Tales of The Rusty Cauldron - Intro

Tales of The Rusty Cauldron - Introduction

© JAKwriter aka writerJAK -- December 2023

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I was just leaving my house on the way to work after a few days off when my neighbor called out, "Hey Crease, where you been?"

I replied back, "Hey Red, I was off visiting my sister and her kids." Sighing internally, "Red, can't talk. Gotta get to work." I was hoping to cut the conversation short. I needed to be at The Rusty Cauldron by 3pm for the start of shift and I was running late.

Red called out, "Don't you work at The Rusty Cauldron? How can you work with all those mages and witches?"

Gods...he asks the same damn things EVERY time he sees me going to work. "Red, it pays real good and I need the money for my sister and her kids. Gotta run or I'll be late". Red was working on a reply, but I kept moving and didn't hear if he said anything else.

As I walked to work, memories of visiting my sister and her kids came back. It was the twins' sixth birthday, so I was there with gifts and stories. Before, as always, I passed along some money to keep the family going. My brother-in-law is a horse's ass and if Clarissa and the twins needed to rely on him, they'd be begging alongside the road to Fairoth. No way I'd let that happen. After gifts and stories, the kids asked again why I'm named Crease. That's just not something I can tell them yet.

Before getting a job at The Rusty Cauldron, I sold my skills and abilities at the Shattered Sword. The Shattered Sword is the hiring hall where caravans, merchants, nobles, and other folks needing a strong arm can find those of us who can supply them. I was a popular lad at 6' 4" and 17 stone with more than some skill with a two-handed sword and Great axe. Got the name Crease after splitting several bandits' heads wide open. One was down to his eyes, a light hit. A couple made it to their chins, a medium hit. A couple of more to the collar bones, a strong hit. Best hit split the guy down to his sternum. That one really was impressive. Lots of blood everywhere. Really don't want the twins to know this yet.

I quit my mercenary days about 10 years ago when my folks passed away shortly after Clarissa got married to the asshole. They had me late in life and were more than a bit surprised Clarissa shows up 16 years later (our parents were in their 50's by then). At the wedding I promised them I'd stop gallivanting around and stay local to watch over her and her husband. Luckily, The Rusty Cauldron had an opening for a bouncer. Even more fortunate, they found I had some limited magical ability. Without it, I wouldn't have gotten the job. I didn't understand why that was important until my first day on the job. The whole fucking building is covered in wards and has a really powerful geas. You need some ability to interact with them properly, like opening doors.

Speaking of which, with all this wondering, musing, and reminiscing I found myself and the back entrance to The Rusty Cauldron. Touched the latch, opened the door, passed the outwards, and WHAM -- the geas kicked in. It does a bunch of things, but the first thing you notice is you cannot say ANYONE'S name. Just inside the door are a couple of guys moving a beer tun. I know who they are, but no names. They're the guys moving the beer tun. If I wanted to talk to either of them, the geas would let them know. Why the fuck it does this, no one working here knows or admits to knowing.

So, on my way in, there were the beer tun guys, the stock boy, the Breakfast/Lunch cooks and staff, the Dinner staff, and all the other folks that make the back area work. I found the stairs up to the staff break room. Walked in and WHAM, the next part of the geas hit. The 3PM to Midnight shift was showing up and the geas telling us which mages were currently in the common room and gave us a danger/risk status. Fortunately, at 3pm everything was calm. Heads were counted and folks out sick or off for one reason or another, like I was for the past 3 days with my niece and nephew. Assignments were issued and I was surprised to be Head Bartender. Title doesn't mean much except that I'm in charge if shit happens. Fuck. It also meant I had to screen all the customers looking to hire a mage, witch, sorcerer, or whatever. More fun with the geas.

With assignments issued, all of us working in the front room moved to our stations. During shift change, everything shuts down as staff going on shift takes over from those going off. I got a few moments with the Head Bartender that was going off shift. Together we scanned the room. There are three sections, the one closest to the door. Segregated from them is a second section. The third section is the main room.

