Warriors Of The Coast

Dhelleck d’Tharashk sits at his small desk inside the Finder’s Guild guildhouse on the northern side of town. A fist-sized Eberron dragonshard sits upon the desk, it’s inner glow illuminating the paperwork he’s scribbling on. Standing on the other side of the desk stands Ari Osten and Tarviss Jarga, both looking hot, sweaty, and quite dirty. Small stains of blood can be seen on their tabards, and if you were to take careful look at their weapons, you’d see that they are stained as well.

Both men have just returned from another skirmish with the Scaled Might Tribe of lizardfolk, who for the past three weeks really been making more of a nuisance of themselves outside of town than usual. The Scaled Might had always been a problem, but this was getting ridiculous… three straight weeks of attacks. Granted this has pleased Dhelleck because it’s brought in extra gold to the Finder’s Guild coffers for every bounty hunter that Magistrate ir’Fischer has hired to help, but it’s becoming quite a concern for all townsfolk involved.

Dhelleck d‘Tharashk looks at both men. "So it’s getting worse, eh? Not surprising. Been getting reports from the Watchmen that the marshland to the south has been teeming with the blighters. Been good for business, though" he smirks to himself. "By the way, good job on finding this" he nods to the dragonshard on the desk. "Haven’t had much of a chance to get more of these things since the attacks started. I’ve got Dubbin out there on the northside hill scrounging for them, but he’s just one man. You said you found this actually ON one of the lizards?"

The militia outpost in the South Wall section of town is buzzing with activity. Various Watchmen move back and forth, some coming in from the field, others preparing to go out once again. It’s been a rough few weeks.

The young Garrick Yondson has been watching all this activity with a curious eye, from within his cell in the outpost. He’s been held in containment for the past month for incessant disruption of House Tharashk activities in the area. That’s the biggest problem with working as a freelance treasurehunter… you acquire the notice of the organizations with power, and if you move in too much on their territory, they do their best to take you out of the equation. And ever since Garrick grabbed a dragonshard vein out from under the Finder’s Guild nose… they’ve been able to get the Watchmen to keep him under lock and key.

Watchman Citen Boggs stands next to the cell, having been speaking with Garrick for a few minutes now. He looks accross the room where he sees Watchman Symon Barr speaking animatedly with his neighbor and friend Amycothe Dyne. He turns back to Garrick and says “Don’t worry, man. I’ve heard that the Magistrate is going to be speaking to d’Tharashk and getting the charges against you dropped finally. You should be out of here within the day.”

On the other side of the room, Barr paces back and forth in a panick. “Look, Amy… we NEED you! The Watchmen have already lost Peters, Annde, Stills, Kord. Watchmaster Silversun says to induct any able-bodied men in as quickly as possible, because at least that way they’ll all be under the government’s protection. Think about what this could mean to Menna! If you join up officially, she could at least petition for some benefits on the chance that you didn’t come back. I know that we aren’t really your style, but think of your woman and her son.”

Khalia ir’Indari and Zan sit at a table within the Green Lilac, pouring over some maps. Standing to their right, Nelson Luttin crosses his arms and smiles his wide toothy smile to them both. It’s taken her a while… five months to be exact… but Khalia was finally able to convince the jovial Luttin to grab this series of maps that his great-great granduncle Unther Luttin had made of the Xothkazzik Ruins outside of town. All of her and Zan’s research into the history of Seawell told her that SOMEONE within the huge Luttin clan had made as accurate of maps of the third and fourth levels of the ruins as they were liable to find, and it had taken all of her wiles and wherewithal to convince Nelson to swipe them. It wasn’t easy. And she didn’t really want to think about what he was going to want when he came to collect on this favor. But at least for now, she was certain she had a way to get around the Packson Seal off the second ante-chamber on the third level.

On the other side of the tavern, Morinda Silversun kisses her husband, Watchmaster Flim Silversun, lightly on the lips. She looks up at his dirty face and tsk-tsk’s him gently. “You are messy sometimes, you know that?” He smiles at his wife and tightens his sword belt. “I know. Small price to pay.” He glances around the Lilac. “Have you seen the children? I want to wish them good night.”

