Mesdoram is dressed in trousers and a rather attractive elf woman is in the bed behind him staring daggers at Rameth.
Mesdoram raises a finger in the air as soon as Rameth calms down.
First of all, it's considered polite in Andoran to knock before trying to enter a room. It's considered polite in the Shackles to knock before entering a room too and courtesy matters there since people who don't practice it tend to end up gutted in a ditch.
He'll raise a second finger in the air.
Second of all, when did this thief steal your money? Unless you somehow blacked out through all of yesterday.
Finally he'll raise a third finger.
Third of all, in case you did blackout, does this loss exceed the money we just spent buying into our new venture?
What are you talking about? What venture? Do I look like the investing type?
You really need to start cutting back. Let me take a bath and I'll take you for a walk to get breakfast. Give me fifteen minutes.
He looks back at the priestess as she coughs.
Thirty minutes. And no drinking!
Forty minutes later Mesdoram come downstairs dressed in freshly laundered clothes and with a much more relaxed walk than usual. He leads Ramesh down to the dockside district to a tavern with a brand new sign outside featuring a three headed dog curled up on the back of a sabertoothed tigerror that is itself sleeping.
A sign hangs on the door - "Under new management" - and Mesdoram produces a key that he uses to let himself in.
The Tavern is split level with a large common room, a bar with a surprisingly large variety of bottle arrayed behind it and a swinging door that lead to a kitchen next to the bar. You can hear someone moving around in the kitchen and if you look up you see a balcony has been set up that would allow threek tables overlooking the common room below.
Mesdoram heads back into the kitchen and shoos a woman out of the kitchen who smiles and winks at Ramesh on her way out.
Mesdoram will pull out tomato and lime juice, a clear liquid, a small vial with red sauce and another with brown sauce. He mixes it all together and hands it to Rameth.
Hair of the dog.
He takes out an eclectic mix of ingredients and throws some rice in water to boil.
So what's the last thing you remember?
Rameth slams it down and stares. After a bit the fog clears.
Who is gonna be in charge of this? Not me. Not a bad idea though. Especially the tavern part. I need somewhere to do my alchemical experience ts.. He suddenly adds.
Mesdoram takes out a bowl filled with marinated lamb and sets it to one side, then starts browning onions in a pan.
When Rameth downs the drink he sighs then points at a pitcher he made for his drunken companion while he was downing the drink.
You're not supposed to down a Bloody Abrogail that fast.
He starts chopping and blending more onion, garlic, chilis, ginger, mustard powder, cumin, coriader tumeric, cayenne pepper and cinnamon together into a thick sauce.
And by the way, given the amount you drink we probably won't be able to secure a guild permit - everything goes by the guild rules here. It's annoying as Hells but where there's bureaucracy there's opportunity.
He starts stirring in onions, more oil and the thick marinade fills the room with a spicy smell. He starts putting lamb into a pan and browning it while he talks and Rameth drinks.
First of all the tavern is only part of our new holdings. It's being run by a very nice Vudrani woman who helped stock the kitchen yesterday and a rather surly dwarf to run the bar. When you're sober you should head over to the Bazaar of Sails to look around and see if you can find anything you want. I'd swear you can buy anything there.
Putting the amrinade, puree, and lamb into a pan and puts it into a baking dish which he inserts into an iron oven under the stone.
He'll pull out a blue glass bottle and put it on the counter between him and Rameth.
Except this. When we bought this place there was a rather distraught distiller in here complaining that he was having problems getting his shipments of Royal Blue corn in to help make Whilwren's Reserve.
Mesdoram grins at Rameth's reaction.
This means we have an opportunity - apparently it started with last year's harvest and it's worse this year. If he doesn't get the corn in soon he'll have to halve his production which means it all goes to Absalom to fulfill shipping orders.
After a bit he'll pull the dish out of the oven and take the rice out of the pot and pour the mixture over the rice.
Lamb vindaloo - we're thinking of serving it when we reopen tonight.
So I've agreed we check out the farms that produce the blue corn and in return we get exclusive right to sell Whilwren's in Magnimar, even to traders out of our tavern and our new shop.
Now Mesdoram is positively beaming.
Enough time and we'll be able to buy the distillery out! I love this city already.
Vinda-what?start making sense pirate! So your telling me we own a bar, but the best booze in the history of best booze is in shortage. AND we don't have anywhere for me to alchemy. This is terrible. What happened to old one leg?. He says sniffing at the pans and pitcher.
