Main thread for Treason's Chains 10-06
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Foremother enjoyed the story and enjoyed her future prospects. Tengu feathers vary quite a bit. Some are short and stabby. Others are long and tickley. Some are oiled and groomed, others are dry and brittle. Regardless, Foremother asks some others from the Commune to visit Tian-Xia more frequently and bring back more stories.
As for Dawn, it's back to pranking and partying. And just as it starts to get boring, she gets a summons. She finishes giving a wedgie to ol' Boppy as she reads it. "Oh! Time for another story. See ya!"
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Xiao Jr. is a small Halfling with features that show his Tian origin.
He has a buckler in his hand and wears a custom-fit chain shirt suit that looks like it has been recently oiled.
Resting on top of his chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Chaldira Zuzaristan is visible.
Xiao Jr. is sitting on a military saddle on top of a riding dog that looks like a mixture of a black wolfhound and a mastiff.
It is clear that this dog can fight while carrying a rider and Xiao Jr is in control.
On Xiao Jr.'s shoulder you see a flying bat that has dark black fur which in some areas has a brown coloring.
Xiao Jr, his riding dog 'Pars' and his flying bat familiar 'Khafaash' enter and you see that Xiao Jr is beaming.
He turns to all of you with his white teeth and broad smile.
"Khafaash, Pars and I are here to support you and bring luck into your lives ... if destiny allows!" Xiao Jr. says to the team with a confident smile.
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Sir Hayden Greyrun limps into the room, smiling warmly to Dawn. He nods at Xiao, taking particular note of the wolfhound and bat. The bearded man greets them and sits down, resting his bowstave against the wall. "Very good to meet you Xiao. Your luck is very welcome! I'm Sir Hayden Greyrun of Taldor. I am devoted to Sarenrae's soothing service. I have ventured to Tian Xia several times. Unfortunately, I never got the hang of the language. But I do miss the spicy pork tongue! I never knew such a thing could taste so good." He chuckles.
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"Ooo, a bat."
She looks at Khafaash and sees if the bat is asleep or flying around.
"Ooo, a doggy!"
Dawn falls to her knees to pet the doggy. If allowed.
"Oh, and they follow this cool halfling." She looks up. "Hello! I'm Dawn Verda. This is Sir Hayden Greyrun. How are you doing? Hopefully I don't wake up bloodied on the ground again."
Dawn proceeds to faceplant in mockery.
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"This should be good as long as the old fool does not show up," The seven-and-a-half foot tall snake man sees in a deep rumbling voice.
<You have not met him but he will make himself known as a fool if he does show, small human.> Sothkoro says to Xiao in Tien.
As if on cue, an elderly man with a long, flowing beard of white and robes of purple adorned in a motif of runes and stars appears at the door.
"What business could be of such great import? What mystery of so grand a stature? What doom of such severity and imminence could there possibly be to have reason to disturb the studies of Golthwur Strath, Master of Mages and Suzerain of Sortilege?"
The wizard punctuates his inquiry with an illusory clap of thunder.
Spying a number of familiar faces within the room, the mage suddenly looks crestfallen, "Oh, these ones again?"
Casting mage hand, he brings the missive containing his summons up to his aged eyes, hovering close to them for examination. "It does appear that I am at the specified place..." he considers aloud, squinting at the sprawling print.
Noting the addition of Xiao Katsu to his recent traveling companions, the less-than-sharp-eyed Golthwur heads over to the halfling.
"Well, My Dear, that is certainly a new look for you." he declares smugly. "Decided, finally, to forego the longspear, did you? It always was a bit cumbersome, I suppose, for one of your stature."
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He nods at Xiao, taking particular note of the wolfhound and bat. The bearded man greets them and sits down, resting his bowstave against the wall. "Very good to meet you Xiao. Your luck is very welcome! I'm Sir Hayden Greyrun of Taldor. I am devoted to Sarenrae's soothing service. I have ventured to Tian Xia several times. Unfortunately, I never got the hang of the language. But I do miss the spicy pork tongue! I never knew such a thing could taste so good." He chuckles.
Xiao warmly nods. ”Yes, yes Sir Hayden! I am a vegetarian to be honest but when I was younger my father loved these spicy pork or beef slices ... but I stay away from that! Maybe I can convince you to stay away, too?!?!“ he says with a sly smile ans bows.
[dice=Knowledge Nature]1d20+6
"Ooo, a bat."
She looks at Khafaash and sees if the bat is asleep or flying around.[dice=Knowledge Nature]1d20+6
"Ooo, a doggy!"
Dawn falls to her knees to pet the doggy. If allowed."Oh, and they follow this cool halfling." She looks up. "Hello! I'm Dawn Verda. This is Sir Hayden Greyrun. How are you doing? Hopefully I don't wake up bloodied on the ground again."
[dice=Perform(Comedy)]1d20+6
Dawn proceeds to faceplant in mockery.
Xiao Jr. laughs.
