Moving forward to verify that neither of them are dead. Only to come jerk to a stop when Claptrap mentally attacks the woman.
Staring at the woman when she convulses and dies with a look of horror. Flinching at the noises she makes, so familiar. Phantom pain lances though her. Gasping when the word Jagladine is sad and turning tail and running out of the building. Heedless of those in her way in her mad dash to escape that word, that noise, all the pain.
Gulping in deep ragged breaths of air and diving between the stairs and a bush. Wrapping her shaking arms around herself and trying to force away the memories.
Floating after Vael in her attempt to check on their enemies. I am thinking we need to explain a few things to the robot about how emotions and people work. It may not be aware of the damage it is do..
Unable to show its shock in any other way that fast pulses of light. Then that word! Racing after Vael and tucking into her neck and trying to be a still as possible while she works though her fear.
Rav growls. "Ok, where is package? We done enough damage today, even for me. Need find quick, then get Vael and go. If she not all the way back to town already." Rav looks at Blekk and Claptrap. "Ok, you two, come, I going to keep an eye on both of you." His bloodshot eyes stare both of them down. "Palo, go guard Vael with Relas. I going to make sure these two don't eat babies or use children for target practice or something."
"Vael! Where-um, Palo, Ravboom's right, we'd better go after her and make sure she doesn't run into any Daytaar that might be coming back," Relas says, trying to ignore the fact that Rav's change in behavior makes his fur stand on end.
Blekk finally catches up to everyone else and realizes that yes, Rav is indeed mad. He sighs and looks at Clap. "Oh boy, buckle up. My daddy used to get this same look on his face sometimes. We're in trouble now..."
He looks at Rav with a level stare. "Okay then, go for it. Don't see any babies around here anyways. Sucks, too-was starting to get hungry."
Ravboom steps over the dead bodies, making sure to splash fresh blood over Clap and Blekk as he does from the growing pool. Then he nods at the door to the right. "Blekk, Clap, check door. I will check the room."
- knitting together various repressed / jumbled memories, it becomes increasingly clear to the robot that the jagladine in the sorceress' memory was Lomrick.
As Palomia, follows Vael back up into the fresh air, the rest of the group search the hideout for the documentation that Zomskane claimed as having been stolen - soon enough they find a hatch beneath the bed in which is stored a small unlocked chest. A black velvet pouch lies inside containing 13 white and iridescent crystals which belie identification through standard gemology...
The chest also contains a set of masterwork artisan’s tools, 200 gp in assorted coins and a manila folder containing various documents - the documents, as far as can be told as they seem to be at least partially encoded, appear to be a list of individuals tabulated against a list of the various Zel-Argose coteries...
Blekk and CL4P-TP's examination of the door to the east reveals a small, iron-barred cell takes up the northwest corner of this sparse room, its door currently standing open. Inside, the floor is freshly swept and neatly folded blankets and sheets lie upon a small bed. Soft, dark metal plates have been bolted to the walls, floor, and ceiling of the surrounding room. A single door exits to the west, while a smokeless torch is mounted nearby to provide light.
"Huh. This is interesting...looks like if you put someone in here, makes them nearly impossible to track by magic. Can't use divination or anything."
As he and Palomia head back through the small building and up the stairs, it's not too difficult to find Vael's 'hiding' spot in the bushes. However, he quickly nudges against Palo's leg as she starts to open her mouth.
"Um...maybe we'd better give her a minute Palo," he whispers. "She seems really upset and she might even try to hit you if you get too close or startle her."
Claptrap recognizes something is wrong. This wasn't the reaction hs was expecting to have gotten for his efforts. He tried once more, The jagladine that I saw was Lomrick, the one we are searching for! These guys know him!
But even that was not having the effect that his programming had expected.
Claptrap goes shutdown-still as he has an internal conflict. Did I do something wrong? Were we not supposed to get information from these guys?
Claptrap then pulls up a recording of his previous conversation with the Zomskane agent;
Krssst! [Smaller]"Bring back the documents they stole... no-one need die but they must be taught a lesson that they will not forget. Slow them down, cripple their criminal activities, encourage them to steer clear of Zel-Argose for a while - and, if there is any other evidence of plans against Zomskane or the citizens of Zel-Argose, needless to say we would like those averted as well...[/smaller" End of recording.
