To Mordecai
"That may be. Unfortunately, suffering near death twice in the same number of hours has blurred my memory. I have no idea who I hired to help me.
"You want power Mordecai. I can smell it on you. You stink of lust for it. Play your fat fish if you want to, but I think your fancy words mask fear. If my way seems better, I'll take it. I won't serve a coward."
DM Dahn
Gierixa; You attend to the plants; many of them need little more than watering, and even half an hour after you do so, many of the sagging leaves and branches perk up. There are a number of interesting, but unused, clay pots in the back, their original purpose long over. They would be suitable for planting or transplanting something from your garden, into this place. In addition, you have some unfinished business with Hyram Crooge, and some mushrooms.
Mordecai; Standard wages for Cooks, Servers, and Bouncers is 1 silver a day.
Angvar; You and Mordecai buried the bodies of the guards and your thugs earlier that day. The thug that got away was named Jarund, or so he told you. The crew you picked up in the Lubbertown district, north of Riddleport proper. He's a local, so finding him there again is a distinct possibility. By Ishkish's sendings, you can basically surmise that he's in a box somewhere, occasionally being handled by someone with large hands. He's being patient, and he hasn't bit anyone yet. They feed him, but he still wants to get back to you. From what you remember, Jarund was a slight man, and probably isn't the man with 'big hands'
Bexilarius; With all the talk of finding replacement workers, your mind does drift to the half-elf you met yesterday. Although Sam is certainly looking for work, you're not sure if this is the right place for her, after last night's explosive events.
Ozbadin; While you watch the others move around on their tour of the place, your eyes keep falling on Angvar. You wonder if he and his lover were part of the ostentatious crew that your contact mentioned to you. This man certainly didn't carry himself with the same pride and grace as what was described, but that would certainly be understandable. If you continue to trail Mordecai and Angvar, the information about Saul above, as well as their conversation, becomes known to you. Mordecai has big plans, it would seem.
Melissa; Not much to report back to Zincher right now, but I'm sure he'd like to know anything he could.
Satisfied that she had done all she could for one day, Gierixa leaves the Goblin a greener place and heads down the street for the garbage dump. She was glad to be able to pay the disgusting man back in full. maybe some day i can get enough coin to hire someone to talk to him for me, she thought to herself.
Keeping her distance from the cliff, she calls out to Hyram. Her breath is hard from the long climb over the hills. "Hyram, are you there i need to talk to you."
Gierixa;
"You've come back to pay me already? Whatever you're doing down there, you must be doing it right.", he yells back to her.
Great piles of trash stand between you and the disgusting Half-Orc. He moves around a large fire, and, hefting what looks like a large door, he adds more fuel to the main fire. High above the blaze, a long cord is strung, and on it hang various meats; a couple flanks, and a number of sausages hang in the smoke, being cured by the burning refuse.
"And you have the mushrooms too?"
|
To Angvar;
"If so, how far away can you sense the presence of the familiar? If there is a defined limitation and the distance is not too great, we can spend the day walking around and so determine the location, by divining when your link grows weak."
"no mushrooms yet tracking down that stuff is more delicate than earning gold."
She shudders at the sight of meat cooking.
"thats disgusting here take this."
She places her debt on the nearest object and turns to leave, nauseated by the stench.
"cant stay gotta go find those mushrooms."
To Mordecai
"Scaly friend. Not furry. I can sense Iskish's presence within a mile. We shall walk Mordecai, and hunt for him. We shall hunt for new staff for this shabby hostelry. We shall also talk about power. Won't that be fun?"
Gierixa;
"Wait! I mean...don't go. Not yet. I have something. For you. I was going to give it to you for the mushrooms, but you should probably just take it now. It's over there, in that boot." Hyram points to a pile of garbage not far from Gierixa, using his other hand to make sure his face is obscured.
If she chooses to examine the pile
"I thought you would like it.", Hyram says, turning away from her. He does not wait to see if she takes it, and he begins throwing more garbage onto the burning blaze.
Gierixa, curious as ever, moves to inspect the odd boot. She smiles as she watches the plant crush its mammalian victim.
