Saul, Gold Goblin Propieter's page

From down the hallway, Saul's voice echoes again. "Bojask, put that damn pig back in its cage or I will come out there and put it down."

Vark, he didn't appear to show you what it says. From his waving it in the air, you can tell that it is appears to be a letter written in a tight, cramped hand. To get more details, you'll have to get a better look.

Saul sighs and says, "I try not to let everyone know all my business; it's a bad policy, but since you're worried, I'll let you in on a secret. I've had an agent in Zincher's arena for the past year or so. He's fairly high up, trusted, the whole deal. He's the one who tipped us off to the meeting going down tonight. It should go without saying that tipping Zincher off to this would be disastrous. So far, it doesn't seem like Zincher even thinks it's possible that I've planted an agent, and I'd like to stay that way."

"Boss Croat is not as much of an enemy as Zincher is, but he's not a friend. If you can take him out, that leaves us fewer people to battle as everyone attempts to fill Zincher's spot as Crimelord. Of course, if you can convince him to join our cause, that's better than another cold body. That'll be hard, if not impossible, but you're more than welcome to give it a shot." Saul flashes a toothy grin and goes to puff his cigar, but notices it has gone out.

With Mazra's request, Saul offers him a cigar from the box. It's smaller than the other ones and obviously not as high a quality, but it is still finer than those commonly found on the streets.

The next morning...

Saul sits in his office, twirling an ornate dagger around the index finger of his good hand and glowering at door the party enters. He slams the dagger onto the desk, avoiding injury to the wyrmskin covering, and extracts a sheet of parchment from his desk. He barely waits for all assembled to take seats before speaking.

His voice booms through the room, too loud for such cramped quarters, saying, "I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors yet, considering that some of you," he takes a particular moment to glare at Mazra, Vara and Vark, "lie abed well into midday, then spend hours getting ready, but the streets are awash with news of the raid. Some say it was the Overlord's men finally cracking down. Others are saying it a random set of street thugs. In either case, the whole town is talking about us, but the damages to the building are too much to open. Sure, in a week when we're running again, we'll have more staff than ever, but for now there's lost profits and empty coffers.

"Our guests last night left this on our door, pinned in this this pretty little dagger." Saul gestures to the scrimshawed bone dagger and waves the parchment through the air. "This was clearly Zincher's doing. How he got Boss Croat on board, I have no idea, but that half-orc you killed in my office," Saul says with a glance to a rust red splatter near the front door, "was clearly Jasker Gant, one of his mid-level managers.""

He pulls his cigar box from the desk, roots around for a moment, and then cuts, lights and begins smoking a cigar with a single practiced movement. After a few puffs, the smoke begins to fill the room.

"I sent some men around last night to figure out exactly what went on. The gendarmes' routes went no where near the Gold Goblin last night. One of them obviously slipped some money in pockets to make that happen. On the one hand, it's good to hear that the Overlord wasn't part of that foolishness, but it also mean we can't expect any protection or justice from his end." Saul punctuates his sentence by slamming his fist on his desk. "Now, a direct attack would be overly rash. They have pure manpower; the attack you survived last night were mere thugs. This failure means they've got nothing to lose, and they'll surely follow up with another attack soon. This time, though, it'll be an army. I figure we have only days before they strike again.

"However, my contacts have found an interesting tidbit that I think we need to follow up on as soon as possible. Tonight, at the Spar, there's going to be a meeting between Boss Croat and Zincher, with only a few of their guards around. They'll be alone, vulnerable - it may be our best time to take out the heads of the snakes that wish to bite us. It's nostalgic spot for them, of course, since it's an old drop point. I used it myself in the early days, and I've drawn up a map with detailed directions.""

Saul holds his cigar out as he looks each other person deeply in the eye and pleads, "For the sake of the Gold Goblin and our partnership, strike true tonight. I don't think we'll be able to survive a full assault."

Saul passes Nel and Vark on his way up from the basement and raises an eyebrow. "Rough night, eh? Don't stay up too late - we've got to get to the bottom of this tomorrow. Nice work, you lot."

His clothes seem to be covered with sawdust and sand, and there's bits of hay stuck to his shoes. He smiles at the rest of the party on the first floor and says to them, "Of course, celebrate all you want. The bar is open, though the bartenders have all gone home. We'll meet tomorrow morning to discuss the next steps. I expect the Gold Goblin will be closed for several days."