“No, I haven’t”, Morinda says, her brow furrowing. “I think they went out as usual a few hours ago. But they promised me they weren’t going to leave the town walls.” Flim nods once, then turns to leave. “I hope not. Things are in a right state. No ships in weeks, haven’t been able to get out to the Limran’s at the lighthouse, wave after wave of that scaly menace. Don’t know what’s riled them up, but hopefully we can solve it soon.” He leans in and kisses his wife one more time, then walks out of the tavern heading back to the outpost.

DEFCON 1 said:

"You said you found this actually ON one of the lizards?"

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Ari looked at Taviss a moment, a silent signal to let Ari do the talking. Taviss was good on the field... but his people skills occasionally needed refining. Not that Ari was the courtly type; his natural charisma is what carried him along.

"Yes. Appeared to be in charge of the bunch, from what we could ascertain. This group was a little more aggressive than usual, if that says something." Inspiration hits Ari as he mentioned the odd lizardfolk; there might be a way to get an even larger commission while doing his work. "There is probably more where that came from. The battlefield's a right mess, but there is a possibility we might be able to find some tracks. See if we can find the dragonshards at the root, so to speak." A wry grin appears on the hexer's face; it makes him look almost predatory. "Of course, we might need a little better supplies."

" Those th'maps y'wanted, precious?" said the blue-eyed man, draped over the back of the unused chair. "I mean, there's more n'where that came from I reckon. Lots. Some of 'em covered with runes n' a few odds n' ends that Emus prolly snuck out that night when he was gettin' th'lizards drunk. Even more jealous of 'em than his wife though, if'n you know what I mean." he eyed the two young scholars wryly.

"'Course it'll cost you, if'n you know what I mean. the wink that he made would have distressed the dead. "Maybe Zan can play "pretty girl from Sharn" jus' like he did fer my cousin that day way back when?" he oozed mirthfully.

He looked over his shoulder at the couple talking too loud in the background, a shadow of concern flashing over his face and then just as gone as stars at sunrise.

"Though, there might be other things we could do fer each other worth more'n the color f'yer unders."

He walked over to Watchwife Morinda and dazzled her with his most disarming smile, putting his arm over his shoulder in the confident manner of a man who's known her all his life.

"I think the missus ir'Indari over", he nods with a brilliant, ego-full smile," there needs some learnin' past her dusty books n'pen-finger. How 'bout we put everything in its case and see if'n we can't round up Miss Jina and her brother?"

She hadn't entirely believed Nelson would get that map. In a lot of ways, she had hoped he wouldn't. There were some people she really didn't want to owe things to, and the young Luttin scion was pretty high on the list. Not quite as high as that idiot that called herself a priestess of the Flame here in Seawell and seemed to think a temple archivist should be her errand girl, but pretty high.

James Heard said:

" Those th'maps y'wanted, precious?" said the blue-eyed man, draped over the back of the unused chair. "I mean, there's more n'where that came from I reckon. Lots. Some of 'em covered with runes n' a few odds n' ends that Emus prolly snuck out that night when he was gettin' th'lizards drunk. Even more jealous of 'em than his wife though, if'n you know what I mean." he eyed the two young scholars wryly.

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All right. She was wrong. Any amount of disrespect from Mistress Tharavar wasn't close to putting up with this fellow. And slapping him down hard would only encourage him. But she did need that map, unless she wanted to go home to Thrane without finding what her father had sent her here to look for.

"I think that this will be sufficient for now, thank you." Khalia said. "Besides, I think Master Jaranada was looking for you. Something about his daughter. I don't know what Maryanne sees in you, myself."

And Amos Jaranada was well over six feet tall, usually carried around the axe he split lumber with, was fiercely protective of his daughter, and didn't want Maryanne spending any time at with Nelson or any other Luttin. Which of course had only encourged the girl.

