Avariel smiles, a wide elven smile that looks like it has too many teeth.
"Well, to be honest I don't need much from you in the way of subterfuge. Just work there, pay attention, and check in with me on occasion. You seem a cautious fellow. We can play the long game. As for the library - hrm. Yes, I can work something out. You're also free to buy scrolls from us or anything similar you need."
He stands, extending his hand.
"Are we in agreement? You'll get the thirty gold if I receive confirmation that you've taken up employment at the Gold Goblin."
As Variel begins listening, he spies a dog round the corner of the northmost hallway. It's a mangy, old, three-legged mutt who immediately begins barking as he sees the group. It gimps towards the group fearlessly.
BRURURURURURURURUUUUU
"FETCH! SHADDUP!" shouts someone from the door to the south of the dog.
Mutt smirks as the thug's head flies off. This is what he's been trained for. What he's meant to do. This is his purpose. To fight. To kill.
He turns to his companions to see Fiona and Variel stare in amazement. He grins as he shifts his greataxe onto his shoulder. "I wasn't the best pit fighter for nothing." His smile disappears when he hears a dog barking. He turns to see the three legged dog. Mutt frowns. He stares at the dog, hoping to use his intimidating presence to curb it.
He looks to others, seeing if they want him to kill the dog.
Bofur takes a chunk of trail ration jerky out of his pocket and tosses it to Mutt to give to the critter.
That seems to do the trick. The dog gobbles up the jerky and limps over to Bofur, sniffing him for more treats. Noticing the body, the dog limps over and whimpers, licking the hand of the dead guard.
"Damn right!" shouts the voice again through the door, apparently satisfied that the dog has shut up.
"Good work. And I think we know which door to visit next."
The elf waves toward the door the voice came from and nods to Mutt, who seems to be in his element.
Fiona twirls her earthbreaker in anticipation of a fight.
Mutt watches the dog. It seems to be so... sad. So... pathetic. Just like he was. He walks over to the creature and goes on one knee. He tentatively holds out a hand, trying to establish friendship with the creature.
[dice=Charisma check to handle animal(?) (as under here)]1d20 + 2[/dice]
Thaddeus looks a little nervous... Well, still nervous, but for different reasons. He tries to defuse it with a joke.
"Ah hope you mean th' long game by mah reckonin', 'cause I ain't got that long left t'live if you mean by an elf's standards."
He may not have said much subterfuge was required, but Thaddeus still was worried. As long as they never asked, he'd hopefully never have to spin a yarn. Experience told him he was horrible at that.
But still, it sounded like something was up. And if he could do something about it, why not? Even if this Saul person has no connection to the Blot, it'll still get his foot in the door with the Cyphermages and their library. Buying scrolls sure sounded handy, too. So he saw no real reason to decline.
He stands up, reaches out his calloused hand, and firmly grips Avariel's palm,
"Yeh got's yerself a deal. So where's dis 'Gold Goblin' place, anyways?"
Mutt sees Variel wave to the door, Mutt stands back up and gets ready to take on the next guy, waiting for the others to help set up his assault.
Fiona eyes Mutt dubiously as he approaches the three-legged dog.
Bofur is unexpectedly touched by the giant man's kindness toward the dog. He comes forward and hands him another piece of ration to give the dog directly to help them bond. He himself is one of the least charismatic people he knows, so instead of wild empathy he'll use Handle Animal to try to get the dog to sit and stay in an out-of-the-way position to avoid the melee that's about to begin.
The dog 'Fetch' seems used to people and is friendly. Not much of a vicious guard dog. He sniffs Mutt's fingers and licks them before he moves over to the door. Bofur tries to order Fetch to 'stay' but he's having none of it and wanders off to lick the corpse's hand again. Apparently not every well-trained.
Variel moves to the door and prepares to open it. As he passes Mutt, he quietly suggests, "Perhaps slightly less lethal this time. We want to end his crimes, but not necessarily end his life unless he forces it on us."
Fiona breathes a sigh of relief as the dog stops barking and keeps licking the dead thug's hand.
"Right. I wonder if someone would like to adopt the poor dear once we're done here." She muses as she moves behind Mutt.
You shake hands with Avariel and he gives you instructions on how to reach the Gold Goblin. It's in the docks district of Riddleport, right up against the waterfront. You and Old Horn make your way down through the city towards the docks where it gets poorer and meaner as you go.