”Ha ha ... you are funny! They loved to be cuddled! Thanks. And I promise you that Chaldira will have our back and that I will do everything I can so that none of you find themselves bloody on the ground!“ he says with and almost obsessive undertone.
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"This should be good as long as the old fool does not show up," The seven-and-a-half foot tall snake man sees in a deep rumbling voice.
<You have not met him but he will make himself known as a fool if he does show, small human.> Sothkoro says to Xiao in Tien.
Xiao jr. bows to Sothkoro. ”I am honored to travel with you. I will keep my eyes open. Usually, I am an ok judge of character so let’s see if I can conclude with your assessment of the human!“ he replies in Tien.
"This should be good as long as the old fool does not show up," The seven-and-a-half foot tall snake man sees in a deep rumbling voice.
<You have not met him but he will make himself known as a fool if he does show, small human.> Sothkoro says to Xiao in Tien.
As if on cue, an elderly man with a long, flowing beard of white and robes of purple adorned in a motif of runes and stars appears at the door.
"What business could be of such great import? What mystery of so grand a stature? What doom of such severity and imminence could there possibly be to have reason to disturb the studies of Golthwur Strath, Master of Mages and Suzerain of Sortilege?"
The wizard punctuates his inquiry with an illusory clap of thunder.
Spying a number of familiar faces within the room, the mage suddenly looks crestfallen, "Oh, these ones again?"
Casting mage hand, he brings the missive containing his summons up to his aged eyes, hovering close to them for examination. "It does appear that I am at the specified place..." he considers aloud, squinting at the sprawling print.
Noting the addition of Xiao Katsu to his recent traveling companions, the less-than-sharp-eyed Golthwur heads over to the halfling.
"Well, My Dear, that is certainly a new look for you." he declares smugly. "Decided, finally, to forego the longspear, did you? It always was a bit cumbersome, I suppose, for one of your stature."
Xiao jr. looks at Golthwur with some confusion in his eyes.
”Are you ok sir? You seem to believe that we know each other although that is not the case! I’m Xiao jr.! An honor to meet you ... I believe I have heard of you!“ he says and bows.
Venture-Captain Roderus, an old, white-haired human, walks into the room with a slight groan. “Ahhh,” he winces slightly. “What a relief to see you. I’ve requested you for a project that’s very important only because failure could adversely affect every Pathfinder in the city, but also because it’s the last mission I intend to give as a venture-captain.” He takes a deep, steadying breath. “I need you working as staff for my retirement party."
Then, before Gothwur can object, he continues. “It’s all been arranged already; there’s food coming, entertainment, decorations, and all the expected distractions. What we need now are bodies: someone pouring drinks, someone on security, that sort of thing. You get enough egos in one room and set the wine flowing and someone’ll pick a fight, sure as day. We need Pathfinders keeping the other Pathfinders in line.”
The old man sighs.
“Or, at least, that’s the official story. Unofficially, you’re here because I need eyes and ears all over the room tonight. There’s more at stake here than you might realize. I kept hoping that those two venture-captains, my would-be replacements Phlegos Dulm and Wulessa Yuul, would learn to make peace by the time I was gone, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. The city’ll be in one of their care once I’m gone, and the two of them have been at each other’s throats since before I announced my retirement. I can’t leave in good conscience if it means Pathfinders fighting in the streets.
“Work that crowd tonight. You hear those two talking, you come straight to me. You hear rumors, you come straight to me. You find evidence of a plot, you come straight to me. Of course, you'll also have to perform duties here. Stabling horses and camels, tending bar, maybe backing up the entertainment we have. I can't just have pathfinders lolling about, that would surly tip off Dulm and or Yuul. Are we clear?”
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"It's Golthwur!" Dawn bounces up after petting the dog and scratching the bat to face Golthwur. "It's the Arbiter of Awesome himself! Xiao junior, this is Golthwur Strath. He knows how to make an entrance." She grins.
"Uh, Golthwur? This is Xiao junior. Angela is... she's not here. Probably cleaning an office or throwing a bunch of pages somewhere."
The venture-captain arrives and Dawn gets even more excited. "Oh my gosh, a party? This is great! Um, should I dress up? I can find a fancy dress. The kind that stays on, I think this is one of the fancier parties, right? I'll leave my falchion at home, or a lockbox or something. Honestly I'm a pretty good comedian." The venture-captain interrupts Dawn to continue the assignment.
"Oh, we're spies, too. Cool. I bet Golthwur has a million stories to distract people with. But sure, I'll keep these ears open."
"Remember Dawn, you need to be seen as servants or . . . at the very least party assistants, so dressing up too much might draw suspicion. Also . . . declaring yourself spies might be . . . counterproductive. Maybe keep that under your hat. Any other questions?"
the city’s masked rulers, the Pactmasters.
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”I am looking forward to seeing this lady Angela!“
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After the VC explains the mission, Xiao jr. smiles like a child.
