Open Quint randomly wanders around

[Quint Caravel]

18th of Winter, 513
IC
Quint decided to go out for a walk. This was a sad day for him. This day last year, the 17th of Winter, 511 AV, his Uncle Pondar had died. So today he was feeling sad.

He didn't usually feel sad. He was a happy go-lucky-sort. He let things happen as they might. But today, today was different. Today Quint felt rather down in the dumps.

Today Quint didn't want to sit alone in his squalorous abode of residence, the less said about of which the better, and he didn't want to just go out drinking and dining and wenching or anything that was really his usual forte on his normal day out. He didn't want that sort of fun, as he felt he would be a buzz-kill for anyone he was with. And he felt he didn't deserve fun today on the anniversary of his uncle's death.

And so he took his life in his hands and decided to roam around Sunberth alone. "All right Sunberth, if you can't conquer me today, a day I have no might or magic, no reputation or friends, then beware the man I will be a year from now!" If he knew of any churches or graveyards he might have visited them, but he was still relatively new to Sunberth, and had no idea where he was going or what he was doing.

In fact, he kept himself busy by pulling out his journal and making a little map of Sunberth on one page, which was as rudimentary and worthless as you might imagine such a map to me when drawn in Quint's current state and with his near total lack of cartography.
oocI realize that this may get graded BEFORE the thread where he learned cartograhphy in the Suvan Sea so I'm writing it a bit nebulous.

He also focused on the people and places around him. Not that he wanted to. He wanted to go home and cry and curl up in a ball. But he had done that for most of the last week, and now he needed to get out of his own head and remind people that he was a man of destiny and dreams, and the ambition to follow through on them.

Even grief for the man who raised him would not keep him down for long. This he vowed to all the gods he knew. He might fall down, but he always picked himself up again. He did not quit. Even when it felt like fate itself was punching him in the gut.

Randomly, at a street corner near the river he stopped and looked around. Well, it wasn't completely random. It was on the border of various gangs and thus not beholden to any one in particular. "I am a chaotic man in a chaotic city. Let's see what happens next!"

[Remaello]

Eighteenth Day of Winter, 513 AV Remaello was perched upon the crumbling door-frame of a burnt out building, an old inn that had succumbed to Sunberth’s penchant for casual destruction and fire. The Pycon was on the lookout for a particularly dastardly dockworker. Though he remained unsure of what this man actually looked like, he figured reconnoitering the general populace would provide him some clues, if not at least entertainment. Many folks were still hesitant to brave the streets of the city after the ice-works of the previous day’s hailstorms, but the great pyre of the tent city still burned, and that meant that the world was not yet at an end. Winter was on its way, however. Remaello wasn't as concerned about exposure as many of the city's tallfolk, but the chill pried its fingers into his joints and stiffened his movements. It was altogether an uncomfortable season, usually accompanied by hungry dogs mistaking his smooth ivory skin for a delicious bone and snowfall that greatly impeded the Pycon's ability for travel in the city. This latter fact galled him the most, for it was in his wanderings that he conducted his observations of the tallfolk, such as he was doing at the moment. People-watching was one of Remaello’s most favourite activities. While there was a certain element of voyeurism in his observation, he liked to think of it more in the sense of a naturalistic inquiry. The people of Sunberth were key to unlocking the secrets of humanity, Remaello was convinced, and it was endlessly fascinating to observe them in their natural habitat. The trick was to remain unseen, so there was no pressure for the subjects of his research to behave a certain way, as was sure they would if they knew they were being studied. Remaello was proud of his perch for this fact; it offered relative seclusion from most prying eyes of the streetfolk, while providing an excellent view of the square and the goings-to and from within it. It wasn't particularly hidden, just that most folk paid little attention to ruined structures, and with the remains of the hailstorm most were looking to their footing, and not up at old doorframes. It was in moments like these that the Pycon wished he could smoke. It seemed like the thing to do when one was engaged in mystery-solving reconnaissance, and Remaello was always quite conscious of things to do. Fascinating, the habits of the tallfolk. Take this fellow, for instance. Remaello mused to himself. Wandering about with a scribble-pad and quill, clearly lost, yet not appearing at all worried about the fact. Remaello leaned forward on the burnt cross-beam, scratching his smooth marbled chin and studying the fellow with intense curiosity. He likely wasn’t Sunberthan, that much was quickly surmised by his evident literacy. Most probably a sailor, Remaello guessed. He had the gait of a man used to the rolling deck beneath his feet. What piqued the Pycon’s interest was his writings. Clearly here was a man after his own heart, a man of observation. His father had often harangued the young Pycon about the power of observation. Men were always thinking, scheming, planning. For their night's supper, their next conquest, or how to pry gold from the grips of the world and its inhabitants. But all of those things might very well be found right in front of one's own nose, if one cared to look hard enough. One could accumulate great wisdom and secure fortunes by studying his own toenails, his father had said, though Remaello had never truly understood what he meant...

