<div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/92/38/be/9238be8625e38d36b6e8a4b6fa80c211.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">THE DRAGON'S DEMAND </span><br/>A Pathfinder Adventure<br/><br/><strong>Introductions Underway</strong><br/><br/>It just occurred to me that I have not adequately described our very gracious and hospitable innkeep.  I described her as being young and homely, but that is not enough.  Since all of you have been so kind to her, allow me a moment to flesh her out.<br/><br/><div align="center">(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/42/08/68/42086887e06914ea13c0096c21b86419.jpg)<br/>Talia Oreg, Innkeeper</div><br/>Talia Oreg was a human female in her mid-twenties.  She was of average height and of average weight.  She wore a red dress, cinched snug at her waist with a matching corset.  A white apron, clean, was draped across her lap.  Her arms were bare, and one could tell by their sinew that she was industrious, albeit indoors rather than outdoors.  Although she had many suitors in her life, she was not the town beauty.  She has the air of a woman who had a blast in her younger years.  Her eyes sparkle with merriment and her face is friendly and kind.<br/><br/>Now, as introductions were underway, Talia quietly chattered with her guests individually.<br/><br/>Kaisen surprised Talia in two ways.  First, she had assumed that he was a monk, and though she had never met a monk before, she had assumed that monks were individuals who had reached an epoch of serenity in their lives.  Kaisen was anything but serene.  Second, she had erroneously believed that Kaisen was a woman.  She sort of turned to look at her other guests to gauge whether they were surprised by this revelation.<br/><br/>"Hello, Kaisen," Talia said assertively.   "I am sorry that there is no music presently.  Our minstrel will be here in a couple of hours if he is well.  He's been colic lately."<br/><br/>While Kaisen's mannerisms were a bit much for Talia, Rhea intrigued her.  Talia had never laid eyes on a tiefling before.  She was surprised to discover that the things they said about them were true: that they had horns, tails, and sharp teeth.<br/><br/>"Well met, Rhea," Talia said.   "You are my first tiefling patron," Talia added happily.<br/><br/>Pursilla's level of exposure rather offended Talia.  She had a reputation to uphold, and women of Pursilla's liberties often imbued a tavern with a categorically impudent descriptor.  On the other hand, the feeling she had towards Pursilla might have been jealousy.  After all, it must have been a lot of fun being as sexy as Pursilla and have men like Flint and Istavan around.<br/><br/>When Pursilla pushed back her offering, a little part of Talia died.  Pursilla stomped on her hospitality.  When she asked for honeyed mead, Talia said:   "Oh... uh, certainly, why not?"  She gestured for a dwarf to return, and she gave him instructions to fetch Pursilla a mug of honeyed mead.  However, before he could do anything, Rhea had assumed the role of server.<br/><br/>"Why, that would be splendid, thank you, Rhea," Talia said.<br/><br/>Flint and Istavan caught Talia's attention and, more than anything, her imagination.  They were both tall handsome men with dark features.  They were almost mysterious.  Flint was unassuming, she felt, and Istavan was uncomfortable.<br/><br/>"You do not appear to be simple to me, m'lord," Talia said with a demure smile.   "And well met to you, Istavan."<br/><br/>Then to Eligia, Talia... well, it was difficult not to feel a sense of dread when one stared at the Urguthoan priestess.  Talia wanted to ask her what she was doing with the caravan, but the better part of her didn't want to know.  Eligia was a book better left undead--I mean, unread.<br/><br/>"It is no imposition, m'lady," Talia said with a wan smile.  "No payment will be required.  Hopefully one good turn deserves another."<br/><br/><strong>Second Post Incoming</strong><br/>