OOC: I've been working to recover some of our lost posts.[Sblock=Posts 161-200]Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas follows through with more questions, "What did the mark look like? Was it three virtical lines, still nasty and red as if he had received it recently? Was he with anyone besides this shady captain?" He is eager to know if this drunk knows anything about the stranger.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
OOC: Yep, that was Grendel's thoughts.
Grendel scans the room, checking to see if anyone's paying attention to his group.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
"Didnae look too much, an' he had a hood up. Coulda been that, it could..."
He takes a long gulp from his tankard before continuing.
"Far as ah can tell, they w're alone. Had a sack wit' 'em, though. look'd kinda heavy, if ya ask me."
It doesn't seem that anybody is paying any more attention than is normal, considering that your group includes somebody who is a head taller than most.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien continues to listen to the exchange impassively. He wonders how the drunkard thinks he could have recognized the man if he man wearing a hood. Considering his thoughts, he finally poses a question, the answer to which the drunkard couldn't have overheard at the table. "You said he was holding a heavy bag. Did you see the man's hands? Was he wearing anything on them?"
OOC: Ghuntomas had, in an earlier conversation, said the murderer had been wearing a black metal ring on his right thumb.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
"Is hands? Didnay lookit them so much. Why?"
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien simply shakes his head dismissively and smiles reassuringly while trying to keep the doubt off his face. You saw a man carrying a heavy sack who had a mark on his face that you couldn't see well because of the hood he was wearing who was talking to a captain whose name you can't remember properly. I suppose its just a coincidence that we were all here last night asking about Covis. Knowing that Ghuntomas had few other leads to follow in search of the man who had slain his son, Damien motions to the barmaid to refill the man's cup. "Think back; tells us what you saw and heard when the man at the wharves met with the captain. Why'd he have a bad air?"
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas goes silent after asking his questions, letting Damien speak. Damien's way with words and ability to twist the speaker into reveiling information amazed the back woods hunter.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
(Insert drunken sprawl, I'm too lazy to keep writing it for long posts )
"Cheers, mate. I was getting home after a night out when I spotted the captain. My cousin's on his ship so I decided to thank him for looking after him -not too good with the ship work, my cousin, you see. Was about to hail him when a chill ran down my spine; that's when I noticed your guy. They were talking all hush-hush, so I decided to let them be and went my way. Not my business if the good captain's getting somebody killed or buying something from the black market. I tell you, looking at the guy felt like somebody walking over your grave."
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien nods in response while he considers the man's words. His cousin works on Covis' ship? Interesting... "And the man; he had a scar, a hood and a big bag. Do you remember anything else about him? D'ya hear what they were talking about?
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
(More drunken speach)
"Anything else.... Not much, looked like what you'd expect somebody who does shady work to look like, if you ask me. Like I said, they were whispering, so I didn't hear anything."
With one long gulp, he finishes his tankard.
"If y'all'll exchuse me, ah gotta make shome room for more a 'tis," he says, showing the now empty tankard and getting up, heading for the little sailors' room.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel laughs as soon as the sailor's out of earshot. "It could be legitimate, it could not be, but him looking 'like what you'd expect somebody who does shady work to look like' is hardly strong evidence. Worth checking out, possibly, but not as our only lead."
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien smiles in amusement as the sailor stumbles away and nods as Grendel offers his opinion. "He saw a man carrying a heavy sack who had a mark on his face that he couldn't see well because of the hood he was wearing who was talking to a captain whose name he can't remember properly. I suppose its just a coincidence that we were all here last night asking these sailors about Covis."
Damien shrugs in a non-committal fashion. "I've seen plenty of seamen with scars carrying their bags down by the docks. You're right though, it might be worth checking out. That is, if we could think of some way to find out more about Covis' dealings with shady characters without just asking him. I can't imagine he'd want to tell us much about what he's got going on. I'm interested in this cousin of his who he says works on Covis' ship though."
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"I think it is worth checking out, even if he is just picking up on our conversation last night. If this is a real lead to my son's killer, I want to find him now." says Ghuntomas, eager to follow the fresh lead.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"I know. You're right." Damien takes a sip of his pint. "So what do we do; try to watch Covis' ship to see if the man comes back or just ask Covis about him?" Damien starts suddenly. "You know, I think this guys knows more about Covis then he's told us. He called Covis a 'shady' captain and hinted that he might be involved in the black market or even murder. Must be a reason he thinks so."
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"We could check out Covis's boat. We do know which one is his, right?"
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"The registry included his dock number." Damien says, pulling out the slip of paper.
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Originally Posted by Einan
Gregghor grunted, pulling himself from a drink addled stupor. "I say we hunt down the killer. I have been too long without blood in my nostrils."
OOC: Sorry I've been out of touch. Work got busy. I'll be posting more regularly from here on out.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"Then lets have a look at his boat. I think in the end we may want to speak to Covis, perhaps even signing up with him to get him on our side so that he'll talk. We'll have to see once we get to that point, though Damien I'll leave the persuasion to you." replies Ghuntomas.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
Lessee, it seems the plan is to take a look at Covis's boat (tonight? 'looking to see if the ship is good enough to board'-visit? Something else?).
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
OOC: Works for me.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"We can try to check out his ship, though what happens if we get caught by Covis or anyone else he's left aboard? They'd have the right to attack us since we'd be tresp
ing. I don't have any experience with this kind of thing and usually prefer to keep clear of the watch myself. Either way, we can't really sign up with Covis, at least not until we get the money we'd need from the Councillor first. The gold would be the first thing he'd want to see. I'd still like to know why our thirsty friend has such a low opinion of Covis before we try tangling with him. Knowing more about him would help us in dealing with him when the time comes."
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel nods. "That never occurred to me." He rubs a scar on his temple absentmindedly.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien shrugs and takes a drink from his pint while looking over towards the privy door to see if the sailor is coming back.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
After a while, your "informant" comes out with wobbly steps. He heads straight to get himself another tankard, trying to grap the
of one of the serving wenches on his way, but failing quite miserably.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
While the sailor occupies himself with the wench's elusive posterior, Damien empties out his own pint into the man's untended mug. "Hey sailor! It's alright. There's still some ale left for you here." Damien cordially motions for the sailor to come and sit himself back down. The young scribe waits for a moment for the man to settle himself and then presses on. "Cheers!... So... Tell me more about this captain. Why'd you say he was shady?"
