"Good morning. I am searching for an inn called the Six with Eight Tails. My companions and I agreed to meet there should we get separated. Unfortunately I am, ah, very lost. I would very much like to get there without being mugged."
"Reef, you must be tired. You have my permission to retire for the morning. I'll make accommodations for our guest."
The huge man's bristling eyebrows meet as his brow furrows.
"But the Master said to--"
"I'm well aware of what the Master said, Reef. Am I not Mistress of this house?"
"Yes, Mistress."
"Then do as I say. I'll tell Hansi you were most helpful. Now go on. Off with you."
"Yes, Mistress," replies Reef, hunching his expansive shoulders in what might be a bow, then turning and striding off. The woman gives an exasperated sigh and the smile returns as she regards you.
"Well, hello there. I'm Vitkoria Mancino. My husband, Hansi, and I run this establishment. You must be one of the companions of that strapping young fellow Hansi found wandering around downstairs."
She reaches into her bodice and produces a folded piece of heavy paper, wrapped in a thin, red ribbon.
"My husband, bothersome little imp that he is, is planning on using your friend Auric to make some mischief. Poor lad doesn't realize it. Hansi is sneaky that way. What I need you to do is go to the Wharf Market to a friend of mine and deliver this letter. I'm afraid you won't get much sleep, as I need it to arrive before Hansi sends your friend out on his delivery. When you're done, you can either wait around and meet Auric when he arrives, or return here and rest. If you do this for me, I'll get you a good room and your first day's stay and meals will be on the house. Do we have an accord?"
"He's a rug merchant by the name of Ceryl. Just tell him Hansi Mancino wishes to pay him what he's owed. No worries about the delivery," he says, going behind the counter and retrieving an item, which he brings over and presents to you. It is a wooden box, about five inches long, three wide, and three deep. The box has seen better days, as much of its veneer has worn away. However, set into the box's lid is a blue-green gem of considerable size and the box hsi held shut with silver wire. "Simply ensure the box remains unopened. Part of its value is that it remains intact. I doubt anyone will accost a an of your size and bearing in broad daylight, so aside from keeping it out of the hands of pickpockets, it's a simple enough task."
At your request, he sends one of the serving girls to the kitchen, who eturns with a cloth wrapped around a pile of grist, cast off from hand-milling some grain or another. "Will this do?"
As Auric gathers his things, the same serving girl holds out a basket to him before he exits. It smells of baked goods. "Master Mancino said to give you these. On the house." Inside are three freshly baked meat pies.
Exiting the Six with Eight Tails, a voice pipes up to Auric's left.
"New to the city, mister? Need a guide? This tout will getchu where you need to go."
Leaning against the wall of the inn is a short, lean woman with short, dark hair. Her brow is crowned by a pair of small horns. Cradled in one arm is a short staff with a light green scrap of cloth tied to its tip.
Weasel Dodd is a verbose man. On your trip you think he might have spoken more words to you than your lost companions did the entire trip across the Marches and the Tindal Sea. He chatters non-stop about whatever crosses his mind, which appears to be whatever is in front of his face at that moment. You get a jumbled picture of the city of Fardusk on your tour, some pieces of which might come in handy later. Other than having your ears talked off, nothing disturbs you on your walk. Eventually, Weasel brings you to a large two-story building on the edge of the harbor. If this is truly an inn, it's the biggest you've ever seen. The entirety of the Huntsman's Rest, including the yard, could fit in this building. Hanging over the double doors is a large, wooden plaque, with an unusual symbol burned into the wood.
"Here we are! That'll be four Shields for my time, if ye please," says Weasel with another gap-toothed grin.
"Shield, for the coat of arms on one side. Tower, likewise for the image on it. Drake. My sister says its more of a wyvern, but everyone calls 'em drakes. These are used like money. The markings show you what value of coin, and how many the marker can call in. Just about any merchant will take them. Only types I know that don't are low-life crooks who won't risk cashing them, and old stuck-in-the-muds that insist on trading in coin. This one's worth...well.
She quickly picks it up again and returns it to your hand. [b]"Don't be flashing that one around. You could buy yourself a carriage with that, plus the team to pull it around town. Since it's too late to get you a room, you want to rent a box to lock up your things? Probably safer that way."
"Yeah, is it that obvious? Can you show me to the wharf market? I got an appointment. How much would that cost me?"
He takes a bite of the meat pie, holding out the basket to the tout for her to take one.
For the next week I will be at Gen-Con and/or decompressing after Gen-Con. If you're there, I'll be around the Sagamore Ballroom running PFS all through the Con. Feel free to look me up! However I will probably not be accessing the boards much so feel free to NPC me if needed!
Thanks!
James
"Ye keep lookin' around with what we call the 'yokel stare.' It invites grifters, pickpockets, an' also gets more bugs in yer open maw than most folk like."
She eyes the offered pies a moment, then snatches one up and takes a bite. She chews thoughtfully a moment, then swallows the morsel and answers you.
"This pie plus a pair o' shields. I'll get you there by the quickest route."
"Most appreciated, m'lord! I'll be happy to extend my service to ya, if'n needs be, should you wish to go anywhere else. Know the city like the back of me hand. Get ye where ye want to go faster 'n a greased quickling."