By the door were the prospective customers. While they wait, they get to pay exorbitant prices for any food or drink and buying isn't an option (don't buy something, you don't get in). Once my shift started, they'd be escorted to me for assessment (the geas does this) and referral payment. Once the assessment was done and payment complete, I'd identify to the escort which magic users in the main room the customer should be taken to. There were about 30 people waiting, give or take.

I commented that it looked like we'd have a busy night. My counterpart noted that Breakfast was busy, Lunch was light, and agreed the evening shift was going to be hopping based on who had gathered and it wasn't even 4 PM yet.

The second section is for customers that already have a contract in place with a magic user and are either waiting for them to show up or to indicate they are available in the main room. Food and drink are slightly less pricy than in the first section. Only a couple of people were there: one woman and one man, not together and at separate tables.

Finally started scanning the main room. It was just pushing 4 pm and the main room was over half full. From left to right, there were a couple of witches, a dozen or more male mage/mage-wizards/sorcerers, another five female mage/mage-wizards/sorceresses, a baker's dozen of journey level magic users, and a couple of senior apprentices. Finally, my gaze hit the far-right corner, furthest from the door. Shit! I looked at my counterpart, he looked at me and said, "He just came in. He's your problem. I'm going home." Shit!

Yeah, the guy in the corner. He's a mage and an artificer/enchanter. Rumor has it he may also be a wizard, but never has been to the Deadlands. He has a big house on Dryad Court. Seems to make lots of money. Never looks happy. Always looks like someone pissed in his drink. Always drinks the same thing, cranberry orange with sparkling water or unsweetened tea, hot or cold. No alcohol. He brings in the biggest referral fees, but if the geas refers someone to him, there's a better than even chance of something going sideways. Shit!

I took a quick look at the referral board. Apprentices were going for five silvers; the Journey levels for 30 to 75 silvers; the witches for two gold; the others for one to five gold, and Mr. Sunshine in the corner was ten gold.

Fuck! I was hoping he was here just here for a meal.

Shit! I knew something was going to go wrong.

Anyhow, it was time to open the room. That's why The Rusty Cauldon is here. To give the washed and unwashed masses the opportunity to hire the best freelance magic slingers in all Eldoria.

The geas makes this all easy. Customers show up at my station. The geas does a quick scan and gives me the referral, along with a general understanding of why. I let the customer know the referral price and remind them that it's just for the referral and the final price is between them and the magic user they are referred to. Once the fee is paid, the customer gets escorted to the magic user and they figure out what the final contract will be, if any. Occasionally someone doesn't want to pay the fee for one reason or another, in which case they are escorted out and either sent to one of the Guild or reminded they can come back after paying 50% of the referral fee before being allowed back in. In addition to the referral, customers can also order food and drink at normal prices.

I waved to the escorts, and they brought the first customer, and a night of fun was beginning.

The first and second that met needed apprentices. The geas wasn't too clear on why, but freelance apprentices at The Rusty Cauldron are better than those the Guild's are likely to offer and, even with the referral fee, are typically cheaper.

Next one was referred to a mage wizard and a couple of Journey levels for three gold. He's apparently off to one of the Dead Isles, off the coast of the Deadlands. He needs the mage-wizard to get through the wards around the Isle and the mage-wizard and Journey levels to keep the expedition alive. The Dead Isles are only less hazardous than the Deadlands because you can only put so much badness and evil on a rock ranging from a fraction of an acre to a few square miles vs. the three continents of the Deadlands, each running 20-25 million square miles each.

The witches were needed for witchy stuff. The geas again wasn't too clear, but for four gold, I wasn't too worried about it. Probably curse lifting of some sort, or maybe fertility issues. Again, the geas wasn't overly clear.

A slow progression of folks got processed over the next few hours. A few more mages and what not wandered in. During this time, the two waiting in the second area had their contacts show up and they left The Rusty Cauldron to do whatever they contracted to do.

