[Anyone want to do anything before the morning? If not, I'll fast forward.]
[occ: all good]
You arrange to meet the singer at shortly after noon the next day, then listen to the rest of the performance before retiring to bed. He is definitely a very stirring singer, and you find yourself in a generous mood as he finishes.
Your room is shared with several sailors - primarily Italien, but with a random sprinkling of other races. Irritatingly (especially to Godzimir), the sailors are up and out bright and early the next morning, and seem to be packing what stuff they have. Going downstairs, you find that the morning is bright and clear, but noticeably colder than it was the previous day.
Breakfast is included with the price of the room, unless you want anything out of the ordinary.
Standard breakfast for all, and then spend the morning checking out boats, looking for possible rides back to where we started in a couple days. Not to make any hard arrangements, just to know what our options are. (If the sailors wake us up beyond redemption, maybe talk to them on the same subject - or try to.)
After that, maybe walk around the town, seeing what there is to see, so we know this place if/when we ever come back. But stick together - this is no time for getting into separate trouble.
Then back to the Inn in plenty of time for the appointed hour.
A few if the sailors have a smattering of greek or a few words of Kipchak, but carrying on a conversation is difficult, especially far to early in the morning.
At the harbour, lighters are ferrying people to the large sink anchored a little off the harbour as it prepares to set sail. The fishing boats are in, but unattended.
The town is still relatively small. The street you walked along yesterday, together with the market place, form the core of its commercial distritct, although as the barmaid had told you yesterday, there's no market today. Away from the main town are a few of the less savoury industries such as the tanners - whilst you're not particularly minded to explore this area in depth, it does seem slightly larger than you'd expect in an average town, as does the number of furriers. There's something of a warehouse district near the docks, with houses to be found further in land (and the richer the further away from the dock and tanneries).
The church is distinctive by being the only solidly stone building, construction elsewhere consisting largely of wood.
The lads happily stay put. While the opportunity to wander around is tempting, the job comes first, and they certainly agree that sticking together is wise. They're also both of the opinion that keeping a low profile is better too. "Is it time t go to the tavern yet?"... "shut it".
Having no luck at the ships and having walked the length and breadth of what little there was to the town, Theo nods in agreement.
"Yes, there're no sights to see here, even if we had the time - let's go meet this singer. We'll see if he's got what we need...", Theo counts off on his fingers, "one, he needs to be good storyteller and singer; two, needs to speak good Greek; and three, good Kipchak.
"If he doesn't have that, then we still need to befriend him, and get his help - and the waitress' - to ease him back in and the Italian out. The Italian might be as easy as asking, but the innkeeper could be the challenge. Better that we have all our soldiers in a row before we go to battle."
You make it back to the inn with a little time to spare before you're due to meet the singer, only to find he's already there, sitting in a corner whilst the barmaid ostensibly scrubs tables. The innkeeper's behind his counter, fairly obviously keeping half an eye on the singer.
As you come in, the maid says in Kipchak "Ilgiz, these are the men I was telling you about."
As the grogs don't seem to be immediately leaping into conversation, the singer steps forwards and introduces himself. He's a tall man, with blonde hair and a short forked moustache and beard, probably in his mid twenties. Good looking, but not stunningly so.
He speaks in Kipchak.
"Good day - I am Ilgaz. I understand you are looking for a singer to grace your chief's hearth." There's a slight questioning tone of the 'chief's'. "Shall I give you a rendition, before we go on to discuss the details of what you ask and offer?"
Godzimir steps forward and greets the singer. "Good day Ilgaz, lets all sit first. We've already been told a little of your skill and I'd like a rest from the walking" as he nods to the barkeep and barmaid ".. and get a drink" adds Bogdan smiling as he chimes in. As he walks to a table Godzimir will also give deference to Theo and allow him to sit before he does, and make sure it's clear that Ilgaz can tell Theo ranks above the brothers.
While he does so Bogdan will keep an eye on the rest of the inn, which includes the barman and any other customers; he'll play up a little to the trope of jovial smiling guardsman; but listen very carefully. A midday drink is a rare pleasure anyway. Godzimir will openly shake the bard's hand as they sit (or whatever the customary greeting is) and seeing as the inn is mostly empty he relaxes a little as he begins to speak.
"Our masters need a skilled singer and poem writer, and we were sent here to find one. At first I thought our job was going to be fruitless, but any journey makes a change from being at home all the time, and I haven't been to this town before. After a short look around we found that most of the town is better suited to trappers or warehouses; it was only luck that brought us to the inn and further luck that you were mentioned," he pauses to make sure Ilgaz is still following.
"You'll need to be good speaking Greek and Kipchak, an happy to make up new works to suit their need. Oh, and I think they'll want you to stay a while, not just a few days." then he looks to Theo to see what he might have missed, and give Ilgaz a chance to speak.
Ilgaz seats himself comfortably, and accepts the drink with a smile.
He nods to the first bit, although his lips purse slightly at the mention of "masters", but then frowns and asks "This speaking Greek - how necessary is it? I can speak the language of the Venetians, and I know a few words of Greek, but not much more than that. Kipchak is my mother tongue, so that is not a problem."
[ooc: the speaking Greek question - am I remembering that bit right? It is mentioned in the briefing between Theo and the magus, but I'm not sure how much the brothers would have understood the details.]
[Theodoric also mentioned the greek in his "summary of what we need" a few posts earlier, so the brothers should know about it.]
Godzimir replies disappointingly "Hmm, I think the need for greek is very specific, so that might be that unfortunately," then looking away briefly while he pauses to think, "damn."
Then more quietly so that the barkeep cannot easily overhear, "I do have another thought though. If the current singer here could be persuaded to leave with us, would you consider returning to work here in his stead? I mean is that possible? You didn't fight with the barkeep or anything?"
As he asks Bogdan will specifically watch the barkeep, and if he starts to get close he's get up and walk over to the barkeep to keep him busy, something about getting some food and not being altogether happy with whatever the barkeep first offers.
[ooc: do you wish to go much further without Theo's/C.Hound's input? ]
[I'll give him a few days, although he's definitely been on line.]
Perhaps we move on, assume their is listening.
Ilgiz replies quietly back.
"They're possibly a little singed. Give him a few weeks without a singer, though, and they'll turn out to not be completely burnt. But unless that bastard's Kipchak has got very good very quickly, it won't work."
If he doesn't show up soon, we can let one of the new players play Theodoric.
Scott
Bogdan looks to Godzimir with a smile "Do you think they'd take two bards instead of one? We've got the room."
.."That's not helping brother", in a more dour tone.
.. knowing his jest has been found to be humorless, he grumps "don't know why she doesn't just magic one up".
.. "Shut it!" with a scowl.
[What language are the grogs speaking in there?]