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
The man's expression brightens as Damien pours him more ale. (insert drunken speech once again)
"Well, I hear he's hanging out a lot with other shady guys. Some even say he's a smuggler, though personally I fail to see how he could smuggle anything since all he does is sail to the Towers.
Much less spoken of is that he presumably goes to the Flow kinda regularly, though your guess as to what he does there is as good as mine."
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien simply smiles and nods at the sailor's slurred description of Covis' activities. When the man trails off the young scribe doesn't press him any further, as he himself becomes lost in thought. Covis has something going on under the table, though that could be said of most anyone in the city. Still, mismatched plunder ledgers, rumors of smuggling, meeting with a murderer and frequent trips into Beggar's flow could point to something more insidious than the norm. Or it could also all be coincidental. Hmm. Covis is a ship owner and one of the few privileged captains authorized to transport plunder from the towers. One doesn't get into that position accidentally; he's got to have some kind of support from the high ups of the city, perhaps even a friend tied to the council. If we're caught on his ship and arrested we'll have little to offer in our defense while he'd most certainly have more pull than the four of us in the court.
Damien looks over at the bear-sark clad barbarian and scarred sailor. One look at Grendel and Gregghor and a magistrate would probably sentence them to the gallows on the spot. Damien's gaze finally comes to rest on Ghuntomas. He's hunting for his son's murderer. I couldn't talk him out of going to the ship; it's his only lead right now. I also don't think he's going to be of a mind to try having the murderer arrested and tried. He's out for blood; blood he plans to draw himself. Gregghor won't have a problem with that; he's already itching for a fight. Damn. This could turn ugly for all of us real quick and I don't think they have a clue. Am I ready to kill a man to bring him to justice on the say so of another man I've just met? I promised I'd help him find his son's murderer.
Damn me... In for a penny, in for a pound. "Looks like my mug's empty. What say we head out gentlemen?" Damien fishes a few coins out of his purse and drops them on the table as he stands.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Eager to find his sons murderer, Ghuntomas nods at Damien's suggestion and drains his mug before standing and paying for his drinks from his winnings.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
The sailor seems a bit disappointed that his source for free drinks is leaving, but just shrugs and goes over to the other drunks who are trying their luck, with little success, at a game of darts.
Outside you take note that eve is soon going to turn to night. Ghuntomas notices signs that say it might be raining the next day.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Once outside Ghuntomas notes, "Hmm weather might turn ugly tomorrow. I doubt anyone would want to head out to the towers in what may turn heavy, though with those clouds it's still just a guess. I wonder if we might want to check out Covis' activities in the Flow instead of those on board his ship first." he does so only after making sure that they are not overheard.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel nods, pulling his cloak tighter agains the chill. "You might be surprised what people go to the Towers in, Ghuntomas. Coin always trumps weather."
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"If the man we're looking for is trying to lay low it's a good bet he's in the Flow. I'm not certain how we could check that out though; it's a huge sprawling ghetto packed with half the city's people. I think we'd need some kind of clue where to start looking. Tailing Covis on one of his trips would be good if we could manage it.
One way or another I think we'd have to start with Covis' ship. Maybe we could start by staking it out from a ways off to figure out if there's anyone aboard or not. If someone leaves we could split up and try to follow him while someone else sneaks aboard."
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"That sounds like a solid plan. You know the city better than us, lead on." replies Ghuntomas.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"We'll need to find a good vantage point to watch the ship without drawing any attention to us. Hmm. There's a short jetty next to the dry dock harbour gate which affords a good view of the mooring quay. We should be able to keep a good eye on Covis' ship from there without anyone seeing us I'd think. We'll just have to mind the gull crap covering the rocks." Damien says the last with a wink and smile. He turns and starts leading the way towards the water's edge in the fading dusk light.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
I'll get an update in when my insides are not trying to turn upside down, preventing me from piecing together where exactly Damien is intending to go. Hopefully that's tomorrow.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
OOC: Feel better, Dalamar. That doesn't sound like much fun.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien leads the group through the winding streets of Malador. Most shops have closed their doors for the day, though there are still some people around.
You look for the right moment to steer away from the street and go down to the shore. There's a spot near the waterline that is quite well-hidden from view of the city while still providing a good view towards the wharves some two hundret feet away. The spot doesn't prove too comfortable for four people to stay hidden however, especially when one is built as Gregghor is.
After a bit of a search, you locate the spot where Covis's ship, a keelboat with a single mast called Take a Chance, is currently. A single lantern can be seen on the boat, though there are no people visible.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien tries to pick a comfortable spot on the far side of the jetty above the waterline and then settles himself in as best he can. "My brothers and I used to come here to watch the ships sailing in and out of the harbor. Sorry about the poor accommodations gentlemen; it was easier to manage when I was young."
The young scribe looks across the water at the boat, studying her lines for a moment. "There's someone aboard or nearby; no seaman would leave an unattended lantern lit on his ship; too dangerous. Covis probably doesn't live aboard; as a Tower-ferryman he's surely got enough money for a proper house or apartment in town. Either Covis is aboard and getting ready to head out, he's waiting for someone or it's a guard who he pays to stay aboard at night. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see which."
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas joins Damien on the jetty and watches the boat for any activity. His keen eyes are able to spot a deer through thick forest hundreds of feet away. He seems quite at ease watching, his hunting skills coming in handy.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel lies still, watching. Damien's analysis is extremely probable, and the chance of alerting Covis to their presence through any more direct action would be a big problem. The sailor sighs and rubs his eyes. Attempting to focus always had been a problem since his concussion.[/Sblock][Sblock=Posts 201-240]Originally Posted by Dalamar
It is a long and cramped wait. After some hours, a person appears from behind the tarp at the aft of the boat, going over Take a Chance and taking a quick look around. Ghuntomas appraises him to be a professional guard, not just one of Covis's sailors. He seems to be sporting a spear and a shield.