Saul lets out a grunt and says, "Good idea, Nel. I'll see to it myself," before he begins tottering off. He closes the door, and then says, "I'll just be a minute!"

After closing the door, he looks Vara and her centipede over, mutters, "Looks like everything's under control... I'm going to check on the animals". His brow is furrowed and he doesn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, focusing instead on his thoughts. As he walks away, everyone can hear him muttering about security and fail safes, with a slew of profanity thrown in.

Saul's eyes glint as Tamiro and Mazra enters the room. "Good news, I expect?" he says as he rubs his hands together. "Those four casks of Penj came from Vudra itself! Quite a pretty penny, quite a pretty profit."

Saul stares at Vara as she works, his brow furrowed and head tilted to one side. "If you want," he says with almost a sigh, "you're welcome to do so. A few guidelines, though. We don't have much money for renovations, nor do we have manpower to aid this. Bojask currently oversees the animals, so you'll have to talk to him before making any permanent changes, but I'm sure he'll be alright with most of your suggestions. If you do wish to take the animals out, be careful that they aren't harmed in anyway and make sure that Clegg Zincher doesn't realize what's going on. We don't need to antagonize him, and he'll definitely see our operation as a threat to his fighting pits."

Saul dusts off his coat and key before abruptly saying, "If that's all for me, I'll be happy to leave things to you. As a note, a few gendarmes visited me earlier today. They mentioned that they were taking over the investigation into Larur's disappearance. While I don't have hope that they'll find much more than you have, I don't recommend crossing them. The Overlord's men are notoriously short-tempered and don't like others stepping on their toes."

"No, no, no. Not to the death! These animals are too expensive for that. We typically rent them out or sell them a few weeks later," Saul shakes his head. "I am glad to hear that we've come to an agreement."

I'll pm you about a private RP deal!

Saul stops tapping his key hand and rub his forehead. "Look," he says with a slight scowl, "Feldin was a great manager. I don't know what's happened to him, you don't know what's happened to him, we don't know if he'll shamble in here tomorrow after sleeping off a night of heavy drink. What I do know is that we need someone to run the floor tonight. Don't worry. If Feldin shows up, he'll get his job back." He looks down for a second, somewhat sheepishly.

"I must also tell you something. Gambling and drink isn't everything that the Gold Goblin supplies. In the basement, we run a fighting ring. Animals, mainly. We'd manage to get a few reefclaws for a show tonight. It's the biggest attraction we've had in some time, which is why it's vital it goes smoothly. Very profitable, but it also directly competes with Clegg Zincher. We try to keep it quiet because of that." Saul sighs and looks at the group. "I'm appointing Nel floor manager, if no one has any complaints. There's a raise, of course, for you, making you get 25 gold a week for as long as you have the position. You'll be a full partner."

"This job exhausts me, and I need good workers to support me. To be honest, I've been looking to retire next year. My hope is to train you all, get you up to snuff, and then leave the business to you. If that works for you, I'd like to make you all full partners in the future."

As soon as someone accepts the job, I'll put up the basement maps and post the next encounter. It's a combat one!

Saul starts up at Vara's unusual behavior, then narrows his eyes as she begins casting. "Dearie, are you all right? Do you need a day off?" Saul's brow is knit in worry.

The mint is not poisoned.

"Excellent, Nel. I trust you did not find any clues at the moneylender's house? Very well, not all leads are fruitful." Saul's smile cracks a little. "If these profits continue, I have a mind to make you full partners! It seems that you're breathing a life to this old box of wood that I never could."

Saul smiles at Tamiro as he snatches the pouch off the desk, much how a mother would smile at a disobedient child.

"Why, yes," he says, "it is payday. After all, I must keep the junior partners well-supplied. The Gold Goblin has been incredibly successful since you have started working for me, and much of it has been due to your hard work. I've included a little something extra in there for each of you. Of course, I can't afford a permanent raise quite yet, as we do have our creditors to pay." Saul lets his gaze rest on Nel for a moment before returning to the rest of the group gathered.

Inside each pouch is the 10 GP expected and agreed-upon pay, an additional 5 gp, and a breath mint.

"But, please, we have more serious matters to discuss. Have you located Larur yet? I do worry ever so much about him. He's not usually one to miss work."

