Draco sets out the heavy locker out where everyone can see it before pilfering the man's body. Stripping the crossbow off of his frame, the small potion hidden in his vest, he seemed happy with it before he noticed the tapestries hanging on the wall. He had looted things of less quality, taking them down from the wall and using them to wrap up the goods.
"There, nice and secure." The cavalier says with smirk, wincing as his arm aches again with pain. The damn dog really god him. Turning to the others, he'd nod to the locker. "That's our money. Anyone grabbing anything else?"
Pharice looks through the desk itself, looking for valuables, interesting papers, etc.
With little words, Alessandra takes a quick peek at where the dog nailed Draco.
"Nasty one. I can patch it later, might speed recovery."
She looks for anything useable for blackmail or documents able to make them some money.
Jerax taps on Lucien's shoulder.
"Appreciated. F~&@ing mutt had a hell of a bite." There was a soft whine from Rufus, the large dog looking sadly at his master. Draco shook his head, ruffling his boy's hair as he talked sweetly. "Not you boy. You were such a good boy! Yes you are. Papa is so proud of you!"
Cimri nods. "Loot the rest or back to the Ash House?"
"Loot. For a tax evader, a strongbox and some tapestries don't seem enough. There must be more somewhere. Any chance Louslik had any secret doors or compartments?"
Lucien nods to Jerax question, then responds in Common.
"If I get a few minutes to prepare, Asmodeus can grant me the power to accelerate the healing of your injuries. Unfortunately, I can only do it once today, but I can repeat the spell after we rest."
How do we want to fleece the tennery? Theirs the beamhouse, and the stockyard where material is being shipped in and out but not mucb else here.
Nothing in the desk itself?
Jerax will check the beamhouse. He's willing to climb to check the beams themselves because it can be a common place to hid items in 'plain sight'.
Nothing in the desk itself?
Nothing but paper, old tools, and a ledger containing notes about special orders and inventory bit a quick browse reveals nothing and that the book is half empty and out of date.
Jerax takes the time to go over the beamhouse. Theres several cratea of fresh lrelared leather that could be vua le but a simple test of weight tells you all you need to know of the practicality of it. With further digging.you scrounge up a set of masterwork leatherworking tools with L.T. etched on them.
"Damn!" Jerax voiced boomed in defeat. "Louslik needs these tools to pay his taxes. Fine." The towering tiefling drops the leatherworking tools on the floor and leaves to meet up with the others.
"I think we're done here."
Falariel shoots a bright smile at Jerax as he compliments her, then just stands guard as the others rummage, unwilling to go into anyone's way. As it appears that the duty is done, she steps outside and waits for the rest of the group to move out.
While the rest of the group searches, Lucien memorizes Infernal Healing and casts it on Jerax.
Jerax quietly sighs relief as his muscles and tendons are repaired and pain is soothed. "Thank you, your Grace."
If there’s no other place to search for valuables, Pharice is content to slip back out the hole in the fence
A few moments later seven shadowy figures would vacate the ransacked tannery with loot and the desperate need to scrub in hand. An hour after that the elderly couple who spend their nights singing songs, playing childish cart games and collecting the nightly tally of fodder would return to their horror to find two beloved dogs dead and their employer seriously injured. As dawn broke the sheriff would arrive and find little as Louslik could barely account for all that happened. Save one important detail.
For our valorous heroes returning to their first place of meeting proves little better. The Ash House is a relic of vengeance taken decades past. The noble family that lived here all but forgotten and whatever crimes they committed, or refused to commit, are lost to Cheliax's highly curated history.
A burnt out husk this former mansion is surprisingly intact. Superstition and fear of realer consequences keep scavengers and looters at bay. Which suits the current occupants just fine. Cimri leads you through the main hall and upstairs where a candle lit library awaits.
Outside the door Rufus's ears stand up and his hackles raise. Emitting a low growl he crouches with tail between his legs staring through the doorway refusing to go further
Within most of the books here are ashes. Some look salvageable if one cared. Inside a large silek blind ia drawn across a corner of the room where you see the profile of a balding man back lit by more candles. As he moves stiffly to greet you a large black earless panther steps from behind the blind and sits in front of it giving you the casual disdain of a housecat regarding undesired food. The man speaks his voice raspy and tinged with delighted and stereotypical malevolence.
"Cimri, my dear. Report." The light intensifies making it much easier for everyone to see.
