Lecian continues creating gimmicks, coming up with themes that would help the Goblin continue to grow in prosperity.
Knowledge (Local):
Simultaneously, he continues doing his own personal research on the Blot, namely looking for what Cyphermages and others have found concerning it's sudden movement.
Knowledge (Arcana):
Hiring spotters note this includes the aid another bonuses.
Excellent idea Urza, with my contacts I think I can give you a hand finding the right street kids.
After the party (where the young warrior girl defeated Larus at a drinking contest), the crew hits the street, discreetly hiring street urchins as informants.
Nalia and Ushari hire a group of about a dozen ragged kids led by a tough 12 year old girl named "Squick" that promise to keep a watch on the Wharf district.
Cal and Urza find a band of about 10 kids in the Rotgut district, led by a pair of twins (one of which has an eye missing), they are called One and Two.
Teh cost is 1 silver for each leader and 2 coppers for each kid. Per week, and they will give you a bonus on any gather information in their districts and keep you appraised of any interesting news.
Lecian: You are distracted from your casino work, and you don't do to good this week. But that is because you've made a breakthrough on the Blot issue! Some sailors reported seeing the Blot at sea, but comparing notes and times, it seems they saw a DIFFERENT Blot. There are more energy clouds similar to the one at Riddleport, but at sea. You HAVE to get a map and plot where they are.
Next tuesday, Vancasckerkin approaches the group before they leave the 'Goblin. He seems genuinely worried.
Boys, have anyone seen Larus? That drunken dwarf has been missing for the last day.. I hope he didn't run with my money! Or spent it all in wine.. it was an awful lot of gold
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Nalia, still enjoying her hangover, would give the kids she's hired enough money to get a decent meal and some proper shoes/boots. She'd also ask them where they sleep at night.
Back at the Goblin. "Larus? Can't.. well, not seen him since our little contest, heh. He's probably just feeling under the weather a bit, but I suppose we can swing round his house to see how he's doing."
"Eh, how much was it? What was it for?"
Ushari didn't enjoy the hangover much, spenfing most of her time hunched over a chamber pot.
After she has recovered, she chimes in,I will go with you, Nalia. It does get kinda boring hanging around here all the time. I hope he didn't hurt himself, or get hurt by someone."
Cal insists that the street urchins come to the gold goblin each day to be decently fed on top of the regular payments. I'm sure these kids will want to keep their independence but at least we can feed them.
When Saul approaches them he's immediately attentive. Yes Saul, tell us, how much has gone missing. Do you have any idea where he might have gone, not to that crime boss we had in the other day. I hope he didn't owe him money. He says with obvious concern.
"That's no good. Part of why we want them is for their anonymity. If they're seen regularly coming here it could make them useless to us. We'll have to set up another way to get payment to them."
Larus dissapearance:
Saul looks at you sheepishly: Well... I did need a lot of money to refurbish the Golden Goblin... and no reputable bank would lend me. So I turned some of my old connections and a known moneylender, Lymas Smeed, fronted me some 2500gp with the Goblin itself as a collateral.
I could not repay any of it, and I put the last of it on the tournament... but when you came along my luck turned. The Goblin is making a profit for the first time and I gave Larus 750gp to return to the moneylender. Let's hope the old dwarf is drunk on his floor and that he didn't decide to skip town with that fortune!
There's more bad news. That weasel Lymas works for Clegg Zincher. The same crime boss that holds a grudge with me. I'm afraid that if I don't make my payments he'll take the casino.
Larus lives 4 blocks into the Wharf district.
Lymas has a moneylending business on Rat Street, across the street from the Mystery of The Gate inn. (famous for lodging Cyphermages and aspirants)
Nalia, do you know anything about this guy Clegg Zincher, would he have done something bad to him?"
"What!" Lecian shouts. "When were you going to tell us? Did you intend on keeping it a secret from your business partners, forever?" The wizard fumes, before redirecting his energy. "We need to find Larus."
Urza, sorry I hadn't thought of the kids anonymity. Your right we should maybe take food and payment to them regularly to keep things quieter.
Yes, I'm not happy you kept this from us Saul, but Lecians right we should move past it and find Larus first. How about we go to his place first.
Ushari, we've had pretty decent dealings with Clegg when he came here last week so I suggest we tread lightly at first with him till we know exactly where we stand with him and what hand he's had in this if any.
