Makon nods his head. "Ah, a Mr Ninefingers. I think he will be very grateful if we sell our spoils to him. Dwarves are greedy, but are willing to pay to save their own hides."
Well, lets go help him out! I think he'll pay lots of gold for it! Yoon says excitedly, probably a bit louder than is prudent in the streets of Daggermark.
Mavaro nods. "That sounds like the best choice."
Oloch says, It's the dwarf then, let's be about it!
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While keeping knives out of your back isn't easy in a city like Daggermark, the party does a respectable job in finding Narngar Ninefingers, in a seedy tavern on the outskirts of the city.
Inside the tavern, a halfling with a harmonica sings blues in one corner of the bar. The air smells of smoke, pilsner, and fatty meat. A bartender keeps a couple of patron's glasses full. The only dwarf in the establishment, Narngar sits alone at a rickety table with two empty beers and two empty shot glasses.
Captivated by the harmonica playing of the halfling, Oloch barely notices the dwarf.
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Kyra reads the Dwarf's body language and can tell he's on edge. Before the group head over to see him Kyra motions for them to move off to one side to talk about what's going to happen next.
Mavaro walks in and looks around, then orders a drink.
Hakon raises an eyebrow when he hears and he nods in agreement. Well, this should be simple. Heh.
He quickly looks over the dwarf.
Hakon frowns slightly. He looks more like a drunk to me, but what dwarf isn't. He confidently walks over to Narngar and slam a fist onto the table. "Hey friend... I heard from another friend that you are in trouble. My group and I may just happen to have what you need. And I think you should really take us up our offer. Else, ya know what will happen." He glares at the dwarf to drive the message home.
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The dwarf stammers a bit, before his eyes flash a glimmer of hope(?), and he seemingly instantly perks up.
"Yar, this could be perfect. At least, perfect enough," he says, trying to mask his interest, before looking over his shoulder out the window. "I can do ya for 200 gold, a bit of miscellany that I was hopin' to stave off the collectors with, and can tell ya a bit about a magic sword, if'n yer parting with the spidery goods." Narngar points at a bag on the floor filled with vials. That hand is missing his pinky finger, instead showing a grisly scarred nub. "Best I can do. How about it?"
He's still legit.
Hakon nods as he listens to the dwarf.
He finishes nodding when the drawf stops speaking. "Sounds very interesting Narngar." He turns and raises and eyebrow to the rest of his group.
Hmm, magic sword, you say? Now you are talking my language! Let me guess, Narngar, we get no more clues as to the where abouts of the magic sword 'til we hand over the spider parts. Do I have the right of it?
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Kyra observes and listens to the conversation as the Ulfen convinces the man that the offer is in his best interest.
When the final deal is discussed Kyra decides to comment.
"That sounds like a fair deal, and I think you seem like a trustworthy sort. I for one would be happy to make this deal with you sir."
"I...think we could work something out," Marvaro agrees, though he can't tell whether the dwarf looks honest.
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The dwarf happily parts with 200 gold and a bag full of vials in exchange for the spiderbits. He gives them a closer once-over, then looks to you guys, a signifcant look of relief on his face.
“A fair trade’s a fair trade. There was a half-orc blathering about some important blade or sword or something she found. Moonsilver, Sliverhex, or somesuch. Kept going on about its history to any who would listen.” The merchant leans in conspiratorially. “Well I have it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, that she won’t be needin’ that sword where she’s headed.” Ninefingers draws a hand across the neck, making an unpleasant sound. “The Vessels Between will have that one soon enough. You just need to go out there and grab that sword once they’re through, and I happen to know where they found her little camp.”
Ninefingers draws a scroll from under his cloak and sets it on the bag of vials, before excusing himself.
The bag contains 5 alchemist's fires, 5 potions of cure light wounds and a crude map that shows a path to a cave entrance north of Daggermark.
Hakon nods as he looks into the bag with the vials. "Thank ya for your business." He picks up the scroll to examine it. He will also try to recall who are the Vessels Between.
He scowls a bit and looks up from the scroll. "Ah, they are another assassin's guild in town. Pitiful."
Yoon does her best to hide her surprise at the mention of this dwarf. Weren't we following orders from a dwarf woman? I hope we can get to her quickly...
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With information at hand, the five of you set out to find where Ulisha and Silverhex are hiding out. Following Narngar's map, the trek is easy, and after a couple of hours, the party approaches the end of the path marked on your map.
The hill ahead is not much to look at. It gently slopes away from the river. A shallow cave is near its top, smoke from a campfire curling upward in the gentle breeze. The grass wafts slowly along a gently curving path up the southern face of the hill, ending in a few switchbacks as the hill grows steep near the top.
After leaving Daggermark to follow the map, Hakon tries to recall more of the Vessels Between.
Hakon shrugs. "Hopefully we can get there in enough time. I'd at least want to get paid for all of this... Gathering of strange items."
