Safe at the goblin, Biggs lays down his pack and sheds his armor, glad to finally get a little rest. He does keep his hammer on him.
"well lassy looks like we at least got about half the silver back. And what are these scrolls... Hmm and a wand!"
Casts read magic and examines the scrolls.
"well those will be helpful! Shall we tell the boss man what we have found? And after that, pretty lassy, you and I deserve some strong drinks!"
"Absolutely my good friend!" - Anežka laughs heartily - "Yes, let's find Saul and tell him about our little ordeal... And then, to celebrate! First round's on me!"
Saul smiles and seems to be in utter shock. Well done you two. Well done. A shame that they got away though.
He collects the coin that you return to him with a sigh of relief and introduces you to the new staff members, of particular note is Samaritha Beldusk who is to be a new server. She is in town trying to get accepted to the Cyphergate as a student, though currently she has met with little success.
The next evening the Goblin reopens. The floor manager, the dwarf Larur Feldin spends a great deal of time fussing over you both, bringing you extra meat and ale to your rooms and he provides each of you with a new set of clothing (worth 15 gold!) . All in all he seems to be the nicest person you have met in Riddleport.
At last it is opening night. Things are going well, until 4 slightly inebriated sailors show up, they mve about shouting and raging that they never got a chance to win back their money in the tournament and they want triple their entry fee back.
Biggs steps up and puts a hand on one of the sailors, wearing his armor once again.
time to get to bouncing duties eh?
"my friend, I do believe you have had enough ale, and should be in your merry before. Either that or you and me long shafted hammer will have a very different conversation"
Shut up stumpy! This place robbed us and we want our damages!
The other 3 rise up and move to surround Biggs
Seeing the drunken sailors trying to gang up on Biggs, Anežka quickly makes her way to her friend's side - "Please, please, there is no need to raise your voice." - she addresses the trio, beaming them a large smile - "I'm sure strong, intelligent men such as yourselves fully understand what happened was an extraordinary occurrence, and nobody's fault but the thieves' that tried to rob the place." She pauses for a moment, looking each of them in the eye.
"Fortunately, before any serious harm could come to our dearest patrons, we were able to drive them off. Oh! No need to thank us for saving your lives, you are very welcome. Our patrons wellbeing is the top priority here at the Golden Goblin. Now, I won't keep you further, I'm sure you are eager to return to your gambling." Anežka smiles at them once more, a bit mischievously this time, trying to point them back to the gambling tables.
The men watch Anezka walk over, hands on swords and drinks in other hands.
They listen then promptly the leader throws his drink in Anezka's face. They all laugh, and continue to knock over chairs.
"You disgraceful, disgusting pigs!" - Anežka yells, taking a step back from the group of drunken sailors - "Out of pity for the miserable existence you call your own, I've given you one chance to back away and stop harassing your betters! Since any kind of generosity is wasted on refuse such as yourselves, I'll see to teach you your place myself!"
An expression of pure contempt on her face, Anežka puts on a great show of casting magic, moving her arms in exaggerated arcs and chanting in an unnecessary loud voice.
"Ooooh missstressss, you sssummon me again?... Thisss men? Ssshould I sssstab them, missstressss? And drink their blood? And eat their eyessss... Uhmm... Tasssty, juicy, eyesssss!" - A disembodied voice suddenly whispers, loud enough that all drunken sailor could hear it.
"Yes, help yourself... And start with this one, would you kindly?" - Anežka says slowly, while pointing to the one that threw the drink in her face.
one of the sailors turns and bolts out of the building. One of them says I've seen trickery like this before!
The other two draw their blades shouting. She is trying to murder us!
[ooc] map up in 3 minutes. Go heroes[/b]
"Ungrateful curs! It is one thing to try my patience but you shall learn to respect the pretty lady! By the end of my shaft, I swear you shall pay!"
Biggs swings his hammer at the closest of the men, furious spittle spewing from his mouth as he screams.
"You should have left when you had the chance!" - Anežka shouts to the sailors - "Attack us, and we will defend ourselves!"
Anežka takes a step back, points her finger, and a rainbow of colors erupt from the tip, engulfing two of the men.
Then with a quick flick of the wrist, her forms blurs for a second and she vanishes into thin air, only to reappear a few feet away, behind her capable companion.
2 of the thugs collapse, and th third screams as one of his ribs shatters.
He swings his short sword at Biggs, not realizing he is now alone.
it misses
Finish it!
