Triss stands up and confronts the dwarf. "I think the chest would be safer with me, at least until some official arrives here and makes the arrangements so that I and these brave patrons (she points towards the other PC's) get paid for their troubles. I do expect some compensation towards the gamblers as well, after all your security was so full of holes a band of orcs could have come in. Not only that, not even one of the officials or guards actually fought these thugs." Triss eyes the dwarf, hinting about her meaning.
Larur blinks at Triss, clearly surprised by her response.
"Yes, but none of us shall be paid if you steal the chest. Now, shall we all *gestures to PCs* retire to the back rooms? It seems the natives are getting restless."
"Gold. Is it really such a big deal?"
Triss:
"Aherm. Well, to some, includin' me boss, it sher is." He takes the chest from Triss, sticks it in a pocket of his vest, and then smiles at you all. "Dinna worry yer heads, though, m'lads 'n lassies. I've a feelin' that ol' Saul'll do right by ye. Now stay outta tha way, whiles we clean this place up. I'll come fetch ya soon enough."
He then begins to stride through the crowd, bellowing, "Loyal patrons! Be of good cheer! The Gold Goblin honners its debts! If you'll all be movin' to the cash windows, the perty ladies there will buy back yer chips at 110 percent of their value! No need to be concern'd!"
Although there is a great deal of grumbling, this announcement seems to mollify most of the crowd, and patrons begin lining up to cash out their chips.
Larur keeps shouting, his face growing red beneath his shaggy beard, "Hans! Beyar! Go wake up that drunk, Bojask, and get 'im to help ya clean this mess up! The gendarmes'll be here soon enough, and we wanna make the Goblin hospitable, ya know!" He chuckles as he heads through an employee door, patting the bulge in his vest.
GM: ** spoiler omitted **
Lyan:
Shae listens to the conversation but doesn't interject. She does move over to the group, though, assuming the gendarmes will want to speak to all of them when they arrive.
Lyan watches the interchange between the assertive arcanist and the dwarf, then grunts as it seems to be resolved.
He joins the elf healer near the wall. "Thank you, Lady -- those thugs had me in a bad position."
As you look on, a few Gold Goblin employees bind the would-be thieves and move their unconscious bodies out of the way so the clean-up can begin. After some considerable time, a handful of Riddleport Gendarmes arrives and makes a show of restoring order (even though it had clearly been restored before they arrived). Larur meets them at the front door, and, after a few minutes of conversation and a glance around the nearly empty gambling hall, the gendarmes rather roughly drag the prisoners out the door and into the night without even bothering to speak with you. After finishing with the gendarmes, Larur approaches your group.
"Well, m'lads 'n lassies, 'r ya reddy t'meet the boss? He wants to thank ya personally fer yer help here t'night." He gives you a wide smile, only partly hidden by his shaggy beard. "Follow me."
"Friends, everything is under control." Amano declares confidently.
Sure. He is a quiet guy, a foreigner from across the "peak of the world,' named Dac Kian. He nods in recognition as his eyes sweep the room, but he doesn't seem interested in getting involved in cleaning up this mess.
"Dac Kian, you think we can charge overtime on this one? Ha ha ha!"
Pointing to the other PCs, "They're good guys. Helped out when others lost their head."
Shae smile to Lyan. "It was the least I could do, I'm glad that I could be of some help."
She answers any questions the gendarmes ask and will follow to the bosses room when everyone is ready.
Following Larur through a door into the kitchen, from there into a small employee lounge, followed by a flight of stairs and a short hallway with a couple other doors, you reach a waiting area furnished with two plush-but-worn suede couches and a low end table. Larur gestures to the couches. "Relax, m'friends. The boss'll be right witcha." He smiles and then returns downstairs.
After just a few moments, in which you enjoy the warmth of the roaring fire, Saul Vancaskerkin, the man who introduced the events at the beginning of the evening, enters carrying a small pouch in his one hand, an article of clothing draped over the other arm. "Greetings, my friends!" he says with a warm smile. "Please, make yourselves comfortable!"
After placing the pouch and clothing item (which appears to be Angvar's green cloak) on the end table, Saul pulls a concealed bell-pull. After just a moment, a servant arrives with a bottle of wine and glasses for you all. "Please," Saul says, "enjoy a glass of wine as a small token of my thanks to you for your help tonight in preventing the despicable act of those hardened criminals. Also, consider the items that my employees gathered from those foul folk as your rightful payment for such good and honest deeds. Certainly, those bandits have forfeited their claim to any further use of such." He points with his key/hand at the pouch and cloak, indicating that you are to take them.