Next up was a repeat customer. Already knew what he wanted. He was here a couple of days ago and decided not to pay the ten gold for a mage-wizard, a sorcerer, and a sorceress. I had sent him off to the Guilds and now he was back. Obviously, their price was worse than he expected. Tonight, he paid five gold at the door and another ten to me. Fortunately, the ones he needed were still available. He was off to the Deadlands. The wasteland of three continents where the horrors of gods, magic, and just the brutality of intelligent people sterilized everything and left riches, traps, extreme hazards, and some seriously badass bad boys, girls, and things that go bump in the day and the night for the unwary and unprepared. Again, the mage-wizard was needed to get through the wards that kept the badness trapped and all three to keep everyone, hopefully, alive long enough grab whatever they were after.

It was pushing 9 pm and things were looking like they were winding down. So far, no takers for Mr. Sunshine. I looked over and it appeared he was getting ready to leave. Just nearly finished some tea and is eating the last bit of Berry Cobbler on his plate.

I looked away and saw a fine gentleman standing across the bar from me. Very expensive clothes. Very expensive jewelry. Clean shaven with a nice haircut and someone had given him a mani. The geas was quiet. Very odd. Very Strange. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I knew shit was about to happen. Fuck! Maybe not, but no way I believed that.

"Do you have any Mordred Blood?" he said with an accent I couldn't place.

"Yes, 25 gold for a large bottle, good for six small glasses. Or 10 gold for a small bottle, good for two small glasses," I said with as normal a voice as I could. Mordred's Blood is an unusual drink and is rarely ordered. Anyone ordering it has both money and issues, big issues. It's rumored that the grapes that make it are watered with the blood of a dying god retrieved from the Deadlands. Don't know that I believe it, but then again, maybe its true.

"I'll take the large bottle, and the referral," he said, slipping 35 gold pieces across the bar to me.

God's fucking shit! He already knew he needed Mr. Sunshine. I responded, again as normally as I could, "It will be brought to your table in a few minutes. If you will please follow your escort. You'll be meeting the mage in the corner that looks like his favorite dog died."

I waved to the other bartender and said, "Get a large bottle of Mordred's Red from the Reserve Stocks. And have the Golem serve it."

He looked at me, shook his head and wandered to the back stores. I kept my eye on the room. Mr. Sunshine and Mr. Mordred, strange how the geas let me call them that, seemed to be eyeing each other. Neither saying anything. The Golem came out of the back stores with the bottle of Mordred's Red and a small aperitif glass. I watched as it got to the table. Mr. Sunshine paid it no mind, but Mr. Mordred reacted. Golems do that, especially ones that damp magic. The golem set both the bottle and glass on the table and left.

I looked around the room and all was quiet, so I focused again on Mr. Sunshine and his guest. Mr. Mordred offered a sample of the wine, but the mage waved him off. After three, maybe four, glasses, the discussion got animated and, if not loud, very energetic.

WHAM!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!! Shit, the wardings had kicked in hard, very hard. SHIT!!! I looked around quickly and everyone is stunned, except Mr. Sunshine. Glowing sheets of force separate each of the tables from one another. I'd never seen this before. And the geas was screaming in my mind.

I took a deep breath and slowly walked over to their table. The wardings shifted to allow me through. Just as a reached the table, I felt a presence over my shoulder. It was the damn golem. Hopefully, the wards, along with the golem, would keep whatever happened under some level of control.

Mr. Mordred was scared. Mr. Sunshine looked, well, he looked interested. Still pissed off at the world but interested. On the table was a fucking black dagger. Something obviously from the fucking Deadlands. Very recently from the fucking Deadlands. Something really nasty from the fucking Deadlands. SHIT!

"We'll need the use of the one of the rooms in the basement for an hour or so. If you would be so kind as to escort us there," Mr. Sunshine said.

