[LPF]A Merchant in Need of Assistance

[Mahorfeus]

OOC: Sorry, I've been avoiding this site like the plague since the whole malware thing. I'll be posting from IE from now on.

Bozzago cursed himself for his carelessness as he pulled himself out of the mud, too annoyed to pay the treasure any mind. Acknowledging that it was there would be like being awarded for failure - at the very least, they survived the drop, though a little battered and bruised. Climbing out, Bozzago wiped some mud off the hem of his cloak, nodding at Cethyn's suggestion. Quickly making sure that all of his gear was intact, he opted to follow his fellow Tengu towards the inn.

OOC: I should be alright with 6 hp, but ouch. Not used to having so little of it anymore.

 

[sunshadow21]

OOC: I will be away from my computer for the rest of the day, but will try to respond to people's post before I go to bed late tonight. The outside of the tavern looks to be as poorly maintained as the bridge, but once you step inside, you can see that that the owner has taken great pains to do what he can to restore the place, though signs of age are still evident throughout the room. The bar itself is currently empty with only a tiefling behind the bar, who is currently busying himself with various cleaning tasks. Behind the bar hangs a chalkboard with a menu, "Stew and Ale, 5 sp" and "Alfred Shortbottom is the winner of the bridge pool." In the room itself, all but one of the tables has at least one person, with the vast majority having two or three. A few people are clearly travelers, a few are clearly locals, but most are indistinguishable. About three or four wait staff are floating about the room serving the guests. When you enter, a few people look up, but all except the few that are clearly travelers go back to their previous activities almost immediately. Even the obvious travelers go back to their meals after what looks like a groan at the confirmation that the bridge is indeed out.

 

[Bertious]

Cethyn will follow the others in (he had to go last due to the casting) and assuming none of the others have will go straight to the bar chuckling and say. "Awk! That bridge was a good trick this one was not expecting that. This one would like ale and stew for himself and his group." Cethyn will place a single platinum coin on the bar and continue. "He hopes the rest of this money will help build a better bridge so merchants not have the same trick happen to them." He then goes over to the groups table and will listen to the gossip.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Having entered the inn, Bozzago acted as casual as possible, easy enough since everybody there seemed to keep to themselves. Seating himself at the empty table, the Tengu observed the people in the inn, looking out for suspicious individuals.

OOC: Not really necessary, given Cethyn's high roll, lmao.

 

[Vistarius]

"we should keep ears open for information on elrick." he whispered, heading to the bar and ordering a weak ale. Hed lean over towards the barkeep and speak.
"that bridge was quite the fall. Seems like business is good though, huh."
he would be waiting for the right oppotunity to charm the barkeep shoild it be difficult getting information. He was curious on what a tiefling was and what the man couls have to do with what happened.

 

[sunshadow21]

Cethyn and Bozzago, when you first start listening to the conversations, most of it is resigned fatalism about the bridge collapse and how it may be the straw that finally breaks the area, since no one expects the bridge to be rebuilt anytime soon. When Git Git goes up to the bar and talks to Eldrick, you hear the following conversation.

"If you got a complaint about the bridge, go talk to the big wigs in Venza; I have no say in its upkeep." The tiefling looks up from his chores briefly and responds to Git Git with a tired voice. Seeing the platinum piece on the bar for the first time, his face brightens just a little bit as he takes it. "Shortbottom, once you finish your free meal, earn it by gathering some men and boards together and making the bridge at least usable for all our traveling guests." A stout man at one of the tables groans good naturedly as the rest of the locals take advantage of the opportunity to laugh at him. Turning back to Git Git, "Out of curiosity, did you and your fellows manage to take out that dam or not? It should have been torn down long ago, but the authorities insist on not letting anyone touch it; it's "a landmark" to them, everyone else just calls in an eyesore." With this he returns to his chores while waiting for the tengu's response.

At this point, the general mood of the conversation lightens up and returns to what are apparently the routine complaints about the high folk in Venza of are content to live well while ignoring those who gave them that ability as well as other complaints of day to day life. Eventually, you hear a comment from one of the tables, "I wonder how long it will take that merchant from yesterday to realize this road is a lost cause and turn back." It comes from a table that has two people sitting at it; they appear to be father and son, with the son being well into adulthood, and his father looking like he has been around a very long time.

 

[galahad0430]

Gregori whispers to his companions, "Maybe we should go after that merchant, he has probably been targetd by the bandits also."

 

[Bertious]

Cethyn replies to Gregori "That sounds good but first we see if we can gets more knowledge." With that he will adress the father and son, "this one appologises for overhearing but would like to know more about this road and why it's cause is lost?"

 

[Bertious]

OOC: Oops thats not gonna go well

 

[galahad0430]

OOC: Gregori will help pour gasoline on the fire i.e. assist with diplomacy

"Yes, good sir, we have a vested interest in the prospects of using this route."