"Convinced a couple of merchants to share a bed. Here's the key to your room. Top of the stairs, last door on the right at the end of the hall." She hands you the key, eyeing your owl. "Make sure you clean up after the bird, or I'll charge you extra," she says, giving a smile that ends up somewhat crooked thanks to the scar tissue on her face. "If you need anything else, just ask me or my sister, or one of the help. I'm Kess. My sister is Marza." She looks at Kalaya a bit more and the smile vanishes. [b]"Are you all right? You seem a bit more than just tired."
A hatchet-faced man, thin but sporting a belly, is speaking with a couple of workers at the bar. He spots your entrance and raises his eyebrows. A broad smile comes across his face and he gives you a welcoming wave.
Once they're away from the tavern, he'll ask: "You know anything about a rug merchant named Ceryl?"
"Greetings, sir," he says to the hatchet-faced man, bowing his head slightly. "My name is Stilgar. I had heard of this establishment elsewhere, and was hoping to find some friends of mine here. We somehow managed to get separated, you see."
He pulls a tower from the back of his boot while pretending to itch his leg.
"Yeah, I can deal. I'd rather spend the coin now than regret it later. What do you need?", he says, tossing her the silver coin.
"And you got a name, besides 'tout'? I got a sense that you might have a repeat customer on your hands."
"Splendid," Stilgar replies with a genuine smile. "Yes, I think I will wait here for him." After a moment's thought, he asks while glancing about, [b]"Ah, have any of the others happened upon here?"
You see no sign of Kess or Marza, but the staff tells you they should be awake in a couple of hours. In the meantime, there is warm bread from a bakery down the street, as well as cheese and fruit ready to be had.
She keeps walking for a time, then slows, looking over her shoulder at you and biting her lip before speaking. You can see she has rather pronounced canines to go with the horns.
This friend o' yers, Jon. What's his game? He's got all kinds of powerful magic, but then hires me like he's just some lost rube, tossing me handfuls o' money like he's got no sense of its worth nor wit to suss it out. Is he playin' me? I feel like I got my head on backwards an' I don't like it."
"Yeah, guess so. Temper's getting away from me, what with the cursed box and all."
He listens as she talks about Jon's confusing behavior, lets out a dry chuckle.
"I doubt he's playing you. Jon's... well, Jon values things a bit differently from you or me. He's a nature priest, so money... money's just a shiny object to him. You or I see some coin and we think about how we'd spend it- on food or a comfortable place to sleep or a new pair of boots. Jon already gets that stuff from the world, since he knows what to eat in a forest, he likes sleeping outside or in a stable, since it's near the animals."
"He could probably find where he wants to go, but I imagine a city like this kinda gets on his nerves a little. Not many trees around, right? So if he throws you a lot of coin, it might just be that he doesn't even know what they're worth. Does that make sense?"
"Seeing as how I'm stuck with this cursed box for the time being, is there a temple around? One that lifts curses?"
At the mention of temples, she frowns. "Aye, you go uptown to the Street of the Gods, an' you can't throw a stone without hitting an idol. A lot of 'em don't like...my kind of people. There's likely some what would put up with me bein' around, but I don't know who they'd be. Know of a couple of folk who are versed in the arts that aren't complete a*#+*+~%s. They might be able to help you for a bit o' clink, or at least tell you how you might rid yerself of it. I know the easiest way is to give it away to someone who takes it of their own free will. Then the curse passes with it."
"I'm not okay with passing it to someone else. If I'm stuck with it, it'll end with me if I have anything to say about it. Maybe I'll check out the Street of Gods once this errand's up."
He leaves his relative poverty unspoken.
"Hope the Captain is enjoying that starmilk...", he thinks.
Later, Hansi comes over to your table. "I conferred with my doorman again, and I'm afraid Reef noted no one resembling your friends other than Auric. He has standing orders to notify me when he does."
As you reach the Wharf Market, you find the space is crammed full of merchant stalls, each clamoring and calling to potential customers. You find the din incredible, as if every person in your village had gathered together and started yammering away. Pliska leads you through the shoppers to a large, blue tent with all manner of rugs and carpets draped over frames, rolled and sitting in piles before the entrance. A bored looking fellow in a chain shirt holding a staff stands guard at the entrance, watching over the wares. Pliska brushes past him into the tent with you in tow. Inside a man with an olive complexion whose black hair and beard glisten in the lamplight looks up at your approach. He gives a quick glance to Pliska and seems to dismiss her presence, focusing instead on you as he beams a large smile, exposing an expanse of white teeth save for one that appears to be made of gold.
"Ah, welcome, my friend! What can I offer you this fine day?"
Pliska gives a nod in his direction. "He's the one yer lookin' for."
Footsteps on the stairs draw her attention. She sees one of the sisters descending. After seeing the withered arm, she realizes it is Marza. She notes your attention and gives you a nod before moving to the bar.
Grateful at least to be out of the streets and the noise, Auric takes a glance around the rug tent before greeting the man.
"Master Ceryl, I presume? I'm here because Hansi Mancino wants me to bring you the payment he owes to you."
He opens his pack and fishes out the box.