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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 270571" data-attributes="member: 1674">A Veshian Voyage part 3Feeling generous, Ben motioned for the man to go ahead: “We are always interested in offers. So, go ahead!”Karst smiled at them and said: “Now, my employer has heard of a certain item you are carrying with you, and he is willing to pay you the item 600 pieces of platinum for it.”.Jan pushed back his glass of wine, and Niklas said:”That is very kind of you, but we can not sell this item, if we are talking about the same thing.”“Ah, naturally you would have to make sure we are talking about the same object. Well, we know you are in posession of a vessel that is used to hold a rare substance. Anyway, since I understand that you are reluctant, I raise the offer to 700 pieces of platinum.”.Ben took another sip of wine, and said:” That does sound interesting. But at the very least, we would have to know who your employer is.”.Ignoring Jan, who was about to protest against any kind of negotiation, the dark man shook his head in regret: “Well, I am very sorry, but I am not free to divulge that piece of information.”.Before Jan could answer, Torn said:” In that case, I am sorry, but I think we would have to know who would end up with the object, first.”“I understand your concerns. But maybe 800 pieces of platinum could lessen your worries?”Except for Jan, the adventurers were taken aback now. This was quite a lot of money. However, the Paladin was consternated by his friends’ consideration: “Hello? There is no way in hell we are going to sell the Amphora!”.Karst gently touched Jan’s arm and lowered his voice conspiratively:” Sir, I hate to interrupt you, but you really shouldn’t say so much in a public building. After all, you never know who is listening. Let’s just call it the item, allright?”Jan nodded:”Right. But, as I said, the “item” is not for sale.”.Karst looked at Jan with admiration:”I applaud your sense of duty. So, let me simply tell you and your friends that my employer allowed me to offer up to 1.000 pieces of platinum for the item. And if you would agree, we could do the transaction by this evening.”.“ I am sorry. But no matter how much money you offer, we can’t just sell it to an unknown bidder.”, Jan answered.“ Right. But just like you are bound by your word of honor and your duty, so am I, and I have sworn not to reveal who my employer is. However, I can go and try to persuade him to meet with you, so that you can consider his offer then. I do not want you to rush any decisions, after all!”.The adventurers agreed to consider his offer, and after they had chatted for awhile about the weather and local fashion, they told Karst to meet him again next noon. Then, after the mysterious negotiator had left, they retreated into a backroom.Once the door was closed, Niklas said:” We gotta get out of this town before this night. Whoever is willing to pay 1.000 pieces of platinum for the amphora, will likely pay the same amount of money as a reward on our heads and get the prize this way!”They all agreed, and when Eochaid arrived, they told him what had happened, and that they wanted to get out of town as quickly as possible.“Good plan, but the commander of the garrison told me it would take a few days to get some horses.”, said the Ranger.“But this is an emergeny!”, Ben said and Trepat asked:” Maybe if we tell him that we need them now, he could give us horses that are in use by the local guard.”.The ranger shrugged: “We could go and try, of course.”And with that, they went to the local garrison, and with Eochaid guiding them, they were able to pass through to the commander, a wild elf Vigilant called Lamberton.They explained the situation to him, and once he understood the urgency, he was able to give them five horses that were currently in use by local troops. After that, he and Trepat had some time for themselves, and they talked about the growing xenophobia in Vera Tre, the city of the elves. Lately, the center of Elvish culture in Ghelspad was redrawing more and more from their former allies.Then, at dusk, Lamberton showed them a secret passage out of the city and lead them to the horses, which were already waiting for them near a small forest outside of town. He wished them luck, and the heroes rode off into the evening.There was one thing our heroes were certain about: Whoever tried to contact them in Lave had either a spynetwork, supernatural abilities or both. After all, they had been in Vigont for merely one day when they were contacted. And before that, they had traversed the unpopulated marshes for two weeks. Even if titanspawn from the bloodsteppes had been chasing them, it would have been almost impossible to track them through the marshes. Another alternative were Calastian agents- but still it was odd that they were contacted no twentyfour hours after reaching the small town.So, for the next days, the heroes kept to the backroads and paths. They avoided all major villages and roads and hoped that they could shake all possible pursuers and reach Lave without getting in touch with any possible “network”.So, they rode through the hilly countryside, and occasionaly, they took some fruits and vegetables from local fields to replenish their rations. Even Jan went along, since he too understood that they couldn’t talk to any farmers who would remember them.After a week, they had crossed half of Vesh, and they put up camp in an apple orchard. Then, late at night, Ben heard the sound of metal grinding against metal. The sound was exactly like the Paladin sounded, when he tried to move silently, and so he was on his knees immediately, and he woke up his friends.Just as all of them were standing, six ratmen walked up through the underbrush. They were surrounding the camp, and each of them was equipped differently. Two of them were wearing half plate armor that was customized for their rodent bodies, and they were wielding bastard swords and a shield, two others were wearing light armors, and they were sporting rapiers and bows, and another one was wearing a bear’s fur as an armor, and he was adorned with the symbols of Chern, the diseased Titan.The sixth one, was wearing no armor, but elegant clothes instead. He was standing behind one of the heavily armored Slitheren, and when he spoke, all of the adventurers recognized the voice of Karst, the “man” they had talked to in Vigont!He said:” Too bad. You should have taken the money when you still had the chance to.”.</blockquote>

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