Were these guys not enemies? Was I not supposed to protect my allies from the enemies? Or was the lives of even Enemies meant to be protected?
Claptrap sits there a while longer as the others start to leave. He then lays a hand on the 4-armed man and gets up to follow the rest.
Claptrap examines the room and the small chest with Blekk and Ravboom and takes a VERY detailed analasis of the gems.
facinating! These crystals have a latent psychic reactivity and they would be remarkably useful as materials used in the crafting occult junk! Why they must be worth thousands! And these over here must be the doccuments we are looking for. I'll hold on to those.
Claptrap pauses once more, then continues. Ummm. Master? If we are unable to kill our enemies, but we ARE allowed to beat them senseless, then... Are we allowed to take their stuff?
Claptrap pockets the Artisans tools and the doccuments.
Lead. Neat! This room would be VERY hard to locate remotely, why it might even be impossible. Whoever they decided to hide in here would have been VERY hard to find!
"Yeah, can't we at least do a little looting while we're here? It isn't THAT bad, right?"
Keeping her head tucked into her arms, "I never thought I would either."
Remaining quiet for a moment before glancing up at Palomia, "I am sorry I ran off."
Floating just above Vael and dimly pulsing with each word, "Is the level of violence that we have seen normal for your group?."
Giving Palomia a chance to answer before offering a reason for the race outside, "Our world was destroyed and we were prisoners of Jagladine. They are vile and cruel creatures."
Rav looks at the gems. "Could use them make stuff." He puts the gems back in the chest, and takes the papers instead. "Maybe, if we hadn't killed them. We were supposed to get papers, no kill unless necessary. Killing woman was not necessary, she was alive and stable, would have lived. I no have issue with reputation for making big messes. I have a big issue with reputation for slaughtering people. People who hire murderers are murderers. They also not very trustworthy. I no want to get reputation as someone who kills everyone no matter what. We let one guy go, now he going to tell world that we did it, we made him kill his friend, we then killed the other two. And she obviously have signs of being given first aid and being healed, so the obvious conclusion is we torture her for information and kill her when we get it." He turns to eye Blekk and Claptrap. "You want to be group that have reputation for murdering people and torturing them for information? That the type of people you want to work for? Always watching for dagger in back?" Rav throws the chest back into the hole in the floor as hard as he can, and stalks out. "You want blood goodies, you take them. I done."
Then Rav stalks out of the room, and up the stairs, rage barely held in check. Once outside, he bows to Veil. "Sorry you see that, I no want to see it either. Think I make mistake putting bot back together. Maybe get parts from assassin thing and not know it. Blekk broken, knew that before. Be too many nights sleeping with glow rock in crib." He sighs. "Got papers. Let go back." He walks off, not speaking to anyone else the rest of the trip back.
Keeping as small as possible with her mechanical eyes just barely visible over her arms. Quietly listening and offer a few nods in understanding while Palo talks.
Reaching up and batting at Knick Knack pushes against her temple. Keeping her mouth hidden, "We are not going to have to leave because of.."Trailing off and following Palo's gaze to Ravboom and then at the offered hand which she takes with her non-mechanical hand, "Thank you." Keeping her head down and following the human, goblin and large cat.
It may be fair to say that the retrieval of Zomskane's information was more bloody and chaotic in its execution than had been originally conceived, and that the four-armed man left bound and slowly recovering in the safehouse will surely become an enemy that the group will need to be vigilant against in the future... but, at least on the most fundamental level, the expedition was a success - the documents stolen by Daytaar have been retrieved and the upstart coterie have been given a bloody nose...
...and so, with a mixture of emotions, the group silently make their way back to Zel-Argose.
- the documents retrieved from Daytaar are, as far as can be deduced through the encoding, a list of individuals (some of the names are recognisable as city officials) and a postulation as to which coteries they swear allegiance towards... notably, there are many entries where it seems that the public allegiance is not the same as that which they privately hold...
The next day, taking stock of things, something becomes brutally clear... Biggun, who had elected to stay and fight at the Arenas whilst the rest of the group travelled out of town, has disappeared...
"Come on Palo, we need to go look for him," Relas whines. "Who knows what sort of trouble he might be in right now? We can't just leave him hanging! Let's go to the arena, maybe someone there knows something!"
