Mingo's White Raven Inn

--TimeLord blinked in the painful brightness of the 1st day of September as he popped into the fairly new town of Meridian. He had learned from a vendor in Crafter's town who sold songs, that Mingo TheBard now resided in a new town in the land of Mistrendur...Mistrandur? whatever, on the large green island.
--Turning toward the Oracle building TimeLord saw rising above the roofs a four story Inn. "That must be it," he mused to himself. Rumors said that Mingo had taken to piracy, and the vendor in Crafter's town said he sported a wooden leg and eye patch when he came to deliver fresh songs to sell. TimeLord wished to see for himself, so he searched diligently following every scrap of rumor whispered on the wind.
--"You are a hard man to find," TimeLord said as he came to stand before the White Raven Inn. On a marble bench on the porch sat a man smoking a great pipe, Mingo TheBard himself. In the open doorway stood Frida, his apprentice.
--"Welcome good friend!," grinned Frida, showing disturbingly large pointed teeth.
--"Welcome TimeLord," nodded Mingo, blowing smoke rings. "When have you been lately?"
--TimeLord studied the large white statue of a bird at the steps of the Inn. "You know....that's actually a turkey don't you?"
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author's note: TimeLord, who now has his own town in a large series of mushroom crowded caverns, has entreated me to return to these forums. And so, Mingo and Frida return to bore you with drivel, bad puns and perhaps some stories you will fancy. Welcome readers. also, there IS an actual White Raven Inn in Mistrendur...however it is spelled. ....it is hard to find...but come by if you wish. Also, see the last post in Red Hat Gnomes if you wish. Perhaps I will repost it here.
-------------------------------------copied here is the last post from the thread red hat gnomes.
--Six months had passed since Mingo TheBard disappeared from the realm of the Fire Lotus Tavern. Frida also had mysteriously disappeared, following a visit from a messenger Raven. Now Gerta posted a message on the Tavern bulletin board. Patrons perused the message as they wandered in and blinked in consternation and confusion. the message read:

"Hail and well met old comrades in song! My sojourns have interrupted my story telling I know, but I have survived...somewhat...although with loss of half a leg and an eye. I tried me hand at piracy once again at the behest of an old friend... There was some benefit however. Come ye and see me new Inn, "White Raven" in the newly discovered land of Mistrandur...Mistrendur? whatever....there be a big green island off the main island, and in the middle, towards the southern coast, the town of Meridian. Ye can't miss me inn, it be 4 stories tall with a statue of a white raven outside ....well actually it is a turkey, but as close as I could find to a raven."
==Perhaps Mingo will say more about the story he was telling. Perhaps he will have new tales (oh ha ha ha). Look up the new thread "Mingo's White Raven Inn" here in the Library of Fire Lotus forums....come all and join in!

 

I appeared next to TimeLord in rippling waves of magic, happy to catch his location through Findoro's Tables right in time to find the White Raven Tavern without too much effort...

"Tá sé seo ag éirí ríméadach, tá súil agam gur fiú na hiarrachtaí an scéal!" I mutter under my breath as I nod at Mingo and enter the Inn, looking for some whiskey...

 

Note to readers: In keeping with tradition as established in the "tale of the red hat gnomes" thread(s) you are invited to participate in the story. Be warned! Sometimes we delve in and out of "immersion" in the Novia world.... also, take care when putting words in someone else's mouth, as they can just as easily write dialogue attributed to you!
--If you are a newreader, it was about 7 years ago "tale of the red hat gnomes" began, before much was known. The story has a terrible beginning, and gets worse thereafter, but some have gained a smile and a chuckle reading it.

 

(White Raven)--"Now why did you do that?" Bov asked.
--"What?" Mingo retorted as he turned to lead his old friends, Bov and TimeLord inside.
--"Put that notation about the White Raven."
--"Mazter wantz readerz to know the location of the moment, az theze locationz can change from time to time," explained Frida, Mingo's alt.
--"I am NOT an alt!" huffed Frida, "I am apprentice!"
--"Where are the logs?" asked TimeLord. "I need to catch up and find out why Frida talks that way..."
--"Play something for us," entreated Bov, taking a seat in one of the chairs facing the small elevated stage. "Something soothing."

 

"Ugh, here we go again", I think to myself, forgetting that everyone can read my thoughts as well as if I spoke them out loud, "Mingo's messing with the typefaces and fonts again!"