Cimri clears her throat nervously and starts telling the tale of the heist from the beginning starting with your scouting efforts and then your discussions. He nods along, not interrupting, but clears his throat once or twice when it's clear she's leaving out less favorable details. Apologizing and backtracking she tries her best to smooth out certain things but whether or not this has any effect one way or another is unknown.
Razelago asks. "And what's due?"
Cimri nods again and turns around towards Draco still holding the tannery's earnings box. She takes a step towards him and holds her arms out to receive and deliver it.
After an hour from the explosion, Falariel's hearing has recovered enough that shefeels confident moving towards Draco and laying a hand of him. "Blood spilled in a fight is a badge of honor, but don't go overboard."
Magic infuses her words to heal the man.
As Cimri is delivering her words, Falariel raises an eyebrow. She doesn't feel like anyone's actions were unwarranted or dangerous. However, she does not contradict the scoundrel yet.
When Rufus stops at the door, Draco does as well and watches as his dog's tail curls inward and it whimpers gently. The smile upon his face fades as he crouches down beside him, tucking the heavy lockbox under his arm to pet the dog.
"What is it boy? Come on, you know to stay on heel. Come." Draco orders. Rufus doesn't budge though, refusing to go into the room. Draco's frown worsens as he hands the lockbox to Jerax. "You take it in, I ain't leaving my dog."
Pharice stands at attention, hoping his military precision will mask his nerves at this strange encounter, and keys others do the talking (and draw attention to themselves).
"Eh. Sure thing, Draco. Catch ya later." The concerned tiefling accepts the lockbox, to later give it to Cimri.
"If it matters, sir. I still think Louslik is still hiding something more." The Knight of Asmodeus confesses to the shadowy benefactor.
Cimri takes the box and places in front of the panther like creature as she steps away the man chuckles softly. “Thorough, if a little unorganized. Excellent. You’ve done well, Cimri, and your associates sound like individuals of rare potential. You’ll all find your payment waiting in the parlor below, along with a gift for each of you. Go, enjoy, celebrate. You deserve a reward for your impressive work. We’ll talk more in the near future. Do not concern yourself with Louslik. He is beneath you.”
Alessandra stands by observing the proceedings, but scoffs inside slightly, when the man says rare potential.
This was a minor task, organized gangs could pull this off just as easily. Still, the sound of reward is good. Time then, to see what it is.
She nods politely, then excuses herself to go to the parlor.
Something about the shadowed man's praise rang strangely in Jerax's head. Nevertheless, the towering tiefling follows the half-orc out.
Lucien raises an eyebrow at Rufus' reaction, but chalks it up to the presence of the panther.
Content to let Cimri do the talking on their behalf, he makes a mental note that this mysterious employer seems to be the real power broker in these parts and that gaining a more direct relationship with him would likely be worthwhile.
He follows the rest of the group to the parlor.
Draco waits for the others outside, petting his canine gently until the group came back out. Standing back up, he would follow them downstairs with his hands clasped behind the back of his head.
"So...things go well? Nothing strange, eh?" Draco asked casually.
Pharice gives the mystery man a stiff bow and silently follows the others. Once out, he vigorously wipes his brow.
Down in the parlor a stiff wooden table lit with black candles stands in the center of the room. A chest sits on the center of the table its lid thrown open and seven small leather bags in front of it each with a small tag indicating to whom the bag belongs. In front of the table are a number of weapons of excellent quality. Including a longbow, Spiked Chain, Heavy Crossbow, Heavy Mace, Greatsword, and a dagger all of masterwork quality. Cimri in particular eyes the dagger.
On the table itself are eight bottles of a fine Wiscrani barbera wine, several loaves of fresh bread, garlic-flavored butter, and a variety of smoked fish and boar’s meat. A straw mat sits in front of the fireplace, you know this as Cimri's sleeping place.
Jerax laughed triumphantly as he choose the masterwork spiked chain. The tiefling looked but saw no glasses offered with the wine. "No cups, less you brought your own, I suppose."
"Now that I can see you all by hearthlight, I guess introductions are in order. I'm Jerax Hellifre, Knight of Asmodeus." The antipaladin lifted an open bottle of wine and toasted those present.
Pharice picks up the crossbow, whistling appreciatively, carefully placing his old one in its spot. ”What’s going on here? There’s no way that strongbox held enough taxes to cover the costs of these weapons, is there?”
He peeks inside his leather purse.