The guard also appears when another keelboat comes to the wharves, returning from a trip to the Towers most likely. Two men carry something long on stretchers between them in considerable hurry from the boat, followed by another man running after them.
Sometime after the incident, when the moon is starting on its descent, there is a change of guards on Take a Chance. The two guards chat for a bit, but it's impossible to hear them or read their lips at this distance.
The rest of the night proves uneventful.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas notes to the others, "Is it odd to have guards round the clock on one of those boats? Never did see Covis, I wonder if he is currently at large in the City."
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"It is. And whatever they moved, they wanted to move it in a hurry." Grendel sighs. "Sorry, that may have been obvious."
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"I'm not surprised he has guards; that keelboat isn't just any old coaster. The lifeblood of the city passes through the ferry-boats; without them the local economy would collapse. I'd guess that Covis aims to protect his livelihood from sabotage from his competitors and any of the 'shady' characters he deals with." Damien nods towards the the second keelboat. "I'd guess they were carrying a badly injured treasure hunter back from the Towers. I've heard tell stories of some dangerous things in those ruins..."
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
As the morning stretches on, a group of sailors arrives to get another of the boats ready to leave. After an hour, an old man comes with a few more sailors and a group of what appears to be five adventurers. Damien recognizes the old man as Captain Dereol Philten, which would mean that the boat is his old Trusty.
After half an hour more, the keelboat departs from the wharves.
Everybody is feeling somewhat, others more, others less, tired, and there is the fact that the last time you put something in your mouth was drinking at the Mast and Mainsail last night.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien tries to stretch a little while laying back on the jetty. "I'm not sure what to do. If Covis doesn't have any passengers lined up he may not have reason to come to his boat for days. I suppose we could keep watch here in shifts or try to find and stake out his house instead but I don't know if either will amount to anything. We don't know if the man Covis spoke to will ever come back here or if it's even your man Ghuntomas. We're doing all this on the word of an old drunk." The young scribe sighs in frustration as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "What do you all think?"
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"While I am loath to just let this lead go, I think we might have to try another tactic, perhaps more direct. I know we are waiting for funding to travel on Covis' boat, but given that most treasure hunters return with a profit I think our next move should be to hire the man and visit the towers ourselves. It is possible that the man I seek has already been delivered there by Covis if the drunk was at all correct. In any case I think we need to sleep on it. I don't think many of us are fit to try the dungeons with little or no sleep." replies Ghuntomas
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"I don't recall the sailor saying anything about Covis ferrying the man to the towers. Covis will want sixteen gold coins to transport the four of us to the towers; I'm just a pour scribe and don't have that kind of money just lying around I'm afraid." Damien looks at the bear-sark clad barbarian, the disheveled woodsman and the scarred seaman. "Unless one of you is secretly wealthy I don't see how we'd get Covis' help without a rich patron."
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"I have enough to cover all of us." replies Ghuntomas.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien opens his mouth to say something and closes it again. He looks at Ghuntomas with his brow furrowed and seems unable to tell if the disheveled man is joking. Seemingly at a loss for words the young scribe finally manages to say: "I thought you said you were a simple woodsman."
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Grendel says. "That is a lot of money."
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"When I left my home, I left for good. I took everything my family had ever saved with me. I do want to do this because it is our best lead at the moment. If in the end this comes to nothing, we will still have to opportunity to make that coin back if we explore the towers and come out with something." replies Ghuntomas.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien licks his lips nervously then nods. "I'll go with you to the towers because I said I would help you find this man." Damien nods towards the keelboat that had arrived earlier. "With the mariner's blessing we'll be luckier than that man who was carried out of there on the stretcher. If we're agreed, I'll go talk to Covis' guard over there and see about making arrangements then. If what we've heard is true Covis will want the day to prepare. If possible I'd like to have someone here to watch what these 'preparations' entail. Perhaps we could take shifts throughout the day? Also, I want to check to see if we've received word from the Councillor; if we're lucky you won't need to spend your family's savings Ghuntomas. So, can someone possibly stay here for the morning while I trudge up to clifftop and mayhaps get some food and sleep? I could take the second shift myself and someone else could relieve me in the evening..." The young scribe looks questioningly at the three other men.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
"Thank you for that. I'll take first watch. Many a night I waited, watching, hunting on into the morning." replies Ghuntomas not wanting to ask any of his companions to do something he would not be willing to do first.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"Alright. With the daylight and the harbor abuzz it'll be a little harder to remain unseen so keep your head down. I'll be back just after noon with some food for you. Might I have some gold to show the guard?"
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"I'll take the evening shift after you, Damien. I don't sleep all that well anyhow. Not anymore." Grendel rubs his temples.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"Good. Thanks Grendel. Why don't you and Gregghor head off then and go get some rest? Probably best if we don't all leave at once anyway."
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel nods. "I'll be back in the evening. Do you want me to bring food or anything for you?" Once that's sorted out, the sailor heads off to his house, bidding Gregghor a good night. When he gets there, he lays down on his bed and tries to sleep for a while.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"No. I'll manage. Thanks." Assuming that Ghuntomas gives Damien the gold, the young scribe clambers back down the jetty and onto the shore. From there he walks along the waterfront and turns down the mooring quay they'd been watching throughout the night. He quickly runs his hands through his hair and tries to shake the sleep from his head as he casually approaches the Take a Chance. Pulling out the slip of paper he'd received with the ferrymen's names from his scroll case, Damien allows a cordial smile to spread across his face. Once at the gangway the young scribe calls out to the guard: "Ahoy there! Mornin! Mind if I come aboard?" Without really waiting for an affirmation, Damien steps deftly across the gap to land on the deck. Been a while since I've been aboard ship. "I'm looking for Captain Elassyn; are you him?"
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas gives Damien the full 16 gold coins for the fare if he wants the whole thing now. Then he hunkers down and tries to find the best spot to avoid detection and maintain a good view of the boat.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
Everyone except for Ghuntomas leaves the jetty. There are a few sidelong glances, but nobody who is walking by seems to pay too much attention. Grendel heads home while Gregghor heads to the Mast and Mainsail and Damien goes to to wharves.
Damien
As you are approaching Take a Chance the guard aboard eyes you but stays sitting on a stool. When you address him, he gets up and graps his spear.
