Whimpering a bit at the idea of Tessirda taking a position in handling the casino's security, Zindit's mind raced for anything that would keep her out of the main room. Don't say ratcatching, he'll be insulted if you say he needs that!
When she finally found the nerve to speak, it all came out in a stilted, hurried statement. "My name's Zindit Tamelathi and I can clean." She did not dare suggest that she could test his security as well; that would have to wait. Now she had to keep from being thrown out of the room for having nothing to offer at all.
"I could certainly keep an eye out on the floor" Tessirda replied, somewhat carefully. Her own goal for the evening hadn't been quite met, but she considered it far from a failure, as well.
There was something to be said for having a potentially sympathetic, if not necessarily "giving" ear for someone who was in a situation of crisis, after all.
To Zindit Saul replies:
"Ah yes, the little gnome, Zindit is it? I think I have seen you around before, in the company of the young wizard here. You could clean indeed, but you could also be a spotter - there is a place from which to watch the casino floor where no one can see you. I will show you later."
Then to Tessirda:
"I didn't catch your name either, maam. Perhaps you could be a spotter with Zindit up on the catwalk . I prefer to have at least two up there, or you might also be good as a guard or even Security Chief. You look like you might have some skill with that big sword of yours."
Sorda jerks forwards almost out of his chair and starts to feverishly empty his pockets.
"Aha!" Sorda holds up a scrap of parchment. Then he subsides again, trying to read the scrawls.
Kelne has been fairly quiet up until now, weighing Saul's words Sense Motive: (1d20+6=8). While he can't pick up any deception, this is Riddleport, and everyone has an angle. It is, after all, a suspiciously good deal for them all.
"I expect I can handle security," he comments, "But a question, if i might. Why start again here? Why not turn over a new leaf elsewhere, where your enemies are less thick upon the ground?" While polite in tone, there is an undertone of suspicion in Kelne's voice. Trust doesn't come easily to him. He won't be satisfied until he's turned his logic loose upon Vancaskerkin and come up with nothing. And maybe not even then.
"If I were to take a more standard job, I would probably be best suited to performing the songs and dances of my people. Would you require an audition?"
"Your terms seem very generous, but what happens if you fail to turn a profit? How many hours are we expected to work? Will you provide us with accomodation, or do you expect us to pay that out of our wages? And, most importantly, do you have rules on employee behaviour, including fraternization?"
Saul replies to Amyunet:
"I'm sorry, young lady, I don't remember you name. But I completely understand that you may have other obligations that would prevent you from working here. As far as what kind of position here at the Gold Goblin would suit you, well, you're an attractive young woman, you might do well as a waitress."
Saul pauses and thinks for a second. "Perhaps you could work part time, and still be a junior partner, but only receive wages commensurate with the hours you work. At any rate, we don't have do decide right now, we can think about it and perhaps come to an agreement later that suits us both."
Amunyet face flushes red, and she noticeably bristles at the suggestion Saul made. She stands up, and states very curtly, "I am sorry, sir, I did not realize when I accepted your invitation that I would be asked to debase myself by ... being 'pretty' and serving drinks to people with wandering hands. My family has been military leaders, scholars, and priests. My father is the seventh cousin of the Ruby Prince himself! We are NOT servants to be oggled at!"
After that outburst, Amunyet regains her composure a bit, and more calmly states, "I apologize for wasting your time," and begins to head for the door.
Sorda interrupts the discussions, "Amunyet! Amunyet! you have the insights that I need. The Blot I believe it is something to do with astrology. Here I will pay your room and board here so that you and I can discuss this further."
"Tosh to being a waitress you and I have far more important matters at hand. Come stay, I am sure we can work on this while the rest are fulfilling Saul's contract."
Sorda waves the small piece of parchment towards her.
"What do you say?" he almost pleads to the noble Osirion.
Everybody starts to speak at once. "Slow down, says Saul, I'll answer each of you in turn"
"If I were to take a more standard job, I would probably be best suited to performing the songs and dances of my people. Would you require an audition?"
"I don't think an audition is necessary. You could perform in the lounge in the Goblin's tankard I suppose."
