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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 9767480" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 5It didn’t take long for Rav to scout out the lower ward of the keep. The elf slipped through the crowd like a shadow, not doing anything to draw the eye or stick in someone’s memory. His clothes were plain, his sword and dagger strapped to his thighs and remaining almost hidden under his cloak. He avoided making eye contact with anyone, but those eyes missed little as they slid over every building, into every side alley and nook and cranny that he passed.Thus far, it did not look especially promising.His explorations ended at the bank. He was surprised to find such a place in a settlement this small, but as far out as the keep was, and as dependent on imported supplies as it must be, maybe there was a need for the kinds of transactions such a place could facilitate.He leaned against the side of the building across the way, some kind of trading post from the look of it. He studied the bank as he pretended to fish a rock out of his boot. There didn’t seem to be much business, and only a single service window within with a small woman behind what was no doubt a thick pane of glass. There was a guard outside, a tall, lean human woman wearing a shirt of mail and carrying a spear. She looked bored. There was another warrior-type sitting against the keep wall not far away, a muscled human who was apparently talking to a goat, of all things. As Rav watched, the man got to his feet and led the animal away. The elf waited until he was well on his way before starting across to the bank.He noted how long it took for the guard to notice him. When she did, she met his smile with a scowl. He instantly disliked her, but the smile didn’t slip in the slightest as he went inside.The front room was simply furnished, with only a pair of benches and a small table equipped with pens and parchments. He noted the bars on the windows and the apparent quality of the lock on the door that led to the back. The small woman he’d marked earlier turned out to be a halfling, who nodded at him expectantly. The name on the placard next the slit at the bottom of the glass window said, “Quink.” It seemed an odd name, but Rav hadn’t dealt with enough halflings to know whether it was common amongst them.“Good afternoon, sir,” the woman said as he stepped up to the window. Her voice was a bit attenuated by the glass, but he could see that there were slots where it was anchored in addition to the opening below. Might be a weakness, or it might not, depending on the skill of whoever had installed it. “Yes, I’m new in town, and I was wondering what terms you offered for small loans.”“We offer unsecured loans up to ten gold pieces in value, with an interest rate of one gold per day,” Quink said. She looked him over again in a manner that made Rav feel like he was being weighed on a scale. He forced himself to keep an easy smile on his face.“And I assume you have strong security for deposits?” he asked.Her lips twisted slightly at that, though her professional manner didn’t otherwise slip. Rav shifted slightly and leaned forward in a way that caused his purse to contact the edge of the counter, making the coins inside clink slightly. It wasn’t much, but he saw the way her eyes flicked toward it. “Yes, sir. Depositors may make withdraws during regular business hours at no cost.”“Thank you so much for all your help,” he said. “I am pleased to find the elements of civilization so far out here, on the edge of the wilds. I don’t wish to make a deposit today, but I will likely return.”She made a slight nod, and he started to turn away, but she interrupted him. “Sir?”He turned back, surprised to see that her professional mask had slipped enough to reveal uncertainty in her expression. “Yes?”“I heard… is it true that you arrived in the company of an adventuring group?”The question caught him a bit off guard—and created a feeling of disquiet—but his easy smile didn’t change. “Indeed, word travels fast around here.”“It’s a small keep,” she said. “I… ah, my guard, Yvette…” She let out a sigh that barely traveled through the window, but Rav had very sharp ears. “She’s a lousy guard. There was a break-in recently on her watch, and the burglar got away. I fear the culprit might attempt another break-in, and I’d like you to prevent the heist—quietly. I can pay you a lump sum of twenty gold pieces for your services. What do you say?”He pressed a finger against his chin. “An interesting offer… I will have to speak to my colleagues, of course.”“Ah, yes, of course.”“You’ll be hearing from me soon,” he said.He made his way out of the bank. For a moment he considered the offer. It wasn’t how he’d planned on getting coins out of the bank, but it might…He abruptly shook his head. Even if it did work, he’d have to split the money with the others, and it would be like stepping into the glow of a bullseye lantern, in terms of his reputation in the keep. And if there was one thing that Ravani Whisperleaf had learned in his one hundred and seventeen years of life on this world, it was that escaping notice was the key to survival.The guard—Yvette—was watching him closely, a slightly sour look on her face. Rav watched her back, his own smile deepening along with her frown. After a moment, an idea came to him. Let’s sow some chaos, he thought. He saluted her as he turned to walk past, but as he did so he leaned in and whispered, “She’s on to you.”“What?” the guard asked.He smiled, but didn’t stop or look back as he made his way back to the tavern.Game Notes:Ravani: Wisdom (Insight): 19 (+0): 19 vs. DC 15 (Success)Charisma (Deception): 5 (+4): 9 vs. DC 15 (Failure)</blockquote>

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