Jon, Andrea, Paellet, Rose;
"You can keep 'em here if you need. We've got a little stable out back, and I only charge 6 silver a day for 'em, feed included. 'Course you could keep them down at Terron's Yard. He's probably got room there. I can't guarantee that Tandifoor will even give you the time of day, but you could try down at the Lodge, too."
Ben pushes your drinks across the bar toward you, and busily sets himself into work. "Let me get started on your food."
"I care nothing for my shield. It just needs to keep me safe from cowards, assassins and elves until I can sink my sword into their bowels." He begins to draw his sword by way of demonstration...
** spoiler omitted **
"I'll leave them here a bit. Who's your stable-boy?" Armed with that information, Jon leads his stock round the back. Before leaving he tells his companions to eat up. He'll be back in a while. Once there he'll call for the lad or lass and inspect the stalls. Then, if the stalls and other horses there look well cared for, he slips them a silver piece. He shows them just how he wants the mounts cared for. As he's leaving he says there's a silver a week in it for them if they care for the stock exactly as prescribed.
Fifteen minutes to half an hour later, Jon rejoins the party in the bar.
Andrea avoids staring at the two obvious secret policemen and sips her ale...
"Good ale that..."
she looks around again.
"You wouldn't be in need of a hard working girl would you?" she asks the Innkeeper
The Dead Well
"The Stable-boy's name is Jensen. He's a little slow, but he's good with horses. He don't talk none either, but he's a real good listener. He sleeps out there with the animals, so you don't got nothin' to worry about. Go on and sort your business out."
The young boy listens to Jon's instruction with wide-eyes, nodding in assent to everything that he's shown. The boy quickly stuffs the silver piece into his shirt pocket, and sets about seeing to your mount.
---
"A working girl? What makes you think I need any help here? I don't know what kind of place you think this is, but I'm not so sure your talents would be best for this place. Besides, I might not even have a bar if the Andoren army burns this town to the ground."
Ben spits on the ground, and continues to prepare your food, eventually sliding a few plates of a thick soup and crusty bread your way.
Buckets and Bellows
"A warrior, through and through, eh? Well, my weapons are rarely dripping with gore of any sort. I haven't done the marauding adventurer thing for some time. Not since my wife died, anyway. I need to make a living to support my sons. They're too young to lose me too. But the weapons I make are solid, and they'll certainly be covered in the gore of your enemies. Your shield too, I'm sure. I've got something in mind for you."
Smaar brings Guligak over to a row of shields of all kinds. A number of well-made tower shields are lined against the wall, but Smaar pulls a particularly deadly looking shield off the wall. Studded with numerous bright red spikes, this heavy metal shield is obviously the work of a master craftsman.
The Dead Well
"I'm not sure if I trust this guy." Rose says, slurping up her stew. "Andrea, I'm sure your help is needed, if the quality of the food is any indication.
Buckets and Bellows
"And how much is the shield?"
The Dead Well
"Very well then..if my services are not required perhaps my custom is..a room please..a private room with a single bed..I'll pay in advance. Unless, of course, a whores money isn't any good to you"
Buckets and Bellows
Smaar follows Guligak's eyes to the mistletoe wedged in his armour, and his eyes widen a little, knowingly. He turns his head just a moment to scrutinize the two guards at the entrance to his smithy. "Sure thing. I'm glad you like it. We can talk payment in the back."
Smaar motions for Guligak to follow him past the worktables, and over to where his oldest son is busy pounding away the beginnings of a blade at an anvil; the sound and commotion acts as a buffer to speak freely.
"Ok, it seems we have common friends. I had hoped they would send someone. Are you here to take out the Baron?"
The Dead Well
"A camel steak?", Ben guffaws, "Sure kid, coming right up. We don't have any Sothis brew, but we make a nice stout here that I'm sure you'll like."
Ben sets about preparing some kind of steak for Paellet, a sizzling smell fills the air. "The place is called The Dead Well, because of where I built it. Mostly right on top of that there well. The well's all dried up though, and there wasn't really any other place to put the bar. At least no place that was far enough away from the Conqueror's Blade. I made my fortune gambling, y'see. Folks call me 'Lucky' Ben. This place is doing pretty well, so people sometimes want a bit of that luck for themselves. Locals usually throw a copper or two down the well for good luck. You're welcome to try it if you want. Just don't tell no one what ya wished for. That's bad luck. Trust me, I know."
