"Well, I'm stuck with Saboolu here. Or Boo for short. So who am I to do anything but welcome our new friend?" Eric says, and grins at Leemor with his pet Rat peeking out from under his fur hat.
Afterwards, he heads towards the bar and orders a Chelexian ale alongside Ariadne. "Normally, I'd make a lot of small talk and skirt around the issue, good man, but the city is unfortunately burning outside," he says to the barkeep, leaning forward. "Thing is, we have some business with a... 'trainer' of children of sorts. Unfortunately, we don't know where to find him. Could you perhaps guide or tell, or share some suspicions on how to go about contacting him?"
@Ariadne. Asa slides you a mug of whiskey for 1 silver. "Seems like a night for something that kicks back. Is his opinion.
@Nethan & Ariadne. You both notice a thin man dressed in black clerks clothing sipping a glass of wine in a corner, this is Mortimer Montague. A notorious information broker around the heights. One who has survived a long time despite a lot of people feeling that he should be shut up permanently!
@Eric. "They're called teachers. Plenty around if you look." is Asa's unhelpful response.
He really knows little more about the Pet maker than having heard the name talked about by customers.
What now?
”That guy,” Nethen mutters, inclining his head in the direction of a black-clad man in the corner, ”is Mortimer Montague. He deals in information. He might be able to tell us more about this guy we’re looking for.” Nethen buys two glasses of wine and takes them over to Montague’s table. He slides one across to Montague and sits down in front of the other.
”My friends and I are looking for some knowledge, about an individual rumoured to live around here. We were hoping you might be able to provide, in exchange for payment of course,” Nethen says, sipping his wine.
The lithe, shoanti half-elf holds the barkeepers gaze for a second, then shrugs and pays for his drink. "All right. Thanks anyway."
"He doesn't know anything. Good thing you taught me how to read people, mom. This guy is genuinely clueless."
He orders a bowl of buttered bread to be brought to the table Nethen inidcated, then follows him and takes a seat at their table. "My friend speaks true. How about we break a bit of bread as we do business?" he offers Mortimer and Nethen.
Ghil orders his own glass of wine at the bar, along with a dinner to be brought out, and joins the others at the table. His natural charm precedes him, the mood of the table growing light and comfortable, even though the party had basically invited themselves and taken over the man's table. "Hope we're not imposing, but it's kind of a priority for us. We've got coin, if that's what it takes. Do you think you can help?" Ghil gives the man a piercing look with a wry and friendly smile.
Despite looking and dressing like an accountant Montague doesn't look worried or surprised to have such a wildly exotic group sit at his table and start asking questions.
He reaches out and take the offered glass from Nethen calmly. taking a pleased sip. "There are many people who live 'around here'. He responds dryly. "You would need to provide more details before I can give you any information."
Montague's open for business. What are you asking him?
"There's this person called 'The pet maker'. We would very much like to visit him or her, preferably now, while the city still stands," Eric says, exchanging a glance with the others to see how much detail they wanted to reveal on the matter.
Ghil leans in and immediately interjects. "Just to be clear, we're not looking for 'pets!'" He meets Eric's eyes, and looks up at Ariadne, Nethen, and Vedika too, in turn.
"I'm not certain that any of us really want to get into the particulars, but it's safe to say it's personal for all of us, on one level or another."
Montague doesn't blink when the 'Pet-maker' is mentioned. He looks mildly interested in the conversation now. "That's a risky name to be throwing around in the Heights." He warns you.
"Even among the rich and titled those who meddle with children are not popular. They keep their disgusting hobbies very quiet. People sniffing around that tend to end up feeding the fish in the Jeggare river!'
He sighs, "I can give you a lead or two, but it would be very expensive. At least a 1000 gold. Or you could do me a favor and I'll give you what I know."
Pay a 1000gp, or do a job for him?
With a nod to the bar keep, Ariadne takes a healthy swig of her whisky, appreciating the burn as she sits back, watching the table, then scanning the crowd for anyone paying particular attention to their interaction with the information broker.
She sighs quietly to herself at Ghil's insistence that they weren't potential clients, throwing the 'playing it cool' angle right out the window. Sometimes pretending to be scum got you a lot further along with the less discriminating.
Ariadne notices two people keeping a close eye on Montague's table, both quietly dressed and they alternately watch the table and
then scan the room carefully.
At a guess they would be Montague's bodyguards watching out for any trouble.
"Be reassured that we're not looking to make friends with him," Nethen says, echoing Montague's disgusted tone. "Tell us more about this job before we decide to drop a lot of cash on whatever information you might have."
Montague nods, "I didn't think you were looking to wish him well." Is his response.
