Quinn'Del Terzamoth |
"Hmm...You know, what if we got the Syndicate something of value besides money, or not directly so at least?"
"Vraelick mentioned something along those lines, right? Gaining influence? What if we did someone a favor, and in return they owed the Syndicate a favor? That could be a lot more valuable than a few thousand gold pieces."
"Think about it, even something as small as like a 10% discount on the Syndicate's next contract with the Dusk Wolves could be worth up to tens of thousands of gold."
Jaahnby Valasko |
"If we're committed to the idea of taking one if these bounties then, it may as well be for the Tangle, 200 gold is nice but it's not going to win us this competition."
Underworld: 1d100 ⇒ 37
"Attempting to join the Tangle is probably our best bet of getting additional information about our mark, yes?"
GM Candlelight |
Delara knows that the Lightless district of Cilan'Rora is the base of operations of nearly all major gangs.
Possible Delara is from Lightless given her current background?
Set in the lowest portions of the city and in general disrepair and occupied by only the most unfortunate of residents, Lightless earned its name from the large portions of the district that hung in total darkness.
However, a decade or two ago the major gangs began to form in Lightless, while being almost universally ruthless criminal organizations, a great many of them began to invest efforts to improve Lightless.
These days while Lightless is still far from the most opulent of the districts, it is a functioning district with thriving trade and industry, just under the control of the major gangs, some of which like the Eight Devils have begun to amass almost as much influence as some clans.
Indeed, many clans have begun to avoid Lightless as the populace there are fervently loyal to the gangs which helped to rebuild their communities. Some of the more legalistic of the clans such as the Dusk Wolves are often outright attacked once recognized.
One of the only clans to avoid such a fate being the Obsidian Scorpions who are generally well liked and themselves value Lightless as a training ground and almost exclusively recruit from its population.
Delara Hawthorne |
" Lightless is difficult. There are nice people there though. Need to know who to give the right gold. Good thing we don't look like Dusk Wolves. They are kill on sight. "
Delara says particularly chatty, she pulls out a small stick, which she fashions to use like a toothpick.
" Follow me ... Oh and watch your pockets. "
The precocious woman led the group along the relatively safer routes to Lightless.
GM Candlelight |
Arriving at a checkpoint that looks far more ramshackle than the others you've passed, Dalara makes towards a man leaning against the stone structure.
You become aware of how empty this section of street you are on truly is.
The man bites at his nails absent-mindedly while resting his other arm along a sheathed Sabre.
Without looking up at the four of you, he mechanically intones, "The light remains..."
To which Delara responds, "Whilst the Devils sleep."
The sound of Delara's voice seems to rouse the man as he looks up quickly, spotting Delara and smiling a toothy grin "Heyyy... Delia, right? When are you gonna let me buy you a drink down at the Last Torch?"
The man's eyes however suddenly narrow when he spots the rest of you, "Who're yer friends here? You bringing clan scum down into Lightless, Delia?"
Quinn'Del Terzamoth |
Quinn'Del quickly grabs Delara's hand and begins to walk her into Lightless before giving her a chance to respond to the forwards gatekeeper, "I've no doubt she will in the very short future, thank you for your graciousness."
Once out of earshot she asks Delara, "Alright, Delia, where to in this place? You seem to be well acquainted."
GM Candlelight |
The locations that Delara is most familiar with in Lightless are:
The Last Torch - The most "prestigious" of the Taverns of Lightless, the majority of drinking, gambling, and socializing is done here.
The Broken Leg Theater - A small time theater that Delara knows is actually used for drug running.
The Bazaar - The market place of Lightless.
Darktown - One of the still dark areas of Lightless where many gangs have agreed upon to fight out there differences without affecting the populace at large.
The Fair Lady - The most prestigious brothel in Lightless.
Delara Hawthorne |
Delara sighs, heavily. With a sudden and almost uncharacteristic rigor, the languid mage swallowed her amalgam of foodstuffs and stared at Quinn'Del with serious air, only deviating from the Ere'Lyzs' eyes for a moment to connect with her other two compatriots.
" First, Delia is one of many names I have here, do not call me by that one unless you have lived here most of your life. Two, yes, I have experience here, do not delve anymore than what I give to you. Three, there are about 5 places I can guess where anyone would be at and even those locations are no guarantee. "
Delara's hand slipping out of the dark ones grip.
" The Last Torch, A better bar; The Broken Leg Theater, Entertainment and a front for drug peddling; The Bazaar, a workable market with lots of marks; Darktown, the local fighting pit; The Fair Lady, Flesh sales in a manner of speaking. "
Her demeanor softened but only a bit, she didnt resume her normal style, " I would say the Bazaar or Darktown would be the most likely, but I rather gather information at Torch or The Theater first. The brothel.. well if the others are less than useful. "
Quinn'Del Terzamoth |
"Don't get so icy on me, I was just teasing, I thought he literally just didn't know your name."
"I'm not ready to walk into some gangster fight pit for no reason other than our target might just happen to be there."
"A drug operation certainly sounds like a good start, I'm not opposed to the theater or the Torch either."
GM Candlelight |
The Last Torch is bustling with activity as you make your entrance into the tavern.
While not the most luxurious tavern in all of Cilan'Rora, the Last Torch is of surprising quality and all of you have certainly been to worse.
