She nods at both Alexander words and Mordren asking more of the questions she would have asked if not distracted.
"Thinkers both, that's good to know. While this boy makes grandiose plans like some pockets general, they are getting on with business."
"We will need that list of items taken if you have it Joran, so the teams know what to look and ask about"
He mostly listened to the bickering and pride without interest. It seemed both plans meant a team of two for him so it did not matter in his case. But their was a flaw he thought needed attention.
"They chose taverns for a reason. Have any of you seen a lawless tavern brawl. In places like this where law is flexible and coin rules, one spark of conflict of any kind will turn the tavern into a war zone. Being close to the pier means people who can handle themselves in a fight. I would advise against any plan that involves a fight in the tavern. Everyone will become an enemy and escape will be easy for those practiced in it, such as those that chose such a location to begin with. Unless you can guarantee a kill of the targets, whose numbers are unknown, without notice in a single strike. It would be best that any action taken, is not done so in the tavern."
Oh! Something useful.
"Perhaps we could use that to our advantage. Would such individuals make just such an escape should someone else be the cause of the brawl? We need not be directly involved, and could keep watch over the exits from a distance."
She seemed to think on it a bit more.
"Perhaps not, as it could spook them into hiding elsewhere and we risk losing them. We need more information, first and foremost. Without the identities of our targets we can only speculate."
She sat back and waited now while the others followed the trains of thought and possibilities she had gone down while formulating her plan. Information only, she ticked her note book. avoid a fight another tick, possible actions after they found the targets then would come a question that would settle things. She waited for it. They would talk them selves to where she had got to.
Letting out a sigh, he directs hizs attention back to zamean, "If you are insisting on asking questions in the tavern then its best we not all do it and only one of us. Asking questions is dangerous in any mission. We don't know who the enemy is and if we ask the wrong person, they will know us and we are at a disadvantage."
She nods while looking at her note book, She says still looking down and making notes.
"Pain, I could not agree more, my hope IS that one from each team take the task of finding out the information. In my team, Mordren or myself. Sulfach seems to know just where we are and where we are heading, my hope is that he will take that roll with his team. Then you with yours. A softly softly touch was never in doubt. But IF we walk into trouble from our unknown as yet targets. Each team should have the man power and flexibility to over come it or wait for the other teams to converge. I would very much like to do this with a trap like the one you suggested. But the information needs to be in place to warrant it. Until then fixable to adapt to an ongoing situation. As I have said from the start the idea at this stage is to collect information then make a call on what we do next. It was never the idea to take them out in fight in a bar. I have a good resin for this, and hear me out here. I have a feeling they could be handing there takings over to a 3ed party. Someone working counter to the shadow syndicate interests, knowingly or unknowingly it matters not. We have to send a signal that its NOT only a very bad idea to TAKE from the shadow syndicate but also a bad idea to deal in the stuff taken. The whole aim of this task of ours is to re-educate the Locals down at the docks about what it means to upset the TSS, is that not the case Blackheart Joran?"
Her voice is back to being reasonable and normal again.
"I meant only one of us. Not one from each team. We don't know who is loyal to them and the last thing we want is for them to learn our faces. If only one of us is found out they will still be in the dark about the other. A task like this is more suited for one person so that is precisely what they will think. But if they see three people asking around, then they will assume there are more and we risk completely blowing our cover. But as I said before, we know there are people taking the shipments, that is all we need to know. We will catch them in the act by keep an eye out in the taverns for suspicious groups. And eavesdrop on their conversations. Asking the locals isn't gonna get us very far as they most likely know about as much as we do."
Joran seemed to be watching you all with an air of amusement until you directly speak to him.
"Now you are asking the right kind of questions. For a second there, I thought I was going to have to kill you all and handle this myself." he chuckles.
