Corliss' repairs bring Kaul back to the present conversation and the discussion of 'pig slop' stirs memories from his past connections to Freeport's criminal elements. Krell told him one time that he often sold his wares at a place called The Grunt due to the pig pens kept out back. It is located at the end of Dreaming Street. Krell was opining that pigs did a better job of making bodies disappear than sharks.
Jim chuckles. "Pigs are for amateurs. If we need to do something like that, we're on speaking terms with an otyugh in the sewers."
Dibbs shrugs at Jim's comment "Dunno... figger pigs is better than bastards makin 'em intae livin rafts."
Kaul chuckles dryly at Jimmer's notion, then pauses as he remembers the corpse raft.
"Feck. That were grim..."
The thug's reminiscing is cut short as he focusses on the task at hand;
"Right. The Grunt it is. Follow me lads..."
The Watch Caption listens to the crew reminisce with a look of incredulity at the tall tales he's surely hearing. Finally, as Kaul makes to lead the others toward Dreaming Street, Drune takes his leave as well. "I need to check on that patrol, see that the dead are properly taken care of and file reports now. If you don't mind though, keep me informed of anything you find."
The streets remain quiet and even the constant debauchery of the numerous brothels, drug dens, and gambling establishments found on Dreaming Street seems to have taken a pause. The cajoling of the doormen sounds half-hearted and prostitutes of various genders are tentative in their beckoning.
Kaul leads on to a two-story structure at the northern edge of Dreaming Street, not far from the border of the Bloodsalt. There are no doors or windows in the ground floor, but a rickety staircase leads to the upper story. Slow, low music can be heard from beyond the closed door and shuttered windows. As promised, a stockade-like pig sty is located right behind the building and about a half-dozen large hogs root about in the muck and trash.
Kaul eyes the porcine natives with interest;
"Folks says porkers is smart. I says if they is that smart howcums they ain't runnin' the joint?"
The no-neck thug shrugs and eyes the others;
"Right. How we playin' this lads? Want Ol' Kauly to trundle in first, Lopp a few to get 'em compliant? Or do we 'ead in, find the nastiest basterd an' LoppClaw 'im into pig swill?"
Jim chuckles. "How do you know they aren't? Seems to me that they're doing well for themselves. Living high on the hog, you might say."
The nearest hog pauses and seems to give Jim a pained look before going back to rooting.
"How's about I cast detect magic, an' then when one o' you folks does the talkin'--or loppin'--I scans around fer anythin' outside the usual armor, weapons, an' potions?"
Kaul belays his ruinous plans as Jimmer suggests a new scenario...
"Feck. Never considered that mate..."
He eyes the hogs curiously;
"... Should we try talkin' to the porkers first?"
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Dingus looks at Kaul in awe... "You speak porcine? You must teach me. I'll teach you to talk to snakes".
Dingus sends Richard into the pen, staying well clear of the hogs... perhaps along the walls to see if anything else is in there.
Richards Perception
Perception
Corliss scans the sty for magic, but doesn't detect anything. Meanwhile, Little Richard slithers into the mud around the edges of the pen, but doesn't get far before a hog takes notice and snuffles toward the snake. Richard slithers back out, but didn't have time to find any clues.
"Reckons we gets aboot as much good frae tha pork as we do o' me after a ten shot mornin... mebbe we should try an query what where tha two legs is?"
Kaul nods sagely at Dingus' admiration;
"Hur. Anytime Ding. Bit throaty to get some o' the pro-functions right, but its a skill worth 'avin'."
Dibbs' urging of a refocus, belays any pig-talk and the thug scowls before moving up the rickety staircase.
He arrives at the door with a glower...
:
...before trying it (or not)...
Kaul heads up the steps to the entrance to the place and tests his boots as he cautiously steps up and moves his hand toward the door. He doesn't detect any tightness in the footwear to warn of traps so he opens the door. Inside, he sees a moderately-sized waiting room stuffed with battered old couches where women and men for hire mix with patrons. Halls lead off to numerous stalls for privacy and the mixed scents of dragonweed and flayleaf rise from the stairs to the lower level and pervade the chamber. There is a small bar at the far end of the room where rotgut can be purchased. The mood is subdued and Kaul's entrance is met with several nervous glances.