Looking around carefully and getting a nod from one of his guards he leans forward. "It's a simple matter, but delicate. There's a man staying the night at the Jittery quill. He has a room upstairs and is carrying a sealed letter that I would very much like to have in my hands. The letter has the seal of House Leroung on it. Get it to me unopened and I'll give you all I know."
He thinks a bit. "I'd prefer if the fellow with the letter isn't killed or damaged too much, but it's up to you how you get that letter."
What is your response?
"Give us the directions there and we'll try and get it done right now, before he moves," Eric says, taking a sip of his drink. He looks at the others. "Unless someone feels like paying the one thousand gold right away instead? I, for one, don't have that kind of money, not by a long shot."
"Larceny it is," says Vedika, tight-lipped and agitated.
Unlike the Overlook the Jittery Quill is nearly empty tonight. The many students either at home or safely in the university dorms.
Aside from the bored bartender and one waitress resting her feet there are only three customers nursing drinks.
From the description Montague gave you your target is the man with thinning blond hair slouched over a mug of something at one of the smaller tables.
How are you doing this?
On the way to the second Inn, Eric looks to the others, somewhat nervously. "So, how are going to do this? I don't have much in the ways of deception. And I'd prefer not to be violent if it came down to it. We have no idea what this letter is about, and the guy could be innocent for all we know. Plus, there's been enough violence going around tonight. I guess I could try striking a conversation with him while you do what needs to be done and distract him for a bit..."
Eric orders a drink at the bar and drags himself over to the table with the slumped man. "Man... what a day," he mumbles on the way there. "Say, mind if I sit down here? Not sure I could make it another few steps for the other one." He says dryly. "Though you look like you've been through hell too. The riots got to you as well?" He asks, and takes a gulp.
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Vedika says tersely to Eric, "I'll go up and try to find the letter while you keep him busy. If he's connected to the sort in these parts, especially the Pet-Maker, then I don't really care that much about this guy anyway."
"Sounds like a plan. If Eric keeps him occupied then one of us should have his back, just in case, the rest of us can keep an eye out to make sure Vedika doesn't get into trouble. How does that sound?" Nethen asks the others as they approach the inn.
Vedika says tersely to Eric, "I'll go up and try to find the letter while you keep him busy. If he's connected to the sort in these parts, especially the Pet-Maker, then I don't really care that much about this guy anyway."
At this, Eric appears confused. "You mean, the guy we're supposed to steal the letter from? How do you figure he's connected to the Pet Maker? That he's the target of an information Broker doesn't mean he himself is connected to the Pet Maker, I'd say. Please, Vedika. I understand your desire to save your kin all too well, but we can't go making wild assumptions like that. If there's anything I hate, it's prejudice."
"We know very little about these people except that apparently they are all involved in varying degrees of unsavory activity. I'm not really shedding tears for anyone involved in this," says Vedika before she heads up the stairs.
"I've been pretty good at charming people in my life. I could try at little enchantment magic and see if he'll just give me the letter." Ghil looks around and tries to read the others' reaction to his idea.
"That works. Ghil can step up and use his magic if Eric's frie3ndly conversation doesn't work. I'll be ready to intervene is things go south." Ariadne says with a nod. "Whatever it takes."
"I'll head out with Vedika then and keep watch for her. That way no-one will be on their own if something goes wrong," Nethen says, hand falling to the coiled whip on his belt.
What are you doing?
"Frell."
"Right, how about we get him pissed, tail him back to his room then steal the letter while he's passed out?" Nethen suggests, scrambling for a back up plan.
"Sounds like the best possible plan with the information we have." Ariadne say before heading to an individual table and ordering a drink, taking in the rest of the clientele.
Ghil updates his appearance outside, cleaning and freshening up his look, and de-aging himself a slight touch to fit in at this student bar.
He joins Eric at their mark's table. "Quiet in here tonight. After all that mess outside, I don't mind one bit." He tries to start the conversation innocuously, keeping charm person on the back-burner until he thinks he needs it.
Ariadne sees that there are people here. :)
The man is surprised to have company join him and looks worried before being distracted by Iorghil's good looks. He blinks and flushes slightly. "Um yes. It is a rather disturbed night. I was supposed to be leaving by ship when the rabble erupted and the ships all dropped their moorings and moved out into the river to avoid the strife."
Though it is well worn away by time he still has the traces of a Chelaxian accent. Not surprising in a city like Korvosa with its strong Cheliax roots.
He doesn't really address Eric, seemingly very taken with Iorghil.
What are you doing now?