"Your terms seem very generous, but what happens if you fail to turn a profit? How many hours are we expected to work? Will you provide us with accomodation, or do you expect us to pay that out of our wages? And, most importantly, do you have rules on employee behaviour, including fraternization?"
"My offer is generous, but I need a dedicated staff, especially for security, as you know. If we fail to turn a profit then we make no money. It wouldn't be fair to take any losses out of your wages, so I won't do that. I would expect you to work at least 4 hours a day. I don't have any specific employee rules; just do your jobs competently and don't cause problems."
"I expect I can handle security," he comments, "But a question, if i might. Why start again here? Why not turn over a new leaf elsewhere, where your enemies are less thick upon the ground?"
"Where else would I go? Magnimar? Please, what kind of life could I have there? Riddleport is my home, the only place I know. I have to at least try to make things work out here. If this venture fails, then I probably will move on."
"So you are interested in the Security Chief position? You seem like you might be suited for it."
Anyunet stalks off in indignation, leaving Saul shocked and embarrassed.
After Sorda speaks Saul says "Please accept my apology Amyunet, I meant no offense. Pardon my ignorance in the ways of your family. But listen to your friend here. I will provide your room free of charge if you just promise to keep an eye out for trouble while you are here and help out if there is any. You wouldn't be employed here or be a partner, though."
"That brings up something I forgot to mention. I will provide you all with lodging and food for free, although they are staff quarters and thus not quite as nice as the private rooms."
After listening to both Sorda and Saul, Amunyet thinks for a moment and decides not to let her pride rule her this evening. "Very well," she says simply, and returns to her seat.
One of the last to speak, the half-orc monk introduces himself, "I am Uzès Voiron, though I am more commonly known as Uhz, when tongues prevent people from pronouncing my proper name. Your offer of employment is acceptable, anything to get away from the docks and day labour. I can provide anything from security to working tables if you like." The half-orc carries little beyond a small coin pouch and no obvious weapons of any kind.
Zavos speaks up again from his seat between Tessirda and Amunyet, "May we discuss your offer in private for a moment?"
Saul smiles at Amyunet as she takes a seat.
"I am Uzès Voiron, though I am more commonly known as Uhz, when tongues prevent people from pronouncing my proper name. Your offer of employment is acceptable, anything to get away from the docks and day labour. I can provide anything from security to working tables if you like."
"Thank you, Uhz, I am pleased you find my offer acceptable. We don't have to decide what you will do right now. If you accept the offer, you all can work out the details with Larur later."
Uzès:
Zindit chewed her lip in thought at the idea of working as a spotter. It would keep her out of sight...that was good. But if Tessirda was working on security too... Well, maybe they wouldn't have to meet each other often.
Then Saul suggested Tessirda take the same position. Zindit immediately started shivering, almost protesting the idea of working as a spotter before she stopped herself. Don't make her suspicious! It felt like the entire world was shaping itself to corner her. She was straining so much to keep herself appearing calm that she couldn't feel much relief when Amunyet seemed ready to storm off. She grimaced when Sorda called her back though. Still, Amunyet wasn't the one that worried her most.
She eyed Tessirda fearfully for a moment. Maybe she's not a priest! Maybe she's just a worshipper! No, don't let your guard down! Have to find out! Can't just ask! She held her knees tighter in her arms, trying to stop her shaking.
DM:
Sorda pats Amunyet lightly on the knee, "thank you, my dear."
Tessirda considered her options for a moment. The strange gnome seemed so uncomfortable with the thought of working with her, she decided to speak up. Not being forced too close to her might be a good idea. "If I may make a suggestion? I'd be glad to work security for you, but maybe I should be a bit more visible? Give me some decent armor, and I'm confident I might draw a few eyes on the side. Good for business, and seeing cheaters from above is fine and good - having someone walk the room might discourage it more."
Also, it would allow her more customer contact - always a good thing in case someone needed help. She was really easing into the new opportunity. It fit her, she realized.
