"Dannad seems a bit familiar. Might have done some work for your family a while back. Brown rats. Got no objection to the blue skin, Samael. Looks fine to me. Vandis' taste in women can't be worse than Kenneths, but at least none of you are dwarfs. We'll get along well enough I dare say. Marvellous how Shul brings creatures of the night together, isn't it?"
You all notice that with Dúlin's departure, the conversation in the Silent Maid gets louder and obviously more relaxed. Several groups of patrons seem to be talking about you as they glance in your direction and then continue talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers.
Other than that there are no signs of trouble as you continue introducing yourselves and discussing your prospects.
"Time to be moving, or is anyone interested in testing more goblin wine? There are people to see and things to interrogate. Some of them might be humanoid."
"Time to be moving, or is anyone interested in testing more goblin wine? There are people to see and things to interrogate. Some of them might be humanoid."
"Sounds good to me."
"Explain, please; you are a dwarf, and yet you show disgust for them. I am confused." Vandis says to Dagobert.
"Explain, please; you are a dwarf, and yet you show disgust for them. I am confused." Vandis says to Dagobert.
"You know the old saying, "It takes one to know one"..." Dagobert looks up at Vandis and revises his statement. "Well, maybe you don't, being a foreigner."
He breathes in deeply. "Ever lived with dwarfs? Tunnel visioned. Obsessive. Tradition, tradition, tradition. Can't wear this, can't eat if it's not in the histories, can't cut your beard, can't do this, can't do that. Do not get me started on dwarfs."
Dagobert grinds to a halt. "The worst thing is, that as soon as I start talking about them, I sound just like them. Never ask me about dwarfs. Rats, now. Rats are worth talking about."
Seeing Dagobert start to get wound up, Kenneth interjects, "Right, well, let's get out of here; we have business."
Vandis rubs his own beard thoughtfully, "The witches of my people had some rule about beards. Didn't follow that myself..." he says musingly and then grins.
He slaps Dagobert hard on the back, "Let's get on, then!" he says cheerfully.
After the time spent in the tavern, the streets on Punjar are now given over completely to darkness and shadow, though the heat and humidity of the day still linger. Intermixed with the pungent odors of unwashed bodies and rotting garbage that is characteristic of Smoke, the feeling is nearly stifling for those unaccustomed to it.
Dagobert's cunning plan is to offer to remove rats in return for information. It's the same cunning plan he always has.
Dannad slips out behind the rest of the group, paying attention to the streets as the group passed to watch for anyone tailing them. Weather it is his slight stature, some trick of the light, or the mottled and drab clothes he wears, he seems to blend well with the shadows.
As they travel along the Shiv, Dannad loosens his daggers in their sheathes.
"So, after Old Thom then?"
Today is currently Thursday, the 16th of Daentharas.
As they move toward Dim Lane, Kenneth looks for anyone he knows. When seeing a possible contact, he says, "Excuse me a moment, gentlemen," and steps away from the group.
"And good evening to you," he begins. "Tell your fortune? No cost at all." And patters on a bit, working up to his target. "See the two big fellas with the swords? I told their fortunes up in the Souk this evening, and they're destined to meet up with Old Thom tonight . . . they owe him money, and you know how Smoke gets when debts aren't paid. Any word on the old beggar?"
Well aware that he's as useless as a trout in a brewery unless rats are involved, Dagobert nonetheless knows enough about people to point out some likely types to Kenneth and Dannad.
"Don't go for the obvious ones. Look for someone who just mooches along, not looking where he's going because he already knows where he's going. People are like rats. They use the same trails time after time. Those kinds of rats ... and people ... know things even when they don't know they do."
"You are a strange fellow, dwarf. I shall tell you how you are like a dwarf. You are stubborn."
Vandi barks a laugh, having amused himself.
"No, no. I'm an impulsive and fickle fellow. Anyone will tell you that."
Bluff (1d20+11=19)
You question a small group of grimy beggars holding their tin cups and they all have a good chuckle at your story. One particularly ancient old man in the group with several missing teeth cackles a bit more and replies, "Hehe, 'Old' Thom up and go' hisself' in some money trouble, eh? I'm knowin' a thing r' two about tha'. Ya' can find th' bassard' up yonder in Daggermouth Alley mosa' th' time. Jus' off Dim Lane thereabous'." He then holds out his tin cup. "Coupla' copper ta' help an ol' man ge' some gobwine?"
Insight (1d20+9=26)
Your keen observations help the others pick out some likely suspects quite easily, finding just the right amount of cunning and cowardice to get the easiest information.
"Coupla' copper ta' help an ol' man ge' some gobwine?"
Kenneth obliges.
Kenneth obliges."Coupla' copper ta' help an ol' man ge' some gobwine?"
The old man gives you a wonderful, toothless grin and rattles the coins around in his cup jovially. As you walk away you see him distribute some of the coins to the other beggars in his group in an act of rare, Punjaran kindness.
"Come by any time!"
As they travel closer to Dim Lane, Dagobert points out a likely looking prospect to Dannad. "Dannad, why don't you try talking to that little girl over there? You might have better luck since you're closer to her size. Though I don't know why her folks let her go out this late at night." What appears to be a young girl leans against an arched doorway.
Dannad looks at Dagobert askance, gets ready to say something, pauses, and looks at the 'Little girl' again.
"Whaddaya know, ya might have something there. Thanks for pointin 'er out, mate. I'll go have a talksy and see wot's what. Be back in a jiff."
The halfling streetwalker dolled up to look like a young human girl eyes Dannad as he breaks off from the group and traipsed over. As he gets close she shifts so that she's leaning on the corner of the archway.
