Amed looks to kayal. "Jemar doesn't have the authority to cut these kind of deals. The 25 gold was just to bring the letters to Lord Bredingund's notice. It is the merchant lord for whom we must bargain".
Tush casts detects magic on the dying man. "We'll let's start with the 25 gold and the letters and see where it goes from there. We can speak to the Master about the expedition expenses and fees. I'm sure we can come to an agreement on what compensation is appropriate with him." She pats the old man on the arm.
"May I ask frankly if the Master is normally a good business man or is he inclined to play cards and dice all the time? How often do you have to get him out of scrapes like this? The answers will make a difference on the type of agreement with him. If he doesn't have the gold to pay us currently perhaps a percentage of anything we find would be appropriate."
For a moment he looks disheartened that the offer of 25 gold apeice to bring the papers to the lord wasnt going to be enough, but then Amed spoke and his smile grew.
"Yes yes indeed, as this fine fellow said, this is for your time and aiding me with that rough. AS to the master, He's... well he takes too many chances on businesses Im afraid. Worse since the accountant his family has used for ages took sick and died two winters ago. Sometimes he hits on his business dealings and makes a killing, but more often than not lately its comes up a loss. He's been drinking and who... spending more time with disreputable folk.
He frowned for just a second. Then shook his head.
"There will be coin enough to pay I'm sure. I do keep track of his finances after all as well.
"Good to know."
"The more information we have, the better chance of this all goin' well. Headin' into things blind tends to get people killed.....might be the problem with the people you hired before us." Ramona adds pointedly.
"He thought i had a map to this site...AS to whom he was i have no idea. I dont know anything about maps, i just have the letters, the lord has a much closer idea of where to send people, though the first too groups we've not heard a peep from. For all I know they are there still... or have absconded with whatever birthright was there."
He began his head jerking at the noise of a dropped pot coming from the household. He pulled out from his belt pouch a handfull of coins, and he began counting out the wealth needed... assuming you all agree to it.
Aurelian takes the proffered coins and nods agreement to meet with the man's employer.
|
Swen too takes her share of payment and the letters and addresses the crew, "Then it's agreed, we take these letters, grab a bite to eat, perhaps a drink, although its advised we stay clear of the Inn, and meet back here and see if we can't get more out of the lord of this manor, ya know, someone with a bit more authority." She almost spits at the word and continues on, "Judging by the gods-awful sun, this gives us an hour or two to see how far 25 gold gets us in Macridi."
Swen begins to depart and says over her shoulder,as she holds up the letters, "I'ma see if I can't find a shady tree to read these under."
With a hint of a smile, Ramona gives the man a tip of her hat as payment is completed, sauntering off down the alley.
"Thank you sir. We'll do our best. The Shields always do their best when taking an assignment." Tush trots off after the others. "What do the letters say?"
"Let's hope we can get far it is quite a bit of coin anyway. Also it is nicer to travel after sunset so maybe we can get even further if we are willing to wait untill after that point."
"I'm fine with travelin' at night. Especially if it makes it easier on you girls." Ramona says looking at Nicenzia and Swen. "Won't be able to shoot as far in the dark though."
"Indeed", agrees Amed, lovingly examining his little win-fall. "Let us leave when all is ready."
"I should have enough supplies for the journey."
Tush plops herself next to Swen. "Story time. Yay. Read away."
Amed unfolds his papers and reads along with the ladies.
|
|
As Swen leaves the manor grounds, she tucks the letters away on her person, and peers up and down the streets, ever overly paranoid of people in uniforms. The chatter of her crewmates behind her, Swen realizes it seems everyone is tagging along with her. "Better to lead than to have to follow someone else's orders," she shrugs and heads out into the streets once the coast is clear. "Still a dead body in an alley, and at least one other party who might be after these letters. I'm gonna feel much better when we're on the road and out of this town."
She looks around for a shady spot, perhaps a tree in a park, away from the more trafficked parts of town, where they can read the letters unmolested by inquiring guards or other mercenary competition. Once she feels safe and out of the midday sun, she pulls the letters out and hands some out to the others to read through.
"Let's see what this is all about" she says, "A lot of this still feels uh shady, you know. That Jemar is a weasel. He's hiding something, I just know it."
She scans over the letter she holds, then looks to the group, "So, what's our story about how we came across these letters?"
Aurelian walks through the streets more like a predator than prey but still is aware and looks for other predators. Do you suppose that this master does not know of his birthright? I was not sure if we were to provide the letters or not. If so we certainly need a story as to how they came into our possession. Perhaps we and explain finding them as preliminary work we did in anticipation of being hired.
"So, what's our story about how we came across these letters?"
"Dammit", Amed cursed, "it would have been so much better if Jemar could have given us a clue about that!"
Resigned to their fate, , the magus begins to think of a believable narrative.