"Now, normally you may only have the information on the note to go for and you'll have to infer the level of stealth and force necessary to complete the intended objective. Now I heard someone mention that this is a display of force to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. As for the clients and the goods, I don't have that information. It was passed down the chain to me. I do know that there is at least one decent sized ship out there likely capable of launching several lifeboats full of crewmen to the taverns. And since you are all over thinking this. The exact minimum requirements of this mission, is that you go down there " He catches his breath for a second, a vicious and violent visage breaking through his friendly veneer.
Calm again. "Anything beyond that, further or prior investigation is your prerogative."
Froth eyes pop back open from where they were while he may have genuinely have fallen asleep on his stool, bored to tears by the constant inane prattle going back and forth.
"What's that? Bust in, kill everyone? Now that sounds like a plan I can appreciate!"
"Damn, I thought we were going to have to listen to these twits prattle on about which one was less a dipsh¡t than the other, when it's perfectly clear we'd be idiots to take either as a leader; especially someone as insecure as this self-deluded demon lady! Even if we did select leaders based on who tells the best insults, I still doubt either of you could manage, and I bet the woman would be crying for her daddy before we even got round the circle. Damn, this could have been a nightmare! You'd all have been dead in no time, and that's even if I managed to stop myself from ripping off your annoying, sniveling heads long enough to hear you say something that wasn't a whine about how much smarter and more experienced you are!"
"Just so we're clear about this for the future, I want you to know that I will only ever take Orders from one person, and you are listening to him right now! If you manage to suggest something that doesn't sound stupid, and doesn't involve that incessant blubbering about your completely unproven superior intellect, I'll cooperate with it, and you'll take that and be happy with it. Anyone tries giving me an order and they'll find out what their own ass tastes like when I rip out their tongue and shove it up their own backside. We clear?"
Rileng does not show much of a reaction. Froth had only surprised him in that he had not reacted sooner, which he found good for their future.
"Well sense Joran has cleared up the point of the mission. Shall we get to it? While I do not claim extensive combat abilities and such, I can handle myself enough not to be a burden. I have also dealt with pirates before so I am fairly certain I can spot them with accuracy. My earlier statement remains none the less, we should avoid a tavern brawl."
He looks at the large creature, a full foot and then some over his own height, with calm.
"Would you prefer my company, I would not mind yours. If your going to kill many, it would be best that they be targets I would think."
Truth be told Froth could become a target himself, if he murders with abandon. Regardless of how strong he is, he will attract those that are stronger and make things worse. He may even get himself killed. Still he had no intention of displaying force or making the attempt. He would simply make the offer, a proper businessman never pushes.
A member who had brought you drinks earlier walks up to the group and states in a slightly confused voice. "There is a large metal man here to see someone called Virgil Haas." he states with incredulity.
Mordren only laughs at Joran's clarification, which really wasn't much of one. It could be interpreted that everyone by the docks looked like a pirate. She was even inclined to think of it that way herself.
"Well, what are we waiting for? We've pirates to massacre."
As she speaks, she turns to leave.
He looks at the large creature, a full foot and then some over his own height, with calm.
"Would you prefer my company, I would not mind yours. If your going to kill many, it would be best that they be targets I would think."
"It's your life. Follow as you please, just try not to get in the way, if you can help it. You seem pretty quick with that pig-sticker, so maybe you can even make yourself useful along the way. Just no hesitating, you got it? You hesitate and someone will gut you. Or me, because I was expecting you to kill them, and that's even worse."
Alexi was watching this whole ordeal, laughing at these fools incessant bickering back and forth. When Jorran tells them of their minimum requirements, he laughs even hardier. This was all too good to be true. His first suspicions that TSS would not let him indulge his lust for blood were quickly dismissed. "I have no time for this. You all stand there bickering amongst yourself, and taking orders from a woman. This is sickening. Make a decision quickly. We are a more than capable array, and I dare say that if your pride could be put aside, it would be a small task." He spat at the end of his speech, and had put a particularly nasty emphasis on the word woman.