A Vudrani man in tidy clothes and a large highly waxed mustache is overseeing everything. As Kaul stands in the doorway, a large thuggish looking bouncer, slightly taller and nearly as broad at the shoulders steps in his way. "Yeeeah," he drawls. "No orcs."
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Kaul eyes the man, then raises his claw in a defensive posture;
"Hur. Easy there big'n. Not wantin' no trouble... Jus' deliverin' these fine gentlemen safely to yer 'umble e-stablishment."
The brutish thug, backs meekly off, then beckons his shipmates forward;
"Gents, why don't you lot get torn in. I'll be waitin' outside... Like a good orc."
He moves sheepishly back out the door, pausing briefly to mutter an aside to his shipmates.
"Give it a few, then tell the bouncer to go out an' move me on. DON'T exit afore he does. Anythin' comin' out is kissin' Lopps. Savvy? Hurrr."
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It takes the damaged synapses inside Corliss's head a few moments to fire, but when he becomes aware of Kaul's play, the Besmaran does his part to sell it. Taking a gold coin from his belt pouch, he flips it towards the half-orc's 'catching hand.'
"Thanks Crawl..Kaw...Uh, thanks my good man!" Looking a bit sheepish--Why would ye even bother tryin' to give a fake name to the only bein' walkin' the face o' Golarion what's got an oversized mechanical crab claw, ye dimwit??!!--Corliss attempts to enter, smiling in a debonair manner at the ladies present.
With the orc outside, the bouncer looks mollified and moves back to his post lurking off to the side of the entrance. The Vudrani man approaches and gives a slight bow of his head. "Welcome, Gentlemen. How is the weather outside? Has the eerie fog cleared?"
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At the words of Kaul's exclusion Dibbs looks inside, then at Kaul, then down at himself and raises an eyebrow... but keeps the derogatory commentary to himself for now. Showing no disapproval of Kaul's murderous intent, Dibbs keeps mum and lets the tall'uns speak for the group.
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Dingus giggles at the mans words, and looks around the room.
"Yes the fog is gone. What is it anyway? Have you seen it before? When did it first appear? How often does it appear? Can you talk to the hogs, and understand them? How do you think this scarf matches my outfit"?
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The owner looks a little concerned at the torrent of strange questions, but makes a reply. "There are fogs and then there are fogs. That one had a sense of unease as thick as the air. It just started around sunset. There has been a general sense of unease recently though. Hogs? You mean those out back? No. Your scarf is quite nice."
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Although Dingus is a hard act to follow, Corliss makes an attempt.
"Can ye put a more accurate word on what this fog brings than 'unease?' We actually encountered...somethin'...in the fog on our way. I never got a good look meself, but it seemed to be attackin' that metal-armed brute what accompanied us here. We saved his life; in return he played guide an' led us to yer fine establishment. The fog a regular occurrence in these parts?"
The proprietor shrugs."Fogs can happen sometimes, but this one was strange. It seemed to play tricks on your mind. It was like it was drawing on your nightmares. But enough of that, perhaps you are wanting to erase those unsettling experiences. We have many pleasurable distractions at the Grunt."
Outside Kaul lurks, trying not to get distracted by Lopps' eagerness.
His scarred brain inside his scarred noggin working overtime... as the ax shifts in his paw;
"Hur. We chop 'im then we feed him to the porkers. No-one knows where 'e went..."
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Jim glances around the room, looking for obvious bouncers under the guise of checking out the available ladies.
Other than the bouncer that just kicked Kaul out, there is another armed sharp-eyed surly gent back by the bar. Getting no real response, the owner eyes the crew suspiciously. "I am not sensing you desire distraction tonight for you seem to be distracted already. Perhaps the fog has affected you."
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Taking the challenge and wanting to divert at least some of the attention from the rest Dibbets shrugs "Well nae, mebbe ye off'rins dinnae look that distractin like. I done drunk, smoked an chewed on most sh1te ye might have on offer... most recent I gots me head addled by none other than tha Tears o' Leng... Whatcher got that could match that high eh?"