Knowledge (nature) to identify the plant: 1d20+3 = 11.
She is wise enough to realize it is dangerous. She handles it with care, taking it back to her garden to occupy a place of honor. who would have thought the old creep would know what i like.
"thanks Croog ill try extra hard to find those mushrooms in fact as soon as i plant your present im gonna track down someone who might know something."
To Angvar
"Given the events of last evening, I would prefer we begin our jaunt far from the docks, as I have lost my appetite for fish. I am very curious as to whether or not you will lose contact with your scaly friend when we are exactly a mile from the Golden Goblin..."
"As for power, and the acquisition thereof, I prefer to wait for opportunities to arise. Perhaps that seems timid to you, but it has served me well so far, as the most unusual things seem to fall into one's lap, if one has the wit to seize these days as they arise and is not paralyzed waiting for a better offer."
"Instead of a handful of coins and baubles, for instance, I find myself sharing my room and meals with a most contrary and headstrong Chelaxian, and yet, even in that choice, I suspect that greater opportunities will present themselves."
Gierixa;
Given the Boneyards reputation, I think Gierixa would prefer to go with a partner. Perhaps the other interested in herbs would accompany her? I believe it was Mordecai?
After planting her new friend, Gierixa will head to the Goblin to track down Mordecai.
Mel isn't foolish enough to return to Zinchers..or to any public place associated with him. She writes a carefully worded report on everything that has occured so far and leaves it in one of the families dead drops sure that it will get to the boss in a day or so
Bexilarius heads out into the town, thinking of anyone he might know to work at the Goblin. His mind naturally turns to Sam. She lost it last night, but I don't think that was business as usual. The least I can do is let her know they're hiring, and maybe get a free tumble to boot. He makes his way to the tiny apartment in the Wharf district she took him to yesterday and knocks on the door.
To Mordecai
A small smile crosses Angvar's face. "How nice to know that you're as suspicious as I am of the inhabitants of this slop hole we both call home. I too believe my scaled assistant is within the Gold Goblin."
Dahn
DM Dahn
With a little wandering around the edges of his empathic range, they should be able to figure out where the center is located, even if it involves a lot more wandering around town.
Barring other complications, Mordecai is prepared to spend the rest of the day doing this (which, were he skilled at math, could probably be done much faster, but it would involve getting to the periphery and drawing a chalk parabola on the ground and bisecting it and other stuff that Mordecai knows bupkiss about...).
He will only cursorily look for people to hire, since he doesn't want to get distracted and lose count. He will also stay a few yards away from the water's edge, if their wandering takes them near it, because that barracuda attack last night scared the crap out of him!
It's a crapshoot whether or not we run into Gierixa at some point.
Ozbadin his curiosity piqued does try to trail the two for a while, but after he gains the information he decides to try a little recruiting. Using his many contacts in Riddleport, he spreads the word about the good odds, and fantastic gaming available at his new place of employment. He tries to find a scribe to make up some signs for placement, so that anyone new to the city would be able to find the place.
1d20+6 → [12,6] = (18) Bluff or Diplomacy as desired
1d20+7 → [11,7] = (18) Knowledge Local
OOC: Also while Ozbadin stays at his fathers manor, "Lief" would jump at the chance for a room at the GG. If he can get one near an exit or with a ground floor window, that would be even better. Easier to get in and out, and it never hurts to have a place to take the "over indulged" clientele to for a "conversation".
Ozbadin; After a bit of groaning from Saul, he eventually agrees to let you take one of the rooms normally rented out to guests on the bottom floor of the Gold Goblin. It does indeed have a small window above the bed that leads onto the street. It's a little stuck and squeaky right now, and can't be opened from the outside, but with some work, you could permanently make it accessible from either side in addition to making it open silently. It's right across from Mordecai's.
A sign maker is easy enough to find in this town; they naturally have very large signs. "Jarond's Sign Shoppe" marks the entrance to a small workshop that is wedged next to a cooper's and a wagon maker's. A man with short curly hair is currently working on a sign inside, but puts down his brush when you enter. The half-finished sign is quite large, and reads in bright, bold, lettering: "17th wonder of Osirion! Debut combat tonight!" The man tips his paint-stained hat at you; "What can I do for ya?"