”Venture Captain, fellow companions, I did some information gathering before coming here and I have to admit that i did not like everything I learned!“
”A VC that instrumentalizes Pathfinders for personal gains is corrupt and does not belong in that station in my opinion!“ Xiao jr. says with a stern look.
”And that Phlegos is a dark player is quite evident! Even if he is only implicitly involved in crime ... that’s more than unacceptable in my opinion!“
He looks at the VC.
”Did you know all this and just tolerate it?! What else can you tell us about the two VCS and the guests at the party?!“
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"What do you mean the city will be in their care? The Society rules this town? We are explorers, not protectors," The nagaji's forked tongue flicks out of his mouth and licks his own eyeball.
"Explore, report, cooperate, nothing in there about following law or being good person," Sothkoro looks at the new halfling, "You think all our knowledge comes from those who keep their hands clean of law breaking? World is world, sounds like Dulm knows how to work in this city."
Roderus first addresses Xiao, holding up his hands to calm her down. "Calm down, calm down, those two, Phlegos and Yuul, have been venture-captains for years and never got along, but now I’m hearing reports about sabotaged goods, intimidated contacts, and even Pathfinder missions mysteriously going awry. It’s obvious those two are connected to all that, and Pathfinders sabotaging other Pathfinders cannot be overlooked. As for why I haven't acted against them, well, there are rumors constantly flying about referring to them. I'm sure half of the rumors about Phlegos are started by Yuul and vice versa. Until I have some definitive proof, I can't act against either . . . which is what tonight is all about.”
He then turns to Sothkoro "Quite right, we don't control the city, but Katapesh is a city of trade, and we, as Pathfinders, have trade connections everywhere. So the city higher-ups like us . . . for now. Whoever replaces me as the Venture-Captain of Katapesh will have a great deal of responsibility keeping our trade connections going in the region, and they will also have a great deal of sway in city politics. This is necessary for us to continue funding our operations, so that we can continue to explore, report, and co-operate. Needless to say, if the wrong person became venture captain, one that would abuse his or her authority, the results could be disastrous. Setting aside moral issues, it could permanently damage the Pathfinder reputation in this region. And cost us a lot of funding."
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Hayden eyes Roderus. "You want me to spy on these men for you? Venture-Captains who have served the Society in good stead, as far as everyone is concerned?" He shakes his head. "I am a knight and a healer, sir, not a gossip and a rat."
However, when he hears Xiao explain the various activities Yuul and particularly Dulm have been involved in, he winces. "These are the men the Society has to replace you? Why not bring in someone else of better standing? Leadership demands a steady hand and clear sense of duty."
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Dawn nods as everyone talks. "Pranks are pranks. But Foremother always warns us not to go too far. Uh, especially if they die from the prank."
She thinks some more. "Katapesh is a big Commune, right? We gotta take care of it." Dawn turns serious. "It's important to choose the next leader carefully. If we choose wrong we're going to hurt the Pathfinder Society. I won't let that happen."
She turns to Sir Hayden. "We're not gossip hens, we're protectors. We're protecting the next generation of Katapesh."
Roderus turns to "Sir, the Pathfinders are not perfect. We occasionally promote people of . . . questionable morals that were not evident in the time. As for bringing in a third party, don't think I haven't thought about it. But for one these people have been working hard for years. To take an opportunity like this away from a legitimately good captain because of the actions of their rivals, whichever is which, seems . . . cruel. But even if it weren't for that, the city of Katapesh is . . . nuanced. You have to know people, places, things to get some of the higher level stuff done in the city. It would take years to train up another venture captain to get to the level of knowledge about the city that these two posses. And I don't have the time."
Xiao jr. nods.
”Good, we are ready Sir! So do we have to decide what roles we are going to take now? And do you expect other parties to be spying too? And are there specific people that we should keep tabs on?“ he asks.
"“Dougle, my assistant, will hand out specific assignments, but we need people working security, tending bar, delivering food, that sort of thing. If any of you can sing or play, we’ve got some bards coming who say they’d appreciate support.”
With that a halfling with a cigar and a frown walks in as the venture captain walks out, presumably to prepare for the party.
"Okay, so here's how things are going to be. Party will be held here, in the Inn, normal business will be closed for it. We have four tasks that we need at least ONE person taking care of. That is to say we need at least one person tending bar, at least one person acting as security and keeping drunken pathfinders in line, at least one person delivering food to the guests, and someone to tend to the mounts that they bring in. You can have more than one person attempting any of these, but you must have at least one person doing each of these tasks.
"In addition, if you wanted to, you could have someone act as a translator, making sure pathfinders understand each other, and one person aiding our trio of bards we have hired as entertainment. It would be nice to have people doing those things, but it isn't required."
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"Well, My Dear, that is certainly a new look for you." he declares smugly. "Decided, finally, to forego the longspear, did you? It always was a bit cumbersome, I suppose, for one of your stature."