"I'm just a guard, the cap'n should be coming to check up on the boat in about an hour. You goin' to wait, or you comin' back?"
Grendel
"Grennie! Where have you been?! Your clothes look awful. You didn't sleep in the gutter, did you?"
Your mother is fussing over you almost the instant you walk in through the door.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"An hour eh? I suppose I can wait for a bit. My name's Damien." Damien offers the guard his outstretched hand while smiling broadly. He waits to hear the man's name in return. "So are you one of his sailors?"
OOC: Damien's wants to chat up the guard for a bit, regardless of whether he's simply a dock-guard or a proper sailor. He'll keep the man talking by continuing to ask questions and freely offering anecdotes of his own. His goal is to set the man at ease, learn more about him and Covis's operation. If asked Damien will admit truthfully that he's interested in contracting Covis for a ferry job. Over the following hour Damien will try to improve the man's attitude as much as possible via diplomacy in the hopes of gaining manipulation tokens from his Political Mastermind feat (Diplomacy +5).
His alterior goal is to poke about the boat a bit under the guise of being interested in learning more about her for their upcoming trip. He'll even try taking a look inside the cabin if the guard proves amiable. He's particularly interested is trying to spot any concealed storage compartments aboard; something his engineering skill and background in shipbuilding might help him to identify.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"I'm fine. I actually," he coughs before he mumbles, "haven't slept." He yawns and looks around the house. "I'm not set to work until tonight. Do you or Dad need anything done around here or in town?"
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Settled in, Ghuntomas watches Damien approach the guard and start talking him up. The hunter remains where he is trying to make sure that he is out of sight and not too comfortable, such excess would quickly lead to sleep.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien
"Nae, I'm a hired hand, one of the Proud Shields, maybe you've heard of us? We do the odd guard work, and many of the captains have a full-time contract. The pay's not great, but neither is the workload," the guard says.
"So you're interested in going to the Towers, then? I hear they're a nasty place. Just this morning, they brought somebody back on a stretcher, had his whole upper body wrapped up, and his other knee looked mighty wrong."
Damien talks with the guard, but he doesn't manage to grasp at the proper way to raise his standing in the guard's eyes. He does learn that the guard's name is Jan Holdon, and he's saving money so he can buy a house and get married at the church of Mariner to his betrothed. Damien does remember hearing about the Proud Shields in passing, though he can't recall anything substantial about them, either good things or bad things.
Take a Chance has a single sail, and rowing positions for up to six oarsmen if becalmed. There is no deck or hold: it’s simply an open vessel (similar to a Viking longboat). There is a tarpaulin spread out over some poles at the stern of the vessel, where cargo or passengers can get shelter from the sun or rain. Currently there is little of anything in there, just the usual ropes, tools, and other utensils, and a couple of chests most likely for storing any Tower-originating treasure.
"Oh? What have we here?" A voice from the wharves just as you are at the stern. Turning around, you see a man closing on thirty years of age. He has an unruly patch of almost black hair and a goatee, and a friendly grin on his face. He is dressed in a simple set of clothes, though they are made from above-average materials. "I thought the Proud Shields had a rule against bringing one's beloved along on the job?"
The guard is quite flustered. "Sir! What are you saying, you know I-"
"Calm down, I was just pulling your leg there. Sheesh," the man seems quite amused at Jan's reaction as he hops onboard. Turning to Damien, he continues, "anyway. My name's Covis Elassyn. Who might you be, and what business might you have on my boat?"
Ghuntomas
Nothing special is going on that you can see. Damien is taking his time chatting with the guard, and after a long while he starts slowly moving about the boat. He doesn't seem to notice when another man approaches the boat. The three start talking, and the man shortly jumps abour Take a Chance.
Grendel
"Oh dear! You do realize that you need to sleep, don't you, young man. Get yourself some porridge from over the fire -it should still be warm- and then you're going straight to bed. And no buts. We'll see what you need to do after you're not careening on falling asleep any second."
You could probably try talking to your mother to change her mind, but past experience tells you that the smartest thing for you to do is do as she says.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien smiles broadly at Covis, sets his seaman's bag down on the planking and offers the man his hand. "Ah! Just the man I was looking for. Goodman Holdon was telling me about you and how much he enjoys working with you. I got your name at the Wharves Office. My name's Damien; I'm here on behalf of myself and three others. I'd like to book passage for us on the Take a Chance for an expedition to the Drowning Towers. Naturally, if it goes well, we'd also hope you could oblige us with a return trip." Damien says the latter with a good natured wink. "Would you and your fine ship be available perchance?"
OOC: Damien likewise hopes to improve the captain's attitude through diplomacy in hopes of gaining manipulation tokens.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel nods and grabs a bowl of porridge. He sits down and eats it quietly, very nearly asleep. When he's finished, he cleans it out, rinses it with water from the wash basin, dries it, and puts it away. He says good night to his mother (and father, if he's around) and heads to bed, quickly falling fast asleep.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien
"Haha! You're my kind of man," Covis says, taking your hand in a firm shake and slamming your shoulder with his other. "Take a Chance is ready to allow you to take a chance at riches, Damien my boy. Though I'll have to ask you pay the return trip ahead of time too," he adds with a wink. "I'm sure everybody's already yearning to get sailing. How does tomorrow morning sound? You can bring the 16 gold for the there and back trip for four then."
That's a succesfull Diplomacy check to change the target from Indifferent to Friendly, and your two tokens.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
"Well, I'm not in the habit of paying for services before they're rendered but I suppose if we fail to come back it won't be through any fault of yours." Damien smiles and slaps the man's shoulder in turn. I hope that proves true. "I hear you're the best man to have at the rudder if aiming to hit the remotest unplundered towers; tell me I haven't heard wrong."
Damien will keep chatting up Covis for a bit, talking about the crew he'll have on hand, his opinion about the weather they can expect during the trip and to ask his advice about anything he thinks the group should bring with them on their foray. Once he's got a measure of the man Damien will promise to return in the morning, wish the two men a good day, disembark and walk back up the quay without a glance back at either of the men or at Ghuntomas.