Mordecai and Angvar; This activity is certainly a strange kind of divination. The crowds of people you pass look at the two of you a little strangely; two eccentrically dressed fellows, making deliberate and calculated steps, one foot in front of the other, muttering under their breaths, can only expect to draw some attention. No one hassles you, but it does take some time. You spend a greater part of the afternoon doing this, and the sun slowly begins to set. It's only then that you notice a commotion in front of you.
Three individuals have surrounded a woman; they have her cornered up against the side of a building, and are accosting her. By their slurring and their posture, it's quite obvious that these three are quite drunk. She simply pleads "No, please! Leave me alone!" One of the drunkards responds with a well-placed shot to her gut, and she doubles over in pain. The other thugs laugh, and kick her over onto her stomach.
Gierixa; When you return to the Gold Goblin, Hans informs you that Mordecai and his wretch Angvar have gone out not so long ago. If Gierixa would like to try and follow them, I'll ask for a Survival check to track them.
Mel; You spend some time writing the report, and head to a drop-point in the city to stash it. You successfully drop the thing off, but it's only as you're heading out do you realize you're being followed.
Two men emerge out of the shadows to your right, about 20 feet away. "Hey boy, what are you doing walking around these parts by yourself? You're likely to get hurt.", one thug says, as he cracks his knuckles visibly.
Bexilarius; Sam jumps up to answer the door, only wearing a loose-fitting robe. When she sees you, she opens the door, though her face turns bright-red. Sheepishly, she averts her eyes; "Come to embarrass me about last night?", she asks.
"Hurt... me....I don't think so"
Mel places his back to a wall and draws his rapier
"So which of you fancies dying first"
Perception to evaluate my opponents 1d20+6=11
Mordecai is annoyed, and keeps muttering 'seven hundred and twenty-three' under his breath, so that he doesn't lose track of his current pacing.
Still, he looks at the woman as she's being knocked down. Is she even remotely attractive? At least enough that with some cosmetics she could function as a server at the Goblin? If she's just some snaggle-toothed crone, she'd hardly be worth getting into a fight over, or killing three drunken fools who could be customers someday, but this could be providence, a potential hire just flopping down on her back in front of him...
He draws one of his daggers and hands it wordlessly to Angvar, suddenly remembering that the man lost his last dagger during his unplanned swim last night.
"You might need this," he says, to Angvar. "Seven hundred and twenty-three. Do you think she could be prettied up enough to wait tables or something?"
"Hans thanks for the tip."
She tosses him a silver piece and heads out as quickly as possible to track down this curious man.
Survival: 1d20+9 = 24.
If she is able to locate Mordecai, she proceeds brazenly; interrupting whatever is happening at the moment as if she is the most important thing. If anybody gets lippy it might be fisticuffs.
"You might need this," he says, to Angvar. "Seven hundred and twenty-three. Do you think she could be prettied up enough to wait tables or something?"
Angvar looks speculatively at the victim. "It's hard to tell when she's covered in drunks. We'd have to clean them off her first."
Taking the dagger with one hand, the other traces a few symbols in the air. He takes another step. "Seven hundred and twenty-four. Let's see what we can do."
A cheery voice speaks from around the next corner.
"DRINKING CONTEST STARTING NOW! GET THEM DOWN AND KEEP THEM DOWN, THE DRINKS ARE FREE!"
Tapping the nearest mugger on the shoulder and keeping his dagger out of sight, Angvar allows something approaching a merry smile (or as near as he can manage) to cross his face. "Aren't you going to that?"
Bexilarius; Sam jumps up to answer the door, only wearing a loose-fitting robe. When she sees you, she opens the door, though her face turns bright-red. Sheepishly, she averts her eyes; "Come to embarrass me about last night?", she asks.
Bexilarius smiles, a "who me?" expression on his face. "Blood, chaos, and blindness can have that effect on anyone, I suppose. It's a shame you bolted before you could cash in your winnings, though. I had to ask Calistria to help me celebrate."