Mesdoram rolls his eyes.
Seriously, cut back on the rotgut. I think it's cut with turpentine around here and it's starting to affect your mental powers - such as they are.
Mesdoram gives Rameth a broad grin to show he's just kidding his new partner.
Fritzor, or Old One Leg as you call him, is our point man here in Magnimar and he'll be running our new "ship chandlery."
Once they've both eaten he takes Rameth to their new shop where, if Rameth can hear well, there's some digging going on.
Fritzor, looking substantially less beaten down and happier than he was when he was selling them the map and receiving the dead bodies of his companions, is busy bustling around helping some sailors buy storm lamps.
When he sees Rameth and Mesdoram enter he beams at them.
Boss! And, uh, other boss! Good to see you.
He waves his hand at the barrels, tools, ships' furniture and various food items available in the not-insubstantial shop.
She's a beauty isn't she? Everything you could ever need.
Drawing a bit closer he'll drop his voice so no one can hear him.
And the basement expansion is going pretty well too - there's a sewer tunnel not that far away so we'll be able to build that expansion into the system and take things in and out by one of the outflow tunnels in Underbridge.
He chuckles a bit as Mesdoram grins at the progress of their new venture.
Those Stoneguts are working pretty well and with the wages and promises of a discount at your tavern it'll go even better. But I have some folks to introduce you to!
Handing things off to an assistant, he takes them from the shop to a small building off the beaten path.
About a dozen people are there, most dressed in rough clothing and looking thoroughly disreputable. Mesdoram smiles as Fritzor introduces the group.
Bosses, these are the Upright Men, the local thieves guild for Dockway.
The men scowl a bit trying to look tough but they don't look that tough. Clearly they need the leadership you're going to bring to them.
This is their leader, Jesslyn.
The woman he introduces is petite and startlingly young to be the leader of a thieves' guild.
Jesslyn is a dark haired woman wearing a broad hat to try and disguise her youth. She looks at you with some resentment, because as Fritzor explained on the way to the building her guild needed you bailing them out to pay off the Night Scales and now they work for you instead of being their own men. She inherited the guild from her father, who inherited it from his father and she's used to having to elbow her way around the cutpurses and strongmen that make up what is for now Magnimar's smallest Thieves' Guild.
She's pretty however despire her sullenness with large eyes, full lips and pronounced cheekbones. She eyes Rameth and Mesdoram dubiously.
So you two are the new world-conquering heroes Fritzor told us about, huh? What did you think the Upright Men would do considering the amount of gold you paid to get the Night Scales off our back?
Upright Folk? I like that. Well for starters, be thieves. But not a#&*$$! thieves. Steal from wankers. And keep your ear to the ground, info is a premium today, especially when it comes to the booze shortage. I suspect we can get some poisons and the like brewing in the back of the alchemy shop. Put guards and te like to sleep is a good thing
He turns to Fritzor Ya clean up well. I suspect this will be a good new start for ya. Ya know you remind me of someone...it will come to me
Then to Mesdoram Now what is up with this booze crisis?
Jesslyn looks pained that you can't even remember the guild's name.
Upright - you call us something different and people will think our guild was pushed out by someone else!
Fritzor nods and smiles, then pushes you and Mesdoram out politely so he and the Upright Men can start planning.
It's not a crisis, it's an interruption in trade.
Mesdoram runs a hand through his hair while he considers how to explain business to you.
OK, how much do you understand about piracy in general?
Step one: Get on a boat
Step Two: Find another boat.
Step Three: Attack other boat
Step Four: Capture other boat
Step Five: Take their crap
Step Six: Sell their srap
Though that said, pirates tend to attack folks that are all in all good people. That doesn't quite sit right with me.
Ugh, should have clarified that for you. Piracy is by and large a matter of course for large shippers so they take it in stride, right? They have insurance or factor it into the price of their good.
Mesdoram starts tapping a finger against his forearm for the moment.
But what it comes down to is a temporary disruption of goods. Merchants normally chalk it up to bad luck, get their ship and crew back and go on their merry way. It's only when you get constant interruptions it's a much bigger deal, especially if you seize raw goods. And that's when the navy shows up.
Now he'll motion Rameth back towards their inn.