Saul is sitting in his office. A small fire is burning in his fireplace, despite the relatively neutral temperature today. He cracks his fingers as Nel and Tamiro enter, and gestures to the chairs in front of his desk. Today, he's set up five chairs and offers you red Chelish wine before smiling wide and starting to speak. Five small pouches sit on the edge of his desk.

"Ah, nice to see you," he says. "I trust the day has gone well. Let us wait for the rest of the junior partners before getting into business, of course. I did hear about an unusually large wave down in the Wharf district today. What a pity. It's emptied out our gambling hall for at least the afternoon. I'm sure business will pick up this evening as people seek meat and drink."

As Nel begins to leave, Saul quickly commands, "Once you and the other junior partners have gathered any substantial leads, come visit me. I'll be in my office. We have the profitability of the Gold Goblin to discuss."

Saul glares at Nel as she walks away, then retires to his office with Bojask. As they walk through the casino floor, they keep their heads close together and talk in low voices, nearly impossible to hear above the racket of the business's early hours.

Saul says, "Well, Lymas Sneed isn't exactly an unknown. His base of operations - his house, really, that he then lends money out of. It's down on Rat Street. He calls the gaudy place Rat Street Loans."

"Ah, yes," Saul says as he continues to puff on his cigar, the acrid smoke filling the room, "the northern customs are so quaint. Reminds me of when life was simpler... but we're civilized now, and that means you can find anything you want if you've got the gold to spare."

"But that is besides the point. It seems like the rest of the crew isn't bothering to get out of bed, so I'll cut to the quick. The floor manager, Larur Feldin, has gone missing. I've hired on some extra help for today. Got it at a good price too - some half-elf with red hair who foolishly thought one of the of the Cyphermages would take her on. Our gain, her loss. Anyway, that's for later.

"I sent a runner to Feldin's flat, just to check and see if he was still sleeping off his drink. The place was empty and completely destroyed - the front door was off its hook, no valuables left behind. Of course, Feldin wasn't there. You need to figure out what happened to Feldin. Last I knew, he was visiting a moneylender, Lymas Sneed. Maybe he ran into trouble there. I don't know, but I want him back as soon as possible."

Saul's eyebrows shoot up as Vara speaks. There's a dragon outside Riddleport?" he says as he begins scribbling some numbers on a sheet of parchment. "I was just thinking of contacting some suppliers in Magnimar, maybe Absalom, but the profit margins would be enormous... and if you think the signs point that way, I would trust your luck..."

"But that isn't why I asked you in here." He glances quickly around the room and rolls his neck. "We may want to wait until more of our associates are here, though."

A rather eventful first week has passed at the Gold Goblin.

Please make 3 additional days of checks to indicate your character's work for the Gold Goblin as outlined in this post. I have approved Vara's use of Heal to make money, as well as Strength/CMB checks for Tamiro.

Quick Calendar
8 Days Ago - Oathday
7 Days Ago - First Day on the Job/Trouble with the Sailors
4 Days Ago - Clegg Zincher Appears/Snake Attack

Earlier this morning, Saul sent one of the new staff, a coupier named Saban, to the shared quarters, asking for all the juniors partners to attend a meeting at 10:00 AM the next morning. The summons was unusual; ever since the first day, he had not asked for a group meeting, but preferred to consult with individuals that he thought would have the most expertise in the specific area. Vara, in particular, he would call in for consultations on risky decisions, in order to be "harness her luck".

Saul is sits at his desk, smoking a thick cigar and staring in contemplation at the art of therianthropes playing golem. He lets out a huge plume of smoke as the first person enters the room and absentmindedly says, "I've been thinking, and I think I may be able to find a dragonhide-covered chair to replace this one with. Wyvern skin is a luxury, yes, but I can only imagine how nice dragonhide must feel. Thoughts?" He opens a snuffbox and offers some to everyone in the room before closing it and putting it back in his desk.

Saul grunts and says, "I'm not too keen on the idea of letting out rooms for free. I like you, though, and you're a junior partner, so I'll let it happen this time. Trust me, though, make a habit of it and it'll be coming out of your pay. Gotta keep this place in business after all."

Curiously, he continues, "What happened, anyways? I can't have people getting attacked in my hall! Look into it and let me know how this happened.

