The halfling still being shoved into the crowd by the ill-tempered old dwarf woman sounds more and more upset. Mei Ying notices that just as he's about to strike at her, he looks down in a shock of fear as she points a thick, blackened blade and escorts him away.
The stooped old human woman shoves her way from the well into the middle of the group and in a gravelly, pained voice whispers, "Gather 'round, you sorry lot."
Once the others have gathered close enough, her hood is pulled back and she drops about a foot, as it becomes apparent this is a halfling man in disguise! "I'm Boldo Bindlestiff. I was sent by my uncle, Buckwilling Bindlestiff, because his spies got word that the Deicktasker family had some nefarious plans concerning that announcement. The spies reported that the Deicktaskers would send an operative to find out the nature of this opportunity, then set up an ambush to claim the spoils once this group returns.
"I just found out they had other plans - plans ta frame me for the misdeeds! That surly, blundering excuse for a pickpocket got his partner, the sewer rat, to call him Boldo, loud and memorable as you please! No doubt they would let you all assume it was that one's doing that lead you to being ambushed, which puts a swift price on my own head.
"But this sticks me in the middle of this right good, but maybe for the best for you all. See, now I have to be with you on this venture to prove that it wasn't me who ambushed you. But, in me getting a cut, you all ensure that the Deicktaskers and Bindlestiffs will leave you alone - my clan so's they don't ruin my own profit in the venture, and the Deicktaskers' rotten hides because they dare not risk a war with Buckwilling Bindlestiff."
Putting the disguise back on, and stepping back onto his stilt-boots, Boldo finishes by saying, "Besides, you might need someone like me along on a shady deal like this." With that, he flips a wand at Thomas - a wand that looks just like the one that was in his pocket moments before.
"This is not a safe place to speak, we should go," says the old woman this group now knows as Boldo.
"Yes, humans who only tell half a story, halflings on stilts...
But we still agree that we will look after the kobolds, aren't we?
Would be much trouble for a setup on a group of totally unrelated people." Morgran says with a sigh. Then he walks toward the inn.
OOC
Mini stat block
Morgran Deepwell Perception: 12 Insight: 17 Low-light Vision AC 16 Fortitude 14 Reflex 13 Will 13 Hit Points: 30/30 Bloodied: 15 Temporary Hit Points: 0 Action Points: 1 Second Wind: 1 Healing Surge: 7 Surges per day: 10/10 At-Will Powers: Eldritch Blast, Hellish Rebuke Encounter Powers: Diabolic Grasp Daily Powers: Armor of Agathys
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Hi I'm a comic and rpg nerd. Don't hurt me, please.
Thomas shrugs, the situation with the halfling was quite strange. He begins walking to the inn with the others. Now how to break the news that their are kobolds in tunnels below the inn...
May hesitates, but makes up her mind quickly and follows the others in. She was alone here. Even if circumstances meant this particular job was false, she would need friends much more than she would need money in the immediate future. This was a good opportunity for that.
"We should ask the owner of this place about Zenith," she suggests in a low voice as the heroes make their way across the common area. "To see what kind of reputation he has."
You enter the Dragon's Den Inn. The smells of charred meat, apple cider, and sweat greet you. On a day like today, the inn's taproom would normally not have enough room for anyone else; however, due to the kobold attacks, travelers have begun to stay away from Fannen-Dar, and patronage at the inns have declined. Only five people besides yourselves are in the room. Ren Strithaw is of course behind the counter, washing a mug and chatting with a half-elf with green-brown hair. A dwarf and a dragonborn sit in a booth, talking over a drink. Also, a young half-elf with a broom is sweeping up around the room; apparently, Ren found a replacement for Thomas.
Upon seeing Thomas and the group enter the room, Ren waves them over. "Thomas!" he shouts in his feeble old man voice. "Are all them with you?" Upon receiving confirmation, he shouts, "Welcome back! Come on over, drinks are on the house."
Take a look at Althai, my D&D 4e campaign setting, and The_Heroes of Althai, the dramedy of the heroes who did and will affect Althai. (Both on the backburner for now.)
Ren excuses himself from the half-elf and takes the group into a sort of small room, maybe fifteen by ten feet, with buckets, mops, and brooms scattered around. A trapdoor is also on the floor. Thomas knows, and the rest of you can safely assume, that this is the trapdoor to the basement, where the more hidden trapdoor lies.
