Chapter 1: Three with no Dough!
-----Divine Year 500: The Fourth Day of Dawningtide
-----The streets of Hearthorn are crowded with people on this day. Overhead, gray clouds fill the sky that has not been this overcast in many a day. A moderate breeze blows between the small shops and homes that line the blocks. Some of the fancier dressed people look comical as they try to hold onto their billowing cloaks about them. With the absence of sunshine, the wind adds an annoying chill to the afternoon air.
-----Three people enter the bakery shop of Gorbo Higgins. The first to enter is a young half-elven girl who goes by the name of Kazel. She has a thin frame, but her tight lean muscles and confident stride exudes agility and strength. She has a lightly tanned complexion, coal black eyes, and black hair, which she ties into a short ponytail with a leather cord. Her face is young and pretty. She wears a white blouse, a dark gray vest, and a plain brown skirt and shoes that a normal citizen would wear, but are all slightly worn.
-----The next to enter is a young half-elven male by the name of Sethenales. Short but slim, this guy dresses well, but in understated clothes. That is, he always goes out in his hose, boots, doublet, vest and cap. On cold days or furtive days he will take his cloak and he always carries a map case and his harp slung in its strap. He has short brown hair and blue eyes.
-----The last to enter is a halfling known as Gimplefwick Wispybeard. Gimplefwick would appear to be your normal everyday halfing were it not for his apparel and accoutrements. On his head is perched a black tri-cornered hat. Around his pudgy torso he wears only a tattered red silk vest, exposing his hairy little halfling chest, and protruding belly. On his left shoulder is an obviously stuffed parrot, cleverly attached to the vest by steel wires, so that it stands upright at all times. Around Gimplefwick's ample waist is a green sash, to which he has attached a bent short sword, though he prefers to term it a cutlass. His pants are a bright and nearly nauseating yellow color, which are in turn tucked into calf-high black leather boots. Despite his somewhat ludicrous appearance, Gimplefwick boasts a powerful set of muscles. Well, powerful for a halfling anyway.
-----Upon entering, Kazel sees a medium sized room that makes up the baker’s shop. Here, the warmth of the bakery is a welcome sensation against the breeze outside. A few feet from the door, stands a glass-faced cabinet displaying many baked goods including loaves of bread, pastries, and cakes. To the left, Kazel sees a long counter which has a fireplace behind it, used to make the baked goods. A woman stands on this side of the counter with her back toward Kazel talking with someone behind it. Across the room, in a chair leaning against the wall, is a raggedy-looking dwarf with a gray beard and hair wearing a brown tunic and dark cap. The light snoring sound indicates the dwarf is sleeping.
-----Behind Kazel, the door opens and a well-dressed young half-elf enters. Behind him, Kazel sees a strangely attired halfling. Wearing a black tri-cornered hat, red vest, yellow pants and black boots, the halfling also sports a parrot on his shoulder.
-----Kazel hears the woman customer thank someone behind the counter and as she leaves, Kazel sees an adult halfling male standing behind the counter. Evidently he stands on a platform that runs the length of the counter. In a polite, but gruff voice, he thanks his patron and wishes her well as she leaves. With big blue eyes framed in a face topped with brown hair, he turns to the three who have entered his shop and asks, "Who can I help first, my good people?"
-----Sethanales smiles at the Halfling behind the counter and says, "I believe the Lady was next," nodding towards Kazel. She then catches him mumbling, "I’m here about a job, if ya know what I mean" and he winks at the Halfling baker. The Halfling regards him with a funny look.
-----Kazel can see Seth is dressed in a black cap, tan doublet, gray vest, dark brown hose, black soft boots, and a dark gray cloak. His blue eyes are set in a handsome face framed with short brown hair.
-----He steps back from the counter and regards the Halfling with the parrot, "Greetings, that is a very colorful bird you have there, does it have a name?"
-----Kazel approaches the counter and says that she would like to wait for the next batch of freshly baked bread, giving the excuse that the bread will cool too quickly outside. She then begins to browse the cabinet of baked goods.
-----Gimplefwick eyes the half-elven girl salaciously and leers at her, "Avast there, matey. Shorely ye can help these two landlubbers afore ye get to me.
-----But know ye that I am Gimplefwick Wispybeard the Dread Pirate. Scourge of the Seas. Despoiler of he innocent. Ravager of the coastline. Pillager of the...of the...ummmm." Gimplefwick hesitates, glaring at his parrot. With an extravagant flourish, Gimplefwick gestures at the other two patrons and mutters under his breath, "..shiver me timbers..."
-----He then approaches the halfling shopkeeper and whispers something to him.
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