Ben finishes his story right around the time he finishes the steak, sliding it over to Paellet. It's certainly not camel, but it's certainly not beef, either. Mutton may be the closest analogue.
Ben squares up with the halfling and turns to the upset Andrea. "Look miss, I really didn't mean nuthin' by it. I just don't really have the coin to hire someone. Not with this army at our door. Times are gonna be tough pretty soon, and I don't think I can take on another worker. If you still want the room, I can rent you a clean one for five silver a night.
Buckets & Bellows
Do you know any way we might get close to him? I'd like to have my sword handy, too."
Andrea nods curtly and hands him 3 gold pieces...
"That should cover me for 6 nights then and hopefully we are all still going to be alive after that...but those goddess bedammed Andorans are not going to make life easy for anyone"
Andrea puts on a good show of being annoyed about getting trapped in this backwater.
Buckets and Bellows
"Other than marching straight up to the gates? Not really. You could ask a lot of questions around town; the guards are quick to jump on anyone they think are speaking out against the Baron. There's a rumour that there's a secret passage under the town that leads straight to the keep, but I don't know anything about it. It might just be a rumour."
Smaar takes a moment to make sure the guards aren't paying attention. "Now, you mentioned that there were other people here with you. If you guys need a safe space to say, I've got the cellar here outfitted with some cots and supplies. If you guys need a place to stay, you're more than welcome. The entrance is 'round back and the door locks from the inside. It's safe and discreet, if ya need it."
The Dead Well
Ben's eyes widen as he listens to Andrea. You're right about that. I can't wait for things to get back to normal." He shoots his eyes over at the two undercover guards sitting by the door. "I'd love to get my bar back, though I'd prefer it in one piece. Guess we'll just have to sit it out. Let me show you your room, Miss."
Ben will lead you up a flight of stairs and down a hallway to a far room on the left. It's sparsely furnished, but has a lock on the inside and is very clean.
|
DEAD WELL
"The stout's not bad though...doesn't fill you up like good ole Sothis Thick Beer, you can go for weeks drinking only the protein rich Sothis beer, it's ancient stuff, the pharoahs of Osirion used to feed it to the slaves building their pyramids, good stuff... Paellat continues rambling on while eating his food...
"Well that was almost filling, enough to hold me off til lunch at least..." Pays the good innkeep double the value of the meal
"Anymore rooms for rent good sir?"
Buckets, Bellows & Beyond
I still think it would be easier to challenge this Baron to single combat and slay him myself, but I think he is too much of a coward to agree."
He gives Smaar a bone-crushing handshake, pays for his new tower shield, and leaves, looking for his cohorts.
Guligak wanders the town, looking for signs of the others, bellowing their names from time to time.
Jon scrapes the manure from his boots and prepares to head back into the bar.
Buckets, Beds, Baths, Butter
Smaar comes trotting out of the smithy carrying the shield you were looking at. "Ah, you forgot your shield, good sir. Can't have you getting banged around, now. You have a good day, and remember to hold it just like I told you." he says, before returning inside to the shop.
"A kind of cattle, I guess. It's bear. You want to talk about somethin' that will full you up, bear is all you need."
Just as you are discussing rooming, you all hear your names being called, presumably by Guligak. His gruff and bellowing voice is something you are growing accustomed to lately.
"Ugh, I really wish he could be more discrete sometimes." Rose says, as she slips out of the bar to meet Guligak out in the street.
"We're in here, could you keep it down? I'd rather not advertise our presence to the whole town.", she whispers.
Rose rolls her eyes, acquiescing to Paellet's tactics; "Yes, it's a marvellous beer. Come join us!"
"Bah! I've been walking around earning my keep while you soft southerners are resting in this flophouse? Bring me beer and meat, and I will tell you about my new shields. Smaar the blacksmith made them. After you eat, you should go see his wares too." Guligak nods knowingly.
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"EXCELLENT! THIS ROUNDS ON ME!"
"Fine gentlemen, would you care for some of this lovely stout also? I'm Paellat, Member of the Pathfinder Society and until recently I was frequenting the ruins of Osirion from my hometown of Sothis. I heard there's some lovely Azlant ruins around these parts and I'm scouting out the area looking for said ruins." Paellat frowns "Looks like I may have to wait til this seige is over though."
Andrea thanks the Innkeeper for his attention and asks him to tell the others that she will rejoin them shortly.
