Ryssa quickly explained to the thugs that if they allowed them to take the cargo back to the Golden Goblin, then she might ask Calistria to smile on them and grant them some luck and aid in the future. Besides, Calistria is merciful when she needs to be, but she has a hot temper when people interfere with her priests.
"Of course, I could put in a good word or two for y'all when I pray to her next time. She might go easy on y'all."
The captain mumbles something about 'trouble on the docks again' and quickly flees the scene.
But the words weaved by the group in a mix of threat and reason seem to cow the thugs back.
The leader can see one mumble to another, and the third looks less confident.
"All right! All right!"
The group is dealt with by your words, and shuffles off before you can change your mind.
The crew had already unloaded the goods onto the docks, but are nowhere to be seen.
"Most excellent. I am quite appreciative of your willingness to see reason. We'll be taking the cargo now, if you don't mind." Tural walks over to the crates, tries to pick one up, fails, and looks at the group, "Ahh... Could I get some assistance here?"
Unbeugsam spits on the ground. "That´s right. Go home and piss in your pants. Chickens!"
He then moves toward the ship ready to accept the cargo.
Amboy looks around for the cargo.
"They may already have the shipment. That could be why they gave up so easily."
"Well done, lads an' ladies!" Meghan says to her comrades, feeling that being floor manager also makes her 'dock manager.' "Let's get this booze back to the Gold Goblin before Zincher sends more of his minions to try an' steal it again."
Meg peeks inside the crates just in case Amboy's onto something and the liquor's elsewhere.
"I agree! I always knew my silver tongue would come in handy! Praise Calistria I was born with such a silver tongue!"
The booze is retrieved without any further trouble and Saul is quite pleased with the result.
"Excellent! Excellent! Things are finally looking up!"
To some bittersweet news, it seems that Samaritha has finally found a job with a cypher mage. She thanks you all for her time here, and that night Saul opens a small cask of exotic wine just for the staff to celebrate her new job.
She's promising to come back and visit, but her duties will keep her busy.
As Unbeugsam doesn´t know her well, he prefers to enjoy the wine, before moving on to stronger stuff!
Meghan, perhaps still taking her promotion to floor manager a bit too seriously, feels obligated to report to Saul just how well the team performed in standing up to and scaring off Zincher's motley crew. "Tural set the tone, but everyone backed 'im up splendidly! The new meat didn't bat an eyelash at their leader's threats, an' Amboy 'ere called the freighter's cap'n a bloody pirate an' sent 'im scurryin' off lookin' like he'd seen a school o' ninjas...or whatever ya call the group that ninjas travel in!"
She's saddened by the loss of Samaritha but takes special care to keep up the spirits of Tural and Ryssa, who likely are taking the loss a lot harder.
While Tural is quite sad that his friend is leaving, he thanks her for all her assistance in his studies, "And please do come stop by whenever you can, I would love to see you again. Best of luck with the Cyphermages."
Tural enjoys Meghan's retelling of the events, interjecting towards the end, "I believe the proper term is a silence of ninjas, Meghan. "
Amboy spends more time watching the patrons of the Goblin. Cheating cannot be tolerated.
Meghan tries to learn from her mistakes of the previous week and act as a more efficient floor manager over this time period. Her attention to detail pays off handsomely.
Tural continues his work wandering the streets. He appreciates the solitude, but still manages to convince enough people to visit the Goblin to make his time worthwhile.
It's a late night at the Goblin, and Saul had the place closed early for a deep cleaning. With that done, he asked the staff to stick around for something special. There are no customers and you all have the run of the place as you wait for Saul to return. Where are you and what are you doing?
Meghan hangs out in the cards room, using prestidigitation to clean the felt-topped tables.
Taton lazes about, taking a comfortable chair once the patrons have all departed. He watches Meghan working, ever the busy little bee, and smiles. He did his work while the place was open, though even now he can't help but watch every door out of habit.
Idly, he begins juggling small items from close at hand. He makes sure it's nothing that would be heartbreaking if it was dropped and broken, and also nothing that it would be too harmful if it were to fall on his head.
Tural joins Meghan in the card room cleaning.
"How have you been lately, Meghan? We haven't talked much recently."
Meghan looks up from her work and gives Tural a smile.
"'bout as good as can be expected, considerin' all that's gone down since the Grand Openin' Tourney," she replies. "Still ain't over Larur's disappearance an' don't feel entirely right 'bout takin' over his job, but...the show must go on, right? An' I'm ticked off that Clegg Zincher an' his thugs feel they can take free shots at Saul at every turn. I'd like to take the fight to 'im, but I don't know how to, exactly. Might not be the smartest move, neither; I'm afraid Zincher's got more agents an' hired muscle than we could take down."
Amboy sits in the dealers seat and start practice his skill with the cards.
