A Proper Brew

The magic of storytelling in a slightly intoxicating setting.

[barandtavern]

The hands that have held these mugs have no doubt done some of the highest and lowest things on Azeroth. But it was here that they came together for a brief bit of storytelling and camaraderie.

Jaedan Snowdrift

[barandtavern]

A Different Magic (Continued)

(Continued.)

Inside the tavern, Kadji stood behind the bar, as he often did. But this time he bent forward, peering at a chunk of wood missing from the front side of the old, heavy bar top. In one hand, he held a small piece of wood he intended to use to repair the gap, but of course it would take some work. It always did.

An ancient looking Sin'dorei sat at the end of the bar, looking on with amusement. "Just stick it in there," he said. "It'll be fine."

Kadji doesn't look up, but he smiled. "Dat's what my mother said to my father one time. And look what happened." The Sin'dorei laughed loudly at this, and Kadji's smile widened a bit. These days grew long without amusement to pass the time, but of course there was plenty of time to be serious, too. That's the way taverns worked. He held the piece of wood next to the gap in the bar, then made three small markings on it with a pencil.

"What in the world beat up the bar?" asked the old Sin'dorei. Kadji just shook his head wearily, the amusement falling away. "The same t'ing that beats up da world," he said. "People." He turned the piece of wood over one more time, then reached behind the bar to grab a couple of tools before pointing at a brightly painted sign on the wall. It read, "Fighting will result in marriage to a dwarf." Kadji chuckled. "Let’s just say we had ourselves a couple of weddings yesterday."

The two of them grinned, and Kadji glanced up toward the front door. He glimpsed golden curls through the tiny window. "Well, well," he said to no one in particular. "Little Miss Sunshine is here!" Then, still smiling broadly, he bellowed “Daina!”

@dawnblossom

[dawnblossom]

A Different Magic

A gleam of firelight came from the open door and soft lights flickered in the windows. From inside the tavern, a cadence of voices rose and fell in alternating peals of laughter and murmurs of low speech.

Daina lingered on the doorstep, though already she was late. In a moment she would don her apron and heft her serving tray and lose herself in the clink of glasses and the tales of strangers. But not yet. Jaedan would understand. He always did.

She closed her eyes, a smile playing about her lips as warmth from the open door settled over her spirit. Magic of a different sort permeated this tiny corner of Silvermoon. It shone in the eyes of strangers who gathered to share a drink, or a story, or perhaps something a bit more lasting. It felt a bit like acceptance.

“Daina!” came a welcoming bellow from behind the bar. Other voices joined in a chorus of greeting as her skirts rustled against the doorframe. The ache in her chest eased a fraction. It always did in this place.  A hole in the wall, Kadji called it. To her, it felt like home.

barandtavern

[barandtavern]

Achingly beautiful. Love this.

[talandriel]

Halfbreed

Manaforge B’naar, during the war in Outland.

[talandriel]

“Rumor has it you’re fucking the halfbreed.”

Half a dozen ears pricked up. A pair of Sunfury warp-engineers exchanged dark smirks.

The red tipped cigarette between Talandriel’s fingers snapped in her sudden fist. “His name,” she said, “is Danel.”  

“Bastard’s name even sounds human,” scoffed the Coruu arch mage.

“Show some respect,” she flared. “Half of you would be dead if not for his skill.”

“Oh, he’s skilled,” sneered a magister. “First man to warm the captain’s bed.”  

The arch mage flashed a lecherous grin. “Think I’ll pay your halfbreed a visit while I’m here.” He ground his cigarette beneath the heel of his boot. “Find out what tricks–”

He stumbled back with a sharp cry as sunlight scattered off the edge of her blade. A cold light glimmered in her eyes, “Don’t touch him.”  

An ominous murmur rippled through the crowd.

She rounded, armor enchantments flaring. Pale blue light twisted and arced between the double blades of her sword. “Nobody touches him.”

The thrum of the manaforge reverberated in the sudden silence.

***

Her fingertips traced the curve of his cheek as if committing the lines to her memory.

Danel.

His head tilted down, a sort of curiosity in his gaze. Silvery hair rippled around his shoulders like moonlight shimmering over a frozen sea. Her fingers curled in the silken strands.

I would fight them all for you.

Beneath her damp cheek, the beat of his heart drowned the thrum of the manaforge.

[barandtavern]

Love the emotion in Talandriel's writing. Never overdone but always there.

[barandtavern]

Inside this tavern, kegs may be tapped. Outside of this tavern, kegs may be tossed.