She stows her clothes and checks the window of the room making sure there is an escape route if she needs one.
Then she makes her way back to the common room
"Ah, the new shield, to replace the one you...yes, it's lovely!" Paellat says, "very dangerous looking."
"It'll be dangerous to someone, by Gorum!" Guligak opines. "But bigger is better." He slaps his tower shield affectionately.
At the Guligak's call Jon hustles back from the stables, ready for a scrap. He is very pleased to find out about the shield. At least its not trouble already. Jon waves to Lucky for a pint and asks to handle the shield. If allowed he will try it's heft and examine it closely, especially fasteners, the edges and the straps. "Looks like a fine buy. How were the prices?"
"The prices were good. Turns out he's a friend of the boss..."
"The prices were good. Turns out he's a friend of the boss..."
"Well, we're not working for Dolp anymore. He cut us loose, a merchant doesn't need guards if he can't travel. We'll need to find work in town til this blows over."
Jon glances briefly at the silent non-drinkers. Low-voiced he asks the others, "What's their story?"
On Lucky's next pass by the table, Jon asks him quietly if there's a place in town where armsmen gather. If no PCs have an answer about the non-drinkers, Jon will discretely ask Lucky about them.
"Well, we're not working for Dolp anymore. He cut us loose, a merchant doesn't need guards if he can't travel. We'll need to find work in town til this blows over."
"Not that boss," Guligak grunts enigmatically. "Smaar will tell you himself after I'm done eating."
"Those two by the door?", Rose whispers "Ben seems to suggest that they're planted here by the Baron. Not really sure why, though, but worth keeping an eye on."
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"EXCELLENT! THIS ROUNDS ON ME!"
"Fine gentlemen, would you care for some of this lovely stout also? I'm Paellat, Member of the Pathfinder Society and until recently I was frequenting the ruins of Osirion from my hometown of Sothis. I heard there's some lovely Azlant ruins around these parts and I'm scouting out the area looking for said ruins." Paellat frowns "Looks like I may have to wait til this seige is over though."
OOC:
Andrea returns to the common ropom and slides into a seat beside Jon.
"Well the rooms are clean if a little spartan...and the food isn't that bad Rose..if you followed the army you'd eat much worse believe me."
Paellat pours a little stout on a piece of the bear and tosses it to Ka
"Ben, another of those steaks for my mutt, and pour some stout over it...like a sauce"
"Paellat, that reminds me. How did you come by such an ugly dog?" Jon settles back in his chair with his pint and a joint of beef.
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"Ah that, my friend, is a tale in itself,...but he is a Jackal, not a dog technically, a desert scavenger/hunter race of canines. "
Pae stands and begins to tell his tale, a master of oral tradition...
"There we were in the Tomb of Al'Kesh. We were there to explore this tomb, recently revealed when a sand storm blew the dunes away, revealing an obelisk.
We weren't the first to arrive, a death cult under the leadership of Martek ir'Biram, was already exploring the tomb. We fought our way through the tomb, slaying a score of fanatical followers. We finally faced Martek in the Burial chamber, he had a pack of jackals with him.
The battle was ferocious, 2 of our shield men fell to one of Martek's spells, just before I was able to deafen him with a Thunderstone.
When the dust settled, we found a jackal pup hidden near the Canopic jars of the buried pharoah. I named him Ka, for the soul contained in the canopic jars. My friend Jomal al'Kitar, a pathfinder half-elven dunerunner, helped me raise and train this usually feral animal.
He's been my loyal companion now for nearly 3 years."
As soon as the meal is over, Guligak practically drags the others to Smaar's blacksmith shop. Once they're there, he points out the ribbon-and-mistletoe sign by the shop's door.
"So you think he's one of these rebels? Did you notice any other shops like this?"
"Yup; ask him yourself if you don't believe me. I didn't see any other signs around town, but I didn't look that hard. Maybe Smaar knows."
At the bar:
"Jackal, huh? I hear they can crack bones as easy as a fairy's wing."
...
"We should have a look around town. Then head up to the castle. The baron's likely to be looking for help. Maybe we can get a job with him."
Walking around town: Jon looks over the town with a professinal eye. The condition of the wall, the posting of guards, sight lines and firing zones.
At the smith's:
Jon looks over the man's wares keenly, but doesn't see anything that will improve on his gear. He asks about some oil and rags to clean his mail and weapons.