 

(White Raven Inn)--"arrgh...I don't see s'good these days," Mingo answered Bov's comment blinking his one good eye. "Some time I'll be tellin' ye the story of me lost eye. It's quite a tale."
--"A tale...or an eye?" Frida said with a grin.
--"Bless me lass! Don't DO that!" Mingo said with a shudder.
--"That was a nice song you just played," Bov said. "What was it?"
--" 'Bratja' which translates 'brother mine' related to 'Full Metal Alchemist'. It sounds very pretty, especially when sung in Russian."

 

(White Raven Inn)--As Mingo and then Frida took to the small stage to play pretty songs, folks drifted into the relatively new White Raven Inn. The hot summer weather lingered outside and the Inn had a cool inviting atmosphere, lightly scented by the fresh plants hanging from the ceiling in one corner, plants which Frida rotated from her farm across the lane.
--Mingo was standing at the door welcoming old friends and new as on the stage Frida played her personal theme song, "Sakura". Lurkers were always welcome even if they didn't come right out and speak (in the story line). Elgarion, Sole, Cordelayne and Majoria joined those in the audience, enduring the crude rough chairs which were the best Frida could make at the time. Then a pointy eared figure with a silver headband strode in. Mingo made a small bow, "Welcome Lord Elrond! Governor of Crafter's Town and Patron of the Arts."
--"I see you have a vendor outside," Elrond observed. "You aren't going to abandon us in Crafter's Town now are you?"
--"Indeed not yer Guvnrship! I am most beholden of you to let me put songs on a vendor there."
--"I hope you continue to visit and play tunes my friend," Elrond said with a smile. "and remember your own admonition about putting words in other's mouths."
--"Oh never fear Guvnr, your character is most sacrosanct....or is it croissant....?....French is not me specialty.".

 

"Mingo, you old joker!", I say with a grin on my face, "Don't play Lord Elrond for a fool! Just because you act like one doesn't make either him, possibly you, and certainly not me, one! Are you sure you're not the Amadán of Tír na nÓg?..." I then raise my glass to both Mingo and Lord Elrond, saying "Mae govannen, arthaher Elrond!"

 

(White Raven Inn)--"Got anything to drink here?" Bov asked eyeing the small bar in the corner of the great room, which took up most of the ground floor.
--"We aren't actually set up as a tavern," Mingo replied. "across the small green Jason is developing a true tavern, but like most things here in Meridian, it is not quite ready... but perhaps there be something about."
--A fiery haired damsel strode into the White Raven Inn. It was FireAngel who had been drawn from realms afar back to participate in story telling and story listening once again. "Immersion?" she said with a raised eyebrow.
--"As much as I can, dear lady," Mingo said bending to kiss her proffered hand. "but this not be a Baptist church."
--FireAngel looked quizzically at Mingo TheBard. "what's with the accent?" she inquired.
--"Ah, that be....."
--"A TALE!" shouted the assembled patrons, causing peals of laughter to ring out at the running joke.
--"Catch it!" Frida cried, "Catch it and kill it!"

 

(White Raven Inn)--"ah Bov," Mingo commented. "I don't play the reed pipes, and certainly I don't curse people into strokes, as did that most dark faery, Amadán na bruidhne. However, I can accept the friendly insult of 'Amadan' without offense."

 

(White Raven Inn)--Rentier observed various denizens of the Inn chasing something out the back door. Whatever it was burrowed into the freshly plowed earth of a garden plot.
--"Oh....ratz!" Frida proclaimed in edited-for-language consternation. "We'll get it next time!" Mingo chuckled at his apprentice in glee and considered what kind of verbal punniness to display next.
--"I must tell the Captain about this new aspect of Mingo TheBard," Rentier mused to herself. "Especially his new affectation of speech. We don't talk like that!"
--At that moment, the figure of Gerta (or Cheada-chan) dropped her enormous carpet bag on the porch and entered the seeming madhouse of the White Raven Inn.
--"They be chasin' running jokes," Rentier mentioned to the newcomer.
--"What's with the accent?" Gerta asked. "and why isn't there a fireplace here?"
--Resting in one of the rough wooden chairs in front of the stage a fellow in priestly garb sat and enjoyed the show. "I do hope someone plays something soon," he mused to himself.

 

(White Raven Inn)--Catching Mingo's attention, Rentier walked over to give it back to him. "Why thankee lass!" Mingo said in acknowledgement.
--"I'd like a room," Rentier said tiredly. "and my bag is on the porch."
--"Delighted m'lady," Mingo said with a bow. "We are blessed with a plethora of accommodations, temporary domiciles and rooms of all shapes and sizes .....except that they are all identical."
--"Frida!" Mingo called out. "Play something for our guests!" Frida ascended the stage and took out her accordian.
--"Thiz zong iz called "Battle of New Orleanz" " she announced. "A good zong for chazing running jokezez!"

