Some commotion down at the Wharf startles Yelex awake. A little shaky and disoriented, he sits up in bed.
Lock-Jaw stands, dutifully and blankly, staring at his master. He makes no movement when Yelex wakes up, instead waiting on his command.
The snapping fingers comes soon, and before long Yelex is feeling a little better, his blue lips tingling from the tincture.
Heading out onto the street is an easy task; the sun is on vacation, it would seem. And the clouds have come out to play. Thick, dark, rain-clouds flutter past the sky, mingling with the Blot. Yelex's sensitive eyes thanks the dimness that has been cast over the entire town.
He doesn't get far before he feels a little collision in his legs. Spinning to face the problem, he spies a little kid running off in the other direction. "Sorry mister! I guess I should watch where I'm goin'! I'll learn my lesson!"
Yelex watches the Dog Biter scamper, but he hears a little terrified shriek behind him. Another one has apparently been using the diversion to pick Lock-Jaw's pocket, coming up with a handful of bone instead.
The kid is startled, and wishes he didn't spy under that dark cloak. Backing away from the pair, he starts yelling; "A monster! A monster! Help!"
Ah, what have we here...
Instantly I recognize the gambit, and even manage a sneer at the idiocy of children, to seek wealth in an untouchable such as Lockjaw, rather than one such as I!
"Silence!" I hiss into the boys face, arching over him with my most menacing grimace
Intimidate (1d20=19) +2 sill +4 size modifier(?) = 25
I glance up towards Lockjaw and blink, drawing him towards me. The child is soon shrouded by the pair of us. I laugh at his quaking knees and reach my skeletal hand out. "Silence that prattle boy, and hand my friend his rib-bone back. To my side Lockjaw."
I stand up now, towering over him, and he blinks in the morning sun, I watch the relief cross his face. Not finished yet boyo. "It is I should be shouting thief! Stand up you sniveling coward and look upon he whom you've wronged! I am Yelex Justicar, Yelex Headsman's Axe! And my servant was damaged by your foolish actions. Perpare to meet youer doom, mortal. Lockjaw, finish him."
I step back, and snap my fingers at my minion. He lowers the scythe. and steps over to me, leaving the boy shakened in the street. "Now foolish boy, come tell me your name and how you may be of service to me!"
The kid drops the bone and practically falls to the ground, crawling on his hands to get away.
"M-m-my name's F-F-Fraser. I j-j-just wanna go home. Don't kill me!", he manages to blurt out, in between balling his eyes out.
"I ain't seen nothing. I don't wanna be no p-p-p-pigmeat!"
Surprisingly enough, no one seems to be on their way to the boy's aid.
Oh the day gets richer and richer...I toss the boy a silver."That's for the work you're going to do for me today F-f-f-fraser. Now, go get yourfriend and wait for me across the street from the Gold Goblin in two hours time and there'll be more." I flash a gold piece before his eyes and even drop it to the ground near him. I dsnap my fingers and point to it and watch as the boy cringes away from Lockjaw's grasping hand.
I meander through the morning streets for awhile. Pondering the blot, the city, tonight's event even. It all blurs together as I stumble along near the docks. I decide to make my way thru the city mortuary, to sniff about for any undead. I am always on the lookout for undead, to make into more minions.
Today however, I must find a use for those wretches. Theivery possibly, but I do like to earn my daily bread with more... grace. We shall see.
Fraser catches the silver, and stands wide eyed at the flash of the gold piece. He runs off to meet with his friend, presumably.
Though mid-afternoon may not be the best time to find undead creatures lounging around the Mortuary, it is a good time to snoop around the place. This late in the day, no workers or attendees of any sort are hanging around.
As Yelex meanders through the Mortuary, and then through the shallow graveyard, he has to be careful to not sink into the ground. Some areas are quite boggy. Yelex notices two fairly fresh mounds of muck; cheap graves for the town's destitute.
A sharp thundercloud "CRACK!" is heard overhead, signalling rain soon. Though there are no undead or scavengers right now, any amount of rain would help to expose these bodies, sending a scent-signal to ghouls, or worse.
Whilst I could use some undead minions, this night might be a time for subtlety. I leave the cemetery, making note of the shallow graves in case I have need of corpses. And I ALWAYS have need of corpses. "Come Lockjaw, to the inn."
"Well well, innkeep, it looks like your preparations for tonight are well underway," I say to the always under-foot proprieter in an effort at civility.
Why the Golden Goblin of course. I hope to engage Saul Vankerkasian in a bit of converse.