The current majority of patrons are sat at various tables around the establishment, many playing cards or otherwise wrapped up in conversation.
At the far end of the tavern away from the bar is a small stage for entertaining that is currently unoccupied.
As you take in the scene as fairly attractive young lady passes you by carrying a large tray of food off to one of the nearby tables.
Before you make your way into the building proper, one of the few people sat at the bar gives you a whistle.
Johansen Mortimer |
"Strange looking bunch you all are."
He looks jaahnby up and down before continuing, "House Valesko right?"
Seeing the look of surprise on Jaahnby's face he continues, "My family grew up around the Valesko Holdings. Never seen or heard of anyone besides the Valesko's who look like you."
"I'm thinking, stop me if I'm wrong, that you're male. Which means that -" he indicates to Jaahnby's wrapped sword, "Kassenholt?"
Johansen Mortimer |
"I see..." says the man, clearly unconvinced.
"Much the same as you I'm expecting. My family left the reaches about a decade back, when the famine struck. We came here to find a better life."
He motions to the room, "And well that pretty much all went to hell, family ended up here in Lightless up until they passed. I tried to join a clan of course, but I was a farmer's boy up until we came to the city, not enough fight in me or smarts."
"But these days, I do alright for myself."
"Anyways, that's not why I called you over here just to chat. I'm wondering if you all might do me a favor?"
Johansen Mortimer |
"For people who lie so much you would think you'd be more convincing."
"Unlike most people here I don't care that you're clan."
Seeing Quinn'Del about to open her mouth to protest he quickly adds, "And you are."
"Really most people here wouldn't mind the clans so much if most of them would learn how to behave here. But when they show up, most of them just make a mess of things."
"Which so happens to lead into my request. You see that group over there, the ones playing cards closest to the stage?" he says, motioning to a group of four men and a woman.
"They're clan who killed the Lightless lookout earlier today and dumped their body, thinking we don't have people watching the gates besides just who's manning them."
"So now instead of a simple errand boy we've got a tested fighter up there now, you probably met him on the way in."
"Anyways, since then they've been selling drugs out of the Tavern here and claiming to be part of a gang under the protection of the Eight Devils."
"Their welcome in Lightless is far past expired, get them outside and see to their end for me? If you do, maybe I can help you in turn. Deal?"
Tyr'El Randeros |
Tyr was just along for the ride, but his experience as a Merc told him he should be more informed about anything he would take up. You live longer that way and with the current situation being not to kill Sapphire Initiates openly, that carefulness was a smidge higher than normal.
Sense Motive: 1d100 ⇒ 33
Know Johansen: 1d100 ⇒ 84
Perception: 1d100 ⇒ 12
GM Candlelight |
Delara recognizes the man speaking to the group as Jo', a senior enforcer for the Eight Devils but is unable to feel out any motive he may have, nor can she glean any information about the group across the way.
Tyr'El however sees small emblems hemmed into the tunics of the marked group, recognizing them as part of the Moon Circle.
Each of the member of the group carries themselves warily and are clearly on guard, most of them seem to be veterans of at least a scrap or two.
Tyr'El Randeros |
The scaled man looks to Johansen with a warrior's glare, to show how serious he seemed.
" You need to tell me why the Moon Circle wants to kill a 'Simple Errand Boy' to get in here knowing very well the set up. None of those guys seem weak either, not stronger than me but not exactly weak. What aren't you telling us? "
He questioned the information broker.
Johansen Mortimer |
"Because we don't let clan down here to begin with to avoid trouble. Most of them just take "No." as an answer and go home. Sometimes you get idiots like these."
"Why did they want to come to Lightless? Probably in some financial trouble and selling off their drug supply here is the only way they could do it without getting caught by their superiors."
"They go back to their little Clan house without their drugs, and say, oh we went into Lightless, which is frowned upon but not disallowed for most of them, and claim they were mugged by a gang."
Johansen Mortimer |
"See this is what I'm talking about, you clan lot just don't get how things work down here. I have all the power, I make all the rules."
"You're lucky I have a weakness for pretty ladies and fuzzy creatures with fancy swords."
"You're here for something, you help me, I'll help you acquire it, done."
Tyr'El Randeros |
" Well Excuse me for wanting to use that bean located in my noggin'. I just thought if we were being friendly with each other that it'd be on an equal level. Considerin' you likely want us to, y'know, finish the job the best we can. But clearly I was wrong. Like you said, I'm new around here. Let's jump into fates jaws... as apparently the custom here. "
Johansen Mortimer |
Johansen motions to the bartender to pour him two shots, which he quickly downs.
"Lords I don't like you. I have already made myself expressly clear as to the benefits of our arrangement and have done so from the beginning. If you believe that my help is not to your benefit, by all means..." he says, motioning to an empty table.
Jaahnby Valasko |
Jaahnby quickly saunters over to the table the group is sitting at without waiting for the others to arrive, and begins to loudly pontificate.
"I'VE HEARD FROM GOOD SOURCES THAT YOU ALL MIGHT BE PURVEYORS OF ILLICIT MATERIALS! NAMELY, VARIOUS DRUGS AND PARAPHERNALIA! MY ASSOCIATES AND I ARE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN PURCHASING SOME OF YOUR, NO DOUBT, FINE PRODUCTS."