So here we're the navy - yes I'm aware of the irony. What I mean to say is there's an interruption in the trade for Royal Blue corn that's out of the ordinary but the Magnimar guard is uninterested because there's no calls for help or bandit activity involved, just "harvest issues" in this one valley. Fortunately for us it should be relatively easy to suss out the issue, which is probably a competing distillery.
He grins.
So we need to get supplies for a three week trip and maybe find a library that has a book on dirt or crops or something. Unless you know about dirt or crops or something?
Although you don't know anything that could cause a sudden crop failure two years in a row in an isolated area it could be a magical or monstrous pest.
I know plenty about crops. Let's out Ole One Leg on supply gathering. So are you thinking pirates are behind this or becoming a pirate?
Pirates stay away from the land as there are no ships. Personally I think the farmers are either setting up their own distillery or they're shipping to someone else. I keep hearing about Korvosa ever since we got here, it's weird.
So we are going to Korvosa. That sounds terrible.
He moves himself to the corner of the room and takes out a box. So I have been turned onto this new drink. Called coffee. Helps clear up the head. I'm thinking of opening a shop that specialized in it one of these days.
He starts grinding beans into a mesh funnel shaped device, then puts some water on the fire and waits.
So I am thinking farmers don't just up and set up their own distillery. Someone is causing trouble behind the scenes here. And it is pissing me off.
No, the valley isn't in Korvosa.
Could be - if it is we'll have to figure out how to stop it for our own business.
Alright lemme get my gear, geared up.
The hills roll on once you exit Magnimar - even in the city full of strange sights you stand out: a man in a faded Andoran naval uniform riding a tiger out the gates accompanied by a man carrying a dog with puple fur and three heads in a pack on his back (Trip's getting a bit big for that by-the-by).
You pass some wary caravaners but they mostly keep their distance the same as you.
After a full day's ride you reach the valley area. The tall stalks of blue corn wave in the distance like green lagoon from the distance and when you come into the area you realize something is off - the corn needs to be harvested but no one's in the field.
When you come to the first farmhouse no one answers your hails - terrified by your beasts perhaps?
Well Mess, it would appear we have encountered our first little mystery. 5 gold and a cup of coffee says we have to fight something here, or find a terrible disease. Whatta ya think?
He hops down, takes a hit from his flask, then pops some barbarian chew in his mouth.
He waits for Mesdoram to catch up, then he knocks on the door, and assuming it is not trapped he pushes it open with his Club in hand.
No bet.
Mesdoram checks the door and doesn't see a trap but he does unlock the door.
He motions to his tiger to stay put, which seeing as it is a warm, sunny day suits the tiger just fine.
When the door opens you see what looks like a normal farm house interrupted in the middle of the day.
You do hear flies buzzing around more than normal in any regular house.
The main entry way leads to a dining area where food is present on the table, rotting. The flies are coming from the food.
Mesdoram pulls his sword and silently points you towards one of the doors while he takes another.
percep
Shocker.
As you move through the house room by room you discover two patches of blood in the main bedroom - one on the floor and another staining the bedclothes.
More flies are thick here. As you examine the closet you see there should be a man and a woman in this bedroom, and when you move towards another room you see three smaller beds for children. No blood stains the children's bedroom fortunately.
Mesdoram calls you from the depths of the house.
When you arrive he looks concerned, pointing out the blood stains leading out of the house through the back door.
Something odd's going on here - see these footprints? A man and a woman looked like they herded some children out of the house but their steps are wrong, even for a wounded humanoid. Their steps are shuffling, dragging in places like they're drunk.
More zombies? That would be awesome. No, seriously, that would be so awesome. If we don't find any here, then we should go find some.
He says as he checks his extract belt. He pushes ahead of Mesdoram, protectively and moves to follow the trail
Mesdoram frowns.
It's not...not precisely zombie tracks. The depressions are too uneven. See here?
He points at some of the footprints on the ground. The treads have uneven depths in places, like someone or something was miming walking and not sure exactly how far to press the feet of the adults into the ground.
The trail leads on for half a mile down a road that looks like it will lead to another farm.
Mesdoram suggests that you turn back and retrieve your mounts.
Rameth shrugs and agrees. Back at the house he gives it a thorough check
The house is prosperous but modest all the same. Clothing is worn and a small shrine to Erastil set up in a chest in the main living space.
