Fimble McGee, Gnome Illusionist
[sblock=Fimble, Gideon & Metrius]Fimble gives Gideon a hard look before saying, "What are you doing, friend? Drezel is our ally. Clearly, he has more to lose than we." Fimbus gestures at the antiques. "Look Drezel, I don't mean to bring you stress. It's been a difficult few days. Several of our promising leads have come up cold, the rain has washed away some tracks and some of our spirits with them. We've had to talk to some rather rude people ourselves, it's a scary business my associates and I are in. But you know I would never bring harm to a brother gnome. Nor allow anyone else to bring harm to one." Fimble looks strangely at his red-cloaked friend.
"In fact, Drezel, that's exactly what my purpose is in coming to you. Stopping someone from harming a brother gnome. But I can do nothing without your help." Fimble adopts a casual stance. "I'm not here to scare you, I'm here with my friends to protect you, and people like you, from this greater evil. I get the feeling that you don't want to trust us. Look, friend, I know we all have to dodge the law sometimes. Some of my friends in this town complain to me about City Hall jerking them around too much, and that's not right. So we skirt the authorities every now and then. I do it, and I know you do it, too. Who doesn't? The City officials can be wrong sometimes, but I'm not a city official, you can trust me. And the Thieves' Guild's so-called 'representatives' never have your best interests in mind. Take it from me, if you don't tell us what you know, you'll find a great deal more trouble with them than you ever would with the City."
The casual tone is gone from Fimble's voice. He looks genuinely worried for Drezel. "My parents were merchants. Both of them gnomes, they married and started a store together, selling valuable jewels my father had recovered from his adventures. The City accused my father of stealing the gems from a noble family, he was almost convicted. He got off with just a hefty fine, but I have no special place in my heart for the government. But the Guild gave my da far more problems than the City. And not the Merchant's Guild. You know which Guild I'm talking about. So listen, if you're holding back because you think the City is out to get you, you don't need to worry about any heat from us. My friends and I are here to eliminate the imminent threat, the reconstitution of a Guild. We can deal with changing the government when we no longer have to fear for our lives."
[sblock=OOC: ]What are you going for IcyCool, good cop/bad cop? I don't know how to play that negotiation game. =P I'm deliberately avoiding telling him our names, but if he asks, Fimble won't lie. Fimble is trying to tell the truth, but bend it just a little to make Drezel more comfortable with us and more uncomfortable with doing nothing. For those who care, Fimble's parents are indeed merchants, but the false accusation is just Fimble trying to win Drezel over. I considered relating most of the above in Gnome, so as to strike another chord with Drezel, but I don't want to alienate the others.[/sblock][/sblock]