Nel removes ten pieces of silver from her belt pouch, before handing half to each man. "Now you raklo's get out of here. Vark could you escort them out, please?" As the men leave, Nel turns her attention towards Saul's captive. Blue eyes quickly scan the man, taking in clothes, ticks and talking patterns. It takes Nel a moment to realize that the older man has offered to pay the men to vanish.
"Don't worry about it. I am-" Nel winches as she realizes that is no longer true, "was manager here. Saul's promises were my responsibility." As the tall half-elf speaks she runs a hand through her brown hair. "I am Nel. The angry Tien man is Tamiro, and I will let our wizard introduce himself. Welcome to Riddleport." Nel bends down to unlatch Saul's dumb key-hand, giving the body one quick once-over to try and find anything useful.
Pluck grins and extends a hand, "I'm Pluck." Motioning Kwava up from the hallway, he adds, "This here is Kwava. We joined up with Nel, Mazra, Vark and Tamiro to both help them settle things with Saul, but also dig a little deeper into who else he's working with. Any chance you heard anything from Saul while he had you prisoner besides his plans for us and you?"
Tamiro lowers his sword with a scowl, roaring at the men after they grab their coin, "Watashitachi ga au tsugi wa, kiro ni tatte, anata ga hyōji sa remasu. Do not cross us again."
Bending down, he rips some cloth off of Sauls body, and begins cleaning the blood from his blade, before retrieving his Wakizashi, and repeating the act. Sheathing his blades, he looks over the former prisoner. Dropping the dirtied cloths back onto Sauls body he spits on it after Nel finishes checking it, and then turning to her, "Anata wa imamade kono hito o mita koto ga arimasu ka? Sauru wa akiraka ni kare o sukide wa nakattaga, kare wa masani senshi no yō ni jibun jishin o hakobu koto wa arimasen."
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The two men scurry out of the fighting pit. Their footsteps echo as they turn down the stone corridor and up the stairs to the upper levels.
Nel, looking over Saul's possesions, finds three vials, his armor, rapier, a ruby earring, a ring of keys, and a belt pouch with 50 gold in it. She also notices that Saul's key stump seems to be sharpened and can be removed. The key stump itself seems to be coated in a substance.
Pluck picks through the items retrieved by Nel. "This vial is magical, but whatever it is, I haven't run into it before. Same goes for the armor. The rapier is enchanted to strike more true. It will make it easier to hit things and you'll like hurt them more when you do. As nice as Mazra's current rapier is, this would be better. I wish I'd studied alchemy, but I haven't yet so I'm not sure about those other vials."
The man smiles as he sheathes his sword before giving handshakes all around. "Ianez Gastnicht, itinerant researcher and historian." He has a trace of a Varisian accent, and now that you're closer you can see that the lines in his face and lightening of his hair are more due to a lot of time spent outdoors than age. "Saul said something about finding out how I got in here, and who else I was working with." While he speaks, he draws a wand and taps himself with it; a puncture wound on his upper arm heals over as he does so.
"As to how I got here, I'm actually investigating the Blot. I'd gotten this idea that it was tied to the Cyphergate, so I was doing an initial survey of the areas around the legs of the arch. I spotted a very well-concealed opening and decided to take a look." He looks a little abashed. "That was a mistake. There was someone there--I only caught a glimpse of her after she shot me, and the bolt must have been poisoned. That was the last thing I remember until I woke up in here. She--I don't know. She looked like an elf, if you can imagine one drawn in charcoal and ash. I've never seen anything quite like her before."
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First Mazra will look at Pluck, "Do you need healing? Anyone else hurt gather around?" "You too sir," Mazra will look at Ianez. "Save your uses on the Wand. Cayden, we need some fixin' up here." Mazra Channels healing energies.
Mazra will then look at Ianez directly, "Well met. May I ask what you have discovered about the Blot?"
Ianez shakes his head. "All I've found is negative--eliminating possibilities. There are so many things it could be, though. I'm probably not even asking the right questions!"
Kwava shakes his head at Ianez, saying "You said you saw an elf with dark skin? Beneath the Cyphergate? What is this entrance you speak of?"
He moves his hand to rest on his bow, eagerly waiting Ianez's answer.
