Without any other notice, except for a slight gust of wind, those not involved in the heated discussion of employment notice a new form nestled in a dark booth in the corner of the bar.
A dark cloak hides almost all features within.
The cowl of the cloak is pushed back to reveal a shock of auburn hair attached to an elven face, one which a careful observer would notice carries a fresh scar along the left cheek.
The elf does nothing at this time, content to watch the Cannith agent, and ascertain whether this might be something of interest to himself. As he was a touch more cautious after the last time he was in this tavern, thinking back to the test of his patience that was named Brelach.
"I should have put an arrow in his spine when I had the chance...." He thought darkly to himself.
Mowbray looks around, uncertain.
"There will be locks a-plenty, yes..." His eyes narrow as he studies the half-orc.
"Is there anyone here experienced with ... dark forces?"
OOC:
I can fit either the 3 2nd/3rd levels or the two 5 levels, but the gap would be too big to take all five of you. Last call for anyone else to chime in here...
"Doggie" leaps after something in another room, distracting Tondrek and causing him to follow a moment. A large warforged pokes his head out. Work? I am fully functional and ready for battle if that is the case.
OOC: Weapon is a warforged fighter 3 if lower level is needed. I'd prefer Tondrek, but you take what you can.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
As no paladins leap out of the shadows, Mowbray sighs the sigh of a man who's seen all his copper dreadful fantasies shattered.
"Miss Thorne? I'm sorry, but we're not able to pay you in any expensive fashion. I hope we'll be able to do business again in the future, but until then I must look for some others."
He turns back to the rest of the assembling group.
"Miss...Scrapescale? Master Weapon? Please step this way."
In an attempt to return to "how real adventurers do things" he heads for the darkest, shadowiest booth he can find.
He looks nonplussed when he discovers Silvanon.
"Err...yes..."
He clears his throat and tries for something more assertive.
"Hello?"
Reveka followed the man as he led them over to one of the shadowy booths- she did not try to sit there, but rather leaned against a convenient portion of wall, resting her greatsword near to hand. If she noticed the elf already ensconced in the booth, she gave little sign- perhaps assuming that their possible employer already knew him, since he had gone straight for this booth. "So you speak of dark forces... I don't guess you mean ghostly chicken thieves. What is it you wish recevovered, and what do you know of the hazards?"
Confronted with two willing adventurers and unwilling to leave the traditional dark corner table, Mowbray begins to unfold his tale.
"My name is Mowbray d'Cannith. I am the confidential secretary to Kerron d'Cannith, scion of House Cannith."
He pauses, expecting everyone to be suitably impressed.
"My master's house has been struck by a two-fold tragedy. Four days ago his son Reben was kidnapped as he came home from school. The kidnappers have requested a ransom of five thousand galifars and the signet ring of my master's great-grandfather, Tanther d'Cannith."
He pauses for a moment.
"Tanther d'Cannith's signet ring was buried with him, in one of the minor d'Cannith crypts. I went with my master to recover the ring..."
He hangs his head in shame.
"Something is nesting in the crypt...some foul perversion of life!"
He looks up for a moment, eyes wide.
"The dead bodies of the Canniths rose up against us...it was horrible! The flaming eyes! The charnel grins! The funk of forty centuries!!"
He shudders for a moment and looks like he needs a drink of something potent.
"They were too much for us, and we fled."
He takes a deep breath and looks around for a double of something.
"So here is what we need. We need adventurers to enter the crypt, purify it, and recover the ring. We would also like them to accompany us when we go to pay the ransom, in case of treachery.
We are prepared to pay handsomely for these services."
Lurking in the shadows of the darkest booth, enjoying the momentary privacy and solace, the elf is jolted back to reality as a large man sits down across from him, followed quickly by a few more bodies.
"What the..." he barely is able to blurt out.
He quickly realizes the man did not even notice him.
As the tale of woe unfolds, replete with undead, ransom, and treachery, he cannot help but wonder why each time he steps into this tavern -- and only this tavern in Sharn, do strange quests present themselves.
"I gotta think 'bout finding a new place in this town," he thinks to himself.
He eyes the others at the table,"some sort of lizardish woman, a dwarf, and is that.... that warforged from the mark expedition with that foul human?
"Hmmm, kind of looks like it. Well, at least he can be trusted not to mouth off."
He watches the others while he says,"How handsomely are you talking?"
Weapon moves over the the table with the patron, his face expressionless... like all warforged. I have been fully crafted to deal with issues of warfare. I am, however, not constructed to negotiate. Is that acceptable?
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Mowbray takes each question in turn.
House Cannith is prepared to be generous to those who aid it: Mowbray makes it sound like House Cannith prefers to be generous after the successful conclusion of the negotiations.
Exactly how generous he leaves open to your speculation, but "we're not fools, after all...it'll be better business for you to take our payment than try to steal the ransom and run."
Unsaid, but implied, is that the party's payment depends on getting Reben d'Cannith back alive and not so damaged House Jorasco can't put him right easily.
Mowbray also seems unperturbed by Weapon's lack of negotiating skills. He expresses the hope that the ransom payment will be smooth, if expensive. If there's treachery, of course, Weapon will be expected to use his expertise with "issues of warfare".
ooc: ajanders, can you state the name of the players going on this one? im all confused on who is going or not.
Im stating my intrest though, and hope anyone can take a look at my sheet to be approved. Here in post #4
__________________ ~With Us Three Under Water You Will See the Beauty of the World~
Following everything he read in some old copper dreadfuls, Mowbray led them to a dark shadowy corner table to talk business.
Silvanon was already there, but is apparently too busy being dark and mysterious to say hello.
If he's not, Mowbray would love to have him.
Kuther would be welcome too, but I thought you were having fun being drunk at the bar. If you sobered up and introduced yourself Mowbray would probably be glad to hear from you too.
He doesn't do this much: he's been implying he went on his first adventure yesterday and it went badly...which is why he's recruiting you guys.
"Aye, I'm game for some tomb raiding and such, as long as there is some coin for us at the end of the tunnel.
"And no treachery -- either. We get paid for doing the job and no monkey business at the end, alright?"
"Of course not!" Mowbray protests.
"There will be neither monkey business nor chicken thieves involved."
He looks at Reveka, genially amused.
"Ghostly chicken thieves...that's crazy talk..."
He nods to himself.
"So, what skills do you three have? Master Kerron will want to know."
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