Xaveus Headcrunchrrr III
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Account: Tyris2222
Character: Xaveus Headcruncherrr III
A draft of cool night air rushed into the Dancing Mermaid mingling in with the smell of stale air and smoked venison. The busy night has wound down as only a few patrons remains, waitresses hustle about chiding those that linger to get a move on so that they can make it home before the next day begins.
Xaveus Headcruncherrr sits at his familiar spot at one of the tables near the bar tilting back in his chair as he watches Katarina wash several of the earthen tankards in a tub behind the makeshift bar as he downs yet another tankard. Before he is able to set his tankard down, Heidi, one of the buxom waitresses employed at the Mermaid rushes to his table, getting there slightly before a disheveled Roxy, her tousled red locks hiding her attractive green eyes.
"Another, Xaveus?" they blurt out in unison.
Xaveus smiles then leans over to his left to get the attention of Katrina who smiles and gives him the "Sure, one more is fine" look that she has given him the past three nights.
"I guess so, on the condition that you two join me." Xaveus smiles as this time both young ladies turn to Katarina to get her permission to end their duties for the evening. Katarina notes that the four are now alone in the now empty inn, nods her approval. The two ladies rush toward Katarina who meets them with a grin and two freshly washed tankards and soon they return to Xaveus's table, one on each side of the dwarf. Katatina on the other hand moves about the inn making the round to turn down the lanterns throughout the deserted inn.
"You're different than the others that come in Xav," states Heidi in between sips of the ale from her tankard.
"How's that?" Xav asks gruffly.
Roxy cuts in before Heidi has a chance to answer. "Most of the fellows that come in here are always pinching or grabbing at somethin' it takes a lot to dodge and weave through them, specially when your carrying a bowl of hot stew or a roasted duck."
"I could let you use my shield if need be?" Xaveus laughs loudly. The laugh seems to echo through the common room.
"It's more than just that, Heidi pipes in, you talk to us like . . . we're people, not just waitresses or even less, some men look at us like we're good for one thing."
"Two things!" Roxy adds matter of factly with a dejected look.
"Yeah!" Heidi says with a sigh, "I had a fellow the other night tell me that I had a body like a temple, trouble was he seemed intent to find a way into my cellar. Finally, had to hit him over the head with a great big turkey drumstick."
All three laugh loudly. "Perhaps I should carry one of those along when I'm out dealing with those nasty kobolds that are about."
All three laugh again.
"Tell us about yourself, Xaveus, tell us again about far away places and people you've met." Both ladies set their tankards down and stared intently at Xaveus waiting for him to whisk them away from their existence for a few moments.
Xaveus takes a swill of his ale, clears his throat with a cough and begins.
"I am the third Xaveus Headcruncherrr, my father and my father's father carry the same name. I was born and raised in the Deep Realms near the Great Rift. Hmm, I see by the look in your eyes that I might need to further explain."
"Bhaerynden is the original home our race, tis a vast underground cavern founded over 16,000 years ago, and from that capital we claimed large areas of what is known as the Underdark. Bhaerynden stood unconquered for thousands of years but eventually fell to Drow elves, nasty folk, doubt that you'll ever come across one up here.
Xaveus snickered, "Only took them 600 years!"
"It was a struggle but we finally regained our homeland, in one evening the entire cavern ceiling came crashin' down on the dirty buggers, killing a lot of them. Some say that it was the drows own hand that brought down the roof, some say that they dug too many tunnels, others say that the magicks they used to support the roof, course us us gold dwarves know what "really" happened. It was Moradin's Axe that came out of the heavens and slashed the roof asunder with one great stroke. Tons and tons of rubble rained down upon the drow, those that weren't crushed beneath the rubble scattered like rats, it took a long time to hunt out the rest. The stroke of Moradin's Axe opened the entire cavern to the sky creating the Great Rift itself where Deep Realm now lies. With the roof open it allowed much more contact to the surface dwellers, allowing ourselves more trade opportunities, this allowed Deep Realm to prosper greatly."