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"No one notices kids, so even if they came here to eat, they'd still probably be anonymous. But perhaps keeping them someplace else would be best. Anyway.. Clegg Zincher is not a name I've heard before. We should head round to Larus's house now, and see what he's up to. Given the news of these dealings though, think we should armour up?"
Ushari thinks for a moment, then replys, "Hmmm, something doesn't seem right about this situation. Maybe Calinder and I should go first, since we don't strike him as a threat, while Nails, and the rest follow behind us as backup and protection, in case its a trap or a setup."
Urza puts on his bet smile. "Me? Threatening? Surely you can't be serious."
"We know Larus, personally. He won't be threatened by us," Lecian says matter-of-factly. "I'm going, now." He heads out of the Goblin and starts toward's Larus' home.
It's still early afternoon. The Blot floats menacingly beneath a grey and cloudy sky. It will rain soon.
You are all standing in front of the dwarf's home, on Parcel Street. A fishery displays its stinky wares on the front, but a poorly lit and narrow corridor leads into some private one room apartments. You know that Larus lives on the 4th apartment.
Ushari, while being ideally suited to scout ahead, and eager to prove herself worthy, says "Would you like me to take the lead?" She will still defer to the leader of the group, for the marching order.
I would love to offer my assistance to a lady in need. However donning my own armour might defeat the urgency required so I find we are both in need, Cal says as he brings his Scale mail out and starts to put it on.
Well as much as it pains me to say, I'm not known for my light step so Ushari please, by all means proceed. Cal will give Ushari a 1 round head start before following.
"I'm sure we can wait a few minutes for you to put on your armor. Lecian, please have a bit of patience?"
Once we arrive.
"We're here to make sure Larus is doing alright. There's no need for stealth."
Lecian will go fourth.
""Nails is right, we should be cautious. i will go first and make sure everything is ok for you guys. Just come running if I scream, OK?" She laughs lightly, but there is an undercurrent of fear in her voice.
The corridor is damp and poorly lit. You reach Larus door without noticing anything out of place while the rest of the party waits some 20 ft away, at the entrance.
Remember that it's been two full days (since the party) since anyone has seen the dwarf.
The corridor is damp and poorly lit. You reach Larus door without noticing anything out of place while the rest of the party waits some 20 ft away, at the entrance.
Remember that it's been two full days (since the party) since anyone has seen the dwarf.
Ushari pauses at the door, and presses her ear to it.
Taking Ushari's advice, Cal waits at the entrance ready to come to her aid at a moments notice.
Urza stands close. The look on his face makes it obvious that he feels that there is no need for any of this precaution.
Lecian draws his crossbow and loads it as he watches Ushari scout ahead.
Ushari hears someone snoring through the door. The snore gets interrupted by a hacking cough and then resumes. It doesn't sound like Larus.
Ushari hears someone snoring through the door. The snore gets interrupted by a hacking cough and then resumes. It doesn't sound like Larus.
DM Pol:
Ushari never heard Larus snoring, in fact she barely met him a couple of times on the Goblin and saw him getting drunk with Nalia at the weekend party. But the snores don't even sound like a dwarf.
Ushari waves the group over with the 'all clear' sign, and bends over to whisper in Calinder's ear, "Someone is in there, but it is not Larus."
How about direct and to the point. Nails do you want to give me a hand bashing this door open. After all we've got a legitimate concern over stolen money.
Cal puts his shoulder to the door. The lock is busted and it opens about an inch, but something is barring it from the inside and his unbalanced push is not enough.
The snoring keeps on uninterrupted.
"You could have tried knocking. He might have just opened the door for us."
"I think the concern here is who would answer the door."
Lecian puts his hand on one of Nails' shoulders and uses Diviner's Fortune (+1 on STR check).
You enter a single bedroom, poorly lit by window too small to let a man in, a tornado seems to have swept through the appartment, as everything is broken or in shambles. Some splintered remains of furniture were propped against the door, holding it closed.
There is a shaggy and dirty man sleeping over a pile of rags. He stinks of sour wine and vomit while snoring loudly. Several empty green botles are lying around.
Ushari is momentarily shocked by the rooms condition, she looks around for any signs of anything unusual before entering the room.
Lecian walks over to the snoring body and shoves it with his foot. "Hey! What are you doing here?"
Eh! Ah! Who are ye? Leeme alooone! This is ma place now, I foun' it!!
"Here, let me try."
Ushari walks over to the drunk, and asks him gently, "You say you found it, did you see the guy who was here before, a dwarf?"
Urza is shocked. "What!? Larus isn't here?"