As they made their way to the destination, Hakon looks around and spots the smoke. "Hey... That must be where it is." He points it out to the others. "That must be where she is, and hopefully we can finish this." Expecting trouble from the assassin, he draws one of his axes and begin to head along the path to the top of the hill.
Oloch readies his greatsword.
I am with you, my friend.
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"You made it! I had started to wonder if I hid my trail too well," a happy voice calls out over the crest of the hills. Hopping to her feat is a half-orc in practical studded leather armor, with a shiny silver sickle hanging from her waist. "Hungry? I've got fresh venison and a handful of wild carrots," she says, motioning you guys over towards her campfire.
"Get comfortable, and we can talk business," she offers.
But Miss, we gotta be careful. We were told someone was out to hurt you, so we came to protect you, She says, and tilts her head towards her owlbear doll momentarily before adding, And Gom-Gom thought you were a dwarf.
Hakon raises an eyebrow at the sight of the half-orc, and then shrugs. He continues to walk to the camp and drops his backpack within the campsite. "Right. We got quite a bit for ya, but I am not sure if it the stuff ya wanted. Hopefully the value is all there."
He then looks at Yoon and nods. "Aye, the kids right. We heard about an assassin coming here, from the Vessels Between. What a cowardly lot!" He spits to the ground beside him. "So.. Lets get this business over with. Because if we were able to get a map to here, that assassin has one too."
"We do need to be careful and prepare...assassins could already be en route," Mavaro agrees.
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"...Ulisha," the half-orc replies, finishing Kyra's sentence. "But if the Vessels Between are headed this way, consider talks of business on hold for the moment. Can you fight?" she asks, noticing the weapons at your ready and realizing it was a silly question. "We could likely ambush them," she offers, drawing Silverhex and taking up a position alongside the party. "What? I haven't sold it yet," she remarks with a smirk.
Hakon nods. "Aye, that is a good idea. Though... I think I prefer to face them openly." As he says that, he draws out both of his hand axes in preparation for the assassin.
Mavaro moves behind some rocks and casts lead blades on his sword.
"I think we can help here."
Oloch takes stock of his resources: a scroll of healing, flask of acid and a sling and some bullets. Planting the tip of the greatsword in the ground before him, Oloch turns to Hakon and says, I will stand here with you, my friend.
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The mad rush to warn Ulisha seems to have been just in time. Within the minute, the party, save for Oloch, spots a lone figure approaching, doing his best to remain unseen.
This is a surprise round!
Current Global Conditions: None
Oloch
Kyra!
Assassins
Mavaro
Yoon
Hakon
Ulisha
*Note: Ulisha will be grouped in with your initiatives, so everyone can go in one group.
Kyra!
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You witness the lone figure gulp a potion down. Ulisha chimes in, "Talking isn't the way if the Vessels Between. They will die if I Do not. So fight like your lives depended on it, because mine certainly does!"
Grim jokes aside, Ulisha's words seem to inspire courage. (+1)
Up next, everyone else's surprise rounds, Oloch's normal initiative.
Yoon will keep low behind her rock cover, waiting until the figure moves within range of her blast.
Hakon takes a step forward and twirls his hand axes. "So be it." He shouts out to the assassin in a challenge. "Then come! I'll face you here and now!" And tries to intimidate the assassin.
Ugh, Oloch thinks to himself, how long must we wait for these assassins to show themselves! Hold up, what's that? The big half-orc probes the space between two of his large teeth with his pinky finger and produces a small chunk of indistinguishable meat for his effort. Sucking the finger clean, he says, Mmm, leftovers from lunch.
Suddenly pulled from his contemplation of lunch, Oloch realizes his friends are reacting to a hostile presence. Reacting to the threat, Oloch calls on Gorum to favor his companions in battle.
Mavaro takes a moment to cast lead blades on his weapon.
He then moves up and readies an attack against the assassin coming up the hill.
Rather than delaying, Yoon will hide behind her rock while drawing power from within herself, a small wind gathering around her, causing sparks and small flames to erupt around her.
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Mavaro hacks at the approaching assassin, but fails to dissuade his attack. Simultaneously, an arrow flies in concert towards Hakon. The culprit seems to be a halfling, hiding out among the outcropping.
for
Ulisha looks to Mavaro, comments "chicks dig scars," and maintains her performance.
Current Global Conditions: Inspire Courage +1, Bless
Oloch<= Bless
Kyra<= Shield of Faith
Mavaro<= Strike and be Struck!
Assassins<= 'Assassin things'
Ulisha
Yoon
Hakon
:Everyone
Yoon sees the halfling behind the rocks, and begins to make her move towards them, stopping momentarily to blast fire at the assassin by Mavaro.
Hakon sees the arrow sail over his shoulder as it embeds itself into the ground behind him. He looks ahead and growls. "There's a Halfling behind the rocks!" He points it out with on of his axes.
As he does so, he steps up to the closer assassin to bring both axes to bear.
Mavaro, seriously injured by the arrow, circles around behind the rocks to both find cover and cut off the sniper's retreat.