"Now you ladies noticed a bit of difference between meself and most other dwarves you've seen around here, that’s because you see they are shield dwarves and I be a gold dwarf. There's not much difference as far as stature and the like, me skin might be a bit darker other than that not much difference. Difference be mostly in attitude, especially with regards to non-dwarves. Most shield dwarves isolate themselves in their strongholds for generations upon generations, but we golds are a bit more outgoing. We were at first forced to deal with others but in time we came to understand that to prosper and grow we must embrace some of the surface dweller's ideas. Isolation will lead to stagnation and ultimately demise while tolerance and a sense of worldliness can lead to good things!"
"What about your own past?" asked Katarina who had sauntered over to the table after she had finished her cleaning for the evening, she plopped down on the last empty chair at Xav's table, she turned attentively to Xav as now all three ladies sat enthralled by the well-mannered dwarf's tales of far away lands."
"Well, the seed for adventure was no doubt planted early in my life by my grandfather. Me grandfather adventured for much of his life but returned home to Deep Realm in his later years. He took a position in the Deep Realm militia and rose very quickly throughthe ranks, he eventually led a special branch of the militia."
"You see, when Moradin opened up the Great Rift to the skies it allowed an avenue of attack that us dwarves were not accustom to defending," Xaveus looked upward towards the ceiling. "The skies above Deep Realm were both a blessing and a threat, anyways, to deal with the threat a squadron of dwarves were trained to ride gryphons, gryphons are creatures that have the body of a lion and the head and wings of a great eagle, very large and majestic creatures. We built watchtowers that were set into the cavern rim maybe twenty to fifty miles apart, the skies between were patrol by these elite dwarven riders and they acted as the very first line of defense for Deep Realm."
"Me grandfather would from time to time borrow one of these magnificent steeds and would take me for a ride, at the time I was knee high to a rock turtle but I still remember those rides to this day. Ladies, I tell you, gliding across the azure blue skies with the Great Rift far below opens your mind up to the mysteries of the world, makes you see that we are all apart of something bigger somethin' special! I believe me grandfather took me on those rides for that purpose, to instill a different point of view into me soul." Xaveus gathered in the images that his own words had conjured and for a brief moment the Mermaid Inn was empty as all four were gliding through the skies above the Great Rift.
Xaveus returned first and continued in a low tone gently bring the young ladies back to the inn gently, "He instilled "other" things in me as well, stories of Taark Shanat the Crusader, the fall of the drow empire of Telantiwar, the Army of Gold as it marched to reclaim Shanatar, the ancient kingdom of the shield dwarves, and finally of the adversity the Army of Gold faced against the Army of Steel, the powerful army of the gray dwarves from Underspires. It was these stories and the actions of those around me which built the foundations of what I be today, no epic tragedies marred me upbringing, no devastation of home or hearth to fill my heart with hatred and thoughts of revenge toward others, just the opposite. Don't get me wrong, it was not a life of luxury I grew up in, no dwarf's upbringing ever is. It was a time of learning, a time of discovery, a time one finds out what is important. One must find a code to live by and never falter from that code."
"And what is your code Xaveus? What is it makes you special?"Heidi chided Xav to continue, her head now propped up by her hand, the weariness of the long evening was overtaking her. The others had similar expressions Xaveus noted.
"We're all special, Heidi!" Xaveus reached over and touched Heidi on the sleeve and stared intently into her eyes to emphasize his point.
Xaveus in turn gazed intently into the eyes of Heidi, Roxy and Katarina.
"Alagh, Samryn, Thalorn, Faern, and Taerin" Xaveus spoke in dwarven, paused a moment then gave the translation, "Valor, Honor, Caring, Home, and Love! It gets no simpler than that."
"Another way to express it would be: Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect by all."
And with that Xaveus downed the last of his ale and rose from his chair, arching his back he stretched his arms wide wringing the fatigue that had crept into his limbs as well. "Ladies, tis time to call it a night, the pleasure of your company has enriched my life once more."
It was Xaveus who waited on them picking up the empty tankards and carrying them to the bar. "I will escort each of thee safely home" Xaveus helped each with their shawls, then opened the door ushering them through first and stepped out into the crisp night air.
Next up:
Faith
Ranged Weapons
Artimus the Bard
Spectre of the Father
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reviewed, xp pending
