Dromer Greyskin |
Oooo! The 'Candle? I think there's a cute porter boi that works there...
"Maybe we should, like, scout out the place, first. Keep an eye out for exits, in case something goes... wrong."
He then ruffles Iantha's hair again, almost in response to her comforting pats.
Straight there, more or less.
GM Ahayzo |
As you approach Silverdisk Hall, you see someone dressed in fine leather armor carrying a box from inside. As soon as he sees you, he pauses shortly before leaving the box and hurrying inside. Moments later you see a well groomed, well geared man stride out of the building. With a sly smile, he stands in the doorway, arms crossed.
Well, you certainly take your precious time. You've been in Torch for at least a day, so you surely know who I am -- and that I don't like being kept waiting. Keep that up and your employment with me may end up... cut short.
After watching silently for a short time while you reach the building, he turns around and walks inside.
Iantha Narili |
Iantha frowns. This man was assuming a lot.
Reluctant to enter, she reminds herself, that it might be the only way to find mister Baine, who has been so kind to her family.
Squaring her shoulders, she follows smith inside.
Forlen Watersoul |
Ah yes, acting cocky, the last resort of cornered prey. I'm on the right track.
No worries, I'm not going to stab him, just some in-character stuff. He's not high enough on the hit-list. :P
GM Ahayzo |
You follow the man into an office, passing through what looks to be a counting room. Rows of tables covered in silverdisks fill the room, with dirty, unkempt people of all ages counting them and loading them into small crates.
Once in the office, he sits down at a small desk littered with papers. 3 bookshelves line the walls of the office, mostly empty. He glares at each of you, almost as if trying to see through you to read your innermost thoughts.
I understand you've decided your time is best spent running errands for that old fool Freddert. You know this city, in its current state, could never pay you what you're worth. You are the only ones to return from that puddle of filth they call a lake. Surely you'd rather come and put your skills to better use? I guarantee I could make you rich within months. Not only that, people seem oddly interested in this rathole in being kind - especially to me.
If you survived going down there, you must have quite the physical and mental fortitude. I'd like to hire you. I've heard rumors of various species and groups, down in the caves. I want you to contact them for me, with a partnership offer. Consider it... a welcome to Torch.
Forlen Watersoul |
Forlen looks the man up and down, sizing him up, then scowls. Use of Studied Target.
"Look, I'm here for a very specific reason. Your promises of riches and power don't sway me. I might end up following your orders if it advances my plans, but don't think you have me in your pocket."
He then leans back and whispers to the rest of the group, "I think I've made my point clear. I'm not adverse to following his orders, especially if I can meet the higher-ups this way, but I don't fancy being associated with him. It might complicate things with my tribe."
Perception check on the counters: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Nope, nothing wrong there.
Iantha Narili |
diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Iantha frowns at the word 'rathole'. She does try to softer Forlen's words. While she does not want to work with this man, having him be made an enemy would be bad.
"I must say, I stand by friend here. While we share a common interest in the area under the lake, I am afraid we differ too much to make this partnership last. I do wish you good luck in your endeavor."
perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Dromer Greyskin |
If I was in charge of this joint, I'd hire Androids to do all the counting. They'd probably be good at it. I wonder if they can even lie? Then, after we're established, maybe we could, like, create some sort of automated machine. Maybe with a lever. And people could just gamble on their own. Be cheaper than hiring more employees...
GM Ahayzo |
Given time, riches and powers sway everyone. Everyone. If you aren't here to cooperate, then I ask that you leave my establishment.
He stands from his desk and motions towards the door as five large men grab you by the arms and start to "guide" you out of the office.
As you're turned around you notice a flash from a shelf by the door. A faint purple glow comes from a plate-sized disc, with small markings on it similar to symbols near the doors and coils in the back room of the cave earlier today.
Iantha Narili |
Iantha bites her lip, to keep herself from saying anything while being dragged away in a most undignified manner.