[Quint Caravel]

Having been curled up in his hammock crying like a little girl for the last week, Quint had missed the entire hailstorm and thus had no idea why the streets were currently so empty or why he was being left to his own devices.

He paused to have some lunch. "You know," he said to the Kalean Spicecoat that had walked up to him. "Oh, hey there! You're a Nyka Dire Beagle, aren't you? I can tell from the fact that you are cinnamon colored and like to hunt things. Hmm.. maybe you're a Ravokian Cairn Husky." Neither such breed existed. It was just not easy going through life with an observation skill of 3, but Quint did the best he could. "Well, it doesn't matter. I shall call you Felix McAvity. I think it's time for a yummy meal of balanced rations. Doesn't that sound good? Yes it does. Yes it does!"

Quint pulled something that looked like a neatly-wrapped hunk of cheese out of his bag.

He was just about to share it with the dog when a little Akalak boy walked up to Quint and asked him for directions to Lhavit. It was an odd question, but Quint answered it anyway. "Well, little Inarta boy, let me tell you a story about a fellow who once went to Lhavit from Sunberth. Once upon a time there was this person who lived in Sunberth and then left it. Because he was in love with a girl from Lhavit, a girl with the name Star MoonSun. Her Konti father did not want her to marry a common street thug. And so they had many obstacles to overcome before they could be reunited. The thug was in love, however. And so he set off one night following a green light at the 9th chime. In the story, he-- or she, the story isn't clear about gender-- took a long walk following the Cabrin Road to Eyktol and then making a left and then a right at Ravok. He was eaten by cougars, but then he came back as a ghost and kept going. I hear that he-- or she-- is in Alvadas now. And that's where Kelvics come from. And they all lived happily ever after."

A trained observer could see that Quint was babbling, attempting to distract the little boy while trying to pick his vest pocket, making paternal pats on his arm while trying to purloin something of value. A completely untrained observer could see that the little boy had successfully stolen Quint's hunk of cheese in the mean time.

Then the little boy ran away.

"Ah ha!" Quint said to the dog, holding up a closed fist. "Using my vast knowledge of the larcenous nature of my fellow man, I have successfully purloined this... pebble." Quint opened his fist and stared at the little pebble in dismay. "Why did a little boy have a pebble in his vest pocket?" He remembered being a little boy, and his sister mocking him for all the crap he kept in his pockets. But he had stored important treasure, like dead frogs, not junk like this worthless little rock.

"Well, anyway, street dog, let me get you some of that cheese I was just telling you about. Oh, it's gone. Want some chocolate? What no, I'm not trying to poison you, don't look at me like that. Oww... hey, let go, that's my arm. Oww! No, I'm not food! Stop attacking me, street dog! Here... here's a pebble! Fetch! Go fetch!"

Quint threw the pebble and the dog ran after it.

He continued doing lots of odd and random things, such as scribbling in his book, staring at various buildings, burying his head in the snow, announcing his plans to the world, and then singing about them, but if Remaello was listening, one particular song lyric would catch his ear:

"Just as you don't need Rupert to be a Pycon,
and you don't need legs to swim in the sea,
you don't need Denval on a map of Kalea,
& you don't need botany to appreciate an Otani.