A sign on the wall at A Proper Brew

[barandtavern]

If a man wants to win me over, I'd hope he wouldn't start by buying me a drink. Much better to make me a drink.

Inara

[barandtavern]

He who exaggerates stories diminishes all of the tales told before him. To make a story bigger, one must start with the small truths that make it special.

Jaedan

[barandtavern]

Watch carefully da little man who asks for a tall drink.

Kadji

[barandtavern]

Our lives are each timelines, none of them meant for sitting still.

Inara

[barandtavern]

Jaedan

(This post is in screenplay format.)

-Script-

INT. A PROPER BREW - MID-EVENING

Business is picking up slightly at the tavern, although one table and a handful of barstools remain empty. One can hear the sound of laughter coming from one of the tables, and DAINA grins as she picks up a handful of empty mugs from it. JAEDAN, the bar’s owner and current bartender, works patiently but swiftly behind the bar. All seems to be going well.

Then, the front door opens abruptly to reveal an ominous BLOOD ELF, in full battle attire, his right hand curled around a vicious-looking polearm. He stays on the threshold, surveying the bar’s patrons until his eyes find a miserable-looking FORSAKEN at the corner table. In the short time it takes to do this, the entire tavern has quieted.

FORSAKEN Oh, hell.

BLOOD ELF Oh, hell, indeed.

The Blood Elf starts to take a step into the tavern, when suddenly we see a few tiny, blue sparks flash on each side of the door. The result is remarkable; the Blood Elf bumps into what appears to be an invisible force field and cannot pass. His face registers shock for a moment, then anger.

BLOOD ELF What is this absurdity? Let me in at once.

While we haven’t been paying attention, Jaedan is suddenly there, a few feet away. The Pandaren moves with incredible silence.

JAEDAN No weapons in the bar.

EXT. A PROPER BREW - FRONT DOOR - MID-EVENING (CONTINUOUS)

As he’s talking, we pull back slowly behind the Blood Elf to reveal a sign outside the door that reads, “No Weapons In the Bar - Please Deposit Here and They Will Be Returned Upon Exit.” Below it is what appears to be an enormous drawer with a large red button. The Blood Elf turns to glance at them in disbelief.

JAEDAN We can handle the occasional fistfight, when they happen. Can’t really do too much with swinging blades and assault rifles. Good thing we have two engineers on staff, right? Inara and Kadji are much smarter than I.

INT. A PROPER BREW - MID-EVENING (CONTINUOUS)

Jaedan smiles. The Blood Elf points a finger at the Forsaken in the back.

BLOOD ELF Fistfight? I’m not touching that…thing. He probably has fourteen types of disease.

FORSAKEN Fourteen?? Try fifteen. I visited your mom last night.

No one laughs.

BLOOD ELF Seriously. This won’t take long. I’ll even clean up the mess.

Jaedan shakes his head.

JAEDAN I’m afraid it goes in the drawer, along with any other weapons you have, or you can wait outside.

The Blood Elf furiously slams forward, but the force field doesn’t budge at all. He yells in frustration, then takes a moment to gather himself before a grin unfolds across his face.

BLOOD ELF Oh, I’ll wait outside. As long as it takes.

The elf slams the tavern door. Jaedan sighs, then turns to head back to the bar.

JAEDAN Well, we have at least one customer who’s in for the long haul! Who else? Let’s make a night of it.

-Script-

[dawnblossom]

Xannus

Silvermoon City, a corner table at A Proper Brew tavern

[dawnblossom]

Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat. His fingers struck the table top;  short, staccato bursts of frenetic energy that mirrored the pace of his thoughts.

“Today’s the day,” announced a cheerful voice.

Rat-a– The goblin’s rhythm faltered.

“Today,” continued the SIn’dorei girl, “you try something new.”

He pursed his lips and said in a flat tone, “The usual will do.”

“Oh, come on!” she cried, arms flying wide. “Variety is the spice of life.”

He anticipated the gesture and ducked just in time. “Spices makes me fart.”

“The bar is empty,” she said with a wink. “I say we risk it.”

Xannus snorted.

“That’s the spirit!” she cried, “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”  

His eyes followed as she scampered toward the bar, but it was another girl he saw.

Rat-a-tat. Her hair in braids. Rat-a-tat. Her heart in her eyes. Rat-a-tat. He couldn’t say no to her either. Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat.

[barandtavern]

Great post! Love the use of sound and the tavern environment almost as if they were additional characters. 😃

[barandtavern]

Every night is not Ladies Night when I'm bartending! Just da night you're asking about.

Kadji

[barandtavern]

The secret to a good beer is not necessarily its ingredients, but how well it fits into the circumstances of its consumer.