The weird disk does catch her attention and she tries to memorize every detail of the room.
perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
GM Ahayzo |
Miranda doesn't just notice the disc, I think she created it in a past life lol
Dromer Greyskin |
Continuing with the not knowing...
As the door slams shut on the group, Dromer lets out a sigh of relief.
"Glad that's over with. Who's hungry? I know this guy down the street. Sells what he calls 'authentic meat on a stick'."
Smith_ |
Smith nods to Miranda and whispers "I believe we may have both observed something we need. Lets discuss more a a bit of a later time."
Iantha Narili |
Iantha is a bristling ball of fur. But at the mention of food, she calms down a bit and her fur goes back down. "Food?"
She looks expectantly at Dromer.
Iantha Narili |
Iantha eagerly follows. "You just dont know what is tasty. Always claiming something is 'gross' and not even trying it."
She makes little finger quotes with her paws.
Miranda Andegar |
When the party is clear of earshot: "There was a disk in there that we will need to obtain to open the doors we were stopped at before. Whether we persuede him to give it to us or obtain it through subterfuge makes no difference to me, but I can tell you that we will need it."
Iantha Narili |
"While I am normally one for honesty, I doubt we would be rewarded in our efforts when dealing with that man. Subterfuge may be our best way. We could 'borrow' it, or we could make a plan that one of us tries to get into his good graces. Pretend to take him up on his offer without the others knowing. A man like that will more easily believe that one of us is backstabbing the others, as that is behaviour he would himself display."
Forlen Watersoul |
Before Val interrupts:
"I could go back and say I changed my mind. I said I was open a change of mind, so it's not like I'm outright lying to him. But another thought: why not simply say we think we need it to open a door? We'd get in so much trouble if we get caught stealing that thing, it might not be worth the hassle. And if our interests align, I don't see why he wouldn't lend it to us."
When Val comes along:
Forlen runs a head over the pate of his bald head. He squints at her, then decides she's probably not a spy.
"It's a day of new meetings, I see. We got an invitation to meet with an unreputable fellow and we were asked to become his flunkies. Naturally, we declined. Trouble is, we found out afterwards we need something of his to continue our exploration."
Not sure if I met her, so I'll just pretend I didn't. If I did, chalk it up to the memory loss. :P
Val_Baine |
Val gets a wide smile and extends a hand to Forlen
A day of new meetings for all of us, I'm Val! Are you helping to find my father too?
An unreputable man with flunkies? Sounds like you had the misfortune of meeting Garmen Ulreth. I don't know of any connection between him and the Technic League, but everyone in Torch is pretty sure he's secretly the leader of the Ropefists. I'm glad you turned him down, he's the one man in town who doesn't seem to care what happens to my father - or this town. What does he have that you need? Maybe I have one too.
Forlen Watersoul |
Forlen tries to charm the young lady by graciously holding her hand as he shakes it, but all he does is making her hand clammy and moist. He seems oblivious to it.
"I'm sure Miranda can explain better, but there's a door blocking our way, and she's convinced that they key to opening it lies inside that man's office. The object suddenly started glowing when we left, and we didn't have time to inquire about it."
Iantha Narili |
"There was this disk, about this big." Iantha holds her paws a distance apart to indicate how big the disk is. "It had similar markings to the door in the cave we need to pass."
Val_Baine |
She looks to the ground a moment, deep in thought
A glowing disc? I think my father had something that looks like that! He took it with him, but if he thought it was important, I'm sure whatever Ulreth has is equally so! If you don't have a place to stay, you're all welcome to stay my home next to the Foundry #12, surely it'll be closer to Ulreth's casino than anywhere else you'd be able to stay. If you decide to stay, stop by after your day is done, the door is open.
It's evening time, and you're currently about where #4/5 are on the map. You can find some food stands in the market at #11, or if you'd like something a little nicer there's more than a few taverns around Torch.
Dromer Greyskin |
As Iantha turns around to address Dromer, she sees the reason why he's been so quiet: he must have snuck away some time during the conversation, and he's now licking the second of three meat skewers clean.
