Angelica nods her agreement, turns to head for the door, then stops and looks at the group she's with. "Heck, with this crew, even if we don't find the carnival ourselves, I'm sure we'll get pointed in that direction. Is there any way you guys could look a little less noticeable?" She says with a smirk, and it's tough to tell whether she's being sarcastic or not.
She gets an idea before moving further, "Oh, hey, could I get one or two of those garnets? With a little play of the light and slight of hand, I may get this Zograthy to believe that it's a ruby to cover whatever high prices he expects."
"You want to con a conman? I would prefer to be straight with him. If we ever need to go back to him it wouldn't do us any favors to scam him now. Besides, if we con him and get false information, I couldn't find it in me to beat him up to get the right information out of him."
Krass adds a wink to the last bit, but the wicked smile on his face makes it hard to tell whether he wasn't just a bit serious there.
Shabbezz looks mildly offended by Angelica's crack.
"Hmph. As if it's our fault that the citizens are unenlightened. At least back in Quantium they judge you based on merit."
She waves away a rebuttal impatiently.
"Take the jewels for whatever use you see fit; if it helps us to find Vancaskerin, that takes precedence over immediate payment."
Harbug watches over the exchange between his teammates silently, but he looks ready to go find the carnie and extract the necessary information. Finally he interjects: I think the conman might be offended if a local like Angelica doesn't try to con him. He probably sees her type as a fun challenge; I bet you feel the same about him, hmmm?
"It's a ways to that part of town, let's walk and talk at the same time." she suggests as she heads for the door,
To Shabbezz's offense she explains, "No one said it was your fault little one, but that doesn't stop them from being unenlightened. Telling the folk here as much, is even less likely to enlighten them any further. I just offered a suggestion to help you feel less stared at on every street we walk down."
She is about to respond to Krass' concerns, but Harbug hit the nail on the head, "It's not so much as offending him, as much as gaining respect for overpowering him at his own game. Once he finds out he was tricked, he learns we are more than he may have given us credit for at first. This makes him more likely to consider us equals than marks... er, targets... as people to be swindled."
Angelica indeed knew right where to find the Washer's Row Carnival. At the southern end of Washer's Row, a tattered banner hanger over the entrance to the small side street advertises "Professor Callivaro's Stupendous Exhibition of the Outrageous and Sublime." Beyond this overly exuberant advertisement is a squalid setup consisting of little more than a series of rundown sideshow booths and carts with assorted games and amusements of the meaner sort. To one side, urchins pitch pennies at lily pads floating in a small, scum-covered fountain while a a bored carnie looks on. Nearby, the sound of cats hissing and fighting arises from behind a cart where a small crowd of ne'er do wells has gathered to cheer and place bets. Everywhere lurk faces pinched with suspicion or hunger - expressions worn by carnival workers and visitors alike. This is not the sort of place to be careless with a coin pouch.
"If you say so."
Krass secures the shield onto his back, flail half snuck behind it. He makes sure he's always one step diagonally behind Angelica to give off the impression he's her bodyguard.
Harbug keeps a careful watch, looking carefully for any sign advertising "The Amazing Zogarthy," but also watching over his prized Falchion.
As she heard the cats hissing , Tialara's flatened back and her claws sprang forth as her right hand cocked back behind her head, ready to rip out the throat of the attacker. Looking around quickly, the Druid visibly relaxed when she realized that it was just an ordinary cat. She then continued on with the others, absently twirling the end of her leather braid in her right hand.
Shabbezz had to hustle a bit in order to keep pace with the group, but her small size allowed her to slip in between the others so as to use them as a buffer between her and the crowd. She kept her primary spellbook in her backpack and had no intention of losing it to a cutpurse.
Peering out from between their legs, she looked around for any sign advertising Zogarthy's business.
There are no signs proclaiming his place of business, but a too-loud comment for Shabbezz causes a nearby barker to call out " If'n ye're lookin' fer th' Amazin' Zograthy, his tent's about four stall ov'er an' t' th' right."
There you find a patched tent, well-weathered and looking older than Varisia itself. It has been crudely painted with mystic symbols and decorated with chicken feet, shrunken heads, and frames of string laid out intricate patterns.
The "arcane" symbols are gibberish, the shrunken heads appear to be from mites or other very small creatures, and the chicken feet may as well have been yesterday's lunch.
Ducking inside the tent, you see a cluttered, stuffy interior with a table covered in blue velvet. The velvet is stitched with stars, moons, and more arcnae symbols. A dusty crystal ball and a tattered Harrow deck sit upon the velvet, behind which sits an aged, bald Varisian man with threadbare robes and piercing eyes.
Upon your entrance, the old man says in a tremulous, but dramatic voice, "The Amazing Zograthy sees all and knows all. A double fist of silver brings the wisdom of the ages through card or crystal. A treble fist of gold for the secrets of the multiverse."