Nethen buys a drink and takes a seat at at table against a wall so that he can watch all the doors and windows, just in case. He takes a deep swig of his pint and looks around for anyone else that might be taking an interest in their mark.
Nethen can see a middle-aged Garundi man sitting by himself and nursing a mug of something steaming. He seems to be a trader of some form by his dress. He glances at you as you walk in but doesn't seem very interested in you.
The next table over has two students who have broken off from their whispered conversation to try and covertly study your group. From the look on their faces they seem to be excited at seeing 'real' adventurers.
The bartender is leaning tiredly on the bar and aside from a glance when you arrive to check you're not here to make trouble goes back to serving your drinks and then ignoring you.
The waitress is seated by the bar, slippers off and rubbing her tired legs. She also isn't very interested in you.
Your target is currently being schmoozed by Eric & Iorghil.
Eric noices the target staring longingly at Iorghil and chuckles. "All right, all right. I know when I'm not wanted. Have fun, you two." He says, taking his drink over to Nethen.
"Seems like things are going smoothly for our friend! Let's see if he can capitalize on his charms." he mutters, smiling at the table and leaving out any unnceesary details for potential listeners- in.
Ghil begins talking, sharing some light anecdotes from his own unsuccessful time at The Academae.
"Are you taking classes there? I was rubbish; can't understand the 'science' of magic one bit. It either works or it doesn't; can't figure it out either way."
University: The seat of mundane higher learning in the city, this ward in the Heights houses the University of Korvosa (thus the ward’s name), the grand Korvosan Museum, and a number of smaller schools and cultural locations of various kinds.
The man flushes again and smiles shyly. "Ah no. I'm a courier for a Noble house here in the Heights. I stay here between my travels you see."
"Looks like Ghil's making headway," Nethen replies to Eric as he sits down at the table. "We should make some plans for the next part. Vedika, you're probably best placed to tail him back to his room, and we want to make sure we're not all getting up at the same time and being very obvious that we're after him."
"Perhaps if we waited until he retired, then caused such a ruckus that he would run out and abandon his room behind..." Eric mused. "Claiming there to be a fire, perhaps? Something among those lines. Or we could perhaps sneak a look at the Inn's ledger to see which room belong to him. But that would require someone with the charm or guile to do it convincingly and covertly, and then have the skills to also break into the room without others noticing."
He looks at Vedika. "Are you such a type, perhaps?"
"Ahhh," Ghil replies. "Yeah, I can't stay out of these student bars either. Tonight's quiet, but the action here is much nicer than the rougher spots in town."
"So you've never experienced the joy of studying under 'Taskmaster Leroung' then, have you?" He laughs as if this particular instructor must be well-known and infamous.
Ariadne keeps an eye on the other patrons and bar staff, while Ghil works his charm on the courier, enjoying the momentary reprieve from the chaos and violence outside.
Meanwhile, Eric waits to see if someone more skilled with subterfuge would be amiable to taking up either his plan or other covert actions while the target was distracted. Was the group content just to wait and see if Ghil could manage this by himself?
He ordered a water and some basic bread and butter to share with Nethen, Vedika and Ariadne and sat back.
There is a twitch at you using a name he's familiar with, but he doesn't do more than shake his head. "No, I've never studied at the University. I use the Quill for it's comfortable beds." He leans a bit closer. "It seems the beds here are far more comfortable than the dorms at the University. I often hear the pampered brats complaining about how hard life is away from home and their servants."
He smiles more flirtatiously, "Thankfully I'm a regular so I always get the same room."
He gives you his room number with a blatant hint.
What now?
"Yeah, I can gain surreptitious entry."
Ghil smiles, enjoying that the subterfuge seems to be working so well, and now taking a good look at the man... maybe there would be more to enjoy this evening, as well.
"Let me get us another couple of drinks!" he suggest, standing up and walking to the bar. As he stands, he tries to silently pass along the room number to Eric.
He returns to the table with two more drinks, and he keeps the conversation going, trying to keep him distracted so the others can search the room.
There's a small nod and a grin as Eric turns to Vedika. "Got it. I'm fairly sure he said room number three," he shares the communicated number. "We'll try and keep them here. Come back if you need help."
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"Let's go and case the room quickly," Nethen says to Vedika, "the quicker we can get in and out the less risky it should be."
Vedika nods and leads Nethen upstairs with a laugh as she clutches at his arm, like a couple going upstairs for a little fun.
Once they get upstairs she slips away to pull out her tools. "Keep an eye out," she says to Nethen. She checks the door first to see if it's locked or barred.
No one is paying attention as Nethen & Vedika retire to the south where the rooms are. A couple seeking privacy is common in a tavern.
The door is locked. DC15