"We heard some thug in a tavern braggin' about having gotten some information about a valuable treasure off some poor sap. His poor luck that that after a few drinks, the same fool decided to get a little handsy and ended up dead in an alley for his troubles. Found this stuff on him and figured maybe there's be a finder's fee." Ramona says quietly, the tale rolling off her tongue with ease.
Amed almost stopped in his tracks.
"Ramona", the magus exclaimed! "How completely devious of you! Well crafted!"
"Practice." Ramona replies with a grin.
"Thats certainly a decent lie, I was just going to suggest it was handed to ous anomynous when the job was send to us. I like this story better, perhaps I should lead the word once we meet him if lying is the way we plan to use to get more infomation from him." she says as a responds to Ramona
|
|
Aurelian walks through the streets more like a predator than prey but still is aware and looks for other predators. Do you suppose that this master does not know of his birthright?
"Jemar thinks he knows something. We can't tell the truth, so gotta make something up."
Swen pairs a smirk along with Ramona's grin. "Sounds reasonable. Carries a veiled threat. I like it."
"Ok Nicenzia. If you feel up to it, we'll let you lead negotiations this time around. We'll be right behind you," she offers the sorcerer a reassuring smile. "The letters are our bargaining chip, so don't hand 'em over till we got some sort of an agreement on the table"
With all that out of the way, Swen gives her letter in hand more than just a cursory glance.
I am good with that story. But we should embellish it a little to make ourselves look like we are already on the job and going above and beyond.
"We could say we found information on the location or whatever the letters say. Read them out loud Swen if you please." Tush settles down in the shade.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The letters dont provide too much information, They appear to be copies of a claim for a mine in the Cairn hills. The man with the claim one Effimus Bremdingund. It was for silver supposedly in the hills. A second letter details what appears to rough notes on how What Effimus actually discovered was a series of old tombs of who knows what kind of Origin and that most of the money he earned came from selling those relics in town. (you can assume perhaps Dwarven ruins though its not actually detailed.)
The third and final set of papers have rough sketches like a map supposed showing untouched tombs.
The land it would appear would still be in the Brendingund name, and certainly any veins of silver would be a steady line of wealth for any man.
|
|
Swen shares the information in the letters with the crew, "Seems our lord may have a stake in some silver mines or some tombs or somesuch. Whatever, if he's fallen on hard times, either would be a fortune enough to hire on the likes of us."
She looks through the papers again and shakes her head, "None of these say exactly where the mines or tombs or whatever are. Guess that's what the poor sap we left in the alley was looking for. Hopefully Aldun knows the whereabouts, or else I don't see why we don't just go claim the fortune for ourselves."
Swen hands the letters over to Nicenzia with a shrug and a mischievous smile.
"Let's get this show on the road." Tush is ready for the meeting.
Ramona quietly hangs at the back of the group.
Having reached the Brendingund residence there in Macridi, just down from the Black Dragon Inn, you are greeted by the sight of a large stone and wood hom that sits right behind the gem and stonecutters chapterhouse in Macridi. Wide stone steps lead up to twin mahogany doors where heavy tarnished silver knockers hang. The home has a stately, dignified look to it but also looks a little worn and shows the generations it has served.
Seconds after you knock on the door, the rightmost door swings inward, revealing a familiar looking elder man in formal attire. Jemar winks at you and immediately ushers you to a interior sitting room. This room contains several faded green overstuffed chairs and a matching couch positioned to face the unlit fireplace. The entire floor is covered in a fine, but worn, rug of Keleshite make. Another pair of double doors leads from this room, Jemar disapears within and closes the doors behind him. You can barely discern a muffled conversation beyond the doors...
|
|
The old money feel of the manor reminds Swen of home, which gives her mixed feelings. The architecture is less brutal, but everything in the Shadow Plane has the same aged look, signs of wear and tear. Shadow Absalom is full of households like this one, old gentry, large merchant family's like her own. A sort of reminiscence sweeps over Swen, infused with a deep swell of anger and hatred for those who keep her from ever returning home.
When the large wooden doors shut behind them, Swen snaps out of her revery and back into the present moment. Suddenly she is alert again, taking in the details of the environment.
As Jemar leaves them in the parlor, she positions herself against the wall nearby the doors and tries to listen in on the conversation beyond.
Always willing to take an opportunity for inner information, Amed joins Swen at the door listening. Like always, the magus can't undersdtand what is being said.
Aurelian takes the time afforded to him to look around the room at the furnishings and decorations and wondering where each might have come from. Something deep within him covets such wealth, not for what it can buy but simply to possess it and hard it. He shudders and pushes the impulse away.
"What an amazing manor. This is the first time I'm inside on of these and not a slave here to clean it." She says looking around remembering some of the bad times of her previous life. It shows on her face yet she hasn't noticed it.
"It's a nice room. I wonder how the owner will be dressed." Tush takes a seat on the couch to wait. She considers lighting a fire in the fireplace just because.
Aurelain keeps studying the decor of the room.
Amed takes Swen suggestion and stands proudly behind both pale ladies with his practiced winning smile.