Saul finds the rest of group in the main room, shooing away Sam before taking the party on the catwalks. The casino floor is completely visible below, and Saul points to a man with a beefy neck sitting at one of the tables. The dealers appear to be nervous and no other customers are sitting at his table, despite the crowd. A few particularly nervous gamblers watch him as they play Golem.

"That man," Saul says with a quick jab of his finger, "is Clegg Zincher. He's a crimelord, and one of my - no, our - biggest competitors. He's not exactly the gambling type, so I'm sure he's here to send us a message, if not worse. Keep an eye on him."

With that Saul grunts and begins to head back to his private office.

Saul laughs, and adds "Well, just be sure not to cross the Besmarans. They're a nasty sort of folk. You see, good Lady Besmara is the goddess of the sea, pirates and sea monsters. The church in town - the Fish Bowl - is run by a particularly nasty piece of work who does blood sacrifices. I heard not too long ago a woman ran off with a bigger share of the treasure than the Besmarans thought right, and they responded by sacrificing her wife and children to the sea monsters they keep."

Saul laughs and says, "Well, I never expected to have someone with such... talents on my staff, but if you wish, you're more than welcome. I'm sure I can find you some private living quarters so that you can entertain your clients in private! Just make sure the Callistrians don't hear about that. I don't want another set of enemies in this town." Saul shrugs and then says, "I'm sure you'd also be pretty good at making sure the food we're serving is good and won't poison our loyal customers. Perhaps you could give the kitchen a look-over?"

Yep, I'll allow the heal skill in this case.

Mazra, you'll be able to find a smith easily to do so.

"Well, I guess that's for you all to figure out. I'm not one of those obsessive managers," Saul says with a laugh.

Saul smiles widely. "Of course, a tour! We'll start in a moment. First, though, I'd like you to meet the rest of the staff." Saul opens the door and calls for four other men, and the file in.

Saul introduces the men, one-by-one, as Larur Feldin the floor
manager, Hans and Beyar the guards, and Bojask, Saul's personal body guard.

"If you wish to go for the evening, Larur will be happy to escort you up. Otherwise, please come with me for your your tour." Saul smiles, his teeth glinting. He then begins the tour, leading the group through the first and second floor, stopping at each room for any particular questions.

Map of the Gold Goblin 1st Floor

Map of the Gold Goblin 2nd Floor

Nodding with each of the orders for refreshments, he rings the bell to summon the staff and relays the order. The requested items come quickly, and are more lavish than previously expected. He makes sure to place them easily in the middle of the table.

Saul shakes his head a little, contemplating the demands, and sighs, "It's the least I can do. We don't have stables in-house, of course, but I can talk to some of the neighboring businesses to see what their rates of boarding would be. No matter, I'll make sure your animals are well-taken care of and you won't have to even think about it. Let me know where they're boarded, and I'll have some of the other members of the staff make the arrangements tonight.

"And, miss," he says, addressing Nel, "I'm very sorry for offending you. I do see the Varisian in you. It's much more prominent. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for anything like that. Of course, there's very little stuff of the sort coming through here. You're more likely to find someone trying to use severed body parts or weird chunks of silvery metal for currency here than books."

"Of course, I don't believe I've heard from everyone," Saul says with a pointed look at Pluck. "I know it's a decision you have to make, and you may want to think on it, so let me know by tomorrow morning. If you all are interested," he sweeps the room with a grand gesture,"I'll give you a grand tour either tonight or when you wake tomorrow. I'd prefer tonight, but I know it is quite late. First, eat and drink your fill!"

Waiting until everyone else is preoccupied with their meal and ale, he subtly bends to Vark's ear and whispers, "In Riddleport, you'd find it's best not to mention anyone's past, especially if they're offering you the best job you'll find this side of the Cyphergate. If you have any concerns, I'm sure I can convince you of my intentions, given the time." He gives a wide-toothed smile before going to mingle with the rest of the party again.

Saul leads through the interior of the building, up a flight of stairs and into a private room filled with plush couches and dark wood tables. In the corner is a knotted rope that goes into the wall. Bottles of Chelish wine and Dwarven ales spread across the dark wood table. A bowl of Talden chocolate sits on an end table, dark and shiny under the lamp light. In the center low table, a pile of damaged goods sits. A few weapons and a spellbook are available.