"One question remains, Darkheart. How subtle must we be, you've previously made clear that we operate in the shadows, failure is not a favorable option. This assignment sounds much like something that could very well end in bloody chaos should there be even one witness. Such a thing would attract attention from whatever authority may be present. I do not wish to serve time, and will kill anyone who seeks to put me in a cage regardless of who they are or how big and powerful they think they are. Without more specific parameters this mission sounds like, 'go kill who you wish to kill'. If I understand this correctly, and there's no issue, then I will be on my way."
Despite the concern hinted at by her words, there was none in her tone or expression. She merely wanted to verify how much slack she had on her very figurative leash.
"Ok big man, I'll be right behind you."
This job is a bit too simple for my taste, but I guess I can deal with it this once
Pain gets up and straps his greatsword on. He then looks at Joran, "For future reference, would it be within the quartermaster's power to provide additional enhancements to my weapon?"
The word "assistant" catches Pain's attention, "So I was right, you had somebody on the outside."
Froth seems totally disinterested in the new arrival.
"Seems to me, even with the new goals, we still got problems. Eight people aren't enough to hit three taverns simultaneously if we're fighting man to man, even if all eight could fight. As soon as we hit one place, chances are the others are going to hear about it before we get from the first place to the second, and the third is guaranteed to be empty long before we can slaughter two building's worth of slime. Maybe we should look at blocking the places up? Nail the back doors shut and then run a cart into the main door of each. Send in a few bottles of alchemist's fire, and watch the places burn. Three man teams should be enough then to pick off any survivors who manage to squeeze out a window."
"It lacks the personal touch of running a blade through each and every one of 'em, but as messages go, it's pretty loud and clear..."
Froth's idea peaks Pain's interested, "That could work, though, " Looking towards Virgil, "You wouldn't happen to be able to make bombs would you? Somebody with a companion like that, must have some expertise in mechanical contraptions."
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"if you were paying attention, you would note that our party now number one more, but perhaps running is what we want them to do, we split up the majority to the first two bars, then we send our stealthiest pair to tail those coming from the final bar, running back to their ship, perhaps as the bar itself burns to the ground, and have my associate will sink their boat, or we can corner them on whatever other hideout they slink back to
He turns to "Pain" "simple ones yes, flasks of liquid fire and whatnot" he pulls two flasks premade off his belt.
He points at Hass, "Hey, now that's clever. What else?
"I'm not much for flashy pyrotechnics, but if it'll get the job done, I'm in. I'll stalk them as they run." He gets a rather menacing grin when he says the word, "stalk".
The man speaking to Virgil leaves and a moment later Dryden approaches.
Joran replies to Pain, "Of course they can lad, finer craftsmen you'd be hard pressed to find in all the world."
You all gather your things and walk back towards the way you came in, stepping out through the illusion. The bodies are gone with only dark black splotches to remind you they had been.
You step out of the warehouse onto a street near the piers, yellow white runoff fills the gutters and the smell of the sea is strong. Turning in the direction of your quarry, you set off. The sun already beyond the horizon, the last remnants of red and orange are draining out of the sky as night falls.
"Great, we'll have to pick up a few jars o' fire from the quartermaster, unless we're fortunate enough to have enough whipped up on your person, Hass. After that we can grab some barrels o' pitch from the shipyards. Considering where we are, fish or whale oil will do just as well if we come by that first."
"So, how many groups then? Two groups of fighters for the first two taverns, while the sneaks watch and wait by the third? Who in each group? Duchess? Got any opinions this time round?" Froth gives Lady Zamean an only half-derisive raise of his eyebrow.
It seemed his warning was forgotten.
"I would remind you that setting fire to a building will draw unwanted or needed attention. The locals will take steps to keep the fire from spreading as it is a problem for all. Those with in will not panic like common folk, sailors of all kind be they pirate or privateers, will know how to respond to a fire in enclosed spaces. More so there is a lot of business interest in the docks. Mercenaries and guardsmen will flood the place as well to protect the wealth of merchants and others."