What’s in the chest itself?
"I'd say we have all been tested and found suitable for further work. And that this is our employer's way of making sure we have suitable equipment for future missions. As the mysterious mr. Razelago said, Lousilk is a man of little consequence. But our little business affair was a good way to evaluate our individual abilities, how we function as a group and if we are able to follow orders without letting sentimental feelings or dumb brutality get in the way. And if we had failed, the damage would have been negligible." Lucinen muses as he replaces his own heavy mace with a finely wrought one with deep black metal and red leather wrappings.
Like Pharice, he also peers into the leather purse with his name.
Alessandra picks up the longbow, going over the wood with her hand, trying out the tension of the string.
An adequate piece. This should serve well.
"I'd agree with that, these weapons are an investment for our future tasks."
Now that I can see you all by hearthlight, I guess introductions are in order. I'm Jerax Hellifre, Knight of Asmodeus.
(Italian accent, since name)
"Alessandra Venici. I serve the Queen of the Night, Eiseth."
She makes an open palm gesture towards Lucien.
"Spent some time in the education benches alongside this man here, before i officially joined her inquisition. But i'll let him do his own."
”I am Pharice.”
Draco moves to the table, grabbing the bag marked for himself and gently weighing it in his hand. A grin spreads across his face as his eyes then move over the beautifully made greatsword laying upon the table. With a low whistle, he hefts the massive blade and tests its weight in his hand before nodding appreciatively. He straps it over his other blade for the time being, mentally noting to go and sell off his spare now that he had a superior weapon. Grabbing a bottle of wine, he pops it open and joins Jerax in a toast of the bottle.
"Draco Catus. Mercenary. This is Rufus. Best boy." The dog sat obediently, eyeing the feast before them all. The mercenary would sit down in whatever seat was nearby, taking a large swig from his bottle before gathering bread and smoked meat. A bit was tossed to the dog, who eagerly consumed it in the blink of an eye. "I'm with Lucien here; this was a test. Something small and easy to make sure we're not incompetent."
"Stop gawking everyone and eat! I'm sure none of us are here in Longshore because we want to. This place is a s*$@show and had poor opportunities to work before our dear friend upstairs gave us an opportunity." Draco says with a mouth half-full, swallowing the delicious food with a mouthful of wine.
Falariel looks over the weapons but finds nothing she favors over her falchion, instead pocketing the purse before moving to cut herself some meat.
"My name is Falariel. I have some military experience, I dabble in magic, and I strive to bring order to the world."
She moves over to Rufus and scratches him extensively. "I'm glad that our benefactor seems to be inclined towards similar goals. And in case you wonder, I don't plan on my heritage interfering on our task. I have thoroughly rejected my upbringing."
"So had those classic aasimar upbringing, like in the stories, to become this 'champion of good, eh?" Jerax asks with a small smile. Taking a little bit of boar meat, Jerax squats down and balances the morsel on the back of his hand and offers it to Rufus.
Cimri picks up the nice dagger giving it a few deft tosses in the air before picking up her pouch which seems considerably heavier than the others. Her smile brightens up into an almost childlike glee as she spies the food. Picking up a bottle of wine and easily removing the cork with her new knife she takes several deep chugs in a brutish abuse of fine vintage. Pulling herself away some of the wine dribbles out the sides of her mouth. "Draco's my kind of guy! You can't get this kind of food with a five copper bed and some scraps from the inn! If every job pays as good as this than the only question worth asking is what he needs done."
With that said she tosses the dagger into a nearby dartboard across the hall.
Rufus happily accepts the scritches, panting loudly and giving a wide and almost playful look. It was a completely different dog than the one that had bit at the man's stomach, tearing into skin and immobolizing him for the mercenary to clobber him unconscious. When Jerax lowers down that morsel of food though, the dog's attention zeroes in. He stays perfectly still, watching it but not yet taking it.
"Get it." Draco says cooly and the dog is like a crack of lightning, going for that bit of meat and eating it while barely touching the tiefling's hand. It appeared that the hound was quite well trained, which made the fact it wouldn't follow Draco into the room that much more unusual. Draco grins a bit as he gives a nod towards Cimri, lifting his bottle up in a toast. "Absolutely. We're being paid rather well, we've proven ourselves, and perhaps there is more work to be done. At least until we're able to find something better." Draco takes another deep and long drink from the bottle, wiping his mouth clean as he offers a wry grin to the others.