Angela steps into the room a second after Dougle, her face beaming in victory of some sort. " Sorry to be a little late for this meeting. Don't worry, I was able to catch Dougle in the hallway and he filled me in on all of the details. But I finally, finally , was able to catch a certain Pathfinder who fails to fill in expense reports correctly and show him exactly how it should be done in the future! Dang man was about to leave for an 8 month mission to the Expanse first thing tomorrow, so it had to happen today or I'd be dealing with forgotten receipts for months to come!"
She gives everyone she knows a nod and then cocks an eyebrow at the new halfling in the group. Giving a proper Tian bow, she says in the correct forms ["It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Angela Isafira, secretary under Venture Captain Valsin himself, and a chronicle auditor third-class. As long as you fill our paperwork out correctly, you have nothing to fear from me."]
Angela then looks at everyone and sits down at a waiting table gesturing for everyone else not sitted to join her for a meeting. " Dougle has informed me we need certain positions filled from our ranks. I'd be able to handle either bartending or translations,
and maybe waitressing, but not much help for anything else I believe. Anyone have preferences for what job they handle?"
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Xiao jr. raises an eyebrow.
"Are you ok sir? You seem to believe that we know each other although that is not the case! I’m Xiao jr.! An honor to meet you ... I believe I have heard of you! he says and bows.
"Y-yes, w-well..." Golthwur stutters for a moment, attempting to mask his embarrassment, but quickly tries to recover.
"I am quite alright," insists the blustery old wizard, who is clearly searching his mind to recall Xiao's name, but before simply settling upon, " Young One."
"I am not the least bit surprised that you have heard of Golthwur Strath, Foreman of Faculties and Warden of Wherewithal!" he declares.
"Uh, Golthwur? This is Xiao junior. Angela is... she's not here. Probably cleaning an office or throwing a bunch of pages somewhere."
"It would seem that introductions are not necessary..." Golthwur pauses, once again clearly searching his mind to recall a name, before settling upon, "You."
He seems relieved to see Roderus, "Now, we should have silence for I believe the venture-captain is about to provide an explanation for our summons."
As Roderus speaks, Golthwur looks pensive. Lost in thought, the wizard makes no objection to the details of the assignment.
I wonder who this "Angela" person is that the elven mage made reference to.
Angela steps into the room a second after Dougle, her face beaming in victory of some sort. " Sorry to be a little late for this meeting. Don't worry, I was able to catch Dougle in the hallway and he filled me in on all of the details. But I finally, finally , was able to catch a certain Pathfinder who fails to fill in expense reports correctly and show him exactly how it should be done in the future! Dang man was about to leave for an 8 month mission to the Expanse first thing tomorrow, so it had to happen today or I'd be dealing with forgotten receipts for months to come!"
Spying the arrival of a familiar halfling, Golthwur slinks over towards her. He points to Xiao as he whispers to her, "Don't look now, but it would seem that someone is attempting to replace you."
She gives everyone she knows a nod and then cocks an eyebrow at the new halfling in the group. Giving a proper Tian bow, she says in the correct forms ["It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Angela Isafira, secretary under Venture Captain Valsin himself, and a chronicle auditor third-class.]
Golthwur attempts to listen in, but being not the least bit fluent in Tien, he is able to make out only one word. There is that name again!
Angela then looks at everyone and sits down at a waiting table gesturing for everyone else not sitted to join her for a meeting. " Dougle has informed me we need certain positions filled from our ranks. I'd be able to handle either bartending or translations, and maybe waitressing, but not much help for anything else I believe. Anyone have preferences for what job they handle?"
"Job?!" Golthwur replies indignantly, as if this was the first time he had been informed of the assignment. "I am Golthwur Strath, Magnate of Magic and Executive of Enchantments--not a Minister of the Mundane!"
"As for what I can 'handle'," he continues smugly. "That would be anything !"
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"Job?!" Golthwur replies indignantly, as if this was the first time he had been informed of the assignment. "I am Golthwur Strath, Magnate of Magic and Executive of Enchantments--not a Minister of the Mundane!"
"As for what I can 'handle'," he continues smugly. "That would be anything !"
Angela gives a small sigh, she'd been genuinely find out that this bad news was supposedly broken to the man before she got into the room. "Yes, job. Were you not listening to Venture-Captain Roderus at all?" resting her head into her hands for a second, she takes a deep breath. "Okay, Golthwur, the Lavishly Loquacious, Templar of Translation, I'm going to have you mingle and help translate. Show them your stunning mastery of all forms linguistic by graciously providing precise and concise translations... that is unless you feel that you can't and would rather only handle the horses. and at least this way your fictitious grandiose titles might be a benefit and not jsut annoy people..."
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"It may be best if I handle the horses. They can be...less forgiving if you 'handle' them improperly, Golthwur. Besides, maybe it will send the right signal for a knight to be performing 'lowly' duties in the stables. These men need to understand service, yes?" Hayden shakes his head.
As you go about the rest of the day preparing for the party and getting into your servant’s clothes, you occasionally see a small goblin youth (barely big enough to be considered small sized) darting around. At first you assume the worst, but then notice he is actually helping to set up the party. What’s more he can read. . . Sort of.
