"Pay gold? Pay gold?? We're here to get paid."
Sien turns to Ketsu-Kiba. "What do you say, Sonogashira? Shall we wait the three days, or should we find someone else in this town who might appreciate this information a little more?"
Sien winks at Ketsu-kiba, asking her to jump in.
vs DC 25
Ketsu-kiba smiles and explains "Please forgive my business partner. I am Sonogashira, and I handle betting for the Noble House of Flowers, and there's been some unexpected action recently, regarding specific timings and events in Nasha's upcoming fight. For various reasons much too complicated to explain here we are unable to cancel the suspicious bets, but do have a unique business opportunity for Nasha that will ensure we all get paid."
"Yes," Sien emphasizes. "We all get paid."
"Good day dear, it is good to see you again. I am afraid, that We moved the ill for few days to let the walls be sanctified again. Come back in few days."
The woman looks around and spots Ann "Come on here, I don't think I saw you here before ... or maybe did I? Are you Jane, the one who was brough here by her mother two months ago with a broken arm?"
"Come on here dear, "
Ann plays the gullible, nervous simpleton, whose frenemies informed her that the man she fancies is laid up with a bad fever at the Hospice, and is just now realizing that she may have been tricked. She forces a blush onto her face and stammers up at the woman: "Uh, no, I... Um... I, uh... H-how long have they been gone? I mean, at the other place? I was told, uh, that...an acquaintance was just...just admitted a couple of days ago. A-a man named I C Weiner?" Add in a furrowed brow...and then a dawning realization...
She really hopes her fake nose looks right.
Ann plays the gullible, nervous simpleton, whose frenemies informed her that the man she fancies is laid up with a bad fever at the Hospice, and is just now realizing that she may have been tricked. She forces a blush onto her face and stammers up at the woman: "Uh, no, I... Um... I, uh... H-how long have they been gone? I mean, at the other place? I was told, uh, that...an acquaintance was just...just admitted a couple of days ago. A-a man named I C Weiner?" Add in a furrowed brow...and then a dawning realization...
The woman looks at Ann "I C Weiner, I don't think I saw him, tomorrow they should bring them back so come back again." she does dissapear for a moment behind the wall and shows up
"Go back home dear and don't worry about it."
Ketsu-kiba smiles and explains "Please forgive my business partner. I am Sonogashira, and I handle betting for the Noble House of Flowers, and there's been some unexpected action recently, regarding specific timings and events in Nasha's upcoming fight. For various reasons much too complicated to explain here we are unable to cancel the suspicious bets, but do have a unique business opportunity for Nasha that will ensure we all get paid."
[dice=Deception]1d20+26
Saynak listens to you two and judges Moonlight with hard stare than after few seconds he says
"Ok, follow me ..." Saynak begins to lead you deeper inside the corridors of the circus, soon he opens some door and throws in "Nasha you should meet them, they come with business opportunity"
The meeting itself takes place in Nasha’s private office in the Blood Circus’s understructure, a chamber that has a rather plain aesthetic compared to the obscenely violent arena decor. As you arrive, Nasha takes an aggressive bite from the roasted meat of a large leg bone. She chews the meat loudly, open-mouthed so the roast is clearly visible, and stares in their direction, evaluating their demeanors for a time before she wipes her lizard-like snout on a napkin and asks
"So speak, what was so important to interrupt my meal?"
"Since it doesn't seem to have been communicated properly, let me be clear: we are here for your benefit. We could easily take this to any one of your competitors. Sure, we wouldn't get paid as well, but that's the only reason we're here first."
Sien always starts of negotiations antagonistically.
The woman looks at Ann "I C Weiner, I don't think I saw him, tomorrow they should bring them back so come back again." she does dissapear for a moment behind the wall and shows up
"Go back home dear and don't worry about it."