Inara

[tarcanus]

An Afternoon, a Tavern, and a Frog

Tarcanus sighed, attempting to shake off the urge to nap after a long morning of work and writing. Although things had been coming along quite well the past few weeks, he knew that eventually they were all going to need a place to relax and make time for themselves.

Hmm, I wonder if that Pandaren is working at the tavern today?

Tarcanus headed down the Walk of Elders, passing merchants and mid-day wanderers as he made way towards the small bar. Although he had passed by the place many times during his trips to the city, he had never actually stopped to observe the happenings within. Certainly there were, at times, strange noises emanating towards the street from behind the doors. However, most patrons seemed quite happy as they exited the establishment.

As Tarcanus finally found his way the entrance of the tavern, he noted that there were a few, seemingly regular patrons exiting the building. At first, he paused to allow them to vacate the area before he continued. However, upon further examination of the bunch, he realized that they all seemed quite intoxicated.

“Well hello there, pointy ears!” the Forsaken male of the group began, speaking loudly enough for the entire city to hear even though he was but three feet away. “I bet you’d like it in there, today! It’s New Ale Day!”

Tarcanus blinked, looking back to the gentleman and replying slowly, “I’ll… I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh!” the female Orc standing to the side of the Forsaken continued, “I don’t know about that! The last time it was New Ale Day, I heard they put FROGS in the brew!”

Tarcanus blinked again, looking up at the inebriated Orc and nodding slowly.

“It’s okay!” the third member of the group, another Forsaken male, continued, “Why don’t we give this lad a sampling of what’s to come!?”

With that, the trio began to bellow with laughter as the first Forsaken reached into his satchel and pulled a large toad from within. Grasping onto to it lightly, he then tossed the toad so that it landed perfectly on Tarcanus’ forehead.

“There you go!” the other Forsaken squealed with delight, “Now you’ve got it!”

The toad let out a gentle ribbit as it began to slide down Tarcanus’ face, leaving a trail of slime and muck across his nose, cheek, and mouth.

“Enjoy your afternoon!” the group shouted with glee. “Come back anytime!”

Tarcanus blinked twice, glancing between the bystanders in the street who had begun stopping to look at the commotion and the entrance to the tavern. Suddenly, the doors the tavern swung open again and a Sin’dorei patron stepped out slowly.

“Uhh, sir?” the patron inquired. “You look like you could use a drink.”

Tarcanus simply stared back, a red tinge growing beneath his cheeks.

Yes, it was certainly going to be one of those days.

barandtavern

(( No toads were harmed during the filming of this movie. ))

[barandtavern]

Love it! The frog-ale was a classic Kadji joke (Inara didn't really make a frog beer), but I love the joke took on a life of its own with the patrons—including a live toad! Oh, life at a bar. Too bad tarcanus became an unwitting participant. 😄

[barandtavern]

Overheard at Table 2

-Script-

MALE ORC I'm tellin' you, they don't have gnomes on the menu here. They don't even have a menu.

MALE FORSAKEN Not even gnome-on-the-cob? What kind of place is this?

MALE ORC It's a bar. But—

He leans over closely.

MALE ORC (CONT.) —if you tell 'em you're sad about not bein' able to eat gnome, and put a good story around it, they'll come up a special drink for that.

The Forsaken just stares at him.

MALE ORC What? Last week I was all sobbin' into my beer. This week I'm not even thinking about how pretty my mount is.

MALE FORSAKEN It's been that long?

MALE ORC I said I'm not thinking about it.

The Forsaken sighs.

MALE FORSAKEN Seriously. No gnomes?

-Script-

[tarcanus]

Coram Populo Role Play Division Manual and Guide

The Azerothian Trade Federation

Our official guild role play manual and guide is now published and available publicly.

Coram Populo is proud to announce the formal introduction of its next guild story. While this has been something that we have had in the works for several months now, perfecting the final details, laying the foundation and groundwork, and preparing our members for the pre-launch activities and events has taken quite a lot of planning and dedication on the part of our guild officers and Role Play Division leaders.

Thank you to all of our wonderful members, including many of our newest members who have brought a fresh energy and invigoration to the guild with their positive attitudes and willingness to learn along the way. Thank you to all of our officers, who have assisted us in designing a sustainable role play plan for the future. Thank you to all of our members who have stuck with us through the major transition from our old story to our new one. Thank you to our story tellers, our dungeon masters, and everyone else who has expressed excitement, exuberance, or encouragement during the past three months.