Dougle noticed your confusion and speaks up. ”Ah, yes, should have told you about Zig. He’s staff. The Venture Captain hired him on a trial basis for the party. He speaks common. . . A bit. He’s going to be a gofer for this event, filling holes as needed. He, I guess surprisingly, can be trusted. Hasn’t stolen the silverware yet at least. . . even found some missing pieces that had fallen under the bar, actually.”
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"Okay, Golthwur, the Lavishly Loquacious, Templar of Translation, I'm going to have you mingle and help translate. Show them your stunning mastery of all forms linguistic by graciously providing precise and concise translations... that is unless you feel that you can't and would rather only handle the horses. and at least this way your fictitious grandiose titles might be a benefit and not jsut annoy people..."
"My Dear, you will not have Golthwur Strath, Advocate of Autonomy and Inculcator of Independence, do anything!" bellows the wizard, a clap of thunder accenting his indignation. "A wizard is never compelled, My Dear. Nor is he cajoled. He does precisely what he means to." The wizard's bluster causes the hairs of his beard to swirl and the point of his hat to sway as he crosses his arms in a huff.
"It may be best if I handle the horses. They can be...less forgiving if you 'handle' them improperly, Golthwur. Besides, maybe it will send the right signal for a knight to be performing 'lowly' duties in the stables. These men need to understand service, yes?" Hayden shakes his head.
"Precisely, minding mundane mounts is a manner of menial mission meant to managed by minions more so than mages." mutters Golthwur. "As for myself, I shall mingle and help translate, as none of you could handle such a task of illustrative import!"
The old man, looking quite pleased at the prospect of such an assignment, declares, "Indeed, I shall show them my stunning mastery of all forms linguistic stunning mastery of all forms linguistic by graciously providing precise and concise translations!"
With a self-congratulatory look, Golthwur turns to Angela and says, "You will just have to someone else to handle your assignments."
Golthwur then walks away from the halfling, but he can be heard saying to himself, "Now, where did I place that utensil that I had been admiring? I recall last handling it over by the bar..."
Zig happily greets dawn on his next set of rounds. "Hi Longshanks lady! Zig has . . . no." He stops and looks down, his brow in thurogh concentration. "I! I has-no . . . have. I have . . . A . . . I have a real job! Oh, Zig common getting better." he then realizes his mistake with a 'phooey.'
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Elsewhere three half-elves (two female and one male) enter the tavern and look around, and grab Greyrun who happens to be closest. One of woman speaks "Greetings sir, we are the bardic triplets of Kaba, Kora, and this is our brother, Kitt." They all bow in turn. "Venture Captain Roderus hired us as today's entertainment. Where do we set up?" Then, before you can answer, Kitt narrows his brow, "You're not a slaver, right?" Kaba slaps him on the back of the head and directs him to get his drums from the cart outside. "Sorry about that. Kitt is a bit . . . blunt. See, we used to be slaves in Absolom, debtor's prision kinda stuff, but we were freed when we agreed to defend the city against the demons. So . . . obvously . . . we take a bit of a dim view on slavery. Did you know there are STILL slaves that should have been freed but weren't? Some owners who were supposed to free their slaves tracked them down and re-captured them." Kora elbows Kaba in the ribs at this point and Kaba bows. "Sorry, really is no business of yours. Sorry for rambling."
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Elsewhere Elsewhere Golthwur is looking through a pocket dictionary brushing up on some of his lesser-used languages not that such a towering intellect needs to OF COURSE when he is almost tossed out of his chair when a brute of a woman storms by and bumps his chair. She turns around and scowls "WATCH IT OLD MAN!" she shouts as she storms past, After a moment Dougal drops by.
"Ah, yes, Vinius Borr. She's going to be another guard tonight. Phlegos Dulm requested one of his agents run security as well. Can't imagine what he sees in her. I wonder how she even became a pathfinder come to think of it."
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Elsewhere three half-elves (two female and one male) enter the tavern and look around, and grab Greyrun who happens to be closest. One of woman speaks "Greetings sir, we are the bardic triplets of Kaba, Kora, and this is our brother, Kitt." They all bow in turn. "Venture Captain Roderus hired us as today's entertainment. Where do we set up?" Then, before you can answer, Kitt narrows his brow, "You're not a slaver, right?" Kaba slaps him on the back of the head and directs him to get his drums from the cart outside. "Sorry about that. Kitt is a bit . . . blunt. See, we used to be slaves in Absolom, debtor's prision kinda stuff, but we were freed when we agreed to defend the city against the demons. So . . . obvously . . . we take a bit of a dim view on slavery. Did you know there are STILL slaves that should have been freed but weren't? Some owners who were supposed to free their slaves tracked them down and re-captured them." Kora elbows Kaba in the ribs at this point and Kaba bows. "Sorry, really is no business of yours. Sorry for rambling."