"I can take you to it. Unless they carried me back outside after I was unconscious, though, there must be a way to get there from here. Can any of you follow a trail?"
"Hang on Kwava. I know you're anxious to get to the bottom of things. I am too. But we should prepare more first. Let's see what else we can find here at the Goblin...and even see if the priests can help us learn more from Saul. Not to mention that I should prepare more spells."
"Do you need any help? I owe you, after all."
"I think we'll soon be needing your help finding that area you were poking around the Cyphergate. But right now an ale sounds like a great idea."
"I can have a go at them. And then ale--my head is still throbbing from whatever was on that crossbow bolt." The historian murmurs a familiar cantrip and concentrates on the items.
"I can't figure out the armor, either, but that vial is a potion of barkskin +2."
"That sounds like something for Tamiro or Nel. Those two are always at risk of getting nicked up. Mazra too, but he's usually a few seconds behind that pair."
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Pigsaw's now empty cage has a filthy leather vest with bulging pockets in the corner.
Most of the Gold Goblin's staff have abandoned the place or are lying dead in their own pools of blood. Nel finds that the key ring opens all the doors, including the door to the Vault. Inside, the Vault is sparse, with only 600 gold pieces in the bags on the shelves. In addition, there is a locked iron chest built into the wall.
Under the desk in the floor manager's office is a loaded crossbow, as well as a vial labelled "blue whinnis".
The kitchen and bar remain fully stocked, with standard ingredients for meals and a variety of beer, wine and spirits ready for sale. The dining room continues to have its fine gold candlesticks, thick purple tapestries and silverware set out and undisturbed.
Saul's office itself contains massive wyvern skin-covered desk and chair set, his humidor filled with a number of cigars, a mother-of-pearl snuffbox and a portrait of therianthropes gathered around a table playing a hand of golem.
The historian proves to be quite observant, pulling a signet ring out of a pile of dirty hay in the pig cage (along with a few human-looking teeth, which he grimaces at). He casts the cantrip again on the shirt and the crossbow. "Hmmm...this shirt will actually create crafting tools once per day, and the crossbow carries a minor enhancement."
He examines the locked chest with a practiced eye, then produces a set of lockpicks and spends some time getting the chest open. "This place is called the Gold Goblin, you said? This is the deed, though it specifically exempts the smuggler's tunnels under the casino. And if I recall my local laws, physical possession of the deed carries ownership of the property."
Leading the sweep of the Goblin, Nel twirls the large key in her gauntleted hand. It was strange, she would have sworn that she had heard that the key went to the vault, but now examining the lock, there was no way it would fit. "Naturally that rat would leave a larger mystery than normal." Wandering into the now open vault, Nel's eyes go wide.
"What the hell?! Where's all the coin?! Damn it Vancaskerkin!" Spiking the stupid key down onto the floor of the vault, Nel takes several deep breaths as panic sets in. The amount of gold in the vault was barley what they brought in for a day. Bending down to pick up the key, Nel storms off to the bar. Offering a grunt to the others, the cavalier slides over the surface, before rooting to the back of bottles. She pulls out an unmarked bottle before taking a large swig, before turning her attention to Mazra.
"So, we're broke, and I suspect that Saul's been forging all of the books. Freaking great. I knew I should have never trusted that raklo. Let's hope that no one wins big this week, or we'll have to shut our doors for good." Sitting down harshly on a stool, Nel seethes as she nurses her drink.
Before leaving the room, Tamiro grabs Sauls head. Walking past Nel as she spikes the key and curses Saul, Tamiro heads up stairs, grabbing a bottle of rum for himself, sets the head on the counter, and takes a long pull from it.
"Why should we go hunting elves who color themselves with coal. I do not see it as uncommon for a foolish human to provoke them. They are all easily provoked, especially when snooping around their things." Tamiro says, putting the bottle on the counter, and pointedly looking at Ianez.
"If he has somehow riled up a group of elves, it is his business to contend with. Not ours. You, wizard, and your elfen friend are still nothing but secrets, and I still trust him less than our old boss." Tapping the head of Saul on the counter, "You see where that ended up."