Angelica takes the whole place in, nodding in approval at all the trappings to lure in fools seeking to hear their 'fortunes' read. As she looks around the interior, she turns and glances at Shabbezz, lifting eyebrows in question while indicating all the accoutrements. She swaggers in, making it a point of using her hips for dramatic flair as she walks. She moves up to the table, and thanks to her slight frame, leans on it at just the right angle to allow the crystal ball to enhance the view for Zograthy.
"So, I see what you have to offer for those seeking their fortune, but that's not what we're looking for, sweetie. We are more interested in finding a person. A young woman by the name of Natalya Vancaskerkin. You think you can point us in the right direction?" She casually runs her index finger along the collar of her shirt, allowing it to pull at the fabric just enough to expose a tantalizing amount of extra flesh without actually exposing herself.
"Ah! Secrets is it? Perhaps my greatest trade. 50 gold, is my fee, any question you want." Then, he smacked his lips and leered at Angleica. " 'Course, maybe we could work something out to lower that a bit."
Harbug smirks at the trappings and tripe used to decorate the tent. He waits outside, content to let Angelica play her games, at least for now.
"We're not intending to ask favors for free, if it makes a difference," she insinuates to Zogarthy.
Feminine wiles were never her thing, and she doubted (and sincerely hoped) that she was not his type, to say the least. However, the promise of money tended to remove barriers more often than not, and she was banking on it.
"Look honey - you are a honey, aren't you? So hard t' tell with frogs - you don't get nothin' for free around here. But I'll cut you a deal...say 15 gold. And' I'm not going any lower neither. Pay up, or get out."
"Give him a stone, Angelica, for being so co-operative. In return we expect some proper information. Or else. Tell her everything you know about Natalya and you might see more good things coming your way. Show him the gem."
Krass makes sure that his fiery orange eyes bring his point across, but doesn't go so far as to physically intimidate the man.
Intimidate check =
Angelica makes it a point of reaching into her bodice for one of the gems she placed there right before entering the carnival grounds. She uses her body as a misdirection as she manipulates the gem between her fingers, keeping it moving. She drops into her most sultry purr, winking before she speaks "It seems we are willing to pay you, but we better like what we hear. This ruby is well worth the information we seek, so I would love for you to earn it." As she talks and maneuvers the gem, she runs the index finger of her other hand down his jawline, again taking his attention away from the gem itself.
The old man's eyes lit up as he saw the gem, making no effort to hide his interest. He looked at Angelica once more, smacked his lips and said, "The gem for answers? I accept. Put it on the table and ask away."
Wow, she's good. Tialara thought to herself as she stood on the opposite side of the door from Krass. Even though her arms are crossed, the catfolk female couldn't help but play with her leather braid with her left hand.
Angelica nods at Zograthy's conditions, and places the gem to the right of the crystal ball, hoping to avoid anything that would magnify the 'ruby'. While holding the gem, she calls Krass over to where Zograthy and she are at near the table. When he nears she takes Zograthy's hand, gently rubs her thumb across the palm, before placing it face down over the gem. Holding his hand there, she takes one of Krass' hands and places it atop Zograthy's, also face down.
She then explains how it will work, "The gem is on your table. Your hand is on the gem. It is, in essence, yours. Krass here, however, will only remove his hand from yours when we get the answers we seek, and it is then that you may collect the gem all to yourself." She gives him a look, not of asking whether he understands, but one of knowing he understands.
She stands upright, and straightens her blouse now that negotiations have ended and talks began. "So, tell us what you know of Natalya Vancaskerkin and her whereabouts. When did you last speak with her, where was she headed, who was she dealing with?" She looks around the others questioningly, shrugging as if to ask, 'I forget anything?', clacking her nails together the way she does when she fidgets.
Shabbezz nods back at Angelica, signifying that she agrees with this line of questioning.
Harbug chimes in as he enters the tent with Which family was she running with, what was she after, and whom was she stealing it from?
The hobgoblin plays his part as being the menacing bully and makes sure he does not break eye-contact with the soft-skinned human.
If this doesn't work, then he's more crafty than he looks. Tialara thought.
The Amazing Zograthy frowned slightly as the hobgoblin entered the tent, and even more when teh green skinned hand came down upon his own withered one. "No need to be all paranoid, dearie! Old Zograthy's been here many a year, and people will tell you he's as honest as the coin you pay with. Those that pay with real value, get real value in return. Those that pay with false promises, get false answers." His voice grew hard and grim. "And those that try and pay with violence, get violence answered seven-fold. You'll have your answers, and I'll have the gem. You think you are covering your bases, but in actuality, you are burning bridges here. Understand me, girl?"
"Now, ask your questions!"
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"Yes, I know of Natalya Vancaskerin. She runs with the Tower Girls and hasn't been seen nor heard from in a while. Like many folks around Dockway. There's been a bunch of disappearances, but most of them are just destitutes. No one cares, if it's only the poor and criminals, right? The rumor on the streets is it's slavers for the Nidalese - there's a pair of their ships, with the purple banners on the sails - in the harbor. All I know, is it ain't the Sczarni. There was some of them looking for the Vancaskerin girl just two days ago. As for what score she was on, I don't ask and they don't tell. Closemouthed lot, those Tower Girls.