"If I may make a suggestion? I'd be glad to work security for you, but maybe I should be a bit more visible? Give me some decent armor, and I'm confident I might draw a few eyes on the side. Good for business, and seeing cheaters from above is fine and good - having someone walk the room might discourage it more."
"Yes, I agree. Good, that's settled then. You can be a guard on the floor on the gaming hall."
Saul then addresses Sorda. "And what about you, young man? Do you have an answer for me?"
"I shall also accept your terms.", Zavos states, and shakes Saul's hand.
Sorda pats Amunyet lightly on the knee, "thank you, my dear."
Frowning a bit at the somewhat intimate gesture, Amunyet decides to not say anything. Not only does it seem that these Northerners use such contact more frequently than in her homeland, she didn't want the others to think she was ... difficult to get along with.
In fact, and this is extremely hard for her and her pride, she decides to try and make amends with Saul. When she gets an opportunity, she says to him, "As I said to Mr. Szmyr earlier, I dislike getting off on the wrong foot with people. I will accept that you meant no disrespect to me.
"It would seem that with the Lady Tessirda working as a guard on your floor, you would need an additional 'spotter' to work with Zindit. I believe that I could perform those duties, if you would be able to explain what I am to look for. In addition, it would certainly be helpful for you to have a healer on your staff, would it not? Can we let bygones be bygones?
"As I still need to research the blot for my Church, your offer of the junior partnership and part-time employment might be preferable. Is that offer still available?"
Kelne nods, "The position of head of security suits me fine," he says simply. He'll have to make a thorough tour of the building and tighten things up as and where he can.
"I shall also accept your terms.", Zavos states, and shakes Saul's hand.
"Exellent!" Saul says.
"It would seem that with the Lady Tessirda working as a guard on your floor, you would need an additional 'spotter' to work with Zindit. I believe that I could perform those duties, if you would be able to explain what I am to look for. In addition, it would certainly be helpful for you to have a healer on your staff, would it not? Can we let bygones be bygones?
"As I still need to research the blot for my Church, your offer of the junior partnership and part-time employment might be preferable. Is that offer still available?"
"It certainly is. And, yes let's let bygones be bygones and get off to a fresh start."
"The position of head of security suits me fine,"
"Perfect. Now I just need to hear from the wizard." Saul looks at Sorda.
After Saul accepted Tessirda's counter-offer, Zindit's eye lit up in surprise, her shivering ended and sitting upright. What? Hardly thinking, she instantly blurted out, "Yes-I-can-work-as-a-spotter-in-the-catwalks-I'm-good-with-heights!"
She peered at Tessirda again, a bit less fearful but more confused. Is she not a priest? She's not here because of me? She wanted to believe it, but she couldn't let her guard down entirely.
After Saul accepted Tessirda's counter-offer, Zindit's eye lit up in surprise, her shivering ended and sitting upright. What? Hardly thinking, she instantly blurted out, "Yes-I-can-work-as-a-spotter-in-the-catwalks-I'm-good-with-heights!"
She peered at Tessirda again, a bit less fearful but more confused. Is she not a priest? She's not here because of me? She wanted to believe it, but she couldn't let her guard down entirely.
After Saul accepted Tessirda's counter-offer, Zindit's eye lit up in surprise, her shivering ended and sitting upright. What? Hardly thinking, she instantly blurted out, "Yes-I-can-work-as-a-spotter-in-the-catwalks-I'm-good-with-heights!"
"Excell ant! I'm sure you and I will make a good team, Zindit!"
Zindit bit her lip, realizing that she had cornered herself. Don't panic, don't panic, it's better than being with the other, she's not looking for me, stay calm...
She nodded silent affirmation towards Amunyet. Being stuck near the Pharasman priestess was better than the other option, if Tessirda did turn out to be a priestess herself, and backing out now would give her away for certain.
Zavos squirms in his seat the first time the gnome speaks up.
Gods!, he thinks, That shrill, piping voice.
He shivers again, All of these gnomes and halflings remind me of over-precocious children. And that's the last thing that I need to be reminded of.
He glances around the room, and the sight of the others there calms him down.
