“What do you think Altai? I vote we let the halfling and the half-elf go, if they promise to go far away from here … I’m not sure about the green chick. Seems a pity to let such a pretty girl top herself – and I’m not entirely convinced that if we put a sword in her hands it’ll be herself she wants to kill first if you catch my meaning.
“Oh, by the way, look what I found in an old desk upstairs,” shows the wizard the deed.
Do you say that in front of them? No, right?
Do you say that in front of them? No, right?
No, Beldan takes Altai aside for this conversation.
Right on.
lol--way I figure, the half-drow's from Erelhei Cinlu.
I mean, if he got tortured or something he'd scream and all, just his life's been so utterly hosed he doesn't get excited about anything.
"The halfling - sure. She's been most cooperative, and I actually believe her when she says she'll get as far away from here as possible if we let her go. I'm less sure about the half-drow. He just doesn't have any skills beyond killing people and taking their stuff. He'll end up as a highwayman or something like that. As for the green lady... I dunno. She's not human; hell, she told me she hates humans. She's bad news; I'll let the magistrate decide just how bad. I'd argue that the half-elf deserves some kind of second chance, though, and I'll tell the magistrate that as well. What he needs is some kinda job. I dunno what, though. Good thing I'm not the judge."
Altai looks at the deed. "We just liberated Swertlowe Mansion?? Riese's going to love this."
Back at the Lizard Boat...
after an hour, the trio-Harvy, Stiggy, Gitty,...are approached by a cowled man--he taps Harv's shoulder, whispers in his ear--"I'm a city stalker...city guards...undercover. Is there somewhere the four of us can go and talk?"
Or Stiggy...he asks him too...
Harvak looks around. There's hardly a crowd two locals.
"We can talk here, secret guard man. My names Harvak."
"Okay...fine."
He stays cowled.
"So,.....what happened at the mansion? Details."
He looks at the 'salts. They shuffle out the door.
You don't spot anything.
You get no sense of bluff from the cowled figure, only secrecy.
Kialee shuts down the bar, closes the door and the windows, then heads outside...
The bar is empty.
To Harv (and the DM): "Hoo dae we ken thes feller es 'oo 'e says 'e is?"
INT: 1d20=10
"'Ave ye eny ident-i-fi-cation, laddy?"
"The halfling - sure. She's been most cooperative, and I actually believe her when she says she'll get as far away from here as possible if we let her go. I'm less sure about the half-drow. He just doesn't have any skills beyond killing people and taking their stuff. He'll end up as a highwayman or something like that. As for the green lady... I dunno. She's not human; hell, she told me she hates humans. She's bad news; I'll let the magistrate decide just how bad. I'd argue that the half-elf deserves some kind of second chance, though, and I'll tell the magistrate that as well. What he needs is some kinda job. I dunno what, though. Good thing I'm not the judge."
Altai looks at the deed. "We just liberated Swertlowe Mansion?? Riese's going to love this."
“Maybe I’m unfairly biased, but I can’t see those two getting a fair trail, good word from us or no. But you’re right, we let them go they’ll likely just cause trouble for us or others down the track. Let the magistrates sort them out. Let’s let the halfling go now though, before anyone else has a different idea.”
To Harv (and the DM): "Hoo dae we ken thes feller es 'oo 'e says 'e is?"
INT: 1d20=10
"'Ave ye eny ident-i-fi-cation, laddy?"
He pulls a medallion out tied to a fine silver string; it is a City Guard's badge of office. He replaces it.
"If you don't trust me, that's fine. Walthas Kang sent me. (He's the chief guardsman that appeared at your barfight's end).
Maybe we'll get you there; you can talk to him yourselves. He's interested to hear what you have to say.
The mayor'll be interested too. Just trying to keep things on the downlow. There's crooked folks everywhere in this berg.
Believe me, I know."
He pulls back his cowl. He's human, late thirties. Sun-baked skin. Clean shaven, long sunblonded brown hair in a ponytail.
He's got tribal blue striped face tats, Dreadwooder woodsmen.
"Aright, laddy."
Stig tells the story with a little less embellishments. He leaves out the part where he got drunk and passed out between battles.
heh heh....one sniff and he knows that part.
Do you tell him about the prisoners, the contraband, the whole deal?
"Aye...I'll go talk to Kang. We'll probably send a boat there for the goods, in a day or two. I'm thinking you guys could continue with garrisoning that manor. I'll send a couple guys to row you back; beats the d##&~%% out of walking anyway's. Harder for some ginks to tail you--just sail out a few miles, and cut back that way to the mansion.
You want to take it to the guys on the ship smuggling this stuff in?
I can't speak for the town, but I think they'll see to it you get some decent pay for this job, and the next one. They'll want that ship taken out of operation, I'd wager."
"Yeah, it might get hot for you around here, if there's a big heroin operation going down. Better there than here...least for a while.
