away toward the stairs that lead up to the rooms: "I'm going to bed!" she exclaims. Silene calls after her, "no hard feelins, sweetie!" and adroitly disengages from the prince's grasp.

tibbius sent a note to emsquared
Sep 22, 2026 2:28 pm
Posco, raises his mug to his friends at the table, but then raises a finger and mouths and apology, as of to say; Be back in a moment. He steps away from the table and winds his way through the crowd toward a cowherd who looks a like he's getting a bit deep in his cups...

"Padrag! I hate to see your foot still a bother to you, ya should be dancing!

Listen chap, what if I can find ya something to help the healing go quicker? Maybe get ya back on yer feet? On the dance floor with yer wife,
", he says the word casually, but loud enough to emphasize it (yet trying to be not so loud as to tip his hand that he's seen anything), "and back in the field... yah??

For your family
", he says the word meaningfully, but not too heavily, "Yes?

I know the plants around these parts, and if'n I ever find myself out of the marshes, in thinking a little athelas should do just the trick!
"

And as if to punctuate his point (but really to deflect any ire that his attempt to redirect the man's attention might have caused) he points down to his hairy foot, which he has stuck out next to Padrag's, and then he pulls out back in and does a silly dance
Sep 22, 2026 11:10 pm
Gunder raises his head at the stir Stott Prince's caused, just in time to see Mianne Princess' cup go bottoms up and drench the other man. He winces a little, hand reaching down again to stroke Jane's wiry fur. Staying seated, he watches the Prince's face for his reaction.
Sep 23, 2026 2:43 pm
@In the Red Oak Tavern

@emsquared: Padrag grunts and sighs and tries to drain an already-empty mug. "Right … right," he says thickly and slowly. "I reckon yer … right. Well, and then, ya see …" he blinks at Posco. "… well, I'd be glad of anything ya could do ta get me back afoot and working. Sure and I spend too much time in here, Lyddie says." (Lyddie being his wife. He shakes his head slowly and rubs his face as if trying to scrub off some emotion or thought.

@testlum: Jane grumbles a little, she doesn't like the commotion and stomping and yelling. But she's a good girl who sits still when not working.

Stott Prince has an addled look, he's well in his cups and slow to respond to his wife stomping away in a furor. "Now … darling," he calls after her, "don't be sore, it's just a bit of a frolic, see?" Mianne tosses her hair and says nothing as she starts up the stairs.
OOC:
Anything else to do here, or move scene to the Marsh, tomorrow?
Sep 23, 2026 5:19 pm
It was an ill omen for a couple to act with open discord on so gay a day. The complexities of adulterating love with hate was a poor brew to Mimnern. Many scorned wives had asked the sorceress for a potion or two to remake the constitution of their men, but it was beyond her powers, as she put it, to make gold of such base materials.

She remained in her seat and put out a clay pipe from beneath her cloak. In it she put some fine Bree-made tobacco to smoke. A huff later and puff came a majestic ring that flew across the length of the table before it nested on the head of Posco.

"My dear Deepwell," she said mirthfully, "you’ve earned quite the prize for that dance."

The ring faded and left behind a comforting smell to all around the tavern.
Last edited September 23, 2026 5:20 pm
Sep 23, 2026 5:48 pm
Posco uses Mimnern's haleing to withdraw from the interaction with Padrag.

His cheeks puff out as he releases a quick exasperated breath walking over toward her.

Once back at the table he says on low tones, "Oof... that lad, I think, is involved with the Prince's... lap candy, Silene. He was none too happy about their interaction.

None of my business really, but would hate to see his family suffer cuz of him makin' a poor choice...
"

He produces his pipe from his pocket, to see if it still has an ember going.

"Anyway! Thanks for theprize!", he chuckles and mimics doffing the smoke ring cap.
OOC:
And yea, I'm good to move forward wherever.
Sep 23, 2026 11:33 pm
OOC:
I'm good with advancing the scene.

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