Yessir! Claptrap leaves the tools and gems in place, only taking the papers with him.
Hmmm. It seems I still have much to learn about biological "Emotions" and "Morals". I vow to do better, Master.
Claptrap then goes up the stairs (Stairs!? I hate stairs!) and out into the night with Paloa and Vael.
Seeing that they appeared down or distraught, he attempts to cheer them up with a joke.
Hey guys! Guess what I saw, umm...
He seems to have gone silent for a moment, then instead he gives a simple sorry... and wheels off for Zel-Agrose.
Back home the next morning (once everyone has had their coffee) Claptrap offers to hand in the Doccuments while the others hunt down their wayward comrade.
If you folks wish to hunt down Biggreenie then I can go and deal with handing in our reclamations to our agent and handle all the technical bits to wrap this contract up. Afterwards I can catch back up with you. Also, is there any messages you wished to pass on to him or questions I can ask?
Rav sighs. "Biggun probably get self killed in pit. Rav tell him no safe, but he listen? No." He sighs and walks past Clap-Trap, ignoring the eager little device for now. "Maybe we all go ask around, find out where his body be. After turn in paperwork."
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Blekk looks between Rav and Palomia. "Well, I want to find him. Don't really know about where you guys came from, but my neighbors in the jungle included demon-possessed gorillas, a group of angry necromancers, and about five million jaguars. Against maybe fifty of us goblins. When one of us didn’t come back from gathering or hunting...we went back for him. Because if we didn’t find him, sometimes he found us. You ever have a girlfriend come back from dead and try to rip your brain out? Or have grandfather suddenly sprout demon wings and breathe fire all over grandma?”
He sighs and looks away from Rav.. ”Dunno why I’m sayin this now. Guess because of yesterday, and I’m bad at apologizing. Guess we had a miscommunication and all, I dunno. But anyways. Like I was saying.”
Blekk shakes his head, trying to get his thoughts in something resembling cohesive thought. ”Oh yeah-even when someone disappears, even if we know it’s just them getting dragged off by a jaguar, we go back for them. Because when you only have fifty or so other people you actually trust, you hang onto them.” He looks Rav in the eyes. ”There’s three goblins on this planet we know of. I’m one, you’re two. You really want to leave number three behind for the demon gorillas?”
He heads out the door, calling back to the others. ”We can do the paperwork later. Let’s go find Biggun. This’ll be more exciting anyways, didn’t you guys know paperwork steals words from your head? You’re all crazy for reading it.”
Rav laughs. "Blekk no know what be like grow up goblin where no goblins around. Talk about nobody to trust. Only trust Sister. Sister very scary, so be glad she no here, she rip Blekk head off and use for door stop if she get mad. Not like Rav, who civilized and like to talk about things. Sister blow all sorts of things up, then giggle. Very scary giggle." He looks thoughtful. "Probably safer for world that Sis no here. Rav kind of like city, be shame to see it blowed up all over. Maybe few places here and there need be blowed up." He grins, obviously imagining several places in the city as smoking craters. Then he shakes his head, making his ears make odd flapping sounds. "Anyway, Rav accept really bad Blekk apology. Rav also said would look for Biggun, but also know that Biggun no exactly used to being treated like just 'nother person, 'stead of giant freak by everyone, goblin or long shank. May be Biggun find woman go off with, or decide be easier make new life without freaks like us around. Rav think if Biggun want go, or Biggun get self killed fighting, then Biggun where Biggun want be, and Rav need leave alone."
He starts to head out to go check out the pits, to see if anyone knows what happened to the new star. He pauses, looking thoughtful, and then goes into his lab. He comes back a few minutes later with his pack looking fuller. "Course, if someone kidnap or murder Biggun, maybe make a few craters in city, make safer for others to walk around if a few bits get blowed up."
Having rested for a few precious hours and with one of the suns finally climbing into the sky, the group head out into the city once more - any talk of the events at the Water Treatment Plant appear to have melted into 'yesterday's news' replaced by all sorts of gossip about the Auditor, the rivalries of the Coteries and the latest games at the Fighting Pits. Making their way back to Commarch's, with no sign of Biggun as yet, the group soon find themselves a booth from which they can watch the comings and goings of folk into this social hub... and only have to wait a half hour or so before their contact, cloaked and clearly looking to avoid undue attention, enters the sprawling coffee shop.