** spoiler omitted **
"Uh, okay. To-tomorrow, then." Ann tries to look sheepish and scurries off. It seems her ruse wasn't good enough to get any useful information, and it's entirely possible the woman is suspicious. Cursing herself for bungling this so badly, Ann takes extra pains to make sure no one is tailing her for the rest of the day.
And now she has to decide whether or not to come back tomorrow. Maybe the others will have some insight on how best to approach her failure.
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Ketsu-kiba smiles "My associate does love to cut to the chase. I am Sonogashira and we handle the gambling arm of a certain foreign family. We have some unusual betting, unfortunately against you in your upcoming match. Now back home we'd just take care of things ourselves but to be honest, our influence here doesn't stretch as far into the local judiciary as we would like as this time, so we've come to make a deal with you. And while we know the old saying goes you need to spend money to make money, we are not directly offering you profit, and so would not directly ask for money either. We do however believe that information could be exchanged for information, and allow us both to prosper."
Neigishi backs away deferentially when chastised by Sonogashira. He acts like he's just there in case they need to ... "take care of things themselves".
Ann leaves and then zig-zags her way back to the safe place, after few minutes she is sure that someone is trying to trail her.
============================
At the same time Sien, Ketsu and Moonlight are dealing with peculiar Nasha.
Nasha hears Ketsu and almost spits out some of the meat that she was chewing
"What? Someone is trying to set a fight against me? Oh, I guess someone did not learn yet to not mess with Nasha. What information do you want for it? I know a lot about different things, I know who is trafficking brandy and needs some support to develop their enterprise further, would you be interested in this?"
Hmm. Sloppy tail work. Thanks! Ann muses, making her circuitous way to the surprisingly populated alley behind a theater that she scoped out earlier. She slips inside the back door into the darkened backstage area. As she makes her way through the building (hopefully) undetected, she swaps out some key items of her disguise for others that she finds in various dressing rooms, then casually walks out the front door. She now looks like an entirely different person: a rather plump woman on her way to the market.
Once in the market, she makes a show of shopping for the types of things a theater would need: cloth for the costume department, makeup, a wig. And then she returns to the theater, seeming for all the world like an honest employee of the theater manager. Once she's certain the tail has abandoned her, she walks out the front door again to return to the rendezvous point.
"We've been looking for four rogue assassins for reasons that may or may not be related. We heard that someone in the Red Mantis had put a price on their heads as well," Sien says.
"We're not here to take away anyone's bounty," he quickly adds, because that's what everyone is thinking. "But we'd like to make our own little side deals with the overseer of this operation. That's all. Everyone gets paid in the end."
Ann does her stunt, She goes through theater and changes her outfit, then she heads to the market, she spots 3 assassins running frantically like they lost something or someone.
================================
Nasha looks at Sien and wonders for a moment
"You are after interesting information, and there is alwasy a price for it. You see the price varies—some I ask to pay in gold, while others I ask to participate in a vicious battle in the Blood Circus. In the case of you, though, I am willing to accept payment in “quality of character.” You came to help me so convince me that you are the worthy ones to face powerful enemies. "
vs DC 34
Sien rattles off a list of the Worst of the Worst - a list of criminals so vile that even other criminals abhor them.
Ketsu-kiba nods and will work to convince Nasha in a private meeting.
Ann does her stunt, She goes through theater and changes her outfit, then she heads to the market, she spots 3 assassins running frantically like they lost something or someone.
And then she returns to the theater, seeming for all the world like an honest employee of the theater manager. Once she's certain the tail has abandoned her, she walks out the front door again to return to the rendezvous point.
And then she returns to the theater, seeming for all the world like an honest employee of the theater manager. Once she's certain the tail has abandoned her, she walks out the front door again to return to the rendezvous point.
Ann waits for a moment and then she sneaks out vanishing like darkness at dawn.
=============
Sien, Ketsu and Moonlight make a lasting impression at Nasha who sits for a moment in silent when you speak talking.