Hayden chuckles and he nods at Kaba. "I know all too well in fact. The whole reason I'm a Pathfinder now is that a Talden Lady was kidnapped to be sold into slavery. I went to find her and ran into some Pathfinders who were also looking for her. Happy ending there as we teamed up and brought her slavers to justice. But for many others it doesn't end that way. And unfortunately, I know of at least one Pathfinder with with a distasteful past --I think he was a slave tracker--, so I'm under no illusions about the darker side of even my own organization. Rest assured, you'll have safety here if I have anything to say about it." He smiles at them. "I'm Sir Hayden Greyrun. Does your brother need help with the drums? We're looking forward to a good performance!"
The rest of the afternoon proceeds pretty well. The bards get set up and the kitchen is preparing food. Pretty soon the guests start arriving. Hayden sees the first guest, a human man with red hair on a white horse ride up. He gets off and hands the reins to Hayden.
”Thank you sir, my name’s Heronisus. Please take good care of White Vengence here.” he pats the horse. ”I’ve recently acquired her as my Paladin mount, though she doesn’t seem to realize it yet. . .” he says. ”Am I late?”
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Slightly later more guests arrive and a bald elf is talking to Heronisus inside. The Elf is becoming exasperated. ”You, you can’t do that. . . . It violates the, um, the-“ she breaks into elven. ”Your human tongue has no words for the reason why that spell won’t work!”
”I’m not asking for the moon here, I’m just asking why wizards can’t blast people away with holy energy. It would make fighting undead a lot easier. You can summon angels to do it, why not cut out the middleman?
”It’s because of-” she breaks into an elven explanation of arcane theory. Heronisus is clearly lost.
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Still later.
A blonde human with a quarterstaff is at the bar downing a fair amount of Rum. She’s clearly gotten a little tipsy and is asking for another drink from Xiao. ”C’mon Shake-Zhoa. . . Whatever your name is. You are in front of Cirri the sailor. This is a party! Let’s see some flair! Dream big, girl!”
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”I’m not asking for the moon here, I’m just asking why wizards can’t blast people away with holy energy. It would make fighting undead a lot easier. You can summon angels to do it, why not cut out the middleman?
”It’s because of-” she breaks into an elven explanation of arcane theory. Heronisus is clearly lost.
"Rules," interjects Golthwur. "The word you are are looking for is pronounced, 'rules'."
Still later:
The band is playing a fairly lively and catchy tune about a slave who escapes his master while also humiliating him, and most people are clapping along when a middle-aged half-elven woman wonders near. You swear you see her eyes actually grow to the size of a gnome’s for a second before she closes them and shakes her head. She seems to get control of herself for a moment before a frown comes a cross her face and her hair seems to grow out for a second before retreating back to the way it was. She mumbled something to herself. As the band finishes their set to take a break, the woman looks even more perturbed before turning to Dawn.
”I don’t suppose there is some entertainment in-between the band’s sets? I keep telling her-uh-myself that this is a retirement party and not some upbeat shindig, but-her-MY, my expectations leave me a bit. . . Wound up.”
You swear you hear her whisper under her breath ‘Calm down, it isn’t that kind of party! I knew I shouldn’t have brought you.’
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As Angela is passing around food, And Sothkoro is keeping an eye on things, they both happen upon an elderly white-haired man and a younger man with slick-black hair. Angela is trying to pass the elderly man his food but he is engrossed in a lively debate with the younger man. Both seem to be rambling and telling stories, or so much listening to each other but using each other to tell even more and more elaborate talk tales. It is becoming clear that they conversation is switching from something amenable to something like a contest of grandiose tales, and it is also clear that, a little inebriated, the two are trying to outdo each other. It looks like the situation could use immediate de-escalation!
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The rest of the afternoon proceeds pretty well. The bards get set up and the kitchen is preparing food. Pretty soon the guests start arriving. Hayden sees the first guest, a human man with red hair on a white horse ride up. He gets off and hands the reins to Hayden.
”Thank you sir, my name’s Heronisus. Please take good care of White Vengence here.” he pats the horse. ”I’ve recently acquired her as my Paladin mount, though she doesn’t seem to realize it yet. . .” he says. ”Am I late?”
"I think you're right on time, Heronisus." Hayden smiles and pats White Vengeance carefully at first, then rubs the horse to show it he means no harm. "I think she and I will get along. I'll have her brushed down and her hoofs cleaned. We have some fresh oats for her too."
"Rules," interjects Golthwur. "The word you are are looking for is pronounced, 'rules'."”It’s because of-” she breaks into an elven explanation of arcane theory. Heronisus is clearly lost.
”Surely not!” the woman complains. ”Surely the word for things governing children is not the same word in your language for the things comprising the forces of the arcane!” she says exhaspersted. But Heronisus clearly gets it now.
It is at this point that the two other venture captains, Yuul and Dhulm areive.
[dice=Handle Animal]1d20+6
Unfortunately, Heyden soon suspects that White Vengence is not a Paladin mount, but just a normal horse. One with a fowl temper.
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As the band finishes their set to take a break, the woman looks even more perturbed before turning to Dawn.