He then seems to settle down to business. "I, as you may well know, am Saul Vancaskerkin. You might also know that I am a former, retired gang leader from the old days of Riddleport. My life of crime, however, was far from lucrative and, in fact, cost me my health, my fortune, my family, and my hand." He waves his key before you as punctuation, and his face grows grim. "With my wife dead, my sons exiled, and much of my fortune gone, I took what meager funds I could scrape together and was eventually able to purchase this gambling hall, in an attempt to return it to its former glory. I am too old to relocate, and I certainly can't return to a life of crime at this late stage, so I've tried to make the Goblin turn a modest profit. Unfortunately, although I no longer consider myself part of Riddleport's crime scene, I still have enemies among the city's criminals who would love to see me ruined. Despite my attempts to "go legit," I still live under the ever-present shadow of retribution.
"I recognized that Angvar fellow as the leader of a group of street toughs I've seen around the casino before. I know that he and his teensy girlfriend have contracted out to most of the other crimelords in the past, mainly for protection rackets and strong-arm jobs. I've considered throwing myself at the mercy of Zincher or one of the other crime bosses for protection, but I'm loathe to re-enter that world. I got to thinking that with your help, I might be able to avoid any further backsliding into my old ways.
"I was impressed by what my folks told me of your abilities, and I think you might be just the folks who can turn my fortunes around. I'd like to offer you all work as specialists and junior partners here at the Gold Goblin. You'd be working directly for me and assisting in the day-to-day running of the establishment, serving as dealers, bouncers, greeters, whatever you like, but, in reality, you'd be bodyguards-slash-messengers-slash-consultants to me. I'll pay you each 10 pieces of gold per week plus a cut of the Goblin's weekly profits." He smiles at you each in turn, clearly hopeful that you'll agree. "Whatta ya say?"
Lyan fingers the cloak curiously, then turns his attention back to the manager. "I do not gamble well, but I need income while in Riddleport. The offer is adequate for me."
Triss eyes the cloak and pouch as well, trying to see if she recognizes it. Thinking for a moment she turns to Saul. "10 gold a week is a fine offer indeed. I'm a scholar though, and I'm here to investigate The Blot. Also, I'm not especially low on money. Thanks for your offer, but I'd rather not."
"10 gold a week is a fine offer indeed. I'm a scholar though, and I'm here to investigate The Blot. Also, I'm not especially low on money. Thanks for your offer, but I'd rather not."
"I understand you all have your own private interests, and I'd not look to get in the way of such things. Barring any particular assignments I might have for you, I can't imagine your responsibilities here at the Goblin taking up much more than a few hours per day, and mostly at night, when it would probably be hard to study that "Blot" thing, anyway. Trust me, madame, no one has so much money that she can afford to ignore a good deal when it's looking her in the face."
Triss:
"Well, Saul, we can call you 'Saul', yes? The offer is very generous. But what sort of profit is this place taking in? And what percentage are you considering giving?"
"Well, Saul, we can call you 'Saul', yes? The offer is very generous. But what sort of profit is this place taking in? And what percentage are you considering giving?"
"Of course you can call me Saul. I've never really been one for formality and all that. Of course, you've still not introduced yourselves, so I won't know how to respond," Saul smiles as he says this.
"As for your real question, my horned friend: Well, I'll be honest with you. Right now, the Gold Goblin is hemorrhaging money. Tonight's fiasco certainly won't have helped, either. I'm really hoping that the help of you fine gentlefolk will be the magic that turns things around here. If I'm right, there's no knowing where things might end up."
"Sorry about that. How rude of me! Amano Jyaku, presently of the gendarmes."
"My friends in arms here are..."
"I understand you all have your own private interests, and I'd not look to get in the way of such things. Barring any particular assignments I might have for you, I can't imagine your responsibilities here at the Goblin taking up much more than a few hours per day, and mostly at night, when it would probably be hard to study that "Blot" thing, anyway. Trust me, madame, no one has so much money that she can afford to ignore a good deal when it's looking her in the face."