Bex's eyes rove up and down over Sam's body. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Bexilarius; "Of course I'm going to invite you in.", she says, with a sweep of one hand. The other hand is desperately keeping her robe together.
She's got a number of things sprawled out on her bed; in these cramped spaces, the bed serves the additional role of a desk. Books scattered about, and a warm pot of tea close by, she takes a seat on the bed.
"I was planning on hiding away from the world today, as you can see. Last night was awful. I would have preferred to stay blind. When I could see again....that woman...the crazy woman, she was whirling her sword around. She cut a man's arm off! And the blood...." She moves a hand up in front of her mouth.
"It's something I've not been able to deal with since I was a kid. I've got no stomach for that sort of thing, really. Of course, I've never really been face to face with that kind of thing, either."
"Regardless, I was thinking of heading back in there at some point today. You know, coming face to face with my fears and all. I need to cash in these chips. Do you think it's too late?"
"What is it you're doing here, anyway, if not to poke fun at the puking girl?"
Gierixa; You are certainly able to follow their trail. Feel free to enter the encounter at any point.
Mordecai/Angvar; The drunks perk up at the mention of free booze, and anxiously look around the corner to see where the sound came from. When Angvar taps one of them on the shoulder, he spins around; "Hey! Whaddy'a mean? The drinkin' contest? A'course I'm going to that. I was headed there the whole time. C'mon boys. It's still early!" The drunks head off, but not before one of them gives a final kick into the downed woman's stomach. A solid kick; her back arches upward with the blow, before slumping to the ground again. "That'll teach ya for trying to nab me blade!", he spits. She groans and holds her side as they begin to walk off.
Mel; Your assailants are unarmed and wearing uniform leathered suits. At your taunt, you can hear the snickering of two more thugs behind the first two, trying to hide out of sight. One of the thugs puts his arm across the one that was cracking his knuckles. "Come on, Jeck. Do you really think it's worth it?", to which he replies, "It's always worth it. I bet he doesn't even know how to use that thing."
Jeck moves up to strike you, but your reflexes are faster.
normal damage 1d6=6, critical damage 1d6=6, sneak attack 1d6=4
Mel calmly ran her opponent through and returned to the en garde position..her heart sickened as his movement forward impaled him fully on the thin but deadly blade but there was not going back now
"Whose next!" she said, attempting to convey the attitude of a hardened killer even while lamenting the senselessness of it all.
Mel;
The other thug throws his hands in the air,; "I ain't half as foolish as that guy. I tried to stop him! You heard me!" and tries to leave. The other two thugs take off the opposite direction, not wanting any part of what Jeck got.
Mel let them go...then stooped to the body of the late Jeck and removed his purse. She looked to see if there was some badge or marking on the leather to indicate who he had worked for.
Once she had seen what she needed to see she murmured a few words as she closed Jecks eyes noting that he hadn't even had time to be surprised by his own demise
"I'll ask Mordecai to give you a special Prayer..idiots deserve all the help they can get"
Walking calmly away from the body Mel managed to find a quiet back alley before she threw up
"Greetings, are you Jarond by any chance"? "If so I have a job I'd like to contract you for". "You see I work at the most fabulous Gaming establishment in Riddleport, The Gold Goblin, and we are in need of some attention getting advertisement". "If you could perhaps make a couple of sample signs for a minimal investment". "Then I could guarantee you a lucrative contract going forward to make all our advertising". "What say you"
1d20+6 → [3,6] = (9) Bluff
1d20+6 → [20,6] = (26) Disguise
Bexilarius clears a spot to sit down next to Sam. "Because of my 'heroics' at the casino last night, I've been made a junior partner at the Gold Goblin," he tells her. "Which means it's not too late to cash in your chips, on one condititon: you come and work for us. I know you said you were looking for work, and we've got just about any position you want open - server, croupier, maybe even security. You're not the only one who decided to jump ship after last night's attempted heist." Bex subtly stresses 'attempted.' "In any case, we'll be stepping up security, and as far as I know there's no more big tournaments planned, so it should be relatively safe. Except for, perhaps, the wandering hands of patrons," Bex adds, sliding his hand inside her robe. "You game?"