Taking a long moment, he up ends the entire bottle of rum, draining it, and throwing it at the wall, angrily.
"You disappear, only to return at our betrayal, talking about elfen fairytales, and elfen enemies like it concerns us. From what I have seen, and from what I know, I do not see how it concerns us. The others may be happy at your return. I am not. I do not like people who disappear, only to return without warning."
"Sekai de dare mo akuma wa arimasen."
Pluck smiles wryly at Nel's frustration, "Told you we should have kept him alive. But there's still hope. Shall we see if Mazra's friends can help us shed any light on these mysteries? Key. Gold. Dark-skinned friend. How many wishes do we get Mazra? I hope its at least three."
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"I'm afraid my Genie long ago left his bottle. Speaking of bottle..." Mazra will find some Ale and momentarily enjoy himself. "I don't think dragging Saul's sorry corpse around town is a good idea. I will head to the Tavern and ask around if someone there can come here to assist us. Anyone want to join me?"
Giving Pluck a dark look, Nel takes a deep swig from her bottle. "Hardly. Vancaskerkin and his ilk are more dangerous alive than dead." Placing the drink down with a loud clunk, the cavalier gives Tamiro a look. "Can you not put that on the bar? Someone's going to have to clean it up." Grumbling to herself, Nel begins to relax as she feels the drink beginning to run to her head.
Flushing slightly as the alcohol hits, she turns to Mazra, "Hey, how much do you think that Saul had to pay to kill us? Like, how much are our lives worth?" As she waits for a reply, Nel begins to rock back and forth on her stool.
Pluck snaps back, "You know. You can kill people after you question them. Especially dangerous people like your former employer. I certainly wasn't suggesting that we have a nice chat with Saul and then turn the bastard back out on the street. If you want to survive in Riddleport, you'd better be prepared to be ruthless and smart. The ones that only master one of those end up dead." Passing up the alcohol, the wizard adds "I'll go with you Mazra. Might be a bit of a trick to get a priest with the right spell down here and the rest of this little party isn't carrying much weight above the shoulders."
Standing up abruptly, Nel knocks over her bottle. "I don't like your tone. I've been smart. Just because I have a different way of doing things, doesn't mean that my way is wrong. Or am I just some dumb half-elf to you?" Positively spitting out word elf, Nel's ears twitch in anger. "Look, I didn't mean to kill the bastard, but shit happens. It wasn't an intentional slight against you, but if the great Pluck wants to take it as such, then fine." Before anyone else can say anything Nel storms off outside, slamming the door to the kitchen loudly.
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Mazra will look at Nel, "I have no idea Nel, but whatever Saul paid to try to kill us was not nearly enough." When Nel gets angry and storms off, Mazra will just watch.
He will then look at Pluck, "She is a fine warrior. I for one have no regrets putting my Rapier into Saul's gut. Heck, some of his blood is still on my blade. But come on let's go over to the Tavern and find someone who can talk to this dead SOB."
Pluck and Mazra will head over to the Tavern of Cayden Cailean.
In the aftermath of the departures, peaceful and otherwise, Ianez finishes his ale and looks around at the samurai and the elf, finally addressing his quiet question to the latter. "Your pardon...are they always like this?"
On the way to the temple, Pluck observes, "Look, I'm a lot less upset with you and Nel than that hothead Tamiro. Maybe the three of you are content to settle in and run the Goblin. That's fine with me. But if you're going to help Kwava and I hunt down whoever Saul is working with, we're going to have to start working smarter. That pit was the right tactic. If the rest of you had moved in and fenced in Saul, sooner or later he would have fallen in. Hell, you could have pushed him into it. Then, we could have dealt with his men and had him right where we wanted him. You know I can dismiss that spell anytime I'd like, right? And they're not going to listen to me right now, but you might want to remind everyone that likes to stick people with those things..." He says gesturing to the rapier. "...that you can also use them to knock people out. Sometimes you make a mistake and kill them that way too, but its a lot less likely. Oh look, here we are. You think you can get a priest with the right spell to come with us or need me to invent a sob story?"