"Uleru, Uleru, she's someone who will dare you,
the girl most likely to care to,
Uleruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

"Uleru. Uleru. Above or below the sea, she's heaven to me.
I've got a glassine door on my casinor. Uleru. Uleru.
Above or below the sea, she's heaven to me."

"Uleru, Uleru, she's someone who will dare you,
the girl most likely to care to,
Uleruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Quint spent a few minutes in pondering the philosophy of the song. "Ah, that's a song my old Uncle Pondar used to sing to me when I was a lad. I assume Uleru is some kind of Alvina, a daughter of Laviku. I don't know where Denval is, much less Kalea. I don't know what a Pycon is, let alone an Otani. I assume these are just made-up words."

oocEdited a typo in the word 'spicecoat'. 12/22/13

[Adam King]

Now, nobody in Sunberth was really 'all there', but the gentleman wandering about the crossroads seemed especially ... troubled, though in a completely untroubled kind of way, Adam considered as he looked across the square-like confluence of roads. The city also seemed to hate him some, too. The kid running off with his goods and dog attacking him both made Adam smile. Still, in the state the city was, clients for 'gold dust' at this time of day were bound to be scarce. Leather coat wrapped tightly around him, Adam tilted his head looking towards the man. What's the worst that could happen? Crazy people's coin is still coin. Stepping slowly closer, in a casual walk, King narrowed his eyes on a few of the odd man's features. Had he seen him ... where was it? Ruby's. With the... the dubious scyther. Did these crazies have a club? And if so, what was a club without drugs? He patted his inner pockets to make sure. Yep, plenty of stock. Still, the salesman took his time getting there, sure to avoid and go widely around the nearby street dogs.

[Jax Bradshaw]

18th of Winter, 513 AV. 13th bell.

Jax pulled his coat further around his shoulders as he walked down the pathway, attempting to keep the cold out. The colder winter got, the more Jax and his fellow Sunberthans were doing to stay warm and stay alive. The flash-hail from three days ago certainly did not help proceedings. Many of the buildings on either side of him were severely damaged. Jax also noticed the increase in feral dogs in the streets, looking for something to eat or dying from starvation and hypothermia.

Jax surveyed the wares of multiple stalls that had survived the battering from the hail. Good food was becoming rarer and rarer in these times, and people were fighting over the best bits. As Jax passed a weapon stall, something caught his eye. A Quarterstaff. It was just a long wooden pole. But it was cheap and Jax was unarmed. Plus it might come in handy for when the dogs get way too hungry and begin attacking people. It might even be helpful when someone reaches breaking point and tries to rob Jax himself. Jax handed one gold miza over to the merchant and in return, was handed the Quarterstaff.

By the time Jax reached the end of the road, near the river, he was becoming bored by the apparently endless sights of chaos and destruction winter had caused. But Sunberth didn't look much different than it did in other seasons. Jax decided to sit on a step that led up to a destroyed building with the roof caved in, all the windows smashed and covered in snow that had fallen in through the roof. Jax thought about going in and searching around, but decided against, thinking that the homeowners had suffered enough.

Jax decided to take a rest and watch the Sunberthans rebuilding what was destroyed. One particular individual caught his eye. A man with a journal and quill wandering the street and taking notes. Jax kept his eye on the man, seemingly interested in him and his actions.

[Adam King]

Another figure arrived nearby out of one of the streets. This one seemed stable, thought the blue hair, seeming bright in the sunlight and snowy backdrop, cast a bit of doubt on that assessment. Seeing that the new-comer and he shared an interest in the more random wanderer, "The King" slowly walked up to his side, eyes still on Quint. He just leaned back against the decrepit house wall behind him, only looking to the other observer out of the corner of his eye. Was that a face tatoo? Was it one of them god-mark things, perhaps? No matter. Adam kept his leather coat tightly around himself, otherwise inconspicous. A low but audible mutter idly flew into Jax's earshot. "You looking to rob him, or sell somethin to'm?"