Mel; You let the last thug go, and he takes off down the alley as fast as he can. Inspecting the thug reveals 6 gold pieces, a dagger, an ornate silver-toothed comb, and the suit of studded leather armour he was wearing. I'll ask for a Knowledge:(Local) check to identify the uniform.
Ozbadin; "Aye, I'm Jarund, and there be no shortage of work in my trade. I've heard of some big changes down at the Gold Goblin. If it's hurtling toward profit, I'd gladly jump on that train with ya. What do ya want the signs to say? How big do you want them?"
When you make your way back to your father's home, one of his assistants stops you. "Hey, Oz. Your father's not in right now, but he wanted me to give you this if I saw you." He hands you a small yellow envelope with the letters V.I.P. written boldly on it. A stylized 'Z' seals the thing. "He wants you to be at Zincher's tomorrow night. Apparently it's going to be a fight to remember, and your dad supplied the beast himself. We stand to make a healthy amount of coin, regardless of how the battle turns out. I don't know the details, but he's worked it out with Zincher." With no more ceremony than a bow, the assistant leaves you.
Bexilarius;
Laughing, she slaps away Bexilarius' hand, and pushes him backward on the bed. Climbing on top of him, she pins his arms to the bed and leans in to kiss him. "Game? I think I had enough games last night to last me for a while."
Unceremoniously throwing her robe the ground, she adds; "But I do need some work. Anything really, until I get some kind of break up with the Cyphers." Gently rubbing her fingers across Bexilarius' horns, she studies him for a moment. "I'm happy to hear that you've made such a splash. Geez, you walk in there to make some lucky coin, and you walk out with a partnership. Who else is involved? What's their story? Do you trust them? Do you trust Saul? I get the feeling that he's a bit of a slime....Look. I'll come work for you as long as I don't have to do any of this security nonsense. And as long as I don't have to run the games. I'd rather be a waitress or bartender. I've got the looks to make the tips, and it's not the same as sleeping with strangers for coin.", she winks.
Angvar looks down at the woman with mild interest. "Did you try to rob him?"
He maintains the merry voice offering free beer a little longer. It seems to be attracting a lot of attention and the street around them is clearing rapidly.
"You know, that's not such a stupid idea for the next grand reopening of the Goblin. All you can drink for free as long as you keep it down. It's tasteless of course, but we're dealing with tasteless people, aren't we?"
Mordecai, Angvar, Gierixa;
The battered woman looks up at you from the dirt, using her muddy hands to shield her face from another blow. "Ya, I tried to steal 'is sword. He looked drunk enough, it shoulda been easy. I need a blade, or a snickersnak. Anything, really. What's it to ya?", she growls defensively. You think to yourself for a moment: If this woman wasn't so emaciated and muddy, she would certainly be an attractive girl.
Mordecai looks over the young woman appraisingly, and then extends his hand to help her rise from the ground.
"Apparently they weren't as drunk as you'd hoped." he remarks dryly.
"The Golden Goblin is hiring waitresses and such over the next few days. If you were to clean up a bit, you might find it easier to acquire a dagger by purchasing one. Until then, you can use this, assuming that you don't get yourself killed with it." he says, handing her his second dagger, a curved blade of Osirioni make.
"For the moment, however, I'd recommend that you leave before those toughs figure out that there is no free ale to be had in that direction..."
He turns to Angvar, "Seven twenty four, was it?" and then notices Gierixa striding up with purpose behind them.
"Ah, fair Gierixa, to what do we owe the pleasure of this encounter?" he says with a nod of his head that does not take his eyes from hers.
Racking her brains as to who Jeck had worked for..Mel finally had to admit to herself she hadn't a clue. She entered a Tavern she knew to be safe and sat in the corner with a mug of mulled cider to wash the taste of vomit from her throat.
There was no getting past it,it wasn't a game anymore, she had killed a man.Granted he had meant her harm, but she was certain she could have done more to stop him without blood being shed
"Seven hundred and twenty four is correct, master."
As Gierixia approaches, he moves to his accustomed place at Mordecai's shoulder and drops his head.
