"Release upon Steelbone's safe return, sure." Rekt started rummaging through his tools, looking for things to do if the guy tried to negotiate. Rekt could negotiate too. Left or right foot, for example.
"Caliber...heh. 'Course this guy doesn't get anything more than a bullet between the ears if we don't get Steelbones back. So how's about you start chatting? Who paid you to do the job and where would he be taken?"
"Some rebel group -not one I'm a part of you understand- that aren't a fan of the Steelbones family. Call themselves the Brotherhood of Ash, supposedly on account of that's all the family has left them with. The idea of any Steelbones getting their hands in the 'last free city' riled them up something fierce. So they started putting out feelers and came up with a plan to discredit or bully the man out. When that failed...well, more overt actions were taken."
"There were a couple of primary fallback points, but I'm guessing they went with the one near the slag pits at the bottom of Ridgerunner's foundry quarter. They ended up having to take the sewer exit, and that's the only one they could get to without having to come above ground. I don't know exactly where they've holed up; there's all sorts of unused warehouses and abandoned scrapyards down there, but they shouldn't be too difficult to track down for gentlemen of your skills." he says, giving you a winning smile.
Rekt sighed, putting his hammer and saw back before trying to work out what he could remember of the Brotherhood of Ash. Other than they seemed to be a bunch of edgy teen boys. Who else would think such a name would be a good idea? Recruiting women would be nigh impossible, which a lot of teen boys would find awkward.
Brotherhood of Ash? What a delightful name.
"And what, if I may ask, can we expect to find once we are there? Exactly how large is this group?"
The brotherhood of ash could be many things. It could be edgy young lads. Or it could be a well funded paramilitary outfit that dwarfs the one Alexander belongs to. Or rather de-dwarfs it, that's the real problem. There's plenty of room between those, but he wont figure that out without more questions.
"Yeah what Alexander said. What kinda operators they got on the coin? Anyone nasty?"
"Couldn't be more than 8 or 10 people in this cell. As for the quality, well, they're organized, as you saw, but individually not much in a fight. The man who outfitted us for this gig though...he's a different story. Some hotshot Alchemist, I'm not sure if he's even part of the Brotherhood, but him and his bodyguard are the real deal. They're both sadistic sons of b!+*@es, give me the creeps, and the way that vanara bodyguard of his carries himself and that spear he's got, well, I wouldn't want to tango with him without a good downrange setup myself."
"Sadistic huh... they sound pretty bad, We should be quick. If they are really that bad, who knows what they'll do to poor Mr. Steelbones."
"Likely places where they'd be?" Rekt asked.
"Likely places where they'd be?" Rekt asked.
The Brotherhood of Ash isn't taken very seriously in most parts of the world, and it's not entirely clear whether each chapter is part of a greater whole or just multiple rebel groups claiming the same name.
This particular cell is new in town, and can't have been here more than a month. They started putting out feelers (anonymously, but it's now clear who was doing it) looking for string men for a job once they got here, and have been noted buying weaponry and supplies.
In particular, they seem to have drawn the services of a pair of outlaws styling themselves as "Mad Jack" and "Wild Ape". While their names got them a bit of ridicule at first, their skills have spoken for them, and while most people don't take the Brotherhood of Ash very seriously around here either, they've come to know and fear those two, and by transitive property the Brotherhood has gained quite a bit of clout in the criminal underworld in the last month.
Currently, they're a ragtag bunch with a pair of aces. Given enough time left alone, and they could grow that to a royal flush.
Jahg relates what he knows before getting ready to leave.
"Basically some up-trumped mercs that ought to get stamped out before they become a real problem. If we ain't got any more questions, let's keep this mook locked up somewhere tight while we take care of business."
"Sounds like a plan. Good one? Who knows! Let's find out." Rekt clambered back aboard his armour, the machine whirring back to life. "Will return for feedback on cannon hit later. Would like full description, please."
Once the prisoner was secured Rekt did indeed head for the slag pits. It sounded like the place to be, and there were unlikely to be too many random people he might accidentally shell.
"Hey! I have a wild Idea! Let's go check out these slag pits!