He freezes at Iantha's notice. Then, in an almost apologetic gesture, he holds out the last skewer towards her.
Spent 3 cp.
GM Ahayzo |
All you've seen so far of the L-shaped building is the short leg with the rectangular room with the money counters, which was empty with the exception of the long tables and the counters themselves, with two guards at the doors on each end. Ulreth's office had a single west-facing barred window. The longer length of the L was just a warehouse, you wouldn't have guessed the building housed a casino if you hadn't been told. However there were stairs leading both up and underground, and one of those likely led to the gambling areas.
Dromer Greyskin |
Alrighty, it's been over a week since we really posted anything; let's get this show on the road! I gotta make level 2 before New Year's =P
In the shade of an alley Dromer uses his Greatsword to carve an overhead view of Silverdisk Hall into the hard packed earth.
With a quick squat, he plops down cross-legged on the ground and looks up at his acquaintances. His bangs obscure half of his face as he speaks to the group.
"Alright. Now, if this was the League, I'd have no qualms about kicking in their door and taking what we need. I don't think any of you would, either. But I can sense nobody really wants to do this, because this guy's just a guy. He's a sleaze, but he's not, like, some evil sleaze. And so, you're probably like me right now: I feel kinda bad that we're having this discussion."
Dromer stares at the rudimentary blueprint for a moment before speaking again.
"But. Really. Think about what that... thing... means in the grand scheme of things. Smith, it means you can use the Flame again. Iantha, it means your family won't have to pay more taxes. Forlen... Umm... Maybe... I don't know..."
He then flips his hair away from his face.
"So. What's the plan?"
Iantha Narili |
Iantha also plops down and takes the opportunity to use her back leg to get a really good scratch on behind her ear.
After finishing this clearly satisfying act she looks at the overhead view of silverdisk hall.
"Yeah, Im not too comfortable with this either. Its choosing between two bad things. Either we 'borrow' the disk and hope he doesnt notice, or only notices it when its too late. Or we make some kind of really shady deal. Either way doesnt look good."
She sighs. "Yah, he is not an evil sleaze. More like a big morally gray area sleaze with some dark edges. But that doesnt mean we just get to be like him. But I just know the moment he knows what that disk is worth, he'll do everything to squeeze this town for every copper its got in exchange for it."
Gnawing on a nail, Iantha gestures with her other paw. "I dont really have a plan. I've never done this before. On the one hand, if we talk to him and it fails, we always have the back of of 'borrwing'. On the other hand, the moment he knows its worth something, he'll probably hide it. So going for it directly might be better. If you could somehow shrink me, I could fit trough the bars of the window easily."
Dromer Greyskin |
"Wait a minute. Iantha, you're a GENIUS!"
Dromer hastily hops up, but somewhat stumbles as he does so.
"We're assuming it's worth as much to him as it is to us. What if we convince him that it's worthless, instead? Or better yet, that it's downright dangerous?"
"Think about it: we're the only ones that've come back from down there. We could spin any story we want! Maybe it's leaking radiation, but we know how to dispose of it! Or it's some sort of homing beacon that the League can detect, but we know how to destroy it!"
Dromer looks around for support.
"He could practically give it to us to take it off his hands!"
Forlen Watersoul |
"If the disk is within view of a window, I might be able to pilfer it from afar, then we'd only need to smash the window. But if not, as I already said, I might go in to discuss the terms of that deal, possibly accept and avoid the hassle altogether, or drop Goliath there and wait until everything's clear for him to drag it out. I'm not the best bluffer, but I think of the four of us, I genuinely have no qualms with cooperating with him. I know you don't like working for him, but if it's something minor, I'm sure you won't object. And if it's something we wouldn't like doing, I already made my case clear to him and it won't be a surprise if I turn it down."
So yeah, multiple roads to take. We just need to reach a consensus. :P
Is the disk in clear view of a window, and withing 15 feet of it? In that case, I can probably outright steal it.