He'll make his way back to his little apartment, check to see if a notice from the councillor has been delivered and then collapse on his cot for a few hours. If he didn't find a notice waiting for him he'll head up to the Council Hall up in Cliffside once he wakes up to check with the clerks there.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien
Like Ghuntomas appraised earlier, Covis says it'll probably rain some time today, and it might just continue the next day. Most likely it'll be a clear day, however. He'll be having his standard crew of nine aboard, though if his customers want, they can of course help with the boat but it won't get them a discount.
He says he's got a good tower sized up, and the group might want to bring a grappling hook along to get in. He's had cases where people tried scaling sheer walls with not so good results.
Agreeing on a specific time, you leave Covis and head home. The air starts getting damp on your way. There is no notice present and your head for bed and collapse on it.
Just as you're about to fall asleep, there's a knock on the door. Getting up groggily, you go to the door. A man in liveries identifying him as a messenger for the council is there, just about to knock again.
"Are you one Damien MonTarr? You have a message from Councilor Delorri," the man says, handing a scroll sealed with the Delorri insignia to you. It basically says that she's interested in funding your investigations as long as you agree that she can not be held responsible for any wounds suffered or property damaged, with lots of flowery words and turns of phrases.
"Do you agree to the terms?" the messenger asks when he's sure you've read the letter at least once.
Ghuntomas
After a bit more talking, Damien leaves Take a Chance. The newcomer talks a while with the guard, after which the latter leaves. The air is starting to grow damp.
The man on the boat goes about checking the mast and the sail, after which he goes behind the tarpaulin spread to the stern of the boat, going out of your view for a while.
Later still, a woman comes talk with the man on the boat, though she doesn't get on the keelboat itself. She seems like a sailor from what you can tell. The two seem to be chatting for a while, after which the woman leaves and the man goes back behind the tarpaulin.
Light rain is starting to fall.
If my grammar is awfully wrong, I blame it on it being two o'clock in the morning right now.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien blinks a few times to clear his head as he reads through the missive twice. Heh. No mention of actual compensation; I wonder if she and Tremance are related. I suppose we'll discuss that once we have the information she wants in hand. Damien, his mind beginning to wander due to lack of sleep, studies the wax seal impression idly before focusing his attention back on the courier. "Yes. The terms are acceptable." For now.
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Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien
"Most excellent."
The messenger produces a large pouch from under his cloak and hands it to you. The pouch clearly contains a large amount of coins.
"Herein is included fourteen pieces of gold and sixty pieces of silver, as a starting investment. If your expenses exceed the amount given, you may contact the Councilor's accountant to negotiate more funds."
With a bow, the messenger leaves, drawing up his cowl to shield from the starting rain.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien takes the proffered pouch. A woman with some forethought; I haven't even met her and I already like her better than Tremance. "And how do I get in touch with the Councillor or her accountant?" Once he's gotten his answer, Damien bows in turn before closing the door. He'll count the money in the bag and then put it under his pillow as he collapses in bed once more.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien
"Her accountant is one Thomas Hundlor. He can be reached at his office in Clifftop during the day hours. The address is Alley Street 6. If you need to meet with Councilor Delorri herself, you need to leave a word at the Council Hall and a meeting will be arranged."
Damien goes to sleep.
Ghuntomas
Despite the rain, the man who talked with Damien seems to be working on checking the boat, taking down the sail and taking it under the tarp so it won't be quite as drenched.
Later, another sailor arrives at the keelboat, and quickly joins the first under the relative dryness.
The rain soon starts to pour, making it harder to see the going-ons at the boat, not that there was much to see since both men on the boat stayed hidden by the tarpaulin.
Grendel
You wake up to the pitter patter of rain outside, feeling refreshed after a good rest. Getting out of bed and to the main room, you find your father smoking a pipe with a toughtful expression and your mother arranging the last of washed clothes close to the fireplace to dry. Judging by how wet she herself looks, she probably had them drying outside when the rain started.
"Ah, you're up," your father says, taking the pipe in his hand. "I was going to take you to get us some new pots and kettles, but I doubt old Mon's got his stand open with a rain like that outside." He takes a couple of puffs from the pipe. "How're things going with that Timon fellow?"
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"Damien?" Grendel pauses. How were things going with Damien? That was a good question. At least with Tremance, I knew where my employment stood. I hope he knows what he's doing. "Things are going well enough. We've offered our services to another person. Should get a better deal than we got before. Or at least I hope we will." He shrugs. There's not much he can do about things now. "I've got a few hours before I need to head off to work. Is here anything I can take care of here?"
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
When he wakes up, Damien will get cleaned up a bit, slip a few of the councillor's silver coins into his own purse and stash the rest in his hiding spot along with the Councillor's letter. The young scribe will then make a quick meal for himself with some of the food he bought yesterday. When ready Damien will leave his apartment, lock it up and head over to the marketplace through the rain. He'll stock up on some rations (enough for four people for two days) and some supplies (a grappling hook, a bedroll and two sacks) for the expedition on the morrow before heading back towards the waterfront. Once there he'll keep his head down as he carefully and discreetly makes his way back to down the jetty to relieve Ghuntomas. Hunkering down next to the woodsman, Damien offers him his gold back along with some bread, cheese and a few legumes. "Good news; the Councillor has agreed to sponsor us. So, anything interesting happening down here?"
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Grendel
"Hmm? You're going out in the rain? Wouldn't want to be in your boots," your dad says, taking another swig from the pipe. "But like I said, we've got nothing much to do with the rain goin' on."
"Oh, but since you'll be going out, you'll need something to keep yourself warm, Grennie," your mother says, having finished with the laundry, "and I have just what you need right here somewhere..."
Your mother disappears to their bedroom. Unless you're interested in being clad in at least one extra layer of clotsh, you could do worse than leaving now.
Ghuntomas
Some more time passes, and the man who originally was talking with Damien leaves Take a Chance, leaving the newcomer there.
Damien
Sorry, forgot to mention that I'm holding you here for a moment to get everybody on the same timeline.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas continues to wait, he really should have gotten a description of Covis so he would know who he is looking for. In any case he watches for Damien aware that his new friend is aboard a potentially unfriendly boat.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Sorry for the lack of updates, getting a part-time job kinda messed up my schedule (and sleeping habits, to top it off). I should be back to (near-) daily updates now.