I had never heard of any rooms in the basement before, but the geas informed me that one was available for use, so told them I'd take them to it.

Mr. Mordred put three star silver coins on the table. Mr. Sunshine turned took one, handed me the other two along with an Iron Mountain (dwarf) Trade Mark (worth 100g). "The Mark is for the room. One star silver to attempt the job, two additional if I succeed. You hold the two all until we get back."

With the golem trailing us, the geas guided me to the stairs to the basement. In the back was a blank wall that I'd seen a thousand times or more. As we approached, the outline of a door was illuminated by activated runes in the wall. The golem approached and the door opened, revealing another stair down to a corridor I didn't know existed. On first glance, the corridor seemed longer, with many doors. Subsequently the corridor appeared shorter with three doors on either side. All were covered in runes. All were activated and illuminating the corridor and us.

Mr. Sunshine touched the middle door on the left, the runes flared, the wardings deactivated and the door opened. I couldn't see anything inside. Mr. Sunshine, Mr. Mordred, and the creepy dagger went in.

"We'll be out in an hour or so," said Mr. Sunshine. With that, the door closed, the runes flared again, and wardings reactivated. To my eye, it appeared the there were more runes, and the wards were stronger than when we arrived.

I went back upstairs alone. The golem stayed by the door. No clue what it was doing, but the geas told me not to worry about it. I put the Trade Mark in the strong box and kept the star silver in my pocket.

In the main room, the wardings were starting to come down and questions came in from all corners. What I hadn't realized is that no one knew what had happened. The wardings kept everyone separated and isolated. Only I and the other bartenders had any idea and only I knew mostly what was going on.

It took the next 30 to 40 minutes to get everyone, if not wound down, to at least stop asking questions even though I couldn't answer and to get extra drinks out on the tables so folks could "calm their nerves". An undercurrent of conversation focused on the missing Mr. Sunshine continued until he and Mr. Mordred came back into the main room and resumed their seats at their table, at which point all conversation stopped. Mr. Mordred looked, well, he looked really drained. Physically, psychically, mentally, and all the other -allies. Mr. Sunshine looked like he aways does, pissed off at the world, but also appeared less chipper than normal. Nothing like Mr. Mordred, but definitely not as perky as he was earlier. Of the black dagger, there was no sign. Maybe one of them had it or maybe it was still in the room in the basement. Me, I had no idea. If I had my druthers, I'd never see the damned thing again. Hopefully, Mr. Sunshine found a way to destroy it.

With their return, I had to walk over and handover payment. As I approached, Mr. Sunshine indicated the completion fee was to be paid. Mr. Mordred nodded his head in agreement. I handed over the two star silver coins, nodded to both of them, and walked back to the bar. For a little over an hour, I had ten thousand gold pieces in my pocket. Easy come, easy go. It was never mine, but I got to hold onto it for a little while.

Mr. Sunshine and Mr. Mordred left, and conversation in the main room really picked up. The flash of star silver had caught the eye of a few patrons, and everyone wondered what happened and what would justify star silver for an hour or so of mage craft. Only found in the Deadlands and almost never seen in public at The Rusty Cauldron or anywhere else. Even in the Guilds, star silver kept sequestered away, saved for only the most potent spell crafting.

The rest of my shift was quiet. In some ways abnormally quiet. Everyone slowly trickled out and by the time the Night Shift showed up, the main room had only a couple of diehards still hanging around. A Journeyman and a Sorceress. They had moved to share a table and were deep in discussion. I left after a quick handover discussion with my replacement.

On the way home, I thought back to the night. Mostly normal except for Mr. Mordred, never knew his name, and Jak, Mr. Sunshine. With the Trade Mark, we just about doubled our take for the night. The walk was quiet. Little sound. No nefarious activities. Just quiet. I got to my home, opened the door, changed, washed up a bit, and went to bed.

Another shift at The Rusty Cauldron completed. More fun tomorrow.