 

(White Raven Inn)--With some difficulty Mingo fetched the carpetbag of Rentier from the porch and lead her to a room on the 2nd floor. "The accommodations be a bit sparse at present," he said apologetically. "but we'll try and make some improvements."
--"good enough for now," Rentier said, throwing herself on the bed to rest.
--Mingo returned to the gathering room and sat by the new lurker who wore a wide brimmed black hat. Pulling out his great pipe Mingo lit it and offered the match to the newcomer, who had pulled out a cigarette, which obviously must have been from Old Aerth, as there are none in Novia.
--"Much obliged," Father Guido Sarducci said with a nod. "I do hope you are not one of those Obsidian heretics."
--"Oh no no," Mingo replied. "I'm not a member of any organized religion; I be a Baptist."
--"Whatsa with the accent," Father Guido wondered. "Maybe when I get a better interface device I willa aska."
--Mingo ascended the rough stage and began to play a surprisingly lively rendition of "Three Ravens"
--"CAW!" croaked Quoth approvingly from his perch in a corner.
--Father Guido turned to Bov who sat near him and ask...."Isa that....?"
--"A raven yes," Bov said with a facepalm. "....named Quoth."

 

(White Raven Inn)--FireAngel looked around the great room on the ground floor of the Inn with a critical eye, which then went over to stand by Quoth, the Raven (critical eyes usually don't speak aloud). " .....quoth the raven...." FireAngel shook her head sadly. "Mingo you can do better than that old chestnut. Expound on the White Raven Inn, its architecture, the ....sparse...decorations, the city of Meridian! And please come up with something new instead of replicating old jokes."
--Nodding his head Mingo looked around the main room of the newly opened inn. "You realize that I won't actually speak here. Folksies will be havin' to read."
--Then with a narrative flourish Mingo described the village-lot sized inn. It was of Viking style architecture, adorned with some stylish designs on the front. There were benches on the front porch on which one could enjoy the cool breeze emanating from across the stream to the right as one sat on the bench. Between the White Raven Inn and the stream was the viking style house of citizen Ng Dominic and an Oracle building. A few shrines were placed alongside the stream.
--In front of the Inn was a greenway that separated the two main cobblestone paved lanes. In this greenway was parked a wagon with direct access to Crafter's Town, and a Portal to the area containing the city of Britain. Far to the left, up the hill past the giant cherry (sakura) tree stood the imposing castle of Chiasma, who although not Governor, was considered the leading city of Meridian.
--Citizen Jason Moryn and his wife Crescent had established across from the inn a tavern which, like the inn, was in the early stages of development. Toward the castle they had also constructed a crafting area.
--"Why does this biscuit taste like soap?" TimeLord exclaimed as he sat at the only table in the main room of the Inn.
--"Becauze it iz a bar of zoap." Frida answered.
--"Oh, I wondered why it was wrapped in packaging...."
--"I want a room," FireAngel said tiredly. "I can't keep up with this right now."

 

Teastaíonn seomra uaim, "a dúirt FireAngel go tuirseach." Ní féidir liom coinneáil suas leis seo anois.
Bhuel a dúirt, FireAngel ... Aontaím .... B'fhéidir amárach.

 

(White Raven Inn)--Often the patrons of the White Raven Inn speak in various languages, mostly unknown to the proprietor and requiring translation by others. Many have come from around Old Aerth to the land of Novia. Some spend so much time in Novia that RL seems only a dream." (If I dream of Old Aerth while in Novia, I'm not breaking immersion am I FireAngel?)
--A messenger raven hopped through the door and flew up to perch beside Quoth. They squawked back and forth a bit, then the messenger raven flew out the open front door. Quoth flapped onto Mingo's shoulder and softly croaked a message into his ear.
--Ascending the small rough stage (actually a collection of tables with steps leading up to them) Mingo raised his hand as he announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I must leave you for a bit in the good graces of my apprentice, Frida. My brother has run through a screen door and strained himself. My sister requests that I bring some buckets."
--Something flew over the heads of some of the patrons, who called out best wishes and hopes that Mingo's brother would be fine.

