[LPF] Fury Steps In

[GlassEye]

Fury nods and starts to pace as he talks but stops himself from walking to and fro to concentrate on his story.

"Yes, sir. I'm a frog through and through, excuse my language. Generations of Furioso's have raised their families in Ranocchio. My sister is a priestess in the Temple of Cortessa and I've spent the last, oh, two years as a mercenary. My father was murdered in Ranocchio and I needed to be away, if you can understand..." Fury trails off; he hasn't spoken of his father before now. He clears his throat and shifts a bit uncomfortably but continues.

"I've worked for Milo as of last evening. I was taking an afternoon constitutional, looking for property that would be suitable to live in, when I came across M. de Luca being assaulted by a trio of men." Fury gives Milo a brief look of apology for bringing up the previous evening's events.

"A bravo and a pair of boys, more swagger than skill, so I was able to run them off. They made a concerted effort to steal from M. de Luca a phial of medicine meant for his wife. I cornered the youth who had taken the medicine and retrieved it and when questioned he told me they had been hired to persuade Milo, uhm, Master de Luca to play a bit more friendly with his neighbors. I guess the criminal ones." He stops, not intending to take the conversation there and not really knowing where to take it next. So he leaves it for the Coordinator to take it in whatever direction he should see fit.



[sblock=Actions/OOC]Move: --
Standard: --[/sblock][sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 3 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +8

AC: 20 (15 touch; 15 flat-footed)
HP: 40 Current: 19
CMB: +5 CMD: 20 Fort: +2 Ref: +11 Will: +4

In Hand:

Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2[/sblock]

 

[Qik]

The Coordinator listens thoughtfully to Fury's words. When he speaks again, it's with the slight slowness that comes with formulating a plan in the act of speaking itself.

"First, M. de Luca, I must apologize to you: I had no idea that you were subject to such an assault only last evening, and I can only imagine how my talk of balancing the good of the whole must have sounded to a man who's life was threatened so recently."

"Mr. Furioso: I have a proposal for you. While I have been swayed by yours and Representative de Luca's words, I must admit that I am not yet in a position where I can commit hard and fast resources. So what I propose is this: you see what you can find out about those behind the attack on Rep. de Luca, and once you have identified a suspect, I will willingly commit some men to serve in the obtainment of justice." He smiles a wry smile. "Something tells me that a native of Ranocchio would have better luck obtaining such a lead than a White Cloak."

"So I suggest that we see the results of this arrangement, and then perhaps I will be in a position to rethink my policy on the policing of Ranocchio. Are we in agreement, gentlemen?"

Milo turns to Fury as if to say, it's your call. The man clearly intends to let Fury speak for himself.

 

[GlassEye]

Fury's lips twitch. Seems like it's to be business as usual: you do the dirty, dangerous work and we'll step in just in time for the payoff. It's clear they aren't going to get a better deal at this time so he nods his acceptance.

"Sir, I expect you'll be hearing from me soon then." He looks over at Milo to see if the older man has anything else to add.



[sblock=Actions/OOC]Move: --
Standard: --[/sblock][sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 3 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +8

AC: 20 (15 touch; 15 flat-footed)
HP: 40 Current: 19
CMB: +5 CMD: 20 Fort: +2 Ref: +11 Will: +4

In Hand:

Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2[/sblock]

 

[Qik]

Milo has little to add, other than thanking the three high-ranking White Cloaks for the opportunity to meet, and in short order, the meeting is over and its five participants have dispersed.

Outside of the White Cloaks headquarters, Fury and Milo regroup. "I appreciate what you did back there," says Milo, the gratitude and admiration plain on his face. It's clear that the man is thankful to no longer be fighting this uphill battle virtually alone.

"Now, as to where to start looking for information: any ideas?"

 

[GlassEye]

Fury frowns as he thinks about how he is going to go about tracking down whoever had it in for Milo.

"Well, unfortunately I killed off our best lead." He scratches his chin. "Anyone in particular you know of that you offended recently? A local gang or criminal with enough money to hire three bravos to make your life difficult?"



[sblock=Actions/OOC]Move: --
Standard: --[/sblock][sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 3 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +8

AC: 20 (15 touch; 15 flat-footed)
HP: 40 Current: 19
CMB: +5 CMD: 20 Fort: +2 Ref: +11 Will: +4

In Hand:

Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2[/sblock]

 

[Qik]

Milo squints in thought. "I've been wondering about that since last night. Given that I've been upsetting Ranocchio's criminal elements over the last three decades, it's hard to narrow down the list. I do, however, have an idea of a legitimate place to begin asking around. Have you heard of the Fair Lass?"

Fury, in fact, has: the Fair Lass is a brothel in the Planks, known to be a draw for many of the Planks' especially unseemly residents.

 

[GlassEye]

Fury snorts as he suppresses a laugh at the thought of Milo rousing the rabble for the past 30 years. This fellow must have some keen survival skills since he hasn't been found floating face down in a canal yet. The thought of the Fair Lass is much more sobering, however. Fury stares off in thoughtful remembrance.