You find standard household goods - Mesdoram grabs and places a box of candles into his bag almost absentmindedly. You find a large set of a fork and knife, held in a common wooden sheath and silver plated, in the kitchen. No doubt this was used to carve meat for the family after the harvest or for feast deals.
The farm itself is set up as if preparing for harvest in a few weeks, which tells you the farm was probably abandoned sometime in the last month - the crops haven't yet spoiled and could, in theory, be saved. You even find some salted pork belly hanging from the ceiling of a small building near the barn, sealed away from insects by a covering of black pepper and a fine mesh cloth.
The plow horse's stall is empty and a small animal pen that could have been used to house the pigs is vacant. You see no recent droppings or anything else to indicate larger animals have remained in the house which is unusual in and of itself.
Finally you find a small strongbox hidden in the house with a goodly portion of silver and gold, 40 gp worth, concealed beneath the floorboards in the children's room.
Whoever came into this house wasn't interested in theft.
Lets take the pork belly. I think you can do something good with that. We can come back and take the kids gold if we find them dead. I know I just don't feel right stealing the kids money. Lets solve this quick cause we could save this crop.
Mesdoram gives Rameth a wry expression. No average child in a farm could scrape together 40 gold pieces and hide it from his parents; being a merchant's child turned smuggler he knew how hard it was to hide valuables from people you shared every day with. More than likely the parents cannily hid the money there since the average cutpurse didn't raid children's rooms.
Besides which to him stealing food is the ultimate theft; gold is only worth what it can buy, worthless in itself, but good food is precious beyond rubies.
But in the end he grins since theft never bothered him - he'd once stripped dyed silk sails from a noble's galleon he raided and left them to row to safety on a day when the Inner Sea was sending them out into the dangerous ocean. It wasn't a death sentence, exactly, but it surely made an otherwise easy journey hard going. He'd had the sails cut up and sold to the whores of Port Peril for dresses.
With cured, corn-fed pork belly? When was the last time you had good bacon? Because I can tell you the sort you get in most ships stores and on the trails is second-rate stuff. The good farms never let the best cuts out.
He'll use the spring loaded dagger from under his right arm to cut the sacks down and drop them into his handy haversack. Then he'll get back on Smiley and start loping down the lane as Rameth keeps pace.
A few miles down the road you start to see a new farm emerge - another farmhouse and barn rises in the distance. The corn here is being harvested and you see a pale man looking at you from the fields.
Can't wait for some of that bacon
As they approach the next farm Rameth waves at the man. Hey you! Whats going on at the farm down the road?
I-i-i-i-is that a monster growing out of your back?
Rameth looks over his shoulder. Assuming there is no monster
What are you talking about?
heal what's wrong with this guy?
Oh you mean Trip. He's a good guy. Wanna pet him?
The man simply turns and runs as fast as he can through the corn fields towards the farmhouse.
Mesdoram looks after the man surprised as Trip barks in delight at frightening a man away. The sounds of Trip's tail scraping back and forth against Rameth's pack is cut through by Mesdoram's rejoinder.
Well, I get that a three headed dog is kind of unusual but I'm riding a sabertoothed tiger and I don't get a single look? That's just insulting.
Smiley lets out a growl that sounds suspiciously like cranky agreement.
Soooo, up to the farmhouse I guess?
Rameth frowns.
Kind of rude wasn't he Trip?
He pulls a couple pieces of jerky out and tosses one to each head. well maybe it was the smiling that made him less frightening. he says as he pays Smiley's flank
He pulls out his club and makes his way to the front door, he knocks
I bet we get attacked
A quavering male voice answers you from inside.
Whoever you are, go away. We want no outsiders here!
If ya want us to go you will talk to us. Thats the fastest way to get us gone. Besides your nearest neighbors are missing with a blood strewn house. You wanna risk that happening or ya wanna help us solve it.
diplo
A panel in the door opens and you see watery blue eyes set in a wrinkled face peering out at you.
A polite man would know to go away without threatening an old man. We're well aware of the issues with the Rathbyrnes farm and we have it under control ourselves, we have no need of fortune seekers carrying monsters who claim to want to help.
Who made a threat? I didn't did you? He gestures to Trip, who shakes all three heads.
And this is a dog. No monster. If all of you have everything under control then why is there a shortage of the booze? Huh? There is, so you don't have it under control. So why don't you tell us what is going on and THEN if you still want us gone we will be on our merry way. Then we are both happy. We find to what is going on, and you get us gone.