Biggs reaches forward and attempt to grab the last standing drunk.
"Come here you bastard!"
bzzzzttt suddenly throughout the entire goblin there is a zapping sound and clanking as metal seems to be attracted to other metal, asBiggs grabs hold of the man he feels the sword clank onto his breastplate and he feels his hammer slam into his thigh plate. It appears that all the metal in the room just magnetized.
the man is grappled, and he tries to stab Biggs with his magnetic sword
it is attracted directly to a seem in the armor and biggs is cut for
"BAH! HE CUT ME MY LADY! AVENGE ME!"
"you should have left when I had the decency to let you, you vile son of an orc wench! You should have known better than to try and screw around at the Gold Goblin"
Pinned. Saul makes his way over and kicks the street tough in the head until he is out cold.
"Good work, Boss Man! *spits on the thug* These fools thought they could cause trouble... can you believe that bastard disrespected our pretty Anezka?! Hmm... do you recognize their dress? I wonder were they sailed in from?"
Saul quiets the crowd, and sends Larur to get the gendarmes.
Everyone listen up. I would like you to meet my new partners. He points to Anezka and Biggs. They have a stake in the Goblin now so don't come in here causing trouble! From now on there is no more lawless activities here, so those of you spying for your criminal organizations make sure you let your bosses know!
He pauses as everyone looks around
Finally starting tonight. If you don't work at the goblin you will be checking your weapons at the door. No exceptions. Once the floor manager returns he will take what you have.
There is an equal amount of outrage at the last, and applause. Some people leave, most stay.
Saul loots the thugs and says to you both I believe this is your share. He gives you each 5 gold.
After another 5 minutes all the magnetized metal falls to the floor. A minute or two after that Larur comes in with gendarmes who remove the thugs.
Biggs, excited to see a fellow Dwarf, and a kind one at that, heads over to the floor master and says in dwarven:
"Well met, friend. What brings you to Riddleport? What clan do you hail from? What can ye tell me about that strange magnetized thingamajigger?"
As to the magnetizing, I don't know apparently it happened all over the city. The guards had a tough time getting their halberds unstuck. Strangeness. You might want to fix that cut, you are bleeding into your drink.
"Damn disgusting pieces of sunken trash, they deserve to rot in a god-forsaken prison on a deserted island in the middle of-"
Anežka keeps grumbling under her breath, while using her arcane expertise to clean herself and her clothes, extending the same courtesy to her friend.
"I'm sorry they managed to wound you Biggs" - Anežka tells her friend, concerned - "Thrice-blasted fools... Do you need healing? Can I help you in any way?"
'Uhmm... During the fight... What happened... It seemed like a magical force affected the metal in the room, yet I didn't sense anyone casting any spells... Disturbing... And intriguing!'
Anezka finds her waiting tables. She watches for a moment and realizes that the half elf is shockingly good at being a waitress, she is attractive and flirts just a bit, but never gets an order wrong and seems to know everyones name. It is only her first day.
She notices Anezka and smiles as she walks by to another table.
That was an impressive spell you cast. It is hard to place a color spray that well.
before heading to the dwarf...
"Thank you Anezka! I am glad you are ok and hope we have defended your honor. I think I shall go make friends with that there dwarf, see what he knows. I am curious about that magnetic power... let's try to figure that out, eh?"
"Well, I'll have ta ask ya te keep a secret, one dwarf to another. Don't tell noone bout this... specially not the Boss Man, Saul. I fear they wouldn't take... too well to it."
Biggs then takes out one of his holy symbols of Torag and presses it to his wound as healing light leaps out of it.
"Thank ye fer the ale. Let's do a bit of good ol' dwarven drinking! I myself hail from deep within the northern mountains. Me father was a well-renowned smithy, and I grew up learning the trade and practicing with arms and armor. As a young lad, I fought in the Deep Wars against the dirty Drow and their underground abominations."
"Aye, perhaps he don't have any grudge against the clergy of Torag... but I would rather he not know of the church's presence here, less he take offence, ye understand?"
"Aha, it may take me a bit o' practice to remember how to work a forge, but I reckon I could whip you up a couple nice throwing axes! Ah yes... the damn dark skinned elves. They made allegiences with many dark things in the deep... devils and demons. They spent years raping and pillaging our underground cities. Some of the greatest we had to abandon... it was a brutal war and I would not hesitate to kill any one of them on the spot! BAH!"
That was an impressive spell you cast. It is hard to place a color spray that well.