Sorda eventually looks up at Saul from his calculations.
"What?"
Saul chuckles. "Are you interested in being a junior partner at the Gold Goblin? Or would that interfere with your studies?"
"My studies are of paramount importance to me, however I suppose I could help you? Do you want me to do the ledgers? I am happy to do anything where my obvious talents, brains and arcane abilities may prove useful. I don't want some boring job like spotting for troublemakers."
Sorda smiles up at the owner, oblivious to the insults and arrogance he has just spoken.
Tessirda smirked at the wizards reply. He really reminded her of some of her home towns residents. Not all of them wizards, but still very averse to risks and the less cerebral fun.
While most of her kin were extremely reluctant to give out advice, she was practically bursting not to answer him. She finally settled on talking to the much more approachable, if lecherous man instead. "I just hope your friend here maintains his strong passion for letters and numbers. In just twenty years, he'll still have time for them, but not half as much for athletics and soft touches."
Saul seems oblivious to any insults, intended or not. "I'm sure we can work something out."
He then addresses the group: "Now that that's settled for now, you can work out the details of you contracts with Larur tomorrow. For now, follow me and I will give you all a tour of the Gold Goblin."
Saul takes you back down to the casino floor first. There are two guards still left cleaning up the mess. It also appears that not all of Saul's employees have quit: one of the waitresses is still there helping to clean.
"Lirri," Saul says to the waitress "I am glad you decided to stay. Hans, Beyar, listen up for a moment. I have hired some new people to replace those who quit tonight" he waves his hand in you direction. "They helped foil the robbery, and now they are going to stay on and help with security and other matters." He then turns to you and introduces you to the two guards and the waitress.
After the tour Saul tells you he is going to bed. Those of you who don't have a place to stay can stay in the private apartment he showed you . He tells you to meet Larur in the dining room in the morning to draw up the final contracts and to go over your duties and responsibilities.
"Letters and numbers..........letters and numbers.........YES, what a simply souper idea! Lady you are a joy!"
"I have an idea of how I can help, Saul."
Sorda wanders off from the tour grabs a pile of cards from one table and starts laying them out in different patterns, humming to himself.
DM
Before we divide loot, Zavos would like to cast Detect Magic to ensure that only the Bracers, Scroll, and Wand are magical. If it applies:Appraise (1d20+2=9)
"I have an idea of how I can help, Saul."
Saul raises an eyebrow at the nutty wizard. "You do Sorda?" After a few seconds of Sorda arranging the cards. "I would love to hear it."
Zavos:
He then moves on to the bracers, "silvered and unadorned, a practical device for helping a mage protect themselves a little, like a layer of armour, well a thin layer anyway. A bit like walking around with pillows everywhere. Or leathers. No I am not sure of that. Nevertheless this is a valuable item and would benefit an unarmoured person greatly. In fact isn't there a sect of chosen monk-mages somewhere that regard these items as the only real form of protection. Now what are they called? Yellow something?"
He then shows off the scroll, "arcane, simple spell, allows me to shrink an item. Could have its uses."
Zavos:
** spoiler omitted **
Thanks. Just wanted to double check on the leather armour.
Zavos:
Zindit watched Sorda's hands carefully, trying to see what he was up to. She was just thankful he seemed to have an idea of how to work at the Gold Goblin. She didn't want to be left here by herself.
Amunyet is also a bit intrigued with Sorda's actions, finding them increasingly strange. "What do you suppose Sorda's doing?" she asks Zindit quietly.
Frustrated and lost in a world of numbers and letters, Sorda crumples up several cards.
"no, no, no."
"I need some simple random way that everyone in Riddleport can play? Something that we can take to the streets and sell for coppers or silvers with a large prize. It's all about the odds."
"This is sounding good!" Saul says.
Kelne shakes his head at Sorda's enthusiasm, "Of course, as soon as everyone realises it's a success, you'll get competitors hawking their own version," he says, "Still, depending on how you manage it, there could well be money in it nevertheless."
Amunyet is also a bit intrigued with Sorda's actions, finding them increasingly strange. "What do you suppose Sorda's doing?" she asks Zindit quietly.
