RP:Haunting at the New Home

Part of the Rise of Larket Arc

Summary:Furniture is moved into Josleen and Kelovath's new home, but something strange happens.

The Joslo Home

Kelovath was upstairs in the home Josleen and himself recently bought. It was fairly empty, but the few things they had mostly belonged to the paladin. Things he’d gathered during his time in Larket that he had the room for. Enough for two people, but with the size of their home, more was definitely needed. Josleen was gone for the day. Visiting a friend that arrived in the city a day ago. A fellow bard. It was mid-afternoon at this point and thankfully for Kelovath, the rest of his day was free. The meetings for the council were over for the day and the meetings that he had already been too weren’t that important. Which was good. More mental energy for Kelovath to practice his magic. Well, that’s what he should have been doing. Instead, he was praying in the upstairs bedroom. Mostly giving thanks for the recent positive turn of events. Buying a home. His legs basically healed. And Josleen. She was always included in his prayers. The prayer ended, Kelo gave thanks once more, and then made his way downstairs. He was hungry. Time to figure out some food.

Hureig let out a low, soft curse, "Lowlanders." But the Larketians had earned such a distinction! He had come to the city with all the ropes and reins of a beast a burden with a wagon piled high with odds and ends for a new home. Most of the citizens saw nothing wrong with the situation: it was a frost giant, a sickly one if his lack of weight on a body meant to hold much, much more was any indication, playing the part of a beast of burden. Those looks the emaciated Frost Giant could handle---he gave each and every one a smile, a nod, and a "good day" in his stones-in-his-mouth accent. But when he stopped and asked for directions, well, that was when they earned his ire. Some pointed east, so he went east into dead ends, into forts and castles, and out of any place where Thane Josleen would live. Then some would throw their hands north, and he was halfway out of the city before realizing it. But, finally, one had mentioned the forests to the west, and by the grace of the Gods, he finally pulled his wagon to a quaint, rustic home. "Lowlanders." He spat his curse, but his bad mood followed with it. By the time his small but still massive fist knocked the door nearly off its hinges, the recovering Giant was good will and cheer. "Hullo, Thane Josleen! I do hope this is her home!"

Kelovath entered the kitchen was about to figure out that they didn’t really have much food in the house, when the loud knocking started. Then the request for Josleen. Thankfully the paladin already had a shirt on, otherwise the giant would have been waiting a bit longer. He left the kitchen, unlocked the door and opened it. His gaze lifted up to the face of the sickly looking giant and a smile quickly appeared on his features. “Hello there.” Soft words, but welcoming. “You’re looking for Josleen, yeah? She’s gone for the day. Something I can help you with?” If he could have seen the entirety of the giant, the last question probably wouldn’t have been asked.

Hureig could only see the top of the door from where he stood, and he laughed when it seemed the door itself was greeting him! He bent down to see Kelovath fully, but his laughter only continued. "Well, unless you Lowlanders have some fancy sort of sorcery that changes caves to hangers..." He stopped his amused musing when he mentioned Josleen's day. "Ah! Well. Thane Josleen put so much gold back into the Frostmaw market, I gave her my word I would deliver her things personally. It took longer than I thought and I had to eat the horse before I made it, but I am finally here. She has..." He lists off all of the things that Josleen had ordered, which ultimately were paintings, doors, and furniture. "I swear, Thane Josleen must own a bank! She has almost single-handedly restored the market!" He was so quick to laugh, it was hard to tell the full extent of the truth to his words, but their truth was without question. "Where does she want her things?"

Kelovath thought that he’d never get used to giants. Mostly their size, but their overall demeaned caught him off-guard. You’d expect something as large and strong to just be…Angry all the time. This one seemed rather friendly. And Josleen must have thought so as well, as she bought –a lot- from him. The list seemed to clarify that. “So much for the budget…” He said with a smile, then shrugged at the giant’s question. “Um. I’m not sure. But, I doubt it’d be too difficult to figure it out…Let’s…” He was about to say for them to start with the heavy stuff. There was a massive difference between what Kelo thought was heavy and what Hureig thought was heavy. He chuckled, grinning now. “Honestly, I have no idea how to even start this.” Scratching at the slight scruff on his face, the man obviously looked confused. “Furniture first, I guess?”