Aasimar upbringings, whoever the hell Eiseth was, these weren't important details as he relaxed into the shoddy seating that the Ash House still had remaining in it. There was food, drink, and company to enjoy. Draco would share his war stories with those who cared to listen; contracts that were both heroic and borderline criminal. It was easy to learn what mattered most to Draco; his dog, wealth, and power.
Alessandra butters a piece of bread with the garlic flavored substance.
Putting the coinpurse in her pack before eating it.
"So had those classic aasimar upbringing, like in the stories, to become this 'champion of good, eh?" Jerax asks with a small smile.
"Such I did, brother. Inspire the crowd, lead by example, all of that self-serving garbage to hide incompetence behind gleaming armors and shining swords. Eventually I was fed up with those glory seekers, and I chose my own way towards the greater good. A way that prevents dangerous idiots from harming their own communities. And how about you? Did your heritage ever aid or hamper you?"
Jerax chuckles with his deep voice. "Hamper. I spent my adolescence in this shìthòlè called Longacre. Abandoned by my parents. Forced to live at The Helping Hand with all the other orphans. Teased by full-blooded human children until they ran home crying with bruises and broken wrists. Got into trouble alot, they eventually had to ship me off to Egorian and The Church. Then everything started to turn around."
"This town wrote me off as a Monster. But I became something even worse." Jerax tugged at the chain on his neck to reveal his humble yet disturbing unholy symbol of Asmodeus. "I became his Monster", the towering tiefling grinned revealing all his sharp white teeth.
Alessandra couldn't help but grin at Jerax's story.
It was very similar to her own.
"Yes, full bloods and superiority complexes.", she muses.
"Parents abandon children for a variety of reasons. Being different from pure bloods is not uncommon for one such reason.
My youth was very much like yours, save i was adopted by a member of the inquisition when still very young. She said i had personality traits the Night Queen was said to display.
Stern woman at times, but patient and cunning."
"Whoever says inquisitors make bad parents, are outright idiots i say."
"I always enjoyed listening to the tale of She Who Defies Limitation's rise to power", the antipaladin smiled and nodded to Alessandra. "I've always wondered what it would be like to meet one of the erinyes, I hear they are some of the most beautiful devils in Hell."
Alessandra smiles modestly.
"I'd imagine they'd be an example of disciplined order.
My mother, the inquisitor, told me off warrior women from Korvosa, Erinye company, i believe, who could ascend to such an existence, or nighly so, if in service long enough."
She takes a gulp from her wine.
"But they are close combat specialists, something not quite my talent. The inquisition can works through other ways."
She raises the bottle like a glass, towards Jerax and Lucien.
"To our patrons, and may our efforts bear their favor."
The knight of Asmodeus smiles a closed-mouth smile of fellowship. "Indeed, Alessandra. Indeed." The towering tiefling raises a piece of smoked fish to match the inquisitor's toast.
Looking over to the silent elf, Jerax poses a question.
"Is it true that the Kyonin elves treat other elves who grew up away from the elven kingdom differently? I heard it can be quite cruel."
Draco takes his nearly empty plate and places it on the floor for Rufus to dive into, pulling himself up from his seat. His gait was a little off, a bit of a swagger in it as he made his way past a few others to stand beside Cimri. Another knife was thrown into the wall. Not nearly as clean as the first one but nearly clean enough.
"So how did a pretty lady like you get caught up in this business? You remind me a bit of my sister back in Egonia." Draco asks, his words only slightly slurring.
Pharice comes back from wherever he was mentally as one of his companions attempts to engage him in conversation.
”I wouldn’t know. I never made it that far. My family and I tried to flee Cheliax during the civil war after Aroden died but we got caught up in it all. After my parents died, I fell in with an Abadarite and a band of orphans who taught me the crossbow and how to survive before we had to kill the old coot for going completely insane. Those were very dark years you should be glad to not have been alive during.”
After Pharice's summary, there was a few moments of stunned silence. Then the deep throaty chuckle from Jerax, rising to a few seconds of gut-busting laughter, until the antipaladin regained his composure.
"Woo..Sorry..sorry..", the tiefling breathes to gather his breath. "But, DAMN, Pharice! You make my life sound like a Andoran orphan children's play by comparison!! Shìt! Jerax wipes a tear of laughter from his eye. "I'm glad you decided to keep a positive outlook", the towering tiefling chuckled.