[Jax Bradshaw]

Jax fiddled about with the Quarterstaff in his hands, twirling to twirl it. Do tricks with it. Do something with it. His grip tightened around the pole as he eyed some other individuals that could possibly hold some decent amount of coin. He was getting itchy. Jax had not stole from anybody since the end of Fall and was running out of money somewhat fast. It dawned on him he shouldn't have bought the staff.

Jax nearly drifted off from boredom until he heard a voice from behind him which made him jump out of his skin that said, "You looking to rob him, or sell something to'm?"

Jax span around and almost smacked the man in the head with his Quarterstaff had he not noticed the man was not trying to steal his belongings. The man had the same colour hair as Jax, just a little darker though with a beard to match.

Jax relaxed the staff from the man's vicinity and spoke, "I nearly hit you!" It was then Jax realised he had not seen this man before. "Who are you?"

[Adam King]

When the guy spun around, stick lifted to strike, Adam forced himself not to flinch with a push of willpower. This was a learned non-reaction: Flinchers didn't last long on the Sunberth streets. He just stared into the man's eyes. It seemd to maybe work, considering the man didn't end up striking. The bearded man shrugged and smirked slightly at Jax's question. "King, just King. Hi." He nodded out towards Quint once more, eyes now on the "mark" as he spoke on. "You're eyeing him and you're eyeing him with that street predator sight. Salesman, thief, corpse-peddler, pimp, what's your angle?" He looked on as Quint kept interacting wildly with the environment - dogs, snow, all of it. "Because he's prime for all of those..." He was getting ready to walk up to Quint, straightening, the same stare he accused Jax of glued to the sailor.

[Quint Caravel]

While Quint was practicing his singing, Xiva came up to him with his robe. "Oh, there you are. It's cold outside, put on your robe. What are you doing wandering around like this?"

Quint took it. He put on his bright red robe, the one decorated with suns, moons, and stars. "Thank you. And what do you think I'm doing? I'm practicing my incantations. Well, my singing, so I can chant better."

Now he wasn't just a frail looking man with a book who appeared unconcerned that he was standing in the middle of Sunberth. Now he was a robed, frail looking man with a book, looking unconcerned that he was standing in the middle of Sunberth.

Xiva stared at him for a moment. "I don't see why you can't do that at home. Anyway, if you're going to be wandering all over the place, have this. It makes a good walking stick."

She gave him a quarterstaff. Now Quint was a robed, frail looking man with a staff and a book.

Quint shrugged. "Very well, if you're the concerned I shall summon my Tavan. To me, Huey!" A duck flew to him and landed on his shoulder.

"That's good. Did you eat the cheese I got for you."

He gave Xiva a dismissive wave. "Okay, woman, I'm trying to work here."

Quint took the staff and drew a circle around him in the snow. Then he held the staff in the crook of one arm, and flipped through the book with one hand while holding it with another. He began singing in Fratava, a language mostly unknown in Sunberth:

"Jux muck ni paq gah gih ah vale
ah vale cofa bifty zip
in sretran quel na ropic sorg
der minov vud beal ost
der minov vud beal ost."

Xiva joined in, the two making various hand gestures and pantomimes with their hands. Then she left to go get something else. Quint remained behind, now scribbling something else in his book.

[Adam King]

Adam was going to approach, but just got stuck at Jax's side, completely confounded by the crazyness going on with the sailor. Even he had standards about who he'd swindle. They were low, but they existed. Then, throwing cloth over the man, something of more interest showed up. A slight grin expanded on Adam's face. He muttered towards the man to his right. "He's completely bonkers. Completely far gone. Might be religion. Or mental illness. Really thin line there.". He rubbed his beard with a bit of a smirk and a complicitous tone joined the humour in his voice. "But her," Adam shrugged, scanning Xiva up and down "she can be completely crazy." Adam took off from Jax's side towards the two, casual gaze scanning between the two of them. He almost stopped and turned around when she started chanting along with Quint. Adam had however made eye-contact and so kept walking. " Hey... Is... your friend okay?" He nodded towards Quint but the trenchcoat-wrapped's man's attention was entirely on Xiva.