Saul is pretty easy to spot, running frantically around the gambling hall, barking orders at workers. He's got a lot of work to do, and people are beginning to mill about on the street outside.
Yelex does manage to catch up with him, recognizing him as the chap that he gave a ticket to the day before.
"Ah, my friend. What can I do for you this afternoon? You do understand I am quite busy today."
He flashes a toothy grin.
"Quire right," I say, peering about the room. "I hope you've given thought to where I will sit and with whom I will gamble?" I hand him a pair of gold coins and give him a sinister look.
Once that is done, I go to my room and study the following cantrips:
Detect Magic
Mage Hand
Message
Open/Close
Prestidigitation
Now then, I muse, looking towards the window to see if the wretch has shown up across the street. I head downstairs and will loiter in a dark corner across the street, watching patrons as they come and go, hoping to understand a little more who I will face at the tables this night.
Saul laughs when you offer him the two coins, "My friend, you are free to sit wherever you'd like! The rooms are all opened up, and there will be plenty of gambling to go around. You keep those coins for betting! I've got plenty of my own!"
Saul moves around to instruct some burly men to hoist a chest on top of a large pedastal.
Through the grimy windows of the gambling hall, Yelex is able to make out the small boy, standing patiently under threat of rain, for him to return.
Leaving Lockjaw to guard my worldly possessions "Guard this room well, minion, and destroy any who lay hands on my possessions." I walk across the street and come up to the boy. "So, I was right to see the tiniest glimmer of intelligence in those dull cow-eyes of yours! Tell me cretin, can I trust you? I have need of certain supplies, items not found on the open market. Can you read?"
So saying, I whip out a parchment with the following poisons, reading them as I go:
Riddleport Tea (Second Darkness)
Indigo Dreams (Second Darkness)
Id Moss (DMG) (DMG)
Striped Toadstool (DMG)
Drow Poison(DMG)
Medium Spider Venom (DMG)
"Do you know where I can find these... rare... substances? Hurry, time is growing short, I must partake of the gambling in a few short hours!" I pause a pull the stopper on a small be-jeweled flask, letting three drops of blue ichor land on my rtongue. The relief is almost instant. "Speak, fool!"
"M-M-M-Mister! I'm just a k-k-kid! I don't know nuthin' about that stuff. I heard there be some lady who grows all kinda weird plants and stuff. People say stuff. Like, she knows some 'bout poisonous plants or something. She don't like people very much. But I don't know. I could show you where she lives. Then can I g-g-g-go?"
"Take me to her, whelp!"Now we are getting somewhere, I walk along with my hand firmly on the boy's shoulder, planning the necessities I will need if I am to do any brewing this afternoon. A glance at the sky tio check the time, and my gaze is caught by the stained sky. I will discover your secrets yet...
The boy leads Yelex through the Rotgut district, and points him toward an interesting little space. Through the cracks of the tenements, the missing cobbled stones, the gray dirty houses and the poverty of the Rotgut district, this little garden shines through.
Plants of all colours, sizes, and variety threaten to overtake this little section of town. But not in a wild sense, but rather as an act of defiance.
Edible fruits and vegetables hang, almost ready for eating, from thick branches. Care and cultivation is certainly key here, and it is obviously a well tended garden.
The foliage is so thick that it's hard to see if there is a residence behind it all.
The kid looks terrified, and once he sees that Yelex is paying attention to the garden and not to him, he takes off, dropping the parchment.
Interesting! My first action will be to casually skirt the perimeter looking for ease of access to this 'public park.'
While looking for an entrance, my alchemically trained senses will be on the lookout for any potential tit-bits. I need to find the ingredients for a poison, hopefully inhaled or ingested, but a pin-prick if necessary. Yes, I will win more than gold this night, I will win the debt and favor of someone of power and importance in the city. My vision blurs as I picture the various wealthy merchants, noblemen, and dignitaries who have entered the Golden Goblin in the few days He's been staying there (if any).
The boy could have helped deliver a pin-prick, I better stick with something easier. I will search for an entrance to the garden, failing that I will begin asking neighbors (using Intimidate as required) who owns the garden and how I can gain IMMEDIATE entrance.
Yelex makes his way back to the Gold Goblin Gambling Hall. The amount of people waiting to get in has grown since he left. Although the stinging acid rain is certainly coaxing most people to skip a thorough reading of the form.
Inside, Yelex is able to find a quiet enough spot for LockJaw to rest, without garnering too much attention. For now.