"'Alo, 'alo, wot 'ave we 'ere. Think yer a li'l young to be fancying a tumble. Though maybe you're 'ere for some right proper bloke what's too good to sully 'imself like. Charge extra for unusuals, what goes for shrimp as well."
Dannad grins and places his hands on his hips, his mirth evident as he starts to speak.
"Ifin I was some bloke's cloak, ya'd think they'd've hired ones a hair bit bigger than a half-grown shrimp. Even iffin's ya take to account some o' the stranger ones 'crossed through Dead Jennies. I shan't be lookin' for a mattress tumble with no one as small as you anyways, 'tid be unseemly to bring one what's hardly old 'nough to bleed back with me." His eyes sparkle, and he reaches into his purse to pull out a silver dime. "Na, what I'd be fancyin' now is a might bit o' information, an'd be easier 'n time spent aback. Might be fancying a bit o' somethin' else later, if ya can find your way to the Rosy Cheeks over in Souk."
He tumbles the coin between his fingers.
"Though I'm not sure I'd do that. You look a lot like Poppy, daughter o' me brother's wive's second cousin once removed, on 'er father's side. I've heard nothin' 'bout here that doesn't say she's nothin' but a hellion. One like as 'er probably wouldn't know what I'd like to hear anyway. Know of ol' Thom, or mayhaps a beggar as calls himself a king?"
Vandis may not know this city well, but he knows how the scum of so-called civilisation operate.
"No, no. I'm an impulsive and fickle fellow. Anyone will tell you that."
"Ha! Tell that to the rats!" he barks once more. He obviously finds Dagobert very funny.
Streetwise=30
The halfing woman looks you over with tired eyes and sighs.
"Take yer' game somewhere else 'cause I ain't interested 'lest ye' got more coin than what's tumbling 'round yer' fingers," she says. "But if you're lookin' for Old Thom then I'd think twice. He's workin' for the Beggar-King ye' so casually mentioned. The Beggar-King's holed up in the big charnel tower over by the western wall. That's where the old thieves used to cremate their dead. I hear the place is still haunted. Foolish is the man or halflin' who'd go pokin' 'round there."
Streetwise=19
Vandis manages to find out the exact location of Daggermouth Alley along Dim Lane by questioning a few passersby. His size and swords are more than enough to get answers out of this rabble
"No, no. I'm an impulsive and fickle fellow. Anyone will tell you that.""Ha! Tell that to the rats!" he barks once more. He obviously finds Dagobert very funny.
"I respect rats and they respect me. We've got an understanding, as we're both creatures of Shul," explains Dagobert seriously. His mind is only half on the conversation as he walks with Vandis, looking for likely people to question.
"Rats? Respect?" Vandis asks with disbelief.
"Another way you are a dwarf: obsessive." Vandis adds to end the conversation before making 'enquiries' with the slum-dwellers.
"This way," He tells the group after some particularly helpful advice.
"Rats? Respect?" Vandis asks with disbelief.
"Another way you are a dwarf: obsessive." Vandis adds to end the conversation before making 'enquiries' with the slum-dwellers.
"This way," He tells the group after some particularly helpful advice.
"You've got it all wrong." Dagobert shakes his head and calls after Vandis. "Rats will hold my attention, certainly, but I'm not a very focused chap otherwise. A lot of folk would say I was a bit of a flibbertygibbert. Not that you'll understand that, not being from around here," he adds under his breath as the huge man stides away to question another quailing beggar.
Dagobert watches his new comrades and grows ever more convinced that he can help. Spotting an old customer he goes purposefully towards the man.
"Evening to you. Glad I bumped into you Griswold, you can do me a favour if you've a mind to. Got a new client and just wondered if a fellow as canny as you might know anything about him. Chap called Old Thom. Says he's contracting me on behalf of someone else, which sounds a bit dubious, if you take my meaning."
Samael keeps an eye out for anyone seeming to lurk in the shadows. Seeing a handful of teenage boys loitering about near the edges of a run down building, he walks over, "We're looking for a guy who goes by the name of 'Old Thom' - anyone heard of him?"
Teenage boys being what they are at times, give you a hard time as you try and discuss things with them. A closer inspection reveals the markings showing them as members of the Beggar's Society, of which Old Thom is often recruiting for as well. With some derision, they run off down a back alley without giving up any information of importance.
Dagobert, on the other hand, strikes up some rapport with an old acquaintance who takes him aside for a moment.
"I used to run with the Beggar's Society back when I was a lad, long before Old Thom got mixed up with that Beggar-King. I know Dim Lane like the back of my hand. Let me tell you about a good route into the alley. He'll never know you're coming."
The parties cunning while roaming the streets and asking questions has paid off. You discovered another rumor about the Beggar-King, found the exact location of Old Thom, and were given a well-detailed trail that leads you right into the back of Daggermouth Alley without Old Thom being alerted to your presence.
You emerge into a damp alley littered with debris and makeshift tents. The few beggars and derelicts you see crawl back into their shelters and make every attempt to ignore your presence as you skulk through the alley.
From your vantage in the deeper shadows of the alley you spot a human man of late years wearing a fur-trimmed coat and carrying a large stick. He is peering out into Dim Lane expectantly.
P13
At this moment, due to taking the relatively unknown shortcut into the back of Daggermouth Alley, the older human has not noticed you. Any further entrance, however, may arouse his suspicion.
"Alright, I'll not blackjack the fellow. I'll keep me eyes pealed in case he's got friends who'll come up on us while we're talking all friendly-like."