Triss thinks about Saul's offer for a moment, then answers him. "You have a point there. Ok, I'll work for you, but I have an additional condition - If this doesn't work out for me, I can leave whenever I want and get the proportion of money I've earned so far. I'm Triss Valenastranna by the way."
"It's certainly an interesting offer. If nothing else, it will give us all tales to tell in later years. I'll accept the offer as well. My name is Shaeryyn Forestsong."
Lyan bows in his seat, first to Saul, then to Shaeryyn, then nods to the others. "I am Lyan Hurzin of the Yanoi."
I'm a scholar though, and I'm here to investigate The Blot. Also, I'm not especially low on money.
"You're also here to research the Blot? We should compare notes some day. Anyway, I am Audric Dolet, astronomer, and I would be glad to work for you, Saul."
Once you have all agreed to his proposal, Saul leaps up from his comfortable chair before the fire. "Excellent," he beams.
He then gives you a thorough tour of the Gold Goblin including the guest rooms that are sometimes rented out 5 sp a night, the master suite (3 gp/night), "The Goblin's Tankard" (a well-stocked bar), and the basement level which includes a crude arena for pit-fighting, which Saul admits generally consists primarily of dog-fights, with the occasional goblin to spice things up. You are also shown a private apartment with three bunkbeds that Saul makes available to you as free lodging, if you are interested. Saul also mentions that meals are offered in the dining room thrice daily, of which you are welcome to partake.
You are introduced to your fellow employees, which number only five, as Larur ruefully explains that the rest quit after tonight's excitement. They are:
Larur, whom you've met: floor manager and aide to Vancaskerkin.
Bojask: Vancaskerkin's personal bodyguard and beastkeeper for the fighting pit. He seems a little under the weather and smells of liquor.
Lixy Parmenter: An attractive, young human girl. She runs the ghoulette wheel in the gambling hall.
Beyar and Hans: Bouncers who keep watch over the vault and the cashier's cage.
Saul tasks Larur with hiring another dozen cooks, croupiers, and servers, which Larur seems confident he can scrounge up in a couple days.
Larur turns to you with a grin. "Welcome aboard, m'lads n' lassies. The Goblin'll be good to ya, be sure of it. Come to me if ya need anythin' at'all. I'll help ya out."
The group breaks up and gets back to cleaning up and closing for the night.
"Master Dolet, it is? And Mistress Valenastranna? I would be most grateful to learn what an astronomer and an arcanist know of the Blot. Word of it has even reached the Yanoi mystics, but none know its significance -- beyond 'great.'
"Perhaps the five of us -- if your duties permit, Sir Amano, and if you would grace us, Lady Shaeryyn -- should dine together. It seems we will be working together on at least one task, if not more.
Lyan accepts the offer of room and board at the Goblin.
"Let me think on your offer for a moment."
"Oh what the hell! I'm in!"
"All I know is that it's like no spell I have ever seen. Arcanists of more skill than I have suggested that the Blot's a gathering of arcane energies, but I can't tell you any more than that. I would be glad to join all of you for dinner."
Audric is also willing to stay at the Goblin.
"I'll stay here as well, as long as the lodgings are decent enough for an eldarin. I presume I could eat dinner with the rest of you..."
Triss's voice seems bored and tired after so much interaction with people; She's much more used to the company of books.
You all stay at the Gold Goblin and settle in to your respective jobs.
You get to know each other and your fellow employees, and it seems to be a somewhat interesting and enjoyable work environment.
Like the others, Shae elects to stay at the casino, though she does return to her old room to gather her belogings there.
You dine together that evening (a modest meal of cold chicken with some wilted raw vegetables and chunks of decent bread) and much discussion is made of The Blot and any headway the Cyphermages (a local order of wizards, dedicated to study of the Cyphergate) have made into an explanation of the strange phenomenon.
After dinner, you all bunk in the private apartment, which is comfortable, although Amano's snoring is less than ideal. The early rise of the two eladrin and the elf, who never really slept at all, seems an appropriate retaliation toward the tiefling.
After breakfast, Saul assigns each of you a task for that evening's Grand Re-Opening (he explains that it is vital that you not allow the Goblin to sit idle, even for one night).
Shaeryyn: He tasks you with managing the staff on the floor and greeting patrons as they enter the gambling hall. Saul remarks that your pleasant demeanor and attractive smile ought to keep everyone in a good mood.