Ghuntomas
Time passes again. There is some activity on the wharves, as a ship seems to be leaving. Guess somebody really wants to get to the towers, weather be damned.
Some time after the boat leaves, you again spot the occupants of Take a Chance. The one who was there before is leaving, while the one that arrived some time back leaves behind, probably to keep and eye on the keelboat. The departing person moves with a quick stride, but who wouldn't in a rain.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
(OOC: apologies, I don't know how I missed this post.)
Ghuntomas nods to Damien as he joins him, the rain having thuroughly soaked his clothing. Stifling a yawn the hunter replies, "Mostly I saw you speaking with the guard before being led onto the boat and then you were joined by another man. You spoke with him for a long while, I'm assuming that was Covis? After you left another sailor joined the one on the boat taking refuge from the rain. The second man is still on the boat, though the one you were speaking with has left."[/Sblock][Sblock=Posts 241-280]Originally Posted by Ambrus
"Yeah, that was Covis. Shame, I would have liked to follow him when he left. So far the only thing we know that makes him different from the other captains is that he waits a day before making the trip to the towers. I'd really like to know what he does to prepare that takes a day." Damien starts fishing things out of his mariner's bag. "I bought a few things for our excursion with the extra money I received from the councilor. We might need this grappling hook to climb up and down our tower. I also got enough rations for the four of us for two days. Would you mind taking these and handing them out to the others for safekeeping? I didn't get a rope for the hook cause I saw that Grendel had a good coil already. This stuff cost a bit more than what the councillor gave us though so I wouldn't mind if I could get a coin or two back to cover it all." The young scribe hands over the wrapped ration bundles and iron hook to Ghuntomas. "Why don't you get yourself out of this rain and get some sleep." Damien claps the wet man on the back.
Damien will quietly keep watch on Covis' ship throughout the afternoon while waiting for Grendel to come and relieve him.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel slips out while his mother is away. He claps his father on the shoulder before he leaves, "I'll be fine, dad." He walks down to the docks, munching on a small piece of salted pork, one of two pieces that he grabbed from the kitchen before he left.
When he gets to the lookout point, he crouches down a short distance from Grendel and peers at Covis's boat. "Anything happen here today? Salted pork?" He offers the second piece to Damien.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
"Hmm I should've gotten a description of him prior to setting up watch. In any case I'm going to head back to the inn. I'll be up in a few hours, hope that Gregghor hasn't gotten into trouble yet." replies Ghuntomas, another yawn coming through. A nice hot meal and a warm fire to dry off by is awefully hard to avoid thinking about at this point.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Grendell
Walking through the rain, you find yourself pretty much alone on the streets. Not many people are around in this kind of weather unless they have to. Damien hasn't come yet, so you relieve Ghuntomas of guard duty, who quickly disappears to the rainy streets of Malador.
Ghuntomas
On your way to the Mast and Mainsail, a patrol of guards stop you and ask to see if you have the license to bear arms. Judging by their faces, they'd much rather be somewhere else than on the rain-soaked streets looking for people who might not have their licenses.
When you get to the inn, the innkeeper calls you over. He tells you that the 'big burly friend of yours' got taken away by the city guard earlier for getting a tad too serious with a drunkard. The remains of at least one chair have been piled in one corner of the common room.
Damien
It takes a while to find somebody who has their shop open in weather like this, but you do find one. The bedroll looks like it might not be exactly unused, though it doesn't have any patches or rips. All in all, the goods cost you five of both goldens and silvers.
Making your way through the city, you find that Grendel has returned before you and already releaved Ghuntomas.
Damien, Grendel
There isn't any activity on Take a Chance, or the wharves at all for that matter. After a couple of hours the rain starts showing signs of lessening.
When eve starts drawing near, a person that Damien recognizes as Covis comes to the keelboat. He greets the other person onboard before he's even gotten onboard himself, and the two retreat to under the tarpaulin of the boat.
A few moments later Ghuntomas returns.
Ghuntomas
When you've had your rest and are heading back to the jetty, the rain has calmed down some. You appraise that it'll have completely stopped before nightfall. A slight breeze from the sea is picking up pace, and will help in clearing the skies.
All three
The rain has now all but stopped. A person, one Damien guesses is one of the Proud Shields, approaches your target. There is a brief conversation with the three occupants, after which Covis and the other man leave the wharves, leaving the Shield to mind the ship.
Okay, so we won't be getting to be on the way yet as I forgot about this one. Does anybody wish to follow Covis and/or the other guy?
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
OOC: Do they leave together or separately?
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
When Ghuntomas gets back he remarks, "Looks like Gregghor has gotten himself into a bit of trouble with the guards. I don't think he'll be joining us on this trip to the towers. I missed out on following Covis last time, shall we have a look at what he is upto now?"
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"That'd be fine with me, although I'm not much for sneaking around," says Grendel.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
The two leave Take a Chance together, but go their separate ways once they leave the wharves area.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
"It could be the lead we've been waiting to catch; so I say yes. I'm with Grendel though; I'm not much for sneaking about, I'm just a clerk. Ghuntomas, you're the huntsman, why don't you follow Covis from a ways back and in turn we'll be following you from further back. That way Covis will only have a chance of spotting you and you'll be better able to sneak about without us ruining it for you."
OOC: I'm sorry, but what just happened? Why didn't Damien show up on time to relieve Ghuntomas like we'd planned and role-played through? Why did Damien stay at the jetty after Grendel had come to relieve him? Why did Ghuntomas return to the jetty when he didn't say he was going back there? How is it that we all ended up at the jetty at the same time when we hadn't planned to? This sudden unexpected turn of events is rather confusing and jarring to me.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
While he is generally better at hunting without his stiff leathers on, Ghuntomas does not have time to remove them now. He sets out immediately from the jetty with a nod. He quietly slips into the city streets and moves to follow Covis from a safe distance behind.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel waits until Ghuntomas is a safe distance away, and then turns to Damien. "No time like the present. Maybe we can use our knowledge of the city to our advantage here. If Ghuntomas gets lost or loses him, we could possibly guess at where he might be going."