”I don’t suppose there is some entertainment in-between the band’s sets? I keep telling her-uh-myself that this is a retirement party and not some upbeat shindig, but-her-MY, my expectations leave me a bit. . . Wound up.”
You swear you hear her whisper under her breath ‘Calm down, it isn’t that kind of party! I knew I shouldn’t have brought you.’
Dawn grins. She's been looking for an excuse to liven this boring party up. She mouths a quick Thank You before bouncing on stage once the set ends.
"Now then, let's give a round of applause for our performers while they take a drink and cool off a bit!" Dawn grabs her own mug of water and proceeds to take a drink. She keeps leaning back further and further until the glass is almost upside down and splashes all over her face. "Woo! Now that hits the spot!"
"You know, back at the Commune we never have these kinds of parties. Most of us are drunk or naked, maybe both, within the first hour!" Dawn begins one of new routines: Commune parties versus Absalom parties. She bounces between raunchy motions, tales of goofy pranks (usually with sound effects) and of course, making fun of herself.
Maybe it will work on the crowd?
Dawn grins. She's been looking for an excuse to liven this boring party up. She mouths a quick Thank You before bouncing on stage once the set ends.
"Now then, let's give a round of applause for our performers while they take a drink and cool off a bit!" Dawn grabs her own mug of water and proceeds to take a drink. She keeps leaning back further and further until the glass is almost upside down and splashes all over her face. "Woo! Now that hits the spot!"
"You know, back at the Commune we never have these kinds of parties. Most of us are drunk or naked, maybe both, within the first hour!" Dawn begins one of new routines: Commune parties versus Absalom parties. She bounces between raunchy motions, tales of goofy pranks (usually with sound effects) and of course, making fun of herself.
Maybe it will work on the crowd?
Dawn is able to keep the chuckles and laughs going for twenty minutes, long enough for the band to catch a break and refresh themself. The middle-aged half elf seems pleased and calms down.
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Angela, in her usual set-up of red suit jacket, matching pencil skirt and sensible sized pumps, walks over to the two people fighting and hands both men a small, extremely official looking and complicated form. "Sorry to interrupt your discussion there, sirs, but both of you have sadly hit the base limit for alcohol today and you'll need to fill this out correctly and neatly before I can serve you any more alcohol. The master of this event wanted to try keeping people civil and not puking in the corners or on the streets outside and ruining the Pathfinder name. If you need an ink pen and well, I have a few in the back."
She gives a bow and places some small snacks in the middle of the two and their papers before retreating. "Please enjoy these while you fill out the forms. Also please be aware my large scaly friend over there will have to escort you from the premises if you try to get another drink without the forms."
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Successful clerics of Cayden Cailean will tell you, too big of a bouncer is asking trouble. A confident drunkard will want to fight the bouncer and prove themself. This is no good. Fighting, while expected in some Ulfen bars, ultimately drives away customers. Sothkoro, tall even for a nagaji, an ancestry taller than humans or elves, could not help but be imposing.
So he could hope to be smoothly imposing. Thumping down his boots in a steady rhythm, in time with the performance, he slid up between the arguing the pathfinders. The younger human(?) one was his target. "Why don't you step outside? The cool night air will do you some good." Raising a hand to stop any objections, "You will feel better after stepping outside, believe me."
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Xiao jr. raises an eyebrow.
"Are you ok sir? You seem to believe that we know each other although that is not the case! I’m Xiao jr.! An honor to meet you ... I believe I have heard of you! he says and bows.
"Y-yes, w-well..." Golthwur stutters for a moment, attempting to mask his embarrassment, but quickly tries to recover.
"I am quite alright," insists the blustery old wizard, who is clearly searching his mind to recall Xiao's name, but before simply settling upon, " Young One."
"I am not the least bit surprised that you have heard of Golthwur Strath, Foreman of Faculties and Warden of Wherewithal!" he declares.
Xiao laughs a bit.
“Ehh well ... Foreman of Faculties and Warden of Wherewithal, it is a pleasure to meet you!! And I’m a Halfling. From Tian Xia. Just so you know... or if you care?!“
As you go about the rest of the day preparing for the party and getting into your servant’s clothes, you occasionally see a small goblin youth (barely big enough to be considered small sized) darting around. At first you assume the worst, but then notice he is actually helping to set up the party. What’s more he can read. . . Sort of.
Dougle noticed your confusion and speaks up. ”Ah, yes, should have told you about Zig. He’s staff. The Venture Captain hired him on a trial basis for the party. He speaks common. . . A bit. He’s going to be a gofer for this event, filling holes as needed. He, I guess surprisingly, can be trusted. Hasn’t stolen the silverware yet at least. . . even found some missing pieces that had fallen under the bar, actually.”
Xiao is pleasantly surprised about the goblin.
“I love seeing development! And really don’t have any issues with goblins!“ he says smiling.