Lyan: Saul shows you to a series of catwalks that run above the gambling hall floor. These catwalks are essentially invisible from below, due to a gauzy curtain of cloth that hides the catwalks but through which one can see from above. He explains that it will be your duty to keep an eye on the gamblers from this high vantage point, looking for cheaters and troublemakers.
Triss: Saul asks you to use your magical talents to entertain the crowds, juggling balls of fire, and whatnot. He seems confident that the pyrotechnics you showed off in breaking up the heist combined with your natural good looks should make you quite popular.
Amano: Saul sets you up near the front door as a bouncer. He hopes that, after last night's failed attempt, you won't be necessary, but better safe than sorry.
Audric: Saul asks you to deal at the Golem table (Golem is a poker-style card game). The house takes 5% of all pots.
You have the day free to do with as you please. Anyone doing anything interesting?
Other than finally cashing in his chips, Audric mainly looks over his notes while nodding off occasionally.
Triss is quite annoyed by the job Saul wants her to fill, but can't find anything better for her. During the day she walks around town, trying to get a look at the Blot from several different positions, while writing her observations down. She even leaves town to a nearby hill to try and look at the Blot from a different angle. She returns to the Goblin in the late afternoon, and readies herself for tonight's evening.
Triss:
Roughly midday, you stop for a brief lunch at a small open-air cafe near the harbor. While you are eating, you notice the spoon set next to your plate suddenly slides of its own volition until it strikes the side of the plate, sticking there. At the same time, you can feel the fork in your hand pulling toward the plate as well, as if a magnetic force were drawing them together. Other metallic items in your possession, including the dagger at your waist, are subject to this same strange magnetic force. Glancing up, you see other patrons and citizens on the streets looking around in wonder as metal objects go flying, striking larger metal objects with sharp ringing sounds. Bridles stand straight out. Gate hinges creak open. Wire-rimmed spectacles go flying from the faces of their owners. This strange effect lasts for several minutes, then ends suddenly, and the small metal objects all fall to the ground simultaneously, with much clattering and jangling. Everyone around you seems mystified by the strange occurrence.
Nothing else untoward happens as you continue your investigation.
After a relatively uneventful day, the Gold Goblin opens around dusk, and a small number of gamblers wander in over the course of the next hour or so. Things are quiet and each of you is fairly bored at your assigned positions.
Larur wanders the floor, keeping an eye on things and joking gruffly with some of the patrons. Beyar and Hans stand by the vault and the cashier's cage, respectively, and stare into space. Lixy sits behind the ghoulette wheel, giving it a spin for the occasional gambler, and collecting as the shrunken ghoul head on the wheel's hub insults everyone around it.
Triss's boredom partly distracts her.
Perception (1d20+11=30) Lyan's senses, sharpened by the jungle life, are attuned to what goes on below.
Audric manipulates the gamblers with the same sublte grace he showed the night before.
Amano bears his fangs, challenging all comers.
Shae flutters around the floor, trying to be a gracious hostess.
As you perform your various duties around the Gold Goblin about midway through a relatively peaceful night, you are each surprised by sudden raised voices near the front entrance.
Four human men, clearly identifiable as sailors by their functional garb and sun-leathered skin, are belligerently shouting alternately at the cashier in her cage and Hans. Obviously a bit left of sober, the sailors shout that they were present at the Goblin last night during the attempted heist and that the whole thing was "set-up to get outta payin' us our winnin's!" The cashier seems to be trying to calm the men, but they are shouting so loudly that her voice is drowned out, and Hans is looking around for someone to tell him what to do.
Amano and Shaeryyn are closest to the action in their respective roles, but Audric and Triss aren't far off. Lyan has the most distance to cover, since he is watching from the catwalks above.
Actions?
"Hey, Larur! Watch my table."
Audric approaches the sailors. "Gentlemen! If you would kindly follow me, we can discuss the matter of getting you your rightful reward in private."
Shae had started towards the men as well, but when Audric gets to them she backs off a bit. He's better able to handle things if they get violent, so she's content to keep his back covered and be able to assist his lead.
Vertical movement would require quite a leap and tearing through the gauzy veils that block Lyan from the sight of the patrons below.
The other option is a quick run to the nearest stairway. Lyan estimates it would take about 30 seconds to reach the front door from his current vantage point that way.