In an environment with ever-changing circumstances, it has been incredible to see the dedication and commitment that each of you has displayed. I am proud of the work that we have been able to accomplish together, and it is good to know that we have the right people, good people, behind us.

As we move forward and approach our sixth anniversary, I hope that all of you will find something new, something invigorating, with the next steps we shall all take together. After all, there is no one else that I would rather be taking those steps with.

Thank you.

- Tarcanus Frostbourne

To download the complete guide with full resolution images and text (be warned it is a rather large file), please use the following link:

Coram Populo Role Play Division Manual and Guide

To download the complete guide with lower resolution images and text (but a much smaller file size), please use the following link:

Coram Populo Role Play Division Manual and Guide - Small

To open or view either file, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer. Adobe Acrobat is a free program with versions that are compatible with both PC’s and Macs.

To download Adobe Acrobat, please visit the following website:

Adobe Acrobat Download Link

For more information about Coram Populo, please visit our guild website:

www.corampopuloguild.com

For questions, comments, interview requests, or applications, please emails us at:

[email protected]

[barandtavern]

A fantastic overview of Coram Populo's RP goals in this expansion, including interactions with divisions in other amazing guilds, as well. Great job, Tarc! It will truly be a pleasure to have this tavern be a part of it.

[tarcanus]

The Flowers, Dawns and Blossoms of Silvermoon

Tarcanus smiled, looking back towards the stand as he observed the young lady gleefully placing various colorful flowers in neatly organized rows along the walkway. It had been some time since he had stopped in the city simply to peruse the many shoppes, stores and merchant stands within its walls. In fact, much of his time over the past few months had been spent outside Quel’Thalas altogether. But times had changed, and he knew that in order to successfully guide a network of trade and business, starting from the ground up and learning how everything worked would be a necessity.

Of course, noting how this particular individual went about conducting business drew out a certain curiosity in the back of Tarcanus’ mind. She was not intensely counting every coin or copper in the coffers nor was she attempting to aggressively sell things to every soul that walked past her. In fact, she seemed to almost prance about the area, smiling and perhaps even humming a tune to herself in the early morning hours. This was quite a stark contrast to the merchants who he had observed in Orgrimmar, including his fellow Sin’dorei.

Approaching the stand slowly, Tarcanus gave the young woman a brief nod as he smiled and examined some of the flowers more closely.

“Hello there!” the young lady greeted him, eyes lit up in the early morning hours.

“Oh, uhm,” Tarcanus began, a light chuckle escaping him. “Hello, indeed.”

“Aren’t they just beautiful?” the young lady continued happily, lightly pacing back and forth as she continued to place flowers on the stand.

“Why yes they are,” Tarcanus replied. “Although I must admit, I haven’t had the time to stop and smell the roses in quite some time.” He chuckled again.

“Oh,” she continued, giggling and pointing to the first row of flowers. “Well, these are actually wildflowers. The roses are over there.” She nodded at the adjoining display table.

“How silly of me,” Tarcanus laughed, shaking his head from side to side. “I do agree though. Quite amazing colors and a vibrant radiance to each of them. It seems that they reflect the exuberance and energy of the person selling them.”

Daina grinned, reaching down and picking a flower from the lot she had just placed down on the stand. Offering it to him, she added, “They smell just as wonderful!”

Tarcanus took the flower by its stem, lifting it gently until the petals rested right below his nose. Closing his eyes and inhaling lightly, he smiled as the sweet and subtle aromas filled his nostrils.

“Huh,” he mused quietly, a calm peace seemingly enveloping the area around them. “You’re right. It’s funny how such small things that we often forget about or overlook can have an effect on us. Even when they are right in front of us, it’s so easy to just…”

Looking back to her and nodding as he came back to his senses, Tarcanus added, “Oh, how rude of me. Tarcanus. Tarcanus Frostbourne. A pleasure, madame.”

“Daina Dawnblossom,” she all but sang. “Nice to meet you too.”

Tarcanus nodded, continuing to smile before looking upward at the morning sun. Days like these reminded him why he did anything that he did. It reminded him that although they were all about to embark upon something that would certainly cause stress and worry, frustration and even panic at times, that the important things would always remain. Even in business, the impressions that a person leaves upon a customer or someone just passing by would be forever more important than the coins counted in that day’s coffers. Money, wealth, gold - nothing could ever replace the experiences of life or the experiences with people.

After all, the inhabitants of Azeroth should have learned that years ago.

Thank you, Daina. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday soon.

It is true what they say about life…

Sometimes, you just need to stop and smell the roses flowers.

dawnblossom

[barandtavern]

Tarc meets the newest employee of the Tavern! A fun moment, indeed. :)