Whereabouts in town do the Tower Girls run if we don't find Natalya in or around those boats?
"I don't know. They move around a lot."
Last question from me. Who leads the Tower Girls? Harbug says nothing more, and after the man's answer steps back outside the tent to see who might be watching the strange band of misfits he joined.
"The Tower Girls are led by Ayala Javeski, and she was the one that came by here a few days ago looking for Natalya."
"And where does she run most?"
The old man shrugged. "Ya got me. Now, are we done here?"
"I have nothing more that I need answered," Shabbezz says to the group. "It seems obvious that we should be checking those boats first."
As the rest of the group leaves the tent Harbug points his thumb at Angelica as he says "I hope our 'hometown advantage' knows the way to the docks as well, though we could probably just follow the smell."
Krass glares at Angelica before he leaves the tent, obviously less than happy with how the exchange went. False pretenses are okay in war, but in personal exchanges they itch Krass the wrong way. Lying out of necessity, okay, but juking a jukester is simply asking for trouble.
Once outside, Krass softly mutters,"We need to be more firm, stand on steady ground instead of fickle waves".
Once out of the tent, Tialara pipes in. "Are we certain his answers are....accurate? 'Those that pay with false promises, get false answers.' You promised a ruby and gave a garnet. I'm not opposed, just wary." Her left ear twitched back and forth as a fly kept buzzing around it.
"Even when he does figure it out, we still overpaid him. He offered answers for 15 gold, and we gave him a garnet worth twice that."
"A false promise is a false promise, regardless."
The word of Nidalese slavers is enough for Angelica, and she's satisfied to leave. If nothing else they have at least a lead to go on. As the others discuss outside the tent, she adds her opinion "I don't know what you mean between steady ground and fickle waves, we bought the services of an information broker. We 'haggled' a price, and if nothing comes of his information, then I consider him overpaid. Besides, just like Mean Green said, the gem itself was at least worth double what he had asked for, yet still less than his initial asking price."
She shrugs, unconcerned before continuing "He'll be displeased that it's not a ruby, but all he gave us was one rumor and one name, at twice his asking price. If anything he may consider us fools for paying him as much as we did. If that was all he had to give us from what he thought was a ruby, then we probably would have gotten nowhere with his initial charge."
Angelica does know how to get to the docks, but instead of looking straight for the Nidalese banners, she asks around first. It's not like you just walk up to criminals and ask if they are breaking the law, and they speak true. She never did. It seems, though, that the community just might not be willing to point fingers at them if they are working the area.
Krass considers her words for a moment and then nods,"I see. I am simply not used to dealing with cheaters in such a fashion and it leaves me feeling ill at ease, but knowing that he got double of what he asked soothes my conscience. My apologies for our mission is more important than any of this."
He follows Angelica's lead and keeps an eye out for any and all threats. When playing the role of a bodyguard he might as well assume the tasks of one.
Shabbezz harumphs.
"Conscience? Frankly, I'm irritated over the fact that he got payed that much for what basically amounted to him pointing a finger to the docks, but at least it's a lead."
"Well, either way, I doubt we'll be getting anything more from him--he probably knows nothing so he can claim innocence, and won't want to talk to us anyway. We should take what we know and use it--let's head to the docks." Harbug tries to ask around a bit, and, as usual, is too green and too gruff to get much response.
Walking towards the nearest docks, Harbug and Angelica chatted up a few dockworkers and washerwomen. One old man said he heard of a rumor that he had from a woman who heard it from a toffler that a slave run was scheduled for that very night. There was a boarded up shoreline tavern named The Puffy Pelican that was rumored to be a halfway house for smugglers and the like. The man was pretty sure it was tonight...maybe.
Angelica shrugs, smirking at the uncertainty of the information "A sketchy lead is better than no lead at all. I see no problem with checking it out. Do we want to go straight there, or catch dinner and a nap and come back to it?" She points over her shoulder with her thumb, and a nod of her head, indicating that she's partial to the take a break and return idea.
Tialara's ears perk up, "Did I here you say, nap?"
Harbug, who has been shading his eyes from the daylight sun, turns to Angelica and says "Well, if your constitution can't handle this without a little rest, I won't insist that we go now. There's no point running in with someone not ready, but we'd better be back here at nightfall if not slightly before."
Angelica gives Harbug a sideways look, "Please, do growl on about how tough you are, we are all SO impressed. I mean, heck, back at the lodge the way you took out those critt... oh wait, that wasn't you. I almost forgot." She smirks at Krass, indicating she knows full well where the credit goes.
She waves him towards the docks "Here's the deal Bedbug, If you want to keep wandering the streets for no reason, just to prove you can, go right ahead. The rest of you, in case your constitutions are as weak as mine, are welcome to join me for dinner. I know a crappy little dive that, despite looks, serves a great garlic and mustard-smeared salmon." She turns and walks away, adding flippantly over her shoulder "I'll be back here before sunset."