He cracks his knuckles and smiles before saying,“It’s great to discuss this with you. If there’s any particular drink or meat that you need, please let me know. That rope in the corner is attached to a bell in the kitchen. If you ring it, someone should be up shortly to take your order. Of course, anything we serve can be made for you, including healing potions. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

“I want to commend all of you for your actions. These were taken from the would-be thieves. Thanks to you, we were able to recover the silver and have the thieves waiting downstairs for the gendarmes. If you wish to speak to them, I can ask the gendarmes to wait until you complete your business. Their valuables," he gestures to the pile on the table, "are yours now."

“First, though, a toast to you and your work,” he says as he pours everyone a glass of champagne before serving himself. “Desna smiled when she sent you here tonight. Your bravery is admirable, especially in a town like this.

“I’ve arranged room for you all to stay, for at least tonight. In addition, there’s a small satchel for each of you. Inside, you’ll find your entry fee refunded, as well as a few chips for the future. Of course, if you would like to turn them in immediately, I’ve informed my other staff that you are allowed to cash in your chips at 150%.” He beckons to the door, and a man comes in, bearing six small bags. Inside each is 10 silver pieces and 5 gold chips. There is also, strangely, a breath mint in each bag.

“I am sure you know this, but I am Saul Vancaskerkin. I’m a retired gang leader in Riddleport, happy to be done with that sort of life. The life of crime was fun, yes, for a while, but it stopped being so appealing once I lost my health, my fortune, my wife, both my sons and my left hand." He looks down at his key-hand before continuing. “After my fortune was depleted, I took what little funds I had left and purchased this place, the Gold Goblin, from the previous owners. It was once world-famous, but, as you clearly can see, it’s fallen. I’m too old to be a gang leader again, you see, and I thought I could eke out a living here.

Saul sighs, and places his glass on the table before reclining slightly in his chair. “I no longer am part of the crime scene in this city, you see, but I feel my enemies remain. They would love to see my ruined, and I can’t help but think that tonight’s robbery was part of their plans. Angvar, the human man our beautiful half-elf nearly killed, seems familiar to me. I have reason to believe he’s the leader of a group of street toughs that contracts themselves out to the crime lords. They mainly work as part of the protection racket and strong-arm people into doing what they want. Of course,” he muses, “I could always ask Zincher for help, but I feel like a different opportunity presents itself.

“I am impressed with your abilities and I think you are just the folk who can turn my fortunes around. Word will spread soon that the Gold Goblin is nothing to mess with if you serve here. You’ll answer to me – and only me – and take whatever role you wish. Our dear gnome here could sing all he wants, while the rest of you could serve as bouncers, dealers, cooks… whatever suits you. That, of course, would only be your cover. Truly, you’d be working for me as messengers, bodyguards and consultants. In exchange for this, you’d be paid a regular salary of 10 gold a week, as well as a cut of the profits. You would be able to stay here, free of charge, with your meals covered.

“I hope that you do find this deal agreeable.””

Saul looks the gnome up and down, smiling widely. "Excellent, excellent. And I saw a little of your, ahem, performance earlier! Great work, and I'd love to have someone like you on the staff - I've got rooms available now, of course, if you need a place to stay. In fact, I have half a mind to make you a partner. What'd you think about that?"

He turns his attention over to Nel, nodding his head thankfully as she hands him the chest.

"Of course, our restrooms are down that hallway to the right," he says as he gestures with his keyhand. "Unless you have a real horse you need to see to?"

"In that case, miss,", he smiles widely and give a little bow, "you're welcome to come back tomorrow. But, are you sure you won't want to stay for at least a drink? I found your fighting mighty impressive from what I saw in my office. It's a pity I couldn't see more of it. Perhaps you could give me a lesson sometime?"

After processing the majority of the customers with four other men, the only remaining staff for the Gold Goblin, Saul comes to you and says. ”Thanks for the help back there. We should be able to recover the silver easy enough. I know it’s late, but would you mind staying and talking to us. Drinks on the house, of course. We just want to be sure of what all went down tonight. Help prevent it in the future. And, to be honest, we got to get to the end of this mess – my creditors think I’m on the verge of absolute ruin, but I’ve got a hunch that success is right over the next hills. Gotta make them believe that, though.”

“Plus, I think those thugs had some stuff on them we can’t use. Maybe that’ll be of help to you?”