"I know of it. My sister had to go to the temple of Cortessa to stay out of their clutches. Nasty place that should've been razed years ago. 'Legitimate' isn't exactly a term I'd associate with the Fair Lass. " He looks at Milo with one brow raised. "Someone in particular there you offended? Or just because it's a wretched hive of scum and villainy where someone might know something?"



[sblock=Actions/OOC]Move: --
Standard: --[/sblock][sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 3 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +8

AC: 20 (15 touch; 15 flat-footed)
HP: 40 Current: 19
CMB: +5 CMD: 20 Fort: +2 Ref: +11 Will: +4

In Hand:

Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2[/sblock]

 

[Qik]

Milo smiles wanly. "It's the latter, I'm afraid. You can say what you want about Bonita, but she knows about as much about what goes on in Ranocchio as anyone. Getting her to tell it to you is, of course, a different matter. Although who knows, maybe you're her type..." kids Milo, his smile widening.

"I'm sorry, Orlando, I know it's not much to go on, but it's the best I can do."

 

[GlassEye]

Fury doesn't respond much to Milo's joke being too lost in thought to do more than give the older man a wan smile.

"People have likely already taken note that you've managed to acquire yourself a bodyguard. Asking questions might not be too productive if word's got round." He shrugs. "Nothing to do for that, I suppose. Regardless, might be best if we part ways for a bit. You get on with your business and I get on with making the rounds of the stalls before heading to the Lass this evening. I'll escort you home, or wherever you need to go, but we probably shouldn't be seen together; I'll watch your back from a distance."

Fury will trail Milo as Milo walks home or wherever he wants to go, then Fury will wander the streets of Planks buying trinkets and small bits of food and questioning the shopkeepers on who might have heard something about someone getting up in arms about Milo's rabblerousing.



[sblock=Actions/OOC]Diplomacy to Gather Information: 1d20+12=23
Yeah, I know Fury probably won't find anything useful until he makes his inquiries at the Fair Lass but he has a day to kill and still wants to have a look around his old home and ask question.

Move: --
Standard: --[/sblock][sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 3 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +8

AC: 20 (15 touch; 15 flat-footed)
HP: 40 Current: 19
CMB: +5 CMD: 20 Fort: +2 Ref: +11 Will: +4

In Hand:

Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2[/sblock]

 

[Qik]

"People have likely already taken note that you've managed to acquire yourself a bodyguard. Asking questions might not be too productive if word's got round." He shrugs.

Milo reciprocates Fury's shrug. "They might have. But I saw you take care of two out of the three witnesses we know of with my own eyes, and from the sound of it, you took care of the third as well. Seems to me that the chances are just as good that word hasn't gotten out yet of much, save perhaps the fact that yesterday's trio failed to check in."

"Like you say, nothing we can do about it now."

"Regardless, might be best if we part ways for a bit. You get on with your business and I get on with making the rounds of the stalls before heading to the Lass this evening. I'll escort you home, or wherever you need to go, but we probably shouldn't be seen together; I'll watch your back from a distance."

Milo nods. "Sounds good."

The walk back to the Planks is as uneventful as this morning's, and Fury soon finds himself once again maneuvering through the streets of Ranocchio on his own. Even though he has more pressing matters on his mind, he nevertheless takes a certain pleasure from the sheer familiarity of the setting; he even recognizes a few faces here and there. What's more, he finds himself to be recognized more than he would have ever expected: in a place like Ranocchio, where material success is all but impossible except through the standard, illegitimate avenues, Fury's recent achievements as, for lack of a better term, an "adventurer" have earned him a not-insignificant amount of notoriety. Among most, that notoriety proves to be the difference between a stiff tongue and a loose one.

Although Fury hears little that would qualify as solid fact during his outing, he learns a lot about Ranocchio's residents' perception of his new friend and employer. Milo's reputation as someone who fights for the common man in this otherwise marginalized district is well-entrenched, and most of the shopkeepers and food stall operators speak of him in positive terms that occasionally cross over into something akin to reverence. The idea that Milo would have finally upset one too many a criminal is a recurrent refrain, though the theories on who may finally taken the next step (rumors of the attack on Milo already seem to be spreading, although Fury's role in his rescue is less frequently mentioned by action and never by name) vary wildly. Even so, over the course of the afternoon Fury is able to pick out two names that come up more than the others. One is the Red Bill Gang, of which little is mentioned beyond the fact that all the members are Tengu; the other is the Krakens, a gang associated with Ranocchio's rampant drug trade. Fury is uncertain, however, whether these two are mentioned for legitimate reasons, or simply because they represent the usual suspects for the more organized criminal actions which take place in this district.

Fury's meandering inquiry eventually takes him to the doorstep of the Fair Lass brothel, which looks as squalid and decrepit as he remembered it to be.

OOC: I rolled a Knowledge Local check for you, and came out with a 27, which pretty much buys the house in this instance. Fury knows everything about the Red Bill Gang listed on the wiki; the principle element of note is that while they're a notable criminal organization, Fury is unaware of any ties to Ranocchio specifically (which doesn't mean there aren't any). As for the Krakens, Fury recalls their association with the brothel before which he now stands. He's also aware of a recent altercation with the gang and some local adventurers on that very premises.