Hureig hummed a loud hum when Kelovath made his lack of a plan known. He thought of how to do it, too, and the same conclusion was reached. "Aye. Furniture first. You take this door and any other doors to any rooms we'll be puttin' stuff in off the hinges. I'll get the furniture." He clapped a loud clap; the plan was set and now it was time to work. The paladin wouldn't have too much time to dally with getting the front door off its hinges; the giant was at the wagon in a few large strides. The largest of the pieces, a couch that was upholstered with mammoth and bear pelts with arm rests of mammoth tusk---a tacky yet somewhat adorable adornment that only Josleen, after a lot of coxing or after giving a frost Giant a purse, would pick---was hoisted from the bed and thrown over the Giant's shoulder. "You got that door off yet?" Hureig chuckled a deep bellow of a chuckle, the piece of furniture little more than a sack of grain on his shoulder. "We've got a lot to do and not too much light left. Get a move on it, little man!"

Kelovath nodded in agreement on the plan that they made and did as told. The door was opened completely and the paladin started to…He had no tools. Well, this made things difficult. He stood there a moment, looking at the door like he was trying to magically take it off the hinges. The giant called out and he lifted his arms into the air. “I got it! I got it!” He replied with a smile and then rushed to the kitchen. Everyone had a junk drawer. It was pulled open, shuffled around in, and the appropriate tool was found. Drawer was slammed shut in a hurry and Kelovath quickly made his way back to the door. No doubt the giant was waiting on him, but whether he was or wasn’t, the paladin made easy work of getting the door removed and carefully put it off to the side of the doorway. If the giant did require help with the furniture, then the paladin would continue removing doors from basically all of the room of the house. If help was needed, he’d stick around at the request of assistance.

Hureig was waiting for the little man to do his duty, the couch was laid on one end with the giant resting his hands on the vertical arm rest. "Seen much battle, have ya?" He commented when Kelovath was popping pins out of their places. Had anyone else asked it would most likely be a slight, a condescending slur of a man doing something worth ridicule. But the giant just smiled, his question sincere; small talk was always nice when hefting heavy furniture. He did give directions underneath the pleasant conversation with waving hams of fists or quiet words. "Clear the way, little man," He let the couch fall forward, though he did catch it before it landed on the floor. It was lifted with ease and tucked against his abdomen. "Lead the way, little man. Lead the way."

Kelovath normally wouldn’t talk of his battle experience, but the giant seemed friendly enough and small talk was important when working together. Builds trust and passes the time. “More than most, I think. Frostmaw was the most recent.” Without rushing, he was able to step out of the way of the falling couch, glad that the giant caught it before it slammed down. He wasn’t sure how expensive this piece was, but Josleen did enjoy the luxuries of life. Moving away from the doorway now, Kelovath motioned to the living room, to the right of the front entrance. “In the middle, I think.” He had no clue. The memory of Parsithius and Jacklin’s accommodations within the fort came to mind and that’s what he would picture for his own living room. When the piece was placed, he’d make his way back outside, with the giant, for a possible piece of furniture he could handle on his own. “And you? Involved in any battles? Or is the merchant life all you’ve experienced?”

Hureig carried the couch into the living room, and the only evidence of its weight was the groaning of the floorboard beneath his boots. "Frostmaw, you say!" He sat the couch down where the man had said, delicately of course. But the friendly smack he gave to Kelovath's shoulder to turn him back to the door was perhaps a little too hard for a non-giant. "Many, many years ago my life was about the mammoth and the sword. I rode a mammoth like you lowlanders ride horses. There wasn't a battle I wouldn't charge in with sword and tusk a'swinging, but there comes a time in a Giant's life when he must reassess things." He spoke as he guided Kelovath back to the door; he was as chummy and open as though the paladin were an old friend. "I would come back from battle and see the Giantesses who couldn't feed their gruntlings. I'd see many good warriors lose all their war earnings buying food! Food, of all things! I fought for the citizens of Frostmaw, I won battles for them, but when I returned, they would still be defeated by greed and avarice." Hureig left Kelovath at the door, and he returned from the wagon with a stone-carved foot table. "So I dedicated my sword and my mammoth to commerce. I pledged my strength and honor to fair, honorable, and righteous trade. My mammoths now carry goods and my sword now protects trade routes and traders." Back into the house they went, and into the living room the table was taken. But something odd was afoot, strange enough for the Giant to furrow his brow and give Kelovath a strange look. "Look, little man, I know I am a giant and all things look small, but these things are heavy. If you and your fellows want to play games..." He pointed at the couch that was not in the center of the room. It was pushed up against the wall, its legs exposed to the room and its seat leaning towards the wall.

