"Father, if ye don't mind, I think it time we send these along to the authorities. Or maybe someone should be sent to fetch'em?"
"Perhaps you're right," the priest says, nodding. "Jhonas, go and fetch the gendarmes. We've heard enough, I think." He looks at the elf, then around at the rest of the group. "As for the rest of you, take whatever this man has left here and get it out of my mission. I'll have none of his blood money under my roof." Kreun struggles at this, but cannot free himself from the ropes, and the elf just chuckles.
Within minutes, a squad of guards have appeared. Father Padrick repeats what Balston told him, and they nod, turning to Kreun and Balston.
Jagor continues to try and straighten things up and stops to apologize to the priest for the mess. He points at the dead half-orc and says, "He broke a lot of things. Otherwise, he break Jagor. Jagor sorry we make mess. Jagor help clean up?"
Jagor continues to try and straighten things up and stops to apologize to the priest for the mess. He points at the dead half-orc and says, "He broke a lot of things. Otherwise, he break Jagor. Jagor sorry we make mess. Jagor help clean up?"
"That would be appreciated," the priest smiles.
While waiting for the gendarmes , Clifford will move near the pauper and tries to palm anything valuable he can see. He'll try distract the pauper's attention by whispering : 'Your daughter send her hate' .
Ok let's see what keys you have on you
" You others , you'd better go pack your belongings .Which one is his room ? "
"As for the rest of you, take whatever this man has left here and get it out of my mission. I'll have none of his blood money under my roof."
"A'right now.. 'Knuckles' is it? Hand o'er th'bag ye nabbed from upstairs, and we'll set to gettin the three of ye on yer way," says Jugger as he looks to the three more cooperative members of Kreun's gang.
Jugger counts what's in the bag, divides it up by the number of total members belonging to the gang and gives Knuckles, the Elf, and the bald guy their share. The rest he turns over to Hezekiah.
"I'll have no part of this loot, either, lad," he says, before moving off to help Jagor clean up the bodies, blood, and broken boards that surround the scene of the earlier struggle.
Ok let's see what keys you have on you
" You others , you'd better go pack your belongings .Which one is his room ? "
Kreun is carrying a potion, three thunderstones, a set of masterwork thieves' tools, and a key. He doesn't seem to have had another weapon besides the dagger that Jagor is currently carrying, but he is wearing leather armor.
The elf shrugs, pointing down the hall to near where the half-orc's body is laying. "That one, with the lock on it," he says, turning to go into his room and collect his gear. The balding guy goes as well.
"A'right now.. 'Knuckles' is it? Hand o'er th'bag ye nabbed from upstairs, and we'll set to gettin the three of ye on yer way," says Jugger as he looks to the three more cooperative members of Kreun's gang.
Jugger counts what's in the bag, divides it up by the number of total members belonging to the gang and gives Knuckles, the Elf, and the bald guy their share. The rest he turns over to Hezekiah.
"I'll have no part of this loot, either, lad," he says, before moving off to help Jagor clean up the bodies, blood, and broken boards that surround the scene of the earlier struggle.
Knuckles hands over the sack, which is surprisingly heavy. It turns out to contain 32 gp, 256 sp, 400 cp, a quartz short sword pommel, a silver anklet chain, a signet ring, a brass candelabra, a bronze knocker in the shape of a dolphin, a set of sailing charts in a leather tube, and a surprisingly study feather with a small wooden charm in the shape of a ship's anchor attached to it.
Jagor asks the priest where he wants the fallen taken. He will work to haul the half-orc off as directed and will bring the thug's gear back to leave with Clifford. He will then try very hard to calm down the dog so that he might do the same with his owner. He will be very cautious about it and takes his time, but he keeps making sudden moves that the dog finds offensive, apparently.
Bare Charisma check 1d20-2=4, 1d20-2=1, 1d20-2=3
Jagor asks the priest where he wants the fallen taken. He will work to haul the half-orc off as directed and will bring the thug's gear back to leave with Clifford. He will then try very hard to calm down the dog so that he might do the same with his owner. He will be very cautious about it and takes his time, but he keeps making sudden moves that the dog finds offensive, apparently.