"I never knew running a business was so much work. I'm not sure how Saul does it without losing his mind. It's not just the drunks, cheats, and rowdies we have to worry about. Zincher and the outside influence it all over the place. It's making my head spin."
Tural gives a (small) smile back, "I must agree. It is indeed aggravating. I suppose the most we can do is watch and wait, biding our time until something new comes up that we can act on."
Ryssa does her best to try to draw in more customers, even asking Calistria to help her out.
She does find time to flirt with Samaritha, asking the half-elf questions here and there, and trying to break the ice. The tiefling does drop a few hints that she would like to try some more 'intimate' discussions along with a drink or two on the house, courtesy of the tiefling.
The tiefling does explain that she also excellent skills in being a sacred courtesan of the Savored Sting, and if Samaritha wanted, they could discuss even more in private.
Its a late night, and the lanterns hanging on the wall are burning brightly. It really gives off hte cozy feeling that a good casino lulls its customers into. It also helps--
*whssssh
lanterns near the entrance start to go out. Almost like a rippling wave that starts sending the Gold Goblin into darkness. In a matter of seconds, the entire building has been plunged into natural darkness.
A crash at the door causes splinters to spray in every direction and someone shouts, "You've been causing ruckus in town. TIme to shut you down!"
Taking his shield out, Unbeugsam moves toward the door. Not hindered by the darkness at all he moves to stand between the enemy and his comrades.
Amboy gets up from the table and draws both daggers. He has heard this kind of thing before. Pirates love to give little intimidating speeches before they attack. It seems to give them courage.
"We are already shut down for today so you will have to come back tomorrow when we open. Now if you wish to gamble with your lives then by all means stay."
Tural quickly spins around, withdrawing a small pat of butter from his belt pouch, and smears it between his fingers, "Glissendo." he whispers, and the area aroundthe door becomes slipperier than ice.
Meghan curses herself for never learning the relatively simple light cantrip and heads for the kitchen to get something to re-light at least one of the smothered lanterns, drawing her rapier en route. Then the darkness overwhelms her and she swears loudly.
Taton rises from his chair, takes out a torch and begins trying to light it, his weighted spear left leaning against the chair.
Ryssa quickly summons a giant bee to assist her and the others.
Sorry; missed the call for an Init roll.
I've placed you characters in the casino, but I need you to actually put in placement. After everyone's done (hopefully in the weekend) I'll come in and place the baddies and lighting.
EDIT: My wifi's down and I can't seem to drag your profile pics to act as tokens on my normal computer. I'll have to do it tomorrow.
Megahn relights the brazier giving off bright light (radius marked) and dim light further. You all see five thugs move into to attack.
All but two immediately fall prone. The remaining two attack the closest enemy, Unbeugasm.
The other three crawl out of the grease and stand up.
Looking at the pittiful attacks Unbeugsam attacks back.
But he is hard pressed and doesn´t manage to connect with his axe.
"This is a private party gentleman."
Amboy moves up onto the central platform and flings a dagger at the nearest target.
His dagger flies wide and strikes an expensive looking vase.
I wonder if Saul is going to take that out of my paycheck?
Tural runs forward, staying in the darkness. However, as he runs, a glowing rune appears at the end of an outstretched hand, mirrored by one materializing in front of the closest attacker. It shapes itself into a black and red fiery hawk, which unleashes a flurry of claws and beak at its target. However, it's more enthusiastic than accurate, and barely even scratches its target.
Meghan swiftly weighs her options and decides that aiding Unbeugsam against the two men attacking him seems to be the top current priority. Drawing her rapier as she closes, the bard tries to stab the invader to the dwarf's south even as she growl, "I got yer back!"
for
Taton stops trying to light his torch, instead grabbing his weighted spear and looking at the nearest foe. "You are going to regret your decision to come here."
Unbeugsam parris the attacks against him but is likewise repelled. Amboy winces as his first attack destroys what he hopes is a cheap knock off of a decoration.
Tural's summon can't seem to connect, and even though Meghan is the first to draw blood this round, it's barely a scratch.
Taton takes careful study of one of the attackers, how his moves are expereinced and quick, though sloppy at times. He sees the way he handles his dagger expertly, how the grip tightens right before he strikes.
You all here a crash of a window in the back near the kitchen, but you can't see what's going on back there from here.
The three downed thieves get up and move to flank the caster folks, though one stays to tangle with the summoned creature.
Unbeugasm sees another blow going at him, as does Meghan.
Meghan remains where she is, covering Unbeugsam's back. Again she aims a quick rapier attack against the thug to her southeast.
for
Unbeugsam leans into the attack and repays in kind.
Tural winces as his eagle returns to the lower planes, but its fiendish glow hasn't even faded before a new, almost artificial-looking eagle takes its place.
The new bird picks up where its predecessor left off, tearing into the attacker it has been called to eliminate.