Kelovath enjoyed speaking with Hureig. He was friendly and obviously smart. Starting his own business and getting lucky enough to have Josleen back him in this new venture was perfect timing. The giant’s strength was not surprising, but the slap on the shoulder was a bit much. He could withstand it, barely, but knew it the intention was friendly. The mention of giant and mammoth brought back some not so pleasant memories, but they were keeping busy, so the mind didn’t dwell too long. He followed Hureig to the door, then quickly unhinged another door from its frame. The giant would have made it back before getting this done, but no harm done. Progress, as it would have needed to happen regardless. Kelovath followed him back into the living room and also gave the giant a strange look. “You didn’t do that?” He asked quickly, pointing at the couch shortly after Hureig had. Whatever the giant might say, the paladin would walk over to the piece and flip it back onto its legs (heavier than expected), and offer a shrug. “Well, whatever happened, it’s fixed now.” Curious, but there was too much to get done to worry about it. Kids, maybe? The door has been…Not there. A motion would be given to the giant as to where to place the table. “Anyway, if you don’t mind my asking, where did you get the funding to get started? Seems like it’d take a considerable amount for the goods and traveling, yeah?” The conversation needed to continue, mostly to pass the time. Kelovath would head back towards the door, if the giant did.

Hureig remained still with the stone table in his hand and his eyes narrowed at the couch. It was the first time in the entire meeting that his friendly demeanor had been completely replaced with incredulity---something just wasn't right about that couch. Perhaps a man, woman, or both had died on it; of course his might went first to the boogeymen that plagued frost giants even into their adult lives. "No I didn't do that, and we would've heard someone moving it. You can't move something that hefty without making some sound." The giant took heart when Kelovath flipped it over and called it square, for it was a paladin's duty to steady men's, and perhaps even giants, nerves. "I took what earnings I made from warring and battling and invested in a pair of mammoth pups. Ah!" He placed the table down where it was designated, and his conversation continued as he brought the man out for another haul. "It was slow going at first, them pups had to grow and all, but once they were big enough to start hauling some freight the gold just poured in. Why pay for a whole caravan of horse, ox, mule, or what have you when good ole Hureig and his mammoths could deliver all you'd want and for cheap?" The next piece of furniture Hureig slid from the wagon was a bed frame. The frame was made of frozen wood, no doubt almost petrified by spending year upon year in the Frostmaw frozen wastes. It was also nearly three times the size of what a human would need; it was obviously made for giants. "Not to mention I have a knack for training mammoths. Picked that up from my pups. So you add my talents for mammoth training and a few pack mammoths and you get a merchant you will have." He was all but at the door by the time his story ended, waiting for the man to show him to the bedroom.

Kelovath knew nothing about mammoths, but it seemed they were more useful than he originally thought. The only encounter he’d had with one, well, it tried to kill him. More than once. The giant was followed and the bedframe was eyed with surprise. Did they really need something that large? “Oh, Jos…” He whispered with a smile. Oh well. It’s already here. The paladin wondered if there was anything at all that he would be able to carry himself, but apparently furniture from Frostmaw was not for humans. Go figure. It didn’t quite click that Hureig would be heading for the bedroom next until they re-entered the house. “Well, I’m glad you were able to find something that wasn’t warring.” A genuine response. And then it clicked, as they were just standing there, that the bedroom was next. “Oh! Upstairs, for the bedroom.” He laughed, hurrying toward the stairs and pointing toward the bedroom door when getting to the top of the stairs. Unfortunately, the door was still there, so again, more waiting as the paladin attempted to keep up. The door was removed, set off to the side, and another hurried motion as to where the bedframe would go. “That makes sense, right?” He was obviously unsure about the placement.

Hureig huffed and heaved when he had to carry the bed frame up the stairs, but he did it with a smile! The work was honorable and the conversation was friendly. Was there anything better in the world? "I am ribbed by my friends in Frostmaw for deciding there was something more honorable than battle, but I do get the last chuckle. When they need something to eat, something to wear, or something to beat someone to death with, I am the first person they come to!" The bed frame was placed where Kelovath directed, but it did not fit just right. No matter how he turned it, flipped it, caddy-cornered it, the bed was just too large and too long to fit properly. Hureig gave it a dismissive wave; there was more to be moved. "Ah, well, perhaps you little humans will grow into it" was all the giant offered in constructive criticism. And down the stairs they went, and they passed within sight of the living room. With the giant in the lead, Kelovath would run face to rump if he were not careful for Hureig had stopped dead in his tracks. "Little man..." A finger the size of a cucumber lifted and shook. The couch and table were gone, or at least no longer on the floor. They sat or were better described as being glued to the ceiling as though it were the floor.

