R2: Rats in a Maze [Manzanita judging]

[Patlin]

Running you out of options is the whole point, little rat.

"If I find the people I'm looking for based on your information, your list of problems is going to be reduced at the very least. One of us is bound to kill the other, and dead men don't bother anybody. In the unlikely event they do manage to kill me, I guarantee the distraction I'll provide on my way out would be... spectacular. You'd be long gone by the time they recovered. If, on the other hand, I prove the stronger, you'll have dead enemies and at the same time you'll earn some living friends. Friends who will be owed favored by the powers that be in this town. Certainly an enterpising man such as yourself could find a way to make that work to your advantage."

 

[wmasters]

Metrius nods as he hears of his plight, "It is in your interest that we succeed then. I can assure you I will do everything that I can to help you once we do, to make amends for whatever problems we have caused you.　Ullura`s blessings will be with you."

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Fimble McGee, Gnome Illusionist

Fimble is still dumbfounded. So we don't want to kill him now? Now he's our ally. I'm rather lost, he thinks to himself, trying to subtly and smoothly change his expression from intimidating to friendly without looking confused or stupid.

 

[Dungannon]

"If I find the people I'm looking for based on your information, your list of problems is going to be reduced at the very least. One of us is bound to kill the other, and dead men don't bother anybody. In the unlikely event they do manage to kill me, I guarantee the distraction I'll provide on my way out would be... spectacular. You'd be long gone by the time they recovered. If, on the other hand, I prove the stronger, you'll have dead enemies and at the same time you'll earn some living friends. Friends who will be owed favored by the powers that be in this town. Certainly an enterpising man such as yourself could find a way to make that work to your advantage."

Dak continues to stare at Tor. "The only favor I want from the powers that be is my life back. But they can't do that, and even if they could, they wouldn't. The powers that be should suffer, suffer like I have."

"It is in your interest that we succeed then. I can assure you I will do everything that I can to help you once we do, to make amends for whatever problems we have caused you.　Ullura`s blessings will be with you."

At this Dak turns his dark eyes to the cleric, the spite in his voice becoming ever clearer. "Make amends? And how to you propose to do that? It's not like you can bring my uncle back. Or my mother." On this last bit Dak hangs his head back down, but not before Metrius catches a glimpse of a tear sliding down his cheek.

 

[IcyCool]

Gideon looks up at Dak with suspicion in his eyes. "What happened to them?" He asks.

 

[Patlin]

"Sounds like you have a decision to make. You can't get what you really want, so you can either work on making your life better or you can go down in flames. You don't like me much, Dak, and you haven't got any reason to. Do you want to throw me at your enemies, or do you want to throw yourself at me? Throwing me at your enemies will help you out with some of your problems. Not all of them, and you haven't even said what happened to your mother, or if your Uncle was a member of Black Jack's band. Definitely with some of them though. Throwing yourself at me won't make your life any better, but it will end your pain. So what's it going to be Dak? Do you have enough fight left in you to fight against whatever bonds Otto and his bosses have put on you, or just enough left to end your misery? Or not even that much? What's it going to be?"

 

[Patlin]

ooc: I had so many interruptions writing that, I started before IcyCool's post.

 

[Dungannon]

"What happened to them?" He asks.

Dak looks over at Gideon. "My uncle was a small but successful merchant, dealing mainly in antiques. Some of his dealings may have been on the shady side, but he wasn't a thief. He never stole anything in his life. Of course that didn't stop the Council and their mercenaries. They arrested him on a trumped up claim and hanged him in the square with the others. No court, no trial, nothing. He was arrested at night and strung up the next day. The Council then seized his shop and his account at the bank, claiming it as "restitution" for the city. My mother depended on him for everything, she never managed to put together her own account after my father died. She was devastated. I was out of town when it happened, on a trip for my uncle. By the time I got back she had been evicted from her house and was forced onto the street, where she died. The 'official' story is she was killed by a mugger, but I've heard other accounts that say it was a couple of the Council's mercenaries who did it when she refused to bed them."

So what's it going to be Dak? Do you have enough fight left in you to fight against whatever bonds Otto and his bosses have put on you, or just enough left to end your misery? Or not even that much? What's it going to be?

Dak lets out a short laugh. "Otto is a stooge, just like me. Only difference is, he's motivated purely by greed. I'm not afraid of him. And now you know why I'm loathe to throw my lot in with outsiders in the Council's employ."

Dak stands up at this point, but doesn't leave. "I'll give you a name and a place. What you do with it is up to you. As for me, I'm leaving. If you succeed I may return, but don't expect me to give up my fight against those bastards in the Hall. There's another antique dealer in town, a gnome named Drezel. I would get assignments from him sometimes. And if you're looking for rats, try the sewers."

Dak turns and walks toward the door.

 

[Patlin]

Tor let's Dak go without further trouble. He frowns.

Once Dak gets outside, he adresses his companions.

"That man is dishonest, disreputable, and most certainly a part of the problem afflicting this town. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarilly mean he isn't telling the truth. What do you all think? Are we working for tyrants, cutthroats and brigands here? And if we think that's a possibility, what do we do about it? Is there anyone trustworthy in this town we could consult?"

 

[Dungannon]

ooc: did everyone leave for the holiday weekend?