The building looks like it was once opulent but is now run down, with stairs leading up to a columned entrance. A larger-than-life-size statue of a goblin apparently cast in glittering "gold" stands atop the entry with a smirk on its face. The doors open up at your touch.
The casino does not appear to be open for business right now. You see a couple of burly men scrubbing floors at the orders of a dwarf with a dry, pleasant face. A blonde woman adorned with Varisian tattoos sits atop a large dais. The dwarf looks up as you walk in.
"Excuse me sir, we're closed right now."
Mutt gives a small smile as Fetch licks his fingers. He actually likes dogs. He always wanted one growing up, but that man wouldn't allow it, preferring Mutt to killing them for entertainment. Seeing the dog go back to the corpse, Mutt tears off a bit of his own jerky and tries to feed him.
Mutt frowns as his efforts don't seem to work. He looks to Bofur, a slight frown on his face.
When Fiona makes her comment, Mutt merely turns to her and nods. "I... wish to take him."
Hearing Variel, Mutt gives a frown. He doesn't like to be without his axe. However, fighting with his fists provides more of a challenge. He sheathes his axe and gets ready to charge when Variel opens the door. He whispers, "Make sure that the thug is in my path. I don't want to charge in and miss him."
Varies opens the door, keeping himself out of Mutt's way.
Fetch just ignores the food and continues licking the corpse's hand, obviously a little distraught.
Variel smoothly boots the door inwards and steps to the side as Mutt gets ready to charge into the room.
Old mattresses stand propped against the walls, making room for a wide chalk circle smeared with black ichor. Around it, empty wine bottles and a half-eaten goose carcass litter the floor. In a corner at the back of the room, a rack of shelves holds four wooden boxes labeled “Spiker,” “Jabs,” “Bugsy,” and “Pedros.”
Two thugs look up, a little jumpy-looking guy and a hulking half-orc with a hideously swollen left eye. Between them are two uncomfortably large scorpions battling. The two are cheering as their scorpions try to kill one another, but look up in utter surprise as the group charges in!
"Ah, howdy, sir. Name's Thaddeus. Ah had heard dere may be work here? 'Specially for a man of unusual talents?"
As the door opens, Mutt stands at the doorway, his presence staggering. He glares at the two. He narrows his eyes, scowls, and growls. He tries to deliver fear into them.
Fiona chimes in from the back. "I wouldn't try anything foolish if I were you, gentlemen--if you interfere in our hunt for the Splithog Pauper, he IS more than capable of cutting the lot of you to pieces."
"Also, there's a bloody good reason none of you heard us arrive, so think about that before you try anything."
Feeling somewhat cramped in the hallway, Bofur moves out toward the stairs to watch for others trying to sneak out or around them. Before moving, he "Harumphs" to indicate to the gamblers in the room that there are more potential foes in the hall if they try anything stupid.
He also switches his crossbow for his longsword.
Variel allows the Shoanti to put fear into the thugs, and waits for the response. He holds his whip ready, but his eyes implore them to save themselves by surrendering.
Fiona snarls and both of the thugs look at each other in terror. However, as the group works, they hear a loud, piercing whistle coming from the east, likely down the stairs! There is a pause, and then two short whistles. The smaller of the thugs, still nervous, calls back a challenge.
"Do yer worst! The Pauper just called the whole damn gang on ya!"
That said, the two thugs are obviously scared and make no move to attack. But you hear shouts from the floor as the troops are rallied!
The dwarf cocks his head, looking you over.
"Ah, that depends. What kind of stuff can you do? Names Larur. This here's Hans and Beyar," he indicates two toughs cleaning up. One ignores you while the other nods at you.
"And that depends on what you mean by unusual talents, son. Anything in specific you had in mind? Come in anyways."
The dwarf has a dry, pleasant voice and appears to be middle-aged with a balding head and a full red beard. The interior of the casino is a wide room carpeted in a red that was once rich, but is now faded and patched up all over the place. Several doors line a long wall opposite you. To the north is a bar, and to the south is the cashier's cage. A large dais dominated the centre of the room. High covering the ceiling is large drape. Below it is a "golden" cage.
As you make your way through, the half-elven woman winks at you. Larur leads you to the back, up a flight of stairs, and to an office. Old Horn follows you reluctantly.
"All right sir, I heard tell that someone of your description was looking for work and you had some skill. That the case?"