"Any guesses on when the twins will be back?" Khalia asked. "If they're interested, I'll want them to tag along when I go out tommorow, at least if they don't mind moving rocks."

stonegod said:

"The battlefield's a right mess, but there is a possibility we might be able to find some tracks. See if we can find the dragonshards at the root, so to speak." A wry grin appears on the hexer's face; it makes him look almost predatory. "Of course, we might need a little better supplies."

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Dhelleck looks at the bounty hunter and smirks. "Tell you what... you bring me ANOTHER one of these 'shards, and we'll talk. Remember, anything you gather on a House job is property of the House... so this one's ours regardless. But if you find another, I'll throw you a bone. Don't say I never did anything for ya." He laughs once, and Ari and Tariss look at each other.

"Tell you what... head over to the Outpost and see if Silversun and his boys have also found any 'shards on the lizards they killed. If so, it means access to a new vein, and the House'll buy any of them offa them as we can."

Nelson Luttin said:

"I think the missus ir'Indari over", he nods with a brilliant, ego-full smile," there needs some learnin' past her dusty books n'pen-finger. How 'bout we put everything in its case and see if'n we can't round up Miss Jina and her brother?"

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Khalia ir'Indari said:

"Any guesses on when the twins will be back? If they're interested, I'll want them to tag along when I go out tommorow, at least if they don't mind moving rocks."

Click to expand...

The Green Lilac's proprietress, Morinda Silversun, looked down at the young woman with a smile. Khalia was a woman of station, and was a wonderful boarder... always paying her monthly fee right on time. And surprisingly, the changelinge Zan was also the same way. Although living in his own room above the library, he took several meals throughout the week here at the Lilac, and he was always quite gracias with a complemt and a tip.

The same could not be said for the Luttin boy... one of a half-dozen Luttin boys who have tried to get somewhere with her daughter in the past, as well as sneak out on various bills and not paying. Despite her anger towards this one in particular, she still allows him to enter the tavern... she just refuses to sell him anything without silvers up front.

"Oh, you know Jango and Jina... they could be anywhere right now. If I know Jina, I'd guess she's probably down dockside practicing her forms with Master Dyne. With her father so busy because of the lizardfolk attacks, she's taken to practicing her bladework with anyone willing to teach her." Morinda walks over to the window and looks out into town. "I do worry about them sometimes though. Always getting underfoot. I WOULD feel better if I knew where they were right now." She turns back to the three with a look of concern on her face.

DEFCON 1 said:

"Tell you what... head over to the Outpost and see if Silversun and his boys have also found any 'shards on the lizards they killed. If so, it means access to a new vein, and the House'll buy any of them offa them as we can."

Click to expand...

Ari inclines his head and taps Taviss on the shoulder as a to signal leave. In the ranger's ear, Ari whispers, "Didn't think that would work. Let's see where else we can be of some use." With that, he leaves the chapterhouse.

Seawell does not seem as bustling as it did a month ago; folks are penned up in their homes, trying to keep safe. That does not stop all of them, however. Ari notices at least two women he suspects to be Luttins looking at him with something in their eyes. The hexer quickens his pace.

"Silversun is usually on the up-and-up, but with these scaleys in his hide, I'm not sure how helpful he'll be. Of course, they seem to conscripting anyone who can hold a blade, so if they think Tharashk's interests are involved, they might see a way to fund those extra swords."

Taviss rubs his beard and spits on the street as he follows Ari out of the Finder's Guild. "[red]You shouldn't work for that damn paper-pusher. We hunt well, we should get some payoff.[/red]" He tugs a rag out of his worn and stained backpack and rubs a spot of blood off his dagger, holding it up to the sunlight to check for wear, rust, and grime before sliding it back into a scabbard on his belt.

The ranger looks his body over as he trots behind Ari, spitting in his hands and rubbing out spots of blood on his armor. He looks around the street, noticing the odd stares from the passerby. He brushes a strand of hair out of his face and keeps walking. "[red]How much coulda we got for that 'shard?[/red]"