Bare Charisma check 1d20-2=4, 1d20-2=1, 1d20-2=3
Jagor manages to utterly fail to make friends with the dog, but it turns out to be all bark and no bite - when he keeps approaching it, failing to heed its warning growls, it suddenly turns tail and runs into the belltower, leavig the half-orc free to do as he wishes.
Father Padrick asks you to take the bodies to the altar downstairs. As you are carrying them down, the gendarmes arrive, collecting Kreun and Balston after the priest speaks to them for a few moments. They look narrowly at the bodies being carried past them, but it is Riddleport, after all, and they look away again.
Once the gendarmes and the arrestees are gone, Father Padrick leads you into the main chapel of the mission, where the various lost souls stare in shock at the grim parade as it passes them. He says a few words over each, praying to Sarenrae to light their way to the afterlife, then recruits a few of the more physically fit parishioners to help him by digging graves in the back garden. If you offer to help as well, the old man shakes his head. "You've done enough for now, I think, and we'd all be better off if this were behind us. Finish your work upstairs, and then please be on your way."
"Ok. I go now." Makoa will finish helping Jagor and anyone else that needs a hand, and proceed out of the building.
Math isn't exactly the sailor's strong suit, but after some cogitation he eventually comes to the conclusion that they're each owed about 40 gp. Dividing the coins between the three of them gets them half that, and he also hands over the crystal sword pommel to the elf, the anklet chain to the balding man, and the signet ring and candelabra to Knuckles. All seem basically happy with this decision, though the elf grins a bit more widely than the other two.
Inside the room - which turns out to be shockingly clean and well-kept, as compared to the rest of the flophouse rooms you've seen so far - there are a bed, a table, and a small washstand with a cracked mirror attached. Beneath the bed you find three wardrobe cases.
"One moment, gentlemen. I need to check things over first."
Clifford studies the placement of the cases in case there's a trap to prevent them being pulled out easily. Once he's satisfied (or has tried to disable any potential harmful goodies), he turns to the muscle in the group:
"Jagor, Makoa, draw those out where I can take a good look at them, won't you? Don't open them yet."
Again, he goes over each of the cases looking for traps, locks, catches, etc. to make sure what he's dealing with. He will make an effort to disable anything potentially hazardous before asking Jagor to open them, one at a time.
Jagor does so. What does he find?
Perception (before moving cases) 1d20+4=18
Disable Device (before moving cases) 1d20+9=23
The cases are untrapped and unlocked. The first two contain clothes, in a variety of styles, though all of peasant or "street" quality. The third contains an exceptionally complete disguise kit , as well as - as Jagor notices as he is shifting the box - a false bottom. Opening the hidden compartment produces a thick sheaf of papers, two more potions, and a thin piece of copper wire, bent into a zigzag shape of some kind.
The cases are untrapped and unlocked. The first two contain clothes, in a variety of styles, though all of peasant or "street" quality. The third contains an exceptionally complete disguise kit , as well as - as Jagor notices as he is shifting the box - a false bottom. Opening the hidden compartment produces a thick sheaf of papers, two more potions, and a thin piece of copper wire, bent into a zigzag shape of some kind.
Jagor looks at the papers for a moment as if he can decipher them, then grins and shrugs his shoulders. He offers them to one of the others, "What it say?" Similarly, he hands the potions and wire to the others. That done, he closes the cases back up and stacks them to cart back to the Gold Goblin.
The group, laden with the ill-gotten gains of an ill-gotten crimelord, returns to the Gold Goblin, along with the balding man, whose unfortunate name turns out to be Madrat, Knuckles, and the elf, named Garspheal Elstrice ("Call me Gars"). Madrat is initially extremely uncomfortable in the presence of the other two, but only Knuckles seems put out by Madrat's status as a snitch for Slyeg. Gars is just amused: "You're just lucky these gents broke us up before the Pauper had decided what to do with you," he tells the larger man.
"You... knew?" Madrat blinks. "You all knew?"
Gars laughs again, and even Knuckles, still glowering, nods. Madrat sinks into a mood that can only be called a snit for the rest of the walk to the casino.