Kelovath wanted to help the giant, but with something that heavy and awkward, he thought it’d be best to not get in the way. Best to let the professional do the work and help when appropriate. It was frustrating, seeing that the frame would not fit properly, but what could be done, exactly? Josleen may have another idea for it, whenever she returns. He laughed at the giant and shrugged, “I suppose we might, yeah.” Grow in to it? Hopefully Josleen figures something out. Down the stairs they go and, poor Kelo, does in fact run right into the giant. “Oh! Sorry!” Gonna avoid doing that in the future, for sure. “Huh?” In response to little man. A couple blinks and a lean to look around the giant, he saw…Nothing. Until he looked up. “Erm…” That’s all he was able to manage at the sight. Never before had he encountered something like this, so he had no way of knowing what to say. Or do for that matter. He was lost, basically, but after some amount of time (he wasn’t sure) he found some words. “That is not me.” Better words could have been chosen, but that seemed right. Since it was true. And truth, realism, was the goal here. Furniture hanging from the ceiling was not real. Couldn’t be. “Magic?” He asked aloud, not expecting an answer. A couple steps were taken toward the living room and when passing through the doorway, the pieces immediately fell and landed rather hard against the wood floor of the room. Kelovath covered his eyes, thinking that the table and couch were going to explode into small pieces throughout the room. Instead, the noise was heard, crashing and pieces going about, but there was no damage. His arms lowered, eyes and mind unbelieving of the now normal looking room, with couch and table in the correct spot. “We should go.” He said in a hurry, but did not move. If Hureig agreed, and moved first, then he would unquestioningly follow.

For all the Giant's strength, for all the Giant's height, weight, and overall steel-nerved presence, what stood with a shaking finger was the embodiment of terror. He was frozen to the floor from sheer fright alone, and he could barely breath much less speak! What jolted him from his terror was not Kelovath's suggestion to leave. Oh, no. The Giant was already tearing through the house, grabbing at doors, walls, and other loose items to throw them in his wake. Was it to fight the demon ghost spirit and give him and his new friend a chance to escape, or was it just to slow Kelovath down so the ghost demon spirit would consume his soul and not the giant's? Whatever it was, the giant was out of there when the furniture cracked loud against the floor. He only stopped in his terrified running when he had his wagon between him, the home, and the ghost spirit demon. He hunkered down behind it like a scaredy giant.

Kelovath stood there for longer than he should have, as the front door was sent flying his way. It caught his foot, sending him to the ground with a thud. Thankfully, he avoided hitting his head, but it was all enough to cause pain throughout most of his body. The fun day was gone and as quickly as he could (not very quick) the paladin made his way to the doorway leading outside, took a breath and continued on his way toward the wagon. Giants sure can move when they want to. Didn’t expect this one to be so afraid though. Slowly, he approached Hureig, a now much more obvious limp, and spoke. “You aren’t going back in there, huh?” He had a feeling, based on the door throwing. Kelovath was just as freaked out as the giant, but he’d seen a lot in his time. This was freaky, yes, but there’s worse out there by far. He sat down against the massive wagon wheel, leaning back into it. Another sigh, followed by a groan of pain. “How about…” He groaned again, adjusting his seated position some. “The wagon gets unloaded, and I’ll get a few guys down here to move it all into the house? And we never talk about this again…” That last part seemed to be the most important thing to add.

Hureig was cowering like a beat dog by the time Kelovath approached. He could fight things he could see. He could not see the demon ghost spirit child that was haunting the living, therefore he could not fight it. That was the reason he was shaking with only his eyes peaking over the rim of the wagon. He snorted at the paladin's question about going back in---he could've answered him, sure, but it would've been laced with words that would have offended his righteous sensibilities. His suggestion about dumping the wagon and never speaking about this again was partly accepted. "Keep the wagon," The Merchant Knight stammered out. He wanted nothing to do with the cursed transport and the possessed things it transported. "I need a drink..."