Then she gets up and smacks her hand at the table
"Ok, You give me the right vibes. There is a leshy druid - Mantis Keeper, and when they come into town; the druid delivers regular supplies of plants and animal products needed by the Sisters of Serenity Abbey to create healing salves ... as well as poisons." Nasha says
"You can start from there, now who is betting against me?"
Jetsu-kiba smiles.
"Here's the details. The bets came in from several different sources, they thought they were hiding it, but those fools aren't as clever as they thought they were. There's a large amount of money for you going down within 10 seconds of the beginning of the second round. A statistically impossible amount bet on that specific occurrence. So they've got to know something. Our study of your history says you wouldn't throw a match, so they've got to have a setup. Maybe a needle in the stool, or poison in or no something you'll use then. A bucket, a towel, a canteen. Our investigation into whom was behind the bets is not yet concluded. But assuming your info checks out, we would be willing to share the results of our full investigation as a symbol of good faith towards any future exchanges we might make."
Nasha listens and stays silent for a moment
"So, in fact you don't know who that is, that is disappointing. I hope to learn that from you soon..." she says leaving it hanging.
With the feeling that the meeting is over you leave the place, and go back to the safe house to meet Ann, were you exchange the gathered information
Rather ashamed that she wasn't able to uncover anything particularly useful--just more questions that need answering--Ann takes a back seat after she's given her report. "I think my disguises were thorough enough that they won't recognize me if I return there, but eventually they'll figure out that all my disguises have the same height and build. There's only so much I can do to affect that. So whatever you decide to do, I'll play back-up."
Sien will go back to the hospital and poke around - he'll sneak in rather than use a disguise.
Sien will advocate looking for the leshy druid. Presumably, there will be fewer people around to note the four of them traveling together.
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Ketsu-kiba smiles "Lets stick together and look for the Leshy."
"Works for me." I'll try not to mess things up again.
You get to rest and head towards the gates knowing that the best chances of finding the druid would be in the jungle, you heard enough stories to know that druids sometimes know when others are coming and you suspects agents along the way, both humanoid and animal in nature.
Getting out of the gates is simple and by covering your features you get out relatively easily, it seems that guards are more focused on keeping you from entering than from leaving.
As you go through small buildings into the forest you know that avoiding notice could be important here
vs DC 30
Ketsu-kiba sneaks.
Sien sniffs around.
"Who tooted? NO TOOTING WHILE SNEAKING!"
Ann has to hide her snicker. I told her not to have beans for breakfast.
She manages, but not with ease.
Well, Moonlight traverse unheard by men or animals, Ann and Sien have nothing to be shamed about. But Ketsu despite following good advices makes a sound... You wait a moment hoping that no one and nothing was listening but soon after you see a squirrel somewhere to the left of you, 30 seconds later the squirrel still traverse the forest parallel to you. You know that you have been spotted.
Few minutes later a small rabbit jumps towards you and leave a notes:
'Meet me at Mantis Stones'
After a moment needed for reading you actually realize that you do know where it is. From the place that you are in, it would take you 15 minutes to get there. The rabbit hops away.
Sien will advocate just walking there openly. The jig is up.
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Ann shrugs. She has no idea where Moonlight is, and kind of hopes he stays hidden while she and the others walk openly. If the Leshy only notices three of them, perhaps that will help the group avoid unpleasant complications. She adjusts her Mask of the Mantis (its straps were too tight), and follows after Sien.
Once about 5 minutes away Ketsu-kiba will activate her wand of Zealous Conviction
You move forwards, openly ... with Moonlight stealthly moving between the trees.
The jungle opens to a large clearing. A set of four twenty-foot-tall roughly hewn stones loom in a diamond pattern, each of which is adorned with carved symbols and thick coils of vines. At the center of the stones stands a flat topped boulder, low to the ground and covered in bloodstains.