As the group steps onto the floor of the Goblin, they are met by Larur, who looks over the newer arrivals with both interest and wariness, before turning to Ghorum. "You've got a message, priest," he tells the other dwarf, gesturing toward a dark-haired young man sitting at the bar across the room. "Came just after you left, been waiting ever since." Ghorum leads the way to the bar, and as the rest of the group takes their seats and orders, he makes his way to the messenger boy and begins to speak with him in low tones.
After several moments, Ghorum looks over at you, frowning, then heads off to find Larur. The messenger boy trails after him, and they speak together for several more moments, then Larur turns and heads off the floor, shaking his head, while Ghorum returns to you.
"Bad news, m'boys," he says, walking up to the table. "I've been called to a position down at the Publican House, and I can't say no to't. I've got ta let the Goblin go, fer now." After shaking your hands, he heads over to the bar, buys one last pint, and swallows it in a single long gulp, before turning on his heel and walking out, trailed by the messenger boy.
A minute or two later, Saul appears, looking you over. "Where did my priest go?" he asks immediately.
Jagor blinks and looks back at Saul. "That way," as he points toward the doors.
"Blast!" he says sharply, before looking around at the new arrivals. "Who are all of you?"
Jugger introduces himself, as do the former members of the Pauper's Hand. Saul looks them over with a suspicious eye, but it is Jugger he seems most interested in. After several moments of chin scratching, he says, "You're a Desnan priest, yes? Well, I've just lost the priest we had on staff, and frankly, religion's good for business. The Cayden priest was doing real miracles for our sales at the bar. We've got a small shrine to Desna here, father. I'd be most obliged if you'd consider taking a spot with us, keeping an eye on it, and offering your blessings to the customers - and, if possible, more of those blessings to us. (Desna could sink us without half trying, truth be told.) What do you say?"
"What do you say?"
"First off, call me Jugger - I ain't no one's Father, so far as I know. Second, I'm t'be stranded landside until my ship comes back, so I'd be here tendin' the shrine regular anyway. Can't say for sure when the Captain'll be comin' back, but fer a coupla squares, lodgin' and a regular donation t'the Lady's work, I'm pretty sure the scales'll work out in yer favor. Can't say there won't be some winners along the way, though - the Lady makes her own odds."
With that, Jugger takes a coin from his pocket, flips it into the air and catches it. Without looking at the result, he spits into his palm and offers his hand to Saul, "What do YOU say - Boon or Bilge?"
With that, Jugger takes a coin from his pocket, flips it into the air and catches it. Without looking at the result, he spits into his palm and offers his hand to Saul, "What do YOU say - Boon or Bilge?"
Saul stares for a moment in utter shock, then bursts out into booming laughter. "Boon," he replies, taking the hand. "Boon, without a doubt."
'Should you not go report to your boss? '
Jagor and DM
DM
'Should you not go report to your boss? '
Jagor and DM
** spoiler omitted **DM
** spoiler omitted **
Clifford and DM:
'Should you not go report to your boss? '
"But... I wanted... pint..." he frowns - well, pouts, really - and then turns and stalks off. Gars laughs uproariously, and Knuckles offers a grin.
DM
** spoiler omitted **
About half an hour after you've settled in for drinks, Gars suddenly sits up straight, then slams his drink down hard and glares at Hezekiah. "Nice trick, wandsucker," he tells the wizard, "but if you try it again, I'll tear your vocal cords out through your ass." He looks at Knuckles. "I'm getting out of here, I think. The company's... not what I thought it was. Wanna hit the docks with me? Somebody's gotta be sailing tonight."
Knuckles looks at the last swallows of beer in his glass, then shrugs, downs them, and rises. "Guess we're going," he says, in what might be construed as a farewell. Then, the two of them slip out the door and are gone.
About half an hour after you've settled in for drinks, Gars suddenly sits up straight, then slams his drink down hard and glares at Hezekiah. "Nice trick, wandsucker," he tells the wizard, "but if you try it again, I'll tear your vocal cords out through your ass." He looks at Knuckles. "I'm getting out of here, I think. The company's... not what I thought it was. Wanna hit the docks with me? Somebody's gotta be sailing tonight."
Hezekiah leans back with a smug smile. Gilbert caws.
"Guess we're going," he says, in what might be construed as a farewell. Then, the two of them slip out the door and are gone.