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The Publican's House, as always, is filled with boisterious cheers and the sweet scent of spilled ale. High Publician Arnando Rolf is standing in the middle of the tavern, overseeing a strange of contest involving the stacking of tables, barstools and even sideboards. A man manages to place nine mugs of ale on a bar stoole, lift the table and place back down on the ground, all without spilling a drop of ale. As the crowd cheers and a new challenger comes forward, he walks over to a box, shuffles through a few items and picks out a a bottle of brandy as his prize.
"Anata no nō wa anata o bakaninaranai-yō ni chūi shimasu." Tamiro says, glaring at Pluck as the the wizard and cleric leave.
Taking another deep drink he calls out, "Old man! Why did you anger the elves? Will they be coming here for revenge? Can you wield a blade?"
Drinking more, he continues "I suppose since Saul tied you up to kill you, you at least deserve some trust. Unlike this wizard and his elf pet who appear out of no where with their secrets and information."
Pulling his blades out of his belt, he lays them on the table and slouches down in the chair.
"As my father always said, Ame no nochi ni seiten ga kimasu."
Ianez shrugs. "I don't know. I thought this was a fairly low-risk piece of research. Unlike some I've done--but that's not important. I'm a fair hand with a blade, but I'm much better with a bow."
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As Mazra and Pluck converse on their way to the Tavern of Cayden Cailean. "Wizard, I hear what are you are saying. And I see the wisdom in it. But while you were gone, I gave my allegiances to Nel to lead our group. If she felt it was time to end Saul, then so be it. As he is now, he cannot cause us any harm, yet his essence remains. And from that, we may still get our answers. I am surprised at one thing. You are a gambler. Do you not see the value in making the Gold Goblin successful? All we need is to find the right people to handle the day-to-day affairs, then that will give us the time to investigate matters further. But at least we will have a base. And a base that is quite pleasing to me. And I would bet it is to you as well."
At the Tavern of Cayden Cailean, Mazra approaches the High Publican, "A bottle of fine distilled wine as a trophy, impressive High Publican. That is worth celebrating. Come let me get you an ale." Mazra gets a round of ales for the High Publican, Pluck and himself. After drinking it down, Mazra asks the High Publican, "We need to find someone who can speak with the dead. We can provide coin or good spirits for the service. Or maybe better yet, a stay at the Gold Goblin. We will even stake them some chips."
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Arnando Rolf lets out a mightly laugh and claps Mazra on the back. "Of course I will provide my services, Mazra. After all, I feel that you are living up to Cayden's Wisdom. I shall provide this service free of charge. After all," he points to the placard on the wall, "do good, enjoy life, have a drink now and then, and stand up for what you believe in. I do not know what path Cayden has set for you, but I believe it is a great one. If you can, come visit us on the next First Brewing, and you will have a place of honor."
He winks and adds, "But I will take you up on that offer of a night at Golem."
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Mazra will look at Armando Rolf, "Excellent, I would really like to be a part of the next First Brewing. But for now, I have a dead miscreant over at the Gold Goblin. I would like to get over there before he gets too ripe. He hired others to have us killed, but alas that fate has fallen on him instead. We have questions that need answering, so High Publican your presence would be most welcome. I fear nefarious forces are at work, and I mean beyond the norm, here in Riddleport."
On the way to the Tavern, Pluck adds "Fair enough Mazra. That is good advice. I will speak with Nel when the time is right and seek to make things right with her. As for the Goblin, while that would be great fun, this other puzzle is more my concern. I hope your High Publican can get us the answers we need. If not, we'll have to see about this newcomers memory."
After visiting the Tavern, Pluck muses Well that was far easier than I thought it might be. Very trusting priests. I'll have to remember that for the future.
"Three questions you say. See, it is just like a genie Mazra." Pluck grins. "Well, we've got three things we want to know about. 'Where is your gold?' 'What does the key go to?' Who are you working with?' I think we're going to need to work on the wording of these though. We need to get some solid answers."
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Mazra will continue his chat with Pluck on the way back to the GG, "With the Gold Goblin, it far more than fun, though there is that too, it gives us a presence in Riddleport and an important presence at that. I see the Gold Goblin as potentially a way to get connected deeply with everything that goes on in this town."
He will then respond when asked about the three questions, "I suggest we gather Nel, Tamiro and the rest and get their thoughts. I will be fine with whatever questions the party decides."