"Oh, quit'cher bellyachin' Old Horn. Still smells better 'den yer old barn." Thaddeus says, at least somewhat quietly.
Thaddeus stares for a moment, while walking, at the half-elf's wink. Somewhat confused and flustered, the best he can manage is a hasty, friendly wave.
He follows through the building. Even after being at the Cyphermage's guild, the large size of the building was still impressive. Though part of this was probably Thaddeus not being used to the opulence of modern civilization anyways.
"Ah, howdy dere, sir. Well, Ah'm sure a place like 'dis kin always use a hard worker to do... whatever it is that needs doin' around here. But, ah, if'n it matters, Ah do have a bit 'o magic nawl-edge. Nothin' shiny 'n snazzy, leastwise at'n the moment. But, ah, Ah could, maybe, keep an eye open fer 'dose dat try cheatin' wit' magic. Not common, Ah'm sure, but yeh wanna be prepared if'n it does, right? An', y'know, failin' that, wouldn't mind just sweepin' floors or playin' the pan pipes a little. Ah mean, a man's gotta earn a livin' to eat, right?"
"Well then, I so much for a diplomatic resolution. Mutt, it appears we are doing this your way."
Variel nods to the Shoanti. "I'd prefer they not die, but do what you must."
"Do yer worst! The Pauper just called the whole damn gang on ya!"
Fiona smirks and readies her earthbreaker. "Good."
The two men in the room, heartily intimidated, make no move to attack. However, the whistle is promptly responded to as doors start flying open! Directly in front of Variel is a sinister-looking man, and behind him a blood-stained bedroom full of what looks like implements of torture. A second bedroom reveals two thugs, one looking fairly young and nervous, the other older and far tougher. Finally, a third bedroom door swings open to reveal an elf wielding a longbow! The ganga ssembles as they bear down on you.
Bofur
---
Orange
Yellow
--
Variel
---
Purple
---
Mutt
---
Green
Red
Brown
Larur blinks as you speak. "You... what? Sorry, your accent is new to me. I understand you're a spellcaster and could watch cheaters with your magic. Good. Look - Saul is attempting to assemble a special 'team' for missions of particular interest to him, as well as the running of the casino. What they lack is a wizard. Do you work well with others?"
Mutt gains a shark-like grin as Variel gives the word. He looks back at the thugs and cracks his knuckles. He's about to take a step in when the thugs begin to amass. Looking at the new appearances, Mutt scowls and shouts at Variel, "Which ones should I start with?!"
"Err... Ah haven't had an issue yet. Guess it all depends on who dese 'others' are, donnit? But Ah sure got's no issue with having people watchin' my back 'slong as I watch theirs."
Well, this was turning out easier than expected.
"Looks like those two make a good cork in the bottleneck." Bofur tells Fiona, realizing that the opening doors are all deeper into the hallway. He tries to hack open the upstairs double doors to the decaying balcony in case he and the others are cut off from escape down the stairways.
As he sees all the doors open and reveal many opponents, Variel thinks, Well, I should probably have expected this.
Putting on a brave face, he smiles lasciviously at the one with the torture implements. "In other circumstances, you and I might have been friends."
The dwarf Larur nods slowly as he sizes you up.
"I had a pretty good recommendation for you, otherwise I'd have you scrubbing floors or something. Tell you what. I heard tell that the others - by the way there's an elf named Variel, a dwarf named Bofur, and a couple Shoanti called Mutt and Fiona - the others were going up to St. Casperian's Salvation. That's a local mission for Sarenrae. I reckon they're going to run into trouble there from a local crime boss. Head out there, check in on them, and help if you can. If it works out, then consider yourself hired."
Bofur swings his axe mightily which goes straight through the wall to the outside! Timber falls to the ground below as he easily opens up a hole which allows for escape. Granted the escape is a fifteen foot drop to cobblestones.
Two of the thugs move in on the group, one of them swinging at Variel with a club, the other, though terrified, attacking Mutt. Variel is barely pinked while Mutt takes a nasty smack across the face!
"For your crimes against the poor of this town, I declare the Judgment of Calistria upon all who take up arms against us!"
Variel draws his sword and attacks the thug who hit him.
Variel swings out brutally with his sword, and the thug goes down screaming, blood pouring from his severed collarbone.