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
"I'm guessing that he's either heading to his home for the evening or to the Flow. If it's home then we're probably out of luck. If it's the flow then we're probably in trouble." Damien heads out with Grendel after Ghuntomas.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Clarifiers
Damien spent an hour waiting for Covis, and also went looking for the items he bought. Since Grendel did much less and didn't have anything else to do, he went and relieved Ghuntomas.
Grendel is then later joined by Damien whose watchturn starts then. For my own sanity (splitting the party is a lot of work when you want to keep people on roughly the same time of day, especially when sleeping is involved. We had Grendel already woken up before Damien had gotten to sleep earlier in posting, which would only happen if Grendel slept for less than two hours, for example) I assumed that people didn't have important things to do, so they could all stay at the jetty.
If you feel like Damien would've gone to do something else after his scheduled turn of watch, we can retcon that. Currently it is Grendel's stretch of the day, soon to be switching over to Ghuntomas for a nightwatch, switching over to Damien again in the morning a short while before your scheduled time for setting sail.
Does that clear up things a bit?
Trailing Covis, you find he is making his way towards the Flow. Why he might be going there is anybody's guess. Though Covis does glance over his shoulder a couple of times, he does not appear to spot the able stalker that is Ghuntomas.
Entering the area known as Beggar's Flow, you are all reminded very concretely how different the living conditions between the poor and the fortunate of Malador are. The makeshift structures that serve as the homes of Flow residents look like they probably topple over with a good push, your feet sink almost to the knees in the after-rain mud.
The streets, if they could be called that, don't seem to have any logic behind them. If you follow Covis in deep and then lose sight of him, it's quite possible you would get lost. The fact that night is almost here is also not a thing in your favor, considering the reputation of Beggar's Flow
Are you going to follow Covis into the Flow, or leave now?
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
OOC: As I see it, the sun rose sometime about 7 in the morning, Damien spent an hour past sunrise to wait for Covis and then went home to sleep. He got up just past noon (about four hours later) stopped off at the market to buy some supplies and then got back to the jetty about 1 in the afternoon. The reason Damien got there ahead of Grendel would be that Grendel was free to sleep a full eight hours and would still be in bed while Damien only slept half as much as he needed too. I was planning on having Damien catch up on his sleep in the evening once Grendel came to relieve him. Erekose and I had even role-played Damien showing up to relieve Ghuntomas. I just don't see the point of invalidating what we'd already played. I also think you're getting ahead of the players. The players had never talked about staying up the following night or of organizing ourselves into more shifts the way you'd detailed. I don't know where you got that from.
Grendel and Damien are simply following Ghuntomas so it's up to him if he proceeds into the Flow first. If he does Damien will follow him as planned.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel will also follow Ghuntomas wherever he decides to follow Covis.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
OOC:
See, that's where we mixed up. I missed the part about Damien only having a few hours of sleep (I checked, you did write it in so it's my mess-up).
But, like I said, it'd lead to at least two separate groups which in turn means I need to keep two divergent lines interesting, or leave some of the players with no world to deal with. I'm not an experienced GM, so I'm much more comfortable with occasionally just putting everybody together than trying to balance weaving two or three different parts of the story simultaneously.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas decides that Covis is worth trailing into the Flow and will continue to follow, though he does check that his backup is still somewhere behind him.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Ghuntomas
You follow Covis, who doesn't seem to bothered with his boots sinking into the mud, through the twists and turns of the Flow for a while. After a while he enters a building far larger than the ones around it, with banners of different shades of red hanging from it.
Then you notice that your friends have been stopped by two ruffians.
Damien, Grendell
You follow Ghuntomas, trying with your much more meager skills to go unnoticed.
Suddenly your path is blocked by two wiry-looking fellows who are holding large pieces of drift wood in their hands.
"You two don' look like ya know where you are, do they, Hans?"
"They sure don', Sven."
The two do what they probably think is their best impression of evil laughter, though it sounds more like two half-wits making an arse out of themselves.
"Dis is our street, an' you need ta pay a toll," the one addressed as Sven says, pointing his makeshift club at Damien's chest.
"Two silvers fer a man, itis," the other adds, nodding like he had remembered something very important.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel rolls his eyes. He pulls down the hood of his cloak so the two of them can see the scars on his face and his mangled nose. "You know what? You look like a couple of halfwits making arses out of themselves. Your street. The hell it is. Why don't the two of you go back home to your mothers for a couple of glasses of warm milk and let us go on our way? Or, of course, we can settle it here and now." He cracks his knuckles.
OOC: Intimidate, 16.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas will quickly look back to make sure Covis has entered the building, then he will turn around and sneak back to his friends. He intends to sneak up behind the thugs and make sure they dont try anything. If they try to make a move he'll be ready. If he has time he will spend it examining the terrain to get a sense of where best to attack from (gather tokens).
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien's eyes go wide in feigned panic as the young clerk begins to slowly back away cautiously... from the scarred sailor beside him. "Gr-Grendel... Please... Don't hurt em. It's not their fault; they don't know any better." Damien begins to tremble in fear for the poor fools who've raised his companion's ire "Just let em go okay? Y-you remember what happened last time." Damien turns to the two thugs and mouths the word 'run'.
OOC: Aid another action on Grendel's Intimidate check: Intimidate (1d20+5=12)
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
For a moment, it seems like the thugs might retort something back, but Damien's assistance helps Grendel's impression so that the two turn tail and run away. Sven manages to trip in the mud before he gets to one of the narrow passages between the makeshift houses.
A woman close to you snickers as she watches the two street owners flee, but otherwise the few people that are around don't seem to react in any way. Most likely the current scene is quite normal in the life of Beggar's Flow.
OoC: The two thugs tried and failed their opposed Intimidate check. It was close, though.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien smiles and claps the scarred sailor on the back. "Very gracious of you to let them live Grendel. Imagine, thinking they could best a swordsman like you with a couple of sticks." The young scribe says the last with a wink while setting off to try and catch up with Ghuntomas.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas nods as the two finish dealing with the thugs. He then turns again towards the building that Covis dissappeared into. When close enough that he can see the entrance, he takes up position where he and the other two can hide. He then waits for Grendel and Damien to catch up so that he can report the situation.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel laughs. "Your act probably did more to help than mine did." He starts to head forward towards Ghuntomas. "Well? What have you found?"