"Maybe I should start charging you some coin for sleeping with me," Bexilarius responds. His voice is all business, but his hands are clearly more interested in play. "Bartending, waitressing, whatever you want. Bring along anyone else who might be interested. As for the other new 'partners,' they all got involved in the heist last night like me. There's a half-orc bird whose personality is about as nice as her face, has a thing for plants. And a sailor, who seemed a bit too conveniently drunk last night. I think he may be hiding something. And lastly, some foreign guy, pale and gaunt a priest maybe. And get this, he took the wizard that was running the heist last night as his personal slave. Some kid just joined up too, quick on his feet, but green. "
"So do I trust 'em? Do I trust Saul? Hells no, but I'll milk 'em all for they're worth while I'm there. I had that chest of Saul's coin in my hand, and could have slipped away easily. But I decided to play it this way, see how things turn out. It should be safer than the other work I've been doing lately."
Bex occupies his mouth in other ways for a few moments, then abruptly stops and rolls Sam to the side. He stands up. "Anyways, I've got some other business to do. Stop by the Goblin, and tell 'em I sent you. You should be able to cash in your chips too. See you around, Sam." Bexilarius throws her a wink and heads out the door.
Mordecai, Angvar, Gierixa;
The battered woman rises to her feet, accepting the dagger. She wipes the tears and snot from her face with the back of her hand, before trying a few quick thrusts and slashes with the new blade. Though she is weak, her form is perfect. She's obviously held a blade before.
New tears come to ruin her face once more, as she looks up at Mordecai. "No one's never gave me nuthin' before.", she blurts out, holding the thing to her chest. She takes off down the way you came, doing her best to stay out of sight.
Bexilarius;
When Bexilarius goes to leave the room, he's hit in the back of the head with a soft pillow. "You tease!" she laughs, playfully. When he's truly on the other side of the door, she adds, yelling: "Just don't get yourself killed, Bex!"
Mel;
The mulled cider is warm, and the spices help combat the horrible taste of vomit. You're alone for some time, until a group of shaggy-haired men sit down beside you. Even holding the steaming cider to your nose is not enough to cover up their stink, fully. Perhaps fishermen, they're seemingly uninterested in hygiene of any sort. One of them is blabbering on about a fight they saw last week at Zincher's arena.
One of his companions cuts him off; "That ain't nuthin' compared to what's going on tomorrow night. Apparently some big deal. Some kinda monster from the desert, I heard. It'll be a better tournament than the flop over at the Gold Goblin last night, that's for sure. I'm still waitin' for them to open up so I can trade my chips in."
As Marzielle departs with his dagger, Mordecai rolls his eyes and mutters, "With any luck, I'll be able to get the dagger back when I bury her tomorrow morning, after she gets herself killed..."
"My master has a way with people. Seven hundred and twenty four."
To an outsider the tone is flat and unemotional. Mordecai, being more familiar with Angvar, probably spots the very slightest hint of amusement at the situation.
Bexilarius isn't about to try recruiting at the other gambling halls he occasionally visits. Maybe a few of the dealers or bouncers might be interested in a new job, but he doesn't want the hassle of crimelords chasing him down for stealing their staff. Saul hired him as a dealer, not a recruiter. He does decide to visit a few of the drinking dens and brothels he's known to haunt, however, leaving word with bartenders and madames that the Gold Goblin is hiring and the money is good. After that, it's a beautiful day, and the world is his oyster...
To DMDahn
Bexilarius; While you're carousing around and visiting the local pubs and taverns in the name of 'work', you notice the fair-haired boy Mel in a far corner of a place called The Brass Spitoon. He doesn't seem to notice you. A number of rowdy patrons are sitting beside him, and are, perhaps unwillingly, distracting him.
Mordecai/Angvar; [ooc]You were certainly getting close to where Iskish may be when you saw the drunks kicking that woman. The familiar does his best to send thoughts and feelings your way. It knows you are trying to find it, and it's lead you near the middle of town right now. If you continue on, your trail will eventually point you to Zincher's arena and compound. Getting inside that thing is a whole different story.
Dahn