That could have its benefits. I'll have to see what Tammerhawk thinks. "I'll definitely give that offer some thought Mazra."
As Pluck and Mazra return, Tamiro will look up and see the priest of Caileen.
"That was fast. I will retrieve Ken otome." standing, he takes the bottle with him as he heads for the back kitchen, looking for Nel, wandering into the back stables if necessary.
"Ken otome! Hokanohito ga sudeni shisai ni modorimashita. Watashitachiha atama no tame san shitsumon o ukeru yō ni kikoemasu."
Nel releases a weary sigh as she stands from the stool she had been sitting. Her eyes are slightly swollen, and the front of her normally pristine tabard covered in muck. "Ah, really? Watashi wa sore o sukippu suru hanbun no kokoro o motte imasu. Watashi wa Erufu ga itte iru ka nani o ki ni shite imasu ka?" Offering the samurai a tired smile, Nel follows Tamiro back into the Gold Goblin.
"Ah, Father Rolf how nice to see you again. What a pleasant surprise." Slipping back into a cheerful attitude, Nel offers a kind smile to the brew master, while standing near the back of the group to stay out of the way.
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Mazra will step back and whisper to Nel, "Cum faci? Nu lasa magie utilizatorul ajunge la tine. Avem nevoie de tine pentru a ne ajuta să se ocupe cu aliaţii lui Saul. Şi să ne rula acest loc ajuta. Acesta va face o casă bună.
Mazra will then speak out toward Pluck, "Pluck, go ahead with your suggestions again for questions for poor dead Saul." Mazra will then look to find some Ale.
Patting Mazra's shoulder gently Nel offers a sly smile to him. "Nais tuke, Mazra." Gently tapping his shoulder with her guantlet, Nel continues "Nu plănuiesc pe abandonarea nimeni . Vom găsi aliați Saul și profiturile noastre lipsesc inainte de saptamana este de până . Promit."
Her talk with Mazra done, Nel approaches the bar being careful not to trip over the damn rug Saul had insisted upon. "Pluck, may I make a suggestion? Could we change the question about the gold to 'Where can we find D.A?' Most of the money Saul funneled from under my nose was to someone known as D.A" Slamming her gauntlet down on the bar, Nel's nose flares in annoyance at the betrayal. Realizing that she is making a scene, Nel shakes her head before continuing. "I think we will need to be more specific about the key. 'Where does the key you used as a dagger go to?' might be a better phrasing. " Trying to keep her face neutral, Nel watches Plucks face for any signs of his mood.
Pluck nods to Nel, "Of course you can ask about D.A. I thought it was only to ask about the gold for those of you who have been working here. If that is a more sure path to your answer, let's ask that instead. There is a possibility this D.A. is connected to our search as well. You're right about narrowing the question about the key too. I'm sure he had many. So, we start with 'Where can we find D.A.?' Perhaps 'Where do we find the lock that the key you used as a dagger goes to?' Maybe, we need to change the last question too. If we are to assume that this D.A. is who Saul is working with, let's ask 'Who is D.A.?"
Ianez keeps to the background, pausing only to ask Mazra, "The signet ring I found in the pig pen belonged to someone named Feldin--Larur Feldin, I think. It was a little hard to read. Do you know who that is?"
Nodding to Nel, he sighs as he replies, "Hayaku watashitachiha, hayaku wareware wa, dōro-jō de korera no akuma o shutoku suru koto ga dekimasu to no ue ni kore o shutoku shimasu."
Upon returning he puts the empty bottle on the counter and crosses his arms as he listens to the others. He remains fairly neutral in the discussions, seeing that the others seem to have anything he would find interesting under control. Listening tot he information about an S.A. though, he slips in with his request.
"I am interested in finding this S.A as well. If this string of treachery extends further, I want to make sure to pull it up by the roots. Friends, family, lovers. I want all of their heads. I care little for the gold, it is a means to an end. The end being my blade at their necks. I will make sure that all Riddleport knows not to try such tactics against us."
Hearing the priest ask about the body, he will give a wry grin, and thumb towards Sauls head, "He is currently the head of the bar, Father."