"Thanks!" says Cabaguil though he'd hoped for more.
"Let's stick to the plan. The Triad is going down, but let's finish getting the city behind us. We've had a long day, let's turn in and see what tomorrow brings."
Dak will very gently approach the Poisonmaker's Guild, just to get a feel for their work. He will be careful to respect their neutrality, and is really just looking at the craft.
Cabaguil heads down to the League of Upright Barristers, and tries to out lie the liars. He studies up a bit on the law - just enough to know what he doesn't know so he at least doesn't make a fool of himself.
(ring) vs DC 34
Raspar takes some time to help orphans and wash the feet of beggars.
Raspar takes some time to help orphans and wash the feet of beggars. And while he does so, he might ask about the Triad of Jerks.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy
Kelvin joins Dakapos. He's dealt with challenging substances before, and poison definitely falls in that category.
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Cuthberwyn casts about town to learn more about the Farmer's Union.
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Raspar spends the day trying some of his prior cooked biscuits as he speaks to people all around the streets, helping some folks in their garden and looking over all the delicious smelling food. A young boy bumps inot Raspar and haphazardly spills an invitation at his feet before running off. Opening the invitation it reads Meet me at the Red Dhabba to discuss an extraordinary opportunity.
Dakapos and Kelvin find that the Poison Makers aren't that easy to find. Seems they don't have much for a street sign selling off poisons.
Cuthberwyn scouts the city outskirts speaking to several Farmers. It seems some of the caravans are having bits of trouble. The Scarlet Triad periodically makes good on its protection services, escorting caravans and rooting out minor bands of raiders and gnolls. However, they are wary of any truly devastating threats represented by particularly dangerous monsters. Such was the case when word spread of a lumbering burrowing monstrosity the size of an elephant and capable of spitting fire that attacked a large caravan on the way to the city.
One of the Farmers describes the attack. "The monster was larger than an elephant and shaped like an immense beetle, with fire glowing from within and plumes of steam and smoke venting from horns along its armored back. The creature attacked after the caravan had stopped to camp for the night. It burst from the ground an hour after sunset and overturned a wagon before guards had a chance to even draw their weapons, then devoured several people and incinerated more several before diving back into the sand with an entire horse clenched in its mandibles."
Cabaguil heads down to the local pubs to off load a bit of steam and makes a couple of friends among the local lawyers.
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BOLD: GO!:
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Raspar │
➤ Kelvin │
Cuthberwyn │
➤ Dori │
Cabaguil │
➤ Dakapos │
Suspecting that at this point it's his best bet, Dak canvasses the streets, looking to build a contact,
Kelvin joins in on combing the streets with Dakapos.
A young boy bumps into Raspar and haphazardly spills an invitation at his feet before running off. Opening the invitation it reads Meet me at the Red Dhabba to discuss an extraordinary opportunity.
Raspar knows *exactly* what to do with the note...and that's to get it out of his hands and into someone else's as quickly as possible. He has other things to focus upon (like the weeds accumulating in the center market area), and doesn't need to be wasting time following up on valuable leads.
"Caba! CABA!" Raspar pads on his mostly quiet, but strong, feet towards his friend. "I got this note while asking around for information about the thing we care about. Here, you take it. You're smart and know what to do." If asked, he will describe how he got it and why. There are several dirt, humus, and beggar-foot-oil stains on the note, but it's still mostly legible.
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Dakapos and Kelvin aren't able to gather much in the ways of nformation, though Dori manages to have a few decent conversations with the pirates down near the docks as he spreads word on your deeds. Talking his family up from now running the gladitorial arena and how lucrative it may become.
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BOLD: GO!:
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➤ Raspar │
➤ Kelvin │
➤ Cuthberwyn │
➤ Dori │
➤ Cabaguil │
➤ Dakapos │
"Anyone want to go to the Red Dhabba with me? Might have a lead that could lead to the betterment of our position. I could use the backup."
He'll at least lean on Rapsar to go, and he'll head out that morning, first thing. He'll leave the days activities for later, if there's time.
Dak gladly joins, hoping to be of use.
Raspar, because he has an excellent friend in Cabaguil, will go as well. There are more chores to do, but he can make time for this.
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Heading to the Red Dhabba you find it is an untidy Inn near the docks. Inside you find a man who seems to recognize you as he waves you over to a table. Set at the table are series of each of your favorite drinks as if he were expecting your arrival. He motions a sets a gold toothed smile. "Please have a seat."
Raspar climbs into a chair, his short, but strong, legs not touching the ground as he sits. He looks at the ready beverage.
"Cold well water?! MY FAVRIT!" Raspar takes his glass of cool water, exactly what he liked to drink after a long day of hot work.
Kelvin, who looks nothing like a blindly trusting halfling, gives the man and the drink a look as he sits down.
"Is that... Oakfist Ale?"
Cabaguil smiles back and sits. He leaves the note that brought them here on the table. "How are you today? I heard you tell great stories here."
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"That is indeed Oakfist Ale." The man motions as he sits down. "The name is Whahar." Whahar gives a few pleasantries before making his case in a hushed voice. “Word is that you’re looking for guild support to appeal to the Pactmasters against the Scarlet Triad, yeah? But here, you’re going about it all wrong, see? Why beg for the Pactmasters’ mercy when you could force their hand? I, ah, represent a consortium of esteemed operatives that has more pull with the guilds than your bogeyman, the Scarlet Triad, and that’s help you need. My boss is willing to negotiate the details. Interested?”
From what Kelvin can tell Whahar is being truthful, though he is certainly omitting a few facts.
vs DC 30
Cabaguil looks to the others for complaint before leaning in, whispering, [smaller]"I think we'd be interested in dealing with the Unseen Hand in this matter. And we'll keep this very much between us I assure you."