Seeing the group nestled away in a corner, he takes a coffee pot from the central counter of the shop, and makes his way over... offering anyone who needs it a refill from his streaming pot, he sits, "I have heard tell that your expedition against Daytaar went well? The talk is that Veelan is seeking passage to Dae-Argose... if that is the case then we shall not hear of him and his gang for a goodly while. Now... were you able to find the papers that they stole from Zomskane?"
Rav gives Blekk and Clap a sour look. "Went not bad." He responds, obviously not happy with them. Then he shrugs, and pats the small robot on the side, hopefully drawing the agent's attention to the envelope taped to the robot's back. It would be fairly easy to remove from the robot while sitting next to it at the table, without being noticed. "Must say, found out about Duck Tape last week, not know ducks so good for holding things together. Always thought ducks were good for roasting. Must be made from feathers or beaks. Good use of left over duck parts."
"And it's really weird because duck meat is usually so greasy. Not sticky at all, but this stuff is really sticky! Obviously duck must go through some sort of reversal process to make tape out of it."
Sipping on the strong coffee, the auttaine smiles, "Daytaar nigh on eradicated and Veelan running for another city... I'll take that as not bad. You will be pleased, I hope, to hear that I also have information for you... Now, the papers?"
Silent the long walk back and simply crawling into bed and laying there staring at the wall until the group leaves the next day to deliver their cruelly earned information. Taking her seat and forcing herself to pay attention to what is going on in the cafe. That sick feeling crawls up from her belly and tightens her throat at Palo's question.
Rav frowns. "So much for subtle." He adds, ironically.
The auttaine takes the envelope from Palomia and, barely glancing at it, tucks it into a pocket within his cloak... notably, there are at least four other documents concealed within his clothing.
He smiles, revealing that more than half of his teeth are metallic, before meeting his side of the bargain, "The information we have relates to the jagladine, Lomrick... whilst we haven't been able to determine his precise whereabouts - we are fairly sure he has gone to ground somewhere to the north of Zel-Argose - we have been able to contact someone else who is seeking him. There's a Jaskirri goes by the name of Kaetrix who has been asking around for him... we made contact with her yesterday afternoon and arranged a meeting for you at the Weave Runner this evening. The 'Runner is a tavern on the east bank of the river... it attracts a seedy kind of clientele so be in your guard". The auttaine pours himself another shot of coffee, "Maybe Kaetrix has had more luck than Zomskane have in seeking Lomrick... either way, I wish you the best of fortune".
Rav nods. "Be cat person, Palo and Relas either get on with like house on fire, or like best buddies. Hope nobody allergic cat hair." Rav nods at the smarmy guy, and then gets up. "Thanks, be in touch." He heads out, still obviously disgruntled.
Claptrap goes into Commarch's with the rest of the group and sits down near the agent (within arms reach and sadly with his rear facing the rest of the pub). Once there he hails the waitress and orders;
Hia Christie! Today I will have a Large dark coffee, 2 shots of ristretto with no room. Thankya Kindly!
He waits for her to bring him the coffee, full to the brim, and then listens to the conversation, piping up on occasion...
I love duct tape! A real lifesaver if ever you need to enter a flooded room to reach a shutoff valve. Why once I kept a reactor from melting down by duct taping it in place for 2 weeks while I ordered the replacement parts! The looks on the crews faces during those weeks... Ahh! Blissful ignorance. They had no idea how close to the edge they were!
While it is unusual to hear the robot talk of "home", it really was not the time or place...
Yet it also did not sound much like what you expected to come from the BR-N3R robot you previously knew...
When Palo hands over the papers, Claptrap also offers up a piece of additional information, One more thing, Sir. I have been able to identify that the Daytaar have been in communication with Lomrick himself, and have gone so far as to make contact, trading parcels back and forth on at least one occasion, it is unknown whether any additional such meetings have taken place. I hope that this information will prove useful in tracking down Lomrik.
Claptrap looks longingly at the other 4 parcels. It seems that he has a thirst for forbidden knowledge...
However, with an unmoving robotic eye... who can tell?
Well Thankya Kindly for this information, Sir! This meeting, are we expecting any other guests aside from ourselves? Any other adgents intent on sitting in?