You heard that these ancient menhirs were raised centuries ago when the Red Mantis first came to Mediogalti. Other menhirs linked to different forms of native life are hidden throughout the jungle, but these stones, associated with mantises, are the most important to the assassins and thus were built closest to the site where Ilizmagorti had recently been founded. The stones absorb latent primal energies from their surroundings, the passage of the sun and moon, and the shifting of seasons, storing up magic to grant the druids of Achaekek who dwell on the island unique powers of their own.
Moonlight keeps in the forest, while you approach the opening seeing a leshy and two assasins.
"Good day to you, only three? Where did you the forth one lost? So please tell me as I am curious what have you done to to deserve your status as fugitives? Blood Mistress Jakalyn will not suffer betrayal.
Mantis Keeper suggests the PCs turn themselves in, so as to hopefully garner what small amount of mercy the blood mistress might have for them, but they still give the party a chance to explain themselves."
"I strongly suggest you turn yourself in, maybe that will be taken well and you will met quick death"
Oh crap. The jig is up already?! Really? Ann is grateful for her Mantis Mask; she's not sure if her shock registered on her face. Getting herself back under control, she cocks her head. Wait--Blood Mistress Jakalyn? Either that's a half-baked lie or...
Sien will explain that they were betrayed, not the betrayers, and will gloss over the fact that Moonlight is lurking about. But he'll keep his comments short in anticipation that Ketsu-kiba will jump in.
Ann believes that the druid is speaking what they believe to be the truth. But she lives long enough to know that they may be misguided, you also know that from when Jakalyn left for her quest that she did not disclosed with anyone, she has not been seen since. So there are limited chances that the druid actually spoke with her since you have been on the job.
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The mantis keeper shifts a bit
"Ok let me listen your case, Why I should listen and not capture you and give you in. "
Mantis Keeper listens patiently to the your story, but you feel that you need to be particularly cagey or diplomatic in how you present the idea that there’s a conspiracy afoot in conversation.
Sien will instead appeal to the societal structure of the organization, explaining how the Mantis organization still relies on honor and trust, and that we were lied to about our mission, necessitating that we go underground.
vs DC 34
It's too conspiratorial.
Realizing that Sien's not being particularly convincing, Ann puts a hand on his arm. "Stop. You're trying too hard, and it's not working." She gives his arm a squeeze so he knows she's not being harsh, but rather trying to switch to a more effective tactic. She turns back to Mantis Keeper, and goes on the verbal attack. "When was the last time you had verified communication from Blood Mistress Jakalyn? Ours was just days ago. We are acting on her behalf." She deliberately leaves unsaid the implication that anyone who opposes her group also opposes Blood Mistress Jakalyn.
Ketsu-kiba leads the conversation around in circles "Well, theoretically if one in a position such as yours learned there wasn't a problem, you wouldn't need to do anything, but another one who might have learned more might be required to act. But if that acting was problematic, maybe it would be easier not to know, but would it be better?"
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Mantis Keeper listens to Ann "Some weeks back, but then I got a message passed by a messenger that was supposed to be from her. If what you say is true, there is a conspiracy happening..."
Than they turns towars Ketsu "Right, so it may be healthier to not know but healthier does not mean better."
The druid starts walking there and back and then turn
"I will trust you, this whole thing was dodgy from the beggining, I got orders to pass any information about you to Riot Twins, two merchants in the Jade Monkey. "
The druid thinks about something "If you would ever want to clear your name I will support that claim "
Ann inclines her head in a respectful bow. "Thank you, Mantis Keeper. We will keep this meeting strictly confidential until we have enough hard evidence for all of us to survive the storm it will unleash."
The druid nods and gives a sign to the two assasins to stand down, which they did.
"Good luck, you will need it"
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Once they're well away and in the open enough that Ann is reasonably certain no one's eavesdropping on them (barring scrying, which she can't do anything about), she suggests: "I'm curious about what the Dockmaster knows. And it shouldn't be too hard for one or two of us to be stationed off to the side again so they don't see four people together."