"Oh, you recognized my spell!" - Anežka tells the half-elf excitedly - "It's so rare to find someone who has that kind of talent!... Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners! I'm Anežka Tzvana, and it's a pleasure to meet you..." - With a large smile, Anežka offers the woman her hand to shake.
"Say, after your shift is over, I'd love to talk some more... You must know a thing or two about spellcasting, and we could compare notes! What do you say?" She asks expectantly, almost holding her breath.
She readily agrees.
Later that evening she listens to all Anezka can tell her about Conjuration and then tells her about her own specialization of Transmutaion.
Want to trade spells? she says conspiratorially.
0: acid splash, detect magic, light, read magic
1: animate rope, grease, mage armor, ray of enfeeblement, reduce person,
2:daze monster, flaming sphere, scorching ray, levitate
ok time for me to crash it is 2 am here
"Sure thing!" - Anežka replies, delighted - "Let's see what we can trade..."
After they're both satisfied, Anežka thanks Samaritha profusely, suggesting they could do it again in the future, and gets a good night's rest.
She studies with anezka and also learns some spells, in her case summon monster and color spray.
thank you for this! I may not be accepted yet but perhaps increased spell knowledge will help!
As you are getting into the swing of things, towards the end of the first week, Saul grabs you both and takes you up to the catwalks, he points to a bulky man with short hair playing bounder.
Clegg Zilcher, one of the biggest crimelorsd in the city. He has it out for me for sure. See how everyone is giving him a wide birth? He doesn't even gamble. Keep an eye on him for me. He means trouble I know it.
"Aye... he does appear to be up to no good. I think I'll go say hello...
Biggs' hand goes to his trusty hammer as he thoughfully tugs one of the rings in his beard.
Hmm... how dangerous is this fella? Is it likely he has a crew somewhere neaby?"
Dangerous. Very very dangerous, but I suspect he won't start a fight…probably while here. He is here for something else. But I suspect at least 4 or 5 of the gamblers are his men
"Well... I better go see if I can figger out what it is he wants"
Biggs will make his way down to the floor, pretending to be making a routine patrol of the building, and keep a careful eye on the man, whilst also keeping on eye out for anyone he suspects may be here with him.
By my beard... he disappeared! Just like that, he was here and now he's gone! BLAST IT ALL!
Biggs realizes that he was looking a particularly attractive female dwarf, but he gets his bearings.
Biggs gives the she-dwarf a wink and a smile, and asks if she'd like to see his longshafted hammer? He ducks just in time to avoid being slapped, and then remembers what he is doing, and wonders what that lady had against fine dwarven weaponry!
non lethal as Biggs catches the fist in the side of the head.
there is a general guffaw from all around and Larur stops by
I think she likes you. She is quite the lady! then he is rushed on his way
Biggs blushes and wishes he had time to do some more sweet talkin, but the game is afoot! He gives his dwarven friend (Larur is the Dwarven Floor manager right?) a quick smile.
"Don't go anywhere fair lady, that was a fine punch, and I would love to apologize for my actions over an ale sometime, but alas, I have business I must continue with..."
He will continue to follow Clegg, all inconspicuous like.
"Uh... Let's not get sidetracked now" - Anežka whispers Biggs when she notices her friend seems to be quite a bit taken by a nearby dwarven beauty - "We should keep an eye on this Clegg Zilcher... Or maybe not? Look at him! He came in here blatantly, without trying to hide in the slightest... Surely he expects us to keep an eye on him..."
"Let's not play his game!" - she exclaims, after pondering for a moment - "let's go talk to him and see what he wants!"
My dear I am gambling. Not very well unfortunately. He says as he puts down another bet.
"I don't mean to be rude" - Anežka tells the man, weighing her words carefully - "But since you are a... Competitor?... Of the owner of this establishment, could I ask you why did you choose to come here today?"
Anežka beams the man the largest smile she can muster, but at the same time remains ready to jump back and use her magic if he becomes in any way violent.
Well there was a rumor Saul had some new talent, and I wanted to see it myself. And I must say attractive and surly. I believe I have now! He says with a rather disarming smile as he looks at both Anezka and Biggs.
"Oh? Well, in that case it's a pleasure to meet you." - Anežka gives the man a slight bow - "And as long as you have no bad intentions, you are free to stay and gamble freely. I'll leave you to it then, and good luck!"
After their conversation Anežka leaves Clegg alone, but she tries to find a good spot in the room where she can keep an eye on him, possibly without being too abvious about it.