Ren turns to each of you in the cramped room. "So, what's the deal? I'll do anything for friends of ol' Thomas here!"
Take a look at Althai, my D&D 4e campaign setting, and The_Heroes of Althai, the dramedy of the heroes who did and will affect Althai. (Both on the backburner for now.)
"The Man Who Posted The Notice On Your Door Told Us There Are Kobolds In The Tunnels Beneath Your Inn. He Has Hired Us To Find A Map He Says They Have."
Ren looks at you with a face full of empuzzlement. "Tunnels? Under the inn? I've never heard of this Zenith guy, what does he know? And why is that woman actually a man?" Ren is clearly starting to mistrust you, though every one of you can also tell that there is more to the story than what he is actually disclosing.
Ren continues, "None of this makes sense...ever since those tratten kobolds have been acting up, everone in this town has been gettin' real dodgy...I don't know what to make of it. Plus there's the rats..." The last part he mumbles more to himself than any of you.
Tratten
Tratten is a coined adjective equivalent to "d**ned;" not as harsh, but with more negative connotation than "darn." Any member of the upper class might be slightly offended by the use of such colloquial diction in a public place, though I don't know if a broom closet counts as such.
Take a look at Althai, my D&D 4e campaign setting, and The_Heroes of Althai, the dramedy of the heroes who did and will affect Althai. (Both on the backburner for now.)
With a wide smile, Boldo steps forward and says, "Forgive us, we should not have barged in, expecting you to solve our problems for us. Of course, in today's troublesome climate, we should expect you to wisely guard yourself against villains. There is only one small matter with which you could help, but I sense you have a need as well. Tell us of these rats, maybe we can solve this problem and earn your trust."
"It's okay Renn, like you said they are friends of mine." He puts his hand on the man's shoulder. "At least could we look around the basement a bit? There might be something down there you didn't know about. It might give weight to what we are telling you, and give us more reason to believe this Zenith fellow."
The old man sighs, the wrinkles in his face exaggerating his age. "I suppose I can trust you...I wasn't being exactly straightforward." He turns to Thomas. "I never let you in on any of this, but it's time you knew. None of you can tell anyone though!" After making sure that everyone promises not to tell, Ren continues: "As you may know, this town has some trouble with gangs. Since the trouble with the Ice Skulls began, the gangs have only been taking advantage of the town's weakness, growing in power themselves. A tiefling came to me in the past month on the run from one of the particularly nasty gangs, the Dirt Devils. I know of the tunnels underneath the inn. I went down there many years ago; they were only big enough for maybe two people to fit.
"Well, I decided to help the tiefling, Umber, so I let him hide in the tunnels. Sure enough, some tieflings, undoubtedly from the Dirt Devils gang, came to the inn and, while pretending to merely be patrons, searched the place. Luckily, they didn't find Umber. I let him come and go as he pleases, but I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks.
"Only a day after the last time I saw him, I went down to the basement to find it infested with giant rats. I have no idea how they got there, but if word gets out, it'll really ruin my business. And now you say there are kobolds down there too? I really don't understand any of this...
"But I trust Thomas, and any of his friends. If you want to search the basement and the tunnels, you may do so any time you please. I was planning to hire a group to exterminate the rats anyway, so I won't be stingy, even in this economic down, and I'll give you 40 gold pieces for getting rid of those rats.
"You can go down into the basement any time you like. I've got to get back to the bar. Please, if you find anything out, let me know. My old brain can't keep up with all these current events!" With a desperate smile of a man trying to make a hopeless situation seem humorous, Ren leaves the closet for you to go down whenever you are ready.
Take a look at Althai, my D&D 4e campaign setting, and The_Heroes of Althai, the dramedy of the heroes who did and will affect Althai. (Both on the backburner for now.)
"Sounds like everybody has a secret around here," Thomas says.
"Unless anybody has anything they need to grab, we might as well go now." Thomas walks over to the trapdoor to the basement and reaches down to grab the handle.
Last edited by EvolutionKB; 13th April 2009 at 05:00 AM..
Boldo sloughs off his old lady disguise, leaving it at the entrance to the tunnels after digging out his pack. He follows into the tunnels and soon runs to the front saying, "Don't worry friends, we'll get to the bottom of whatever this is soon enough."
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