 

(White Raven Inn)--Frida, apprentice Bard and secret double-dagger wielding assassin/rogue ascended the stage with a small harp. Seating herself on a simple wooden chair she smiled....carefully not revealing teeth...and said,"Good gentle folkziez, Mingo zeemz to be in a zilly ztate of late. Allow me to tell you a........short ztory...while he iz away."
--"Like you, Novia iz not my home of origin. Indeed my RL dreamzez are not of Old Aerth, but rather a mystical place called "Apsara" which seems to be in thiz world, but actually is in a dimension all itz own.
--"My father, Krisskar, is a Trandoshan. I inherited hiz teeth, which I try not to reveal zince it zeems to upzet folkzies. Actually I am using a bit of glamour magic now to appear more human. Mingo asked me once if I waz still poizonouz, but unlike my paternal grandmother and other female Trandoshanz I grew out of it after about age 12. I don't bite anyway." The crowd blinked at this .... somewhat disturbing diatribe and those on the front bench seemed to lean back a bit away from the stage.
--Frida strummed a soothing tune on the small harp she held. "While I talk I will play 'Rainbow Connection', a pretty tune once zung by Kermit the Frog, who Mingo tellz me waz some kind of Murloc.... there are wordzez but I don't actually zing much. Anywho I can talk and play at the zame time. My mother who you might call a mermaid, iz a princezz of the Apsara, and yez for THAT word I can force myzelf to make the 's' zound; it iz difficult for me. Her zizter, Cheada chan, known here az Gerta iz actually adopted and moztly human. Gerta haz moved here to Meridian and will return to regale you all with witty banter and flippant remarkzez once she haz rezted.
--"You will notice I do not put cloze quote markzez at the end of a paragraph if I am ztill zpeaking in the next paragraph. I am uzing the 'Mingo Ztyle' of zpeaking which carriez over to the written logzez. By the way, you new folkziez might check out 'Tale of the Red Hat Ghomes' which came before thiz White Raven Inn thread.
--"I want to tell you about Gerta'z pet zea turtle, Minogame. He could not zwim up the zmall ztream but rather stopped at the edge of the ocean to let Gerta off. Minogame iz about the size of that big caztle up on the hill. He likez Gerta.......oopz."
--At that moment, one of the wire strings on Frida's small harp broke,distracting her. She said something in a strange hissing language which probably should not be translated here. "Excuze me folkzies.....I'll be back in a moment."
--TimeLord turned to Bov, who was sitting next to him. "Do you know where the logs are? I need to go and refresh my memory a bit."
--"Not sure," replied Bov. I don't see them here, usually they were next to the fireplace.
--"No fireplace here."
--"Yessss we should do something about that. It is not long until Christmas."
--"Not to worry," TimeLord reassured Bov. "Santa has a magic key for places with no fireplace."
--"While we wait," Bov said in a pondering way, "Should we pad the prose? Professional authors do that you know."
--"We aren't the authors," TimeLord replied. "We are....hmmm how would you describe us who are in the story vicariously?"
--------------------
small edit above about Gerta.

 

BlueBell's cowbell, one can never get enough you know ~TL~

 

(White Raven Inn)--Frida returned to the stage and regained her seat, tuning the small harp which now had a new string. "Yez....mother...waz a mermaid, moztly. On land she had human legs but she liked being in the zea more than land. My father Krisskar could swim if needed but it made him cold. Fortunately they were of compatible DNA and able to conceive a fertile egg."
--"Mingo lied to you," Frida said staring out from the stage. "He actually returned to the Fire Lotuz Tavern to retrieve all the logz from 'Tale of the Red Hat Gnomezez'. It zeemz even he had forgotten that mother danced for Krisskar, which of courze required human legzez which lead to this pozt."
--"Ahhh," murmured Rentier, "The episode at sea aboard PossumRose."
--"Egg?" Bov blinked questioningly.
--"I hatched," Frida stated. "And for the firzt few yearz of my life, I had an actual tail."
--"Here it comes," TimeLord said forebodingly. "A tale of a tail."

 

(White Raven Inn)--On her small harp Frida strummed another of Kermit the Frog's songs, "It's Not Easy Being Green" as she continued speaking. "Mingo haz known my father for, for, a very very long time. They were in zeveral different partz of the Metaverze, from dry duzty planetz in a galaxy far far away to the landz of Azeroth and Kalimdor and other placesz. You can read in the logz the history of my father, Krisskar who waz actually hatched on a verzion of thiz very world.
--"In the land of Apsara are beingz of many originz. You humans have myths of faeriez, mermaidz, centaurz, cylopzez and other folkzies that actually exizt in Apsara. All the children born are female, which is the baziz of another myth, that of Amazonz."
--"Is there a Prime Amazon?" Rentier asked aloud.
--"No advertizementz pleaze without paying a fee," Frida quickly replied.
--"There is a Queen, who iz my grandmother. My mother is next in line. Gerta iz a princezz but dizlikez the formal life at Court, preferring to inhabit backwaterz and ruztic .....she likes it here."
--With a clatter of hooves and squeaking of wooden axles a cart pulled up in front of the White Raven Inn.