Elsewhere three half-elves (two female and one male) enter the tavern and look around, and grab Greyrun who happens to be closest. One of woman speaks "Greetings sir, we are the bardic triplets of Kaba, Kora, and this is our brother, Kitt." They all bow in turn. "Venture Captain Roderus hired us as today's entertainment. Where do we set up?" Then, before you can answer, Kitt narrows his brow, "You're not a slaver, right?" Kaba slaps him on the back of the head and directs him to get his drums from the cart outside. "Sorry about that. Kitt is a bit . . . blunt. See, we used to be slaves in Absolom, debtor's prision kinda stuff, but we were freed when we agreed to defend the city against the demons. So . . . obvously . . . we take a bit of a dim view on slavery. Did you know there are STILL slaves that should have been freed but weren't? Some owners who were supposed to free their slaves tracked them down and re-captured them." Kora elbows Kaba in the ribs at this point and Kaba bows. "Sorry, really is no business of yours. Sorry for rambling."
Xiao immediately moves to the half-elves and introduces himself! He listens to their story and makes clear how much he hates slavery!
“I am really looking forward to your performance today!!“
A blonde human with a quarterstaff is at the bar downing a fair amount of Rum. She’s clearly gotten a little tipsy and is asking for another drink from Xiao. ”C’mon Shake-Zhoa. . . Whatever your name is. You are in front of Cirri the sailor. This is a party! Let’s see some flair! Dream big, girl!”
Xiao looks at the Cirri with a broad smile.
“Ahh, so you want to see flair bartending which is the practice of bartenders entertaining guests!!??“ he asks and looks at the other clientele as well!
He starts manipulating the bar tools by wildly throwing the cocktail shakers and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways.
“I used to occasionally work in cocktail bars and this kind of action requires skills commonly associated with jugglers. I’m not a pro but I’ll give my best lady!!“
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Unfortunately, Heyden soon suspects that White Vengence is not a Paladin mount, but just a normal horse. One with a fowl temper.
Hayden gives a frustrated grunt as he picks himself up off the dirt. He casts a glare back at the demon-horse, who had kicked the stable door nearly off its hinges just as he was come back inside from getting a fresh sack of oats. At least the oats hadn't broken open and spilled all over the ground like the previous on the horse has ruined. Hayden inspects the stable door and finds it has a large crack it in as well as a broken hinge. He was lucky it took the force of the kick, though, as it just left him with a split lip rather than a broken skull.
The devotee of Sarenrae mutters something about redemption before trying to get the oats sorted out again while avoiding the horrible mount.
The Drunken Sailor is suitably impressed by Xiao and congradulates her on 'going big,' before trailing off and getting lost in a daydream.
The old man Angela is talking too seems a little embarassed and swiftly tries to cover up his social faux pas "Oh, yes, dinner, yes, um, quite right young lady. I-um, yes. Well, this food looks well made, I . . . I should get to tucking in."
The other man with the greasy hair looks at the Nagaji and seems to compose himself. "I-ahem, yes, maybe the cool air would be nice for a moment."
After a while, Heyden finally gets all the mounts settled and is able to come in for a quick bite to eat when everyone in the inn sees the following:
The two venture-captains, Phlegos Dulm and Wulessa Yuul, stare each other down, not bothering to hide their hatred for each other. “Two more of my servants were attacked, Dulm” Wulessa says, her eyes burning with indignation. “I won’t let you get away with this.”
“There’s nothing you can do to stop me,” Phlegos replies. “This
city needs only one venture-captain.” The two stare each other down for a few more seconds before they both abruptly turn, not even looking at each other as they make their way to opposite ends of the room.
Phlegos Dulm and Wulessa Yuul never liked each
other, but their hatred has only grown worse now that
Roderus is retiring.
It seems there’s room for only one venture-captain
in Katapesh, and many think it’s going to be Phlegos Dulm.
Simply put, no one can survive in Katapesh without the
market on their side, and Phlegos Dulm has a lot of friends
in the market.
Wulessa Yuul’s contacts are being targeted. The few
contacts she has in the market are being bullied by street
toughs who threaten even worse violence unless they cease
all contact with the venture-captain. It isn’t certain that
they’re on Phlegos Dulm’s payroll, but it is unlikely to be
a coincidence.
Phlegos Dulm is not nearly as rich as he pretends to be.
In fact, his recent activities suggest he might even be in debt.
Phlegos Dulm has made some very powerful people
very angry by borrowing money he can no longer pay back. If
something doesn’t change, he could end up being sold into
slavery or even executed.
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Hayden frowns. "Attacking Wulessa Yuul's servants is unacceptable. His quarrel is with her, not those in her service." He sighs. "Though her inability to protect her servants and contacts speaks poorly of her abilities and her leadership too. If she cannot assure their safety, no one will be loyal to her. Strength in the face of a challenge is something she needs to learn."
The knight considers what Xiao tells them. "If it's true about Phlegos Dulm's debts, are we certain he's truly the one behind these attacks? Someone could be forcing him to attack Yuul, or even framing him to get revenge. Though, I can't see how that would return their money."