The elf comes out of the north door and spotting Variel he quickly fires off two arrows. However, Variel hits the floor as the two arrows thunk into the wall.
Mutt gets smacked in his face. Mutt stares down at the thug, a frown on his face. That frown slowly turns into a scowl of rage. He then draws his greataxe and swings at the thug.
His own wound closes up as he strikes the man. "Calistria has spoken. You have been judged."
He dodges the arrows flying at him then looks at the elf who fired. "You have chosen poorly, brother."
Thaddeus raises an eyebrow at the mention of a recommendation. Recommended by who? Wasn't this supposed to be subtle? Did he miss something? And already he's being sent off to a situation with a local crime boss? Crime has bosses now?
Again, he feels the urge to get the hell out of this crazy city and go back to his home village, buying a few books on his way. But the promise of knowledge, and perhaps a bit of power, propels him onward.
"Ah, right. Variel, an elf. Bofur, a dwarf. Fiona and Mutt, a couple o' Show-Ant-ee. Sounds like a unique bunch. Shouldn't have much trouble findin'em. Where's dis Mission, then?"
Awful lot of walking back and fourth in this city. Guess that's what happens when everything is spread out, instead of nice and contained in one little town.
You make your way into one of the saddest, most dilapidated places you've ever seen. Splithog Alley shows truly desperate poverty as everything around you reeks, falls apart, begs for money, or just slowly dies before your eyes. You finally make your way over to St. Caspieran's Salvation, one of the few buildings that isn't completely falling apart.
Squatting halfway down this muck-smeared alley, sandwiched between a derelict wainwright’s shop and a bakery, stands a dilapidated tenement. A crooked belltower rises from the building’s rear, and a half-dozen grease-smeared, cracked, and boarded-over windows gaze out from walls that might have once been white. A small sign hangs over the building’s battered oak front doors: “St. Caspieran’s Salvation—All Welcome.”
Stairs lead up to an entrance and a foyer.
SMASH!
As you look over the place, a once-collapsed balcony that has now been boarded over explodes! Wood chips fly everywhere as a dwarf smashes through the boarding twenty feet straight up, above the stairs. The dwarf matches the description you were given of Bofur.
As Bofur smashes through the upper boards, he sees what looks like a rural peasant and his goat wander up to look at the mission.
There are some roars of frustration from the thugs as it becomes very apparent they can't surround you in the cramped hallways. Two fo them pace back and forth restlessly. One does rush out of a room to swing a club at Variel.
The club smacks Variel straight across the mouth, almost sending the Inquisitor to his knees!
Thaddeus
Fiona
Bofur
---
Orange
Yellow (dying)
--
Variel (7 dmg)
---
Purple
---
Mutt
Thaddeus
---
Green
Red
Brown
Thaddeus, aside from recent events, has never had much, but aside from his desire to learn, he never felt particularly like he lacked anything he needed. Surrounded by the truly destitute again bears down on him, the experiences of the city being like nothing he's ever felt before.
While his logical side notes that just giving coins will only help most of the people here another few days at most, his compassionate side starts to overtake him.
He's quickly thrust out of his contemplation by the sound of boards smashing, and the obvious shouts of combat.
Well, whatever he has to say about the city, it's certainly not a boring place.
Thaddeus quickly hustles inside, though cautiously, wanting to be sure he knows what's going on before jumping in the thick of things.
[spoiler=Thaddeus]
You rush into the front doors, and spy stairs to your left and right, both going up to the same floor. The sounds of combat come from upstairs. There are also double doors in front of you, leading inwards.
Curious why the other doors haven't opened, Bofur drags the headless corpse five feet to the north, hoping the dog follows and frees up the door it's currently in front of. He then steps past the dog with a friendly pat to the door and listens.
The group are surprised to see a young man dressed like a rural peasant in a wide leather hat rush up the stairs, accompanied by a goat!
Bofur drags the corpse southwards and Fetch obediently follows, apparently unnerved by the combat and not really having much of an appetite to get involved. Bofur tries the door and discovers it is locked fast.
When the young man and his goat appear, Mutt frowns. "Great! What's this? I assume more of the Pauper's thugs?!"
Fiona is surprised when the goat-leading peasant rushes up the stairs, but when he makes no move to attack them she refocuses on the battle before them. "Excuse me, sir, but you may wish to stand back."
She steps to the side, up behind Mutt, and starts singing a wordless song that gets a warrior's blood up!