They were over thinking things and going for a blanket solution in his opinion.
"If you insist on such a course I will remain out of it and observe the third unburned tavern for those that flee. Truthfully I do not understand why we do not simply spot a pirate and force the location of his ship from him. Kill him and repeat, at worse we have killed some pirates and at best we know the location of their ship as well as counting their deaths. Which knowing the ship we can burn it without widespread repercussions or action from the entire docks. Ether way our mission is a success if only of varying degrees."
"Kidnap and torture? I can live with that too... As for the attention? Mayhap. But there are ways of disguising oneself as well, if you're afraid of attention following us afterwards. You don't think I walk around like this outside, do you? And as for the response of the watch and such? Probably 10 minutes before any significant number shows up, and in that area, people are more likely to vanish when trouble shows up than stick around and try to face it, don't you think? With oil and alchemists fire, a taverns more likely to be bare bones than savable by that point. The fire brigade and the watch will have there hands full makin' sure it don't spread, and that makes it easy for us to get away."
"Not disagreeing with your torture idea; that's got merit! Reality is, I don't care that much about how it gets done, but sitting round yammering about it is likely to put me back to sleep."
Mordren simply leaves, after checking and rechecking her gear. She will toss a look toward Zanra and raise a brow at Froth as she passes.
"What's up with her?"
"Does she know about a plan I don't? Cause I'm still not sure what we're going with..."
"I meant, 'does anyone have anything to add,' but apparently some people are going to go off and do who the hell knows what. Hope she's keeping in mind that we all need to get this job done, and if she doesn't do her part, or causes it to fail for some reason, we've got no reason to cover for her..."
"I think the first step is finding a pirate. I will be heading to the nearest tavern to look for one outside or about. I will not be entering it. Any are welcome to join."
Before he leaves the safe house he removes his top hat and puts it away. Reverses his cloak which changes it from a velvety deep red almost black to a common brown. He raises the hood over his head and his clothes shift into the more common ware of dock workers. It would allow him to blend in with the locals as opposed to his unique and custom tailored clothes that would mark him form a distance. No one would spare him a second look much less get close enough to see his face under the hood.
Once he makes it outside one of the taverns he observes without drawing notice to his own actions or intent.
Alexander follows the others, as he walks, his clothes also change into those of a common dockworker. His lips and hands move in the working of a spell pointing out different people.
"Alright, I guess kidnap and torture it is. Good enough."
Froth pulls a piece of armoured headgear from his pouch, and binds the hitai ate to his forehead. After a moment of concentration the monstrous form fades behind the image of a human seaman. The figure is dark skinned, massively built, and tall, though he stands just shy of seven feet instead of eight. While still large by human standards, he is perhaps a little less distinctive than the giant green skinned monstrosity he usually was.
Sighing, he rises from his stool, and heads out the door after the others.
Alexi follows after froth. Sighing, he pulls the hood of his vest over his horned head. Not that it did much good, the horns were so tall he had long since had to make holes for them. Now Alexi was just along for the ride. His anger was so built up that he just wanted to kill something. "Don't spill all the blood." he said to his newly disguised Orc friend.
You all move through the growing shadows towards your destination. There are laborers about and seamen. You begin to hear the sounds of raucous laughter and revelry.
Further into a district you come to a very dirty street. Two pubs are apparent The Bait Bucket with a simple carving of a bucket of worms hung above the door and The Old Salt, right across the street with a salt white washed sign.
You recall that Krogs Grog is about a block further up the street.
As the night fully dawns you can hear singing from the two taverns nearest you. They seem to be pirate shanties with their focus being on sailing and stealing and bawdy women.
"I don't see any out here, just regular sailors and dock hands. I will see if I can find any inside or overhear anything. Once we have a target we can see if they can be lured outside or information gained while inside."
He goes into the nearest tavern and orders a cheap drink while secretly observing. His senses taking everything in while he projects a sense of just another dock worker come to relax from the day's labors.