Jugger quickly rises from the table, and follows after them. "Lads! A moment, please." "Whatever happened in there with th'caster, know that I meant what I said before - about puttin' a word in for ye, if ye want somethin' honest t'do." The last bit is said with a glance at Knuckles, specifically.
Jugger quickly rises from the table, and follows after them. "Lads! A moment, please." "Whatever happened in there with th'caster, know that I meant what I said before - about puttin' a word in for ye, if ye want somethin' honest t'do." The last bit is said with a glance at Knuckles, specifically.
Gars is the one who answers, though. "Listen, seaman, you've done all right by us in this, but we're best on our own," he says. "We'll be out of your beard by nightfall, and you'll not have to worry about us any further."
The next couple of weeks pass relatively uneventfully, with all of you settling into your various roles at the Gold Goblin. The business has a routine, and you begin to get a feel for it - the noon opening, the late shift that comes on just after sunset (this time of year, anyway), the 3 AM close. Saul, though always around to count the day's take when the doors are locked at 3, tends to be out of the casino on business of very types for most of the days, so your primary contact with the rest of the casino is Larur, who both helps with advice (as a longtime worker in the casino business) and listens to your instructions, accepting without any complaint your roles as lesser partners in the Goblin's running.
Only two things of any real interest happen during this time. One involves Hezekiah only:
She leads you upstairs, to the small quarters she shares with two of the other bar servers. The room is, oddly, glowing from several sources - the single chair, a cup, a pair of grease pencils, a pillow: all are shining brightly. When you look quizzically at Sam, she blushes before explaining, "I finally managed to save enough of my wages here to get my spellbook out of hock. I haven't been able to prepare anything but read magic for weeks, so I... well, I spent the morning reading my grimoire, and then I just had to use some of the cantrips! So I started lighting things up. But look! About 5 minutes ago, it started doing this!"
She reaches for a plate next to the glowing cup, holds it up, then swiftly casts light on it. Nothing about her casting strikes you as at all unusual, but you are startled when the plate not only starts to glow, but also produces a strange, purple mist, drifting up from the plate toward the ceiling.
"It's been doing that with every spell I cast," Samaritha says, confusion clear on her face. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"
The other is more noticable. At the end of your second week as Goblin employees, about 10 days after the events at the mission, Riddleport is rocked by an unusually large tidal surge, where the sea, for no apparent reason, suddenly leaps up from the bay and washes into the streets around the docks, reaching as far as Wharf Street, more than three blocks from the water's usual edge. Boats are beached, sealife flops spastically in the streets for hours afterward, and half a dozen dockworkers are swept out to sea in the undertow that follows the surge.
Here are my Perception rolls for the two weeks. Hezekiah is trying not to be absolutely useless.
Also
Here are my Perception rolls for the two weeks. Hezekiah is trying not to be absolutely useless.
Also ** spoiler omitted **
Perception rolls for security work:
Using Hezekiah's bonus: 1d20+10=15
Using no bonus: 1d20+9=10
Using Jugger's 'bonus': Better of 1d20+9=14, 1d20+9=20
Using no bonus: 1d20+9=17
Jagor happily settles into a routine and is generally pleasant to be around. He tries to make friends with the other workers, but they are more likely to find him a little scary in that he tries too hard. He finally decides to just smile and wave unless they want to talk to him. Unfortunately, his smile is enough to scare some of them away, right there.
Jagor will spend some time at the blackjack tables. He doesn't keep his winnings since he is the house, but the pretty dealer knows a good thing when she sees it. She flirts with the ugly half-orc and makes it obvious to observers that he's not the sharpest knife on the table, "If he can win, surely you can, sir!"
He realizes she's making fun of him, but she sure is pretty...
Barking: 1d20+3=11
Wk 2: G/PB - 1d20+8=25
Barking: 1d20+2=17 after 'Reroll'
Jugger spends his time moving amongst the players, wishing them luck, and occasionally giving them some. For every customer he touches with the Blessings of Desna, he grants the House the same bonus later. It's always best to keep the odds even, so to speak.
During one of his off-shifts, Jugger will go speak with a local metalsmith, and have some inexpensive 'starknife' and butterfly charms made that he can sell through the casino, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the shrine (minus a small percentage for the House).
Clifford will walk the streets trying unsuccesfully to dream up business
Diplomacy 16