[IC] Stealthy Missions: Prologue

[Dalamar]

As his shirt repairs itself, James is first startled a bit but then a contempt smile comes to his face.
"Much appreciated."
He listens through Thorik's explanations silently, nodding at each part.
"Only one question: what's our first assignment?"

 

[Xael]

"Well...", Thorik starts and turns to look at the door upstairs. The door opens soon after, and a 3-foor-diameter disc floating in the air floats from the doorway to your direction. There's a dirty gnome clothed in an oversized chain shirt, burned gray boots, and overall gray outfit sitting on the disc. Even his skin seems to be gray, though the only skin you can see is his bald head. (OOC: Deep gnome, Svirfneblin.)

When the disc floats closer to the stairs, the bald gnome picks up a helmet from the disc and stucks it into his head. The disc floats down the stairs while the gnome lets out a childish "Whee...". The gnome also seems to be carrying a tray with a bottle of brandy and few glasses on it.

The disc stops next to Thorik, who sighs. While the gnome hops off the disc, Taeghen arrives from the door. At least you think it's Taeghen, because of the same fine black-red clothes and a pointed tail, but his face seems to have changed a bit. If his skin and eyes changing to deep red, his ears turning to pointed elven ears, and the small but noticeable fangs in his grinning mouth count as "a bit".

Taeghen and Thorik don't seem to care at all, and Taeghen tosses a scroll to Thorik on the way down. He tosses more scrolls, which Thorik again tosses on the disc floating next to him. Thorik then opens the first scroll, glances it and speaks:

"Uh, yeah, you can choose from the following:

One possibility is stealing evidence that indicates one particular noble working with the red wizards of Thay from his mansion.

(Picks up and opens another scroll)

Second is retrieving some stupid thing to a collector from ruins in the middle of a forest.

Third is "Recovering an object with only sentimental value"... from pixies.

Fourth is "persuading" a Zhentarim agent in the stonelands to stop rallying the goblinoids there.

Fifth is delivering a message to some bandit leader at some marsh.

Sixth and the last at the moment is to find out what the hell has happened to some people occupying a building at the stonelands.

You can decide yourselves or we can let the dice decide. Ask for more information about the jobs that interest you.

Oh yeah, the brandy. Help yourselves." He picks up a glass and the bottle from the tray (which is now resting on the disk) and fills his own glass.

 

[Dalamar]

James pours himself some brandy, sniffs the arome and then sips it. He then nods approvingly.
"On to business, then. This bandit leader, his marsh isn't the lizard marsh, is it?"

 

[Xael]

Thorik picks up the srcoll again and reads it. "No, he's somewhere in the marsh of Tun, beyond the mountains, in the opposite direction. Not much lizardfolk there, but it's mostly tainted by... something. And the bandits of course, who aren't very friendly."

OOC: Timothy has last posted something on 05-18-2003 03:47 PM, which makes me wonder if he's having a damn long vacation, or something has happened to him. I'm not particulary happy either way. The interesting thing is, that he's constantly on at MSN Messenger...

 

[Inez Hull]

Orland perks up immediately and asks in an affected 'noble' voice, "Ooh pray do tell about the good fellow who's risking having his reputation sullied by associating with Thay. I do love a good dragging through the mud." He then switches to his customary drawl, "especially when there's a bit o' blackmail t' be done!"

 

[Dalamar]

"Anyway, who'se the gnome?"

 

[Xael]

Thorik rolls his eyes and speaks: "Well, this particular noble has been forming some kind of deals with the Red Wizards (of Thay), and while the noble is stupid enough that he has leaked this information, the officials can't just rush in and whack him for it. Mainly because the idiot belongs to one of the most respected and larges noble houses, such act could very well cause too much ruckus among the other nobles. So they need somebody to somehow prove his connection to red wizards. Either by digging up his diary, contracts or something. The idiot has - or so they say - some kind of habit to write things down in case he forgots them. Or just scare him enough to stop the deals with them, but it's highly unlikely that the Thayans would let him live after that."

"And the gnome's Stolig, our uhh... Mr. fixit.", Thorik continues, at the same time trying to silently indicate that he thinks the gnome as a bit mad.

 

[Inez Hull]

"They say that laughter is th' hidin' place o' fools, but I've always thought it was amongst the nobility that they 'id. Case in point our high born friend eh?"

Orland strokes his chin while mental gears churn, "So then, what's the muster on bringin' this high pickaroon down lowly?"

 

[Xael]

"So then, what's the muster on bringin' this high pickaroon down lowly?"

This is the first time I have to ask this on these boards, but here it goes: What??? Does that refer on the pay or something?

 

[Inez Hull]

Yeah, got it in one. I kinda just made that up as an attempt at cant and thought it just made enough sense.