"Once you've answered his question, I've got another. Well, two." He grins at a redhead.
The proprietor shrugs and catching Jim's glance smiles, "I do not know of this Tears of Lang, but it is said that our little Tess will make you cry tears of joy." Turning back to Dibbets, he explains, "We have nothing more exotic than shiver, but it is quite potent."
Outside Kaul and his axe grow impatient, with Lopper convinced their murderous attempt has been stymied...
The thug shrugs his broad shoulders at the silent chiding of his hatchet;
"Hur. Alas, think ye're right Lopps. Lads 'ave forgot 'bout us. Time we took a climb eh?"
The brute belts his ax, then tests The Grunt's structure to see if it'll take his weight, before attempting to scale its wall and onto its roof...
:
The structure is actually solidly built and Kaul easily climbs up to the roof.
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Corliss strokes his goatee as he thinks.
"This Tess--be she a blonde, brunette, or fiery redhead?"
Stroking his beard a bit more, the Besmaran appears to think additionally as well.
"Ain't never tried shiver afore," he admits. "How addictive be the stuff? Just joined a new crew an' don't wanna be a day out to sea hankerin' the stuff fer the rest o' the voyage, eh? Cap'n might through me arse overboard an' make me swim back to port."
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The redhead Jim was ogling saunters over and presses herself firmly against Jim's side. "I'm Tess," she answers Corliss' question as her eyes gaze up at Jim enticingly.
The owner just shrugs to Corliss' inquiry about addiction. "I do not know anything about that. It is very pleasurable. I do not believe there is anything wrong with enjoying it as much as you desire."
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Dingus has a wise look overcome his face. (Well wise to him anyway). "Enough of this idle conversation".
He boldly walks up to the only other patron of the bar and stands with his hands planted on his hips, and his fangs distended.
"Tell me everything you know about this strange fog, and what part you play in either it's deployment, or its make-up".
Intimidation.
"Or Else"!
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Shrieks echo throughout the room as sex workers, patrons, and servers respond in primal fear at the contemporary vision of a terrifying ancestral threat. The innocent bystander Dingus threatens collapses on the floor making unintelligible sounds. There is a rush out the door and up on the roof, Kaul can only watch in annoyance as he is unable to lop the bigoted bouncer, who is the first out the door, or the second victim, or third, and so on.
Inside, the elderly Vudrani owner shakes and passes gas as he collapses. One side of his face hangs slackly as he succumbs to the terror of the general panic.
Unable to look Lopper in the eye, Kaul meekly climbs toward the nearest balcony...
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"That went better'n expected," Corliss deadpans before starting to search the place. After cracking his knee against something, the Besmaran announces, "Found a chair."
Dibbets shuffles over to the collapsed owner and gives the fallen man a nudge with the butt of his musket. Shrugging at the lack of response the filthy halfling surveys the place "Looked better wi' a few peoples in it... covered up all tha sh1te stains."
Jim looks ruefully around the room, unaffected by the terror that gripped the other patrons and the staff. Feck, I don't dare come 'round here again. Too bad, she seemed like an armful. "Corliss, can you check to see if Kaul's still waiting outside?" The Taldan starts by patting down the unfortunate owner, looking for signs of arachnid allegiance.
"Right. Ain't like him to be all quiet an' non-violent like. Hmm...I might wanna keep a weather eye on them what fled this place, too. Freeport be an island, after all; only so far they can run afore they hafta start swimmin'. Might even be runnin' to get some back-up. I'll keep watch."
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Corliss obliges, but has about as much luck as he had indoors. No sign of Kaul. Although he does find the stairs. Meanwhile, the old man protests premature determinations of death as he moans and his eyes flicker open at Jim's pat down. He mumbles numbly and drool beads on his lips.
The burly thug clocks the trio and maliciously grins;
Hur. Ask an' ye shall receive.
Kaul stifles his excitement and moves slowly toward the trio with Lopper readied...