Claptrap then goes quiet for a few moments, the only sound the intense whirring of gears going in overdrive.
"A cat person? Hey, this place is more like home than we thought," Relas whispers to Palo.
There is little I can tell you of Kaetrix, she is an off-worlder who has not attracted the attention of Zomskane... and of your friend Biggun? I had heard of his exploits at the Fighting Pits... he is missing? We shall maintain vigilance whilst he is absent..."
The sun is making its way towards the horizon when CL4P-TP, who has found nothing of note about the Weave Runner in its data banks, finally leads them to the north-east of the city... to a small building nestled on the river-side between several warehouses. The sign above the door pronounces the establishment to be 'The Weave Runner' and further advertises that 'All Are Welcome'... Vigilant, for they haven't been to this part of the city before, the friends head inside...
The dimly lit room beyond the door features large, round tables with chairs positioned around them whilst the northwest corner includes a spacious bar lined with barstools. Behind it, large mirrors and shelves hold a variety of glasses and seemingly exotic liquors in a dizzying array of colors. Empty, worn, leather couches rest against the north and west walls, and an empty stage, suitable for musicians, rises five feet above the main floor in the northeast corner.
...and the bar is rapidly clearing of patrons as a catfolk, kukri in one hand and shortsword in the other, tips a table over - seeming to make a barrier between herself and four ratfolk moving towards her, swords drawn and brandished threateningly...
Rav, leaning on a chair and nursing an expensive drink, looks up, and draws his BoomGar. "Rav be thinking that if you want fight, you fight fair numbers, or Rav start making numbers more even. One at time, or Rav blow heads off..." He comments to the group of ratfolk, showing them the rather large bore of the BoomGar.
"Oh Palo, no..." Relas groans as Palo once again tries to act scary and threatening but just comes off as mostly harmless. "I think maybe you'd better let Rav or Blekk do the whole 'Rawr I'm scary' thing from now on, okay?"
Opening her mouth to speak and instead turning to stare at Palo. What is the various worlds is wrong with her? Keeping her place at the back of their little grouping not saying a word.
Rav snorts. "Rav know Rav not scary. Rav just always tell truth. No reason make with rawl I be scary face when you telling truth you going to blow head off."
"Well...that too..." Relas admits, shifting awkwardly from side to side. "But I kinda hope it doesn't have to come to that..."
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Blekk snarls. "Oh, for...WHAT BE GOING ON HERE?!" he screeches at the newcomers.
Literally, he screeches. His voice cracks, really really badly. Blekk scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. "Okay then...Rav, guess you're up, buddy. Go for it."
Rav grins at the antics of Palo and Blekk, and looks at the Ratfolk. "Yeah, not much look at, especially Blekk. But still be many of us, few of you. You want fight cat, you fight one on one, or get out. Otherwise, you maybe end up fighting 8 to 3 odds. That not be good odds, I t'ink." He looks at Palo, then to Relas. "Yeah, Palo only count half, but Relas count half again than one, so that make two between them." He gives the cat a grin. Hundreds of needle sharp teeth flash white in the green face.
- Biggun, apparently, hasn't been seen for a couple of days - he was lightly wounded in a fight about wagers following a scheduled bout... and went off with an off-worlder that the man running the pit didn't recognise.
*****
Turning towards the - frankly unimposing - group, with malice in their eyes, the rodent-like humanoids sneer, ”Thisss issssn’t your fight… go back through that door – and we won’t have to tell our employer that you interfered in hisss plansss”, and then, with that warning delivered, the four attackers rush the catfolk…
Ha! Nice one Palo! I think you managed to scare that litter of wet kittens in the corner there, or is that laughing I hear >_> Either way, your improving!
Before he can say anything else tho, the Ratling issues his warning and resumes his advance on the Catfolk, so Claptrap springs into action like lightning.
Clappy rushes forwards, heading towards the ratfolk that told them to clear off, Back you say? NAY! Forward men! We will interfere! We will be nucances of ourselves! We will DO SOMETHING! And you! he points at one of the ratfolk, YOU WILL BE DOOMED!
Rav shakes his head, and levels the BoomGar at the rat with the hissing mouth. "You should have heeded Rav's warning." As he speaks, his voice grows harsher and his body begins to tremble, although the trembling seems not to affect his gun barrel in any way. He also draws his rapier.