Zindit hesitated a moment before replying to the priestess; she couldn't keep dodging her anymore. "I-I dunno." Sorda often did things with numbers that left Zindit confused. She believed she didn't quite have the head for them since it it began to ache when she tried to keep up with the mage.
Sorda continues jotting down numbers and eventually swears out loud, "balls!" he carries on again until he gets to the end.
"I need information. How much money do people earn each week around the city? Not the important folks but the common ones. And how many are there in Riddleport, roughly?"
"Do you know a good way to pass the word around the streets? Make tickets which will show the name of the Golden Goblin boldly but cheaply?"
Gradually Sorda outlines the basics of a small scale lottery, with Saul and his casino at the centre and tickets sold throughout the city. He shows Saul the figures and explains how to make a profit so long as enough tickets are sold. Enthusiastic and eyes lit up Sorda begins to stray into numberland.
"I admit, I would rather leave the mathematics to others, as well." Amunyet says to Zindit. "But part of our training in the priesthood involved astronomy and astrology, and we had to know some to get through it. Ah, well. It is getting late, and I am a bit tired. I will see you in the morning, Zindit."
With that, Amunyet will excuse herself, wish everyone a good evening, and head back to her room for the night.
"Before anyone departs, there is the matter of the items taken from the thieves. I see two ways to proceed, but I am open to other possibilities as well."
"My initial thought was that if anyone wants, they may take one of the items that the thieves owned. The remainder would be sold and the proceeds split among those who did not take an item."
"Or, as we are now all partners, we could give this mage all of the wizardly items, allow someone to take the Well-Crafted armour, and split the remainder among everyone else."
"Ladies, if neither of you are interested in this armour, I would have it altered for myself."
"Of course, as soon as everyone realises it's a success, you'll get competitors hawking their own version," he says, "Still, depending on how you manage it, there could well be money in it nevertheless."
"Yes, I imagine we will have competitors if they see it is a success." Sual replies. "However, we have ways of dealing with things like that." looking at Kelne and Tessirda.
"I need information. How much money do people earn each week around the city? Not the important folks but the common ones. And how many are there in Riddleport, roughly?"
"Do you know a good way to pass the word around the streets? Make tickets which will show the name of the Golden Goblin boldly but cheaply?"
Gradually Sorda outlines the basics of a small scale lottery, with Saul and his casino at the centre and tickets sold throughout the city. He shows Saul the figures and explains how to make a profit so long as enough tickets are sold. Enthusiastic and eyes lit up Sorda begins to stray into numberland.
"This sounds like a great idea, Sorda. I will leave you in charge of working out the details, if that suits you. That can be your job at the Gold Goblin: running Old Scratch's lottery."
At this, Old Scratch, who is out of the cage and perched on one of the chandeliers, yells down "What do I get out of it?"
"Why, nothing of course." Saul replies, to which Old Scratch screeches something in infernal.
"Before anyone departs, there is the matter of the items taken from the thieves. I see two ways to proceed, but I am open to other possibilities as well."
"My initial thought was that if anyone wants, they may take one of the items that the thieves owned. The remainder would be sold and the proceeds split among those who did not take an item."
"Or, as we are now all partners, we could give this mage all of the wizardly items, allow someone to take the Well-Crafted armour, and split the remainder among everyone else."
"Ladies, if neither of you are interested in this armour, I would have it altered for myself."
"I truly care not. Do with them as you will; I have confidence that you can come up with a fair method of distribution. As we are all partners now, we must learn to trust and deal equitably with each other or else we are doomed to failure."
"I admit, I would rather leave the mathematics to others, as well." Amunyet says to Zindit. "But part of our training in the priesthood involved astronomy and astrology, and we had to know some to get through it. Ah, well. It is getting late, and I am a bit tired. I will see you in the morning, Zindit."
"Oh, y-yeah..." She realized she had to face up to the fact that she was going to be working with Amunyet. At least she had the night to steel her nerve. Zindit gravitated back towards Sorda, following him for the rest of the evening as well as she could.