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
"Covis went into that building there just before those morons tried to accost you." replies Ghuntomas indicating the building ahead.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
Becoming very serious Damien answers "Acting? Who was acting?"
Meeting up with Ghuntomas Damien looks up at the building pointed out by the disheveled man, paying particular attention to the red banners hanging from it. "I've heard rumors for years about what goes on in the Flow. I don't know for sure, it might just be a dive... or a pit-fighting arena."
OOC: Can Damien recall anything about such an establishment in the Flow? Knowledge (local) +9, taking 10, total 19.
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Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
"Pit fighting." Grendel grimaces as he remembers his days of bare-knuckle fights down at the docks. "Let's hope not."
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Damien can't recall anything specific, but he does recall having heard the name 'Bloody Banner Arena' being whispered around.
The ramshackle building dominates the area around it, standing taller than the common shanties around it and, the more unusual thing, it is built from earthen bricks and stone. Only the door and roof are built from the traditional Beggar's Flow materials of cast-off planks from lumberyards and discarded sails.
The building is roughly circular in shape, and massive in relation to the shack around it, reaching a diameter of perhaps over a hundred feet.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
The young scribe motions towards the crimson banners fluttering overhead. "There are few other buildings this big in the Flow, and I've heard tell of an arena called the 'Bloody Banner'. I can't imagine that there'd be many other places around here it could be." Damien looks towards the dark entryway that Covis disappeared through. "Covis could just be here for the sport and gambling or he could be here to meet someone "shady". So do we go in or not? If we do we'll have to try and stay out of sight of Covis; he might get suspicious if he sees us both here and on his ship in the morning; that and he's already met me." The nervous scribe pulls his hood down low over his head.
OOC: Heh. It looks like I guessed correctly. Go me!
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Kajamba Lion
Grendel nods, running a finger along a pretty vicious scar across his jawline. Pit fighting. Damn it. "Let's go in. Ghuntomas?"
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
"In we go. Too bad Gregghor got arrested, this looks like his kind of place." replies Ghuntomas, wondering if the stranger will be here with Covis as well.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Entering through the door, the three of you find that most of the large building's inside is taken up by a single open area, currenlty housing an abundance of people. The center of the floor has a pit deeper than an adult man is tall and there is some movement in there.
"Five coppers fer each," a harsh and firm voice says, belonging to one of the two guards at the doorway. The two guards are dressed in clothes that can be considered fine by the Flow standards, and hold heavy-looking batons at their sides.
You can't spot Covis with a quick look around, though once you're rid of the guard, you'll probably get a chance to take a better look at the place.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien looks at the guard while he fishes the five coins out of his purse. "Who's in the pit tonight?" Giving the man his share of the entry fee, Damien walks in with his companions as he pulls his cloak and hood closer around himself and slides his purse back along his belt out of reach of others and where he can keep a hand on it himself. "Hm. It probably wouldn't be too bad if Covis saw one or both of you here. With this crowd and the action in the pit he probably wouldn't remember seeing you in the morning unless you try standing out somehow. I'll try to stay near the back wall out of sight though. Ghuntomas, would you care to take a look around? Maybe you can find him and see who he's with."
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas pays the 5cp for entry.
"Will do" replies Ghuntomas. He begins to move through the crowd trying to spot Covis.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
"They've got some rookies picked from the Flow ruffians goin' against Adder. The crew's setting up some scenery to spice up things. Should start soon, me thinks," the guard says, not too interested in Damien.
It crosses Damien's mind that it wouldn't necessarily be devastating even if Covis did spot and remember any of the group, seeing as they can have a plausible reason to be here.
A1
This open area circles around most of the arena itself. A crude, waist-high brick wall prevents anyone from falling in to the arena, and a pair of iron fences with gates set into
them separates the public area from the gladiators’ facilities.
The floor here is simple earth, packed hard from having hundreds of people walking and standing on. There are currently easily over fifty people in attendance.
A2
This huge pit is 10 feet deep. The walls are of packed earth, with regular struts and supports of timber to prevent them from collapsing. The floor of the arena is packed earth.
Three people are currently stacking sacks to create crude walls on the arena.
A3
This small wooden stall has a large blackboard set up behind it, and several different colors of chalk piled ready for use. The “Olloman’s Odds-Making” sign over the stall has seen better days, its paint fading and cracked.
There are a dozen people currently around the stall, trying to get the small man inside the stall or his assistant to take up their bet. It is also where you spot Covis. He looks frustrated, having to either wait or push his way past the throng of people.
A5
Although no different from the Public Stands in appearance, this region of the building can be reached only through the gates in the iron fences or by jumping down into the arena and the using the stairs at the other end. You are quite sure the guards will object to the latter, however.
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Originally Posted by Erekose13
Ghuntomas moves around towards the betting board. He'll put down a bet too, but keep an eye towards Covis. Not having met the man in person, there really shouldn't be any problem being in the same area as him.
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Originally Posted by Ambrus
Damien leans closer to the scarred sailor next to him "I've never been to a pit fight; how about you Grendel?" Damien tries to read the betting board from where he is. Who's on the board and what are the odds?
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Dalamar
Currently the board only reads two names, "Adder" and "rookies", with two-to-one odds against Adder (I think that's how you say it when you get double the coins you bet in case the rookies win over Adder. Not really too versed in gambling terminology myself).
A quick ask-around reveals that Adder is a well-known and seasoned fighter, known for using a spear instead of the usual sword and shield.
Covis is betting twelve silvers on Adder. Judging by the way he talks with the bet-taker, he's a regular patron.
_________________________________________________
Originally Posted by Ambrus
Sounding a little worried, the young scribe looks around nervously and leans closer to Grendel. "Uhm... Are these matches... to the death?"
OOC: I think you mean two-to-one against the rookies. If someone bets on them they'll get two coins for every one coin they bet, for a total of three. Conversely, for Adder its two-to-one odds-on; so Covis will get his twelve silvers back as well as six more if Adder wins. At least that's how I understand it.[/Sblock]