I'll see what I can do about getting you guys paid, and you'll probably want to provide me with a shopping list of needful things out of that.
When we send a receiving boat we'll cut you money and goods. Sounds to me like it's about 24 days until they come back to drop off a load."
"Och aye, Ah hink we'll be visitin' their ship."
"Heh heh heh....good. Anything else? Concerns? Desires? I'll go talk to Kang. I'll meet you guys back here around sunset, and we can all take a merry boatride."
"Coods ye cowre mah tab haur at th' lizard?"
"Rank roo!"
"Hmm...."
He trouwes 5 platinum duchesses up on the counter.
"That'll sauce you up, hour two right?"
He re-cowls, and heads out the door.
Kialee appears quickly and palms the duchesses. (heh heh..)
"Drink up, boyoes. Drink up."
Stig will probably have to be smacked out the door by Harv.
"I'll be back in a couple hours Stig, I's got to pick up a few things and stop off and see about some matters".
Harvak heads back to the weapons dealer and puts in a order for another dwarven waraxe and a gnome hooked hammer(Masterwork for both if possible.
*Note also ask a leatherworker if he could make a leather sling for a halfling to be flung into the air.
He also hits a local bathhouse that cleans your armor and clothes while you bathe.
Stig should be staggering drunk by then.
"Soom Blue Frog fer ye, Gittik?"
"No, me go see Jane tonight. Heh heh..."
Harvak can get both weapons; 300 g.p. plus whatever the weapon's cost is.
He's referred to the Dancing Dryad for the bathhouse gig. 20 g.p. and he's nice and clean...
The weaponmaker doesn't know what Harvak's talking about wrt a hobbit throwing sling. It's crazy talk to him. But,....seeing as Harvak seems to have a lot of cash, and looks somewhat dangerous, he's polite about it.
"Kailee what's up with the druids Oak Island, I heard people talkin in my travels about the town."
"Kailee what's up with the druids Oak Island, I heard people talkin in my travels about the town."
"They're kinda hinky. Bored city kids, think they know something about nature that the rest of the bored city kids don't know. I don't like putzing around with thos guys. They're not 'druids' in any sense of the word.
They'll find some other fad soon, I'm sure."
Elgan discusses the matter of the prisoners with Beldan while searching the house. (He is quietly but obviously amused by the other's excitement over finding an old, brittle piece of parchment that's not magical in any way. )
"Well dere, Dat is quit' a pickle we gots heah. Ah'm not big on killin fer no reason, but as yeh pointed out, dere is justifiable cause fer beliven' dat dey would end up causin' more trouble laters. A'hm OK wit' lettin da little one go. Like yeh, Ah believe her when she says dat she'll scoot. But tell'er dat if we DO evah see her 'gain, ta 'member dat she owes us. Dese sort o' folk seem ta respond ta dat sort o' 'ting."
"Dah others,... Da Darkie gets mah goat. Ah don' know if'n he don' care cuz he can't afford ta lose anythin' else, er if'n its cuz he don' care bout nuthin, and he jes as likely ta knife an old lady fer her copper as ta help her cross da street. If'n he's gots any compassion lef' in 'im, mebbe we could get him on wit da city guard as da way ta serve his time. He could be useful, AND have a chance ta fights back at the pi-rats if'n he wants too."
"Dah Green chick, Ah aint nevah seen her like neitha. But hol' on dere,... did ya say she wanted ta kill herse'f cuz o' honor? Dat makes no sense ta me, but if'n she wuz willin ta 'splain it ta us, mebbe we kin axe her if'n dere's anothuh way ta restore honor besides dis' 'Hairy Scary' 'ting she's askin' fo'. Whut ya tink?"
Gittik shows up at her door again(?) When's he going over there?
<knocks on door>
<rehearses line>
Jane, me kill many enemies yesterday, me have new house. Me bring you gold teeth as present. You be my girlfriend?
It's 2 p.m.
The same servant woman answers the door, whistling through a phantom incisor. The whelp at her skirts still oozes from the nose.
"She's at work. Bot she said that if you shawop, to take you round to the tailor. Get you gussed up properloike for dinner."
"Simon! Simon!"
A halfling servant shows up.
"Simon, can you show Master Gittik to the tailor?"
"Aye, follow me, sir, if it suits you."
The prisoners are getting hungry and thirsty.
The halfling guttersnipe has to poop, but doesn't want to poop in front of the others.
She takes off, down the road the opposite direction from Saltmarsh. (east).
Stig leaves when the boat leaves.
Yeah Harvak did his shop/ordering and is ready to go back when the boat arrives.
The ranger arrives back at the Lizard Boat at the appointed time. He leads the two (or three(?)) down to the docks.
There's a small yacht with a collapsible mast there, about 25 feet long.
The city stalker pipes up:
"Stig, Harvak; this it Tom and Will Stoutley. They're good men, they'll take care of you."