He hopes his boldness doesn't blow the whole thing, and relies on diplomatic tact to smooth over any rough edges in his speech.
(ring) (to make a friend, or at least avoid bloodshed)
Spiced hot passion fruit tea?!? Cuthberwyn sounds incredulous, even as his eyes and ears probe for deception and a trap.
Assuming he doesn't feel a betrayal is imminent, he nods along with Cabaguil.
Society
"Huh? What? There are unseen hands about?" Raspar begins to look under the table for an unseen hand, and won't be surprised when he doesn't find any.
"Are they here right now? How can you tell?" He holds his water protectively, enjoying the cool, clean effect.
"Force their hand, you say? Not that I'm against this or anything, but I'm not convinced that we'll need to. If I'm missing something, why not shed some light on the situation for me."
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Cuthberwyn senses no such betrayal from the simple meeting here in the Inn. "Your theory of the Unseen Hand is likely true." Whahar smiles amicably. "My boss doesn't just meet with anyone, you will need to prove yu are trustworthy by helping out with a quick job." Receiving several suspicious looks Whahar holds his hands up and laughs. "It's not dangerous, you just have to pick up and deliver a package. That is all." He leans in. "The package is with a merchant named the Seer, then drop it off at a local landmark called the Marble Sphinx."
Cabaguil again looks in the eyes of his companions for dissent.
He himself is unsure, for they could be ferrying drugs, or halfling children to be sold into slavery, who who knows what's in the package. But the Triad is the greater evil here. If the group can topple them, they'll have made a real contribution to the citizenry of the region. Perhaps more than they have a right to expect.
So if no one disagrees, Cabaguil swallows hard and nods. "Agreed. We'll show the quality of our metal by doing this, ah, easy and totally not dangerous task." He grins at the end, for he's sure that some complication will arise. After all, if it were so easy, why doesn't he send a runner?
Still, he agrees, and adds, "Where will we find this merchant Seer, and how will he know to give us the package? Also, where at the Marble Sphinx shall we leave the package? Between the great paws perhaps so the Sphinx can play with it at its leisure?"
Cuthberwyn taps his lips a moment. We are willing to do nearly anything you ask, he says, with one exception — and if this exception precludes us from meeting with your boss, then so be it, as we must be true to who we are.
If this "package" involves trafficking of slaves, any agreement on our part is null and void.
Dak nods at Cuth's conditoins, "No exceptions."
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"No exceptions."
Raspar nods solemnly, as he wouldn't want to do bad things at all.
"No exceptions. And if it's slaves, I'll kill the slavers and the those who are taking the slaves, unless they are taking them to freedom or safety, of course," Raspar says, offering an exception.
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"It deals with no living creature, I assure you." Whahar smiles his gold grin once more as he gives you directions to both the Seer's place as well as the Sphinx landmark.
The marketplace known as the Nightstalls encompasses scores of shops that specialize in deadly, ill-gotten, or morally corrupt wares. Among the merchants there with the longest tenure is the Seer, a spell component merchant. You find yourself standing before the a spiraling tower that, according to Whahar, the Seer resides in.
Kelvin stalls the others from moving quickly, instead taking a look around to see if the area is watched in any way.
Cabaguil shrugs at his non-answer. Undead slaves? Can undead be enslaved? Aren't they sort of by definition already slaves?
Cabaguil's mind wanders as he walks to the Nightstalls. When he gets to the spiraling tower, he goes up and clonks on the door, knocking loudly.
He steps back off the stoop to be polite, and waits for a response.
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Kelvin notices noone in particular paying any sort of special atention to you. A few moments after Cabaguil pounds on the door, the merchant answers wearing numerous layers of heavy red robes, covering every inch of its body minus a small eye slit. "What is it you seek?" You hear a rattled and raspy voice.
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Raspar waits on his tiny, but strong, feet for something to happen. He looks towards the sound of the raspy voice, but can't quite remember exactly what they were doing here.
"I think we're looking for the Unwashed Hands? Oh wait, no! The Ungreen Sphinx. I think that's it. Oh...no, the Marble Beer! That's it. We need the Beer!"
"We're here for the package." He gives whatever code word, wink, whatever gets the message across as instructed.
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The man look around. "Come in, come in." He waves you into the combination library / shop before removing the cowl from his head, revealing a clean but chipped skull. Seems the Seer is a lich. "At the behest of Whahar, the Seer acquired a trio of sapphires ensorcelled to seem highly magical, when in fact they bear only a modest enchantment." The Seer shakes his head. "Upon their arrival I had the gems inspected. These gems resemble the blue gems used in Aluum charms and I suspect plans on creating fake charms." The lich scowls in displeasure. "The package has arrived but I am afraid the deal is off."
"Ah. Oh." Cabaguil has a hard time believing his eyes. A lich!
He has a white out moment and cannot process any further.
Raspar pads from foot to foot, wondering how long this was going to take, and whether the lich needed a good slaying to next out of his unlife.
He waits.
Kelvin studies the skull, attempting to detect any deception in his words.
Dak also finds himself immediately suspicious, leaning into his horripilation.
Cabaguil comes back around. He shakes his head and assumes the silence of most of his companions is the same reaction as his own. What a city...
"What do you mean the deal is off? Why?"
Raspar says and does nothing, lest he ruin everything for everyone, which might not be bad, as it's a f!@@ing lich and then it's just a matter of time before he sets a lair of horrors to kill many adventurers, or hide the first key of some ridiculous contest.
"You know that I'm the new leader of the gladiators in town, right? You think holding out on a bargain I'm involved in is smart?"
vs DC 35
Cabaguil gets his tongue untied and does his best to make a magical connection with the creature. They do, after all, both cast spells. Though of a very different nature.