Tom is a strapping lad, red-haired and sunfreckled. He's a good six feet with arms like Popeye. He's dressed in leather and has a bastardsword strapped to his back.
Will is slighter, hair jet black; looks more olive complected. Same rigout almost as Tom; but with a longsword and leather.
"Hie there, Admirals! Welcome aboard th' flagship!" Speaks up Tom, all grins and gaptoothy.
"I'm Tom, and that's Will. Don't take Will personal, he talks about pretty much never. He's a good tit though, and as good a cousin a man could ask for. He's my brother though."
Will looks at him like he's an a%$!%++.
"Aye, lighten up, you great tart."
To you guys:
"We're bloody excise men, but hell, we'll count your take, and all that. I'd like a go at those pirates too, I reckon. How about you, Will?"
Will doesn't say anything.
"Pelor, you tart! Be polite! Speak up you wee bastard. We have company on boart the Dauntless, you mooncalf!"
Gittik: you can be there, or not; keep doing what you're doing...
Beldan shares out two days trail rations between the three prisoners (and has a meal himself).
After they let the halfling go, warning her that she’s probably best not going back to Saltmarsh, he slips the girl a few coins (5gp worth). “No sense in her having to rob someone for her first meal,” he mumbles if the others notice his deed.
After his chat with Elgan he goes back to talk to Isirka (studiously ignoring the half drow on the way). “I don’t get it right – you’d rather kill yourself than have a chance at escape and revenge? Just because we say we’ll hand you over to the authorities, doesn’t mean instant chop-chop. I don’t buy it. You know what else I don’t get – if you despise humans so much, how come you stoop to work with them? Why would Lord Jingo want his people working with humans? Are we really that bad? We’ve treated you well, we could have … well, we could have done really bad things, but we didn’t, we wouldn’t.
“Look, it’s up to you … if you really want to top yourself I’ll try to convince the others to let you. But if it were me, I’d want my chance at escape, and life. Strike out, leave all this behind, or go back to your boss, or even plot eternal revenge if that’s your poison. But killing yourself? That’s … cowardly. That’s what you do when you’re not brave enough to face the alternatives.”
Harvak--the mwork dwarven waraxe runs 330 g.p.
the mwork gnome hook hammer runs 620 g.p., since it's a double weapon with both sides masterworked. OR, you can get it with ONE side masterworked for 320 g.p.
So you've got
either
a mwork dwarven waraxe, a one-sided masterwork gnome hook hammer, and
350 g.p. left,
OR
a mwork dwarven waraxe, a double sided masterwork gnome hook hammer, and 50 g.p. left
from the 1,000 g.p. the city of Saltmarsh is giving each character.
You have these things when you get on the boat back to the mansion if you decide so to buy them.
Beldan shares out two days trail rations between the three prisoners (and has a meal himself).
After they let the halfling go, warning her that she’s probably best not going back to Saltmarsh, he slips the girl a few coins (5gp worth). “No sense in her having to rob someone for her first meal,” he mumbles if the others notice his deed.
"I'll blow you a kiss, lad; that's lucky from a halfing."
She beats feet, headed east.
After his chat with Elgan he goes back to talk to Isirka (studiously ignoring the half drow on the way). “I don’t get it right – you’d rather kill yourself than have a chance at escape and revenge? Just because we say we’ll hand you over to the authorities, doesn’t mean instant chop-chop. I don’t buy it. You know what else I don’t get – if you despise humans so much, how come you stoop to work with them? Why would Lord Jingo want his people working with humans? Are we really that bad? We’ve treated you well, we could have … well, we could have done really bad things, but we didn’t, we wouldn’t.“Look, it’s up to you … if you really want to top yourself I’ll try to convince the others to let you. But if it were me, I’d want my chance at escape, and life. Strike out, leave all this behind, or go back to your boss, or even plot eternal revenge if that’s your poison. But killing yourself? That’s … cowardly. That’s what you do when you’re not brave enough to face the alternatives.”
"You treat me well because YOU are cowards. You do not know how to make a choice between life and death, because you fear what you will become. THAT is the essence of cowardice. THAT is why the uguromaji are your lords and masters.
I have failed my Lord. I have brought him dishonor. By losing to humans,...so I must pay a bloodprice. It is the way. You wouldn't understand."
“Bah! I haven’t seen any green people ordering me around,” snorts Beldan. “Fine, you want to die. Don’t go anywhere.” He stalks off, kicking at dust and scurrying bugs on the floor.
Later he reports to the others. “The green girl still wants to top herself. I think she’s completely frikken bonkers myself … but I also think that’s her right. Locking someone like that away … I know she’s a bad guy, but it seems cruel and unusual to me. What do you lot think? I’m probably not the ideal guy to be making ethical decisions…”
“Bah! I haven’t seen any green people ordering me around,” snorts Beldan.
"Pauugh. And look how crappy your whole civilization is as a result.
Humans running amok....what a nightmare."
“I hate that chick.”
“She's hot though.”